Podcasts in the Movies & Television
When I am watching a television show or movie and the concept of podcasts is mentioned by a character, I often experience a range of feelings.
First, there’s this sense of community—almost like it’s an inside joke and those in the podcast community will only get it.
An example of this happened while I was watching the new Ghostbusters movie Afterglow. One of the main characters is named Podcast and Podcast had this quote early in the movie that got a huge guffaw out of me:
“I call myself Podcast, because of my podcast.” Podcast
I was hooked on seeing how the rest of the Ghostbusters Afterglow movie played out.
After the Hook
After the initial intrigue and excitement fades, I my attention usually starts to hone in and try to figure out if the show got the concept and creation of podcasts right. More times than not, shows or movies don’t really capture the true essence of creating a podcast.
In the case of Ghostbusters, podcasting wasn’t a focal point of the movie. I was not bothered by the snippets mentioned. For me, the podcasting snippets added to my enjoyment of the movie.
Getting it Right
There is a Hulu Original series, Only Murders in the Building, which was recently released and captures the aspect of podcast creation really well. While some podcasting tidbits were clunky, it still was a success in my eyes. After all, the show was not meant to be a documentary! So, in this article, I wanted to share two things the series got right and some lessons we can learn from them.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
If you have not watched the series yet and plan on doing so, stop reading here. There are some spoilers coming up!
===========================================================
Only Murders in the Building is a comedy-murder-mystery series that follows three main characters played by Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. They share an obsession with a specific true-crime podcast (voiced/hosted by Tina Fey) and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in a murder mystery within their apartment complex. The trio decide to do the obvious—start their own true-crime podcast and attempt to solve the murder. The three unravel complex secrets involving murder, mystery, and mayhem.
2 Lessons We Can Learn From
Here are two things the show got right about podcasting plus lessons we can learn:
1. Collaborating with other podcasts can help grow your show.
In Episode 5: The Twist, we find Mabel traveling to Long Island. Charles and Oliver attempt to follow her and get a ride from two men—Lucian and Vaughn. It turns out Lucian and Vaughn have a podcast called The Yard Dogs and share that they have over 60,000 subscribers. Here is a little fun dialogue that happens between them:
Oliver: Well, we're doing a podcast based on a murder in the building we live in, and the girl in the car is one of the cohosts, but now, we think she may have had something to do with the whole thing.
Lucian: Damn! You know, Vaughn and I, we got a little podcast. It's called Yard Dogs: Your Favorite Horticulture Homies.
Oliver: Aw, good for you guys. Giving it the old college try. That's... that's so sweet.
Vaughn: Yeah, we got about 60,000 subscribers. Been featured on iTunes and Spotify as one of the best new podcasts. You know, just trying to do a little something-something.
(Both laugh.)
Later in the series, Oliver, Charles, and Mabel see their podcast listenership grow. It turns out that Lucian and Vaughn give the trio a shoutout on their podcast and later also introduce them to famed podcast host Cinda Canning, the host of their favorite true-crime podcast.
The Lesson: Collaborating with other podcasts can be a great way to grow your listenership and build connections.
2. There is a community aspect to podcast listening, embrace it.
Episode 1: True Crime and Episode 8: Fan Fiction showcase the community aspect of podcast listening really well. I really enjoyed Season 1 of this series, most notably because of the podcast aspect of it.
In Episode 1, the three main characters quickly form a bond over their shared podcast obsession.
And later in Episode 8, we are treated to seeing how dedicated fans of the Only Murders in the Building podcast come out and support not only the show but help the hosts in their quest to solve the murder.
The Lesson: Podcasters share a strong sense of community, are supportive as platforms are built and grown, and provide levels of accountability to each other.
Coming together over a shared topic creates an undeniable bond between hosts, listeners, and other shows doing similar work. Collectively, this community feeling reinforces the impact you have in sharing your chosen topic with your listeners. There are so many benefits to embracing it and being involved.
I encourage you to keep watching for podcasting moments in the media. See which lessons you notice and pay attention to pow podcasting is being portrayed. Have a favorite show or movie that mentions podcasting in some way?