Recently, I have somehow become “that guy” who listens to podcasts. When scrolling through Spotify recently, I realized that I listen to up to 12 different podcasts a week! I am simply the type of person who needs something in the background while doing work, working out, or just walking to class. It’s an easy type of multitasking that keeps all points of my brain in check.

It started naturally actually, first listening to the DIS Unplugged Podcast about theme park and entertainment news surrounding the Walt Disney Co. in 2017. I enjoyed how they had a “roundtable” with multiple perspectives about the particular topics of the week. I honestly think I like hearing different voices, it is thrilling and gives new perspective that can often be overlooked.

Toward the end of 2019, I was binging The Office (as you do) and heard about a new podcast by stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey called Office Ladies where they would break down each episode of the iconic show with behind the scenes details, info, etc. I was immediately hooked and ready to expand my podcast horizon. I soon found that Good Mythical Morning, a youtube show I watch, was starting a new podcast called A Hotdog Is a Sandwich” . This show broke-down the world’s biggest food debates like “Is cereal soup?” and “Does pineapple belong on pizza”. I found this concept so intriguing, so I again fell in love. This same story goes on and on about 10 more times.Interests just happen to spark with podcasts, which is quite intriguing.

I would say that my love of podcasts may have some genetic ties, as my dad is not a big reader and generally only listens to the radio or watches historical documentaries. He travels for work and often while in the car he listens to The Howard Stern Show, which really was the podcast before there were podcasts. Howard and his cohost Robin talk for hours about news, trends, life-happenings which is similar to the podcasts that I listen to. For many people, there is comfort in having virtual “friends” to share your thoughts with.

Because of this mind-voice connection, I do think podcasts are one of things that got me through the lock-down era of the pandemic. It was nice to hear new perspectives on the news while also taking my mind off of the current state. During this time, many celebrities started podcasting because that was all they could do, which gave fans comfort and connection. In many ways, I feel that podcasts make the listeners feel as though many of these celebrity hosts are more real than perceived in the media.

Recently in podcasting, there has also been a huge trend of workplaces and universities creating podcasts. I mean just look at PSU and you will find tons of podcasts connected to our sports, business programs, news, and much more. This entertainment phenomenon is something that is not going away anytime soon because it has existed for decades, just in a slightly different radio form. The power of listening to others has so much impact, and I’m glad I was able to find who to listen to.

References

https://officeladies.com/

https://www.voices.com/blog/history-of-podcasts/

https://www.siriusxm.com/channels/howard-100

In July of 2019, I put in my application to work at the College 9 Movie Theater in State College, PA. Being my first job, I was nervous but excited. The perks really made up for the minimum-wage pay; free popcorn, soda, and movies pretty much whenever I wanted. Plus, we were dreadfully slow half the time, so I could play on my phone while watching the dust collect all throughout the lobby.

During my free time that year, I came to watch the newest flicks, including Us, The Lion King, Spiderman: Far From Home, Just Mercy, and The Lighthouse. All of my coworkers were so passionate about movies, but I had (and still do have) a short attention span. So often, especially when watching movies at home, I would get distracted by my phone or use the movie as background noise while doing homework (bad idea). Because of this, its meaning gets lost on me. I was in a rut and needed to step up my movie-watching game.

That was accomplished with one movie: Parasite. Sitting in the movie theater with my coworkers, Winter and Josie, I was so enthralled by a movie that was entirely in Korean. This Oscar-winning Best Feature Film was so gritty, with an intriguing story that made the watcher unable to look away. All of the characters acted with spite, which combined with a fantastic pacing and beautiful cinematography. Walking out of that theater, it was like my whole perception about movies and the entertainment industry changed. Movies, entertainment, theme parks, etc. can be fantastic, but there needs to be something else when watching them: a viewer’s connective spark.

This spark can come from anywhere, whether it be a fascination with a look of an actor in one particular scene, a resemblance to someone’s personal life, or a familiar setting. That is the beauty of movies, and entertainment as a whole. When watching Parasite, my connective spark was the background music. I so heavily enjoyed its addition to the film and it pacing that it kept me interested in the movie while making me find other aspects I loved. This spark created a building block system that I have used to fall in love with so many other films.

In March of 2020, I was laid off from my job at the theater due to the pandemic, but I kept watching movies to pass the time. In 2020 alone, I watched over 120 movies and limited series. I used a spark from one film to move to the next, whether that be a particular director, actor, composer, or set location. I, like so many others, was devastated when films kept being pushed back due to the current state because of connective sparks I had already bonded. I just wanted that movie-watching experience that I loved.

I returned to College 9 in late 2020, but the industry was in a rough spot and I made the very difficult to finally say goodbye to the place I fell in love with movies. I am fortunate to have had that opportunity to find my entertainment-loving spark.