Podcasters are Useful Idiots
Toddlers playing with wolves
During the last few months of this US presidential election cycle, both Republican and Democratic candidates made appearances on popular entertainment podcasts such as ‘Joe Rogan Experience’ and ‘Call Her Daddy’. Their appearances made me question many things, from public relations to ethics. Today, I want to dive deeper into why I think podcasters, especially entertainment podcasters, are useful idiots.
Useful
The growth of podcasts has been explosive over the past 15 years. It is estimated that there are around 550+ million global listeners. In the United States, out of a total population of 350 million, an estimated 135 million individuals are monthly podcast listeners. This means around 43% of Americans are podcast listeners, these numbers that are nothing to scoff at. The huge media conglomerates, such as News Corp, Time Warner, and Disney, are called "mainstream media," while podcasts are referred to as "independent media." But that time has passed; with the numbers podcasts currently get, they are now part of the "mainstream media." As a politician, it is in your best interest to book an interview on a popular podcast. As the saying goes, "You have to go where the people are." For podcasters, it is in your interest to have popular people featured on your shows. Popular guests bring in their own audience, and there is a chance they will subscribe and become part of your audience. This means you get more listens/views and increase your total audience, which in turn means more revenue.
So, from this perspective, it’s a "win-win": politicians get more exposure, and podcasters increase their revenue.
Idiot
"Useful idiot" is a term that became popular during the Cold War. It was related to propaganda and intelligence, referring to people with status in the West who repeated Soviet and communist talking points, unwittingly furthering the Soviet interest. In the modern era, the term has taken on a broader meaning. To be a useful idiot in 2024 means you’re unwittingly furthering someone else’s political agenda.