Comedy, Culture, and Connection: Surprising Findings About My Podcast Listeners
It’s a Wrap!
Another year of Movie House Sport Psychology is almost in the books. Hosting this podcast since 2022 has been a highlight of my career in clinical sport psychology. I still get a kick out of the idea that my fun conversations with colleagues provide help and entertainment (hopefully) to people I may never meet, spread across the globe.
Spotify recently released its 2024 Wrapped for Creators, and my results were both exciting and, to be honest, confusing.
Top 10 Results
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Movie House is a top-ten podcast for a small but meaningful number of people. That’s awesome! Knowing that a growing audience has made my lighthearted conversations part of their routine energizes and motivates me to keep finding great guests for the show.
What Other Podcasts Do Movie House Listeners Love?
If I had to bet money, I would have guessed that Movie House listeners primarily enjoy podcasts about movies, mental health, or applied sport psychology. Makes sense, right? It’s a good thing I don’t gamble, because I would have lost that bet. The top podcast Movie House listeners also love is Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.
What???
I am as shocked as I am flattered. I grew up watching Conan on TV. Remember TV? Conan’s comedy is intelligent and silly at the same time. He makes vaudevillian references while somehow making them relatable to people who have no idea what he’s talking about. The idea that even a small portion of Conan’s audience also listens to Movie House is a huge honor. It’s confusing but an honor nonetheless.
Movie House Listeners Love Comedy
None of the top five podcasts that Movie House listeners enjoy are about movies, mental health, or sport psychology. Interestingly, four of the top five are hosted by comedians. Clearly, people who love comedy are tuning in to Movie House.
Are people tuning in to Movie House for comedy? Probably not. I’m guessing this means that listeners appreciate the balance my guests and I strike as we discuss serious topics in a fun and playful way. To give just one example, my guest Dr. Saemi Lee and I discussed issues related to poverty and domestic violence during our episode covering the movie I, Tonya- a movie that takes a hilariously absurd look at one of the most infamous scandals in sport.
Are Movie House Listeners Culturally Conservative or Progressive?
The most surprising finding was where Movie House listeners might lie on the political/cultural spectrum. Although Movie House doesn’t directly address current political issues, I deliberately feature guests from marginalized populations to discuss movies and TV series that spotlight important cultural topics. For instance, I talked to my colleague Andrea Vargas about La Bamba and to David Smith about To Wong Foo.
I was therefore surprised to learn that Movie House listeners love both progressive and conservative podcasts. Here’s the list:
Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Adam Carolla Show
Joe Rogan Experience
Knowledge Fight
Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
Other than Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, I don’t listen to any of these podcasts. I grew up listening to Adam Carolla and Dr. Drew on Loveline. As a poor, working-class kid from Azusa, their radio show was a huge source of support. Their combination of comedy and solid life advice helped me when I didn’t know where else to turn. I still quote Adam occasionally and chuckle. Years ago, he joked that his New Year’s resolution was for everyone else to “get their sh#t together.” I found it funny then, and now, as a mental health professional, I find it hilarious—albeit for different reasons.
In more recent years, I’ve disagreed with many of Adam’s perspectives and haven’t sought out his content.
I’m much less familiar with the other top podcasts enjoyed by Movie House listeners. Joe Rogan Experience is a hugely popular podcast that features comedians, scientists, political figures, and guests from various backgrounds. Rogan welcomes guests across the political spectrum, though he has recently garnered a reputation for leaning conservative.
Before seeing 2024 Wrapped, I hadn’t heard of Knowledge Fight or Mind Pump. After some brief Googling, I learned that Knowledge Fight is hosted by comedians who listen to and debunk Alex Jones from InfoWars. Meanwhile, Mind Pump is a fitness podcast hosted by personal trainers. They seem knowledgeable about exercise science and also often discuss their criticisms of vaccines and their support for conservative politicians.
What Does Any of This Mean?
To say these results are weirdly contradictory feels like an understatement. Are Movie House listeners seeking out different perspectives? Are small subsections of listeners enjoying only one of these podcasts without listening to the others? Or is this simply a reflection of the current zeitgeist?
I’m still processing what these results mean. What I do know is that I’m glad people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives enjoy Movie House. I strive to discuss complicated issues in a way that’s helpful and healing for whoever is listening, regardless of their background.
Wrapping up another year of Movie House Sport Psychology with these surprising Spotify Wrapped results has been a mix of fun, confusion, and reflection. It’s wild to see how many different kinds of people are tuning in and connecting with the show. Knowing that these conversations are resonating with listeners from all walks of life makes me even more motivated to keep exploring important topics in a way that’s playful, thoughtful, and, hopefully, helpful. Here’s to another year of talking about great TV and film!