All the Cool Kids are Doing it!

I’m baaack! Sorry for the delay guys, I’ve been to Ireland for a few days with my family! It was awesome ’ my little brother suddenly decided he wanted to be tourist of the year, and so used all his pocket money to buy an Ireland t-shirt, an Irish flag, and best of all a big green hat with a shamrock on it. I thought it was really embarrassing until I realised how much he looked like Ginny at the Quidditch World Cup, and I just thought that was totally awesome. We’re actually going to Bulgaria in mid-September, I didn’t even realise the significance of that until I made the hat connection, but now I’m seriously thinking of getting me a Bulgaria hat and making a ˜Support Viktor Krum’ banner.

Anyways, this post isn’t about my trip, nor about Breaking Dawn which I FINALLY read (they don’t sell it in Denmark and Amazon was being uncharacteristically slow about delivering it, it would have arrived after I got home anyway!) ’ I’ll do a post about my reaction and compare it to the final HP book later ’ nor is this post about the Movies News That Shall Not Be Named, because eurgh. This is about something I’m sure we all love, and if you don’t, then keep reading anyway and I’ll convince you of why you SHOULD love it.

It is, of course, podcasting. Ahh podcasting. I feel half my readers smile knowingly and the other half shrink away from the screen, but DON’T, because it’s so totally awesome! It’s relatively new technology ’ what is this iTunes anyway? ’ and even though it’s been in the fandom for several years now, many fans have simply chosen to ignore the entire phenomenon. I have been a listener of several podcasts for many years now, the most prominent of course being PotterCast (which you’re all listening to, I trust??), MuggleCast and The Lost Podcast With Jay and Jack. It’s funny though, because the very first podcast I ever listened to was a sweet little show called The Harmony Podcast. Yeah, you guessed it, a Harry/Hermione podcast. I’m actually a pretty devoted R/Hr (Hermywon, I’m trying to make that name catch on. You think it’ll stick?) and H/G shipper, but this podcast was just so sweet and relaxing, not like those craaaazy bigger Potter podcasts. Teehee. I then started listening to MuggleCast, and it’s funny because this was all three years ago when I was like 17, and I remember listening to PotterCast and thinking that it all sounded a little too serious for me¦ and then a few months later I was out of MuggleCasts and already obsessed with having voices in my head, I tried PotterCast again and loooooved it! I don’t know if I had just grown up a bit more or if the PCers had loosened up a bit (I’m listening to the first episodes of the show again at the moment, it’s what prompted me to do this post actually, and it was definitely a very different show back then! But hey, Melissa called Neville/Hannah in episode FIVE! Pwnage!), but suddenly PotterCast appealed to me at least as much as MuggleCast. I still listen to both, and I honestly don’t know which is my favourite. I’m annoyed by people who try to make it into a war, thinking that loving one means you have to hate and verbally abuse the other. Kind of like HP vs. Twilight, Lost vs. Heroes etc. I listen to both and I think they’re awesome in each their own way.

There comes a time too when you’ve listened to someone for so long, just hearing their voices talk about anything is great, so I’ll listen to any other podcast these people put out (yeah, ALL of them). I’m very disappointed by the way that Melissa, John and Andrew stopped their Lost podcast, cause that was just the best thing ever seeing as I’m obsessed with both! But Jay & Jack is a great show for anyone who is as Lost-obsessed as I am, they’re just so funny and have great interaction with each other, and they’ve started another podcast which I’ll listen to just to hear their voices, even though I’d never listen to it otherwise! That’s the strange thing really, you listen to a podcast about something you love, but you only really keep listening if you like the people who are discussing it. And then eventually you like the people so much, it doesn’t matter what they talk about. I suppose that’s why the podcasters have become such big names within the fan community. This is a unique opportunity for fans to get their voices heard ’ it outshines any previous means, like being a renowned fanfic author or vid maker, or posting the best essays or topics in a forum¦ and I suppose maybe some people are bitter about this. But as a representative of the people who might not have so much time to browse forums (did you know the correct plural for this is ˜fora’? Yeah¦ they added ˜forums’ only cause nobody were using the ˜fora’ form anyway) or keep up with the essay projects on various sites, I can only recommend the podcasts. Me & my iPod are inseparable (well actually that’s a lie; me and my mum’s iPod are inseparable, as mine perished tragically a few months ago *tear*), whenever I go into town or run or do work in the garden I always listen to something, usually preferring a discussion on one of my favourite topics rather than music. I can also heartily recommend podcasts to anyone who wants to further or refresh their English; my summer vacation lasts about five months, and I’m so thankful I’ve got the podcasts so I can hear some English every day, just to keep it fresh. Not that I’d forget, but it still makes a good balance. I should really find some Danish podcasts to listen to while I’m I the UK though, because my Danish is starting to slip. 😛 Only I have to say, side effects include picking up your podcasters’ accent traits ’ I have a very Melissa-like ring to my o’s, and an Andrew Sims-ian clang to my au’s. It’s pretty random, but I like it. It’s also a great study in American culture ’ especially the Jay and Jack Show, which is basically two guys from North Carolina talking about anything that comes to their minds, and you get such a clear view of the world through their eyes, it’s fascinating. It’s incredible how different we are, you wouldn’t think the difference was that big in the modern world.

Lastly, I just wanted to say that being a podcaster myself, I know how much time and effort it takes to put a show together every week, and I really appreciate that my favourite shows keep doing this, week after week. If you yourself are thinking of starting up a podcast, let me know if you need any advice of course, but otherwise it’s a matter of getting Skype (if you live in a different place from the ones you’re doing the podcast with), Audacity, a microphone and some webspace. And then find something to talk about! That’s usually the real challenge, actually. My podcast is Lost-related and probably of no interest here, but we’re at our 45th show now, have a solid listener base, and I can only say that recording these shows and seeing them received is so rewarding, I can only recommend it. I heart podcasting, and I hope you’ll all give listening to PotterCast and co. a shot! It’s something to rally around, and a way to keep the fandom alive!