Summary

The web content discusses the author's personal journey with podcasts, detailing their rise in popularity and sharing the author's top five favorite podcasts across various genres.

Abstract

The article "Are You There, Moriarty?" reflects on the evolution of podcasts from a niche interest in 2013 to a mainstream form of media by 2021, with 50% of households now tuning in. The author recounts their own experience with podcasts, often listening to them in bed for comfort and sometimes to fall asleep. They list their five preferred podcasts: "Two Girls One Ghost," which delves into paranormal stories; "Ear Biscuits," hosted by YouTube personalities Rhett and Link; "Wine & Crime," which combines true crime discussions with wine tasting; "VORW," hosted by The Report of The Week, John, covering a wide range of topics; and "Philosophize This!," which explores philosophical theories. The author appreciates the variety of content available and recommends podcasts as a way to learn and find companionship in the voices of the hosts.

Opinions

The author has a strong interest in the paranormal, making "Two Girls One Ghost" a perfect fit for their tastes.
"Ear Biscuits" is praised for its humorous content and the hosts' ability to discuss serious topics, such as their experiences with religion.
"Wine & Crime" is described as comforting despite its true crime focus, with the hosts' personalities contributing to its appeal.
True crime is noted to be a particularly popular podcast genre.
"VORW" is appreciated for its diverse topics and reliance on listener interaction, though the author notes the unpredictable release schedule can be a downside.
"Philosophize This!" is recommended for those interested in philosophy, with the author expressing a personal connection to the subject matter

Are You There, Moriarty?

The rise of the faceless voices

I remember the day I first listened to a podcast so clearly. It was 2013, and I was in art class. I had one earbud secretly threaded through my jumper and concealed by my hair. The podcast was on the app that is built into the iPhone’s IOS system.

Podcasts weren’t as popular back then. However, many years later there became a podcast boom. As of the year 2021, 50% of homes are listening to podcasts. Research shows that many people tend to listen to them when they are in the comfort of their own home.

From personal experience, I tend to listen to podcasts when I am lay in bed. I often like to fall asleep to them, it brings me some comfort. I have found that podcasts feel like having extra friends that you never see.

Here are my five favourite podcasts that I listen to on a regular basis.

1. Two Girls One Ghost

This podcast is hosted by Sabrina Deana-Roga and Corinne Vien. They discuss paranormal experiences that listeners send in via e-mail, but some of their episodes are specifically about cases that the hosts have researched. I am a huge fan of the paranormal so this podcast is perfect for me.

The podcast has their own Facebook group for the fans of the show. Members of the group share their experiences and spooky memes with each other.

Two Girls One Ghost upload new episodes every Sunday.

2. Ear Biscuits

This podcast is hosted by the famous Rhett and Link. Rhett and Link are the hosts of the YouTube channel Good Mythical Morning. Ear Biscuits is a light-hearted podcast that explores silly topics and dissects the lives of the hosts.

They will post more serious episodes which usually discuss their previous experiences with the church and religion. I usually listen to this podcast if I need cheering up because the hosts are some of the funniest people online.

Ear Biscuits upload an episode every Monday.

3. Wine & Crime

Wine & Crime is hosted by Kenyon, Amanda and Lucy. The tagline for the show is;

“Chug wine, chat true crime”

At the start of each episode, they discuss the wine they picked out for the episode and open up the bottle. The ceremony that surrounds opening the bottle mainly deals with if the top is a popper or a cracker.

This podcast has a similar format to Two Girls One Ghost which sees the hosts researching different cases. The three hosts will each present a case that they have researched before the show. They upload a brand new episode every Thursday.

This podcast is usually the one I choose to fall asleep with because the girls are delightful. It may seem a little odd to some people to fall asleep to a podcast that discusses people being murdered, but I find it comforting.

True Crime is one of the most popular podcast categories at the minute. It’s a hot topic right now!

4. VORW

VORW is a podcast hosted by John who is more commonly known as The Report of The Week. He also has a YouTube channel that has seen significant success over the last few years. John predominantly reviews various fast food items on his channel such as Taco Bell’s Crunch Wrap Supreme to Little Caesars Pizza.

He sometimes reviews energy drinks which is what he originally reviewed when the channel began way back in 2011. VORW is a podcast that covers every topic imaginable. VORW relies heavily on listener responses for the discussions that carry the show.

Often, John will have specific topics that he is keen to discuss. However, he will then dip into the mailbag and answer the questions that he has received. The schedule for VORW is ever-changing which makes it difficult to know when a new episode will arrive. Sometimes they can be weekly, and sometimes they can be monthly.

5. Philosophize This!

Philosophize This! is hosted by Stephen West. I like to think of myself as a thinker or an amateur philosopher. Stephen explores a variety of philosophers and their subsequent theories.

Textbooks and online research can be a little overwhelming for people, therefore I would highly recommend this podcast for anyone wanting to learn more about philosophical theories. Stephen West refers to philosophers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Friedrich Nietzsche and Michel Foucault.

I am always keen to familiarise myself with philosophers and the extensive theories that come with them. This podcast is not published as often as the other podcasts in this list, but it is certainly worth the wait.

I think my personal taste in podcasts shows quite a bit of variety in the subject matters discussed. Whenever the mood strikes, I will find a podcast that matches how I am feeling in that moment.

I am delighted to have been witness to the rise in popularity of this phenomenon. The voices in the dark are a respite for when your eyes grow tired but you are not ready to fall into a dream just yet.

There is a podcast for everything you could imagine. The app I almost exclusively listen to my podcasts on is Spotify. I have found that Spotify has the most user-friendly. From what I have seen, Spotify also has the most amount of podcasts.

If you are ever feeling lonely or at a hitch in the road, turn on a podcast and let the crooning warm your ears. You will meet new friends and learn more than you could have possibly imagined.