Pod! show me magic
I thought the long Easter weekend would be the biggest challenge so far to my blog-every-day vow, what with family duties, travelling around and being so full of food that my fingers are almost too heavy to lift off the keyboard (although I guess I could have just plonked one down, written ‘ffffffffffffffffffffffffffff’ and published that, but I like to think I’d be big enough to sacrifice the 100percent record rather than treat my readership like that). Anyhow, it looks like we’re going to make it. From tomorrow I will get back on board the blog bike and start working through all the material from the Very Late Review, the ten-year challenges and my self-appointed problem page. (If you don’t know what some or all of these things are, welcome to the blog.)
There was, once more, an excellent response to the ‘things that are really popular but which you don’t get’ blog yesterday. Frequently cited adversaries were Twilight/Robert Pattinson, Harry Potter (a relief to me, I’ve never really bothered with it), clubbing, coffee, and sport - one person sending a shiver through my whole being by saying she ‘wouldn’t miss sport’ if it disappeared, all of it, just like that. But almost everything in the world found at least one opponent. Remarkable statements included ‘Shakespeare is shit’, ‘I don’t think butter is necessary’, and ‘I hate Clint Eastwood’. Some people came up with ten or twenty things they didn’t rate, one person wrote off films in general, and three spoke out against food as a concept. Someone even topped THAT by dismissing water, the substance that makes up most of our bodies. Daring stuff.
I was going to spend this blog defending a few things I like which came under fire, but I’ve not quite got time, and in a way that’s not really the point – no one is claiming that these things are objectively bad, this was just a vent for people to express the frustrating of not ‘getting’ things. Still, we’ll return to this subject soon.
This is a bit like being a talk-radio DJ like the one in my new book, offering up conversational points and letting people thrash them out. It begs the question of whether I should do an occasional podcast. I was going to start one, but a combination of technophobia, diffidence, and not-quite-seeing-the-point held me back. But those things used to stop me doing a blog, and look at me. What do you think? Are podcasts worth bothering with? It wouldn’t be instead of this blog, needless to say, but it might be a fun supplement. But is it all a bit 2006? And does it seem narcissistic enough to do a blog, without audio-blogging as well?
I throw the topic over to you. Please tune in tomorrow for a resumption of slightly more interesting blogs. Ta!
Posted by Knox on May 8, 2011
I’d love to listen to a podcast of yours. I’d actually listen to it, too (at some point…) rather than just downloading it and meaning to (sorry Adam & Joe, and Sandy Toksvig, however your name is spelt!). I was just thinking, reading one of the blogs from March (can’t remember which) that some of this/similar stuff would go really well in a podcast. So yes. It may be that in the intervening time since April 2010 and now, you have actually done a whole series of podcasts, all of which I have missed due to being completely out of it – that would be quite cool, to have a stash to catch up on.
Posted by Hannah on April 21, 2010
I think a podcast is a great idea. Yep, that pretty much sums it up. : )
Posted by ShineUrShoesGuv on April 10, 2010
Podcast is definately a great idea, I’m sure you can fit it in…. I mean it’s not like you’ve set yourself other massive goals recently
seriously though I would subscribe, and it doesn’t have to be a weekly without fail commitment, some of my favourite podcasts are sporadically released and I always look forwards to them
Posted by Alex on April 8, 2010
I still don’t know what a podcast is…
Posted by Megan on April 6, 2010
I would probably listen to a podcast, but I understand why you might not want to do them. I’m resurrecting my gardening blog this year, which included a lot of photos and one or two videos (done with my dinky still camera’s ‘video’ feature) and adding another element would have just been overwhelming.
Besides, your job (largely) is writing and performing live and/or on TV. Podcasting probably isn’t that important at present.
Posted by Someone on April 6, 2010
Def do a podcast. Def with someone else though, yeah.
Also, just watched comedy gala and you, dear Mark, were really good. It was all a bit lacklustre until you came on… you def kicked things off, so that’s good eh.
And aww at Robert Brydon’s right sweet intro of you. I must have missed the engagement but that is a good couple right there. That’s all. Do it.
Posted by Jackiec on April 6, 2010
Thank you, Alex! I don’t really get what a podcast is either. Is it just a downloadable recording of someone talking? If so, not sure I get the point? On the other hand, don’t want to be unable to programme the VHS (metaphorically speaking) so maybe a podcast might encourage me to get up to speed!
Posted by Corey on April 6, 2010
Podcast would be good, after all it is the 90′s!!…..might as well get with the times. Seems like you’re just making more work for yourself though!?!, and before long you’ll have stubbornly completed your 30th consecutive daily podcast in addition to everything else.
Posted by Lally on April 6, 2010
I woould enjoy listening to a podcast, but what with three blogs and TYSIC forums and a baby and writing and various other challenges, please only do it when you will enjoy it! We want you to have a happy home life and a flourishing career.
Posted by Madeleine on April 6, 2010
A podcast would be great, and I would definatly listen to it, but as other people have said it would probably be better to be a special extra, rather than a regular thing. (This all changes if there is a chance that we could be on it, in which case I say they should be four hours long and released every twenty minutes)
I think we may all bit a bit worried, with this whole ten year undertaking that if you start doing too many involved things it may all get a bit much for you – with the standup and the books and the child raising and the world saving. That you may get to the 3 year mark and have all the enthusism sucked from you, arthritis stricken hands curled from the never ending blogging that we’ve forced you into.
However, these thoughts are not in keeping at all with the optimistic premise of this whole enterprise, so I say full steam ahead!
Posted by Dean on April 6, 2010
Well I’d listen – have done a couple myself (with our own Miss Lowman) and had a lot of fun. Remarkably straight-forward to get something listenable and decent sounding edited together too.
Definitely get someone else on board though (Horne/Key/the baby) as I find they sound somewhat awkward when it’s just one person rambling.
Posted by Alf on April 6, 2010
I don’t know that being “a bit 2006″ is necessarily a bad thing. 2006 was a bit 2006, as I recall, and it worked out OK on the whole.
Posted by Heather Jones on April 6, 2010
You’re already on my ipod with your 2 BBC radio series, so it’s not as if audio is an alien world to you. And there’s the lovely No More Women videos which you did with yer man and whatsisname.
For a supplementary podcast connected to this blog, would you do it solo? Improvise or write it down and then read it out ? (Stephen Fry alternated scripted and improvised ones – when he was still doing them that is) Personally I think dialogues usually work better as you can bounce off someone else.
You know you want to – go on! (Narcissism is seriously under-rated anyway.)
Posted by Kate on April 6, 2010
I think a podcast would be great fun, but given how much you’re already trying to keep up with, would suggest making it an occasional extra rather than a regular thing.
That would also give you flexibility to do it in different ways (i.e. one person, several, editing contributions together) and at it’s simplest, a podcast can just be you and your phone – easier than typing.
(Apropos of absolutely nothing, I really like the photo of you on the left of this page; you look happy and those are good glasses.)
Posted by Amy on April 5, 2010
I for one would like it if you did do audio blogs. Podcasts – particularly comedy podcasts – are the one thing that keep me going on long journeys, walks to and from uni and during moments of dullness in the library. I think it’d be great if you did one – I’d certainly listen and that’s got to count for something, me being some random, English Lit Undergrad with few current career prospects and seemingly no qualifications to do anything that I might want to do! Yeah!
Posted by Maddie on April 5, 2010
Go for it Mark! Great Idea!
Posted by James on April 5, 2010
Podcast sounds brilliant! I’d definitely listen.
Posted by Alex on April 5, 2010
Confession- I’ve never really understood what a podcast is. What is a podcast?
Posted by rachel (pandora) on April 5, 2010
sounds like it could be good fun! i’d be more than happy to help out if required (although i have NO idea how. if you hurt yourself in recording i can be your physiotherapist, but that’s about it).
Posted by h2osarah on April 5, 2010
I listen to more podcasts than is sane. But somehow I still manage to keep up. I haven’t quite found 16 hours of content a day 7 days a week… I’d love one from you Mark! And I like the idea of TYSIC-ers contributing in some fashion. I have no podcasting skills, but would be happy to participate or help in some way if extra bodies are needed.
Posted by Anna Lowman on April 5, 2010
Totally do a podcast, it’d be great. You could get TYSICers on the phone and special guests and all sorts. And it wouldn’t have to be frequent or even regular – you have stuff to do, we appreciate that. But it’d be very cool.
Posted by Terry on April 5, 2010
I’m sure you know that everyone is going to say you should do a podcast and that I’m sure we’re all willing to help!
Posted by Misha on April 5, 2010
Do it!
I’m a bit of a podcast nerd, although I currently have so many its a bit difficult to keep up with.
More than that I take part in a weekly sci-fi one
(http://cultdom.com/) plug plug.
Depending on what you want to do there’s plenty of programmes to either record alone or with a live “call” and I assume they’re not too hard to put up because I know lots of people who do.
But yes, I’d listen.
Posted by LisaD on April 5, 2010
I think you’re going to be hard pressed to find anyone among your more hard core fan base who wouldn’t be thrilled at the idea of more output from you.
Posted by Carl on April 5, 2010
The only podcast I’ve really bothered to sit and listen to is The Ricky Gervais Show. And to be honest, it was a great tool for him to plug the SHIT out of Karl Pilkington and slowly turn him in to the star the round headed freak is today.
Whereas the Chris Moyles podcast seems like a pointless, narcissist tool to me purely because we hear the fat sod talk crap every morning. His podcast is mere extension of his awful radio show.
So to summarise, I wouldn’t suggest using it as a way to extend these blogs, but instead use it as a platform to try out new things.
Or, just ignore me as you’re the one with the mass following! Happy Monday! x
Posted by Zoe Fell on April 5, 2010
Dearest Mark.
Please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE do a podcast? I think I floated the idea of a TYSIC podcast right at the beginning of the project.
It’d be an extremely fun way for people to get involved with each other in an mp3 compatible format. TYSIC-ers could record mini updates and we could string them together with jingles, music from budding TYSIC musicians and other bits and bobs from relevant challenges and talents.
I’m offering to put myself forward to help out with a podcast if it goes ahead. Plus it’d be great for my TYSIC (cue shameless attempt to get experience), going on to study Radio Production at Uni.
Podcasts are the easiest thing in the world to do, whether they’re done by one person or produced via a collaborative effort.
We could at least give one podcast a go. If it is completely shit, we can delete it from the face of the internet and nobody need ever know it existed. It could however, turn into something magical and beautiful.
xoxoxoxoxo
Posted by Anji on April 5, 2010
I’m giggling quite a bit – the fact that Mark asked us, a wide bunch of people who daily (ish) read his words if wisdom if we would like him to poor more time and effort into something else…. Hehe. Sounds like a podcast will be whizzing it’s way to our ears!
And Lisa I’m sure someone with more technical knowledge will be anle to offer a hand for you to be able to listen!
Right back to channel 4, apparently there’s some funny people on there!
Posted by Emmy on April 5, 2010
Sam: Ha! I’m sure there’s a way but my writing comments on a blog is the limit of my techie knowledge. I only found out skype existed a month ago.
Posted by lisa brunders on April 5, 2010
I’m afraid I haven’t got the technology to listen to podcasts, otherwise I would welcome one, it sounds like a great idea.
Posted by Adele on April 5, 2010
A podcast! What an excellent idea. Go for it.
Posted by Lynsey on April 5, 2010
If you did a podcast I would certainly listen to it. It would a great companion piece to your blog.
Love the title of this blog entry by the way!
Posted by Sam on April 5, 2010
Emmy: Rather easy to do nowadays with the internet. Using skype you can record stuff. Or you could even use a proper phone.
Posted by Rachael on April 5, 2010
I’m all in favour of a podcast, it could be the spin-off.
Posted by Daniel on April 5, 2010
I listen to Richard Herring and Andrew Collins’ podcast “Collings and Herrin” and it is brilliant. I would definitely listen to a Mark Watson podcast. My friend and I do a weekly one and it is a lot of fun
Posted by Emmy on April 5, 2010
A podcast is a good idea. I would listen to it and enjoy it quite a lot, I think. If you could get TYSICers on it that would be cool too. Maybe as a forum for people who are in bands/writing novels/etc. to have their stuff heard. I don’t quite know how one would do that technologically, but it seems like it would work.