Top Podcast Fun Facts of 2023
“I WAS LISTENING TO A PODCAST AND I LEARNED...” PODCAST SCHOOL 2023 YEARBOOK
By: Arielle Nissenblatt and Devon DiComo
It is 2024, and that means ANOTHER year wrapped up of new podcasts, episodes, listening, and learning. If you remember, last year I compiled a list of all my podcaster friends’ favorite fun facts they learned from a podcast into an EarBuds blog post. You can find that list here. Well, I thought why not do this again and keep the tradition going?!
You ever find that you listen to a podcast and remember the most random story, fact, or point from it? That’s what I love about podcasts — you never know what you’re going to learn and how it’s going to stick with you. So here is another list of all those sorts of fun facts. And if YOU have any interesting tidbits of information that you learned this year, share it with us over here at EarBuds!
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this blog post. We really appreciate your podcast friendship here at EarBuds!
This Year, I Learned…
Stuff You Should Know: “How Diamonds Work”
Fatima Zaidi, Founder of Quill & Co-Host:
Diamonds aren’t actually rare at all. There was a hard marketing push by major jewelry and diamond mining company, which gave the diamond ring the hype it has today.
The Logan Bartlett Show: “Aaron Levie's (CEO/Cofounder, Box) AI Takes and Advice for First Time Founders”
Adam Thornhill, Founder of PodUp:
Some people are not adopting AI because they feel like they'd be cheating at work. By using tools like ChatGPT, they feel like they'll be judged for doing so, and be perceived as not putting in enough effort, thus eroding confidence in their plans and ideas.
Lex Fridman Podcast: “Paul Rosolie: Amazon Jungle, Uncontacted Tribes, Anacondas, and Ayahuasca”
Christian Sørensen, Founder at Podder:
I found out that the Amazon Rainforest is 10x more interesting to go to compared to the moon!
Astonishing Legends: “Conjuring Philip: Part 1 and Part 2”
James Scully, Audio Developer at The WallBreakers:
In 1972, the Toronto Society for Psychical Research aimed to manifest a fictional ghost they named “Philip Aylesford” which they would attempt to communicate with this fabricated entity through seance-like sessions conducted under laboratory conditions... it worked.
Plain English with Derek Thompson: “How Hollywood’s Writers Strike Could Change the Future of TV and Movies”
Tom Webster, Partner at Sounds Profitable:
My sister-in-law is a Hollywood screenwriter, so I am very attentive to anecdotes about the industry. This year I was taken by just how much the churning subscriber model of Video on demand (VOD) has resulted in lots of short seasons of shows, instead of longer-running shows (remember when a season was 23 episodes?) Now, with things like White Lotus having six episodes a year, there isn't much of a need for a "writers room,” and even for something stretching 10-12 seasons, writers are making a lot less than they used to. VOD has been so disruptive in ways that are counter-intuitive to the bloom of new shows we are seeing.
Hidden Brain: “The Paradox of Pleasure”
Holly Brown, Podcast Marketer at Tink Media and Comedian:
How the pain balance model plays into addiction (and so many more types of addiction than we would think). The brain's see-saw is: when we feel good, dopamine kicks in and tips it one way, but then our brain wants to level things back, often swinging too far into feeling bad. In the modern era, our brains weren't meant to be exposed to this level of constant dopamine at our fingertips and it's affecting the intensity of the pain we feel.
Coffee with My Ma: “Ma Steals Larry the Cree Baby, Surviving the 60s Scoop”
Jen Moss, Chief Creative Officer at JAR Audio:
On the podcast Coffee with My Ma, Canadian Mowhawk actress Kaniehtiio Horn's radical activist mother Kahentinetha Horn talks about how she once helped her Cree friend protect her baby from being snatched up by the system. How did she do it?
The Banksy Story: “The Lost Bansky Interview”
James Potter, Founder at Rephonic:
That the artist Banksy's real name is Robbie.
The Retrievals
Michele Cobb, Executive Director at The Podcast Academy:
I learned how shockingly common it is that women are not believed about being in physical pain.
The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul: “Carol Burnett: A Legacy of Kindness (100th Episode Spectacular)”
Frank Racioppi, Ear Worthy, a podcast-positive publication:
The acts of kindness that we don't hear enough about, but are present every day, act as the fuel to power positive social interactions that make our world a better place in which to live.
Outside/In: “Fruit Fight!!!”
Devin Andrade, Podcast Marketer at Tink Media and Creator of Podstack:
Vanilla has some bad PR about being boring/bland, but its existence is basically a miracle! The fact that vanilla flowers (a type of orchid) get pollinated at all is one of the miracles of its existence. The flowers open for NOT EVEN ONE DAY. It can open in the morning (around 5am-10am) and its pollen starts to degrade, so by 1pm it will be almost dead. Assuming it gets pollinated in this small window of time, the flower becomes a bean in two days and grows to its full size in two weeks — BUT won’t be ready for harvest for nine months.
Bear Brook: “Extraordinary”
Joni Deutsch, VP of Marketing & Audience Development at The Podglomerate:
Surprising fact: The state of New Hampshire has had the least exonerations for wrongful convictions, with only two exonerations taking place in the state's history.
Nice Genes: “Bananageddon”
Jen Moss, Chief Creative Officer at JAR Audio:
I learned that the reason banana candies don't taste like actual bananas (!) is that their flavor is chemically modeled on an old strain of banana called the Gros Michel — which no longer exists. Richer and sweeter than the modern Cavendish banana, the Gros Michel fell victim to Bananageddon. This was really an invading soil fungus that causes Panama disease, a form of Fusarium wilt. Furthermore, as if this shocking discovery wasn't enough, I learned that the Cavendish banana is now also threatened by disease because it is grown in vast monocultures, and not being bred for disease resistance. Will we never learn?!
Articles of Interest: “Wearing Hair”
Jana Wiese, Podcast Producer at OH WOW Podcasts in Vienna, Austria:
It is possible to knit garments out of human hair! And it is a fairly modern idea that this is considered gross — even though it could actually lead to more sustainable clothing.
Reconcilable Differences
Sebastian Arciszewski, Find That Pod:
If you're struggling to understand someone's behavior or motivation, understand that it's usually because of money, fear, or both.
Outside/In: “As American as hard apple cider: an immigrant food story”
Jeff Umbro, CEO at The Podglomerate:
Hard apple cider almost went extinct after prohibition in the U.S.
HILF: History I'd Like to F**k: “The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster, Part 2 with Adam Andreasen”
Katy Hearne-Church, Creator & Co-host of Queens Podcast:
That the 1986 Challenger explosion was so much more scandalous than I knew and Sally Ride is way cooler than I knew.
Radiolab for Kids Presents: “Terrestrials - The Hybrid”
Cory Choy, Director and Sound Mixer at Silver Sound:
It's possible for mules to have babies on rare occasions.
Join the Party: “Campaign 3 Trailer: Welcome to Verda Stello”
Amanda McLoughlin, CEO at Multitude:
The glowy bit at the end of an anglerfish's antenna is called an "esca."
Victory the Podcast
Mackensie Freeman, Account Executive at BECK Media and Marketing:
When the show Entourage was filming at the Cannes Film Festival, actors Kevin Connolly and Adrian Grenier left the set in their costumes to go to an actual party! And the next day on set, they showed up already in their outfits and makeup from the day before.
Almost There: “The anti-slavery roots of America’s public parks”
Dan Misener, Co-founder of Bumper:
Central Park was the first landscaped public park in America.
If Books Could Kill
Mark Asquith, MD & Co-Founder of Captivate:
That many of the self-help/guru style books of the ‘90s had absolutely zero data to back up their anecdotes, yet became part of the cultural norm and continue to be best sellers. Terrifying.
Obscured: “Chester Hollman III’s Story & the Politics of Wrongful Conviction”
Ayo Oti, Publisher of Sounds Like Impact:
That people who are wrongfully convicted don't always get compensated, or at the very least, an acknowledgement from the state that they f***ked up and are sorry that they wrongly incarcerated someone.
The Renner Files: “The Herstory of Celebrity Apps”
Moritz Luppold, Podcast Strategy and Development at Funk (Germany):
Some years ago, actor extraordinaire Tom Hanks released a typewriter simulation app called hanxwriter. What it does? It replicates the sound of Tom Hanks' favorite typewriters. tack tack tack DING
The Originals: “Joe Eszterhas: Mel Gibson's a Nazi and Brando loved cats too much”
Amanda B, Host/Producer of 6 Degrees of Cats:
Marlon Brando was a cat guy.
No Such Thing as a Fish: “No Such Thing As A Furby in Space”
Danny Brown, Head of Podcaster Support & Experience at Captivate.fm:
In 1782, a woman found a drag performance so hilarious, she literally died of laughter.
All The Hacks: “Optimizing Cell Phone Plans: The Best Carriers, Deals, Plans, Insider Pricing, Insurance and More!”
Elsie Escobar, Director of Community & Content at Libsyn:
I learned that I could get a $5 cell phone plan for my kid! This is their first cell phone and we needed to get something for *emergency* and safety issues. I was having a very hard time adding another line and the cost associated with it. And poof! A podcast episode gave me the solution! $5 month to month INCLUDING TAXES! Hell yeah! I can totally do that!!!!
The Colin & Samir Show: “The Mr. Beast Interview: Spending Millions of Dollars for Billions of Views”
James Bishop, Founder of OneFinePlay:
Mr. Beast is spending up to $150,000 on design and development for each thumbnail on his main channel 👀
The Retrievals
Andreea Coscai, Podcast Producer and Marketer at Tink Media and Founder of Her Time Romania:
Women's pain is dismissed and overlooked to a boiling point and oftentimes past the point of return.
The Daily Zeitgeist: “Majoring In Advanced Home Alone Theory, Gork = Meme Brained Loser AI 12.07.23”
Lauren Passell, Founder of Tink Media and Podcast the Newsletter:
Kevin was dead in Home Alone THE WHOLE TIME.
Astonishing Legends
Rob Peterson, Co-Founder of Heard of Media:
UFO Disclosure and what was said under oath in congress about Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.
Armchair Expert: “Flightless Bird: Eggs”
Ilana Susnow, Heard of Media Co-Founder and Podcast Marketing Consultant:
The U.S. is one of the few places that put their eggs in the refrigerator!
Gastropod: “Reinventing the Eel”
Steph Colbourn, CEO of editaudio:
We don't know how eels reproduce. No one on earth knows how. They all swim towards the Bermuda Triangle to the Sargasso Sea to spawn (regardless of what distance they are from there!) but despite that, no one has ever seen a live eel or a dead eel in the Sargasso Sea.
This Past Weekend with Theo Von: “Kat Von D”
Pat Cheung, CEO of Fanlist:
I learned Goths like taking pictures in trees. I might be 12 years late to this phenomenon.
How to Take Over the World: “Leonardo Da Vinci (Part 1)”
Colin Gray, Founder of thePodcastHost.com:
I learned that it's okay to have days where you follow your “fun,” rather than do the supposed most important next thing. Also that it's sometimes great to be a generalist 😅 I really enjoyed hearing more about Da Vinci’s life, and how he works. He followed his passion, was scattered, unfocused, and took literal years to finish projects because he worked on what was most of interest to him at any given time. And he created some of the biggest advances in both art and engineering in the world at that time. So, I've tried to be more forgiving with myself now, and feel okay not following the perfectly “optimised” path. Maybe the more fun path will still lead to something great!
Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis Dreyfus: “Julia Gets Wise with Jane Fonda”
Stephanie Arakelian, Podcast Marketing & Audience Development at Impact Theory:
Tech problems happen to EVERYONE — especially when you need them to happen least. Like the first episode or with a high-profile guest.
Nice Genes!: “Probing Pain”
Roger Nairn, CEO of JAR Audio:
I learned about the genomic peculiarity of the (elusive) platypus.
Mother is a Question
Anna DeShawn, Founder/CEO of The Qube:
Motherhood is a whole lot more than anyone ever talks about.
Sidedoor: “The 'Gentle Anarchy' of the Muppets”
Shreya Sharma, Podcast Growth at Tink Media:
Kermit the Frog's origins lie outside of Sesame Street or The Muppet Show. Jim Henson, the creator of these shows, initially created Kermit for a local D.C. show called Sam and Friends.
Missing Pages: “Paradigm Shift: The Colleen Hoover Story”
Suzy Schultz, Founder of Creative Prism LLC:
I learned how Colleen Hoover became the first self-published author to hit #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list. Hoover harnessed new resources and the power of social media to find an underserved audience that craves her emotionally charged stories — which often stir up controversy, generating coverage and discussion that attracts new readers and boosts book sales.
Search Engine: “Am I the victim of an international sushi scam?”
Emily Reeves, Podcast Producer for Reimagining Love with Dr. Alexandra Solomon:
Everything is corrupt — even my takeout...
No Such Thing as a Fish
Talia Augustidis, Freelance Audio Maker:
It took the author E.B. White 17 takes to read the death scene of Charlotte Webb's for the audiobook because he was so emotional.
Podnews Weekly Review: “Exploring Buzzsprout with Tom Rossi and Podhome with Barry Luijbregts”
Alberto Betella, Co-Founder of RSS.com:
James Cridland ordered grilled cactus leaves in cheese at a local taco shop in Mexico City and he enjoyed them. I tried them as well and they were really good! This may not be the main highlight of 2023, but it is a nice anecdote and it reminds me of PodconMX, the podcasting conference we organized last November.
Wild with Sarah Wilson: “GAYA HERRINGTON: Complete global collapse by 2040? The prediction is “right on track”...”
Courtney Kocak, Podcast Bestie Founder & Private Parts Unknown Host:
In her 2021 report, Gaya Herrington showed that a landmark 1972 MIT study (and bestselling book entitled The Limits to Growth) predicting the collapse of civilization by 2040 was right on track. Collapse means that the current system will be irreparably broken.
The Dream: “Think and Grow Duped”
Skye Pillsbury, Founder of The Squeeze newsletter:
Think and Grow Rich, a book many regard as "the granddaddy of all motivational literature," was written in 1937 by a scam artist who didn't even follow his own advice.
One Year: “1990: Pizzastroika”
Anne Baird, Tink Media
The first Pizza Hut opened in Russia in 1990 under the Soviet Union and was so popular that a second location opened later in the same year.
And that’s what we’ve got for our fun facts of 2023 in podcasts! Major thank you to everyone who submitted a response. If you’d like to be featured next year, get in touch with us by subscribing to the EarBuds newsletter.