Guess what the most popular podcast of 2012 was according to the People’s Choice Podcast Awards. Go ahead. Maybe Adam Carolla’s show? Maybe something more cerebral like Radio Lab. I don’t even think it would be too outlandish to back a dark horse like Doug Loves Movies in this competition. Seriously, think of your favorite podcast.
Are you thinking of ESPN: Fantasy Focus Football? Neither was I.
Just some random Fantasy Football dudes
I’m not doubting the results of the survey that gave this glorified NFL injury report the gold. It makes complete sense. After all, there’s a reason we have 11 magical seasons of Two and a Half Men to reflect upon; we always seem to default to the lowest common denominator. Sure, we’ve backed Big Bang Theory as a nation, and that’s a tad less pedestrian, but do we really think America is laughing with Raj Koothrappali?
I can tell you why I’m shocked the “people” chose an unbalanced podcast (it only airs with regularity during the tail end of the year for obvious reasons) like Fantasy Focus Football as their champion. It boils down to analytics. I assumed all those awesome stats (download counts, iTunes ratings, click through rates, and subscriber tallies) would reveal our country’s refined sensibilities, our collective taste. Those of us who sometimes felt “fringey” because of our distaste for football were put at ease by the inaccuracy of the Nielsen ratings every mother-loving Super Bowl Sunday. We could always dream more people were watching Fringe than Tom Brady.
Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for a few Fantasy Football offshoots; The League is great. But I have a feeling Nick Kroll would get just as many laughs if the show were about World of Warcraft.
What are you gonna do? The popular vote is the popular vote. It seems my precious podcasts aren’t even safe from this country’s love affair with mediocrity. Ho hum. I better get crackin’ on next season’s draft; the Pats just signed Lavelle Hawkins. Barf.
