I was labelled a talkative child growing up. Some of my earliest memories involve teachers telling me I talked “too much” and me having my name in the proverbial list of names of noisemakers. I was constantly told to be quiet or risk being seen as unruly.
These criticisms of my talking followed me into my teenage years when I decided to open a blog on social issues.
One thing I noticed however was that boys my age who were vocal about politics and things of that nature were called forward thinking for their generation while I was called loud mouthed.
Fast forward to 2022 and I stumbled on a thread by Ore Badmus, a writer, filmmaker and tech marketer and a woman of varying interests. She said in the thread that women who experienced shame for being talkative and proactive must ensure to turn that pain into power.
She said we must own our voices as writers, podcasters, film producers and people proactive in the office and any industry we find ourselves.
Remember I mentioned how when I was a teenager, boys who displayed the same passion for social impact issues and used their voices were called forward thinking?
Remember how I said those same people told me and other young women to tone down our voices? Let’s get into that.
If one is familiar wIth internet discourse, one would observe that there has been a rise in women hating content that is pushed and produced by men using podcasts. Podcasts in and of themselves are not bad tools to push information because feminist women also use them.
However, it has to be asked what gives male podcasters the audacity to spread incel and women hating content. Why do they think their voices are so important?
When I think of male podcasters and content creators who the world can do better without, two names come to mind. The first is Andrew Tate, a man who has sex trafficking charges and who is one of the most notorious names affiliated with the rise of women hating content being watched by teenage boys online.
He has also been accused of raping women and through his online platforms, he pushes ideas that endorse gender based violence and the regression of women’s rights.
The second name that comes to mind is a Nigerian OAP, presenter, and actor popularly known as Nedu.
Nedu has sparked discussions with some of his content, which some critics feel portrays women in a negative light, particularly in relation to discussions about their sexual lives. While his content covers a diverse range of topics, a portion of his audience has expressed concern over remarks that they perceive as critical of women in the entertainment industry.
Again I ask: “Where do podcast bros get their audacity from?”.
Is it from religion? Is it from the media? Is it from home? What gives men the audacity to speak on podcasts about women’s bodies even when they do not have medical degrees? And when they have the degrees and are doctors, what gives podcast bros the ability to discard common sense when discussing women’s issues?
What exactly fuels the ability of podcast bros to be so in love with their voices that they lie through their teeth and insist the world accept their lies as facts?
Speaking with Rejoice, a feminist and woman in the Nigerian film industry, she believes the rise of misogynistic podcasts boils down to the fact that controversial content sells on social media.
In her words: “Controversial or offensive content typically does well on platforms that reward content that encourages engagement. These podcasts thrive on controversial subjects and frequently start arguments simply for the sake of going viral.
Misogynistic podcasts appeal to a demographic of men who feel alienated. So, they find answers in places that offer simple solutions. ‘It is not your fault; women are the cause of your problems’. Their listeners are majorly young men who struggle with insecurities about their masculinity, and they find comfort in content that blames women or feminism for their struggles.
Advertisers, sponsorship deals, and merchandise sales provide financial incentives for creators to produce material that push these feelings, creating a feedback loop where misogynistic ideas are both normalized and profitable.”
For Shalom, a feminist, to her it stems from the fact that men are not purposefully busy.
To quote her: “I believe one of the solutions to online incel culture is to keep men busy. Too many men now have time on their hands.
There is no pressure to provide anymore, they now have it easy. More men need to get off the internet and put their fingers to work. The reason many of them consume incel material anyway is because they feel rejected by women. It is always these loser men who don’t have money or good looks.
And that rejection can be fixed easily if they just get off the internet, learn a skill, make money, and polish up their personalities. But no, it is easier to just do nothing but be on the internet daily, imagining yourself as king of an imaginary castle and thinking you’re the prize when you’re a loser and you know it.
Men have too much time on their hands these days and that I believe is one of the major reasons why the consumption of incel content is increasing.”
The media is a very powerful tool of socialisation. What we grow up seeing and hearing from the radio and television inform how we engage with one another as a society.
Misogynistic podcasts and podcast bros erase the efforts of feminist media and input harmful ideas in the hearts of young men and women.
It is therefore imperative that these podcasts are criticised while more women and feminist allies create counter narratives using podcasts too.
Angel Nduka-Nwosu is a writer, journalist and editor. She moonlights occasionally as a podcaster on As Angel Was Sayin’. Catch her on all socials @asangelwassayin.