Who? Weekly

Last updated

Who Weekly
Who Weekly logo.png
Who? Weekly logo
Presentation
Hosted by Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber
Genre Comedy, Talk
Language English
UpdatesBiweekly
LengthApprox. 45 minutes
Publication
Original release18 January 2016 
present
Provider Cadence13

Who? Weekly is a bi-weekly celebrity gossip podcast presented by Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber. Focusing on tabloid coverage of celebrities, it tackles, according to the tagline, "everything you need to know about the celebrities you don't". [1]

Contents

History

Who? Weekly began as an occasional newsletter written by friends and pop-culture writers Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber before spinning off into a podcast. [2] [3] [4] The first episode was aired on January 18, 2016 [5] on the HeadGum network. [6] The podcast is currently released independently.[ citation needed ]

In both the newsletter and in the podcast, celebrities, ex-reality television contestants, YouTube stars, Broadway actors, and social media influencers [7] [8] are categorized as either "Whos" or "Thems" – roughly D-list vs A-list celebrities – according to their name recognition and the nature of their fame. Whos and Thems are named for the likely response to hearing a person's name: "who?" vs "oh, them!" [9] This extends into, for example, describing behavior as "who-y", if it is seen as self-promotional or tacky, for example producing "sponcon" (sponsored content) or writing public apologies on Notes app. [10] Although mainly dividing the celebrity landscape between "Whos" and "Thems", the podcast has also created the categories "T.H.A.M.P.S." (or THAMPS) for the pseudo-famous Trainers, Hairstylists, Agents, Makeup Artists, Publicists and Stylists, [11] [12] and "Nahs" for people that might be in the public eye, but are not famous enough to even be considered a Who. [13]

The duo continued releasing weekly newsletters as an accompaniment to the podcast episodes for paid supporters on Patreon. [14] As of 2020, the newsletter has been replaced with Who? Daily, consisting of four mini-episodes a week with stories not covered in the main podcast episodes. [15]

Beginning in October 2017, there have been a series of live Who? Weekly shows across the United States. [16] [17]

On February 19, 2021, Who Weekly released its 500th episode. [18]

Format and recurring segments

Episodes air twice weekly and alternate between the main episode discussing topical celebrity news and "Who's There" episodes, which consist of responses to callers' questions and stories left on the podcast hotline.

Main episode

I Don’t Know Her

Described as a "deranged version of six degrees of separation", [19] the hosts speculate if a specific 'Them' celebrity knows a specific 'Who' celebrity.

What's Rita Up To?

Main episodes end with the segment What's Rita Up To?, featuring an update on the activities of singer Rita Ora. [7] [20] They cover what the tabloids write about her and her relative anonymity in the United States.

The Most Markle-est Headline of the Week

In the lead up to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, a recurring segment looked at news articles pertaining to the wedding, often revolving around Markle's various family members speaking to the press. The segment returned periodically since the wedding occurred. [21]

Benana

Finger and Weber coined the term 'Benana' to refer to the relationship of actors Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas and started a weekly segment looking at what the couple had done that week. The segment ended in 2021 after the couple separated.

Sign-offs

Callers traditionally sign-off with in-jokes from earlier episodes, [2] - the most iconic being, "crunch crunch!" - but including: "Good form, Bella Thorne", "Me in Greece", "ScarJo YummyPop", "Forehead Diamond", "Me and Charna!", "Livin' la vida laptop," and "Women don't belong in balloons". [22] [23] [7]

Who's There

Who's There episodes were a later addition to the show, added after fans began contacting the hosts asking about the identity of various celebrities. The hosts consider the call-in show an integral part of the podcast as it opened up a dialogue between the hosts and their fan base and created a sense of community between the fans. [19]

Who Dat?

"Who Dat?" is an occasional episode focusing on Black celebrities, which first occurred in 2016. The episodes feature guest hosts Aminatou Sow and Shani O. Hilton. [24]

Fanbase

Who? Weekly fans are collectively called Wholigans. [25] The Wholigan Facebook group has 17,000 members and includes not only listeners but industry insiders [7] who discuss celebrity sightings, news, rumors and deep dives. Notably, the search for "who-y" behavior has led the group to discover in 2017 that then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had an open account on mobile payment service Venmo. [10] They began asking for payments as a form of trolling, causing some press attention. [26] [27] [28]

Celebrity callers to Who's There have included Lena Dunham, Lea DeLaria, and Richard Curtis [ who? ].

Reception

Slate's Brow Beat described Who? Weekly as "terrific" and said that the show "feels smart and fun because it’s sometimes messy, not in spite of its messiness". [2] The podcast was chosen as one of the best podcasts of 2016 by The New York Times , who said that "the podcast feels delightfully absurd and truly vital in the Trump era", [29] and by Vulture, who said it "has quickly become a cult hit". [3] It has also been recommended by Nylon , [30] Esquire , [31] Marie Claire, [32] Vogue , [33] and The New Yorker. [34]

Related Research Articles

Loveline is a syndicated radio call-in program in North America, offering medical and relationship advice to listeners, often with the assistance of guests, typically actors and musicians. Its host through most of its run was Dr. Drew Pinsky who was paired with a radio personality.

<i>1Up Network</i> American entertainment network

1Up.com was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, 1Up.com provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused content. Like a print magazine, 1Up.com also hosted special week-long online cover stories that presented each day a new in-depth feature story, interview with the developers, game screenshot gallery, game video footage, and video of the game studio and creators. On February 21, 2013, Ziff Davis announced it would be winding down the site, along with sister sites GameSpy and UGO.com.

<i>The Skeptics Guide to the Universe</i> American science and skepticism podcast

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe (SGU) is an American weekly skeptical podcast hosted by Steven Novella, MD, along with a panel of contributors. The official podcast of the New England Skeptical Society, it was named to evoke The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The show features discussions of recent scientific developments in layman's terms, and interviews authors, people in the area of science, and other famous skeptics. The SGU podcast includes discussions of myths, conspiracy theories, pseudoscience, the paranormal, and other forms of superstition, from the point of view of scientific skepticism.

<i>Kevin and Bean</i> Former KROQ-FM Radio Show

Kevin and Bean was the morning show on KROQ-FM, an alternative rock-format radio station in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by Kevin Ryder and Gene "Bean" Baxter. The show was on the air from 1990 to 2019 and interspersed music and news with comedy, celebrity interviews, listener call-ins, and live music performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Green</span> Canadian actor and comedian (born 1971)

Michael Thomas Green is a Canadian comedian, show host, actor, filmmaker, podcaster, and rapper. After pursuing stand-up comedy and music as a young adult, Green created and hosted The Tom Green Show, which aired on Canadian television and later on MTV between 1994 and 2000. The show became popular for its shock comedy, absurd pranks and Green's manic persona, and influenced later series such as Jackass and The Eric Andre Show. Green has also appeared in the Hollywood films Road Trip (2000), Charlie's Angels (2000), Stealing Harvard (2002), and Shred (2008). Green additionally directed, co-wrote and starred in the cult film Freddy Got Fingered (2001). He was briefly married to actress Drew Barrymore (2001–2002), who co-starred with him in Charlie's Angels and Freddy Got Fingered.

Michelle Elizabeth Collins is an American comedian and talk show host. Collins came into the entertainment industry as the managing editor of VH1's bestweekever.tv, a pop culture website that tied into the series of the same name. The site earned her two Webby Awards for Best Celebrity Fan Blog. In 2010, Collins joined as a co-host on the new LOGO/VH1 show The Gossip Queens, which was also in limited syndication. She joined The View on July 13, 2015, for the 19th season as a co-host. She was let go on June 3, 2016. She hosted her own Sirius XM talk show, The Michelle Collins Show, from 2018 until 2022.

<i>Attitudes!</i> Comedy padcast and TV show

Attitudes! is a weekly comedy podcast based on discussions of women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, progressive politics and pop culture. The podcast is hosted by ("Feminasty") Erin Gibson and ("Homosensual") Bryan Safi. Gibson and Safi's comedic repartee frequently features adult topics and addresses social, cultural, and political issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patreon</span> American crowdfunding website created in 2013

Patreon is a monetization platform operated by Patreon, Inc., that provides business tools for content creators to run a subscription service and sell digital products. It helps artists and other creators earn a recurring income by providing rewards and perks to its subscribers. Patreon charges a commission of 9 to 12 percent of creators' monthly income, in addition to payment processing fees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Headgum</span> American podcast network

Headgum is an American podcasting network founded in 2015 by Marty Michael, Amir Blumenfeld, and Jake Hurwitz. The latter two – known collectively as comedy duo Jake and Amir – built upon the success of their podcast If I Were You to launch the network, with the show serving as its flagship program. Before founding Headgum, Michael sold advertising space and branded content for CollegeHumor. Headgum has studios in Los Angeles and New York and, as of March 2019, hosts 57 shows, 34 of which are ongoing. Headgum also features an active YouTube channel and presents Headgum Live!, a series of live shows featuring podcast hosts from the network.

<i>Chapo Trap House</i> American socialist political podcast

Chapo Trap House is an American socialist political comedy podcast launched in March 2016. The show is hosted by its three co-founders: Will Menaker, Matt Christman, and Felix Biederman. Amber A'Lee Frost and Virgil Texas joined as recurring co-hosts in November 2016, though the latter left the series in May 2021. Chris Wade has produced the show since November 2017, following the departure of original producer Brendan James. Chapo Trap House is aligned with the dirtbag left, a style of contentious left-wing political discourse that eschews civility in favor of casual, blunt, often vulgar expression.

<i>The Last Podcast on the Left</i> Dark comedy podcast

The Last Podcast on the Left is a weekly podcast on the Last Podcast Network featuring podcast producer and researcher Marcus Parks, comedian and actor Henry Zebrowski, and comedian Ed Larson, three longtime friends. Episodes have explored the topics of serial killers, cults, conspiracy theories, UFO sightings, ghosts, cryptids, the occult, and readings of fan-submitted creepypastas. The name is a reference to the 1972 horror movie The Last House on the Left.

<i>Within the Wires</i> Science fiction podcast

Within the Wires is a dramatic anthology podcast in the style of epistolary fiction. In the first season, the listener, a medical inmate at a place called the Institute, receives guidance from the mysterious narrator of instructional relaxation cassettes. In the second season, an artist named Roimata Mangakāhia communicates with the listener through a series of museum audio guides. The third season, "a political thriller set in 1950s Chicago", is narrated by the bureaucrat Michael Witten; listeners access letters and notes dictated to his secretary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Horne Section</span> British musical comedy band

The Horne Section is a British musical comedy band, appearing sporadically on radio, television, podcast, and stage. Led by frontman and comedian Alex Horne, the band comprises Joe Auckland (trumpet/banjo), Mark Brown (saxophone/guitar), Will Collier (bass/guitar), Ben Reynolds (drums) and Ed Sheldrake (keys). The band specialises in comedy/spoof songs in a variety of genres. The band is made up of professional musicians, including two childhood friends of Horne, and first performed together in May 2010, with the current line-up finalised during 2012. The Horne Section have performed at the Edinburgh Festival, as well as touring the UK, and celebrity guests at their shows have included Harry Hill, Simon Amstell, Jimmy Carr, Tim Minchin, Josie Long, Al Murray, and John Oliver as well as musicians including Neil Hannon and Suggs. Their BBC Radio 4 series – Alex Horne Presents the Horne Section – ran for three series from 2012 to 2014. The band have also released five albums.

<i>Street Fight Radio</i> Podcast

Street Fight Radio, or Street Fight was an American politics and humor radio show and podcast founded in June 2011 and hosted by Bryan Quinby and Brett Payne. The show produced three distinct episodes per week. In addition to producing the radio show and podcasts, through its Patreon, Street Fight Radio also published a monthly zine and additional video content.

<i>Hollywood Handbook</i> Comedy podcast

Hollywood Handbook is a weekly comedy podcast hosted by Hayes Davenport and Sean Clements. Episodes generally consist of Davenport, Clements, and a guest offering advice, telling stories, and doing segments, all in a highly satirical, absurdist manner. Guests have included Donald Glover, Ellie Kemper, Aubrey Plaza, Kumail Nanjiani, Nick Kroll, Patton Oswalt, Nick Wiger, and Sharon Horgan. The show has been described as "essentially a mockery of entertainment niceties — with Clements and Davenport taunting industry bigwigs [...] about whatever projects they are promoting, all while pleading to be involved with them".

<i>Buffering the Vampire Slayer</i> Podcast about Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffering the Vampire Slayer is a podcast about the TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Hosted by fans Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo. Each podcast episode analyzes one episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and concludes with an original song created by Youngs and Russo recapping their analysis. There are also notable interviews featuring actors and collaborators from the series.

<i>The Fantasy Footballers</i> Sports podcast

The Fantasy Footballers is a sports podcast hosted by Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright where they provide fantasy football advice. The show runs continuously throughout the year with a minimum of two episodes per week during the offseason.

<i>Blank Check with Griffin & David</i> American film podcast

Blank Check with Griffin & David is a film podcast following the career output of notable directors who had significant success early in their careers and were then offered a figurative blank check to pursue their passion projects. Most episodes focus on a single movie from the director's filmography, and the show is grouped into "miniseries", in which some or all of the director's films are reviewed. The show is hosted by The Atlantic film critic David Sims and actor Griffin Newman.

<i>Cum Town</i> American comedy podcast (2016–2022)

Cum Town was a comedy podcast that was hosted by New York City-based comedians Nick Mullen, Stavros Halkias, and Adam Friedland, and produced between 2016 and 2022. During its run, it was consistently one of the most popular podcasts on Patreon and concluded as one of the top 25 comedy podcasts on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In July 2022, it was succeeded by Mullen and Friedland's spin-off podcast and interview show The Adam Friedland Show.

Robert "Bobby" Finger is an American journalist, author, podcaster, and pop culture critic, best known as the co-creator and host of the Who? Weekly podcast alongside friend and fellow writer Lindsey Weber. He previously was a regular contributing writer for the US culture website Jezebel from 2015 until 2018.

References

  1. Smith, Rachel Holliday (January 28, 2019). "A Beginner's Guide to Getting Into Podcasts". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 Brogan, Jacob (April 15, 2016). "Who? Weekly Is the Perfect Podcast About Celebrities Who Make You Say "Who?"". Slate.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Quah, Nicholas (December 12, 2016). "The 10 Best Podcasts of 2016". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  4. "Who? Weekly Seeks to Answer the Question on Everyone's Mind". Podcast Review. September 1, 2021. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  5. "Episode list". Who? Weekly. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018 via podbay.fm.
  6. "Who? Weekly". HeadGum. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Harmon, Steph (September 13, 2019). "From Rita Ora to Lena Dunham: how a podcast about celebrity became a 'recipe for joy'". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  8. Ward, Mary (May 18, 2019). "James Charles and the things that make you go, 'Who?'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  9. Finger, Bobby; Weber, Lindsey (July 20, 2016). "How to Spot Whos, the Ubiquitous Noncelebrities Flooding Your Social Media". Intelligencer. New York. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Harnish, Amelia (August 9, 2019). "Wholigans Are The Real Thems Of The Who? Weekly Universe". www.refinery29.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  11. "Who's There: Jake Paul & Tiffany Haddish?". Who? Weekly (Podcast). July 27, 2017. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  12. "Joyce Bonelli & Tokyo Stylez (T.H.A.M.P.S.)". Who? Weekly (Podcast). July 2, 2018. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2019 via Stitcher.
  13. "Flume, Tracee Ellis Ross & Independent Women Pt. 2". Who? Weekly (Podcast). September 13, 2019. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved September 28, 2019 via Stitcher.
  14. "Who? Weekly is creating podcasts". Patreon. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  15. "Who? Weekly is creating podcasts". Patreon. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
  16. "2019: A Tour is Born". Who? Weekly. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
  17. "We're Going On Tour!". Who Weekly. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  18. "Gina Rodriguez, Joss Stone & SMiZE Cream?". Who? Weekly (Podcast). February 19, 2021. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2021 via Apple Podcasts.
  19. 1 2 Hoepfner, Fran (September 27, 2017). "Who? Weekly's creators on why they'll never run out of wannabe celebrities to talk about". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  20. Baila, Morgan (July 24, 2016). "Who? Weekly Funny Podcast On D-List Celebrities - Review". www.refinery29.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  21. Curtis, Scarlett (May 13, 2018). "Gen Z hit list: Scarlett Curtis on the cult of who-lebrities". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  22. "How The Aeronauts Drastically Changed the Real-Life Story". E! Online. December 6, 2019. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  23. Lutes, Alicia (August 13, 2019). "How to stay happy when the news is depressing". Stylist. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  24. "Zendaya? (ft. Who Dat?)". Who? Weekly (Podcast). February 7, 2016. Retrieved March 29, 2024 via Acast.
  25. Keiles, Jamie Lauren (November 13, 2019). "Even Nobodies Have Fans Now. (For Better or Worse.)". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 13, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  26. Kircher, Madison Malone (February 6, 2017). "Somebody Found Sean Spicer's Venmo and Now People Are Asking Him for Money". Intelligencer. New York. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  27. Mei, Gina (February 8, 2007). "Press Secretary Sean Spicer is Getting Trolled On Venmo". Cosmopolitan. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  28. Calfas, Jennifer (February 7, 2017). "Social media users are asking Sean Spicer for money on Venmo". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  29. Hess, Amanda (December 6, 2016). "The Best New Podcasts of 2016". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  30. Bryant, Taylor (October 31, 2016). "15 Podcasts We Can't Stop Listening To Right Now". Nylon. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  31. Dibdin, Emma (October 14, 2016). "The 25 Essential Podcasts of 2016". Esquire. Archived from the original on January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  32. Keong, Lori (December 9, 2016). "The 10 Best New Podcasts of 2016". Marie Claire. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  33. Garcia, Patricia (December 20, 2017). "11 Great Podcasts For Holiday Travel This Year". Vogue. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  34. Syme, Rachel (May 31, 2021). "'Who? Weekly' Explains the New Celebrity". The New Yorker . Retrieved April 3, 2022.