Meredith Nein
Meredith Nein is Producer and Co-host of There Will Be Porn, at More Banana. Follow More Banana on Twitter here, and There Will Be Porn on Twitter here.
Kindly introduce yourself.
Hello! My name is Meredith Nein, Producer and Co-host of the podcast There Will Be Porn.
Why did you feel the need to start More Banana?
I was more of the fan to the fire than the person who actually started More Banana. My co-host and producer, Cait, had been working her way through the New York comedy and improv circuit for a couple of years by the time we came to podcasting. We had been early podcast adopters, and thought we had the talent for it once we found a small audience for our first two podcasts, There Will Be Drinking and There Will Be Drinking Recaps Twin Peaks. But converting these skills to an actual job offer turned out to be pretty difficult. Neither of us had traditional production or journalism training, and Cait was either too old or too experienced for most network internships. So I encouraged Cait to build her vision rather than pursue someone else’s. We had formed relationships with comedians, writers, and podcast hosts and producers by this point and I knew she could fill the network niche she was looking for.
Tell us about the name More Banana.
It started as an inside joke between Cait and me based on a very specific Reddit comment. I don’t even remember what the original post was about, but one user posited that humans share 50-60% of the same DNA as bananas. Another user responded in jest “WAIT, does that mean some people are 10% MORE banana?” We just loved that, and we knew that we were in the more banana gene pool.
Have you been criticized for your voice?
Yes and no. I think Cait and I are shielded from those criticisms a bit because our podcasts aren’t political or asking very controversial questions. There appears to be a strong correlation between the negative reviews our hosts receive about their voice, and their show’s focus on feminist subject matters.
Most of the criticisms I receive come from Cait or my partner because I cannot do an accent to save my life. Ask me to do a British accent and I sound like a poor man’s Katherine Hepburn.
What do you hope More Banana does for people?
My hope for More Banana is that it continues to be an open space for industry outsiders, and a safe space for creators to tell the stories they want to tell. I truly believe that if More Banana keeps creating these spaces than we will always find an audience.
What are you most excited about when it comes to podcasting?
There has been more than a few think pieces on the future of podcasting, and whether we have reached “peak pod” over the last few months. But the barrier to podcast entry has been lower than ever before, and that makes this an extremely exciting time. There has been a certain type of person (white cisgender male) dominating the industry since its inception. As the cost for equipment gets lower and more people are exposed to the medium than what we are starting to see is essentially the democratization of the podcast industry overall. How could you not love that?
Are there too many damn pods?
There could never be too many pods, but there might be too many of the same types of pods. I will never understand how Armchair Expert became so damn popular.
What are the qualities of a good host?
A person who can emote with just their voice, stays (mostly) on topic, and keeps it brief!
Who is the best host?
Assuming I can’t choose Cait or myself then I will have to go with Jeena Bloom of Shweet! A Ladies Guide to Bro Culture. Jeena asks such thoughtful questions, and I just think the whole subject matter of her show is *muah* (chef’s kiss).
What did you want to be when you were eight?
Either an actress or news anchor so not really far off!
Who or what is being underrepresented in audio/radio/podcasting?
I’d say in terms of representation podcasting is really years behind other media industries. For instance, we’re in a period where the genres like R&B and Hip-Hop are dominating the music charts for the first time in history, but the same male-hosted interview shows and true crime series can be found on Apple’s top charts week after week. This is problematic, and there are easy ways to resolve. For instance, we could do community outreach in areas where podcast listening is low, or offer grants and job training to members of those communities. Since it’s true that anyone can make a podcast these days we should be giving more people the tools to do so.
Do you remember the first podcast you listened to?
I’m fairly certain that the first podcast I started listening to (at least via the platform) was Filmspotting, or Cinecast as it was called back in 2005.
If you could create your own show (don’t worry about selling it or whether or not people would listen, or any of the logistics) what would it be?
I’m a diehard Love + Radio fan, and I love its documentary style. I would love to make a show in that form that chronicles different athletes, hobbyists, politicians, etc. and all the training they have to do to get ready for their “Big Day.” I guess I’d call it that too: Big Day.
Rank the following: radio/podcasts, movies, books, TV, plays, musicals, gangsta rap, Disney World.
Movies, TV, books, Disney World, gangsta rap, plays, musicals.
How do you discover new podcasts?
I’d say it’s a mixture of industry newsletters, promos or guests spots on podcasts already in my lineup, or word of mouth.
If you had 15 minutes with Ira Glass, what would you ask him about?
At what point did you stop doubting the long-term success of This American Life, and how do get your hair to stick up like that?
Give us a recommendation for a show or two!
I’m really just listening to politics or comedy pods these days. The shows that challenge my thinking the most Still Processing and Slate Political Gabfest, and if I’m in need of a brain bleach I’ll put on Personal Best, The Unofficial Expert, or Slow Radio.
Thanks, Meredith!