The podcast I listened to this time is called “Rotten Mango” hosted by Stephanie Soo and the episode name is “The Real House Of Horrors”.
Now I have to admit. I already know the host pretty well due to her successful youtube channel centered around mukbangs and true crime storytelling. She even has a second youtube channel that is more dedicated to her lifestyle such as vlogs or playing fun games with her fiance. Since I have already watched a lot of her content and am a fan of the host I may be a bit biased to her new podcast!
Stephanie starts off the podcast by talking right away! No music, no introduction, just boom, words. Straight into what she had to say. I think this actually works for her since the way she introduced this podcast episode made me more intrigued to see how the episode was going to go. She says “It’s going to be a wild episode, no way is this going to be a smooth ride” and as someone who enjoys a good roller coaster, I was down. A lot of listeners might actually appreciate this type of approach as many podcasters(or so I’ve observed) tend to drag out their intros before just getting into it and people may become inpatient. This also happens to be their first “spooktober” episode, so that’s fun.
I’m actually not going to get too into the actual story told as it is quite a lengthy episode of an hour and 40 minutes(100 minutes). What you need to know is that the main dude we follow in this story is named Fredd, Fredd was forced to have sex with his mom and had a pedophile dad. Surprise surprise Fredd also turned into a sexual harasser and only got worse when he got into an accident that gave him some serious brain damage and supposedly took what humanity he had in him left. Somehow he was still able to get two girlfriends who were also a little crazy. This leads to theft, trouble with law enforcement, getting his 13 year old sister pregnant, attempting at home abortions, becoming an ice cream driver in Scotland, and buying an allotment where he lured and killed girls at. Let me tell you.. This is only half of it.
There were only two advertisements in this podcast episode but it didn’t really bother me since I found them to be well spaced and only 2 minutes long. Which is really nothing compared to how long the actual storytelling is.
Since so much is happening and especially with such a lengthy episode it could be easy to get tired or lost or confused when Stephanie is telling the story. This is where her fiance comes into play in order to alleviate all this. He will occasionally ask Stephanie questions when he is confused on a part of the story or needs clarification. Stephanie then is able to resolve what the reader might be feeling as well. The fiance is also able to provide reactions like “what the heck” or gasps when she says something absurd that happened in this crime. It makes you feel like you’re not the only one listening to this story and not the only one getting freaked out. Honestly on the other hand it can help the listener know what to feel. Oftentimes we get desensitized to such things and sometimes listening to someone verbally reacting to how messed up something is makes you aware of just how tragic it is again.
The host makes this podcast special and different by keeping it real while also keeping her bubbly and fun personality intact. She goes on to tell little jokes like “let’s all go pay to pee our pants in a haunted house where there are actors jumping at us” and referring to popular trendy or relevant things such as “WAP” or the crazed “cottage-core aesthetic”. This definitely makes the podcast feel more new and fresh, rather than outdated and a little disconnected. I would think this podcast is more aimed towards teenagers or young adults due to this but I think anyone could really enjoy it if they were truly interested in true crime.
The fact that it is just her and her fiance with no music playing throughout makes it feel more casual with comfy vibes. Almost like I am just hanging out with them and listening along. You can tell Stephanie has done extensive research on the matter and is an experienced storyteller at this point. Showing the correct emotions at the appropriate times and using distinct tones to show that she herself is very much invested as well.
Something I noticed is that she cusses a lot more on her podcast compared to on her youtube channel. This has to be due to her channel being more family friendly due to YouTube’s strict guidelines when it comes to adsense. It also goes hand in hand with the description of the podcast being sort of uncensored since she doesn’t leave out any details no matter how gorey and awful it gets in order to get into a deepdive of the psychology of killers. She also adds “but don’t worry it all comes with a seasoning of comedy and sweetness”. Which I think very accurately depicts this whole episode.
I will be looking forward to listening to Rotten Mango more often. Although I already listen to a lot of true crime stories so this one isn’t too different, I think I will be staying for Stephanie’s amazing personality and her Fiance’s supportive feedback.
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Hi Lacey!
I think finding different things from people you already know is a good way to explore different types of media. This is a good example of that, as you were already similar in her youtube channel and that drove you to listen to her podcast. I wonder if that made you feel a sense of community while listening to her podcast.
There are different ways of hooking onto the listeners’ ears and I think Stephanie’s way is interesting. Jumping into the story right at the start is definitely not what I have seen in the podcast I have listened to. The podcasts I listened to usually start off with an introduction and welcome. I guess it really depends on the type of podcast and creator. Like you said, her introduction worked with you because you were ready for the story!
The story itself seems very long and gruesome. This is a podcast I would probably stay away from. It does not spark any interest or good feelings in me. Also a 100 minute podcast sounds like overkill. Again, this really depends on the listener’s own personal interests.
When I listened to my podcast, I did not really pay attention to advertisements. I did not realize that they are still a part of a podcast’s structure. Next time I will pay attention to them and make sure to write it down. I am surprised that your 100 minute podcast had only two minutes long of advertisements.
I am a bit confused on why the host would be bubbly and fun while telling the story since the story itself is very dark and morbid. But I think I would understand better if I actually listened to it myself.
I appreciate when podcasts have zero to little music because it makes the reader listen to the speaker’s voice and tone. It really creates a deeper connection and feeling while listening.
I also like how you pointed out how her podcast channel and her youtube channel are different in intended audience. It really shows the difference between the goals of the two.
Overall, I think it is an interesting podcast. However, I do not think it is a podcast I would enjoy for myself.
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Hey Lacey, it sounds exciting that you were able to find a podcast hosted by someone you’re already familiar with! I noticed you said that Stephanie Soo uses curse words more in this podcast than in her Youtube videos, but she made sure her personality was still there while she told the story. I’m curious to hear other ways the delivery of her podcast compares to her other artistic mediums, and if there are any recurring aspects that make you, a longtime follower, more inclined to keep listening.
The subject of the podcast itself sounds horribly gruesome. I’m impressed you could make it through 100 minutes of it! I think that Stephanie’s utilization of her fiancé was a clever way to combat listener burn-out that may arise from such a draining and lengthy episode. It sounds like her fiancé acts as the “voice” of the audience and is there to validate their reactions and ask questions. This is smart because it really makes listeners feel like part of the podcast, as you mentioned.
I’m slightly confused on how Stephanie could be bubbly while talking about murder and rape, but if I went and listened to the episode I may have a better idea of what you mean. Her choice to let her personality shine through sounds like it helps keep the balance of the episode so it’s not too gore-y and dark. This is different from the podcast I’m listening to, Noble Blood. The host Dana Schwartz almost never adds little comments or jokes to her commentary, which results in a much more professional and straightforward podcast than yours seems. I think both styles are appealing! It all depends on the subject matter.
After reading your blog post, Rotten Mango sounds interesting and different from other true crime podcasts. I’m not a huge fan of true crime myself, but if I were to give it a try then Rotten Mango would likely be on my (short) list!
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Hi Lacey!
Honestly, by reading the title of the podcast I didn’t know what to expect from your post. When I got to reading your work I found it super interesting how the host is a Podcaster and a YouTuber. Since she does mukbangs and true crime, I will totally have to look up her channel. I really like the fact that she starts the podcast right from the beginning and there’s no advertisements. My podcast starts with roughly four minutes of advertising. Yes, they make them funny and okay to listen to, but honestly I kind of zone out sometimes during them. By the sounds of it, Fredd didn’t have the best upbringing or life. This podcast sounds super interesting and I might have to look it up. The fact that her fiancé helps with what the readers might be questioning would really help myself follow along. Sometimes I get lost when a person tells a story super fast and I wish I could ask questions. This podcast sounds super fun in the way that they try to make you feel like you’re a part of something and not listening to it all alone. My podcast is more of a funny podcast, but I understand how the host saying how they feel can help you get a different look on the situation. This podcast seems really fun and sounds like something you would listening to on a cold rainy day. My podcast also has some cussing in it with comedy. In your case it took you by surprise because she doesn’t cuss on her YouTube channel. In my podcast, it took me by surprise because it was something new from a different character.
I think that if I made my own podcast, some cussing would be allowed if it was in a comedic way. Even though in The Real House of Horrors it was true crime and mine was comedy, they still used cussing in a comedic way.
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I’m adding this to my podcatcher! (Matt)