Guy at the bus stop gave me a whole new take on podcasts

I was waiting for the 42 bus on 3rd Avenue last Tuesday and this older man starts telling me about how he listens to comedy podcasts on 1.5x speed. He said it makes the jokes land faster and he gets through way more episodes during his commute. I tried it on the ride home and honestly I felt like I was rushing through punchlines. Has anyone else tried speeding up their shows or am I just too slow for that?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_zara19d ago

Nah you're not slow. That older guy is probably just used to it. Some people crank up the speed to power through content like it's a chore. Comedy needs space to breathe. A beat before the punchline is part of the joke. Try it at 1.25x first. That's the sweet spot for me. Still sounds natural but saves time. Anything faster and you're just rushing a good thing.

clark.robin18d ago

I used to watch everything at 1.5x or 2x speed without even thinking about it. Your point about comedy needing room to breathe finally clicked for me though. 1.25x it is from now on, that pacing actually feels way more natural.