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View Full Version : How does Profanity effect your podcast?



oscarmartz
08-15-2013, 01:11 PM
I saw a very interesting article posted on Audacity to podcast site about using profanity during your podcast http://theaudacitytopodcast.com/should-you-use-profanity-in-podcasts-tap138/#!

If you do an "Uncensored show" how does it effect your ability to grow and sell ads? I personally feel that if you are going to do it keep it extremely limited.

ChaseShumway
08-16-2013, 06:19 PM
I've heard the argument many times that advertisers won't sponsor shows with profanity and/or explicit content and I don't buy it. If you look at a show like Bill Burr's MONDAY MORNING PODCAST, he's dropping every word in the book (including his favorite, the "C" word) and he consistently has two or three sponsors per show. Big sponsors too, like Stamps.com and Dollar Shave Club.

I think it really depends on the advertiser. Some of them probably are turned off by that kind of stuff. While others realize it's less about whether the host is cussing and more about how involved and dedicated their fans are. Do they trust the host? Will they check out the advertiser's website because the host said so and they want to support his show?

Of course, numbers matter too. Which brings me to my other point. If a show has a considerable audience, I think that value can outweigh whether or not the show is using foul language. If an advertiser wants to reach an enormous audience a show may have because it fits their demo and they're pretty sure they'll get some response out of it, then they may just want to go for it.

If you look beyond podcasts, advertisers aren't terribly shy about sponsoring shows with language or questionable subject matter. Look at shows like IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA where they use pretty much every word but the "F" one or BREAKING BAD that deals with making and selling meth. Good shows. Huge audiences. Advertisers see that and I think it becomes less about, oh we're sponsoring cursing and more about we're supporting this show that you all love! We love it too! Check out our product, won't you?

brianmonroe
08-17-2013, 11:15 AM
I agree with what Chase has said above. If the audience is there or you have a high profile name you can get away with a lot as the advertisers will be there because at the end of the day it they want to have access to that audience. The thing is that when you are just starting out and no one knows what you or your show is all about it can make it a lot more difficult to sell your show to advertisers as they may not get why you use profanity in your broadcast.

So my advice if you are looking to get money from them is to keep it mostly clean and work your way backwards so that there is a sense of mutual trust between the broadcaster and the advertiser. I am sure that most advertisers will let one or two curse words slip by on a broadcast but if every 3rd word is a curse word that is not going to fly for most of them.

For example, It is one thing for a coach to be cursing at his players on the sidelines or in the locker room. It would be completely different if the same coach was to use the same language in church for example. So it is all about context.

Ultimately it does come down to social norms. What is considered normal in your target market. I know that if the majority of people in the USA for example did not like what the FCC was doing with fines and keeping profanity off the TV and Radio they would be forced to change or the elected officials that put them there would be out of a job.

-Brian