What Can Podcasters Learn From Comedians
Andrew Schulz made it all up 😳
Comedian Andrew Schulz went viral earlier this year.
He made a bold statement about the TikTok algorithm that turned heads.
Here’s his direct quote:
That's why the TikTok thing was a big deal because it was a social media platform we didn't create. So it's like, 'Oh sh*t, we don't want some other countries tech influencing us.' Because apparently in China, the way that the algorithm works, it doesn't reward people doing stupid dances and playing with their dog. The algorithm is rewarding that they want to see their youth do. So, people doing cool engineering sh*t. People doing cool science sh*t. But if you're China and you wanted to disrupt another country, wouldn't you reward the dumbest possible sh*t on that app. Twerkin. People doing stupid dances. You want the next level of youth to go "I can be famous doing something that is worthless to society."
The video got shared millions (if not hundreds of millions) of times. It got people in the USA in a frenzy. I remember watching it and being slightly disturbed by it myself.
But the wildest part?
He made it all up.
In a recent video with MKBHD, Schulz said (6:08):
I went on a rant on Brilliant Idiots, a show I do with Charlamagne Tha God, about how dangerous it was to have another country’s tech influencing … It got picked up by politicians running for office, it got picked up by State Department people. I have to tell you something, I made this up. I just want to come clean to everybody. I made that up completely. I have no proof whatsoever.
This happens in mainstream journalism constantly. An organization prints a story but it turns out something reported is false. And then people usually get mad.
“How dare they report this? I can’t believe they said this was true!”
Because people want their news fact-checked.
However, Schulz doesn’t lose any credibility (in my eyes).
Why? Because people aren’t going to him for the truth. They’re going to him to laugh. And he’s not claiming to be an arbiter of the truth. He’s a comedian, so he’s allowed to play around with the cultural norms and make bold statements …because he can do it under the guise of comedy (even when he’s serious).
This makes me think of this brilliant point by Morgan Housel:
Few people get mad when a comedian says the wrong thing. Nobody thinks twice about it. Because the comedian has made the listener laugh time and time again. So the comedian has become a friend. When your friend says something wrong, you don’t stop being friends with them. You just shake it off and give them the benefit of the doubt.
What does it mean for me — as a podcaster?
I’m probably not going to be making a bunch of people laugh. But I will try my hardest to be friends with the people who listen to my show (or at the very least attempt to do my best to make it feel that way). And if that’s the case, then the people who really enjoy my stuff will give me the benefit of the doubt — particularly when I say the wrong thing (which I inevitably will do, given a long enough time horizon and enough hours of content recorded and posted).
In other news, check my latest episode today with Kyle Offutt. He is a creator who’s having a meal with at least one person in every state. I also believe he’s a deep and wise thinker from all the time he’s spent with so many individuals across the country. Watch it here or listen to it here (or click the image below)!
