New episode! Jesse Thorn from Bullseye
Plus, a quick programming note.
Welcome to the Follow Friday newsletter! I’m your host, Eric Johnson.
This week’s guest is Jesse Thorn, the founder of Maximum Fun and host of the podcasts Bullseye and Jordan, Jesse, Go! He’s also the bailiff on Judge John Hodgman and runs the menswear store Put This On.
Also, a little programming note: I’m on vacation starting tomorrow, so his follow recommendations will be hitting your inboxes on a one-week delay. Next Friday in the podcast feed, we’ll replay a favorite episode from the archives.
BUT! I loved, loved, loved talking with Jesse so I’d encourage you to go listen to the whole episode now — the full audio and transcript are available here.
Hasta luego!
Jesse Thorn (Bullseye): Scruffy dogs, breakfast cereal, the worst albums of the 20th century
Jesse Thorn has been podcasting since 2005, when he put his college radio show The Sound of Young America on the internet. He was a little early to the party: Six million Americans had listened to a podcast back then, versus 177 million today.
But Jesse stuck with it, and then some. The Sound of Young America became the hit NPR series Bullseye, and he founded the comedy & culture podcast network Maximum Fun, which powers dozens of other podcasts, including Jesse's other shows — Judge John Hodgman and Jordan, Jesse, Go!
Today on Follow Friday, he explains why he got into podcasting, his passion for dad movies, feeling like an outsider inside NPR, and much more. He also shares four great follow recommendations: An adorable "scruffy dog" named Archie (@archie.was.here on Instagram); New York Times opinion columnist and podcaster and cereal critic Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie on Twitter and Instagram); comedian and roller derby commentator Blaine Capatch (@blainecapatch on Twitter); and Pop Culture Happy Hour host & author Linda Holmes (@lindaholmes on Twitter and @lindaholmes97 on Instagram).
And on Follow Friday's Patreon page, you can unlock an extended version of this interview in which Jesse shares a fifth bonus follow recommendation! Thank you to our amazing patrons: Jon, Justin, Amy, Yoichi, Danielle, Elizabeth, and Sylnai.
Also:
Follow Jesse @JesseThorn on Twitter and @put.this.on on Instagram
Follow Eric @heyheyesj on Twitter
Email us! hello@followfridaypodcast.com
P.S. Here's Blaine Capatch's list of the 500 Worst Albums of the 20th Century.