Where is the Weird? - Lessons From SNL 50
I Really Think We're Missing Creativity in Podcasting
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Lessons Podcasters Can Learn From Saturday Night Live
As I type this into my keyboard, the creative juices excite me to the point that this may be my next episode. If you ever wonder how I come up with stuff, welcome to the behind-the-scenes view.
Make the Podcast You Want
I just watched Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music on YouTube TV. At one point, they talked about how the show was formed, and Lorne Michaels said, “At one point, we decided to do the show we wanted to watch.” Realize that when you do this, it’s up to YOU to find other people like YOU.
It’s About Content and Delivery
In the opening minutes, they splice musicians after musicians performing. They have 50 YEARS of content, so they can find stuff that will grab you by the throat. The delivery (I saw Quest Love’s name as director, and I bet he had a lot to do with this as he is a fabulous DJ) was jaw-dropping, and it kept on going for a while.
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Weird
They didn’t know what they were doing when they started, and the show is from New York City and often reflects New York City. So, if improv was big, they brought on guests like Andy Kaufman. He was weird, different, and like something people in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had never seen. If you loved it or not, you talked about it.
They brought in people who OBVIOUSLY had no comedy chops, like Steve Forbes, Elon Musk, and Steven Segal. As I always say, you will tell a friend if it’s excellent, and if it’s bad, you’ll probably tell two friends. Kudos to them for at least swinging the bat and trying something different.
I do this every 100 episodes. Some worked (see Binky and the Whiz episode 400), and some were awful (see “Groundhog Day” episode 500).
Being creative stops the podcast from being boring for you. If you get bored, we are all screwed.
Take Advantage of the Opportunity
Adele was somewhat of an unknown singer, and Bill Hader talked about during her rehearsal, the writers stopped in and “What is THAT?” kind of moment. She killed it on the live performance of the show, and had to go from New York to Europe. When she took off, her album was around 50 on the charts, and less than 24 hours later, it was in the top 20 - all because of one appearance on SNL.
Because of the incredible technology that is your RSS feed, people ALL OVER THE WORLD can consume your content. One episode could be THAT episode that leaves everyone talking about your show.
Never put the word ONLY in front of your download numbers. “I only have 29 downloads.” That is a full classroom of people who could be doing LOTS of stuff but chose to listen to you.
Nobody Is Tuning In To Watch Your Zoom Meeting
After decades, Lorne Michaels realized that the music segment needed to feature visual musicians. Kanye West was the first to really “think outside the box” and set the bar for how musicians looked. Some people tune in to see the musical guest, so we might as well dress it up.
I say this to everyone who thinks you NEED to (keyword NEED as in YOU MUST) do video; Ashley Carmen reported that of the top 50 podcasts, only 79% were doing video. These people have BUDGETS to do video well and are not doing video at all. Those who are using YouTube, with a tiny percentage using Spotify.
While a recent report from YouTube stated that viewers just need a clear picture and audio, we must remember that people aren’t telling their friends to tune into what appears to be your Zoom meeting.
I Wonder What Is Going to Happen Next
Saturday Night Live is Live (it is in the title, after all). So if you mess up (Ashely Simpson), people know it. If you go off script (Sinade Oconner), people know it. One of the things people love is when a cast member can’t hold it together and starts to laugh. Go look at this video about Bevis and Butthead; the MOST WATCHED PART is when SNL cast member Heidi Gardner just LOSES it.
When something happens in the news, some SNL fans wonder how they will either make a sketch out of this or roast it on the “Weekend Update” news segment. Maybe be a little dangerous.
Sometimes, being dangerous is just being honest. Kendrick Lamar's message at the Super Bowl went right over my head because I’m a middle-aged white dude, and my ears couldn’t keep up. I went back, turned on closed captioning, and watched again, and it appears YouTube couldn’t keep up with Kendrick either. That’s a shame, as he won a Pulitzer prize and is hugely popular. I’d like to hear his message. I’m “not like them,” to quote his song.
Don’t Forget Tom Green
Tom Green made a living on MTV for being weird. He would tie meat to his head and interview people on the street. He would suck milk out of a cow’s utter. He would hump a dead moose. These are things you didn’t see on TV. Whether you loved or hated it, you told someone about it. Get creative.
In 2007, Tom made a TV set in his living room and would broadcast live to YouTube whenever he wanted. NOBODY was doing this. One of his guests? Joe Rogan.
Tom would often do weird, outlandish stunts involving his parents at 4 AM. Tom had to take time off TV to battle and beat testicular cancer. So, what replaced Tom on MTV? Jackass. So no Tom Green, no Joe Rogan, no Jackass.
What made people talk about Tom Green? He was weird and thought outside the box.
Podcasters Happy Hour
Mark Your Calendars! February 24th at 7 PM ET
Mike Dell from Blubrry will show off their AI tools (which can now be purchased separately). As always, there will be open Q&A.
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https://supportthisshow.com/blubrry
My Latest Content
School of Podcasting (Follow)
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Navigating Podcasting's Evolving Landscape: Feedback, Newsletters, and AI
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Podcaster Blues: When Your Show Just Won't Take Off
My Appearances
Can you really profit from your podcast? Creator News Live.
Podcasting 101 and 2.0: Podcasting Basics - Podcasting 2.0 in Practice
Stuff That Caught Me Eye
Captivate - No Payments Until April
Captivate (the media host I use the most) is having a sale where you can sign up today and not pay until April. (this is not an April fool’s joke).
Joe Rogan on Tom Green
I mentioned this earlier, but I think this captures the moment Joe Rogan went, “hmmmm.” WATCH
Profit First
I hired a business coach to audit my marketing (which was supposed to be what I talked about in this newsletter this week, but then I watched the SNL special - so raincheck. This sent me into the quasi-religion that is Profit First for running your business. This was inspired by Ray Edwards (who I adore) announcing he had filed for bankruptcy after making 1 million dollars a year. (This will be a future episode of the SOP. I’m trying to figure out how to talk numbers without sending everyone to sleep - the answer is stories - which I’m working on).
Storytelling Secrets From Phillip Humm
For me, Matthew Dicks book, “Storyworthy,” sets the bar for Storytelling resources. I did find Phillip Humm on YouTube. This lead me to buy his book. The StorySelling Method: Master The Art Of Storytelling To Build Trust, Stand Out, And Boost Sales.
Elementor
Yes, I work for Podpage. I still have ONE site on WordPress and the other night I went to make some edits and rekindled my love/hate relationship with WordPress. I’ve seen glimpses of Elementor in the past, and I’m considering using it to redesign that site. It looks powerful and easy at the same time.
What’s Coming In The Future
Podcaster Happy Hour - Right Around the Corner
Sign up at podcasterhappyhour.com we have some great presentations and networking coming up.
Next School of Podcasting
I’m going to be diving into running your podcast as a business. That is a dry as yesterday’s taost (and won’t apply to everyone). I’m going to let this one sit in the oven a bit more, and I’m also going to do an episode on Newsletters.
Need Help With Your Podcast?
Whether you’re just starting or a seasoned podcaster, the School of Podcasting can help. Helping podcasters is what I do, and I’ve been doing it since 2005
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