From Former Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen to Ex-Joe Budden Sidekicks Rory and Mal, Revenge Pods Are All the Rage

variety.com:

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, MusicAs the barrier of entry to podcasts has lowered, it seems anyone with a gripe, sour grape or grievance to air is now able to reach the biggest megaphone on the planet with just a few clicks.

That rant, delivered as an episode on the heels of a firing or a breakup or any manner of dramatic flareup — the revenge pod, if you will — seems to be gaining in popularity in recent years.Is there entertainment value to the fury and raw emotion of someone who believes they’ve been wronged?

Absolutely. A recent example: Cane & Corey, former morning show hosts at New York’s Alt 92.3, whose firing in Dec. 2021 the two recounted bitterly on an episode of a podcast (titled “WE GOT FIRED”) they recorded 30 minutes after being handed their walking papers.

But it’s one thing to lash out for an episode, and another to carry a series with regularity once all that pent-up frustration is released.Michael Cohen’s “Mea Culpa,” which takes aim at former President and ex-client Donald Trump, is among the best-known revenge pods, consistently ranking among the most-listened-to news shows on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.“The way Michael Cohen speaks about Trump, he is, in many ways, a jilted lover,” says Jared Gutstadt, founder and CEO of AudioUp Media, which produces “Mea Culpa.” Twice a week, the former lawyer and fixer rehashes and deconstructs his relationship with his former friend. “[Cohen] got thrown in the can for his transgressions and paid the ultimate price, and now he’s back telling his story with his democratic vehicle that he has in the form of podcasting.