I’m genuinely torn about how many stars to give this podcast. On one hand, I’ve spent well over 30 hours listening to it over the past month, learned a great deal of useful information, and had plenty of laughs along the way. On the other hand, after nearly a month of binge-listening, I’ve decided to stop. There are simply some things I can’t get past.
First, while both hosts are undeniably quick-witted and funny, I’d estimate that the podcast is about 75% banter and 25% actual information. Sometimes the humor is entertaining, but other times it feels like an endless struggle for them to get back on topic. You really have to be in the mood to sit through an hour of that to extract the useful information.
But my biggest issue, and ultimately the reason I’ve stopped listening, is the casual misogyny and racism that seem to permeate their humor.
The recent “Monkey Man” episode was the final straw for me. Much of the episode seemed to consist of the hosts competing to see who could perform the most obnoxious and offensive Indian accent. And this wasn’t an isolated incident. In listening to older episodes, I’ve encountered numerous comments and jokes about women, including one from several years ago suggesting that when disaster strikes, women will be off shopping at Ulta.
I understand that they describe their audience as “hillbillies,” but I wonder if that’s simply the audience they’ve chosen to cultivate. I’m a self-described hillbilly myself, with family roots in Kentucky, and I still find much of their humor offensive. Being interested in preparedness, enjoying a good laugh, and having rural roots doesn’t mean someone is comfortable with jokes at the expense of women or people of other ethnicities.
I’m also a physician assistant, so I was initially excited to hear Cam’s medical insights. But as a fellow PA who works primarily with immigrant patients, I find it particularly disheartening to hear another healthcare professional so casually mock other nationalities and perpetuate stereotypes. I have a hard time reconciling that kind of humor with the compassion and respect for others that I believe our profession should embody.
And that’s what makes this so disappointing. There really is valuable information here, and these two men can be genuinely entertaining. I would have happily continued listening if the humor weren’t so frequently directed at marginalized groups.
I hope the hosts will take this criticism in the constructive spirit in which it’s intended. While they may envision their primary audience as white men with a particular sense of humor, there are plenty of women, people of color, and people from all walks of life who are interested in preparedness and could benefit from their knowledge.
You don’t have to abandon your humor to make those people feel welcome. You just have to recognize that being funny doesn’t require making someone else the punchline.
I genuinely wish them well, but for now, I’ll be taking my listening time elsewhere.
