I am a lifelong vegetarian/vegan, and a non-academic—or “layperson” if you will—who only recently discovered the world of animal studies scholarship, thanks in part to this podcast. (I knew there had to be more than just vegan pop culture! It’s a desert out there for the inquisitive, critical thinker who is disillusioned with the same old rhetoric and vegan capitalistic consumerism…) I’m not much of a podcast listener, but whenever I happen to play this one, I am fastidiously note-taking, cross-referencing, and intently listening as if attending a lecture series. On a technical level, it’s well-produced and the ideal length. And the audio quality is excellent; the guests come through clear, volume is balanced, works great on speaker or headphones, etc. The host, Josh Milburn, (whose voice/accent reminds me of Queer Eye’s Tan France), stays focused, acting as architect for the conversation through expertly-posed questions and thoughtful responses, thereby avoiding the sort of chatty “fluff” that takes up a majority of podcasts—but that’s not to say the dialogue between host and guest is devoid of any personable affect. I appreciate how good of a listener Josh is, and, of course, having clearly done his research on the guest, is able to distill and summarize their thoughts, helping create a clarity and ease of understanding for a layperson such as myself. …but layperson I hope to be no longer! This podcast has illuminated to me the vast world of animal studies and theory that can marry all my intersecting interests, so I’m applying to go back to school (undergrad, then grad) and, hopefully, be able to study some of these topics! 🤩🤩
