Vivian Hoang '24 is a Fairfax, Virginia native who hopes to use her history and journalism and digital media double majors to elevate marginalized voices. In addition to serving as editor-in-chief of The Flat Hat, she is also a communications student partner at STLI and a reporting fellow at the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting. As a journalist, she is especially passionate about reporting on topics related to race, ethnicity, community, displacement and power. Contact her at Email: vvhoang@wm.edu.
If you haven't heard of Bobby Althoff lately, what have you been up to? To be honest, you haven't missed much.
For those unfamiliar with the situation, a seemingly normal white millennial woman is a big fan of Drake (in a now deleted episode) and Lil Yachty She will be appearing on her new, ironically titled show, “The Really Good Podcast.” It may sound ironic for me to describe Althoff as an “average white woman,” but it's a nod to her marketing strategy. Part of her appeal is that she appears to be no different than any other girl in line at Starbucks, which is why many find her star-studded interviews all the more impressive and confusing.
Althoff's sudden rise in popularity, despite its unknown origins being shrouded in mystery, has people scratching their heads and doing deep internet research. Reddit thread Her name is dedicated to Althoff, and there is speculation about who she is. Some accuse her of being an industry mogul or a product of her husband's enormous wealth. Why would someone with so little foundation suddenly become like that? Taiga.
I agree, her sudden stardom seems suspicious, and the low production values of her content and her rags-to-riches one-man show branding doesn't feel as relatable and authentic as her fans do. If anything, it feels forced and fake, and she's playing a character who just happens to be in the spotlight (like anyone!), but there are surely invisible strings pulling behind the scenes and connections already being made. I understand privilege, but at the very least… admit that.
And Althoff's other charms are his deadpan, “The Office”-esque humor that sends shivers down the spine of interviewees and viewers alike (mostly in a nasty, painful, wrenching way) and his unconventional filming locations, like the floor of a billionaire's filthy warehouse. Mark Cuban Just to get some extra shock and laughs points.
Of all Althoff's shortcomings, this is the one I really want to criticize: I hate her comedic timing, I think she's not funny at all, and I think she's grossly over-the-top, but I'm willing to accept that people find her funny because humor is subjective. What I do have a problem with is that her entire approach is a direct rip-off from another female creator across the pond.
input Amelia Dimoldenburgis a UK-based influencer best known for her series “Chicken Shop Dates,” in which she interviews celebrities at fast food chicken joints in London, another unusual filming location. One of DiMoldenberg's most talked-about interviews was with rapper Jack Harlowshe and Harlow shared a beautiful, awkward chemistry, and watching Dimoldenberg's deadpan personality and blank expression slowly melt away as she and Harlow giggled and subtly flirted was wonderful in every sense of the word, as it truly humanized Harlow and brought out his playful side.
So if Dimoldenberg originated the use of a sharp, sassy persona during interviews with top US and UK stars, why are people praising Althoff as if he revolutionized comedy and podcasting? There's really no reason to do so, especially since Althoff frequently walks the line between becoming an NPC character for laughs and demonstrating poor manners towards his guests, while Dimoldenberg treads it gracefully.
If you're going to blatantly steal, at least do it better, Bobby. I get that you're playing a character, but still, your persona shouldn't make your guest uncomfortable, impede the flow of the conversation, or prevent your audience from actually learning something about the celebrity they love. A good podcast host is someone who can sit down and listen, or who can engage with their guest to show a side of them that we wouldn't see otherwise. Althoff does none of that, so it's hard for me to say she deserves the platform.
Even though he doesn't steal jokes from other interviewers or have outside connections to back him up, Althoff has no real talent and doesn't bring anything innovative or special to the influencer world. We need to stop allowing social media to bring fame and money to ordinary, uninteresting people like Althoff, because it will ignore other influencers who are trying hard to differentiate and create their own niche.
So instead of Althoff, let’s focus on some truly unique interviewers: Nardwahas an infectiously quirky charm and a surprising depth of knowledge about famous rappers' pasts, eliciting big emotional responses from rappers that don't traditionally occur in television interviews. Jiwea black female host with a confrontational, big-sisterly, tea-making interview style, original game-show segments based on relevant internet culture like “Women's Rights and Women's Mistakes,” and a pink, feminine aesthetic. Like Dimoldenberg, but unlike Althoff, these are creators who actually know how to use characters. Strengthen Focus on the interview, not distract from the guest invited onto the show.
Choose to create content that actually means something, give your guests a real platform to share their stories, and support other comedians and online creators who have personality. I’m not asking you to outright hate on Bobby Althoff like I did, but I think there’s a bigger lesson to be learned here about who we as a society deem worthy of watching. Think critically about what the content you watch says about you as a person and who you give a platform to. Be an active consumer of media and shape your own online viewing history instead of mindlessly scrolling, especially since the target audience for these gimmicks is often Gen Zers.
And to Bobby Althoff: I sincerely wish you success, and may your fall be as steep as your success. May the rest of your (hopefully) short-lived podcast influencer career be amazing!
