I discovered podcasts for the first time about two years ago and since then, they’ve changed my life. Planes, trains, automobiles, walks and housework are all much more fun! I know so much more now than I did two years ago and I’ve had a lot of fun learning.
Genre: Question/Answer/Advice
I don’t even know where to start to describe what makes this podcast a treat that I look forward to so much every fortnight!
Answer Me This is produced and presented by three British people called Helen, Olly and Martin. Mainly advertised as ‘Helen & Olly’, the two college best friends are joined by Martin their soundman (as a ghostly distant voice) who happens to be Helen’s husband. Each fortnight you’re invited to Helen and Martin’s apartment where they answer listener’s questions ranging from: ‘Why are there blank pages at the back of most books? It seems very wasteful and pointless to me’ to ‘how do I tell my friends their hamster died while they were away?’
One of the things that sets Answer Me This apart is the music, which is in large part thanks to multi-talented Martin the sound man, who is also a musician (find his science-themed (yep, a physicist too!) music here). Original jingles pastiching a musical genre, artist or style advertising the show are played throughout such as this one. Warning: they will stick in your head for days:
Helen and Olly and also sing the theme tune each week, which has different lyrics every time- gotta love that Simpsons Intro Style of doing things. For example:
‘Is the Wolf of Wall Street a sequel to Little Red Riding Hood? Answer me this, answer me this. Will making your podcast ever be a livelihood? Answer me this, answer me this. Helen and Olly Answer me this!’
Example of an Answer Me This Question: This is James McAndrew from Alton, Hampshire, crummy little town. Just wondering, Why Armageddon such a shit movie?
Helen: Well that’s very easy: it’s because Michael Bay is the director.
Olly: Yeah, his name is basically cockney rhyming slang for ‘shit film’
Helen: Although Brett Ratner is both better sounding rhyming slang and an even shitter director.
Olly: Yeah but when you team up Bruckheimer and Bay, then you know you’re in for a real shit-storm.
Helen: Oooh….
Olly: Unless of course you’re a 14 year old boy, which is what I was when Armageddon came out so I thought it was amazing
Helen: I enjoyed it too as a teenager, but…
Olly: I think I went to see it twice. But that was once for each of Liv Tyler’s tits
(laughter)
Olly: I don’t remember, was it that Afleck and Willis were a sort of father-son dynamic?
Helen: Afleck was going out with Bruce Willis’ daughter
Olly: Right, Liv Tyler
Helen: Yeah. And so Bruce Willis was disapproving because Afleck was a bit of a flake on the oil rig. Whereas at the end he was like ‘I’m gonna sacrifice myself for the asteroid, but Ben Afleck is sufficient to take over from me in Liv Tyler’s life because obviously she is not sufficient on her own without a man
Triona Brick's thoughts of the week 