Hi hello! We are so thrilled to introduce Reading the Comments, a podcast that digs into the comment sections of buzzy articles, essays, and posts to figure what the hell is going on.
Reading the Comments is like your group chat— but we try to wrangle our anger, eye-rolls, and irritation to salvage some thoughtful conversations from a forum that can at times feel like the antithesis of… thoughtful.
We dare to go where few have gone, as we attempt to perform some alchemy on a digital genre that terrifies many, turning one-way shouts into the void into revealing conversations about discourse today and questioning what exactly we’re even actually saying anymore.
If you found Reading the Comments as a devoted follower of
, you can expect the same ethos— a little rage, but also a lot of questioning what’s underneath the inherited narratives and tropes we recycle in everyday cultural discourse. What stories are we telling about motherhood, feminism, gender, family, and community today? Is it possible to read a little closer 👀 in order to hear each other a bit better 👂🏼?We’re not sure, but we hope so?
Some of the subjects we’ll cover in this limited-run podcast include:
women’s “choices”
male loneliness
parental burnout
marriage and desire
lots more
Every other week, we will also open up threads to paid subscribers here on the show page— so you can help us further explore what’s missing from the conversations that take place in the comments.
By signing up below, you’ll get notifications for new episodes right in your email inbox.
As a paid subscriber, you’ll get access to full episodes and exclusive access to our devoted community of close-readers/eye-rollers.
You’ll also be directly supporting 1) the many hours of work we put into this podcast AND 2) the many hours of work we will do on bonus episodes.
Speaking of bonus episodes, you’ll get access to a subscribers-only Google form you can use to share any juicy comments sections you want to see us pull apart on those bonus episodes, or right here on the show page.
You’ll also get access to those biweekly discussion threads for each episode, where you can help us further explore comments, topics, and cultural issues that are featured on the pod.
You can join our subscribers-only chat in the Substack app, where we will drop timely comments sections for you to discuss on the fly, as well as send info about the future episodes we are planning, so you can help guide the conversation.
Once you go paid, you can listen to Reading the Comments Podcast wherever you get your podcasts — or you can also listen to episodes right here on Substack.
Sound fun? Ready to support our work?
You can subscribe to the Reading the Comments Podcast for just $5 a month or $15 for the whole season. A steal!
If you are already a paid subscriber of
, you can get full access to the whole Reading the Comments Podcast series for just $12 — Amanda will be sending this offer out tomorrow (Friday), so be on the lookout. If you want to upgrade your Mad Woman subscription to paid now, you’ll get information about your Reading the Comments discount in your welcome email.You can also become an official “friend of the pod” for $150 and we will shout you out on air — and you’ll get access to all the shows and community features.
Cool. What am I paying for exactly?
Most importantly, Reading the Comments Podcast’s Producer, Editor, Co-creator and Co-host Veronica Wong! Amanda and Veronica are sharing all revenue evenly and will continue to do so as the show grows. Veronica researches, outlines and drafts new episodes, edits the show, does all our cute graphic design, participates in the biweekly threads, and most importantly, she spends a lot of time deconstructing the harrowing comments sections we analyze on the show, all while caring for her own tiny human. You can read more about Amanda & Veronica here.
We really enjoy making this show for you, but it has taken us hours of labor just to get it out to you. We expect to spend many more hours chatting with you all and researching, writing, and recording more episodes. We’d love to expand and continue the show— but your support is vital to making that even a remote possibility.
Most podcasts are funded by ads, subscriptions, and investors. We’re starting without any of that, so every single paid subscriber makes this show possible, and we thank you mightily in advance for your support.
Can I advertise on your podcast?
We would love that. We promise not to accept any ad revenue from questionable corporations, or from anyone who might compromise the integrity of the show. We will, however, accept advertising from smaller companies and investors who believe in the work we’re doing, and from individuals interested in promoting, say, their new newsletter, podcast, or book.
Email us to discuss a mutually doable rate. We can be reached at readingthecommentspod@gmail.com.
Don’t forget to subscribe!
Make sure to subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll get the first episode as soon as it drops next week. We can’t wait to wade into the comments with you — strap in!
Introducing: Reading the Comments 👀