"Lusting Out Loud: Racialized Aurality, Podcast Intimacy, and the Uses of Thirst"

Abstract Overview

  • The article discusses how the podcast Thirst Aid Kit articulates Black women's desires, often overlooked in mainstream media.

  • Methodologies Used:

    • Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis (CTDA)

    • Feminist Close Reading

  • Main Arguments:

    1. Disruption of Whiteness: Hosts use regional Black vernaculars to create intimacy with listeners.

    2. Articulation of Desire: The podcast openly expresses Black women's desires instead of concealing them.

    3. Romance Genre Connection: While it links to romance, it challenges the genre's ties to Whiteness and the concept of 'happy endings'.

Introduction to Thirst Aid Kit

  • Origin: Launched in 2017, hosted by Bim Adewunmi and Nichole Perkins, produced by BuzzFeed, later picked up by Slate.

  • Unique Offering: The podcast focuses on Black women's desires articulated through cultural criticism, celebrity interviews, and fanfiction.

  • Definition of Thirst: Evolved from a feeling of desperation to a fuller, more robust expression of desire, particularly among women between 2017-2019.

  • Holistic Understanding of Thirst: The show views thirst as a multi-dimensional experience, going beyond mere physical attraction.

  • Star Text Analysis: Discusses representations of attraction in popular culture, illustrated through an analysis of actors such as Keanu Reeves.

Black Feminist Theories of Sexuality

  • Historical Context: The emphasis on Black female sexuality has historically been on damage and trauma, often at the expense of pleasure and agency.

  • Reference to Hammonds (1994): Suggests that pleasure, exploration, and agency in Black women’s sexuality have frequently been under-analyzed.

  • Counteracting Silence: The podcast aims to redefine narratives surrounding Black women's sexuality by focusing on pleasure rather than trauma.

  • Importance of Vocalization: The power of sound and aurality in expressing desires, arguing against the visual dominance in cultural studies.

Podcasting's Intimacy and Racialized Aurality

  • Definition of Podcasting: Defined as an intimate medium that engages audiences through conversational styles reminiscent of radio.

  • Intimacy in Thirst Aid Kit: The close relationship fostered between hosts and audiences through cultural references and shared understandings.

  • Use of Black Vernacular: The hosts employ accents and colloquialisms that resonate with Black women, emphasizing shared cultural experiences.

  • Cocooning Effect: Podcasts like Thirst Aid Kit offer a space for Black listeners to engage with content in predominantly white environments.

Methodology

  • CTDA: Engages with how technological practises intersect with cultural ideologies.

  • Feminist Approaches: Close reading method applied to selected episodes to analyze sonic qualities and hosts' narrative styles.

  • Selected Episodes for Analysis: Episodes from seasons one, four, five, and six, emphasizing specific themes and storytelling techniques.

  • Paratextual Analysis: Involves examining supporting materials such as trailers and interviews to understand broader narratives.

Constructing Intimate Publics

  • Definition of Intimate Public (Berlant, 2008): A space characterized by shared emotional identification among strangers.

  • Identifiable Connections in Episodes: Example from an episode featuring Simu Liu demonstrates cultural touchpoints (e.g., shea butter) connecting with experiences of Black women.

  • Use of Cultural Signifiers: Highlighting how the hosts utilize cultural references to build a distinctive voice and community for listeners.

  • Rhetorical Techniques: Use of storytelling and humor enhances engagement and recognition among the audience.

Audibly Expressing Thirst

  • Opening Drabbles: Short, often censored stories read by one host to another, inviting listener participation in imagination and fantasy construction.

  • Listener Interaction: The bleeping out of explicit content allows audience construction of their narratives, fostering intimacy.

  • Connection to Black Female Interiority: The podcast provides a space for Black women’s desires and experiences to be articulated publicly, countering historical silencing.

Impact on Romance Genre

  • Reshaping Narratives: The hosts subvert traditional romance narratives and challenge normative endings, focusing instead on the nuanced everyday experiences.

  • Emphasis on the Expansive Middle: Drabbles often explore burgeoning connections rather than focusing solely on resolutions, like happy endings or weddings.

  • Example of a Drabble: Narrative depicting an encounter with Matthew Rhys, leaning into the intimacy of everyday moments rather than climaxing in a grand resolution.

  • Critique of White Poetics: The podcast highlights how it disrupts the racialized frameworks of traditional romance literature.

Conclusion

  • Reflection on the Precarious Nature of Black Podcasting: Discusses how Thirst Aid Kit's eventual ending exemplifies broader struggles faced by Black creators in media.

  • Legacy of Thirst Aid Kit: Reinforces the importance of articulating Black female desires and pleasure against the backdrop of mainstream media limitations.

  • Lasting Implications: The podcast and its discussions offer critical insights into the Black feminist discourse surrounding sexuality and media representation.

References

  • Mentioned key authors and concepts throughout the discussion, including:

    • Hammonds (1994), Berlant (2008), Nash (2012), Kamblé (2014), and many others to provide foundational support for arguments initiated in the paper.