Feast Of Fun is my personal, favourite gay podcast. It’s unique, original and in-depth coverage has been a huge source of inspiration to me.
The podcast is the creation of Fausto Fernos and Marc Fellion. They live in Chicago, are married (to each other) and remarkably, have been doing the podcast for over 12 years!
I stumbled upon the podcast about 4 years ago, around the same time as I was starting the blog. I had a long commute to work and rather than have my drain cells brained by what constitutes Australian mainstream radio, I hopped onto the podcast section of iTunes looking for….I don’t know what exactly.
I think I just typed in “gay” and downloaded a number of gay podcasts. I then had a Godilocks experience, trying out the various podcasts I had downloaded. Some were too much for me, others weren’t enough. From my very first listen of ‘Feast of Fun’, I knew that it was just right.
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The show covers a range of genuinely interesting and diverse topics. These topics can range from drag queens to cosplay, disco anthems to politics. Everything is pretty much on the table.
The guys dedicate a good amount of time, usually around an hour, to really explore the day’s topic in-depth. I love that because I love to explore things this way as well. It gives time for a whole range of experiences and opinions to be expressed, and to gain a much deeper understanding of any given topic.
I think that the medium of podcasting lends itself to delving into and dissecting ideas properly, without the constraint of say commercial radio, where so much is reduced to sound bites aimed at appealing to the lowest common denominator.
Fausto and Marc have had a huge influence not only on my writing, but also on my life. Not only have they introduced me to a lot of interesting shows, movies and pop culture moments, in the roughly four years I’ve been listening to them, it feels like they’ve become friends (not in a weird or stalkerish way I assure you). Whether it’s their sense of curiosity about topics I’m interested in, or their similar sense of humour, I feel a sense of connection to them.
Their very existence – a gay podcast through which they have been able to give up their day jobs and make a living out of – also inspires me in the continued creation of this blog. Their goal isn’t solely to make money (that’s a nice and necessary bonus, I’m sure). Instead, they really prize the creation of original, in-depth content aimed at and for our community. Such a principled and laser focused aim is rare in these increasingly commercialised times.
Now, if you’ve never heard the podcast, you may be thinking – why would I want to listen to these guys?
I’m glad you asked. There are a number of good reasons why you should tune in to these guys.
Try before you buy
Feast of Fun makes one podcast available free each week. That way you can listen to a couple of podcasts first (which I recommend) and see whether you like it, before subscribing and receiving all of their daily podcasts (5 a week).
They’re emotionally smart
I often find myself listening to these guys talk about a topic and thinking, ‘I never even thought of that’. I love it when I’m presented with a new way of looking or thinking about something. It’s so rare when so often we’re just sheep, blindly following the masses.
They cover really interesting topics
Even though it’s a gay podcast aimed at what I’m assuming is mostly a gay (male) audience, they cover an interesting range of topics, not always exclusively gay ones either. One of my favourite podcasts was with a female speech therapist where they talked about upspeak and how the Kardashians have influenced a completely new way of talking. Now where else would you find that topic covered?
They also provide a platform to a number of gay and gay-friendly artists and performers. These platforms are still rare in our community, so being able to shine a spotlight on people producing original, creative work is really important.
I wholeheartedly recommend you check out the Feast of Fun podcast for yourself. I’m sure you’ll quickly see why I love it so much. And if you’re so inclined, feel free to support Marc and Fausto to continue bringing us their amazing show by becoming a paid member, or buying some awesome merchandise from their store!