One of the things I like most about podcasts is the possibility of doing other things while listening to an episode. I am not a fan of multitasking at all, but sometimes the only way to get started on a necessary, but boring task is to combine it with a more pleasant chore. Podcasts work like a charm! There is just one catch to the format: it makes anyone too susceptible to the power of voices.

As I often say, voices are very powerful. I once read that hearing is the second sense to reach the brain the fastest, second only to smell. So how do you escape the spell of an interesting podcast narrated by a beautiful voice? It is simply impossible!

Anyway, precisely because I am aware of this weakness of mine, I try to change programs quickly, so as not to develop any severe form of crush on an unknown voice. You do not have to tell me, and for the sake of discretion, I will not ask you, but I am sure it has happened to you, too, and we both know that kind of crush can be a huge problem.

While a flesh-and-blood obejct of desire is subject to mistakes, like any human being, the voices hover over our heads, fluttering, intangible and infallible. Enigmatic, voices can be very deceiving. One of the most commom mistakes is to assume that the rest of the body matches the voice, which is not always true. For whatever reason, some extraordinaire voices choose the most plain bodies to live. Go figure!

Today I received a very kind compliment on the comments of one of the podcasts I produce (the complete list you can find by clicking here), which made me very happy, because a kind compliment is always welcome. On the other hand, it reaffirmed what I already knew: voices go much further than we may ever suppose. It also made me think about the size of the responsibility of any content producer, which today basically means all of us.

In this moment of virtual assistants, the multiplication of applications that allow you to change and edit voices with high fidelity, and very sophisticated chatbots, I would like to suggest a moment of silence and reflection on the role you want your voice to play.

Oh, and you can access my current number one crush-podcast by clicking here. Unmissable, essential and another great reason to learn Portuguese.

Be seeing you!

G.F.