Today, I shared an idea on Twitter I’ve been thinking about where I would create a new podcast called The Junction. I’d bring people on the show to do one-on-one interviews or have general conversations. This would allow me to keep the Mainline podcast focused on the news of the week. One of the responses I received to the idea was from Jason Cosper.
I’ve been thinking about his responses for the last hour and I need to get some things out of my head. When I wrote for the Tavern and produced the WordPress Weekly podcast, I was acutely aware of the position I was in. I was able to use that position, and often did, to lift up people and their voices. When the idea of branching out to do other podcasts came up during the late runs of WordPress Weekly, John James Jacoby and I talked on-air and off-air frequently about the fact that we were two white dudes hosting a WordPress podcast and perhaps there didn’t need to be any more of those.
On the one hand, I understand this sentiment and to a large part, I agree. There’s an abundant amount of white male podcast hosts in the WordPress space and perhaps no more are necessary. On the other hand, if a white male is really interested in doing a show about WordPress and wants to bring on guests to talk about things, should he ignore the desire and leave that space for others?
And as I think about that question, I think about this site and whether I should even bother to bring back another WordPress-focused site to generate some revenue because it will be led and voiced by a white male. Why not just leave the space for someone else?
There are options. I could seek out someone from an underrepresented group who is interested in podcasting and work with them to do the show. I could also do the same thing with this site. There are things that can be done that don’t result in having to pack up and leave ideas behind. I like my shows, I like my co-hosts, and I like how I do things but they’re white males, I’m a white male, and it makes me feel like the bad guy. I want to be able to do my thing, my way, without being the bad guy.
Everywhere you look it seems like a certain space, industry, or position is dominated by a white male. It’s a crappy situation and one that needs to change. But I’m not dominating anything here and I don’t particularly want to feel like a piece of crap for wanting to pursue an interest to pay the bills that are covering the kitchen table. There’s a lot to think about.
If you want to do it, I would suggest you just do it. If it makes you feel more at ease, perhaps get a co-host that is from a different demographic. You have an area of expertise, it doesn’t seem fair that your voice should be silenced because of a perception that there is too many people like you doing the same thing. You certainly wouldn’t approach running your business or career like that.
Diversity and inclusion is a complex problem and there is no exact formula to it. I learned the word “interspatial” from Christie Chirinos. It means there are no strict boundaries to diversity. So yes, you are a white male. (Not much could say that more than a train themed site, lol) But you also have health problems and are a non-technical person struggling to make a living in tech.
With all due respect…I am tired of this stuff. When I listen to a podcast, I don’t know the skin colour or gender of the podcast host(s).
Just because you are certain gender or skin colour, does not make you an expert on whatever topic.
Like my best friend’s grandmother talking about WordPress. She’s 97 and doesn’t even have Facebook.
If the podcast is video, I am not going to care about the gender or skin colour of the host(s). I am watching for the content.
I am watching/listening for the content and not the host/hosts gender(s) or skin colour(s).
My CFO is a lesbian Syrian-Canadian (She was born in Syria, lives in Canada).
My CTO is a lesbian is a Thai-Cambodian-Canadian (One of her parents is from Thailand, the other from Vietnam, she was born in Cambodia, lives in Canada).
They have a podcast. I listen to it not because they are women, lesbians, Syrian, Thai, Cambodian or anything else. I listen because of the content.
The whole “there are too many (insert skin colour, gender, sexuality, etc…)” is discriminatory/racist itself.