Crying On Purpose – A Podcast Review
Words: Olivia Adams
Podcast: Crying on Purpose by Donnie
On a long commute the other day, I decided to put on the podcast, Crying on Purpose which I had seen pop up on Insta. Crying on Purpose is a podcast hosted by Donnie, an Australian trans-man based in Newcastle, who cries and laughs about life, love, pop culture, teaching, writing, the LGBTQI community and all sorts of media. At random I played the episode, CRYING ABOUT…Letterboxd Reviews, where big film buff Donnie dives into reviews of his favourite films; Labyrinth, Rocky Horror, Dead Poets Society and Call Me By Your Name. Donnie went through the half-star reviews to the popularity reviews all while explaining the premise and digging into the highlights of the vividly gay and vibrantly camp cult classics. Starting with Labyrinth, Donnie read out one review “It’s is all about David Bowie’s penis,” which is an accurate summary of the film.
What I loved about this episode is that Donnie laughed about whatever the reviewers were saying, not taking it personally and not trying to dick someone for an opposing opinion. Apart from when one half-star said they didn’t like David Bowie and Donnie just stated “Incorrect”. From Labyrinth to Call Me By Your Name, Donnie’s reaction to the reviews is comically and cleverly timed with audio clips inserted from the films. These snippets create a fun and immersive listen for the podcast’s crybabies (which Donnie coined as his fanbase). I loved that. After he read the review of Rocky Horror; “felt like I was high during the whole thing, not a single clue what happened”, he artistically positioned the line from the film; “It’s not easy having a good time, even smiling makes my face ache”. In discussing Dead Poets Society, which is definitely up there for my Queer art&lit-loving ass, I feel a strong sense of honesty and authenticity spoken from Donnie that steers away from bias takes and holds respect for other interpretations. I mean if you have seen the film, you know he couldn’t deny that it is just about rich white gay dudes.
I skipped to CRYING ABOUT…r/AITD next, and if you spend anytime on these reddit threads, you’ll love this episode. In this episode Donnie and his unhinged friend Paige dive into the R/Am I The Devil. This thread is based off the thread r/Am I The Asshole, but these posts are reposted to show that the OP is obviously the asshole. These two friends share some of the ridiculous posts on the page and discuss all sides of these unaware coins who think they’re not the pricks they are. They plunge into these posts with commentary on relationships, sex andmental health. With interesting comments about people who use porn as a form of sex education to analysis of why certain people don’t even act like they like their partner, this episode makes you groan and laugh in disdain with Donnie and Paige.
If you’re looking for an interesting podcast that revolves around pop culture and social commentary, filled with laughter and pure honesty then this pods for you. Episodes are released bi-monthly, often featuring special guests. Check it out and get listening crybabies!
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