Richard Bluestein recently announced the somewhat controversial (at least in the insular world of podcasting) death of his performance persona, Madge Weinstein. Bluestein podcasts in the character of Weinstein for a number of popular shows, including Yeast Radio (and the experiemental formated Yeast2 spinoff show).

This is an interesting step as the parts of Bluestein that showed through the overthetop “lesbian” persona of Weinstein were always the best parts of the show. Basically, the use of a lesbian identity (not to mention that of a cancer-survivor) was ..well.. a bit problematic and didn’t seem to serve any discernable purpose. Despite this, I think Bluestein is an interesting figure in podcasting and has proved to be both innovative and influential.

Weinsten, with Wanda Wisdom (of Lucky Bitch Radio) founded the qPodder network, a loose network of queer-identifying podcasters sharing knowledge and resources via the qPodder website.

Weinstein gained a level of notoriety as a result of a slight misuderstanding with influential podcasters (they both refer to themselves as podfathers, a term I dislike and that does not seem entirely accurate), Adam Curry and Dave Winer . Basically, as a result of feeling they were mislead or even tricked by Bluestein promoting Yeast Radio as a lesbian podcast, Curry and Winer argued for ‘honesty’ in podcasting and for such performance-based podcasts to be labelled as such. Thankfully, these suggestions were dismissed (and their confusion of Weinsteins’ true identity mocked) quite widely. It doesn’t seem to have raised a longterm rift as Weinstein now contributes to the Daily Source Show alongside Curry but is still none too shy about heavily and publicly lambasting him. The latest episode of Yeast Radio, Bluestein (still performing as Weinstein) effectively hands Curry his podcaster ass due to his recent inclusion of homophobic promotion spots on the Daily Source Code Show.

I have always been a bit ambivalent about the qPodders network and, despite checking out the blog regularly, only listen to a few shows regularly. My hesitation is at least in part due to the disproportionate amount of the podcasters who adopted female drag identities with zero gender analysis or awareness at all. More often than not it seems to serve as a shock-jock self-promotion tactic rather than a performativity choice and it quickly got tiresome. This is not as prevalent now as the qPodders community expands at a rapid pace and apparently, even Bluestein tired of his podcasting identity and, according to Matt Blender (of OK So podcast, who assists with Yeast Radio), this contributed to his retirement of Madge Weinstein.

The qPodder Network demonstrates the best and worst of networking; sharing knowledge and generally supporting each other as well as the in-jokes and insular community politicking. When it first began, it was a common occurence for large segments of shows to be dedicated to technical advice and shoutouts to new members and I think this has been a large reason the network has been so successful. qPodders regularly join each other’s shows or discuss the latest episodes of other podcasts. This shared promotion style has also balanced out the detrimental effects of iTunes explicit ratings granted to an overwhelming majority of (non-commercial) queer podcasters.

The qPodders have also proved quite technically savvy in the blogging and podcasting world, having already branched out into Video Podcasting with “Faggregator” a network of qPodder Video Podcasters. This has been an initiative of Bluestein’s, again benefitting from his enthusiasm and technical skills.

So, now Bluestein is podcasting under the Yeast Radio banner himself, still undoubtably with the same profanity, tangents, rants and raves that we expect but without the wig. It wasn’t a very good wig anyway. I’m looking forward to the consequences (and there will inevitably be consequences) and other developments in the qPodder world.

qPodder guide 101

Listen to:

PopTrash Radio if you like celebrity gossip and reading your copy of US Weekly aloud with your friends

Visitronix Radio- if you like podsafe lesbionic folk music

Ruby Fruit Radio if you still like lesbionic folk music.

Hot Fossils and Rebel Matters if you like thoughtful analysis and conversation, daytime talk-radio style. With swears. And everything is better with swears.

Pink Mafia Radio if you like Logo TV and reviews thereof.

BearPodcast if you like ..well…big hairy men.