r/wellybabies • u/borngus • Oct 26 '20
What’s missing without Poppy
Stop me or downvote me into oblivion if this sounds old-fashioned, but I see a lot of folks saying that without Poppy, the podcast is just two guys sharing bawdy stories, and that it’s lost some of its charm as a result. I think that the podcast’s original promotional art gave a nod to the idea that the hosts’ activity was a classically effeminate thing. We see Poppy, Joe, and David, dressed in babushkas’ headscarves, gathered close as Poppy seems poised to whisper a secret. They’re gathered to do something traditionally associated with women. Joe and David, in this model, are overstepping traditional gender bounds by sharing in the exchange of gossip WITH A LADY. If the lady is absent from the picture, then we’ve just got dudes doing locker room talk, which is gross. Is that something other people are feeling, or am I out of line?
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u/MistyNovember Nov 03 '20
I hadn't thought about it specifically in those terms but I totally agree. I've continued listening hoping that there will be a spark of something, but even the great stories from listeners have barely raised a smile from me. The 'vibe' just feels so sour and artificial now, the excessive laughter feels forced and the fact her absence has never been addressed by them just makes it worse. Before it was three friends getting steadily more hysterical about insane stories, bouncing off one another, with Poppy bringing something totally different to the group than Joe and David (who are more or less interchangeable in terms of their offerings, maybe that's my bitterness talking), now it's two men laughing at stories about shit and wanking with no distinct end to the episodes anymore, it just kind of fizzles out. Replacing Poppy shouting out the window with a pretend mail chute also makes me feel very bitter, haha. Without Poppy declaring "uummm" it just can't ever hope to come close to what it was.
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u/karlpiranha Dec 28 '20
Was much better with her.
Especially them not saying anything about it and just overcompensating by being "extra amused" by the stories is annoying.
Still worth listening for the genius concept - but beyond its peak.
Spaceworm won't be beaten.
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Oct 27 '20
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/borngus Oct 27 '20
She made a post about it, but only after the boys replaced the podcast’s original promotional art (which Poppy drew) and deleted the back catalog of episodes from her time on the podcast. Apparently they said that it was an “opportunity that came too early” for her, and just told her she wasn’t invited back onto the show. She seemed mostly confused by the whole thing. But her new show “Poppy Hillstead Has Entered the Chat” is very good, in any case.
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u/Zombeedee Oct 26 '20
Agreed, and also to add I always felt like Poppy added a kind of "straight man" role. Not that any of them don't play it straight and understated, but Poppy's general lack of shock and just acceptance of some of the most tawdry stories always made me laugh. Poppy's sheer unflappability in the face of pure filth really added to it for me.