By Colby Tortorici

Hey everyone, welcome to the first edition of Colby's Corner! As the name might suggest, my name is Colby, and I'm the new intern here at Echo! I'll be writing about a new topic every week here on the website. Just think of me as your own personal weekly Gossip Girl! I mean I do not have the funds nor time to follow around a bunch of rich teenagers in Manhattan but I will do my absolute best to make it just as entertaining as that would be for you. Honestly, I should probably just put college on hold and focus on that for a bit. Anywho, for today's topic, I'll be reviewing the podcast Throwing Shade.

Hosted by comedians Erin Gibson and Bryan Safi, this podcast takes on a new issue facing women and the LGBTQA community every week. While the show is very informative, the two hosts manage to balance the tough subjects they cover with a fun, light-hearted vibe. While making sure their viewers are aware of the issue they each choose to highlight for the week, they also manage to stay fun and entertaining.

Using their comedic backgrounds, they can crack jokes while discussing important issues, but never in a way that feels disrespectful to the topics and the people they affect. Topics the two highlight vary greatly between episodes. While Erin's subject one week might concern a newly proposed bill about abortion rights that could affect all women, the next week, she might focus on an individual woman's issue or triumph. Bryan, on the other hand, might look at a small town having their first ever pride parade recently, and then the next week focus on a gay Texas government electee receiving backlash and hate. Whether the topics that Erin and Bryan choose to bring up only cover one individual, or large groups of people, they are all equally important to the community that they represent.

As I touched on previously, Throwing Shade’s comedic nature gives it a hugely different vibe from other, more politically inclined podcasts of a similar vein. Even with heavy subjects being touched upon frequently during the show's run, laughs abound. The comedic aspects of the show never feel forced, nor do they ever feel like they're underscoring the importance of the issues that are at hand. It keeps the show feeling fresh and fun at all times. Never does the podcast get weighed down by all the pertinent topics covered, the humor injected to the show keeps it light. At the same time, important issues are being discussed that make the show overall very informative and insightful. All of the elements of mesh together incredibly well to make the hilarious and informative podcast stay engaging for its entire runtime.

The podcast is divided into four segments. It begins with Erin and Bryan recapping their weeks and going over some fun topics. The two aren’t shy about talking about anything. Whether it's life updates, pop culture thoughts, or anything else they want to discuss, they’ll do it. From there, they each take a turn diving into their issue of the week. Afterward, they have a bit more banter between them, or they have a guest interview. The show tends to run about an hour in length, which works perfectly. It gives Erin and Bryan enough time to get in-depth with their topics (each of them share an equal amount of time for their story) while leaving the intro and outro enough time to feel developed and fun.

Overall, I can’t say enough positive things about Throwing Shade. The show’s hosts have absolutely amazing chemistry, and the two manage to bring important issues to women and LGBTQA individuals to a spotlight they might not receive in mainstream media. They manage to do this in a way that keeps the game light and fun, by injecting humor throughout the show’s run. The humor never feels forced, and never degrades the importance of the issues the two highlight.

The show is a delight to listen to if only to listen to Erin and Bryan riff off of each other. But it also helps keep you informed about issues going on in important communities that we might not hear about other places. Even if it is just a quick news blast, knowledge is power. If you’re looking for a new podcast that is funny, and informative, Throwing Shade is the one for you.

Signing off for now, XOXO, Colby’s Corner.

That really does not have a great ring to it, does it? We’ll workshop it and get back to you.