Mr. Black added: “Just in a lighthearted, fun way. I like punching up.”
They are, of course, far from the first pair of friends to turn genuine rapport into digestible content. Last November, Vogue cited “How Long Gone” as proof of the rise of the “bro-cast,” but noted that the format had been popularized quite successfully by women-led shows like “Call Your Girlfriend,” hosted by two “long-distance besties,” long before the quarantine era.
Another podcast built around a close personal rapport is “Red Scare,” hosted by Anna Khachiyan and Dasha Nekrasova. The podcast’s focus is political and generally takes up a trolling critique of liberal feminism in all its forms, but Ms. Nekrasova attributes a large degree of the show’s success to the friendship that is centered in each episode. She came on “How Long Gone” last November after receiving an Instagram message from Mr. Black, whom she knew little about.
And with so many podcasts operating like mere “friendship simulators,” as Ms. Nekrasova calls them, she was surprised by the ease with which Mr. Black and Mr. Stewart integrated her into their pop culture musings. “It’s clear what they have is real,” she said. “Most podcasts take a while to develop a friendship, especially when it’s front and center to the show. But it’s easy for them. They’re good at keeping that ball in the air.”
At a ceaseless pace, they have leveraged their micro-celebrity to pursue their own low-stakes interests. Multiple runs of hats, tote bags and a $40 “Performance” Nalgene bottle — mostly designed by Mr. Stewart — have sold out, they said. They have released their own brand of “snapchilled” canned coffee, named Mudd, and for a short while, Angelenos could start their day with “the Goner,” a vegan breakfast sandwich made in collaboration with local chain Burgerlords.
Still, they haven’t put their podcast behind a paywall, opting for more aesthetically aligned sponsorships with companies like the podcasting platform Anchor.FM. “We want as many people to hear this podcast as possible, and if you put a paywall up that’s not going to happen,” Mr. Black said.
