Whilst Beautiful/Anonymous functions perfectly well as a piece of entertainment, and it is definitely entertaining, what really distinguishes it from most podcasts is how much it taps into an ever-growing need for support.

Particularly in the Western world, the idea of ‘community’ has been rapidly eroded over the course of the past century in the pursuit of social progress and technological advancement. More people live in cities than ever before. We are more connected than ever before, thanks to the rise of the internet and smartphones; we can contact a relative on the other side of the world instantaneously, and have a conversation with five different people at once, each participating from a separate, distinct physical location. Yet, what we now face is an epidemic of loneliness that spans ages and social groups. The irony of the connected age is that people feel less connected than ever before. Where people once drew support from their communities around them, be it their immediate neighbourhood or a more involved extended family, often now the only possible avenue through which it can truly be found is with a romantic partner.

On the show, Gethard himself speaks openly about his own battles with depression, which in turn creates an air of understanding and an environment where those telling their story are unafraid to expose their own demons. It makes for something that is frequently extremely engaging to listen to, but also genuinely offers the potential for help.

The hardest thing about unloading your innermost worries to someone is the fear that they will react negatively; that they might throw it back in your face, or think less of you for feeling a certain way. Under the weight of that fear, it can seem safer just to stay quiet. But often that safety is misleading. As they say, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’. But for many people, there aren’t necessarily that many opportunities for sharing.

What ‘B/A’ does is encourage those listening to be a little more open, and provides a venue for it to take place; one where they don’t have to be so concerned about that negative reaction. As a result, stories are shared, truths are told, and sometimes progress is made (Chris catalysing a young female comedian to go all out and dedicate herself to her passion of being a stand-up comic is just one recent tangible example).

One recent caller, sharing the story of overcoming a difficult and neglected childhood, riffed with Gethard to produce a ‘Metoo’-inspired hashtag to describe the phenomenon: ‘#IAsWell’. The phrase was chosen to reflect people recognising their own experience in those stories being shared, and to promote the idea that they aren’t alone in feeling the way that they do. It can, of course, be remarkably freeing to learn that people from different countries, walks of life and backgrounds are experiencing something in exactly the same way you are. It’s far harder to feel isolated when you know you’re not the only one in your situation.

Amidst this backdrop, the show has formed its own community; one that the host himself frequently takes the time to engage with. Every episode has its own discussion forum on Earwolf’s website and the show also features on their subreddit (r/Earwolf/), but the eye of the storm is a moderated community group on Facebook, with a membership currently just shy of 30,000.

What both the callers themselves and the wider community often demonstrate is the sense of belonging the show fosters. It provides people with a chance of feeling ‘heard’, and they don’t necessarily have to be the voice on the end of the line to do so. One user commenting on the FB group wrote:

“I just love you, Gethard… You make me laugh a lot. I just joined to say thank you, you’ve helped me and my kiddos… I especially love how everyone around you rises to your level of spectacular and all-too-rare empathy.”

And this kind of expression is not atypical. Another recent post is an unprompted public service announcement in the wake of several widely-reported celebrity suicides:

“Wherever you are in the world, whether you’re going to bed or getting up for the day, remember you are worth it and someone cares. It’s been a tough week with the loss of two high profile people. Podcasts like this, especially like this, remind me that we’re all connected.”

The community has grown to the point that connections are made and support offered on issues entirely separate from the episodes broadcast. Members chat in threads asking listeners where they come from, and some bring their own life experiences in the hope of receiving advice and, perhaps, reassurance: