Podcast Deep Dive: How Famous & Gravy Navigates the Content Flood

Image courtesy of Famous & Gravy.

We need an ark. We are flooded by content. Politics, culture, and mass media deluge our minds the moment we open our phones. It feels like a modern problem, but it isn’t new. Back in 1863, philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach coined the phrase Der Mensch ist, was er isst, “Man is what he eats.” He argued that both physical and intellectual nourishment shape our lives. If we are the sum of what we consume, what does that say about us in the age of endless scrolling?

Image courtesy of the Wall Street Journal and illustrator AVALON NUOVO.

Hearing the same thing over and over creates blind spots. Where do you discover fresh ideas if you’re always stuck in the same loop? How do you gain a new perspective on the past, present, and future? And who helps us push past misinformation about the human condition?

Image courtesy of Shutterstock / Built In.

For me, those blind spots show up most clearly in history. Too often, we view historical figures as untouchable ideals rather than flawed humans. But if we forget their humanity, we miss the real lessons they left behind. That’s why I love the podcast Famous & Gravy.

In today’s celebrity-obsessed culture, Famous & Gravy looks deeper. It explores how a person’s story shapes their creative work, and why their humanity matters. I had the chance to speak with co-founder and host Michael Osborne about how the show rethinks history itself. 

Image courtesy of Michael Osbourne.

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Famous & Gravy Interview

1. What inspired you to create Famous and Gravy?

The short answer is that other shows inspired us.  I've been creating podcasts for 15+ years now, and I remain first and foremost a fan of great podcasts. With Famous & Gravy there were two shows in particular that helped get the wheels turning. The first was a show called Rewatchables, which is a podcast where the hosts will rewatch and discuss durable movies. Just like F&G, Rewatchables is organized around a series of categories. Each episode of Rewatchables culminates when the hosts answer the question "Who won the movie?" Debating about who "won" a movie is really just a thought experiment, of course, but it helped us when we were developing F&G to land on the climatic question "Would you want this life?"

The second podcast that was a big source of inspiration was a show called Your Wrong About. With YWA they start with an old media story you think you know all about, and they explain how there was WAY more to the story than we remember. So with YWA they are looking back at media stories, and with F&G we are looking back at biographies. But in both instances there's a huge gap between what you think you remember and what insights and conclusions you can draw with the benefit of hindsight.

Image courtesy of Famous & Gravy.

2. What makes Famous and Gravy different from other podcasts?

We like to say we are the only show that asks the question "Would you want that life?" That's a provocative question, so we have put a ton of work into developing the structure and categories so to do it justice on each episode. There's a fine line between developing a formula and being formulaic, and I hope we've been able to thread that needle so that every episode feels like its own unique experience. In other words, I do think the format of F&G itself distinguishes us from other podcasts. The other thing I would say is that I'm very proud of how the show is genre-bending. F&G combines history and pop culture, with a self-help twist. It's meant to be subversive. We want every episode to be fun and entertaining, but the design of F&G allows us to steer the conversation into moments of personal insight and revelation that arise when you're having a close conversation with a trusted friend.

Image and copyright courtesy of Ryan Burke. 

3. How do you incorporate your mission and vision into your work?

In terms of our mission, we have a "show don't tell" approach. We never explicitly state our values out loud, yet I'm sure our listeners implicitly understand that we believe in qualities like shared humanity, empathy, and grace. All of those values have a way of coming out over the course of each conversation. So really we believe the mission is revealed in the mindset and attitude we bring into each conversation, and we trust our audience to experience that either consciously or subconsciously.

4. What advise would you give to students and young professionals who want to make their own podcast?

There's an idea out there that great art begins with mimicry, and I believe every first time creator should start by becoming a student of their favorite shows. Pay attention to your own media habits, and then hone in some shows where you can deconstruct and critique. Ask yourself why certain shows work for you, and how is it that the hosts are able to deliver a consistent experience each time. While there are a lot of podcasts out there and many people would say it's an overcrowded space, I take the opposite perspective. I believe that there are opportunities to create high value shows on a shoestring budget, so long as you are smart and deliberate and how you develop your concepts. My hope is that Famous & Gravy is a case study of how to create a high value show with a low budget. But there's no question that it all starts with finding the inspiration so that you can develop a concept that turns into a wellspring of possibilities. 

Image courtesy of Antonio Solano and Getty Images.

5. What’s the next chapter? 

It's hard to say. Obviously I want to grow the show, but I am happy to say that right now the economics of F&G are such that we can cover production costs. That, honestly, is no small accomplishment. Personally, I continue to love working on every single episode, from research, to recording, to editing, to publishing. I'm very aware that audiences can tell when a show has run its course and people are mailing it in. So as long as I can afford it, and as long as it's still coming from the heart, I'll keep this show going as long as I possibly can. Our reach is actually fairly modest, but the positive feedback we get from our listeners is a big signal that we have not yet reached our ceiling. It's easy to obsess about downloads, though, so I try to remind myself that creating a podcast should start as an act of self-love. F&G has given me a level of creative fulfillment and enthusiasm that I can barely begin to articulate. The show also reminds me that we find meaning in our lives because of the journey, not the destination. That's easy to forget. Right now, I am still very much enjoying the journey.

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Thank you for reading the first in this podcast series. Famous & Gravy allows you to learn from a new perspective. Please let me know which podcasts you would like me to dive into.