Laid-back familiarity: Why Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain is the perfect podcast in a world of perfectionism and performance

University can be stressful. Being constantly connected to a laptop; isolated in a poorly lit room; drowning in assignments; feeling overwhelmed and alone. This was a major struggle for me in first year and something I still feel coming to the end of my second, but it brought me to a new escape – podcasts. I had always listened to podcasts, albeit somewhat sparingly, whether it be Pretty Basic by Alisha Marie and Remi Cruz, or Off Menu by Ed Gamble and James Acaster, feeling comforted by their familiar presence. However, while I still enjoy these podcasts, I came to realise that I wanted more from my listening experience, something that truly got me out of my head and away from the overwhelming university life. For me, that was Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain.

I went to podcasts to get away from the constant comparative and competitive nature of social media

While these podcasts were entertaining, and I still listen to them when on long drives or when I need to laugh, I realised that I did not find them to be as enriching as I wanted. For someone whose entire degree seems to be on a screen, I wanted podcasts to be a way for me to step back from technology and detox. However, in an era where influencer podcasts are on the rise, for me podcasts became less of an escape from online life where comparisons and so-called ‘brain rot’ run rampant, and more of a tidal wave of the overstimulation I was running from. In seeking to escape from this escape, I happened across Emma Chamberlain’s podcast in my YouTube recommended. While I never really grew up watching Emma’s videos and watching another influencer podcast seemed counterintuitive, I decided to give it a shot and found exactly what I had been looking for.

Listening to her podcast is like being on FaceTime with an older sister, at once gentle and warm, with a sense of understanding between talker and listener

Anything Goes lacks the overstimulation of current-day podcasts, with there being no formal set, bright studio lights or professional setup. It is simply Emma, sitting in a chair or bed, completely reclined, with her headphones on and a microphone. It’s simple. Comforting. Not just because the yellow lights she uses don’t feel as exposing as those used on more ‘professional’ podcasts, but her lack of ‘togetherness’ is exactly what I wanted. Lots of these influencer podcasts feature not only a fully decked out set, complete with their title in bright neon lights behind expensive, plush sofas, but the hosts themselves play into unrealistic expectations by being constantly dressed to impress – perfectly styled hair; a beautiful full face of make-up; an outfit more suited for a runway than an hour podcast. While there is nothing wrong with this, in fact there is something innately enjoyable about watching people be a more put-together, somewhat unattainable, version of ourselves, I went to podcasts to get away from the constant comparative and competitive nature of social media, to get away from the overstimulation of exaggerated YouTube thumbnails and loud PR-trained voices, and into something more real.

Emma’s podcast feels like a complete lack of effort in the most positive way. She is always dressed comfortably, sprawled out, and just more realistic. The way she speaks is with a calmness, not this fake voice that is often put on in order to garner excitement in an audience and rake in views. Listening to her podcast is like being on FaceTime with an older sister, at once gentle and warm, with a sense of understanding between talker and listener, this feeling of being equal and in mutual conversation. You are being talked to, not listening in on a conversation like an outsider. I find Anything Goes to be not only a companion in my bouts of homesickness and seclusion, finding the same comfort in an episode as I would talking to my mum, but I also find it incredibly therapeutic and interesting. Instead of the podcast being yet another thing for me to compare my life to, I find myself taking the unprofessional advice Emma gives, as her podcast doesn’t make me feel like her life is unattainable and superior but instead brings her down to my level, reminding me that she is a young woman too, and has gone through similar things. We are not the same – she is of course a 23-year-old millionaire, and I am merely a broke student. But there is a sense of mutual understanding in her podcasts, providing a level of familiarity and mentorship that I find really important when living alone.  

Overall, while it initially looks like simply another influencer podcast, I entreat you to look past this and give Emma a listen. Her episodes may not be wholly exciting and certainly don’t fall into these overstimulating, exaggerated social media performances, but there is something about her presence that just allows you to take a step back, and breathe in the company of an old friend.