Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: iTunes
Length: Podcast
I had the opportunity to listen to and review the Professional Friends podcast. Hosted by Carolina Hidalgo, Calvin Cato, Anna Paratore, and John Bevaqua, it’s full of comedy, humor, news stories, and tons of discussion. From the original description, I was expecting something a little different than what I got, but it was fairly enjoyable all the same.
I listened to the first 4 episodes in order, then bounced around to a few of the later episodes to see how the podcast progressed. I will admit that this is comedy that doesn’t always speak to my sense of humor, but it was mostly funny nonetheless. There’s no doubt that these four people are comedians, and there’s rarely a serious moment without someone turning it into a joke. It was easy to distinguish who was who, and the topics were often humorous or intriguing. Each episode is around thirty minutes, sometimes a little more, so it’s good to listen to when you only have a short amount of time.
Since I was expecting it to be a little more LGBTQ+ based, I was a little disappointed with the lack of content there. It’s not that it was completely lacking, because there’s definitely commentary on social norms, dating, and the like. But it’s not as central as I expected. Not necessarily a bad thing, and I think it gives it a bit more accessibility, just not what I expected.
One thing that irked me, and this could be a personal thing, was that there was not a formal introduction with who each person was, beyond their names, in the first episode. I didn’t expect to know everything about them, but a bit of information about who they all are and what they do in the beginning would have been welcome. As it is, we get mostly jokes about how they all met, and it’s up to the listener to figure out exactly what the truth is. One thing is abundantly clear, these four people are really friends and get along well. Their dynamic and the way they play off each other is fun, and mostly funny, so it’s fun to listen to. Conversations turn to their lives, what they are experiencing, and sharing stories about dating, life, work, and everything else.
While I didn’t get everything I was expecting, the podcast is definitely amusing and an easy listen. If you’re looking for a comedy podcast featuring people who don’t take themselves too seriously, then this is worth giving a try.
