Charlotte Roche has been a permanent fixture of German media since she was 18, when she first appeared as a host on music video channel VIVA. She became an international sensation in 2008 after publishing her taboo-smashing semi-autobiographical novel Feuchtgebiete (Wetlands). A global best seller, the book cemented Charlotte as a feminist set on testing-and breaking-barriers of all kinds. Now she's continuing that work on her new Spotify original podcast Paardiologie.
The show is essentially a couple's therapy session featuring Charlotte (an open book when it comes to her private life) and her husband Martin Ke (it's difficult to even find an image of him on the Internet). Despite Martin's meticulous desire for privacy, few topics in the show are off-limits, and every conversation, often heated, is unplanned.
Just after the release of the fourth episode of Paardiologie, Charlotte spoke with For the Record about what we can expect from her intimate marital conversations-and how listeners of all kinds can relate.
You've worked in other media, like TV and print, and pushed the boundaries of what you can say in both-how does podcasting compare? I tried to express myself freely on TV, but it was very difficult due to the censors. I thought writing books would provide more freedom, which it did. But now, even in comparison to writing, I feel what my husband and I can do in the podcast is absolute freedom-it's amazing.
What inspired you to create this podcast at this particular time? I'd been thinking about doing a podcast for a year or so. The ideas everybody else had were to put me together with younger feminists. I felt there wouldn't be enough to discuss there because I would agree too much with the young feminists for a podcast to be interesting.
I was wondering with a friend on the phone, Who in the whole world could I ask to do a podcast with me? and just joked that my husband probably would be best. We laughed but, as often is the case with jokes, there was a spark of truth in there. I thought about it for a few minutes, ran to my husband, and asked if he would do a podcast for Spotify and talk about our relationship, our love, therapy, and sexuality. He had lots of reasons to say no, but he said yes.
Your first novel, Feuchtgebiete, explored several provocative themes, from relationships with one's parents to overcoming taboo concepts. How do the topics you explore in the podcast compare? What can listeners expect? Yes, in my books I fight against taboos concerning the body and sexuality. And I think taboos are not good for human beings-they are normal human things, and that's exactly the same approach we take with our podcast.
If people would communicate, especially about the negative aspects and tiring aspects of relationships, they wouldn't feel so alone and wouldn't have to solve their problems on their own. And that's why we're doing the podcast-to reach out and build bridges to other people by talking about all the challenging stuff in relationships, about aggression, cheating on your partner, lying, and addiction.
How do you and Martin prepare discussion topics for an episode? Are any subjects off-limits? In the weeks before we started the podcast, when we discussed something financial or sexual, or about how to train the dog, we'd get into a really bad fight. So we decided we wanted it to be completely freestyle and open, reacting to what the other person says in the podcast and not discussing anything before. Since then, we've had to tell ourselves to stop and keep the discussion fresh for the podcast.
The only off-limits topic would be intimate details about our children. We asked our two teenage kids, both 16 years old (we each have a child from previous relationships), if they'd allow us to talk about the family in public, and they said yes. But we don't share their intimate teenage problems that we discuss at home. For example, we ask the kids, Is it ok if we talk on the podcast about pocket money? and they can say yes or no.
What aspect of your relationship with Martin do you think listeners of any age, anywhere, will be able to relate to the most? I think the one thing in our relationship people will be able to relate to most is that they can hear and feel us fighting for our love with every sentence we say. Because we've had extreme highs and lows (we nearly got divorced a few times), I hope people understand that you have to fight for love and you have to work in a relationship to keep it. It's like a plant: You have to feed it, water it, check the leaves sometimes, and let some light in-otherwise it will die.
Before we go, let's talk music. What kind of music inspired you in your VIVA days, and which artists inspire or excite you now? I had an independent rock show on VIVA, and we also aired hip-hop and music from several other styles. I did that for seven or eight years on a daily basis and was very proud that we could show music videos from artists nobody else seemed to play in the whole world. But now I've actually changed into a complete charts maniac. I love listening to Beyonc and Rihanna and stuff like that-extremely female-empowering Boom Bam Bam Boom charts music. This is more like stop listening with your brain and start listening with your guts music.
Listen to the latest episode of Paardiologie here.
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
05/05/2024
A special evening performance by multiplatinum singer Becky G will provide a memorable conclusion to TeievisaUnivision's Casa Cultura upfront event on May 1...
05/05/2024
Giant media buyer Publicis is telling network sales executives that it does not think Nielsen's new panel-plus-big-data currency is ready for this upfront....
05/05/2024
WASHINGTON Glenn Kirschner, legal analyst at NBC News, blasted the media for referring to the New York trial of former President Donald Trump as a hush-money ...
05/05/2024
Catchy Comedy's weekend marathon sees The Beverly Hillbillies on the weekend of May 4-5. The event kicks off Saturday, May 4 at 11 a.m. ET, and runs through...
05/05/2024
NBC Sports has the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4. The coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and the feature race at Churchill Downs in Louis...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
Charlotte Roche has been a permanent fixture of German media since she was 18, when she first appeared as a host on music video channel VIVA. She became an international sensation in 2008 after publishing her taboo-smashing semi-autobiographical novel Feuchtgebiete (Wetlands). A global best seller, the book cemented Charlotte as a feminist set on testing-and breaking-barriers of all kinds. Now she's continuing that work on her new Spotify original podcast Paardiologie.
