Podcast Review “Sunset Club”
Joko Winterscheidt and Sophie Passmann: A “laber podcast” between therapy club and concept development
Audible since May 18: The new podcast “Sunset Club” by Sophie Passmann and Joko Winterscheidt
© Pepperstark/dpa
Moderator Joko Winterscheidt and author Sophie Passmann start their joint podcast “Sunset Club”. The star listened to the first episode and reveals what to expect in the new audio club.
When I press the play button, Joko’s voice, which is familiar to me, appears immediately: “I hope you enjoy the first episode, Vodafone, has been there for you for over thirty years” and he continues to ask me, or rather his podcast partner Sophie Passport man: “Are you ready?” But I’m not ready because my thoughts are still on Vodafone and how unfortunate it is to start a project if it starts with advertising and not with a big verbal bang. Just as I would have wished for with this eloquent cast.
Fortunately, a musical intro follows, which should get me in the mood for the coming hour – what are my expectations? I deliberately didn’t let myself be influenced beforehand and am going into the new acoustic project with an open mind. I only read the description of the episode, which takes Denglisch and youth language from the perspective of over 25s to a completely different level. There is talk of a “fantastic pitch from a podcast club – obviously” that the two hosts “see the light of day” together here and the “guilty pleasure of squeezing out blackheads”. You don’t get really smart about the direction in which the two want to go thematically, only one thing I think directly: the text seems very deliberate, exaggerated and wants a lot.
Joko Winterscheidt presents football news
“Fox it first” is the name of the first episode of the new podcast project. The two would like to start a podcast club and I have high expectations of this new model. After the social app “Clubhouse” seems dead, now a new club in audio format. But it quickly becomes clear that the two have not yet had a real concept and they honestly admit it. Another “laber podcast”, that’s what they say themselves in between. Even the well-known football news, which we already know from Tommi Schmitt on “Gemischtes Hack” and Tom Kaulitz on “Kaulitz Hills”, are included. Innovative is somehow different. If you listen to all these podcasts, you can soon skip watching the sports show for football information.
But I keep listening, just like the round always has to go into the square, this podcast is supposed to entertain me and some people have to warm up first, on the pitch, but also in front of the microphone. Sophie Passmann encourages the listeners that greater things could be expected: “(…) well, this is basically just a chatter podcast and we call it a club and we hope that someone, an A-lister whose number you have, will tell you writes sooner or later and says: ‘I would also like to take part, because it sounds kind of funny’.”
Sophie Passmann clears up with her past
After a short finding and taster phase, Germany’s smallest club to date starts with the “deeper” topics – to stay true to the language of the episode description. Sophie Passmann cleans up with her past in the podcast. You can tell that the 29-year-old does not still represent every statement she made at the time, preferably on Twitter, with which she also annoyed some celebrities. Joko Winterscheidt, who at 44 is more of an old hand in the media industry, is at her side with advice and action. The whole thing is developing more into a therapy club for the media industry. After a longer period of Passmann rehabilitation, they then fight against the senescence of Winterscheidt by philosophizing about the youthful social media platform TikTok. Years later, Joko discovered the “blackhead squeezing videos” that were circulating on the video platforms and even found followers. He shamelessly admits his new obsession.
In the second half, Joko still has an important concern for the new listeners that relates more to physical than mental problems. He’s looking for someone to come to his hotel room and give him a massage. Without a happy ending. He emphasizes that several times. However, because as a man he finds it uncomfortable to state this wish at the hotel reception because he feels it is going in an offensive direction, he quickly searches live on the podcast.
The listener embarks on a rather confused journey with the two hosts for one hour and four minutes, which also includes finding the concept for the podcast itself. Passmann points out in many places that the content of the podcast is still a bit too thin and not really conclusive: “(…) I had other expectations that were not met.” For me it’s the same. Sophie Passmann even saves the new format at one point or another with her quick wit and humor, which may also be due to the fact that Joko himself says: “I’m at a point in my career where I just tell someone ideas wants, and then he or she should please implement it.”
Conclusion: Good idea, the audio club. Implementation rather poor, potential exists. Maybe the masseur Joko will straighten out and episode two will be a little “tighter” so that they can “flex” a little more with their new concept and “shave” other podcasts.
“Sunset Club”: Listen to Spotify, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music and Podigee from May 18th.