Someone's in Here Podcast: Making Number Two Is The Show's # 1 Priority

 A podcast with the title, Someone’s In Here, will unleash a torrent of scatological humor. We can't help it. Poop -- and pee -- fascinate us. Look, I succumbed to the temptation with my title.

Although the subject of poop is often the object of titters and belly laughs, Someone’s In Here has more serious concerns in its mind. It's not that the host, Ben Castleman, doesn't have a sense of humor. He does. But the show is more about our relationship to these bodily functions and what they say about us.

 Here's the marketing pitch for the show: "Someone’s In Here explores our cultural relationship to the bathroom; a topic that everyone can relate to, but one that is almost never treated with the dignity that it deserves. The podcast follows host Ben Castleman on a journey as he talks to family, friends, scientists, doctors, CEOs, and even porn stars to figure out why talking about the bathroom, especially talking about poop, is so taboo and if it should be. While these conversations are almost always funny, they also examine the lessons and stories that we’re missing out on by not taking sh*t seriously. We hope you’ll come along for the ride."

Ben Castleman begins the podcast with an episode about his family and their relationship with poop. The episode is titled, "The Poop Family." Castleman's father suffered from ulcerative colitis and because of that condition, he basically lost much of his colon. Therefore, where, when, how to poop became an overriding concern. Castleman relates his family's tale with pathos, a touch of sadness, yet revealing a familial closeness that is endearing.

Ben Castleman is a writer, podcast producer, and native New Yorker based in Brooklyn. He’s the host of the podcast Someone’s In Here and his essay, “How It Passes Through Us,” was published in Meat for Tea: The Valley Review.

At some point, Castleman "plans to be in the best shape of his life, and he can’t wait for that day to come."

Like many indie podcasters, Someone's In There is not his first foray into podcasting. In late 2018 / early 2019, he worked on a joint podcast project with Cory Borgman and Danna Cooperberg called Loosely Based. I went back and listened to all nine episodes and, if you're a movie fan, I think you'll enjoy this show. Here's the podcast's premise:

"Ever wondered how true, based on a true story, movies are? Well, you've come to the right place. Join us as we tell you what's real and what's fake about our favorite Loosely Based movies!" -- Hosted by Cory Borgman, Ben Castleman, and Danna Cooperberg.

I enjoy Castleman as the host. His lower-range, gravel-road voice is deliberate with notes of sly humor, a taste for the ridiculous and a lust for the ludicrous.

Beyond the bathroom humor, Castleman delves into the health and quality of life issues that people with IBS deal with daily. In the United States, between 25 and 45 million people have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This is about 10–15% of the adult population. Sadly, IBS and pooping when it's not convenient or accessible, sudden onset poop, and always feeling like you have to poop are the crosses that IBS sufferers bear every day.

Subsequent episodes include a wild tale of a college friend who kept excusing himself from a dinner at a fancy Chicago restaurant to poop every few minutes, angering the bathroom attendant.

 The most provocative episode included an interview with a porn star / escort. It's not often you hear someone explain their eating strategy the night before filming an anal sex scene. For informational purposes, don't eat after 5 PM the day before. Think of it like fasting before surgery. If you're adventurous, listen to her story about someone paying her to pee on them.

Along this podcast journey, we hear from Castleman's sister, mother, and college friends, as well as gastroenterologists, mice poop lab techs, and "potty mint" entrepreneurs who swear that you should never discuss your "evacuation" issues with a date.

I urge you to check out Someone’s In Here. After all, we should all give a crap about our basic bodily functions. We all have them. Rich or poor. Black or White. Democrat or Republican. In this polarized world, it's the one activity we all share. In fact, Roman public toilets, or foricae, were often shared by both genders and served social functions. The seats of the toilets at Roman baths were close together.

While I don't advise a return to Roman bathroom customs, a podcast like Someone’s In Here makes us more aware of our humanity in its purest, or smelliest, form.