Teen Mom personality Maci Bookout’s new endeavor started off on the wrong foot, according to many of her fans. Bookout launched a podcast on Oct. 31, jumping into the true crime genre. Her show, co-hosted by Natalie Gard, is titled The Expired Podcast and is simply described as a “Chattanooga Based Crime Podcast” set to “focus on crimes based on the south east.” The first episode was about a Chattanooga case: the murder of Franklin Bonner. Angel Bumpass was convicted of the crime but was recently granted a new trial. (Questions have been raised due to the nature of the murder. Bonner died after being suffocated and restricted by duct tape; Bumpass was only 13 at the time of the crime, but an alleged accomplice, Mallory Vaughn, was 26. Vaughn was found not guilty in court.)
It’s a serious case, that deserves a careful discussion, and an episode of a podcast like Expired would allow for that type of discourse. However, Bookout’s fans did not exactly receive that. YouTube comments piled up after the episode’s release, criticizing audio quality, strange background music, and the hosts’ demeanor when discussing the case, among other aspects. Due to her year spent on-camera, many Teen Mom viewers came in expecting a high-quality podcast, akin to Kailyn Lowry’s Coffee Convos. Plus, with the numerous high-quality true crime podcasts out there, such as Serial, Counterclock and My Favorite Murder, podcast listeners expect a certain degree of production value. And while it seems Expired is taking some notes starting with Episode 2, it will take some time to fix some of the problems. Continue on to read some of the rough reactions to Bookout’s podcast debut.
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Slide 1
“I really want to watch this, but the music in the background is way way way too loud and I can’t hear what you’re saying,” one YouTube commenter wrote. A second viewer added, “The constant music stressed me out.”
Slide 2
“A lot of people were really excited about your podcast. I’m disappointed in this,” another person commented. “This is a True Crime story, not a ‘spooky campfire story—’ Lose that crazy music! It’s extremely hard hearing you- Your audio and lighting both need work. In your next story, at least learn how to pronounce the victim’s name. It may not be a big deal to some people, but I guarantee it’s felt by the family members [and] friends who continue to love this person.. They never look at the camera.Not once did they try to engage [with] their audience.”
Slide 3
“This goes to show anyone thinks they can do a podcast but not everyone can execute it,” the top comment on the video reads. Yet another person wrote, “This is so bad! The fact that this is the edited and approved version is nuts. Girl worked with a production team for 13 years and couldn’t get one person to review this first before posting?!”
Slide 4
“Y’all need better microphones, the voices are a bit muffled, hard to understand especially with the music playing,” a critical commenter added. Another person pointed out, “Idk why yall are laughing and smiling while discussing someone being murdered. Super cringe, disrespectful to the victim and everyone who loved them. Shameful!”
Slide 5
Luckily, not all the comments were over-the-top, with some viewers clearly laying out their constructive criticism. “Unlike others, I don’t want to be rude. Just some ideas from a viewer. The angle is off, the background is plain, cut the music, get mics, get lighting… I’d like to see yall get comfy on a couch or something,” one more polite commenter added.
Slide 6
“Everyone has to start somewhere and you don’t get good at something without experience. Be nice!” one of the top comments read. “Girls keep going don’t listen to the haters if this is what you want to do. Friendly suggestions: microphones, background decor, straight on angle at you two and eye contact with the camera. And someone suggested to cut the background music. I agree. It would be good intro music though! Welcome your listeners, short and sweet. Intro-talk about your why for covering the case, and then just jump in. There’s nothing wrong with your conversation, just hard to hear without mics and eye contact and with background music. Hope that helps! Look forward to watching you guys grow despite the haters!”
