The Howdy Beans Podcast

One of the many attributes I admire about The Howdy Beans podcast is how the YouTube version is audio with a static image. There’s no pretense that anyone wants to watch someone speak into a microphone for 45 minutes, talking about books, movies, or video games.

I like what the host Luke the Human (or “the Elder Bean”) tells us by this action: “Go about your business. Nothing to watch here. You can relax and listen.”

The Howdy Beans Podcast, hosted by Luke the Human (or “the Elder Bean”), is a pop-culture, nostalgia-driven show exploring movies, TV shows, video games, and books. It focuses on nerdy content, offering in-depth reviews and discussions designed to bring listeners a “nostalgic high.”

Here’s some Boomer talk, so get prepared. Back in the old days before cell phones and AI, print journalism had hundreds of paid experts who reviewed books, movies, TV shows and other forms of entertainment. Those in the present generation may think us wildly naive, but we followed their critical analysis. The internet wiped that cadre of paid experts, and now we rely on people like Luke the Human to tell us what to read, watch, play, and do.

Luke tells us: “I am a British podcaster from the Midlands, I went to college and did an extended diploma in ICT and then went to university and got a bachelor honors degree in computer science specifically Games design in Virtual reality and augmented reality.”

Luke continues: “I got into podcasting because I thought it was something I thought I could do. Since then, it’s just flourished. I think the hardest part of podcasting is just getting people to engage. To listen. To comment.”

As podcast listeners, we’re fortunate that Luke is one of “the good ones.” The podcast covers a wide range of media, from classic childhood films to in-depth series reviews like “Road to Halo Infinite.”

After a brief music intro with a warm, jazzy guitar, Luke welcomes listeners with a warm, “howdy beans.” In each episode, Luke features housekeeping, which is his personal, often nostalgic, takes on the content.

In episode 215, Luke says, “get ready for my review of Spy Kids, a movie that’s great for kids and parents by legendary director Robert Rodriguez! In the housekeeping section, he asks, “Who didn’t want to be a spy as a child?”

I admire that Luke designs a distinct logo for each episode. It’s a lot of work, but shows his dedication to his craft and a respect for his audience.

As an independent podcaster, Luke has to hustle, and he does that with a lot of energy. He’s on social media and posts clips of the show on TikTok. He’s not afraid to request positive reviews from his audience.

Luke’s perspective as a media reviewer is twofold. First, he’s not squeamish about telling listeners what he thinks about a movie, TV show, book, or video game. Second, Luke is also analytical enough to base his reviews on the accepted conventions of the form.

“When I first began as a podcaster, I made a list of things I wanted to look into and review,” Says Luke. “I’m still on the page, so there’s a lot more for me to follow up on.”

I admire Luke’s ability to be an informed reviewer for movies (Episode 211. Bridget Jones’s Diary), for video games (Episode 199. Alan Wake 2), and a book review (Episode 190. Halo: Last Light Book Review).

“I’m a huge nerd,” begins Luke. “Before I did the podcast, I could only geek out in front of fiends. When I started to do the podcast, I was able to express that geekiness. It felt free. So I get out of freedom and peace from podcasting.”

Finally, as a community-minded independent podcaster, Luke uses social media to offer solid advice to other indie podcasters.