Ear Biscuits with Rhett and Link, or Ear Biscuits, is an American entertainment podcast hosted by comedic duo Rhett and Link.[1][2]
Overview
On September 27, 2013, Rhett and Link launched Ear Biscuits. The podcast debuted in the US on the iTunes charts at No. 22.[3] and it is described as intimate discussions with each other such as how they became blood brothers, their close encounters with death, and more. They have interviewed other notable Internet personalities including Grace Helbig,[4] Julian Smith,[5]Philip DeFranco,[6]PewDiePie,[7] and Rainn Wilson.[8] The show has had live recordings on VidCon[9] as well as Rhett-and-Link-only episodes each month.[10]
On March 27, 2017, the podcast returned from a hiatus with a new video format on their latest channel, This Is Mythical, and has moved to the Good Mythical Morning channel. The podcast continues to be released on iTunes and Soundcloud, as well as Spotify.
The second season finale featured questions from previous guests on the show.[11] On January 7, 2019, the podcast was moved from the Good Mythical Morning YouTube channel to its own separate channel entitled This Is Mythical.[12][13] Rhett and Link's other content tends to be more heavily edited while Ear Biscuits is more conversational and unscripted.[14][15] Each episode has a theme or topic, however, because the show is unscripted the conversation often lacks direction.[16] The podcast began in 2013 and by 2021 had produced 300 episodes.[17][18] New episodes are released every Monday and range from 70 to 90 minutes in length.[19] Episode 79 titled KingBach, features an interview with Andrew Bachelor.[20]
The show aired two episodes where Rhett and Link discussed their relationship with Christianity and how they left the faith. In America Magazine, Patrick Manning explains that Christians leaving their religion and deconstructing their faith in digital spaces has been a growing trend. Manning notes that although Rhett and Link's public departure from Christianity was a risk, their following's response was overwhelmingly positive and empathetic. He also addresses the common responses of Christian communities to public deconversions and suggests that criticism and rejection will only lead to more people leaving the faith. Instead, Manning suggests that churches should create spaces where Christians feel more comfortable asking questions and expressing doubts about their faith.[21] Benjamin Hough of Answers in Genesis criticized the episodes and argued that the four science related points brought up by Rhett were incorrect.[22] Writing for The Gospel Coalition, Alisa Childers argues that the persuasive power of their deconversions stories was largely due to their popularity and familiarity.[23] Rhett later wrote a song that addresses the reactions from Christian communities.[24]
Reception
In the Chicago Tribune, Akeem Lawanson said that he is "obsessed with Rhett and Link's 'Ear Biscuits' podcast and [he] recommend[s] it to anyone that is curious about working in new media".[25]
The show was ranked 23rd on Media Monitors' listener survey of top podcasts, which was taken between June 15 and 26, 2020.[26][27] The show was also included on Edison Research's chart of top podcasts in the US between Q3 2021 and Q2 2022.[28][29][30] The show was ranked number 33 on Podcast Magazine's October 2020 listener poll.[31] As of July 2015, the podcast is number No. 14 on the iTunes US Comedy Charts.[32]
^Olsher, Steve, ed. (October 2020). "Hot 50 Chart"(PDF). Podcast Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 9. San Diego, CA. p. 99. ISSN2690-4608. OCLC1140254648. Archived(PDF) from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
