By: Hayley Strahs & Dylan Wadhwa

Local & Opinion Editors

Talk Tuah with Hailey Welch is currently one of the most popular podcasts on both Spotify and Apple Music, despite its first episode premiering in September. However, regardless many listeners’ low expectations, Welch manages to combine anecdotes about her absurd rise to fame with inspiring advice in all facets of life.

The name “Talk Tuah” is a play on the phrase that made Welch go viral in the first place. During a street interview in Nashville, Tennessee, Welch proudly shouted the absurd phrase, “hawk tuah, spit on that thang,” unaware that the video of her would pass eight million views. After weeks of hiding, Welch announced that she was quitting her job and moving to Los Angeles to monetize her newfound fame.

The first episode of Talk Tuah was mediocre, at best. Welch and her first podcast guest, comedian Whitney Cummings, spend the episode touching on countless random subjects. While discussing K-12 history class, Welch claimed that “Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1962,” before someone else had to correct her, which summates the quality of this podcast. Due to the nature of Hawk Tuah’s origin, raunchy jokes are essential to Talk Tuah. However, similar to Hawk Tuah itself, the jokes she makes throughout the episode are equally unfunny. When she wasn’t busy failing at comedy or fawning over comedian Matt Rife, Welch was surprisingly down to earth, briefly touching on her difficult childhood which greatly contrasts with the rest of the episode. However, Welch’s lackluster humor and lack of common knowledge overshadowed any quality statements made throughout the episode.

If the first episode of Talk Tuah just lived up to viewers’ expectations, then the next episode demolished them. In the second episode, Welch and Co. visit Belfast, Tennessee, to see her hometown and spend an afternoon talking with her grandma. Welch and Grandma reminisce about the night that skyrocketed Welch to fame, the aftermath of that interview, and how drastically it has altered Welch’s life since. Grandma also gives advice to younger ladies regarding relationships and marriage, stating, “Y’all wait till you’re about 37…40…What about never? Never? That’d be better.” Welch also reflects on the pressure and personal turmoil she experienced during this time, even consulting an attorney, but then acknowledges how happy she is at the current point in her life. Following this episode, Episode three kicks off with Welch introducing yet another special guest: Kaitlyn Bristowe. Welch and Bristow dive into a range of topics, from Bristow’s past working in the restaurant industry to her experiences on The Bachelorette. Additionally, Welch adds her own unentertaining stories to the conversation, discussing viral moments from her life as well as  her current relationship with a mysterious man named “Pookie.”

However, although Welch attempts to bring new life into the show in later episodes, Welch’s bland personality and lack of character depth hinder the podcast’s ability to stay engaging to listeners.