A feminist materialisation of amplified voice: Queering identity and affect in the heart

Abstract

The amplified voice through podcasting as an intimate aural medium carries with it the possibilities for a deep affective experience for both the creator and the listener. This chapter presents the materialisation of voice as the context for an exploration into queering of gender and sexuality in podcasting through sound production and vocal performance. The author focuses on the aurally affective experiences and performative acts conveyed in the Radiotopia podcast series The Heart—formerly known as Audio Smut—a podcast exploring intimacy and humanity. Through this case study, Copeland argues that as an intimate aural medium, podcasting offers a powerful listening-centred platform to challenge gendered stereotypes and heteronormativities within visual-philic Western culture by engaging with the listener through the affective use of sound.