Chatting with: "Scrolling" Hosts Harry Hill & Austin Blake Mays!

The internet is overwhelming. 

Much like that statement, it is broad and leaves us wondering. There is very little that can’t be found online; most every person, place, and thing is accounted for. So, where to begin?

Enter "Scrolling with Harry and Austin", a podcast dedicated to the most important things in this wired world: social media, mass entertainment, and celebrity scandal. Our guides on this blue-lit journey are Harry Hill and Austin Blake Mays, whose casual humor will make even the most unplugged listeners feel right at home. They describe their discussion topics as anything “that makes you slow your scroll,” which could range from high-profile news stories to weird fast food options, depending on the week. No longer do we have to search the far reaches of the internet like an old Californian panning for gold; the best media bits of the week are now streamlined for us in this hour-long podcast.

We were able to chat with Harry and Austin about internet virality, the podcasting arts, and all things online. Check it out below!

YH: We’ve been "Scrolling with Harry and Austin" since February, which feels like forever now. What have you learned in that time about running a podcast that you weren’t expecting when you started out?

HH: In order to have a pop culture/internet podcast, I need to be super plugged in, like more than I already was. It's also weirdly tiresome to talk for an hour straight. Have your coffee at the ready. 

ABM: I think I was initially surprised by the amount of preparation that would go into each episode. Scrolling requires us to be extremely online.

YH: The show is hilarious, which I credit to your genuine rapport and friendship. Do you think meeting through Instagram has influenced the way your relationship works, especially in terms of hosting an internet-based show? If so, how?

ABM: We bonded on Instagram due to our mutual obsession with the internet and had only met in person a couples times before discussing starting the podcast. "Scrolling" feels like an extension of our DMs. 

HH: Thank you for saying it's hilarious! That's literally our mission. To answer your question, Instagram is such a Millennial way to meet and I think it was the perfect breeding ground for a joint podcast about, well, things we see on Instagram. 

YH: What’s one moment in internet history that you’ll never forget? We’re not just talking slowing your scroll but an obliterating-your-newsfeed, sticking-with-you-forever type moment.

HH: Miley Cyrus hitting the bong in that grainy leaked video was pretty monumental. That was my favorite Miley era: long brown extensions, huge purses, and bong hits of "salvia". Although that was definitely pre-Instagram. More recently, Kylie [Jenner]'s 11-minute pregnancy reveal video dedicated to Stormi was a total serve-and-a-half. It's also, like, the last relic of Kylie and Jordyn [Wood]'s friendship, which is sad. 

ABM: The 2009 VMAs were the first time I experienced something breaking the internet. I was on the feed while Kanye [West] interrupted Taylor [Swift], then Gaga’s performance of "Paparazzi" -- it was a magical night. Looking back, it was like the birth of the 2010s' most lasting pop culture touchstones. 

YH: Most people I know have a love/hate relationship with social media. What are your favorite/least favorite aspects of having a sizable online presence? 

ABM: I have a pretty good relationship with social media; my following is small enough that I don’t often find myself resenting it the way I think a lot of people do.

HH: My favorite part of social media is definitely talking to and connecting with so many different people. I never know who I'll be talking to in the DMs. That comes with a lot of noise, though. I definitely get tripped up a lot, trying to figure out what my followers want to see and hear. I'm a content creator, but sometimes I can feel the content creating me, if that makes sense. 

YH: If you were to go down in internet infamy, what outrageous moment would each of you be remembered for?

HH: Something good! Perhaps a moment on video that becomes a reaction gif? That would be fun.
                           

ABM: Oh god, I have no idea. I would want people to still appreciate my art, even if I was suddenly infamous. 

YH: Online content can spread like wildfire; what message would you like to share with the internet?

ABM: Wear your masks, people! 

HH: Think before you post, be kind, and stream Lover. 

YH: Advice for future podcast host hopefuls?

HH: Find yourself a partner that you don't get tired of talking to. Oh, and you don't need much to begin. We used our Apple headphones before we bit the bullet and bought a mic. The hardest part is simply starting. 

ABM: Prepare, prepare, prepare!

YH: You get a third mic on the pod. It’s now called “Scrolling with Harry, Austin, and ________”?

ABM: My four-year-old sister Wren, because everything she says is a hoot.

HH: Someone British maybe? To add a little bit of flare? Oh, or maybe Rihanna? Stop, don't make me choose, I don't know. Will I get canceled if I say Azealia Banks? I love listening to what she has to say.

"Scrolling with Harry and Austin" can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. And that’s that on that.