小埃💞Iris and Shes📞 2024-ongoing, Audio-based podcast series, 2 Seasons of 6-8 episodes
Host: 小埃💞Iris Guest: 一隻小狐狸🦊(Foxi), 米菲婭.Kemythia🌹 ,安安🎀(Ann),奶油精靈 🧚(Buttercup), 小螞蟻🐜很愛甜❤️(Ant), 22♡, and more… Producer: Tsai, I-Chieh Post-production: Tsai, I-Chieh Co-producer: Julian K. Intro music design: Shun Nakamura Vocal: Miche Moreno Cover design/ Animation: Miki Nigo
In the ongoing podcast series “小埃💞Iris and Shes📞”, the host 小埃💞Iris, a former voice worker in the loneliness economy, interviews the female voice workers and consumers in the industry. The thoughts and stories of “hers” are shared and disseminated, aiming to explore and amplify the voices of women in this predominantly heterosexual, male-centered industry. The project seeks to delineate collective female imagery and narratives.
In the first season “小埃💞Iris and Shes📞: Get to Know Hers”, beyond the introductory Episode 0—where Iris outlines the framework of the podcast and shares her own story as a female voice worker in the loneliness industry— each subsequent episode features conversations with a guest, conducted in the format of voice calls. These interactions replicate the intimate, one-on-one experiences typical of a voice companion.
Screenshot of Podcast “小埃💞Iris and Shes📞" on Spotify platform
All episodes are recorded in Mandarin Chinese and are available on podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, via the following link:
https://tr.ee/73nWGmc3Y4
Season 1, Episode 0 “Prologue” and Episode 1 “📞/一隻小狐狸🦊(Foxi) “ are also available with English subtitles via following links: https://vimeo.com/946669596 https://vimeo.com/946671699 (DM for Password)
In Episode 1 of the podcast, titled “📞/一隻小狐狸🦊(Foxi) “, Foxi shares her journey in both live audio and video streaming, offering a rare glimpse into how the industry capitalizes on the emotions of love-struck fans: She reveals a seldom-discussed secret of the live streaming world: the use of outsourced operation services. Reflecting on her early career, Foxi shares the challenges of navigating the emotional distance between herself and her audience.
In the second episode, titled “ 📞/米菲婭 . Kemythia🌹”, the soulful singer and voice streamer Kemythia emphasizes that the success of a live stream is not merely a solo effort, but rather the result of building a close-knit community. She also shares the special bond she has formed with her audience, highlighting the joy of connecting and growing together through their daily interactions.
However, the “loneliness economy” is an industry centred on human relationships. Besides its beautiful aspects, she also highlights a commonly overlooked issue faced by frontline streamers who provide companionship services: “emotional labour (overload),” sharing her personal experiences…
In the 3rd episode “ 📞/安安🎀(Ann) “, Ann generously shares her insights and strategies of how she thrives in the field of loneliness industry and has consistently achieved remarkable success...
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In the fourth episode, "📞/奶油精靈🧚(Buttercup)," Buttercup not only shares her encounters with the loneliness industry but also her experiences as a companion provider in the economy of 'fulfilling human social and emotional needs.': Beyond her acts of giving, she has gained numerous interpersonal experiences—both negative and positive—ranging from brief romances to deep and precious friendships...
As in season 1, which primarily serves as a “get to know hers” round. Season 2, titled “小埃💞Iris and Shes📞: Join Me on My Sofa🛋️“, features several panel discussions where guests engage in in-depth conversations on specific topics related to the loneliness economy and its broader impact. Some examples of these topics include:
“Can the loneliness economy truly alleviate human loneliness?”, “Does virtual human connections benefit mental health?”, “Does voice companion work require professional training? If so, what might such a training program entail?”, “The Covid-19 pandemic and loneliness economy.”, “The relationship between the providers and receivers of companionship: Where is the boundary?”, “A blueprint of a loneliness economy with a healthy gender construction?”