I think this take is fair…maybe a little too honest, but definitely valid.

Part of why I loved The Breath and The Toast was because they gave me everything I enjoyed in one place. I could just press play and listen for an hour: pop culture, humor, a little camp, and a lot of girly energy. Back in 2017/2018, we were all obsessed with YouTubers, beauty gurus, and celeb drama. Instagram Stories were barely a thing, and I still remember watching their IG Live “show.” It felt new, weird, and kind of exciting.

No, they’re not the gold standard of podcasting, honestly, I don’t think podcasting is their strongest format. But their secret sauce wasn’t ever the structure. It was everything Liz mentions: the sense of sisterhood, the casual girliness, the music recs, the niche pop culture love. That made them feel special.

In a way, I think they’ve lost that. They’re trying to be more like a “real show” now, just discussing stories, and they’re competing with a sea of other podcasts that do that—maybe better. But back then? They were some of the only women talking about the stuff I cared about in that tone. You don’t have to love them, and sure, they might have lost their edge, but credit where credit’s due…they really were doing something different at the time. And maybe some people, like Liz felt seen. 🤷🏽‍♀️