# The Read > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Read > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Read.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Read > Source revision: 1346819542 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Pop culture podcast}} {{Infobox podcast | title = The Read | image = File:The_Read_Podcast_Cover_Art.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | hosting = {{plainlist| *Kid Fury *Crissle West }} | starring = | genre = | format = [Popular culture](/source/Popular_culture) [podcast](/source/podcast) | creator = {{plainlist| *[Kid Fury](/source/Kid_Fury) *[Crissle West](/source/Crissle_West) }} | developer = | writer = | director = | creative_director = | voices = | narrated = | judges = | language = English | language_other = | updates = | length = 60 - 180 minutes | camera = | direction = | production = | preceded_by = | theme_music_composer = | opentheme = | endtheme = | composer = | motion_graphics = | picture_format = | video format = | audio format = | num_seasons = | num_episodes = 500+ | list_episodes = | began = March 4, 2013 - Present | ended = | ratings = | cited_for = | cited_as = | provider = [Loud Speakers Network](/source/Loud_Speakers_Network) | license = | related_shows = | website = {{url|http://thisistheread.com}} | module = }} '''''The Read''''' is a weekly [pop culture](/source/popular_culture) [podcast](/source/podcast). One of several podcasts affiliated with the [Loud Speakers Network](/source/Loud_Speakers_Network),{{cite web | url=http://observer.com/2013/07/the-kids-stay-in-the-picture-kid-furys-journey-from-youtuber-to-black-twitter-kingmaker/ | title=KID FURY: The Kid Stays in the Picture: Kid Fury's Journey From YouTuber to Black Twitter Kingmaker - Pop-culture truth-teller rides the podcast wave | work=[New York Observer](/source/New_York_Observer) | date=24 July 2013 | accessdate=14 July 2014 | author=Sands, Darren}} ''The Read'' is hosted by American comedians [Kid Fury](/source/Kid_Fury) and [Crissle West](/source/Crissle_West) and based in [New York City](/source/New_York_City). ==History== Prior to starting ''The Read'', [Kid Fury](/source/Kid_Fury) became popular online through his [YouTube](/source/YouTube) stand-up series ''Furious Thoughts'' and met co-host [Crissle West](/source/Crissle_West) through [Twitter](/source/Twitter), where the two bonded and Fury asked West to start a podcast together.{{cite web |last1=Finley |first1=Taryn |title='The Read' Is Home To The Podcast World's Favorite S**t-Talkers |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-read-podcast_n_5b1ed847e4b0adfb826c9821 |website=[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost) |access-date=March 23, 2021 |language=en |date=June 22, 2018}} The first episode of ''The Read'' was released on March 4, 2013. ''The Read'' is distributed via the [iTunes Store](/source/iTunes_Store), [iHeartRadio](/source/iHeartRadio) Talk, [SoundCloud](/source/SoundCloud), Spotify, and [Stitcher](/source/Stitcher). On iTunes, the podcast peaked at number three in the "New and Noteworthy" section charts and at number one in the comedy section charts.{{cite web|last1=Lopez|first1=Linette|title=How 2 Friends Started The Most Hilarious Podcast Of The Year By Being Brutally Honest|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-read-podcast-blew-up-2013-12|publisher=[Business Insider](/source/Business_Insider)|date=December 16, 2013|accessdate=22 June 2014}} As of 2019, the podcast had over 85 million listens around the world, and received over 1.5 million unique listens every month. Fury and West have hosted several live shows for ''The Read'', including one at the [Essence Festival](/source/Essence_Music_Festival) in 2018, where they became the first podcast to be a headlining act. In 2019, Missy Elliott was awarded the [MTV Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award](/source/MTV_Video_Vanguard_Award), where she thanked Kid Fury and Crissle for helping to make it happen.{{Cite web|last=Ifeanyi|first=K. C.|date=2019-08-27|title=This podcast helped Missy Elliott finally get her MTV VMA Vanguard Award|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90395301/this-podcast-helped-missy-elliott-finally-get-her-mtv-vma-vanguard-award|access-date=2021-01-05|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}} In 2021, it was announced that [Issa Rae](/source/Issa_Rae)'s audio company Raedio signed a record deal with ''The Read'' to produce a comedy album with pop culture commentary from Kid Fury and Crissle and music from up and coming recording artists.{{Cite web|last=Mangum|first=Trey|title=Issa Rae's Raedio Signs 'The Read' To History-Making Record Deal Including Original Comedy Album|url=https://shadowandact.com/issa-raes-raedio-signs-the-read-to-history-making-record-deal-including-original-comedy-album|access-date=2021-04-27|website=Shadow and Act|language=en}} ==Format== During podcast episodes, Kid Fury and West discuss and analyze pop culture and current events.{{cite web|last1=Pires|first1=Kevin|title=Flavorwire Interview: 'The Read' Hosts Kid Fury and Crissle West Talk Race, Miley Cyrus, 'Scandal,' and Who They Want More (and Less) of in 2014|url=http://flavorwire.com/428971/flavorwire-interview-the-read-hosts-kid-fury-and-crissle-west-talk-race-miley-cyrus-scandal-and-who-they-want-more-and-less-of-in-2014|publisher=Flavorwire|date=December 11, 2013|accessdate=22 June 2014}}{{cite news|last1=McDonald|first1=Soraya Nadia|title=Q&A: 'The Read's' Kid Fury and Crissle West|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/qanda-the-reads-kid-fury-and-crissle-west/2013/11/14/f2579660-4c79-11e3-ac54-aa84301ced81_story.html|newspaper=[Washington Post](/source/Washington_Post)|date=November 14, 2013}} The podcast's format has five sections: # ''Black Excellence'' # ''Hot Tops,'' (previously known as ''Sick Sad World'', ''Hot Topics'', ''Shade in Full'',{{cite web |last1=Jamison |first1=Shantell E. |title=Listen Up: 5 Black Podcasts to Add to Your Arsenal |url=https://www.ebony.com/life/app-addict-black-podcasts/ |website=[Ebony](/source/Ebony_(magazine)) |access-date=March 23, 2021 |language=en |date=September 20, 2016}} and ''Bitch, You Guessed It'') consists of the hosts discussing entertainment news from the week.{{cite web |last1=Anderson |first1=Tre'vell |title='The Read' Is Coming to Your TV in October |url=https://www.out.com/television/2019/8/14/read-coming-your-tv-october |website=[Out](/source/Out_(magazine)) |access-date=March 23, 2021 |language=en |date=August 14, 2019}} # "Kid Fury's SPORTS SHORTS!" This segment, introduced in 2020, is not a consistent bit and features Kid Fury passionately describing sports news and culture with varying degrees of accuracy. # ''Listener Letters'' (the segment is changed to ''Listener Questions'' when done during a live show),{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} where the hosts read emails sent in from listeners and offer advice. # ''Crissle's Couch,'' where West shares some of the wisdom she has learned from her mental health therapist. This segment was added to the show in July 2018 but does not appear every week.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} # ''The Read'', where Kid Fury and West "read" ([African American](/source/African_American) [gay slang](/source/LGBT_slang) for giving one's harsh opinion which originated in the 1980s) a person or topic.{{cite web |last1=Raptopoulos |first1=Lilah |title=Listen to This: The Read, with Crissle and Kid Fury |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2014/jul/16/listen-to-this-the-read-crissle-kid-fury-podcast |website=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian) |access-date=March 23, 2021 |language=en |date=July 16, 2014}} ==Television show== {{Main|The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle West}} On March 13, 2019, it was announced that [Fuse](/source/Fuse_(TV_channel)) had greenlit a variety/talk show based on ''The Read'', titled ''[The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle West](/source/The_Read_with_Kid_Fury_and_Crissle_West)''.{{cite web |last1=Pedersen |first1=Erik |title=Fuse Unveils Upfront Slate: New & Returning Series, Premiere Dates, More |url=https://deadline.com/2019/03/fuse-unveils-upfront-slate-new-returning-series-premiere-dates-more-1202574591/ |website=Deadline |date=13 March 2019 |accessdate=14 March 2019}} Kid Fury and West served as executive producers, as did Chloe Pisello, David Martin, [Jon Thoday](/source/Jon_Thoday), and Richard Allen-Turner. The show premiered on October 11, 2019, on Fuse.{{Cite web|url=https://fuse.tv/2019/08/the-read-kid-fury-crissle-west-premiere|title='The Read with Kid Fury and Crissle West' Officially Has a Premiere Date!|last1=Fury|first1=The Read with Kid|last2=West|first2=Crissle|website=Fuse|language=en|access-date=2019-08-16}} ==Reception== ===Critical reception=== [Tre'vell Anderson](/source/Tre'vell_Anderson) of ''[Out](/source/Out_(magazine))'' called ''The Read'' "Black queer excellence", writing, "The pair consistently, and quite remarkably, have crafted a show that is more than just a pop culture recap, deftly melding together conversations about politics, social justice, the importance of therapy, career advice, and self-help." Writing for ''[Ebony](/source/Ebony_(magazine))'', Elizabeth Aguirre called the podcast "so unapologetically Black it hurts" and wrote, "Hosts Kid Fury and Crissle start off innocently enough, but by the end of the show, the duo will have you rolling in your seat." ''[HuffPost](/source/HuffPost)''{{'}}s Taryn Finley referred to ''The Read'' as "a fun, slightly raunchy, expletive-filled, brutally honest podcast that doubles as a safe space for black people", and stated that, with ''The Read'', Fury and West "made a definitive mark" and "have helped usher in a wave of black podcasters after them". For ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)'', Lilah Raptopoulos wrote in 2014 that "[Fury and West's] is a casual but energising voice in the podcast world," adding, "The podcast world is one dominated by straight white male comedians reaching middle age. Kid Fury and Crissle are black, gay, young and cool. Their perspective is more sensitive to race, sexual identity and the minority experience than any other podcast that exists right now." ===Accolades=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Award ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Nominee(s) ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}} |- |align="center"| 2014 | [Black Weblog Awards](/source/Black_Weblog_Awards) | Best Podcast | rowspan="4" | ''The Read'' |{{win}} |{{cite news|last1=Sachs|first1=Adam|title=The Read's Crissle West on Making a Living with Podcasting|url=http://www.midroll.com/the-reads-crissle-west-on-making-a-living-with-podcasting/|access-date=March 12, 2021|work=The Wolf Den|agency=Midroll|date=July 13, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150803020358/http://www.midroll.com/the-reads-crissle-west-on-making-a-living-with-podcasting/|archive-date=2015-08-03}} |- |align="center"| 2019 | rowspan="3" |[iHeartRadio Podcast Awards](/source/iHeartRadio) | Best Multi-Cultural Podcast |{{nom}} |{{cite web |title=iHeartRadio Podcast Awards 2019 Winners |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/iheartradio-podcast-awards-2019-winners-1176995 |website=[The Hollywood Reporter](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter) |access-date=March 12, 2021 |language=en |date=January 18, 2019}} |- |align="center" rowspan="3" |2020 |Best Podcast of the Year |{{nom}} |rowspan="2"|{{cite web |title=iHeartRadio Podcast Awards 2020 Winners Revealed |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/iheartradio-podcast-awards-2020-winners-1270028 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=March 12, 2021 |language=en |date=January 17, 2020}} |- | Best Comedy Podcast |{{nom}} |- |[Shorty Awards](/source/Shorty_Awards) | Best Podcasters |[Kid Fury](/source/Kid_Fury) and [Crissle](/source/Crissle_West) |{{nom}} |{{cite web |last1=Perelli |first1=Amanda |title=Exclusive: The full list of nominees for the Shorty Awards, including Jeffree Star, Sophie Turner, and Baby Yoda Sipping Tea |url=https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/exclusive-the-full-list-of-nominees-for-the-shorty-awards-including-jeffree-star-sophie-turner-and-baby-yoda-sipping-tea/articleshow/73497967.cms |website=[Business Insider](/source/Business_Insider) |access-date=March 12, 2021 |language=en |date=January 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200224012358/https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/exclusive-the-full-list-of-nominees-for-the-shorty-awards-including-jeffree-star-sophie-turner-and-baby-yoda-sipping-tea/articleshow/73497967.cms|archive-date=2020-02-24}} |- |align="center" rowspan="2" |2021 | rowspan="2" |iHeartRadio Podcast Awards | Best Comedy Podcast | rowspan="6" |''The Read'' |{{won}} |{{cite web |last1=Spangler |first1=Todd |date=January 22, 2021 |title=2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards Winners: 'Office Ladies' Wins Podcast of the Year |url=https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/2021-iheartradio-podcast-awards-winners-1234890027/ |access-date=March 12, 2021 |website=[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine)) |language=en}} |- | Best Pop Culture Podcast |{{nom}} |{{cite web |title=iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey's 'Office Ladies' Tops Nominees (Exclusive) |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/iheartradio-podcast-awards-jenna-fischer-and-angela-kinseys-office-ladies-tops-nominees-exclusive |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=March 12, 2021 |language=en |date=December 8, 2020}} |- |align="center"| 2022 |[Queerty Awards](/source/Queerty) |Best Podcast |{{nom}} |{{cite web|url=https://www.queerty.com/promos/queerties-2022/vote-2211-podcast.html|title=Podcast / The Queerty Awards|accessdate=March 9, 2023}} |- |align="center"| 2023 |[NAACP Image Awards](/source/NAACP_Image_Awards) |Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast |{{nom}} |{{Cite web |title=2023 NAACP Image Awards Nominations: See the Full List {{!}} Entertainment Tonight |url=https://www.etonline.com/2023-naacp-image-awards-nominations-see-the-full-list-197187 |access-date=2023-01-15 |website=www.etonline.com |date=12 January 2023 |language=en-US}} |- |align="center"| 2024 | AAMBC Literary Awards | Podcast of the Year | {{nom}} | {{cite web|url=https://theaambcawards.com/vote/|title=Vote - AAMBC Awards 2024|accessdate=April 9, 2024}} |- |align="center"| 2026 | [GLAAD Media Award](/source/GLAAD_Media_Award) | Outstanding Podcast | {{nom}} | {{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2026/01/glaad-media-awards-2026-nominations-list-1236665542/|title=GLAAD Media Awards: ‘Heated Rivalry’, ‘Stranger Things’ & ‘Christy’ Among 2026 Nominees|author=Erik Pedersen|date=January 7, 2026|accessdate=January 7, 2026}} |} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://thisistheread.com Official site] {{DEFAULTSORT:Read}} Category:American comedy podcasts Category:Audio podcasts Category:2013 podcast debuts Category:LGBTQ-related podcasts Category:American pop culture podcasts Category:SiriusXM podcasts --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Read](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Read) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Read?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.