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Issue #319 | Feb. 27, 2025

If you’ve spent time in hyper online corners of the internet lately, you’ve likely encountered the MD Foodie Boyz. They’re a group of middle schoolers who have a podcast where they rate and review food.

The four boys started the podcast a few months ago on YouTube, but it has blown up primarily through Instagram. Clips of the show have amassed millions of views. Their Instagram page has over 103,000 followers. Brandon Wenerd, publisher of BroBible, called the MD Foodie Boyz podcast “a cultural reset” and “the next viral sensation.”

Jackson, 13, Ryan, 14, Peyton, 13, and Emmet, 14, are the four kids who make up the MD Foodie Boyz. I sat down with them this week for an interview about how their show came together and where they see it heading. The boys said they are primarily inspired by big male comedy podcasters like Theo Von and Joe Rogan. They dream of collaborating with Barstool Sports Dave Portnoy on a pizza review one day.

More than 2.8 million Gen Alphas are born every week. The generation is expected to reach 2 billion by 2025. The popularity of the MD Foodie Boys is the first sign of what I think will soon be a full-fledged Gen Alpha podcast boom.

Gen Alpha (kids born between 2010 and 2025) are already heavy consumers of digital media and have grown up surrounded by podcasts and interactive media. They’re coming of age when the entry barrier for podcasting is at an all-time low, and podcast discovery is picking up as the industry shifts to video. The shift to video is something young podcasters like the MD Foodie Boyz have capitalized on.

It’s clear that the MD Foodie Boyz, like many of their Gen Alpha peers, are deeply immersed in the new media environment and podcasting specifically. Peyton’s 19-year-old brother edits their clips and handles their social media. The boys have access to a top-quality podcast studio through one of their parents. But the barrier to entry now for podcasting is so low none of that is truly necessary.

If the MD Foodie Boyz can keep their momentum up, they and other Gen Alpha-targeted podcasts could be tapping into a lucrative growing market. According to Pew Research, 64% of Americans over age 12 listen to a podcast at least once a month. Bridge Ratings, a company that provides on-demand streaming data, reported a 13% year-over-year increase in podcast listenership among 8 to 15-year-olds, hitting 26% in the first quarter of 2022.

Podcast analytics firm Edison Research found that 13-24-year-olds who started listening to podcasts as children spend an average of three hours more per week listening to podcasts than those who started later in life. That means hooking young listeners on a show early can have a major payoff.

But while the homegrown Gen Alpha podcast landscape is just budding, big companies are already seeking to tap into the coming wave. Major production houses like Amazon’s podcast division, Wondery, have announced the launchof podcasts based on popular children’s franchises. All of them will be targeting listeners aged 6 to 12 years old.

Already, big creators like Barstool Sports’ Pat McAuliffe are seeking to collaborate with the MD Foodie Boyz. However, so far, the middle schoolers have proved elusive guests to get. Given their rapid ascent, however, and being the first to dominate the Gen Alpha market, I imagine plenty of other creator collabs are in the works.

– Taylor Lorenz, Passionfruit Contributor

CULTURE

From Millennial Cringe to Admiration, Why Gen Z Creators Long For The 2000s

The good old days look in reflection.

By Liz Plank, Passionfruit Contributor

From Millennial Cringe to Admiration, Why Gen Z Creators Long For The 2000s - edits of 2000s culture

→ READ THE FULL STORY

Passionfruit is Coming Back to Austin

Headed to Austin next weekend for SXSW? Come hang out with Passionfruit, Creator Economy NYC, Teachable, Bay Area Creator Economy, and tons of our favorite creators (you). We’ll have drinks, discussions, networking, professional headshots, snacks, and lots more. RSVP now!

RSVP HERE

IN THE BIZ

Twitch and StreamElements have partnered to add sponsorships directly to creators’ dashboards.
Instagram is considering launching Reels as a separate app.
A TikTok ban in the U.S. could significantly impact U.K. creators.
Meta fired 20 employees for leaking confidential information.

PERSONALITIES

Reddit Snark and Creators: What You Can Learn From H3 and Ethan Klein

Know when to pick your battles.

By Steven Asarch, Passionfruit Contributor

READ THE FULL STORY →

PLATFORMS

1 Billion Active Users a Month Are Watching Podcasts on YouTube

‘Podcasts with video are more than just a trend.’

By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor

READ THE FULL STORY →

UPCOMING EVENTS

SXSW Conference is March 7-11 in Austin, Texas.
the platform is March 21 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
CreateAU is March-April in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, Australia.
Influencer Marketing Show is Apr. 22-25 in Davie, Florida.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING

Largely referring to the act of being chronically online, “brain rot” has begun to develop into an entire language and ecosystem of its own. Is it simply a fad that will fade out or part of a larger shift of online subcultures?

Independent journalist and Passionfruit contributor Taylor Lorenz breaks down the terms history and evolution in the online creator culture in the video below. Check it out!