Which of your friends is the flirtiest? The funniest? The sassiest?
If you’re interested in hearing what students call others, or in nominating your own friends for superlatives outside the senior yearbook, tune in to the Claremont Colleges’ newest podcast, “The Most.”
“Basically, each episode will deal with a certain superlative or adjective that we tend to arbitrarily call each other,” Ros Faulkner PO ’19, the podcast’s host, said.
She named a few other adjectives that she anticipates covering, such as “the most kickass,” “the most existentialist,” and “the most intense.”
“They’re all going to be positive things,” she said. As for the nomination process, Faulkner said that she will “announce what the upcoming adjective is, and people will nominate whoever they think [fits] that attribute.” Later, nominees who consent to have their names posted will appear in another survey to select that week’s guest.
“I don’t actually think I’m going to find ‘the most flirty’ or ‘whatever person,’” Faulkner said. “The fun of it is more in having a conversation about the fact that so many people think of them as that.”
For example, Faulkner, in the process of selecting the interviewee for the first episode, noted that many of the nominees were surprised and happy upon learning about their nomination.
“Sometimes it’s kind of performative, and sometimes they do not even identify with that adjective,” she said.
Each conversation will revolve around questions regarding impressions that others have, or the significance of having a specific reputation.
Faulkner explained that the idea originated from her late-night insomnia.
“I have noticed a tendency among students to talk about their friends like ‘oh my god, he is the most extra person,’” she said.
According to Falkner, the podcast serves as a way to give others the spotlight and let them see how others view them.
“It’s just a fun way to meet new people,” Faulkner said. “I see all the justifications people write about why they nominate certain people.”
Sometimes, even Faulkner is surprised by the nominations. She explained that part of the entertainment rests in the aspect of unexpectedness.
Beyond the nomination process, students at the 5Cs also have a say in what superlatives they would like to see discussed. Regarding the choice of “flirtiest,” Faulkner said that “this was one I saw a few times, and I thought it would be a lighthearted note to get started off on.”
She added that it could be especially amusing “because it’s not something people are always aware of.”
Faulkner thinks that part of the charm will lie in its potentially awkward conversation. “It’s going to be a super fun, tongue-in-cheek conversation,” Faulkner said. “It’s supposed to be really goofy.”