Wondery have cut ties with controversial true crime podcast Sword & Scale, and host Mike Boudet is not about it. He went on a Twitter rant against fellow podcast hosts Aaron Manke of Lore and Rabia O’Chaudry of Undisclosed, blaming them for the axing.
We have decided to part ways with Mike Boudet and Sword and Scale.
— Wondery (@WonderyMedia) March 9, 2019
https://twitter.com/SwordAndScale/status/1104477953361133568
According to The Wrap, move is allegedly connected to host Boudet posting a now-deleted misogynistic joke to Instagram on International Women’s Day, saying “I don’t understand dumb cunts. Maybe I should take one apart to see how it works.”
Boudet responded via SoundCloud to Wondery’s move, blaming Manke and O’Chaudry again and explaining the podcast would move behind a paywall.
“Right now as it stands, this is the end. We’ll keep putting out Plus episodes on Patreon, until we move to our own platform and then continue putting out episodes, behind that paywall. Anything that was ad-supported is over now, because of Aaron Mahnke from ‘Lore’ and Rabia O’Chaudry from ‘Undisclosed,’ who let this boycott against me and my company, because they didn’t like certain things that I said.”
He then continued to lash out against Manke on Twitter, resorting to some frankly disgusting levels of bullying.
https://twitter.com/MBoudet/status/1104546195119267840
Sword & Scale and Mike Boudet have been plagued by controversy – Boudet revealed the name of a previously anonymous victim who had been brutally raped and murdered. Mamamia extensively reported on Boudet’s history of inappropriate behaviour toward female fans, including requesting nudes.
As well as making comments that allegedly body-shamed women, like the Tweet response below:
The podcast has also been accused of using 911 calls without censoring them to protect victims and children, and having an insensitive attitude toward sufferers of mental illness.
Manke has responded to the criticisms from Boudet.
Second, folks say “if you don’t like what he says, just block him”.
But I blocked him months ago. Despite that, he still somehow reads my timeline and tweets about me.
I never sought him out. Other people sent me screenshots. And if they’re offensive, I comment. /2
— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) March 9, 2019
In the last few months, he’s become more aggressive. And that’s led to hundreds and hundreds of people complaining to the network that published his podcast.
So today, his network decided it was better to not give him a home. So they cut tied, not me. /3
— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) March 9, 2019
Here’s the key: his podcast was independent (published by himself alone) long before he joined that network. And he has an enormous amount of support on Patreon. He has every tool he needs to keep going.
But he has chosen to stop. He canceled his own show, not me. /4
— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) March 9, 2019
Of course, it’s easier for him to say that “Aaron and Rabia did it!” We certainly were part of that chorus of hundreds of people who complained.
But he canceled his show on his own. That’s not on Rabia. That’s not on me. That’s on him and him alone. /5
— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) March 9, 2019
Lastly, this isn’t a free speech issue, no matter how many times he or his listeners bang that drum. Free speech doesn’t mean freedom from consequences.
He can still make his podcast. I have no power (or desire) to stop that. I never did.
Ok. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) March 9, 2019
Personally, I’m stoked Wondery decided to cut ties with Sword & Scale – if you were an avid listener and need some true crime to replace the show with, I heartily suggest Casefile, In The Dark, Someone Knows Something, Crime Junkie, Thunder Bay… hell, I’ll even give my podcast a shout out.
