Podcast review: Gonzo comedian takes on Mensa

One way to view this podcast is the clash of the millennial and the old guard; or perhaps the painfully self aware meeting the old-school intellectual elite.

My Year in Mensa x

Does anyone still care about Mensa, the society for people who score in the top two per cent of the population in an intelligence test?

Apparently the society for the IQ elite is still going strong with 140,000 members worldwide.

A quick Google shows Australians can take a test for $75 or $60 concession.

US comedian Jamie Loftus earned the ire of Mensans after taking the test and writing a very millennial first person account called “Good News, They Let Dumb Sluts into Mensa Now” published in Paste magazine in 2018.

This reviewer doesn’t recommend reading it. Loftus’s podcast My Year in Mensa is much better, documenting the fierce backlash from one Facebook group of particularly dedicated Mensans.

The incident leads Loftus to attend the society’s annual conference, gonzo comedian style, and the result is a very funny four episodes of the host bumbling through the various cliques of the self-proclaimed elite group.

“It just feels like self harm at this point,” Loftus reflects as she prepares to again be ripped to shreds.

One way to view the podcast is the clash of the millennial and the old guard; or perhaps the painfully self aware meeting the old-school intellectual elite.

Despite Loftus’s at times caustic observations, the comedian provides more empathy and insight into the elements of Mensa that skirt the alt-right, while not excusing their beliefs or abusive behaviour.

The listener actually gets to hear about the frailty and fear that binds some of these people.

Very rarely do people give time to the people who’ve trolled them and it’s admirably courageous by Loftus, who is clearly petrified but also seems to love the drama.

The podcast uses some odd sound effects, which may work for some but annoy others.

My Year in Mensa was released in 2020 by iHeartRadio but themes of trolling and misinformation remain sadly relevant.

Review recommends for people who are sick of 2021.

My Year in Mensa is available on your favourite podcast app.