Malcolm Farrell (‘16) is a familiar face at the Valenti School of Communication, having previously been spotlighted for leading an active career in media and speaking at the school-wide events, such as the Impact Awards. Most recently, this broadcast journalism alumnus co-hosted the Switch Youth show, “Taste.” 

“I self-submitted myself for the project. Usually, your agent does that, but I was putting in more effort and making sure I was applying to lots of things,” said Farrell. 

The show, which aired for one season from Sept. 6 to Feb. 21, discussed popular culture as seen on social media. Topics that the show covered include the Popeyes vs Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich debate, the FaceTune app, and Friendsgiving. Entirely unscripted, the co-hosts went into the show without any knowledge of what they would cover that day. 

“My favorite episodes were definitely about the Popeyes chicken sandwich, and the Off-White Jordan 1’s,” said Farrell. “Those topics got a lot of feedback from viewers and really shaped popular culture.”

Social media platforms also made the show a possibility. With over 72,000 subscribers, Switch Youth utilized popular conversations that arise in social media to create a fresh, engaging show. 

“Social media platforms let us show off our talents and create content in so many different ways, as well as put it out in so many different platforms,” said Farrell. “We no longer find jobs only through getting promotions in a corporation. With social media, we can talk about the subjects we want to discuss now.”

Filming took place in Oklahoma City, where Farrell traveled back and forth between Houston and Oklahoma for the show. Taste wrapped up in October; 24 episodes were filmed and were released up until Christmas time. Though the show has not been renewed for a second season, Farrell thinks back to filming fondly. 

“I will definitely miss covering viral trends that are going on in popular culture, as well as my co-hosts and my team,” said Farrell. 

Now that “Taste” has ended, Farrell is on the hunt for more opportunities. These include recently wrapping up filming for his part in an upcoming movie, “The Freshman Year,” which speaks about the trials and tribulations of beginning a college career. On top of that, he is also a part of the “All Screwed Up” series, based on the life of Houston’s DJ Screw.