Why must everything be "monetized"?

Podcasting has hit the mainstream, due in a major way to Apple’s latest version of iTunes.  And, as has always been the case whenever a technology blooms into the general public awareness, the “experts” are out in full force … interviewing and being interviewed, expounding their expertise and making their predictions.  You pretty much hear it all:

• Podcasting is the next media
• Podcasting is a fad
• Podcasting will kill radio
• Podcasting can cure male pattern baldness

While listening to G’Day World’s podcast with Frank Baranko (On The Pod #40), I keep hearing the same thing:

• Podcasting will be taken over by “the big guys”
• Little (indie) podcasters are being squeezed out
• The little guy will be stomped out
• Unless you can monetize it, you won’t succeed

Granted, this isn’t the first show I’ve heard this take on, but come on, people … open your bloody eyes!  It’s sad that the unwashed masses are so indoctrinated into the mass-market pablum spewing forth today that’s colloquially called “radio and tv” … that “wonderfully interesting, intellectual, challenging” collection of reality shows (how many different ways can you eat bugs?) that all we can think about is “how can I make money from this?”

I don’t get it.

I doubt I ever will.