Questions & Answers about Es mi mentor y siempre le escucho.
Why use le here instead of lo, since escuchar takes a direct object?
The standard direct object pronoun for 'him' is indeed lo. However, in Spain, it is completely accepted and very common to use the indirect object pronoun le when the direct object is a single male person. This phenomenon is known as accepted male-person 'leísmo'.
Could I use le escucho if my mentor were a woman?
No. If your mentor were female, you would have to use the standard feminine direct object pronoun la, making it siempre la escucho. The accepted 'leísmo' exception applies exclusively to male people.
Would I say le escucho if I were talking about listening to a podcast or an album instead of a person?
No, you would use lo, as in siempre lo escucho. The accepted use of le as a direct object only works for male human beings. For masculine objects, animals, or concepts, you must stick to the standard direct object pronoun lo.
Is it mandatory to use le for a male person in Spain, or can I still say lo escucho?