The Pod Piper

Rank Podcast Episode Lowdown 1 Cracked Children's TV Shows With Horrifying Implications (#114) The Cracked podcast could be considered a purveyor of conspiracy theories and cultural commentary. And usually it is! But the show consistently delivers an unorthodox spin on familiar subjects, and the casual, informal discourse belies the considerable depth of knowledge possessed by each member of the panel. This episode plumbs the extensive depth of movies and television created for children, examining the subtle or sometimes not so subtle implications and messaging coded into such fare. It can be tempting to label this sort of theoretical exercise as either cynical and/or inaccurate (can writers really be so intentionally insidious?), but since most media funneled toward adolescents goes unchecked it was refreshing to view these shows and movies as being more complex. Besides, critical theory is fun when you've encountered most of the source material multiple times in the past...

Rank Podcast Episode Lowdown 1 Radiolab Debatable A longtime podcast favorite, RadioLab delivers stories akin to those found on This American Life. The show used to be more scientifically minded - and still is on ocassion - but recent episodes have focused more on stories about pivotal moments in the human experience. The latest edition focuses on the racial politics of collegiate speech and debate. It is particularly timely in our world where politics and race are constant under- or over-tones in most conversations, and it got me to rethink the importance of speech and debate as an institution. More importantly, it shows how disrupting a system can be accomplished best from the inside out. 2 Sampler Disney (#8) Disney has a weird hold over many Americans. Most have encountered the cultural force in some manner, and love it or hate it the brand is ubiquitous. Like anything with such a wide reach, there are inevitably factions of loyal adherents to the Disney way...so of course i...

Rank Podcast Episode Lowdown 1 Surprisingly Awesome Frequent Flyer Miles (#8) I've always enjoyed John Hodgman, though his personality always seems to be searching for it's true home. Podcasting is a good fit for his brand of off-kilter deadpan, and while I do enjoy "Judge John Hodgman" the brand of humor mashed up with the journalistic radio stylings of Adam Davidson hits a sweet spot. Form follows function as this combination of hosts unearth a story that pairs the zaniness of extreme couponing with an individual whose mind is calibrated to beat the system. I'd've been intrigued by this topic even without a thrilling mix of host styles, as I am always up for scoring a sweet deal. We all know that companies are smart enough to build things that are impossible to game, but at the same time we like to think we can outsmart their coprorate wiles. So when a lone figure rises up and makes the system deliver all that it promises, and much, much more...well t...

Rank Podcast Episode Lowdown 1 Criminal Jolly Jane (#38) When the most culturally arresting podcast of the modern era is a true crime investigative deep dive, why isn't Criminal more widely lauded. One of the key tenets of Serial's success is it's depth, but Phoebe Judge imbues each subject on her show with a gravitas that drives home the centrality of crime and justice in a democracy. The latest episode explores the life of little known 19th century serial killer "Jolly" Jane Toppan . A deep probing nonfiction recounting of these stories could fill a lengthy book, and Judge deftly cuts the drama into a succinct recounting of the most essential bits of the narrative. 2 Song Exploder KT Tunstall (#66) KT Tunstall and her hit single 'Suddenly I See' didn't exactly thrill me when it echoed across radio waves several years back. In a way, that's just the kind of woeful ignorance host Hrishikesh Hirway preys upon to produce the most insightful ep...