April 17 - 23, 2016
A note on formatting: It struck me the other day that the table format for these posts maybe not translate into the best reading experience. Also, I think I like the aesthetic of this layout. That is all.
1. What's The Point - Every Song Ever (#43)
I often find appeal in this Jody Avrigan-helmed 538 podcast as it strives to overlay data on every day topics, but this week struck a special chord with me. Ben Ratliff, music critic from the New York Times, discusses ideas from his new book about the way we listen to music as the means of distribution shift. I loved the idea that we must have uncomfortable music listening experiences to authentically situate our taste. As much as we strive for automation across many facets of life, our lives do not have a predetermined score as you would expect from a movie of TV show. It's up to us to struggle and fight and discover that soundtrack for ourselves! Ratliff makes the point that listening to a sad song in a happy mood (or vice versa) can create new meaning for a song, but streaming services are built to foster music that definitely fits a perceived mood of the listener. The best portion of this episode is the bit regarding Spotify's "Discover Weekly" feature. Ratliff intones that since his tastes are eclectic his Discover Weekly tends to have a fair amount of obscure indie music he'd never freely consume, but that the inverse is also true - occasionally the list does pinpoint taste with a scary accuracy. This is both awe inspiring and cause for concern. Are we starting to bend toward a reality where it's nearly impossible to discern whether taste is our own complex mix of emotions and experiences vs. a synthetically generated approximation? Prior to listening to this interview, my beef with Spotify was the embarrassment of riches it provides - when nearly any song from any artist is available, it can be hard for interest in any one artist not to be fleeting in search of the next hot song or album. Spotify isn't making me listen to any and every new artist - that's on me - and I should rejoice in the freedom of choice rather than viewing it as a limitation. The more problematic thing, I'm growing to realize, is the increasing amount of control I allow an outside source to have on my listening habits. It's still a far cry from listening to the narrow output of Top 40 radio, but without drawing a line in the sand demanding a set percentage of intentionality in the listening process, I can see that freedom of choice slipping away. I want a balance of artists that tips in favor of critical acclaim and unique sound, but not at the cost of excising access to the music society has deemed popular.
2. Slate's Culture Gabfest - I Just Didn't Believe He Was Raised By Wolves Edition
Slate's Culture Gabfest has been one of my most consistently listened-to podcasts for the past two years. Like many offerings from Slate, the show practically makes itself: start with learned hosts, task them with dissecting cultural properties that rise to the top of some kind of public awareness and, most importantly, add the pivotal component of viewing said topics within a critical framework. Of course, as is fitting for any show that has "culture" in the title, the content discussed encompasses both media/art prevalent to the masses as well as digging into lesser known work. This episode is a wonderful example of such disparate subject matter: in the course of an hour, the Culture Gabfest crew dives into the new Jungle Book movie, the future of NPR (leaning on this excellent article) and the HBO movie Confirmation. I love that the Culture Gabfest crew can hold court on both high and low culture and, when necessary, deign to admit when something has legitimately broad appeal. And of course, it can be quite fun to hear extremely well-educated and well-spoken commentators tear to shreds a piece of questionable artistic value. The discussion is never gimmicky or editorialized to foment contrarian views (unless explicitly stated), and regardless of the topics at hand I always feel enriched after an hour of listening.
3. Flash Forward - Swipe Right For Democracy (2.11)
In an election year where politics gets daily attention in the news cycle, it's incredibly relevant for Flash Forward to explore a hypothetical future where America has adopted direct democracy. Politicians often get a bad rap for not being able to compromise and get legislation passed, and much as there may be a legitimate criticism buried in the frustration of the electorate I think it's reductive to say that a country the size of the US could be run strictly on the will of the people. Nevertheless, it was deeply insightful to explore what this change might shake things up! Perhaps the most thought provoking idea presented in this episode is that non-voters and registered voters have different views. It makes sense, and got me thinking about how compulsory voting would change legislation. I know, I know, that would undermine a basic tenant of our precious freedom to be ignorant, but I think I'd not mind temporarily experimenting with a government where we retain representative democracy and forced participation from all qualified citizens in deciding things - from the local level all the way up to casting a ballot for the president. Special interests and predatory marketers would still find a way to allow money from the well-endowed to circumvent the system, but isn't there a chance it could improve public engagement in politics? It would be wonderful to see more politically themed episodes as we draw nearing to November - the guise of projecting an idea into the future makes it more comfortable for laymen like me to explore the unknown.
1. What's The Point - Every Song Ever (#43)
I often find appeal in this Jody Avrigan-helmed 538 podcast as it strives to overlay data on every day topics, but this week struck a special chord with me. Ben Ratliff, music critic from the New York Times, discusses ideas from his new book about the way we listen to music as the means of distribution shift. I loved the idea that we must have uncomfortable music listening experiences to authentically situate our taste. As much as we strive for automation across many facets of life, our lives do not have a predetermined score as you would expect from a movie of TV show. It's up to us to struggle and fight and discover that soundtrack for ourselves! Ratliff makes the point that listening to a sad song in a happy mood (or vice versa) can create new meaning for a song, but streaming services are built to foster music that definitely fits a perceived mood of the listener. The best portion of this episode is the bit regarding Spotify's "Discover Weekly" feature. Ratliff intones that since his tastes are eclectic his Discover Weekly tends to have a fair amount of obscure indie music he'd never freely consume, but that the inverse is also true - occasionally the list does pinpoint taste with a scary accuracy. This is both awe inspiring and cause for concern. Are we starting to bend toward a reality where it's nearly impossible to discern whether taste is our own complex mix of emotions and experiences vs. a synthetically generated approximation? Prior to listening to this interview, my beef with Spotify was the embarrassment of riches it provides - when nearly any song from any artist is available, it can be hard for interest in any one artist not to be fleeting in search of the next hot song or album. Spotify isn't making me listen to any and every new artist - that's on me - and I should rejoice in the freedom of choice rather than viewing it as a limitation. The more problematic thing, I'm growing to realize, is the increasing amount of control I allow an outside source to have on my listening habits. It's still a far cry from listening to the narrow output of Top 40 radio, but without drawing a line in the sand demanding a set percentage of intentionality in the listening process, I can see that freedom of choice slipping away. I want a balance of artists that tips in favor of critical acclaim and unique sound, but not at the cost of excising access to the music society has deemed popular.
2. Slate's Culture Gabfest - I Just Didn't Believe He Was Raised By Wolves Edition
Slate's Culture Gabfest has been one of my most consistently listened-to podcasts for the past two years. Like many offerings from Slate, the show practically makes itself: start with learned hosts, task them with dissecting cultural properties that rise to the top of some kind of public awareness and, most importantly, add the pivotal component of viewing said topics within a critical framework. Of course, as is fitting for any show that has "culture" in the title, the content discussed encompasses both media/art prevalent to the masses as well as digging into lesser known work. This episode is a wonderful example of such disparate subject matter: in the course of an hour, the Culture Gabfest crew dives into the new Jungle Book movie, the future of NPR (leaning on this excellent article) and the HBO movie Confirmation. I love that the Culture Gabfest crew can hold court on both high and low culture and, when necessary, deign to admit when something has legitimately broad appeal. And of course, it can be quite fun to hear extremely well-educated and well-spoken commentators tear to shreds a piece of questionable artistic value. The discussion is never gimmicky or editorialized to foment contrarian views (unless explicitly stated), and regardless of the topics at hand I always feel enriched after an hour of listening.
3. Flash Forward - Swipe Right For Democracy (2.11)
In an election year where politics gets daily attention in the news cycle, it's incredibly relevant for Flash Forward to explore a hypothetical future where America has adopted direct democracy. Politicians often get a bad rap for not being able to compromise and get legislation passed, and much as there may be a legitimate criticism buried in the frustration of the electorate I think it's reductive to say that a country the size of the US could be run strictly on the will of the people. Nevertheless, it was deeply insightful to explore what this change might shake things up! Perhaps the most thought provoking idea presented in this episode is that non-voters and registered voters have different views. It makes sense, and got me thinking about how compulsory voting would change legislation. I know, I know, that would undermine a basic tenant of our precious freedom to be ignorant, but I think I'd not mind temporarily experimenting with a government where we retain representative democracy and forced participation from all qualified citizens in deciding things - from the local level all the way up to casting a ballot for the president. Special interests and predatory marketers would still find a way to allow money from the well-endowed to circumvent the system, but isn't there a chance it could improve public engagement in politics? It would be wonderful to see more politically themed episodes as we draw nearing to November - the guise of projecting an idea into the future makes it more comfortable for laymen like me to explore the unknown.
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