September 11-17, 2016
1. Reply All - "Lost in a Cab (#76)"
Reply All regularly puts out episodes of their show under the theme of 'Super Tech Support.' Just as the name implies, the Reply All team tackle an internet-related problem submitted by a listener. Not only do these shows unravel stories worth following, but they typically resolve in a way that empowers the average person and speaks truth to shadiness on the web. In "Lost in a Cab" we hear about a man who treads a thin line between being a forward thinking businessman and a conniving scam artist. Host Alex Goldman seeks out justice for a customer/victim and in the process sheds light on a whole world of commerce operating in a misleading manner.
2. The Cracked Podcast - "How Evolution Made Us Unfit For The Modern World"
Cracked operates on a frequency that is both down to earth and incredibly thought provoking. This episode takes that ethos to a new level and speaks in earnest to the burgeoning presence of anxiety in our psyches. A really nice pairing with the Hidden Brain episode "Decide Already!" (which just missed the cut this week), this installment of The Cracked Podcast mixes theoretical frameworks with personal testimony to delightful effect.
3. Hang Up and Listen - "The Zelmo the Hall of Famer Edition"
Hang Up and Listen falls into the category of consistently great podcasts that rarely make my weekly list, those shows with things to say that often defy additional commentary. And admittedly, as a show with segments covering the massive world of sports, typically some portion of the podcast extends beyond the bounds of my interest. This week the obscurity of the subject matter was a selling point. In addition to a conversation with the widow of Zelmo Beaty (a recent inductee into the basketball hall of fame that Hang Up and Listen venerates in their sign off every week), goalball athlete John Kusku came on the show to illuminate this little-known but incredible-sounding sport. Heck, even the discussion of the NFL (about which I know and care very little) proved intriguing in it's provocation to think about how the quality of a league is tied to the average age of the athletes therein.
4. Sampler - "This Feels Terrible (#27)"
If my blog was a podcast, it would be Sampler. In fact, I regularly contemplate following the model Brittany Luce and the Gimlet team perpetuate - focusing on a single podcast or podcast personality for an episode to lead listeners to previously unknown shows and podcasters. "This Feels Terrible" takes us on an emotional journey of love and loss in podcast land. It made me feel like I need to expand my roster of listening to ensure more overlap and thus an inside scoop to pod drama before it is revealed by other podcast adherents. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice to say that there were a few different twists I did not see coming.
Reply All regularly puts out episodes of their show under the theme of 'Super Tech Support.' Just as the name implies, the Reply All team tackle an internet-related problem submitted by a listener. Not only do these shows unravel stories worth following, but they typically resolve in a way that empowers the average person and speaks truth to shadiness on the web. In "Lost in a Cab" we hear about a man who treads a thin line between being a forward thinking businessman and a conniving scam artist. Host Alex Goldman seeks out justice for a customer/victim and in the process sheds light on a whole world of commerce operating in a misleading manner.
2. The Cracked Podcast - "How Evolution Made Us Unfit For The Modern World"
Cracked operates on a frequency that is both down to earth and incredibly thought provoking. This episode takes that ethos to a new level and speaks in earnest to the burgeoning presence of anxiety in our psyches. A really nice pairing with the Hidden Brain episode "Decide Already!" (which just missed the cut this week), this installment of The Cracked Podcast mixes theoretical frameworks with personal testimony to delightful effect.
3. Hang Up and Listen - "The Zelmo the Hall of Famer Edition"
Hang Up and Listen falls into the category of consistently great podcasts that rarely make my weekly list, those shows with things to say that often defy additional commentary. And admittedly, as a show with segments covering the massive world of sports, typically some portion of the podcast extends beyond the bounds of my interest. This week the obscurity of the subject matter was a selling point. In addition to a conversation with the widow of Zelmo Beaty (a recent inductee into the basketball hall of fame that Hang Up and Listen venerates in their sign off every week), goalball athlete John Kusku came on the show to illuminate this little-known but incredible-sounding sport. Heck, even the discussion of the NFL (about which I know and care very little) proved intriguing in it's provocation to think about how the quality of a league is tied to the average age of the athletes therein.
4. Sampler - "This Feels Terrible (#27)"
If my blog was a podcast, it would be Sampler. In fact, I regularly contemplate following the model Brittany Luce and the Gimlet team perpetuate - focusing on a single podcast or podcast personality for an episode to lead listeners to previously unknown shows and podcasters. "This Feels Terrible" takes us on an emotional journey of love and loss in podcast land. It made me feel like I need to expand my roster of listening to ensure more overlap and thus an inside scoop to pod drama before it is revealed by other podcast adherents. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice to say that there were a few different twists I did not see coming.
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