February 5 - 11, 2017
1. This American Life - "It's Working Out Very Nicely"
Amidst the hoards of Trump coverage in more traditional forms of media, the podcast world is often forced to struggle with churning out content before it is rendered irrelevant by the latest crazy-making move of the new administration. I've enjoyed the daily and semi-weekly takes from The Gist and NPR's Politics Podcast, but was pleased to find this tight and timely episode from This American Life. Ever the champions of human narrative, TAL reports on the implementation of the travel ban in "It's Working Out Very Nicely." It's possible that the tenuous stays on the ban could fluctuate by the time you read this, but the structure of this episode is comprehensive and highly effective. It's nice to see this sort of up-to-the-moment work from a show well-known for honing in on the minute kitsch of interpersonal tales. Certainly not unprecedented, but good to see the juggernaut flex it's journalistic range.
2. The Room Where It's Happening - "Utkarsh Ambudkar: Making Lin-monade"
I'll admit that even as a massive Hamilton fan, The Room Where It's Happening can be a bit much. There's only so many times you can hear a celebrity fawn over the masterwork, and some of the later episodes contain a little too much gushing. But Utkarsh Ambudkar, who you might recognize from Pitch Perfect, brings some self-deprecating humor to the show as he takes a somewhat painful walk through the events that led him away from playing the role of Aaron Burr on Broadway. Ambudkar's close connection to Lin Manuel-Miranda makes the stories that much more painful, but the actor avoids wallowing in self pity and finds hope in the despair.
3. Slate's Working - "The 'How Does a CIA Analyst Work?' Edition"
I've not been able to shake this episode from my brain after hearing it last Sunday. In addition to learning a bit more about a job that seems as secretive as it is fascinating, the conversation in this episode helped me think on the vast expanse of capabilities a nation like the U.S. has at its disposal. And, of course, I can't help but wonder how much the new president will interact and tinker with all that we can't see. As usual, more knowledge confers greater questioning as opposed to irrefutable enlightenment.
HONORABLE MENTION
The Cracked Podcast - "The Mind Melting World of Putin's Russia"
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me - "Guest Host Tom Hanks Fills In For Peter Sagal On 'Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!' "
On the Media - "What We Know About the Border"
Amidst the hoards of Trump coverage in more traditional forms of media, the podcast world is often forced to struggle with churning out content before it is rendered irrelevant by the latest crazy-making move of the new administration. I've enjoyed the daily and semi-weekly takes from The Gist and NPR's Politics Podcast, but was pleased to find this tight and timely episode from This American Life. Ever the champions of human narrative, TAL reports on the implementation of the travel ban in "It's Working Out Very Nicely." It's possible that the tenuous stays on the ban could fluctuate by the time you read this, but the structure of this episode is comprehensive and highly effective. It's nice to see this sort of up-to-the-moment work from a show well-known for honing in on the minute kitsch of interpersonal tales. Certainly not unprecedented, but good to see the juggernaut flex it's journalistic range.
2. The Room Where It's Happening - "Utkarsh Ambudkar: Making Lin-monade"
I'll admit that even as a massive Hamilton fan, The Room Where It's Happening can be a bit much. There's only so many times you can hear a celebrity fawn over the masterwork, and some of the later episodes contain a little too much gushing. But Utkarsh Ambudkar, who you might recognize from Pitch Perfect, brings some self-deprecating humor to the show as he takes a somewhat painful walk through the events that led him away from playing the role of Aaron Burr on Broadway. Ambudkar's close connection to Lin Manuel-Miranda makes the stories that much more painful, but the actor avoids wallowing in self pity and finds hope in the despair.
3. Slate's Working - "The 'How Does a CIA Analyst Work?' Edition"
I've not been able to shake this episode from my brain after hearing it last Sunday. In addition to learning a bit more about a job that seems as secretive as it is fascinating, the conversation in this episode helped me think on the vast expanse of capabilities a nation like the U.S. has at its disposal. And, of course, I can't help but wonder how much the new president will interact and tinker with all that we can't see. As usual, more knowledge confers greater questioning as opposed to irrefutable enlightenment.
HONORABLE MENTION
The Cracked Podcast - "The Mind Melting World of Putin's Russia"
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me - "Guest Host Tom Hanks Fills In For Peter Sagal On 'Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!' "
On the Media - "What We Know About the Border"
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