The Gist
Whenever I try to describe a podcast to someone unfamiliar with the medium, I start by debunking the notion that the field is primarily comprised of random people ranting off script about objects of little concern to the majority of the population. It's true that such shows exist, and are indeed quite prevalent. But podcasting has come a long ways in it's comparatively brief time on this earth, and there are shows that extend far beyond the simplistic process of hitting record, rambling, hitting stop, and uploading to the masses. The span of creativity ranges from incisive cultural critiques to narrative-based field reporting, from shows with a common theme to shows with a clever gimmick. In the ever-expanding soundscapes of portable audio, one show manages to to tower above/aside from the field. That show is The Gist with Mike Pesca.
Before going any further, let me be perfectly clear: there may well be other shows that land in the same podcast sub-genre of The Gist. Though I obsess over the medium, have been writing about my favorite episodes for over a year, and revel in experiencing new shows, the sheer volume dictates that I can't possibly have skimmed the surface of the proverbial pool of audio producers sharing their voice with the world. Now that I've tried to qualify my praise with that disclaimer, I'm comfortable with stating that The Gist is unlike any other podcast I've ever heard. It is a satisfying blend of politics, humor, current events, culture, satire, word play, interview and intimacy - nearly every episode strikes a balance that incorporates all of this into a tight 20-30 minutes that exude cohesion and levity. The Gist has never made it atop the lofty triumvirate (or occasional quadrumvirate) of Blogcast, and that's due both to it's quality and quantity. Episodes drop each week day, and it is rare that I don't find something to love about each show. That makes it impossible to rank, so from here on out just accept the premise that the episodes I promote should be consumed after first listening to at least 2 or 3 episodes of The Gist each week.
The writing on this program is stunning. It could be likened to the best late night shows, but doubtlessly with a fraction of the resources at hand. Indeed, The Gist is a lot like a late night program - structured with opening/closing monologues, a guest, and regular sidebar segments often reflecting items permeating the cultural hive mind. I can't believe the material they (Or only Pesca? Does he have a staff?) churn out with such consistency. The jokes are crisp, timely and smart, inhabiting a niche in the comedic realm that minimizes crassness and maximizes untrod territory. I've consumed a lot of Trump inflected media in the past four months, and Pesca somehow manages to find a new angle on the subject whenever it surfaces. It's this ingenuity that makes him an excellent co-host on Slate's sports podcast Hang Up And Listen (a semi-regular player on the Blogcast circuit, most recently here).
While the content is excellent, part of the charm of this particular show is in the delivery. Despite having served in a variety of roles at NPR, Pesca lacks the comforting droll of your typical public radio personality. Now I enjoy the warm glow of an Audie Cornish as much as anyone, and the chummy resolve of a Steve Inskeep is always welcome in my home. Furthermore, I think such even-keeled sobriety is essential for delivering news. The Gist is an editorial program, yet it contains the sort of journalistic integrity sorely lacking from a lot of talking-head-based media. Pesca admits when he's wrong, hedging doubt with humor that does not distract from an issue but rather couches it in a different light. This, probably as much as any other aspect of the show, accounts for the deep level of listener engagement with the show.
Unlike television in general, podcasts (in general) have a pretty crazy standard of longevity. This American Life has been on air for 20 years, The Nerdist has recorded 800+ episodes, and Radiolab has become the cornerstone offering of public radio giant WNYC. And none of these shows indicate any signs of stopping - quite to the contrary, each has moved to expand with various spinoff shows garnering a fair level of acclaim. Even still, as any fan of any truly great thing must do, I occasionally fret over the inevitable end to the towering-yet-subtle reliability of The Gist in my aural itinerary. Who knows when this may come all come to an end?! I've no doubt that as long as Pesca lives I will have some sort of resource for nuanced, well-informed banter somewhere on the internet, but here's hoping the comforting flow of The Gist won't be interrupted anytime soon.
The show page on Slate can be found here: http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gist.html
Pesca is also a great follow on Twitter: @pescami (https://twitter.com/pescami)
Before going any further, let me be perfectly clear: there may well be other shows that land in the same podcast sub-genre of The Gist. Though I obsess over the medium, have been writing about my favorite episodes for over a year, and revel in experiencing new shows, the sheer volume dictates that I can't possibly have skimmed the surface of the proverbial pool of audio producers sharing their voice with the world. Now that I've tried to qualify my praise with that disclaimer, I'm comfortable with stating that The Gist is unlike any other podcast I've ever heard. It is a satisfying blend of politics, humor, current events, culture, satire, word play, interview and intimacy - nearly every episode strikes a balance that incorporates all of this into a tight 20-30 minutes that exude cohesion and levity. The Gist has never made it atop the lofty triumvirate (or occasional quadrumvirate) of Blogcast, and that's due both to it's quality and quantity. Episodes drop each week day, and it is rare that I don't find something to love about each show. That makes it impossible to rank, so from here on out just accept the premise that the episodes I promote should be consumed after first listening to at least 2 or 3 episodes of The Gist each week.
The writing on this program is stunning. It could be likened to the best late night shows, but doubtlessly with a fraction of the resources at hand. Indeed, The Gist is a lot like a late night program - structured with opening/closing monologues, a guest, and regular sidebar segments often reflecting items permeating the cultural hive mind. I can't believe the material they (Or only Pesca? Does he have a staff?) churn out with such consistency. The jokes are crisp, timely and smart, inhabiting a niche in the comedic realm that minimizes crassness and maximizes untrod territory. I've consumed a lot of Trump inflected media in the past four months, and Pesca somehow manages to find a new angle on the subject whenever it surfaces. It's this ingenuity that makes him an excellent co-host on Slate's sports podcast Hang Up And Listen (a semi-regular player on the Blogcast circuit, most recently here).
While the content is excellent, part of the charm of this particular show is in the delivery. Despite having served in a variety of roles at NPR, Pesca lacks the comforting droll of your typical public radio personality. Now I enjoy the warm glow of an Audie Cornish as much as anyone, and the chummy resolve of a Steve Inskeep is always welcome in my home. Furthermore, I think such even-keeled sobriety is essential for delivering news. The Gist is an editorial program, yet it contains the sort of journalistic integrity sorely lacking from a lot of talking-head-based media. Pesca admits when he's wrong, hedging doubt with humor that does not distract from an issue but rather couches it in a different light. This, probably as much as any other aspect of the show, accounts for the deep level of listener engagement with the show.
Unlike television in general, podcasts (in general) have a pretty crazy standard of longevity. This American Life has been on air for 20 years, The Nerdist has recorded 800+ episodes, and Radiolab has become the cornerstone offering of public radio giant WNYC. And none of these shows indicate any signs of stopping - quite to the contrary, each has moved to expand with various spinoff shows garnering a fair level of acclaim. Even still, as any fan of any truly great thing must do, I occasionally fret over the inevitable end to the towering-yet-subtle reliability of The Gist in my aural itinerary. Who knows when this may come all come to an end?! I've no doubt that as long as Pesca lives I will have some sort of resource for nuanced, well-informed banter somewhere on the internet, but here's hoping the comforting flow of The Gist won't be interrupted anytime soon.
The show page on Slate can be found here: http://www.slate.com/articles/podcasts/gist.html
Pesca is also a great follow on Twitter: @pescami (https://twitter.com/pescami)
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