June 25 - July 1, 2017
1. Startup - "How To Invent A New Sport"
Basketball has long been my favorite sport. It flows elegantly, lacks a major doping scandal at the professional level (knock on wood) and is relatively free of brutality. But with football being the dominant sport in American culture, one might make a case that the last virtue is more of a turn off. How to fill the void of violence while still enjoying dazzling passes and high flying dunks from preternaturally gifted athletes? Slamball! The sport integrates trampolines, pads and a pretty lenient set of rules lightening the penalty for contact. This results in a catnip of a sport for teenage boys everywhere. I thought the fantastic collision of grace and grit died after a too-brief stint in the limelight in the mid 2000s, but in reality the sport simply receded in the US as it began to blossom in China. Startup takes a look at this still-developing venture and details how founder Mason Gordon is continuing to usher his brainchild into existence. The idea of inventing and spreading a sport is an endlessly curious concept, and my familiarity with the sport caused this episode to resonate with me.
2. Radiolab - "The Gondolier"
Gondoliering has long been an exclusively male activity (Profession? Way of life?), but a couple years ago this notion was challenged by an intrepid individual seeking to make waves. This edition of Radiolab takes a closer look at that story which, while seemingly an international phenomenon, hadn't passed through my consciousness. The evocation of Venice and the complexities of gender and power alone make "The Gondolier" a thoughtfully requisite listen. Identity, mystery, contradiction and equality pepper this episode and left me with the satisfaction of a story well told and a lot of difficult questions to ponder.
3. The Cracked Podcast - "Looking The Part - Soren and Daniel On Movie Scars and Tattoos"
Movie theories have long been Cracked's bread and butter. Now the comedy infused cultural criticism is branching off into some more tangible theorizing with a series on how the physical aspects of a movie can aid in deepening one's understanding of plot. This episode specifically tackles skin, and how any kind of alterations to it can portend different character traits. What's more, panelist Jenna Murphy brings essential insight to the table as someone who works in Hollywood as a costume designer. To a seasoned movie buff this may be nothing new, but I found it riveting and can't wait to watch a film with the knowledge gleaned here.
HONORABLE MENTION
Hang Up and Listen - "The Warriors Derangement Syndrome Edition"
Invisibilia - "True You"
Planet Money - "On Second Thought"
SOMETHING NEW
As a medium, podcasts are flush with dramatic nonfiction shows. The majority revolve around a crime or mystery, however, which breeds a short of unfair expectation that salient details need to be slowly and intricately delivered in service of a compelling ending. (Shows like S-Town have broken this mold to some extent, focusing much more on biographical canvasing of subjects without leaning on a gut wrenching reveal.) The world of sports narratives, on the other hand, is comparatively tepid. Fictional films focused on sports teams tend toward the mercilessly inspirational, and documentary features (such as those aired about Olympic athletes, or on select segments from ESPN) drip with a little too much self-importance. So naturally I was a little apprehensive to hear about ESPN's latest venture in podcasts, an audio adaptation of the "30 For 30" documentary shorts. I'm pleased to report that 30 For 30 Podcasts seem to be endeavoring to strike a balance between the melodramatic and the truly interesting.
On the debut episode "The Trials of Dan and Dave," ESPN pulls off a mix of levity and not-too-unbearable sports-related drama. The show definitely has the intimacy of a podcast up front, rather than the somewhat populist "look at how meaningful sports are" shtick often found in the aforementioned films in the genre. The guest interviews are well executed and woven together in a way that builds an appropriate amount of tension, along with some equally apt editorializing to setup each interviewee. The story, while certainly about sports at it's heart, incorporates a broader contextualization to help connect the events to the world. There are moments when music steps in a bit too obtusely as a device to elicit emotion, but it's a negligible defect in an otherwise very solid product. I'm staying tuned for more, and hope the team continues to pull together sports and drama in a pleasing way.
30 For 30 Podcasts
Recommended for: Sports enthusiasts and sports adjacents alike
Rating: Gotta Have It
Basketball has long been my favorite sport. It flows elegantly, lacks a major doping scandal at the professional level (knock on wood) and is relatively free of brutality. But with football being the dominant sport in American culture, one might make a case that the last virtue is more of a turn off. How to fill the void of violence while still enjoying dazzling passes and high flying dunks from preternaturally gifted athletes? Slamball! The sport integrates trampolines, pads and a pretty lenient set of rules lightening the penalty for contact. This results in a catnip of a sport for teenage boys everywhere. I thought the fantastic collision of grace and grit died after a too-brief stint in the limelight in the mid 2000s, but in reality the sport simply receded in the US as it began to blossom in China. Startup takes a look at this still-developing venture and details how founder Mason Gordon is continuing to usher his brainchild into existence. The idea of inventing and spreading a sport is an endlessly curious concept, and my familiarity with the sport caused this episode to resonate with me.
2. Radiolab - "The Gondolier"
Gondoliering has long been an exclusively male activity (Profession? Way of life?), but a couple years ago this notion was challenged by an intrepid individual seeking to make waves. This edition of Radiolab takes a closer look at that story which, while seemingly an international phenomenon, hadn't passed through my consciousness. The evocation of Venice and the complexities of gender and power alone make "The Gondolier" a thoughtfully requisite listen. Identity, mystery, contradiction and equality pepper this episode and left me with the satisfaction of a story well told and a lot of difficult questions to ponder.
3. The Cracked Podcast - "Looking The Part - Soren and Daniel On Movie Scars and Tattoos"
Movie theories have long been Cracked's bread and butter. Now the comedy infused cultural criticism is branching off into some more tangible theorizing with a series on how the physical aspects of a movie can aid in deepening one's understanding of plot. This episode specifically tackles skin, and how any kind of alterations to it can portend different character traits. What's more, panelist Jenna Murphy brings essential insight to the table as someone who works in Hollywood as a costume designer. To a seasoned movie buff this may be nothing new, but I found it riveting and can't wait to watch a film with the knowledge gleaned here.
HONORABLE MENTION
Hang Up and Listen - "The Warriors Derangement Syndrome Edition"
Invisibilia - "True You"
Planet Money - "On Second Thought"
SOMETHING NEW
As a medium, podcasts are flush with dramatic nonfiction shows. The majority revolve around a crime or mystery, however, which breeds a short of unfair expectation that salient details need to be slowly and intricately delivered in service of a compelling ending. (Shows like S-Town have broken this mold to some extent, focusing much more on biographical canvasing of subjects without leaning on a gut wrenching reveal.) The world of sports narratives, on the other hand, is comparatively tepid. Fictional films focused on sports teams tend toward the mercilessly inspirational, and documentary features (such as those aired about Olympic athletes, or on select segments from ESPN) drip with a little too much self-importance. So naturally I was a little apprehensive to hear about ESPN's latest venture in podcasts, an audio adaptation of the "30 For 30" documentary shorts. I'm pleased to report that 30 For 30 Podcasts seem to be endeavoring to strike a balance between the melodramatic and the truly interesting.
On the debut episode "The Trials of Dan and Dave," ESPN pulls off a mix of levity and not-too-unbearable sports-related drama. The show definitely has the intimacy of a podcast up front, rather than the somewhat populist "look at how meaningful sports are" shtick often found in the aforementioned films in the genre. The guest interviews are well executed and woven together in a way that builds an appropriate amount of tension, along with some equally apt editorializing to setup each interviewee. The story, while certainly about sports at it's heart, incorporates a broader contextualization to help connect the events to the world. There are moments when music steps in a bit too obtusely as a device to elicit emotion, but it's a negligible defect in an otherwise very solid product. I'm staying tuned for more, and hope the team continues to pull together sports and drama in a pleasing way.
30 For 30 Podcasts
Recommended for: Sports enthusiasts and sports adjacents alike
Rating: Gotta Have It
Comments
Post a Comment