September 10 - 16, 2017
THE LIST
1. This American Life - "Essay B"
The structure of unpacking complicated issues in the hot-take generation goes a bit like this:
a) Bold declaration of rights vs. privilege in some form of media.
b) Effective narrative bargaining to sway majority opinion, almost always via social media.
c) Societal reckoning of narrative with data, usually generated by some institute or investigatory organization.
d) General adoption of truths and/or embedding in a comfort zone.
When change happens it can often be slow and unrecognizable, so it's no wonder that this conclusive fourth step is so elusive. With enough time and distance, does it get easier to make a general pronouncement on a given matter? That's where This American Life comes in, with an episode that looks back in hopes of moving forward. The idea of integrating schools surely seems like a thing of the past to many people in this country, but it is very worthwhile to examine the effects of such a monumental movement and how it still resonates in the present. The topic seems as confounding as ever, yet there is some solace to be found in the uncertainty of exploration.
2. Rough Translation - "American Surrogate"
The business of surrogacy got a lot of play in the last election cycle, with pervasive questions about who was speaking as a representative of which candidate and whether or not the support was desired or not. In literal child-bearing surrogacy the physical specifics are much less up for debate. Still, the treacherous elements of relationship building and trust can hold every bit as much intrigue as an Omarosa or a Giuliani. The intimate concept of having another person carry your offspring is inherently mysterious and challenging to talk about, and since Rough Translation is the show presenting this topic you know that there's an additional cross-cultural layer tacked on. A layer that spans between China and Oregon, to be more specific. "American Surrogate" challenges preconceived notions of race and identity and immigration, all the while telling a Hollywood-worthy story in an honest and informative way.
3. Planet Money - "How To Make It In The Music Business"
There's a lot of fluidity in the landscape of digital media these days, not the least of which stems from how we access and consume music. Can people actually make money as artists and producers in an age where compensating creatives often seems to be a secondary consideration? Well, lucky for us, the thing Planet Money does best is to take a complex subject and make it knowable. Through a semi-time-warp hauling us back to a long-lost video-game-based DJ tool, the story of one man's subtle rise in the biz entertains and enlightens.
HONORABLE MENTION
99% Invisible - "Coal Hogs Work Safe"
Off-Book: The Improvised Musical - "All Of Our Business (w/Erin Whitehead)"
SOMETHING NEW
Why would someone make a show about food, something inherently visual and sensory, in an audio-based medium? Furthermore, how would it even be possible to pull off that ill-advised move without enraging a salivating populace? It was with these two questions in mind that I set out to explore the world of Gastropod. And, ok, full disclosure, I kept hearing a teaser about how the show would reveal the mysterious world of coffee (in "Caffeine: The World's Most Popular Drug") and I wanted in. Unlike Splendid Table, (a fine show, but one which ambivalently tortures me with sumptuous descriptions of unattainable cooking achievements whenever I come across it scanning NPR on a lazy Sunday), Gastropod promises "no recipes" from episode one. Rather than functioning on a purely practical "how-to" level, better suited for online tutorials and YouTube channels, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley couch their show as "food through the lens of science and history." Now I can feel your eyes twitching, but before they go full-on back-of-the-head-roll, let me assure you that this highly-produced podcast has both stylistic elements of the best audio-documentaries and appropriate injections of humor and personality.
If you didn't tune out after reading the phrase "science and history," rest assured that the show does have an intimate connection to the modern world and all it's trials. Sure, some episodes like the one about golden spoons reek with a potential exclusive self-indulgence. On the other hand, the most recent episode in folio tackles school lunch - a more utilitarian concept and a sticky talking point with international and domestic implications. By nature, this broad scope of subject matter means two things: the show is difficult to listen to passively, and it is graciously paced in it's release. It may appear counterintuitive to state this show can't be breezily streamed from the living room as you run about the house, since each episode is a collage built around a theme. The show is just so jam-packed with various thoughts, interviews and joyous rabbit trails that the pacing is fast moving and following a given through line gets difficult if you aren't focused. But with the fortnightly release schedule, the team doesn't ask us to drop everything for 45 minutes twice a week. However often you listen, Gastropod taps into connections between convoluted elements related to the stuff we put in our mouth, resulting in something ponderous and not purely hunger-inducing.
Gastropod
Recommended for: Foodies, people who eat food, people who have ever thought about changing trends
Rating: Make It Work
1. This American Life - "Essay B"
The structure of unpacking complicated issues in the hot-take generation goes a bit like this:
a) Bold declaration of rights vs. privilege in some form of media.
b) Effective narrative bargaining to sway majority opinion, almost always via social media.
c) Societal reckoning of narrative with data, usually generated by some institute or investigatory organization.
d) General adoption of truths and/or embedding in a comfort zone.
When change happens it can often be slow and unrecognizable, so it's no wonder that this conclusive fourth step is so elusive. With enough time and distance, does it get easier to make a general pronouncement on a given matter? That's where This American Life comes in, with an episode that looks back in hopes of moving forward. The idea of integrating schools surely seems like a thing of the past to many people in this country, but it is very worthwhile to examine the effects of such a monumental movement and how it still resonates in the present. The topic seems as confounding as ever, yet there is some solace to be found in the uncertainty of exploration.
2. Rough Translation - "American Surrogate"
The business of surrogacy got a lot of play in the last election cycle, with pervasive questions about who was speaking as a representative of which candidate and whether or not the support was desired or not. In literal child-bearing surrogacy the physical specifics are much less up for debate. Still, the treacherous elements of relationship building and trust can hold every bit as much intrigue as an Omarosa or a Giuliani. The intimate concept of having another person carry your offspring is inherently mysterious and challenging to talk about, and since Rough Translation is the show presenting this topic you know that there's an additional cross-cultural layer tacked on. A layer that spans between China and Oregon, to be more specific. "American Surrogate" challenges preconceived notions of race and identity and immigration, all the while telling a Hollywood-worthy story in an honest and informative way.
3. Planet Money - "How To Make It In The Music Business"
There's a lot of fluidity in the landscape of digital media these days, not the least of which stems from how we access and consume music. Can people actually make money as artists and producers in an age where compensating creatives often seems to be a secondary consideration? Well, lucky for us, the thing Planet Money does best is to take a complex subject and make it knowable. Through a semi-time-warp hauling us back to a long-lost video-game-based DJ tool, the story of one man's subtle rise in the biz entertains and enlightens.
HONORABLE MENTION
99% Invisible - "Coal Hogs Work Safe"
Off-Book: The Improvised Musical - "All Of Our Business (w/Erin Whitehead)"
"As a business model, why are we trying to be one out of 20 shows and copy Oprah?" - Jerry Springer, The Turnaround: Jerry Springer
SOMETHING NEW
Why would someone make a show about food, something inherently visual and sensory, in an audio-based medium? Furthermore, how would it even be possible to pull off that ill-advised move without enraging a salivating populace? It was with these two questions in mind that I set out to explore the world of Gastropod. And, ok, full disclosure, I kept hearing a teaser about how the show would reveal the mysterious world of coffee (in "Caffeine: The World's Most Popular Drug") and I wanted in. Unlike Splendid Table, (a fine show, but one which ambivalently tortures me with sumptuous descriptions of unattainable cooking achievements whenever I come across it scanning NPR on a lazy Sunday), Gastropod promises "no recipes" from episode one. Rather than functioning on a purely practical "how-to" level, better suited for online tutorials and YouTube channels, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley couch their show as "food through the lens of science and history." Now I can feel your eyes twitching, but before they go full-on back-of-the-head-roll, let me assure you that this highly-produced podcast has both stylistic elements of the best audio-documentaries and appropriate injections of humor and personality.
If you didn't tune out after reading the phrase "science and history," rest assured that the show does have an intimate connection to the modern world and all it's trials. Sure, some episodes like the one about golden spoons reek with a potential exclusive self-indulgence. On the other hand, the most recent episode in folio tackles school lunch - a more utilitarian concept and a sticky talking point with international and domestic implications. By nature, this broad scope of subject matter means two things: the show is difficult to listen to passively, and it is graciously paced in it's release. It may appear counterintuitive to state this show can't be breezily streamed from the living room as you run about the house, since each episode is a collage built around a theme. The show is just so jam-packed with various thoughts, interviews and joyous rabbit trails that the pacing is fast moving and following a given through line gets difficult if you aren't focused. But with the fortnightly release schedule, the team doesn't ask us to drop everything for 45 minutes twice a week. However often you listen, Gastropod taps into connections between convoluted elements related to the stuff we put in our mouth, resulting in something ponderous and not purely hunger-inducing.
Gastropod
Recommended for: Foodies, people who eat food, people who have ever thought about changing trends
Rating: Make It Work
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