December 11, 2017

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THE LIST

Equal parts listicle, pep talk, and state-of-the-union, this insightful and comedic episode encapsulates the swatch of the internet content market Cracked has conquered. It's hopeful, funny, informative, and a great stabilizing device for anyone facing the utterly American swirl of volatile opportunity.

It isn't news that race is a societal construct meant to subjugate the down-trodden. But who specifically invented race? The second episode in this mini-series from Scene on Radio found the person credited to this onerous achievement, and brilliantly contextualizes the history of race as it began to evolve.

3. Slate's Culture Gabfest - "Fractal Badness Edition"
There's a temptation to dismiss notorious cinematic flop The Room as just that - simply one of the worst movies ever produced. The gabbers take a more productive approach, adroitly parlaying a reading of this embarrassingly bad piece of creativity into a conversation about dissecting film across the board.

HONORABLE MENTION
99% Invisible - "The Nut Behind the Wheel"
30 for 30 - "Madden's Game"
Hang Up and Listen - "The Most Valuable Vegan Edition"
Strangers - "Go, Kalan"
Futility Closet - "An Academic Impostor"
American Suburb - "Rabbit Hole"

SOMETHING NEW

There are many brilliant podcasts that focus on music. With NPR's classic All Songs Considered, Radiotopia's Song Exploder, and Panoply's Switched On Pop and Hit Parade to name but a few, listeners have ample access to critical discourse and musician interviews. While these and other shows have focused on compositions meant to soundtrack film and television, the art of music direction has not taken center stage. That brings us to Spotify's brilliant concept for a show: parsing through a television series with the people responsible for decorating the soundscapes of pivotal scenes. Spotify Studios has produced two other podcast offerings in a (thus far lackluster) strike against the Apple death grip on the genre. Unpacked focuses on the live music experience (well-trod territory for the All Songs Considered crew) and Mogul portrays the rise and fall of rap mogul Chris Lighty (a brilliant bio-doc, with an untraditional subject but very familiar format). All that to say, Showstopper is certainly the most compelling of the three.

Editor Naomi Zeichner of music website The Fader adeptly deploys her music-journalism experience as the host of Showstopper. It's no surprise that creators are self-aware of the decisions that drive their art, and the conversations are accordingly astute. The very exercise of examining this oft-ignored yet essential role of TV production gives rise to awareness of a score when watching a show. Still, having familiarity with an episode-centering series does make each tiny detail eminently more compelling. Source material familiarity is a nearly insurmountable obstacle for Showstopper and any would-be copycast (trademark pending). No amount of setup or clip playing can adequately prepare an uninitiated listener to have a transcendent behind-the-scenes experience. Yet in an ever-expanding world already brimming with quality podcast offerings, it is almost a blessing to find something pleasing in select doses. And after a show gracefully exits a Netflix queue, Showstopper is a handy device for cherishing the memories of a beloved television watching experience.

Showstopper
From: Spotify Studios
Recommended for: TV fans that have already seen a given show
Drop Schedule: Thursday, Seasonal:Sporadic
Average episode length: 25 minutes
Rating: Make It Work

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