February 25, 2018
If you've been paying attention to the news and/or social media in the last week, you've been inundated with anything and everything related to guns and their place in America. I've not intentionally excluded any podcasts on the topic, but the way things shook out there wasn't anything of particular relevance that made the list. Mike Pesca and The Gist had some excellent monologues last week, and the latest from On The Media provided a more classically journalistic angle. Now that we've taken care of that, on to the goods!
THE LIST
1. Hidden Brain - "Why Did Marriage Become So Hard"
Anyone who is married, wants to be married, has married friends, or is aware of the concept of marriage should listen to this show. Too bold of an endorsement? Maybe. But being pushed to think about this often-taken-for-granted-yet-pervasive thing as a constantly shifting product of culture blew my mind. It had me feeling grateful for my incredible wife and simultaneously perplexed as to how many happy accidents had to occur for me to find myself in this position: a familiar pact between people that we've somewhat unknowingly shaped to meet our needs and personalities.
2. The Cracked Podcast - "Why Justin Timberlake AND White Survivalists Are Moving West"
OK, I know what you're thinking: JT seems to be getting a lot of play the past couple weeks on The Pod Piper, surely a manifestation of Aaron's childhood affinity for N'Sync. While I can speak to the deeper psychologically impact a certain boy band had in shaping my life, I can promise that no knowledge of or connection to Justin Timberlake is necessary to find this episode thought-provoking. Why have we sanctified wilderness in such a personally-defining way? Can modern celebrities avoid commenting on current events? And why-oh-why does this R&B man (neé teeny-bopper) pretend like his music suddenly embodies the rugged self-made outdoorsiness of rural America?
3. Futility Closet - "The Bat Bomb"
Bats were almost used in place of the atomic bomb to attack Japan. Bats. How have I never encountered this story anywhere?! There's not much more to say, apart from that if you've never opened the Futility Closet doors, now is a great time to do so.
HONORABLE MENTION
Planet Money - "The Vodka Proof"
SOMETHING NEW
I'm a fan of reviews. Whether it's regaling friends to extol the virtues of a new show, reading an article detailing the intricacies of a new art exhibit, or hearing a radio personality carry on about the latest Oscar bait, critically dissecting culture is essential to creating meaning. I don't know how the numbers would break down, but I'd wager there aren't too many people that seek out a review as a first step toward experiencing a creative endeavor in some form. My personal preference is to avoid lengthy delving until after I watch/read/listen to a thing. A friend's recommendation can lead me to check out something new, but the gabbing I truly cherish comes after both parties have had as close to the same base-level experience as possible. In an average review, chances are that a critic has taken steps to avoid weaving plot-spoilers into a piece. While that's all fine and dandy, sometimes what I crave is honest indulgence that digs into the meat of artistic flounderings and triumphs. Queue Slate's Spoiler Specials, a podcast from Panoply that has been revelling in holistic takedowns and pedestaling of cultural products for nearly 12 years.
If you're familiar with the concept of the gabfest brand from Slate, this show should feel right at home in your ears. Learned critics from the online newsmagazine gather around a topic or piece of art to bat it around with a just-right-mix of joviality, snark, and reverence. Spoiler Specials episodes are conducted with the same passion and knowledge, but with the pleasurable revelation of plot points to deepen the discussion. It's one thing to stumble upon a familiar show or movie review inside a podcast that churns out a trio of ponderings (as is the typical MO for the always excellent Culture Gabfest from Slate), but reviewing a single cultural entity has generally been the place of written criticism. There are certainly movie-review podcasts out there, but none that I've found emanate from a publishing platform as deeply rooted in the critical landscape as Slate.
An article from The Millions about podcasts as an emerging form of literary criticism started me down the path of pursuing reviews for specific works of TV and cinema I've already consumed, and Spoiler Specials seems to have perfected this niche over their decade-plus run. Interactive peer-to-peer conversations are excellent, but silly things like 'having a life' and 'not getting around to it' often muddle and eventually bury these good intentions. The immediacy of plopping in earbuds is not so easily bested, and doing so with this show leads to hearing some incredibly well-spoken pros chip in their two cents to the wishing well of audience response. Critics aren't here to be the gate-keepers of culture, but they sure are insightful if you view media as a part of society and not just way to escape from it. Join a book club, go see a movie with your friends, read the longform piece your aunt shared with you, and definitely add your thoughts to the conversation. But if you can't/don't wan't to engage in any of these forums (or if you're looking to go even deeper on a given title), find an applicable episode of Spoiler Specials and see how your perspective overlaps and widens.
If you're familiar with the concept of the gabfest brand from Slate, this show should feel right at home in your ears. Learned critics from the online newsmagazine gather around a topic or piece of art to bat it around with a just-right-mix of joviality, snark, and reverence. Spoiler Specials episodes are conducted with the same passion and knowledge, but with the pleasurable revelation of plot points to deepen the discussion. It's one thing to stumble upon a familiar show or movie review inside a podcast that churns out a trio of ponderings (as is the typical MO for the always excellent Culture Gabfest from Slate), but reviewing a single cultural entity has generally been the place of written criticism. There are certainly movie-review podcasts out there, but none that I've found emanate from a publishing platform as deeply rooted in the critical landscape as Slate.
An article from The Millions about podcasts as an emerging form of literary criticism started me down the path of pursuing reviews for specific works of TV and cinema I've already consumed, and Spoiler Specials seems to have perfected this niche over their decade-plus run. Interactive peer-to-peer conversations are excellent, but silly things like 'having a life' and 'not getting around to it' often muddle and eventually bury these good intentions. The immediacy of plopping in earbuds is not so easily bested, and doing so with this show leads to hearing some incredibly well-spoken pros chip in their two cents to the wishing well of audience response. Critics aren't here to be the gate-keepers of culture, but they sure are insightful if you view media as a part of society and not just way to escape from it. Join a book club, go see a movie with your friends, read the longform piece your aunt shared with you, and definitely add your thoughts to the conversation. But if you can't/don't wan't to engage in any of these forums (or if you're looking to go even deeper on a given title), find an applicable episode of Spoiler Specials and see how your perspective overlaps and widens.
Slate's Spoiler Specials
From: Panoply
Recommended for: Fans of a specific show or movie looking for a comprehensive voice
Drop Schedule: Day(s), Infrequent
Average episode length: 30 minutes
Rating: Gotta Have It
From: Panoply
Recommended for: Fans of a specific show or movie looking for a comprehensive voice
Drop Schedule: Day(s), Infrequent
Average episode length: 30 minutes
Rating: Gotta Have It
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