November 5, 2018
THE LIST
Through her years as a television critic for Slate, Willa Paskin has developed an impressive critical eye. Now she has her own unique take on cultural criticism in podcast form. As the host of Decoder Ring, Paskin and producer Benjamin Frisch examine integral aspects of cultural that escape the bounds of a traditional review. On "The Incunabula Papers," the most ambitious episode to date and one of the most intriguing podcast episodes of 2018, the duo diabolically writes and executes a mesmerizing crossover from straightforward audio reporting to performative auteurism. The episode is about the original alternate reality game (ARG), and it really drives home the idea that crafting such a thing is a new form of literary art.
Our voting system is susceptible to hacking in ways you may and may not have considered, and the duo behind Breach highlights this beautifully. Hopefully this doesn't bum you out, but rather breathes life into the importance of participation in our national ritual so relatively few cherish. Maybe if voter turnout was closer to 100%, there would be more political will to shore up the mechanisms we use to cast our ballots.
Planet Money audio drama? Yes, please! This was neck-and-neck with Everything Is Alive's "Annie, Jack o'Lantern" for the honor of best Halloween-themed podcast I heard this year (though admittedly the celebrity cameos may not resonate unless you've been fully inculcated into the PM fan club). As a bonus, the episode is spritzed with all sorts of economic humor and references, and it is a conceptually delightful exercise for the good folks at NPR to cosign.
John Green's take on pennies was sound, if not a little obvious, but the bit on Piggly Wiggly is a masterful synthesis of capitalism and lunacy. If you like charismatic leaders who revolutionize an industry, take note of Clarence Saunders. This guy actually named a spinoff chain of groceries "Clarence Saunders, Sole Owner of My Name Stores." Really.
Convicted criminals lose civil liberties in Florida indefinitely, even after serving time, until an appeal is filed and a judge decides to relinquish certain rights. This episode of Embedded follows several people opine for their sacred democratic imperative, and highlights yet another confounding part of living in Florida.
HONORABLE MENTION
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