September 20, 2020
THE LIST
The altruism of recycling isn't a central tenet of my core beliefs as much as it is something I've long held to be an unrivaled planetary good. Well last year's PM episode 'So, Should We Recycle?' sent me reeling, and 'Waste Land' comes in now to deliver some victory lap punches to my perception of sustainability. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. And maybe just do that last one sparingly because everything you’ve ever known may be a lie.
This episode is a retrospective of host John Green's life via the lens of the podcast. I want every podcaster to reckon with their show in this way when approaching an indefinite hiatus! Also, please come back soon. Humanity needs your sardonic wit to help us through these chaotic times.
Convincing a person to do something new can be difficult. Furthermore, not dunking on someone is hard when you feel like you are so clearly and objectively on the right side. I think about this episode often whenever coming across a contrary opinion, and there is much of the mask-specific communication that can be broadly applicable.
The Netflix sonic signature may be the most recognizable sound in the history of the world. This is pretty timely, as the world is increasingly relegated to staying home and hearing that brief intro as we do battle with the queue.
Trust and paranoia: whistleblowing as a career path in the digital age. This is some straight up real life spy fodder, along with some more broadly applicable psychology for us civilians.
The person-on-the-street interviews across a night in Los Angeles feels extra voyeuristic now as most of us sit at home on Friday and every other day.
HONORABLE MENTION
SOMETHINGS NEW
Servant of Pod with Nick Quah
For the uninitiated, Nick Quah is the godfather of podcast news. His weekly longform newsletter Hotpod is essential reading for anyone in the industry. This show is everything my inner podcast nerd has ever wanted: directed conversations with creators of notable podcast fare with an eye for how they fit into the larger ecosystem. That said, it feels accessible even if you aren’t deep into the world of audio making. Jargon is minimal, and episodes can be served a la carte for itinerant fans of specific shows. Structurally it’s an interview show with a focus (and thank goodness, since “conversations with interesting people” has been sooooo overdone). Nick is sort of a celebrity to me, though, so you could argue this is akin to Rob Lowe or Brené Brown or (insert a new celeb every time you blink) with better production quality (Quah’s interlude voiceovers are minimal yet choice). It’s more like Longform, really, with a perhaps more diverse set of journeys given the nascency of podcasting compared to writing.
David Tennant Does a Podcast With...
Who doesn’t like David Tennant? I’ve never seen him as Doctor Who, and I’m realizing that basically all his characters are either rough around the edges (Hardy, Crowley) or completely evil (Kilgrave, Barty Crouch Jr.). He’s brilliant, and his charm and charisma as an actor do not disappoint when translated to podcast hosting. Back for season two after debuting in early 2019, the show features conversations with an ease and intimacy that lend the air of a post-show last-call lowkey debriefing at the bar with an old friend. Maybe that late night vibe I’m picking up can be credited to listening with my newborn daughter in the middle of the night. Regardless, I’m hooked and plan to work my way through the archives.
MusicalSplaining
What does a theater lover do during a pandemic when sitting inside a tightly packed room with strangers sounds like pretty terrible civic behavior? Turn to podcasts, natch. For people who do and don’t like musicals and do and don’t like “theater people," MusicalSplaining is just sassy enough to keep it interesting. Lindsay Ellis tries to spread the love and knowledge of musical theater to her cohost Kaveh Taherian, faux-curmudgeon and gradual musical convert. Ellis provides some context before the two go and see a show (either in person or some recorded production), and then we convene with a vibrant discussion from people with drastically different exposure to the medium. It's freeform and casual but the conversation doesn't trail off into needlessly lengthy discussions, and listeners can pick and choose if there is a particular show that resonates. Things do falter a bit when the pair is joined by an additional guest, but thankfully this doesn’t happen all that often.
For the uninitiated, Nick Quah is the godfather of podcast news. His weekly longform newsletter Hotpod is essential reading for anyone in the industry. This show is everything my inner podcast nerd has ever wanted: directed conversations with creators of notable podcast fare with an eye for how they fit into the larger ecosystem. That said, it feels accessible even if you aren’t deep into the world of audio making. Jargon is minimal, and episodes can be served a la carte for itinerant fans of specific shows. Structurally it’s an interview show with a focus (and thank goodness, since “conversations with interesting people” has been sooooo overdone). Nick is sort of a celebrity to me, though, so you could argue this is akin to Rob Lowe or Brené Brown or (insert a new celeb every time you blink) with better production quality (Quah’s interlude voiceovers are minimal yet choice). It’s more like Longform, really, with a perhaps more diverse set of journeys given the nascency of podcasting compared to writing.
David Tennant Does a Podcast With...
Who doesn’t like David Tennant? I’ve never seen him as Doctor Who, and I’m realizing that basically all his characters are either rough around the edges (Hardy, Crowley) or completely evil (Kilgrave, Barty Crouch Jr.). He’s brilliant, and his charm and charisma as an actor do not disappoint when translated to podcast hosting. Back for season two after debuting in early 2019, the show features conversations with an ease and intimacy that lend the air of a post-show last-call lowkey debriefing at the bar with an old friend. Maybe that late night vibe I’m picking up can be credited to listening with my newborn daughter in the middle of the night. Regardless, I’m hooked and plan to work my way through the archives.
MusicalSplaining
What does a theater lover do during a pandemic when sitting inside a tightly packed room with strangers sounds like pretty terrible civic behavior? Turn to podcasts, natch. For people who do and don’t like musicals and do and don’t like “theater people," MusicalSplaining is just sassy enough to keep it interesting. Lindsay Ellis tries to spread the love and knowledge of musical theater to her cohost Kaveh Taherian, faux-curmudgeon and gradual musical convert. Ellis provides some context before the two go and see a show (either in person or some recorded production), and then we convene with a vibrant discussion from people with drastically different exposure to the medium. It's freeform and casual but the conversation doesn't trail off into needlessly lengthy discussions, and listeners can pick and choose if there is a particular show that resonates. Things do falter a bit when the pair is joined by an additional guest, but thankfully this doesn’t happen all that often.
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