October 31, 2020
The election draws nigh. Also Halloween, with a full/blue moon. And last night's frost left the Maple City paved in leaves. It feels very much like a calm before the storm type of moment. Maybe that's also because daylight savings time threatens to destabilize the blessedly regular sleep schedule of my 11 week old daughter. Is the death of democracy akin to being woken up by the screams of an infant? Give it a month and perhaps we'll find out. Until then, podcasts! (And, who am I kidding, #podcasts4evah)
THE LIST
THE LIST
The internet is a weird place, as has been well documented on Reply All over the years. Less well-trod is the weirdness of phone lines and the shady mastermind controlling a majority of them. This was the perfect thing for a Friday afternoon, though I suspect it probably plays well on most any day of the week.
If you’ve heard anything about QAnon, this episode proves to be quite fascinating. And if you’ve never heard of QAnon...well honestly maybe it’s for the best. But if you’re game, this is quite enlightening.
This is an episode where kids of incarcerated folks speak about the impact of having a parent absent from childhood. I’ve been moved by episodes of Ear Hustle, but this is probably the most heartbreaking piece the team has yet to put together. It’s another fantastic example of Ear Hustle’s range, breaking new ground with Earlonne Woods working on the outside.
When Hamilton was released to the masses via Disney+ this summer, I heard many critical voices discussing the politics of the show and how it hadn’t aged well since it’s debut in 2015. These critiques came from corners of the world with which I largely agree, but something rang a little hollow for me. This breakdown of the show (with special guest Hank Green) offers a myriad of balanced criticism that approaches the work as a creative endeavor rather than a cure for all that ails America. I dug it.
Grace and Frankie aside, the only thing I really associate with Jane Fonda is exercise. After listening to this episode, I know a whole lot more about the woman. Host Willa Paskin kinda sorta backed into a scenario that would feel at home on Heavyweight, as Fonda reconciles with a woman who she may have unintentionally screwed over. I expect that Part 2 will get more into the Decoder Ring territory of contextualizing the cultural significance of the actress and her famed workout.
Podcasting is still so nascent that I am 100% in on any podcast recs that come my way from a personal acquaintance - specifically if I know that person is not exactly a super listener. So when my mom recommended this Alan Alda joint, I most definitely hit it up. Dr. Fauci is a real American hero. Full stop.
HONORABLE MENTION
Planet Money - "Sell Me Your Climate Bombs"
An Arm and a Leg- "Your TikTok Mom has some medical-bill tips"
SOMETHING NEW
For some reason when MOONFACE debuted last year, I remember it being touted as a bold entry into bilingual podcasting. I was expecting that to manifest as a protagonist with a lot of dialogue in a two person drama. My expectations were not correct - the lines are scattered throughout, but it’s a world in which all but one character speaks fluent English. Plus, that really buried the lede of this show. I don’t mean to dismiss this outright by any means. I’ve never heard any English language podcast contain untranslated Korean from a supporting character, and in this case it was both an effective device and something that honestly felt really natural. My main gripe is with myself, for subconsciously relegating this into some box of shows that might require the mental load of reading subtitles on a foreign language film...and thus not taking the time to experience it sooner. MOONFACE is so much more than a successful experiment in audio drama.
It’s an LGBTQ story.
Paul, our protagonist, is a semi-out (to most people but not his mother) gay man. There is a good deal more erotica than any fictional podcast I’ve heard to date, and it doesn’t take long for that to be apparent. It was admittedly a bit disorienting upon first listen. My inner prude felt like maybe it was a little much (I certainly do not recommend having this blasting when greeting a Panera employee at car-side pickup), but it really serves to underscore the stark contrast of the protagonist inhabiting different worlds.
It’s an immigrant story.
Language does play a significant role in the show, as Paul’s mother is more comfortable speaking in her native language. She does speak English, but it is clear that her identity remains entrenched in Korean. Flashbacks survey the struggles of otherness in Paul’s childhood, framed with the earnesty of an immigrant mother speaking English as a new language. Late in the series, we hear a bit about her life and the husband who is absent from the larger narrative. This exposition lays bare the reality that our parents were once younger than us, and the proclivity of youth to write off the eternal confidence of elders.
It’s an artist's story.
I’ve never heard a work of fiction reference so many specific podcasts (in video, written, or podcast form). It helps that our protagonist is a sound artist with aspirations of podcasting. Anyone with a general familiarity with the form will recognize the nods to figures like Ira Glass and shows like Song Exploder. Also, we get to hear excerpts of a piece Paul conceived, which is pretty neat.
And it’s a coming of age story.
Paul’s cultural identity is adrift in the sea of suburbia, cloistered by a sexual identity that he takes on as a burden as he chooses to omit it from his mother. Like any tightly held secret left to simmer, the fallout from hiding can be as burdensome as the reveal. Arguably just as central to the plot is Paul’s struggle to come out to his friends with his burgeoning boredom of static suburban life. As Paul and his two close friends approach age 30, there is a disconnect between living in a hometown that is so close yet so far from Los Angeles proper. There is a tension between settling into a life chosen by the circumstance of birth, and going out to make a more proactive choice about what to do and where to live and who to love.
I’m kind of amazed that 6 episodes of audio fiction could contain all the things that this story manages to pull off. There are tender moments and real emotional payoff. Oh, and lest I forget, there are excellent musical buttons on each episode. Producer James Kim always highlights these choice tracks after letting a significant chunk play, and I found it to be a very effective way to transition from the end of an episode into the credits. It took some getting used to, but I’d say if the sexual content isn’t a dealbreaker the show should have pretty broad appeal. It is most certainly worth the time of anyone looking for naturalistic drama that breaks from the norm of supernatural/fantasy so prevalent in the world of fictional podcasts.
(Bonus rec: if you listened to the series and enjoyed it, you may also like the interview Kim did for Inside Podcasting.)
It’s an LGBTQ story.
Paul, our protagonist, is a semi-out (to most people but not his mother) gay man. There is a good deal more erotica than any fictional podcast I’ve heard to date, and it doesn’t take long for that to be apparent. It was admittedly a bit disorienting upon first listen. My inner prude felt like maybe it was a little much (I certainly do not recommend having this blasting when greeting a Panera employee at car-side pickup), but it really serves to underscore the stark contrast of the protagonist inhabiting different worlds.
It’s an immigrant story.
Language does play a significant role in the show, as Paul’s mother is more comfortable speaking in her native language. She does speak English, but it is clear that her identity remains entrenched in Korean. Flashbacks survey the struggles of otherness in Paul’s childhood, framed with the earnesty of an immigrant mother speaking English as a new language. Late in the series, we hear a bit about her life and the husband who is absent from the larger narrative. This exposition lays bare the reality that our parents were once younger than us, and the proclivity of youth to write off the eternal confidence of elders.
It’s an artist's story.
I’ve never heard a work of fiction reference so many specific podcasts (in video, written, or podcast form). It helps that our protagonist is a sound artist with aspirations of podcasting. Anyone with a general familiarity with the form will recognize the nods to figures like Ira Glass and shows like Song Exploder. Also, we get to hear excerpts of a piece Paul conceived, which is pretty neat.
And it’s a coming of age story.
Paul’s cultural identity is adrift in the sea of suburbia, cloistered by a sexual identity that he takes on as a burden as he chooses to omit it from his mother. Like any tightly held secret left to simmer, the fallout from hiding can be as burdensome as the reveal. Arguably just as central to the plot is Paul’s struggle to come out to his friends with his burgeoning boredom of static suburban life. As Paul and his two close friends approach age 30, there is a disconnect between living in a hometown that is so close yet so far from Los Angeles proper. There is a tension between settling into a life chosen by the circumstance of birth, and going out to make a more proactive choice about what to do and where to live and who to love.
I’m kind of amazed that 6 episodes of audio fiction could contain all the things that this story manages to pull off. There are tender moments and real emotional payoff. Oh, and lest I forget, there are excellent musical buttons on each episode. Producer James Kim always highlights these choice tracks after letting a significant chunk play, and I found it to be a very effective way to transition from the end of an episode into the credits. It took some getting used to, but I’d say if the sexual content isn’t a dealbreaker the show should have pretty broad appeal. It is most certainly worth the time of anyone looking for naturalistic drama that breaks from the norm of supernatural/fantasy so prevalent in the world of fictional podcasts.
(Bonus rec: if you listened to the series and enjoyed it, you may also like the interview Kim did for Inside Podcasting.)
From: Standalone
Recommended for:Fictional podcast connoisseurs tired of scifi.
Drop Schedule: Seasonal:One-off (All episodes now available)
Average episode length: 25 minutes
Rating: Gotta Have It
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