Podcast Roundup February Edition

Early on in the month, I listened to the one-two punch of Sarah Koenig (the host of the super famous podcast Serial) on The Cut and Julie Snyder (the co-creator of Serial) on Longform. Koenig was discussing her work process and part of that work process is really relying on Snyder.  Koenig mentioned that she essentially writes to make sure that Snyder isn't bored.  If Snyder gives feedback that something doesn't work for her, Koenig redoes it. And then Snyder came on and talked about giving that feedback. It endeared Koenig to me with her constant self-deprecation and made me sort of glad that Snyder isn't part of the team at my job.

(Sidenote: Snyder went off on people who criticized S Town. I am one of those people and I can't believe how much she is in denial about the ethical implications of that podcast.)

Anyway, I thought it was a really interesting look at women working together. Longform does a great job of smart people talking about work processes and I really enjoyed the clear enjoyment that these women have in working together.

Roman Mars and the team at 99% Invisible had a recent episode called "The Tunnel." It was all about a tunnel building project under the US-Mexico border. I was not sold on yet another podcast about the drug war, but I just found myself getting sucked into the story telling of this episode.  I mean, who doesn't like a story where the architect is the main character?

They also had one  called "National Sword" about how recycling isn't really being recycled and I was vindicated in my washing out of yogurt containers.  It's a bummer that the US infrastructure isn't set up for the vast amounts of waste that our consumerist economy creates.

You guys, The Moth's story by Mark Katz of a writer attempting to get Bill Clinton to give a speech he had written made it very clear to me why Katz is a writer. I was laughing a lot as this story was in my earbuds.

I didn't want to listen to Reveal's expose on concussion protocols for high school sports called "Lasting Impact." I mean, I go to my high school's Homecoming football game every year. I am part of the high school sports industrial complex. And, frankly, I have a lot of confusing feelings about it.  I don't watch NFL games anymore, but I do go to the occasional high school game and it's a barbaric sport. For the first half of this episode, I was just made to feel guiltier and guiltier and then they started interviewing people who still support football and many of those people were not credible. But I did find the argument persuasive that obesity is an epidemic among American youth and getting them to do physical activity of any kind is better than the risk of CTE.  I mean, I think we could maybe find a physical activity that didn't involve children bashing one another, but this is a sport many kids adore and it keeps them out of trouble and doing something productive. Ugh. I just don't know.  It's worth a listen.

Last month I mentioned that I sometimes find it hard to listen to Code Switch because interrogating my privilege is exhausting and the truth is that I frequently keep moving Code Switch episodes down in my queue until I'm doing something where I can't use my hands to move it again. But the episodes are always good, so I don't know why I do this myself over and over again.  Anyway. This month there was an episode on blackface, "From Blackface to Blackfishing" after the scandal rocking the Virginia governor came to light.  I think I'm going to start using the first part of this episode on the history of blackface and why it's so offensive and its lingering use in popular culture in my race and politics class.

Ways blackface is still with us today:

My final recommendation for a podcast listen is on a niche topic. A popular niche topic, for sure, but definitely not for everyone.

Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion of the website The Ringer spent most of last year doing a deep dive into the Harry Potter books in their podcast Binge Mode. I just discovered it and I love it. It makes me appreciate JK Rowling's writing even more and just how well-developed the magical world she created is.  I don't always agree with Rubin and Concepcion, but I love their love for HP.  If Harry Potter and the Sacred Text isn't your cup of tea (and I find that the more political HP&TST gets, the less it's my cup of tea), maybe Binge Mode will scratch your HP itch.