I’m (lying on my) back.
So far so good with my recovery from my Achilles rupture. My podcast listening has suffered though. I usually listen while hiking, exercising or driving, and I’ll be doing none of those things for a while.
Your recommendations for hot pod takes, binges and new pod recommendations are welcome more than ever. Send ’em along. Meanwhile, I’ll squeeze in my listening at 1.5x speed.
7 Pod Takes
1) “[The World Cup] felt like ‘The Truman Show’ in many ways.”
Listen: Pod Save the World: The Politics of the World Cup with Roger Bennett (38:30)
- That’s Bennett, on Russia’s slick efforts to normalize itself during the World Cup. He adds: It’s been as much of a propaganda affair as the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
- Bennett’s been making the pod rounds behind his American Fiasco pod, and this particular intertwining of soccer and politics is worth your time, even if you’re not a soccer fan.
- Hopeful news from the pod: He’s bullish on soccer in the U.S., citing its popularity with under 30s. In that demo, the sport has surpassed baseball in popularity.
- My take: Smart kids. With expanded television coverage and the FIFA video game as gateways to the sport, the U.S. has become a true soccer power, despite the men’s team’s failure to make the tourney.
- Prediction for Sunday’s final: France 2, Croatia 0.
2) “The pretense of not having a point of view is inhuman.”
Listen: The Organist: Voice of God (13:40)
- That’s Peter Coyote, who, along with Penelope Spheeris and Ellie Kemper, talks about voices from heaven and hell in the KCRW/McSweeney’s co-production. It’s the pod’s fifth-season opener.
- Coyote, who narrates Ken Burns’ films, shares how he and the director work to create the famed just-the-facts “voice of God.”
3) “I think we could all use some Adderall to concentrate, and a medic to make us purge and then a stiff drink to make us all forget this sad failure to connect accusation with actual evidence.”
Listen: The Gist: A Cancer on the Court (6:33)
- So says Mike Pesca, concluding his righteous opening remarks on the sad circus that was Peter Strzok’s 10-hour hearing with the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees.
- Context: At one point during the contentious hearing, a Democratic representative urged a GOPer to take his meds.
- My take: If you don’t think the disconnect between reality and the GOPs grandstanding is obvious (it is), Pesca’s astute analysis of the hearing and the accusations of bias makes it clear.
4) “Before NWA used rap to editorialize about police, I guess ‘Convoy’ editorialized about a different level of police enforcement, the speed limit enforcement.”
Listen: Deviate with Rolf Potts: On American Highways I: A brief history of family road-trips in the USA (34:19)
- So says Potts, building on guest Richard Ratay’s observation that the 1975 song “Convoy” is “kind of an early rap song.”
- It’s a quick digression in an extensive, enthralling pod about road tripping in the United States, with the author of “Don’t Make Me Pull Over!”
- Part two of the pod, with guest Candacy Taylor, focuses on the African-American road tripping experience.
5) “I thought we weren’t going to get to the Nazis until at least 30 minutes in.”
Listen: The Ezra Klein Show: Jaron Lanier’s case for deleting social media right now (5:45)
- That’s Klein, following Lanier’s reference to the Nazis’ use of new-at-the-time media — cinema, radio and television — to distribute propaganda.
- Lanier says: “The novelty amplified the power of the propaganda.”
- Invoking Nazis sets up a discussion of social media. Lanier argues you should delete your accounts.
- My take: Tempting, Lanier. Very tempting.
6) “If you’re just an influencer, in my head I’m immediately just like [irritating screech] no talent.”
Listen: Sidenote: Influencers: Pure Trash or This Generation’s Treasure? (38:59)
- If you’re just selling something and you have no underlying skills, Sidenote co-host Greg has no respect for you.
- He and co-host Mitch aren’t totally dismissive. It’s a nuanced 56-minute exploration of social media influencer culture.
- My take: Greg’s screech is on the money.
7) “‘Wheel of Fortune’ is to ‘Jeopardy,’ as the Highlights magazine seek-n-find is to the Times Sunday crossword.”
Listen: Pop Culture Happy Hour: Jeopardy! (2:29)
- That’s Glen Weldon, justifiably positioning “Jeopardy!” well above its fellow game show mainstay.
- Weldon adds: “As a vector for reminding your parents that they are raising an insufferable, smarty pants know-it-all, there is nothing better.”
- Linda Holmes has the game show’s back: “If you try to come at me and you say, ‘Jeopardy!’s not cool,’ that’s ridiculous. Jeopardy! is always cool.”
- My take: I’ve got your back, Holmes.
Got a Pod Take, a show to binge or a great guest I should consider for next week’s newsletter? Send it!
Go Deep
1) Fermi’s Paradox
Listen: This American Life
- The Fermi Paradox gets a ton of podcast love, including just a couple weeks ago on Crazy/Genius.
- This week, Ira shares three stories in a 1 hour, 1 minute episode on Fermi’s enduring question: If there’s a high probability of intelligent alien life, where are the aliens?
2) “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”
Listen: Binge Mode
- Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion continue their summer of Harry Potter immersion with a five-part deep dive into the third book in J.K. Rowling’s series, plus the movie.
- Binge time: 6 hours, 18 minutes
3) “Bend It Like Beckham”
Listen: The Bechdel Cast
- One hour, 17 minutes with a soccer movie that passes the Bechdel test.
4) Ford vs. Chevrolet
Listen: Business Wars
- A four-part series on the rivalry between the American car makers.
- Binge time: 2 hours, 3 minutes
Guest Appearances By…
Carothers, Zachary Armchair Expert
- Portugal. The Man bassist on the elusiveness of a pop hit, with bandmate John Gourley.
Carden, D’Arcy The Good Place: The Podcast
- Janet!
Carter, Troy The Bob Lefsetz Podcast
Durbin, Dick Pod Save America
Duritz, Adam Celebration Rock, The Adam Carolla Show
- Counting Crows singer-songwriter on songwriting, “Perfect Blue Buildings.”
Fogel, Bryan Longform Podcast
- Convo with the director of “Icarus.”
Goldthwait, Bobcat WTF with Marc Maron, Maltin on Movies
Gourley, John Armchair Expert
- Portugal. The Man singer on the elusiveness of a pop hit, with bandmate Zachary Carothers.
Groff, Lauren Bookworm
Jillette, Penn The Moment With Brian Koppelman
Kaine, Tim Rockin’ the Suburbs
- U.S. Senator plays harmonica, talks about his love for The Replacements.
Liotta, Ray WTF with Marc Maron
- The actor talks about his adoption, Melanie Griffith.
Love, Darlene Ask Me Another
McElhenney, Rob Inside of You
- “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” star on his childhood, fighting with his co-stars.
Middleditch, Thomas Comedy Bang! Bang!
Negreanu, Daniel Pardon My Take
- Poker legend talks about about poker and betting about eating McDonald’s.
Newmark, Craig Recode Decode
Pennington, Ty Remote Controlled
Perlman, Itzhak Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda
Pesca, Mike But That’s Another Story
Pfeiffer, Dan How to Be Amazing With Michael Ian Black
Pollan, Michael Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations
Reiner, Rob The Adam Carolla Show
- Director promotes his new film, talks for millionth time about “This is Spinal Tap.”
Riley, Boots WTF with Marc Maron, Talkhouse, The Treatment
Sanz, Horatio Comedy Bang! Bang!
Sedaris, David Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Silverman, Sarah Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda
Southern, Taryn Duncan Trussell Family Hour
Urrea, Luis Alberto On Being
Vanderpump, Lisa Remote Controlled
Van Sant, Gus The Big Picture
Voss, Chris Waking Up With Sam Harris
- Convo with a former FBI hostage negotiator.
Wilson, Rainn It’s Been a Minute With Sam Sanders
Yang, Alan The Dave Chang Show
Notable New Podcasts
Bonus: Two weeks’ worth this week.
- The actor promises “spirited conversations with people who know how hard it is, and yet how good it feels, to really connect with other people.”
- Andrea Chalupa and Sarah Kendzior attempt to tame the “chaotic news cycle” with a bi-monthly news pod. Their promise: a deep dive on the news with “analysis, history, and context.”
- A new comedy pod with “Luvvie Ajayi and Yvonne Orji, two proudly Nigerian women talking about the things they love, their stories, and life in general.”
4) Don’t @ Me
- Justin Simien conducts “unfiltered conversations with the stars, artists and creators shaping our culture.”
5) Junk
- Tommy Pico “interviews a treasure trove of cultural luminaries about relics, keepsakes, and rando baubles in their apartments, sussing out the stories of their Junk.”
6) Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities
- It’s a “tour of the unbelievable, the unsettling, and the bizarre” from the guy behind Lore.
- The pod that explores “the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood’s first century” returns for a new season. Nicholas Quah talks to host Karina Longworth all about it.
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