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This Week in Podcasts

This Week in Podcasts: “It’s hard to untangle luck from choice” (#24)

So how does podcast-land try to top the incredible week it had last week? With Bono.

7 Pod Takes

1) “It’s hard to untangle luck from choice.”

Listen: Ministry of Ideas: Shifting Blame (23:53)

  • That’s host Zachary Davis, on a lesson learned during this smart, insightful pod about how “luck shapes our judgment, and whether we should let it.”
  • Davis explores our evolving ideas about where responsibility lies for crimes.
  • He says: “We don’t fully control our genes, our bodies or our environments, and so we can’t control all the factors that impact our choices, our behavior or the consequences of our behavior.”

 

2) “Talk to the enemy.”

Listen: Longform Podcast: Rukmini Callimachi (1:31:41)

  • That’s Callimachi, creator of The New York Times pod Caliphate, on her “major takeaway” from the work she’s done talking to ISIS.
  • She adds: “I have learned so much by seeking out their documents, reading their propaganda very carefully….I’ll talk to anyone. I’ll literally talk to anyone.”

 

3) “Alleged? Do we have to say alleged?”

Listen: The Gist with Mike Pesca: Lights, Camera, Sexism (:17)

  • That’s Pesca, discussing the recording of then-candidate Donald Trump’s efforts to pay off his alleged former mistress Karen McDougal.
  • My take: Pesca could say “Alleged? Do we have to say alleged?” to so many more things these days and not have to worry.

4) “The superhero power is that of compassion.”

Listen: This Movie Changed Me: Wonder Woman (7:19)

  • So says Jacki Zehner, on how Wonder Woman’s efforts to use her powers to help and serve others inspired her.
  • The pod recounts Zehner’s campaign to help the movie get made, and the impact the compassion shown in the film has had on her and so many more moviegoers.

 

5) “Stans aren’t going anywhere… Stans may age out of Stanning, but there will always be other Stans.”

Listen: Popcast: When Superfans Attack (25:56)

  • That’s Jon Caramanica on the staying power of superfans, aka Stans.
  • Primer: Eminem’s “Stan”
  • The pod’s about the motivations of superfandom and the raw power Stans can unleash, hooked to Nicki Minaj’s fans and their response to a writer who critiqued Minaj.

 

6) “I used to say that whatever happened at a U2 show, however shite we ever got, when we played ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ God would walk through the room. So taking that out, are we in deep trouble? We are. So now we’re doing podcasts.”

Listen: U Talkin’ U2 to Me? eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour Pt. 2 with U2(45:23)

  • So says Bono, slumming it on the pods and discussing not playing the beloved “Streets” during the band’s latest tour.
  • Pod hosts Adam Scott and Scott Aukerman score interviews with Bono and The Edge, and a backstage tour during the band’s New York City stop.
  • My take: Don’t @ me with your U2 vitriol. “Streets” is magnificent and the band still brings it live.

 

7) “They put Cher in a pantsuit. What am I gonna do, not love it?”

Listen: Pop Culture Happy Hour: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2:41)

  • That’s Glen Weldon, satisfied viewer of the “Mamma Mia!” sequel.

Go Deep

1) Roe v. Wade

Listen: The Daily

  • A two-part deep dive into the history and legacy of the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision that established a woman’s right to get an abortion.
  • Binge time: 1 hour.

 

2) “Bust a Move”

Listen: Punch Up the Jam

  • Hrishikesh Hirway of the amazing pod Song Exploder joins and the musical podcast heavies unite to break down and build back up Young MC’s “stone cold rhymer” from 1989.
  • Binge time: 1 hour, 34 minutes.

 

3) Dining in Las Vegas

Listen: The Dave Chang Show

  • The chef/media mogul leads an in-depth conversation about the rise of Vegas as a culinary destination.
  • Binge time: 1 hour, 1 minute.

 

4) Jonathan Gold

Listen: Eater Upsell, The Press Box, Bite, Press Play, Good Food on the Road

  • The great Los Angeles food writer and Pulitzer Prize winner passed away this week, and food and media podcasts paid tribute.
  • Press Box co-host David Shoemaker says: “There a sort of punk rock aspect to his career.”
  • My take: I loved the L.A. Weekly, and I loved reading his work in it. RIP Jonathan Gold.

Guest Appearances By…

Aduba, Uzo It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders
Armstrong, Lance Freakonomics Radio
Arquette, Patricia The Adam Carolla Show

Berk, Bobby Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
Black Thought Talkhouse

  • In conversation with Daveed Diggs.

Booker, Cory On Being

  • Convo with the Democratic U.S. Senator from New Jersey.

Burnham, Bo WTF with Marc Maron, Recode Media with Peter Kafka

  • Director of “Eighth Grade” still making the pod rounds.

Casal, Rafael The Treatment

  • “Blindspotting” co-star on his new movie, with Daveed Diggs.

Comey, James Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

Diggs, Daveed The Treatment, Talkhouse

  • “Hamilton” star on his new movie “Blindspotting,” with Rafael Casal. Also, in conversation with Black Thought on Talkhouse.

Durant, Kevin Pull Up with CJ McCollum

  • The two-part pod immortalized in the Twitter retort from KD, “I just did your fuckin podcast.”

Edge, The U Talkin’ U2 to Me?

Fisher, Adam Recode Decode

  • Convo with the author of “Valley of Genius,” an oral history of Silicon Valley.

Flahive, Liz The Watch

  • Convo with the co-showrunner of GLOW, with Carly Mensch.

Fried, Jason The Tim Ferriss Show

  • The CEO of Basecamp on life, business and philosophy.

Garlin, Jeff The Joe Rogan Experience

Godin, Seth The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Hughley, D.L. Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

Jacobs, A.J. Passions in America

Keys, Alicia Oprah’s Master Class

Kunis, Mila Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Lake, Katrina Skimm’d From the Couch

  • Founder of Stitch Fix talks business school, her dad’s advice.

McFaul, Michael Pod Save the World

McQuarrie, Christopher The Big Picture, Playback

Mensch, Carly The Watch

  • Convo with the co-showrunner of GLOW, with Liz Flahive.

Miller, Dennis The Adam Carolla Show

Miller, Rhett Walking the Floor

Mullenweg, Matt Recode Decode

  • Convo with the co-founder of WordPress.

Notaro, Tig Death, Sex & Money

  • The comic on babysitting Xena’s daughter, visiting Mississippi.

Parker, Sarah Jessica The Goop Podcast

  • In case you need more Goop than this in your life.

Riley, Boots Pod Save the People, I Think You’re Interesting

Ripa, Kelly Anna Faris is Unqualified

Sedaris, David Bookworm, WTF with Marc Maron

Tolle, Eckhart Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

Webb, Alli How I Built This with Guy Raz

  • Drybar founder on being the best at just one thing.

Notable New Podcasts

1) Footnote: Castle Rock

  • The companion pod to Hulu’s show features “behind the scenes interviews with actors, writers and directors.”

2) Household Name

  • Host Dan Bobkoff tells “tales of tragedy, love, strange histories, unintended consequences, and accidental success” about name brands.

3) Pro Rata

  • New Axios pod hosted by Dan Primack promises 10-minute episodes on the “collision of tech, business, and politics.”

4) Raising the Bar with Alli and Michael

  • Siblings Alli Webb of Drybar and Michael Landau launch a pod “for entrepreneurs, for anyone who wants to know about business, or how to have a life while having a business.”

5) Fatal Voyage: The Mysterious Death of Natalie Wood

  • The 12-part pod takes on “Hollywood’s most enduring murder mystery.” The first two parts dropped Friday, and I didn’t see them until after I sent last week’s newsletter.

6) The Bosscast

  • John Murray is nuts about Bruce Springsteen. His pod’s a free-form conversation about The Boss.

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