Elon Musk made waves smoking a blunt with Joe Rogan. But, damn, many more interesting big names graced the pods. It was a massive week.
7 Pod Takes
1) “There’s an argument to be made that we’re born with the raw elements of Beatles songs in our heads.”
Listen: WTF with Marc Maron: Episode 948 – Sir Paul McCartney (4:11)
- That’s Maron, prefacing his conversation with a pretty freakin’ great podcast guest, Sir Paul McCartney. Maron charmingly frets about what he’s gonna ask the Beatles legend that hasn’t been asked before.
- Maron invokes Chris Farley, but thankfully doesn’t “do a Chris Farley.”
- McCartney talks the Rolling Stones, Little Richard, recording in Nigeria, and how the communal experience of leading sing-alongs to “Hey Jude” and “Let it Be” during his concerts still gives him thrills.
- My take: Maron loses his way a couple times, but mostly earns props for an engaging interview.
2) “Punk is a free space.”
Listen: Deviate with Rolf Potts: Punk Icon Ian MacKaye on why we should question the official history of rock music (12:15)
- That’s punk legend MacKaye, defining what punk means to him.
- It’s not a sound or a style or a look or an attitude. He adds: “It’s the place new ideas can be presented without having to hew to profit motives only.”
- My take: If anyone would know, it’s MacKaye.
3) “[Money] is the sole barometer of someone’s worth in this country.”
Listen: The Gist with Mike Pesca: Hedging Your Bets With Lake Success(12:36)
- So says guest Gary Shteyngart, talking to Pesca about his new book and this country’s deep obsession with cash.
4) “I don’t think we’ve ever been so busy while accomplishing so little.”
Listen: The Ezra Klein Show: Your attention is being hijacked. Chris Bailey can help. (9:27)
- That’s Bailey, nailing a paradox of modern American life.
- Says Klein: “There’s a war on for our attention, and we’re often losing it.”
- My take: Thank you for your attention to this newsletter.
5) “I think anybody who’s going to read this is not going to come away feeling that this ship is on a steady path.”
Listen: The Daily: Anonymous Senior Administration Official (15:09)
- That’s James Dao, Op-Ed Editor of the New York Times, discussing the anonymous account of a Trump administration senior official on his or her resistance within the White House.
- Dao offers a great behind the scenes look at how the op-ed that rocked Trump and Twitter came to be.
6) “The NFL is like a drug lord and we’re like addicts.”
Listen: Radio Atlantic: How Much Longer Can Football Last? (4:11)
- That indictment comes from guest Mark Leibovich, author of the book “Big Game: The NFL in Dangerous Times.”
- Leibovich says despite big issues (concussions, Kaepernick) and the smaller reality-show drama of the NFL, people still love football.
- More Leibovich: He appears this week on the Kickass News pod.
7) “This is a little bit more like an adrenaline shot directly into the heart. It kinda goes from zero to Azz Everywhere in record time.”
Listen: Pop Culture Happy Hour: Serotonin and What’s Making Us Happy(4:06)
- So says Stephen Thompson, touting the work of Big Freedia as something that boosts his and his family’s moods.
- Need a mood boost? Other recs from the PCHH crew include Ariana Grande’s “Sweetener” and news bloopers.
Go Deep
1) Women in Politics
Listen: Run Like a Girl, Women Belong in the House
- Women are running in record numbers for political office in the United States, with 323 women still contending for Congress. At least two pods are dedicated to chronicling the “pink tsunami.”
- The non-partisan pod Run Like a Girl launched August 23 and has released four episodes so far, including embedded reports from the campaign of Gretchen Whitmer, candidate for Governor of Michigan. Binge time: 2 hours, 48 minutes.
- Women Belong in the House, which debuted yesterday, aims to tell the stories of female candidates.
2) Robert F. Kennedy’s Assassination
Listen: The RFK Tapes
- The 10-part examination of the 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy concluded this week with a bonus live ep. The whole series is now bingeable.
- Binge time: 9 hours, 46 minutes.
3) Coke vs. Pepsi
Listen: Business Wars
- The seven-part series chronicles the battle between the two sugary-drink purveyors.
- Binge time: 3 hours, 9 minutes.
4) Drake’s Summer Bangers
Listen: Switched on Pop
- A 43-minute deep dive into “In My Feelings” and “Nice For What.”
5) R.E.M.
Listen: R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: Me
- Adam Scott Aukerman finished their exhaustive and occasionally exhausting survey of R.E.M.’s entire music catalog.
- Binge time: 49 hours, 39 minutes (!!!)
Guest Appearances By…
Addison, Bill Eater Upsell
- Eater’s national food critic on fall’s most anticipated new restaurants.
Al-Adeimi, Shireen Why is This Happening? with Chris Hayes
- Michigan State professor talks Yemen.
Burr, Bill The Bill Simmons Podcast
- Comedian talks Tom Brady with the Sports Guy.
B-Real This Must Be the Gig
- Cypress Hill legend talks crowd surfing, new record.
Brennan, Margaret Skimm’d From the Couch
Bryant, Kobe The Adam Carolla Show
Carmichael, Jerrod Anna Faris is Unqualified
Carter, Jimmy Pod Save America
Chieng, Ronny Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig
Close, Glenn Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!
Danson, Ted The Good Place: The Podcast
- Michael!
Elder, Larry The Adam Carolla Show
Epshteyn, Boris The Jamie Weinstein Show
Feig, Paul Off Camera with Sam Jones
Goldberg, Danny The Bob Lefsetz Podcast
- Music industry legend talks the future of the biz, the day Cobain died.
Gondry, Michel The Big Picture
Goodwin, Doris Kearns The Tim Ferriss Show
Goolsbee, Austan The Axe Files
Graham, Rev. Franklin The New Yorker Radio Hour
Hawke, Ethan Filmspotting
Higgins, Maeve Bullseye
Kidman, Nicole Playback with Kris Tapley
Kravitz, Lenny Oprah’s Master Class
Legend, John The Dan Wootton Interview
Levi, Zachary Inside of You
Lillard, Matthew Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Lowe, Rob Pardon My Take
Mantzoukas, Jason The Good Place: The Podcast
- Derek!
McKelvey, Miguel How I Built This with Guy Raz
McMillan, Tracy Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations
Morris, Wesley The Bill Simmons Podcast
- New York Times culture critic talks Burt Reynolds. RIP Burt.
Morrison, Keith Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard
Musk, Elon The Joe Rogan Experience
- CNET’s tweet about the pod sums it up: “Elon Musk smokes weed, talks flamethrowers.”
Nixon, Cynthia Pod Save America
Retta Curious with Josh Peck
Salzberg, Sharon You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes
Scaggs, Boz Bullseye
Sherman, Wendy Kickass News
- Convo with lead negotiator of the Iran Nuclear Agreement.
Simon, Paul All Songs Considered
Sittenfeld, Curtis The New Yorker Radio Hour
- Best-selling author talks about her love for the Midwestern supermarket chain Schnucks.
Snider, Dee The Moment with Brian Koppelman
Tchen, Tina M. How to Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black
Turner, David If Then
- Convo with the Penny Fractions newsletter maker.
Underwood, April Recode Decode
- Slack’s chief product officer talks about the future of work, Slack.
Weiner, Jeff Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations
- Convo with the CEO of LinkedIn.
Welch, Florence Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
Wolf, Michelle Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
Notable New Podcasts
1) Dr. Death
- It’s the debut of a six-part series about a Dallas surgeon who intentionally harmed people. Hosted by Laura Bell.
- Taylor Glenn, Catherine Wilkins and Hannah George promise a “[t}rue crime podcast with a twist… of lime.”
- The new kids’ podcast is “an aural safari around the world to hear amazing stories about animals.”
- The former NFL all-pro is back with another sports pod.
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