I kinda like last week’s streamlined format. Going with it again. If you’re missing more pod takes, or want to see anything else in the newsletter, drop me a note.
Onward to this week’s counts: 37 notable guests, 10 deep dives, nine new podcasts and one litigious kid with a backpack.
Pod Take of the Week
“The copyright office doesn’t want to be acting like the town from ‘Footloose'”
Listen: The Indicator from Planet Money: Fortnite vs. Backpack Kid: Dance Battle Royale (7:17)
- That’s Shane McKeon, breaking down a key point regarding Backpack Kid’s lawsuit against the maker of the video game Fortnite, Epic Games.
- Background: Backpack Kid, aka Russell Horning, is suing the gamemaker for appropriating The Floss, the dance he created and popularized and performed with Katy Perryon SNL. (Others who’ve had their signature dances poached are also suing.)
- Fortnite sells a virtual version of the dance inside the game. Horning hasn’t seen a cent.
- The crux: Is The Floss a mere singular dance move, which likely isn’t protected under current law, or is it a “choreographic work,” which can be protected?
- My take: Great, quick explainer on the legal issues of a fascinating digital-world conundrum.
Go Deep
1) Valentine’s Day
Listen: This American Life
- Ira and company go deep on people who go to extremes for love.
2) Failure
Listen: Theory of Everything
- Benjamen Walker’s two-episodes in to a miniseries on failures, such as the most disliked video in YouTube history.
3) Technology and the Future
Listen: Better Worlds
- A five-part series of short fiction about “how technology can shape our society and environment in better, more equitable ways.”
- Binge time: 2 hours, 11 minutes.
4) “Becoming”
Listen: Still Processing
- Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham take a 44-minute deep dive into Michelle Obama’s memoir.
5) Women in Gaming
Listen: Nerdificent
- A 1-hour, 5-minute dive into how women have “entered, evolved and conquered the world of video games.”
6) Medieval Times
Listen: Working
- An hour-long look at what it’s like to work at the dinner theater company amid all that jousting and roasted chicken.
7) Songs About Writers
Listen: Sound Opinions
- The hour-long exploration of music inspired by literature spans from Metallica (“For Whom the Bell Tolls”) to 10,000 Maniacs (“Hey Jack Kerouac”).
8) Led Zeppelin
Listen: Rockin’ the Suburbs
- The five-part deep dive into Led Zep favorites rambles on.
- Binge time: 2 hours, 7 minutes.
9) “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Listen: The Good Place: The Podcast
- A two-part crossover pod with the cast and creators of the show.
10) “A Star Is Born”
Listen: The Rewatchables
- A 1-hour, 33-minute deep dive into the Oscar contender.
Guest Appearances By…
Albright, Madeleine Kickass News
Bosh, Chris The Bill Simmons Podcast
- Convo with the 11-time NBA all-star.
Brooks & Dunn Bobbycast
Buteau, Michelle 10 Things That Scare Me
Chopra, Deepak The Ron Burgundy Podcast
Christie, Chris Kickass News
Colbert, Stephen Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend
Conte, Jack Danny in the Valley
- Convo with the founder of Patreon.
Dreyer, Benjamin The Book Review
- A podcast about a book about grammar. Some company for Gladwell.
Esmail, Sam Without Fail
Fake, Caterina The Tim Ferriss Show
Gates, Bill The Vergecast
Gladwell, Malcolm American Innovations
- Gladwell joins host Steven Johnson to talk writing, innovation.
Grisham, John Wrongful Conviction
Harmon, Dan Thruline
Harris, Neil Patrick Beyond the Plate
- The actor accompanies his husband, David Burtka, to talk about the latter’s cookbook.
Heady, Lena Anna Faris is Unqualified
Henson, Taraji B. Pod Save America
Jeong, Ken TV Take
Jordan, Michael B. Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations
Levy, Bernard-Henri TBD with Tina Brown
Mantzoukas, Jason Armchair Expert
Marin, Cheech Sidedoor
- The comedian talks about rasquachismo, the “Chicano art of working with what you’ve got.”
McKay, Adam Stay Tuned with Preet, The Treatment
McNamee, Roger Recode Decode
- Convo with the author of “Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe.”
Merchant, Stephen Off Camera with Sam Jones
Penn & Teller, The West Wing Weekly
Robbins, Tim ID10T
Rollins, Henry Forked Up
- Punk legend talks pizza, smartphones.
Shalhoub, Tony WTF with Marc Maron
Silver, Nate The Axe Files
Smith, Yeardley WTF with Marc Maron
- A deep dive with “The Simpsons” mainstay.
Sullivan, Andrew The Ezra Klein Show
Usher Oprah’s Master Class
Watt, J.J. Pardon My Take
Wood Jr., Roy The Sporkful
Yang, Andrew The Joe Rogan Experience
- 2 hours, 1 minute with the U.S. presidential candidate for 2020.
Notable New Podcasts
- True crime alert! The Wonder pod chronicles “a bad breakup, a worse divorce, and a murder case involving a menagerie of high-priced lawyers and unexpected co-conspirators.” Strong debut. It’s the current iTunes No. 1 podcast.
- True crime alert, continued. The new pod from the producers of “The Teacher’s Pet” investigates the exploits of “a surfie dude from Sydney” who swindled many victims for millions. It’s currently No. 8 on iTunes.
- ABC News’s pod tracks the Special Counsel’s Russia investigation.
4) Hot & Dry
- Cally Carswell and Collin Haffey investigate “how climate change is transforming New Mexico. And what the hell we should do about it.”
- Dani Shapiro explores “the power of family secrets and the ways in which discovering – and revealing – the truth can liberate us.”
- It’s a “fun sci-fi romp, disaster space opera,” says writer Ryan Copple.
7) On Purpose
- Host Jay Shetty says his “purpose is to make wisdom go viral.” Good start. His debut interview pod already ranks No. 5 on iTunes.
- The Netflix podcast “honors the best of black Hollywood.”
9) Equal Parts
- The pod focuses on “true love stories about how people meet.”