![]() ![]() In it, he revisits a familiar story through the voices of several who experienced it-a local radio host, a nurse, a civil engineer and a 14-year-old girl, among others stranded in New Orleans after the hurricane. Newkirk II began reporting this eight-part Hurricane Katrina podcast long before the pandemic. But where similar conversations devolve into “man shouting at cloud” status, Ratliff’s knack for self-parody saves, and elevates, his show.Ītlantic writer Vann R. Ratliff gets Jon Hamm, Rian Johnson and others to talk about their own experiences losing coveted jobs, offering rare insight into the arbitrary and often brutal world of Hollywood ladder-climbing. Apparently Ratliff’s obsession is common among even the most successful in his industry. Poking fun at investigative podcasts, Ratliff sets out to figure out what, exactly, happened when he was fired. Almost two decades ago, comedian Connor Ratliff was about to begin filming a small role in the Tom Hanks-produced miniseries Band of Brothers, when he lost the part, allegedly because Hanks thought Ratliff had “dead eyes.” The rejection has haunted Ratliff his entire adult life. Dead Eyes is a funny podcast grounded in pettiness that somehow manages to be relatable rather than obnoxious-in part, perhaps, because of its host’s underdog status. This was a weird year to tune into comedic podcasts, particularly those featuring conversations between celebrities largely untouched by the economic consequences of the pandemic. If we’re all going to be stuck in our kitchens for the long haul as the pandemic continues, we might as well strive to make feeding ourselves as joyful an experience as possible, and this podcast sets us well on our way. Anyone who has watched Nosrat on the Salt Fat Acid Heat Netflix series knows that her laugh is infectious, and anyone familiar with Hirway from Netflix’s Song Exploder or The West Wing Weekly podcast is well aware of his penchant for puns. But that’s not the only reason to tune in. (Hint: you can let it solidify in an empty can so it develops those ridges.) Her answers are usually ingenious. Her co-host, veteran podcaster Hrishikesh Hirway, poses listeners’ quarantine cooking questions to Nosrat, like what on earth to do with all the jalapeños delivered in a CSA box or how to make homemade cranberry sauce that actually tastes like the canned stuff to please the picky eaters at the table. If you’re the sort of person who plans Thanksgiving weeks in advance, consulting cookbooks like chef Samin Nosrat’s Salt Fat Acid Heat as a resource in the process, you might fall hard for Nosrat’s new show. Each show, in some way, catered to particular needs in this extraordinary year. ![]() And a few series simply kept us updated with daily news analysis, proving how vital good journalism is in moments of crisis. Others offered support to listeners just trying to survive, whether that meant coping mechanisms for staying mentally healthy or ideas for staying physically nourished with home-cooked meals. Some series that had already begun recording before the virus hit-investigating issues like systemic racism in our public school system or the homelessness crisis-resonated because they provided a basis to understand issues of inequality that the pandemic has only exacerbated. If you’re in search of shows featuring brilliant hosts you’d love to be friends with, tune in to those series.īut when I began to put together this list, I focused on podcasts that worked to respond to this moment. ![]() Politics aside, I spent most of my time from March onwards listening to comforting shows and old standbys: Still Processing for analysis of this cultural moment, You’re Wrong About for a reassessment of iconic historical figures and moments, and Fighting in the War Room for debates on the little pop culture that trickled out this year. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |