Recap: 40 podcasts, single-elimination brackets — 1 winner will emerge!

Read the first post here, then come back for the results.

West, Game 1: Modern Love v. The Road Back to You

I knew of the Modern Love column in the New York Times, but I didn’t know there was a podcast version. Fun fact: earlier this year a column published was about my great-aunt Austin.

Anyway, they have actors read some of the columns for the podcast and they interview the author as a follow-up. I listened to the episode from March 22, “The End of Small Talk.” It was about a guy who decided he was totally done with small talk on dates. He started jumping right into deep questions.

The concept is interesting and well done, and in this episode I like the gutsy move to ditch small talk, though I know that could be off-putting, so I probably won’t adopt the “no small talk rule” myself.

Next up was The Road Back to You, which is about relationships and the Enneagram. I don’t really know much about the Enneagram, so I’m interested in learning more and I like finding out more about what makes people tick.

I listened to episode 1 since I need the background, and I like that the hosts use it to try to understand themselves and others better and develop more empathy for each other. I’m a bit of a sucker for this kind of analysis, so…

Winner: The Road Back to You

West, Game 2: Truth’s Table v. Pass the Mic

This was an especially hard choice. Truth’s Table and Pass the Mic are brother-sister shows, so it was hard to choose.

Pass the Mic is a podcast of the Reformed African American Network in which the hosts discuss biblical theology and how race relations affect the church. I am woefully ignorant on these issues, and want to hear more of the hosts’ perspective and learn how I can help in my own small way instead of remaining in my little bubble.

Truth’s Table is a sister show to Pass the Mic, so it was interesting to listen to these back-to-back. I listened to their episode on Gender Apartheid which was pretty amazing. I’d definitely like to listen to more and hear some clarification on a few points, and I’m sure they’ll go into more detail in future podcasts, but overall I really appreciated what they had to say.

Apparently the episode sparked some controversy in Reformed Christian circles, as any strong discussion of gender is wont to do, but I want to hear more of their perspective, and I want Christian men to listen to their sisters and read what the Bible is saying about men and women without assuming it’s pro male and anti female. I could say more, but this isn’t the place for it.

I’ll keep listening to both these shows, but I have to pick a winner so….

Winner: Truth’s Table

Next time: the South

Photo from Unsplash.