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

For the thesis, read the first post here, then come back for the results.

West, Game 3: Ungeniused v. Random Trek

In Ungeniused, Stephen and Myke discuss the deep archives of Wikipedia. In this episode, “Selfie-related Deaths,” they relate tales of ways selfies can go terribly, horribly wrong. Seriously, these deaths could have been avoided (mostly) with the application of common sense and attention to one’s surroundings. Also, just like they tell you in driver’s ed classes, you’re always going to lose when you go up against a train.

Up next, Random Trek, in which host Scott and a guest watch a randomly selected episode of Star Trek and discuss it. This is kind of a different/ fun way to podcast about Star Trek. I listened to episode 127: “Ship in a Bottle,” which is a fun holodeck episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It further cements the idea that the holodeck is dangerous and should be dismantled ASAP, but it’s a fun 45 minutes of watching the crew work their way out of the situation.

The hosts also have some wise words for Captain Picard regarding password security.

Winner: Random Trek

West, Game 4: What Should I Read Next? v. Harry Potter and the Sacred Text

I listened to episode 68, “Plot Summaries are the WORST” of the What Should I Read Next? podcast. This podcast format has the host interview a guest about their reading habits, hears 3 books they love (and why) and 1 book they didn’t, and suggests a couple books they may enjoy based on their reading taste. It’s literary matchmaking!

This is a great idea, though in this case the guest’s literary tastes are very unlike my own (she enjoyed Stephen King and tear-jerker memoirs; I’ve never read Stephen King as I’m a little afraid I’d never be able to sleep again, though I hear he’s an excellent writer).

For Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, I listened to episode 2: Loneliness: The Vanishing Glass. Hearing about reading chapter 2 of Harry Potter and the Philosopher/ Sorcerer’s Stone looking for the theme of loneliness was interesting — it’s pervasive in this chapter and a great theme to tease out.

The hosts also discuss Dudley’s complaint that he “only” got 36 birthday presents, and they judged him less harshly for this than I.

I like this podcast, but I feel a little uncomfortable about mapping spiritual practices onto novels. That said, I appreciate their perspective and thoughtfulness and obvious love of the source material. It’s a fresh take on a beloved and oft-discussed series.

This was a close one, but I think I want to broaden my reading horizons….

Winner: What Should I Read Next?

Next time: East, Round 3!

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

For the thesis, read the first post here, then come back for the results.

West, Game 1: Pod4Ham v. The West Wing Weekly

This was a close game.

Pod4Ham is a podcast taking a look at each track of the Hamilton soundtrack. A different panel discusses each track and gives their impressions and some background information. They talk about some of the influences and especially the book that inspired Lin Manuel Miranda to rap about Alexander Hamilton in the first place. Mostly it’s a reflection on what struck them in the songs.

The West Wing Weekly is, as the title suggests, a weekly tour through each episode of the tv series The West Wing. Confession: I already listen to this podcast. But I needed one more podcast to round out my bracket, and Lin Manuel Miranda was famously inspired by The West Wing, so it seemed a worthy opponent.

Like the show, this podcast is so. good. Go watch The West Wing  (it’s on Netflix) if you haven’t, and then listen to this behind-the-scenes + fan podcast. I’m going to have to give it a slight edge. That last basket went in right before the clock ran out. I wanted to try to work in a flentl joke for WWW listeners, but I couldn’t figure out how to incorporate that into the post. Sorry, guys.

Winner: The West Wing Weekly

West, Game 2: The Bright Sessions v. The Moth

When I listened to the first episode of The Bright Sessions, it was before deciding to do a bracket, and I just downloaded the episode without any research. So I didn’t know it was a science fiction audio drama, which was funny, though quickly apparent. Since I’d already listened to episode 1, I listened to episode 2, in which a therapist records her sessions with young people with unusual abilities.

It’s an interesting series that uses its sci fi premise to explore humanity, as good sci fi does. Bonus, I know the composer. 🙂 (Evan, if you’re reading this, I like it so far!)

Second, The Moth. It’s another storytelling podcast, though with a focus on true stories, not fictional ones. Both are valuable, just different. I listened to the episode titled “Andrew Forsthoefel: Deluded in the Desert.”

This story was about Andrew’s walk across America to listen to people and their stories (this is starting to feel a little meta). On the way, he discovered he had a limit to himself and his capacity and desire to listen to and care for others. He’s a good storyteller with a good point about knowing our limits and how everyone needs community.

I enjoyed both of these, because I love stories, but only one can advance.

Winner: The Bright Sessions

Next time: The South, Round 2.2.

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

For the thesis, read the first post here, then come back for the results.

Midwest, Game 3: Revisionist History v. More Perfect

First up, Revisionist History, a Malcolm Gladwell podcast examining historical events through a human-behavioral lens. He draws psychological connections between historical events. I listened to episode 1, “The Lady Vanishes,” which draws connections between women who apparently were breaking through in “a man’s world” but who actually might have just been the token female who made the establishment feel better about not including women after that.

Interesting, a little depressing, and I’m not sure exactly what to take from the podcast. Ah, human nature.

Next up was More Perfect, which made it through round 1. I listened to episode 2 “Object Anyway,” about racism in jury selection. Another depressing episode; the divides are so deep, the problems with broken people trying to enact justice in a broken system so broad…. I appreciated that they addressed both the intentions and the legal realities of lawyers hired to do a job who will look for the loopholes in any rulings.

Good, but a little depressing as well.

Winner: close game, but More Perfect

Midwest, Game 4:  The Tom Woods Show v. Stuff You Missed in History Class

I listened to episode 899 of The Tom Woods Show on the Armenian Genocide. Before the Holocaust, there was the genocide of the Armenian people by the Ottoman Turkish empire — but many governments don’t call it a genocide. It’s estimated that 1.5 million of the 2 million population of Armenians died by 1923, most between 1918 and 1923.

30 minutes is pretty short to cover a topic of this intensity, but it’s enough time to get the general outline of events and bring some awareness about this horrific event.

Next I listened to Stuff You Missed in History Class on the life of Walt Whitman. Because of a college English class, I actually didn’t miss the biography of Whitman, but this was a half hour dedicated to his life and endless re-writings of Leaves of Grass.

The show has two hosts who take turns narrating/ reading about the topic at hand, and it looks like their back catalog has many interesting episodes.

Winner: Stuff You Missed in History Class (another close game)

Next time: West, Round 2.1.

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