As I retreat further and further into the black hole that is my air-conditioned, cosy bedroom (courtesy of the scorching heat), I’ve been using up more time than usual listening to podcasts — some entirely useless and already forgotten, but some others that merit re-listens, if only for their unbridled enthusiasm for keeping us entertained through what is clearly going to be a very long summer, just like a summer blockbuster flick. In this edition of Podcast Post, I talk about the four episodes that stood out for me from this last week. Happy listening!
Raiders of the Lost Ark — Cracked Movie Club
Cracked.com launched their third podcast, the Cracked Movie Club, last Thursday and it’s one of the best things to happen to movie podcasts in all of podcasts’ extremely short history. Hosts Tom Reimann and Abe Epperson are on a quest to prove that every movie you’ve ever loved is secretly insane. Each month, the two movie maniacs target one director and four films that best represent his/her oeuvre. The episodes are released every Thursday and are about an hour long.
For their inaugural month, they’ve chosen Steven Spielberg — the man behind cult hits like E.T., Jaws, Schindler’s List and more, and podcast number one delves deep into the origins of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the first of the Indiana Jones movies. Did you know George Lucas pitched Steven Spielberg the idea for the movie when they were building sandcastles together at a beach in Hawaii? Or that if Lucas had his way Indian Jones would have been Indian Smith, and Harrison Ford would have never gotten the part? For more gems, look up Cracked Movie Club.
Women and ADHD — Stuff Mom Never Told You
The women at Stuff Mom Never Told You — Bridget and Emilie — unpack everything there is to know about ADHD and how the disorder presents itself in young women. Because of its long association with young boys, teachers and parents often neglect to spot the symptoms of ADHD in young girls, who then go on to internalise feelings of inadequacy and take them along well into adulthood. It’s an interesting and well-researched episode, full of insights and personal anecdotes; and also includes a checklist of warning signs you (or someone you know) might want to take to test yourself (and then find yourself a mental health professional, of course).
Summer Strut 2017 Edition — Slate’s Culture Gabfest
This one’s a massive episode, running for 1 hour and 18 minutes. And it should be, because the guys at Gabfest — Stephen Metcalf, Chris Molanphy, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner — have taken on the massive task of examining the quintessential summer song — one track that will forever be remembered as the song of summer of 2017. Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna and DJ Khalid are also contenders, among others. Additionally, the panel goes onto compile the summer strut playlist, sifting through more than 400 songs submitted by listeners.
Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon — WTF with Marc Maron Podcast
We’ve all heard about the romcom, The Big Sick, and how it’s doing extremely well in the West. And while we keep our fingers crossed for a quick Middle East release date, here’s a great interview done by the King of comedy podcasts Marc Maron with film creators, Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon, whose real, cross-cultural love story this movie is based on. The episode also begins with a shorter interview with comedian Jim Florentine, and the two discuss everything from metal music to tutoring toddlers.
