Listening, Laughing, and Crying – Part I

 

I listen to podcasts by connecting my phone to a special tape that 

plays in the tapedeck of my car. How cool is that?! (Don't answer.)

The great George Carlin once said, "All racquet games are nothing but derivatives of ping pong." And thus I say, all print media are nothing but derivatives of ancient clay tablets and all audio-visual media are simply derivatives of theater. As such, I feel well within my rights to talk about magazines, pamphlets, movies, plays, and anything else in a blog about books and TV. Which leads me to today's topic: podcasts. More specifically, I'm going to share with you the list of some of my favorites.

First, a few disclaimers:

1. This is by no means an exhaustive list. (Hence, the "Part I.")
2. I realize that many of these are technically radio shows, but I tend to catch them as podcasts. Let's not quibble.
3. I work for a public broadcasting company that is associated with some of these programs. However (and sadly, I must say) I have no direct connection to any of these shows.

And so, the list:

• Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me! – NPR's weekly current events quiz is the most fun you can have—ever. Three panelists from a rotating stable of comedians, columnists, and other writerly types join host Peter Sagal and veteran newsman/judge/scorekeeper Carl Kasell to answer questions about the week's news. The joy of being able to answer the questions along with the panelists is no less ego-building than knowing an answer on Jeopardy. Except Jeopardy is not nearly as cool because it rarely devolves into a raucous spate of fart jokes. Throw in one of Sagal's infectious giggles when something surprises even the ringmaster himself, and I become that person on the highway, laughing like an idiot while specks of morning coffee spray on my dashboard.

• Radiolab – Growing up, I did not like science. Eventually, I had to make my peace with it because my job required it, but I still wasn't a fan. Then, this program from WNYC completely brought me around. It turns out, there is nothing more fascinating than exploring the known and the unknown worlds within our own biology and the grand universe around us. Hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich introduce ideas too fascinating not to examine, and they let us hear the stories directly from the scientists and experts researching those ideas. Want to have your mind blown? Take a listen. (No scientific expertise required. Just a curious mind.)

• Here's the Thing – In all honestly, when I first heard this WNYC show in which actor Alec Baldwin talks with performers, artists, and policy makers, I thought Baldwin was a terrible interviewer. The guests on the show are interesting choices—it's not always someone already making the rounds on other programs to promote a new project. But no matter what intriguing thing the guests have to say, Baldwin interrupts, talks over them, and shares his own life stories as if he were the guest. So why listen if Baldwin is so irritating? Well, you have to know how to approach it. I finally figured it out that Baldwin isn't interviewing his guests—they are having a conversation. And because he picks someone he is genuinely interested in talking with (and always seems to know plenty about already), he's able to discover things about his guests that you never knew. It's like you're at a party and you happen to be hovering near the sofa where Baldwin is engaged in a conversation with someone fascinating. Sure, Baldwin occasionally interrupts and steers the discussion to himself, but the conversation always shifts back. And the strongest guests seem to know how to get right back in there and make their point. And that's worth sticking around for.  

• This American Life – I know it's somewhat predictable to mention This American Life as it's one of the most popular podcasts in the country, but it's popular for a reason. This public radio program, hosted by Ira Glass, explores multiple stories along one theme each week and features everyday people as well as well-known contributors such as David Sedaris. My only problem with the show is that I never know if I'm going to end up laughing or crying or both. I'm always ready for a laugh, so that's no problem. However, I'm not nearly as willing to cry. It's not that I'm stoic—quite the opposite, in fact. I tend to be an emotional creature easily driven to sadness by a poignant detergent commercial, so the truly beautiful and heartrending storylines on TAL can break me entirely. Not that it's always a bad thing. Would I turn the show on after dropping the kids off at a birthday party? Yes. Would I turn it on while driving to my parents' house knowing their friend's daughter just married a wealthy Jewish lawyer? No. It's all about the timing.

There is more to come from me. In the meantime, tell me your favorites.

When Life Gives You Lemon

TV

30 Rock – Like many people, I said a tearful goodbye when the series' final episode aired last week. In its seven-season run, the show has been hilarious, goofy, and brilliant courtesy of an enviably talented team of writers, directors, actors, and anyone else associated with it. I'll miss many things about the show, but what I'll miss most, the person who I came back week after week to see, is Liz Lemon. No, I don't mean Tina Fey. I'm certain I'll be seeing the talented Ms. Fey again in many movies and TV shows. (In fact, I'm crazy-excited to see Admission, a new film starring Fey and the adorable Paul Rudd coming out this March.)

But unfortunately, as far as I know, this is the end for Liz Lemon, the smart, awkward, geeky head writer for the show-within-a-show at the center of 30 Rock. So, why do I love Liz Lemon?

• There is no stereotype when it comes to Liz. She's not fashionable or girly and she loves to eat, but she's attractive and it's believable that she attracts good-looking men. 
• She is unapologetic about what she likes, from Star Wars to reality shows to late-night cheese. (Mmm....who doesn't love late-night cheese?)
• She's a professional woman who gets things done, and yet she can lose all sense of rationality and want to turn an online war of words into a playground fist fight.
• She can be kind and loving, but also brutally honest and selfish, and she is known for holding a grudge.
• And, as someone hovering dangerously close to 40, I love having a character speak my language. (Thank god you're still there, Amy Poehler.)

Mostly, I love that Liz isn't afraid to be smart and (sometimes) a know-it-all.  She doesn't always get to be right or have things her way, but that's just the way life is. And for all of the only-on-a-TV-show ridiculous moments that make 30 Rock so inventive and fantastical, the Liz Lemon character is one of the most realistic women I've seen in a modern sitcom. And I'm going to miss her so much! Blerg!!

P.S. If you are also ever sad and missing Liz, and have a few hour or days to kill, visit her on this awesome site: Fuck Yeah Liz Lemon. (It's addictive. You've been warned.)