Pod-based Memories
Memory lane, theme park scandals, Norma Tanega, weather girls, Anna Sale, donuts, Paul McCartney.
I am forever fascinated by the way my memories of listening to podcasts can get so tightly linked to what I’m doing or where I was when I heard something. If I was cleaning the bathtub while listening to something that really stuck with me, I will picture what the bathtub looked like when I heard it. If I’m out on a walk, I’ll remember specific landmarks for when specific things were said. I’m sure there must be some actual rhyme or reason for why this happens, but I haven’t come across any podcasts that explain it to me, yet. For me, it kinda amplifies my connection to the episode because the memory of it has this other external element to it. Do you remember where you were when you heard something?
This week’s podstack
This is an audio walk down memory lane. Someone else’s memory lane - Talia Augustidis. What you realize as Talia shares the audio from an old video recording that has almost no activity in it, is that these memories are ones she wants to treasure and hold onto because the person she’s searching for in them is someone she can no longer hold onto in real life. I will always love the raw sound of video recordings or phone recordings. You don’t need them to be high quality because they are special in so many other ways. As Talia welcomes us into all these memories, she mixes and re-imagines some of them with new rhythms and music, creating these beautiful montages that transition us into different moments. This episode is brave and beautiful as Talia shares stories and feelings about the person featured in these recordings. It will make you appreciate the memories we have and how important it is to keep them safe. And just when you think you know how it’ll end, there’s a recording mishap that I would argue leads to an equally important final lesson.
Keys To The Kingdom - Episode 1 • Operation Petticoat
If you’re looking for an investigative documentary podcast that isn’t too dark, but a mix of magic and minor mayhem, this is it. Former employees of a certain magical theme park are revealing the not so magical truths about working there. The things they’re sharing are at times so scandalous that they’re keeping their identities anonymous. With the help of a former talking trash can and a princess, we get to learn about all the behind the scenes policies, practices, and problems. From princess audition processes to all the brand-specific terminology, it seems like nothing is off limits. I should mention that the trash can and princess are Matt Gourley and Amanda Lund, both podcast industry pros whose work I’ve loved for a long time. They bring so much fun, humour, and perfect chemistry with all the guests they speak to and each other. Expect lots of Disney-esque music with a dramatic twist to carry you through the episodes. I’m hooked and can’t wait for more!
Have You Heard This One? - Everyone Loves Norma Tanega with Lexi Pandell
At first, I wasn’t sure how much this one would hook me because I didn’t recognize either of the artists the episode is about but I’m so glad I listened. Not only is the production quality and narration really well done, they also perfectly mix in interview segments and obviously some musical and archival tape. It makes for a really rich listening experience! I was hooked on listening, then I realized I do know one of the artists! Norma Tanega is the artist of the song You’re Dead, which is used in the opening credits of What We Do in the Shadows and I freakin love it!! Norma’s career as a musician is only half the story because you can’t really tell her story without talking about her relationship with Dusty Springfield, another popular artist of the same time. This is the story of their intertwined careers, hidden romance, and Norma’s eventual departure from the spotlight. (transcript)
One Year - 1955: The Weather Girls
When news stations decided that scientists were too boring to be delivering the weather, it shifted to a job done with comedic relief. Things went as far as changing up mustache styles to reflect the weather! But that gimmick was soon replaced by women. Her name was Lola, she was a weather girl. She was a force to be reckoned with who took no bullshit and went against a lot of the norms. Her presence soon inspired other stations and all the weather girls ended up dressing almost exactly the same. If the idea of a weather-changing mustache wasn’t a strange enough gimmick for you, just wait till you hear a news clip from when the weather went sensual. Cold temperatures never sounded so sultry! That is until the trend became too much of a joke for meteorologists to allow it to continue. What this all reflects are the ways women were and weren’t allowed to be part of the workplace at the time and how men reacted to it. Hearing from some of those women makes it an even richer episode! (transcript)
Sound Judgment - How Anna Sale invites listeners in
When I heard how many great talents from across the podcasting industry Elaine Appleton Grant had lined up for this season of Sound Judgment, I really wasn’t sure how I’d decide which one to write about. Then I hit play on the Anna Sale episode and it was no question. With the news that WNYC was laying off a bunch of staff and the future of Death, Sex & Money is in limbo, this episode feels bittersweet. You hear about all the thoughtful ways Anna thinks about her work, her interviews, and most importantly, her listeners. I love the way Elaine has mixed in clips from an episode of DSM about how expensive weddings are. It was so cool to hear about the creative process alongside actual episode clips to provide the context. It really makes it resonate better. Interviewing someone who is notoriously exceptional at asking difficult questions or having difficult conversations could be intimidating, but Elaine is like the perfect counterpart. She asks Anna all the thoughtful questions that help her articulate her creative choices and us appreciate those choices even more.
Gastropod - Raised and Glazed: Don’t Doubt the Doughnut
Did you know there is one donut shop for every 7,000 people in LA? That’s what a strong hold donuts have on us now, but how did all that happen? One of my favourite things about donuts is that frying a piece of dough in some kind of oil or fat has been done around the world for such a long time and appears throughout so many cuisines. It’s like a universally delicious idea. This episode shares some of that early history and then gets into the rise of donuts in the US. They couldn’t talk about that without talking about Dunkin Donuts, which gave me an interesting appreciation for it. You learn the thought processes behind their menu, their hours, and how they improved their locations over time. Of course you can’t leave out their mascot, Ben Affleck. What ties all this history together so nicely is the story of an independent donut shop that will make you appreciate these delicious treats even more.
McCartney: A Life in Lyrics - Let It Be
If you also found yourself completely entranced by the nearly eight hour Beatles documentary that came out in 2021, you’ll like this. Even though that documentary wasn’t as structured as I thought it would be, I was so fascinated by witnessing their creative process. I couldn’t stop watching! This show adds on to that feeling by letting you hear Paul McCartney’s personal thought processes and feelings about some of The Beatles’ most iconic songs. The interview and music are mixed together so nicely as Paul reminisces about a dream that helped inspire Let It Be, the decision to use his mother’s name in the song, and how he’s seen it interpreted and appreciated by so many different audiences.
More sweet treats
Every time I hear an electric car I think - what would Twenty Thousand Hertz say about that sound? And now I don’t have to wonder.
Check on your oversharing LinkedIn friends. It’s getting unhinged over there.
I’m so excited for Good Tape! But what exactly is good tape?
Thank you for reading! If you listened to something this week that made your heart sing, your imagination wander, or your brain ponder, I’d love to hear about it!
I am also constantly having location based podcast memories. Like driving past somewhere and then remembering exactly what I was listening to six months earlier in that same spot. So weird because I have a terrible memory in general!