Angels, Imposters, and Furries, Oh My! 👼🐯👀🕵️‍♀️🧐

Skye Pillsbury of The Squeeze Takes the Wheel Today!

Hey Poddy People!!

Captain Ron is out of town for Hajj and he made the (perhaps unwise) decision to let me take over this week! My name is Skye Pillsbury and I write a newsletter called The Squeeze, in which I investigate the strange, fascinating, and sometimes troubling things that happen behind-the-scenes in the podcast and audio industry (sometimes I interview creators, too). Now friend, you are probably subscribed to Great Pods because you are a podcast fan, but if you are an especially curious fan, who would like to know more about what goes on behind the manicured episodes that appear in your feed each day, I invite you to check out my newsletter here (I will also include links to a selection of investigative stories and interviews from The Squeeze at the bottom of this issue).

And now, in the words of Captain Ron,

Let’s GOOO!

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The Round-Up

• Captain Ron often kicks off this section with pictures and commentary from an inspiring podcast event that he attended IRL, so in keeping with that tradition, this week, I attended an event called “Writing This Exact Newsletter At The Library.” I was the only attendee at this special soiree, unless you count the strangers who sat nearby, and when I tried to socialize with them, it didn’t really work out. Anyhoo, here’s a pic of me having a blast at my event:

I put on these party glasses just for you!

Next up, some *hot podcast news*!

• Yesterday, Will Ferrell’s podcast network, which I somehow did not know existed before today, released #1 Dad, in which a comedian tracks down his father who spent much of his life “wearing a fake neck brace, forging documents, and creating sham businesses.” This sounds like it could get depressing fast, but a press release for the show promises that it’s “hilarious and heartwarming.”

• If you listened to the heart-wrenching investigative show Bone Valley (5 out of 5 stars on Great Pods), tune in to this week’s update, in which Leo Schofield, who has been incarcerated for 36 years for a crime he didn’t commit (!!), takes his first steps outside of prison.

• I am counting down the minutes until the HBO’s second season of House of the Dragon drops its premiere episode this Sunday, because that means I’m about to listen to a boatload of “companion podcasts” — and that’s just as fun as watching the actual show! If you are a fan of Dragon as well (nerds, unite!), I recommend adding these to your roster: HBO’s official House of the Dragon show, The Ringer’s House of R, and David Chen’s A Cast of Kings. Each of these have their own unique flavor and perspective and will be producing loads of content (recaps, analysis, interviews) throughout the run of the series. And while we’re talking pop culture podcasts, I am currently listening to Jemele Hill and Van Latham break down every episode of The Wire on Way Down in the Hole — an excellent companion for (re)watching this seminal show.

• The New York Times isn’t the only institution launching a podcast about the wild life of wildlife this year; Canadaland is also entering the fray with A Field Guide to Gay Animals. The show, which launches on June 15th, will explore “sexuality, gender, and joy in the animal world.”

• An AI-powered listening app called Qupa is in in the works (but of course!). According to the company’s website, it will deliver “instant info, links, and more about anything mentioned that piques your interest.” Find out if AI makes listening easier (or more confusing) than ever before? here.

• Does hobnobbing with podcasters sound fun? Podcast Movement, which is scheduled for August 19-22 in Washington D.C., has just announced its first set of speakers, and tickets are available here.

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And now, my podcast picks of the week:

Podcast: Fallen Angels: A Story of California Corruption
Genre: Investigative, True Crime
Publisher: iHeartPodcasts

About: A mysterious drug overdose at a posh Pasadena hotel leads host and LA Times investigative reporter, Paul Pringle, into Los Angeles’ darkest corridors of power and wealth. Pringle discovers that the dean of the University of Southern California's medical school is leading a secret double life. As Pringle and his team at the LA Times untangle a sordid web of lies, drugs, and greed, they encounter obstacles and resistance at every turn—from USC, law enforcement and even within their own organization. Fallen Angels explores how money and privilege can corrupt our most important institutions and destroy people's lives.

As an investigative reporter, I must recommend this excellent show, which, lucky for us, has already released all of its episodes (I hate waiting!). I was immediately drawn into Fallen Angels — and not just because it’s a fascinating tale of true crime (which it is!); but because it’s secretly a podcast about my favorite thing: journalism. We have a front row seat as narrator Paul Pringle — who was the lead reporter on the story — and a team of journalists fight their bosses at the newspaper to get this important story published (a crime in itself, in my view). Fun fact: the podcast is based on Pringle’s book Bad City: Peril and Power in the City of Angels, which also received good reviews.

Rebecca Lavoie • Crime Writers On

"I really liked this podcast this a lot. In a time when journalism is seen by the public increasingly as an untrustworthy thing, it is important for people to understand how it’s supposed to work. I think a podcast that demonstrates that is important; and this one did it in a really compelling way.”

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Podcast: Fur & Loathing
Genre: Investigative, True Crime
Publisher: Project Brazen

About: It’s the final night of Midwest Furfest, the world’s largest convention for a subculture known as Furries. The party is in full swing when, just after midnight, attendees suddenly find themselves struggling to breathe. … This was an intentional attack. But almost a decade later, the identity of the perpetrator remains a mystery. In Fur and Loathing, investigative reporter Nicky Woolf takes on the unsolved case, working closely with Furries to find answers. It’s a journey that will bring him face-to-face with the challenges this vibrant, often misunderstood subculture faces – including the far-right extremists looking to wreck the community from within.

I was shocked to learn that the biggest chemical weapons attack in the U.S. was never properly investigated; instead, because the targets were furries (people who identify with animals in some way and enjoy dressing up in animal-like costumes), it was ridiculed by the public and (seemingly) dismissed by the authorities. In this podcast, host/journalist Nicky Woolf — and a few well-placed furries — revisit the case with the empathy and rigor that it deserves.

Miranda Sawyer • The Guardian

“A strangely gripping show that uncovers more than you might imagine (and, no, that’s not a furry joke).”

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Podcast: Pretendians
Genre: Society & Culture
Publisher: Canadaland

About: What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and professors have in common? They aren’t Indigenous. There are hundreds of cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not. So why do these so-called “pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed? 

When a CBC investigation revealed that the singer Buffy Sainte-Marie was not — as she claimed — Indigenous, I was devastated. As a child, I fangirled over this Grammy-winning artist, who regularly sang songs about being “an Indian” on Sesame Street, but Buffy had lied about her heritage; it turns out she’s Italian-American and grew up in a non-Indigenous household! The podcast Pretendians hasn’t covered this particular story (yet!), but I’ve been riveted by the episodes I’ve listened to within this anthology series so far, including one that tackles the ethics of outing these imposters and another which features an extremely awkward interview with an real-life Pretendian.

Sarah Liese • KOSU public radio

“I'm just blown away by the content … super digestible, and fun to listen to.”

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And now, as promised, a few links to interviews and investigative reporting from my newsletter The Squeeze:

An Interview with Podcast Critic Rebecca Lavoie: "We Need to Be Able to Say 'This Show Sucked and Here's Why'"

Class Photos: What Does “Big Money Podcasting” Look Like?

An Interview with Tim Miller: The Unexpected Rise of The Bulwark

An Oral History of Gimlet’s Slow Demise

Behind the Reporting: Death, Sex & Money

New York Public Radio: Contradictions, Confusion, and Staffers Who Say It Might Be Time to Leave

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That’s it for today, folks! Next week another guest writer will take the reins, and the week after that Captain Ron will make his triumphant return. In the meantime, you can find me on most socials @skyepillsbury, or check out my newsletter The Squeeze here.

Stay safe, be kind, and donate to a worthy cause!

Listening with you,
Skye