How Often Do You Think About...
The Roman Empire? You Grinch + OpenAI Soap opera
Hey Poddy People,
For those in the U.S., I hope you are having a pleasant Thanksgiving week. For those outside of the U.S., I hope you are having a safe and pleasant week. For those of Indigenous cultures, I learned of the National Day of Mourning. This week is a. slightly shorter email because of travel.
Let’s GOOO!!!
The Round Up
No Round Up this week. Next week I’ll have my hot take on This Is Important live show that I attended.
On to my picks this week…
Podcast: Being Roman with Mary Beard
Genre: History
Publisher: BBC
About: Beneath the starched togas and the pungent fug of gladiator sweat there are real Romans waiting to be discovered. Mary Beard uncovers six fascinating stories from the Empire.
I don’t think about the Roman Empire. However, I think about history often. Mary and her colleagues chat, educate, and recreate via voice actors letters of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius’ letters and others. Sometimes interpreting them as flirtatious letters. Could it be that’s how they showed affection or something more? Regardless, you hear and learn from slaves to emperors.
James Marriot • The Times UK
Beard’s deep knowledge of her subject means she is full of fascinating and unexpected tales. The show is a testament to how much more clearly you can see the Romans if you refuse to be overawed by them.
Podcast: ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Show
Genre: Kids & Family
Publisher: Wondery
About: Cuddly as a cactus and charming as an eel, he’s your new favorite snarky talk show host. Join The Grinch (and his faithful dog Max) each week as he rants against Christmas cheer and roasts celebrity guests like chestnuts on an open fire. Starring Saturday Night Live’s James Austin Johnson as the notorious curmudgeon and broadcasting straight from Who-Ville, will The Grinch send these famous folks back down Mt. Crumpit, or will they soften his stance against Christmas and grow his heart three sizes? Grab your hot cocoa and cozy slippers and listen along to find out.
Yes, families grab the hot cocoa. Hot off of The Cat in the Hat podcast, Wondery has taken The Grinch into the podcast world. It’s a pleasant podcast to listen to with the kids. He sometimes sounds too nice to be the Grinch. Oh wait, Lauren said the same thing.
I think it’s mostly scripted, but there are moments, like when SNL Alum Bobby Moynihan asks if the Grinch is like Chewbacca from Star Wars, and the Grinch says he is more like Han.
Lauren Passell • Podcast The Newsletter
"He’s pretty funny, sarcastic and charming—one may even use the word “charismatic” to describe him. He’s nicer than I thought he’d be."
Podcast: On with Kara Swisher
Genre: Technology, News
Publisher: New York Magazine, Vox
About: It’s On. Get to the heart of what makes powerful people tick — in interviews that have them sit back, relax and get grilled. Twice a week, Kara Swisher and her executive producer Nayeema Raza invite a guest to be “On with Kara Swisher.” So why do newsmakers show up? “Smart people,” says Kara, “like difficult questions.” They may even find it fun.
Grilling is what Kara does best. When the Silicon Valley legend, journalist Kara Swisher, gets the CEO of Microsoft right after the soap opera from OpenAI (Microsoft is a billion-dollar investor), you ask the same question over and over until you get an answer. One of the questions, paraphrased, “You would have liked to be consulted or notified as a major investor that they were letting Sam Altman (CEO of OpenAI) go.” Satya Nadella responds differently three times. Ha.
Read up on the OpenAI drama here.
Mara Davis • Paste Magazine
“There is no topic she won’t address. The interviews are sharp and can be uncomfortable but never mean-spirited or gotcha-esque.”
Just Added This Week…
Carrie Jade Does Not Exist - Audio Always
Retroist Retro Podcast - The Retroist
Super 90s Bros - Super 90's Bros.
Everything '80s - Curiouscast, Jamie Logie
Desert Island Dishes - Margie Nomura
Hard Fork - The New York Times
Legacy - Goalhanger Podcasts, Wondery
Murder in Apartment 12 - NBC News
Earwitness Podcast - Lava for Good Podcasts
Talking To Death - iHeartPodcast Network, Tenderfoot TV
The Comment Section with Drew Afualo - Past Your Bedtime
Bad Bad Thing: The Blackstone Sisters - PodcastOne
Grapevine - NBC News
Britney Spears: The Woman In Me - Gallery Books
King Slime: The Prosecution of Young Thug and YSL - iHeartPodcast Network
Pivot - New York Magazine
Top of the Pods this past week on greatpods.co (November 13th-20h):
5. Handsome - Fortune Feimster, Mae Martin, Tig Notaro (Sold out show announced for December)
4. Moriarty: The Silent Order - Audible
3. Ghost Story - Wondery/Pineapple Street Studios
2. Case 63 - Spotify
1. The Kids of Rutherford County - Serial, The New York Times
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Hang in there, take a breath, and be kind to one another.
Listening with you,
Captain Ron
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Happy Thanksgiving!!