The Scorpion King🦂
+Fame, Dance violations + The Top 5
Hey Poddy People!
Welcome new subs! Longtime readers know I love coming back from a conference pumped, with new connections and supporting existing ones, especially after The Podcast Show - London.
After the next edition newsletter (coming this weekend), I’ll be on a hiatus to get my spiritual game on. My siblings and I are going on the pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj) as one of our obligations in Islam. The Original Mecca(lame western spelling) of Mecca. It’s a huge undertaking and intense event. I’m not here to preach about it, but it’s a big deal. If you want the Hollywood version of Hajj, check out the clip when Malcolm X (starring Denzel Washington) goes to Makkah in Spike Lee’s X here.
All that to say, there will be some guest posts that I am excited about coming through which I hope you are excited about!
So, Let’s GOOOO!!
The Round-Up
The Podcast Show - LDN
The meetup we planned with The Podcast Academy, Dolby, Hubhopper, and others was a great way to get our pre-conference networking on.
The Podcast Show space was again held at the Islington Business Centre in London. Honestly, they utilize the space so well.
Nitpicking moment. Spotify, oh Spotify. I’m not going to speak about the vibe they give off, but the way they set up their activation. As you walk up the stairs on the right side, they almost block you from coming around. It made maneuvering on that side difficult with a packed floor. On top of that, I witnessed it to be empty most of the time. I shouldn’t be talking like this especially since I am going on a spiritual journey to humble myself, but I am getting it out now. LOL.
Dolby’s setup was another great open design. They ditched the Volvo this year for a living room setup. It was nice, comfortable, and full of Atmos sound. Good vibes, too.
Pics from the Show I met a couple of UK critics for the first time which was one of my goals including the likes of Miranda Sawyer (The Guardian), Fiona Sturges (Financial Times), Catherine Carr (Podcast Rex), and Alice Florence Orr (PodcastReview.org). The major US publications are severely lacking in that critical department, except for the independent professional reviewers.
The Miranda Sawyer - Audio Critic from The Guardian Refreshed the Coming Soon section. Here’s what WAS there:
Peppa Pig is having an exclusive Audible podcast released on July 11th. No trailer just yet. Read more here.
The awesome Jon Stewart, since coming back to The Daily Show on Monday’s, will be hosting The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central, Paramount Network) podcast starting this Thursday. Trailer here.
Independent podcast network Immigrantly Media is expanding with more podcasts under its belt. Nationly will be a limited series around election season in the US. Trailer here.
- - wrote an interesting piece on Serial this past week. Citing Great Pods in the write-up too. A little proof of concept on how Great Pods can be used. Love it. Read it here.
My old workplace, TuneIn, just announced their integration into Discord so you can play live radio & podcasts while on the platform. Read more here.
On to my picks this week…
Podcast: Intrigue: To Catch A Scorpion
Genre: True Crime
Publisher: BBC
About: The dramatic hunt for one of Europe's most-wanted people smugglers, recorded as it unfolds. BBC journalist, Sue Mitchell, and volunteer aid worker, Rob Lawrie go on a search for a crime boss: a people smuggler on the run, whose codename is Scorpion. He is one of the central characters controlling the transport of migrants from the European mainland into the UK. Barzan Majeed - codenamed Scorpion - leads the Scorpion gang. He's on international most-wanted lists.
I was on a brief road trip and binged the entire series. It’s that good. In between heartbreaking audio from kids and adults trying to make their lives better away from war, there were moments of clammy hands as I drove. For example, Rob and Sue went on multiple stakeouts. Sue would fall asleep and it got me nervous as they might be caught. When they go to Iraq to various Men-only businesses obviously Rob would be the only person allowed to enter and get information. Great reporting on the ground.
Catherine Carr • Podcast Rex
"...tense, exciting and so informative...Mitchell’s vast experience as a reporter is evident in every second of this brilliantly told story. Layers of sound, from the clanking of ferry doors to the bleep of a sat nav, to the rattle of a chain link fence at a lorry park are all captured. What the show has achieved is just so impressive on every level: construction, ambition, style and results."
By the way, Sue Mitchell revealed an update via Twitter if you want to get spoiled here.
Podcast: Sixteenth Minute (of Fame)
Genre: Society, Recent History
Publisher: Cool Zone Media, iHeartPodcast Network
About: Sixteenth Minute (of Fame) is a weekly show from Jamie Loftus that takes a closer look at the internet’s main characters – one part reported, one part interviews, and one part Jamie collapsing her permanently internet-damaged brain. Whether it’s an enduring meme or a dreaded Character of the Day distinction, it’s the kind of notoriety that often results in little money, unwarranted attention, and a confusing blurred line of consent. What do you do when you get more attention and judgement than any one person is built to handle? The Sixteenth Minute of Fame is the place where we figure that out, putting people in the context of the moment they've been frozen inside of.
Host Jamie Loftus (My Year in Mensa, Aack Cast) is too good. Her initial episodes deep dive with Antoine Dodson and the “Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife” viral song moment. Big enough to lift him and his sister out of the projects in Georgia. That’s all we knew about him. There is so much more to understand about a person and I’ll say it over and over again, context is king. Jamie gives space for Antoine to share his traumatic upbringing in Chicago, the incident, how the news treated him and his family, who got to monetize the video, and the aftermath. Rest assured, The Gregory Bros. who auto-tuned the news, split the revenue 50% and were not the bad guys here. Next in the queue, is The Dress. Blue or gold?
Wil Williams •
“Host Jamie Loftus gives a shit. Not about everything, but about very specific things — and always, the intricacies and nuances often left behind by other journalists. Interviews happen in the podcast to serve the central question, not the other way around.”
Moral of the story: Empathy people!
Podcast: Let the Kids Dance
Genre: History, Music
Publisher: KUOW News and Information
About: Let the Kids Dance! is a seven-part series documenting the rise and fall of Seattle's Teen Dance Ordinance — a local law that for nearly two decades made it illegal for young people to attend concerts.
Why does it always seem, that no matter the genre, there are always parallels in struggles in history?
Fiona Sturges • Financial Times
“this carefully researched, insightful series outlines nearly two decades of tension and resistance. It is, in many ways, an age-old tale of moral panic and generational discord. But it also captures a pre-internet moment in time when youngsters were united by the music they loved and in standing against those who sought to outlaw it.”
This isn’t Panic At The Disco, but it’s close enough. Every decade coupled with mainstream media perpetuating dumb nonsense that doesn’t exist. And why is it always the police causing the violence? The kids just wanted to dance and rock to punk music, but here come the police to not just break up the party, but to clothesline young adults, violently injuring them, even cornering them. Government officials think they know what’s moral. They don’t. This is a great podcast that made me angry.
'Top of the Pods' from the past week on GreatPods.co:
5. The Price of Paradise - Wondery Media
4. Beef and Dairy Network - Maximum Fun (This was out of nowhere)
3. To Die For - Tenderfoot.TV
2. Wiser Than Me w/ Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Lemonada Media
1. Who Shat On The Floor At My Wedding (Season 2) - Indie (3rd week at #1)
Stay safe, be kind, and donate to a worthy cause!
Listening with you,
Captain Ron
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