I listened to a full episode of PSA for the first time in a while ("Podsgiving Mailbag",
). They were actually wayyyyyy more economically progressive than I expected, and this is a very good sign. I can't imagine that 2 years ago they were all-in on Medicare4All, Green New Deal, Jobs Guarantee (this one is huge imo), $15+, etc. (but perhaps I misjudge them.) My suspicion is that they're being swept left because of Bernie, AOC, and the general hard left Twitter/podcast/magazine/uni-verse.
Towards the end of the mailbag I started detecting unpleasant smarminess but whatever.
Then there's an interview with Doris Kearns Goodwin where they go into how brave and noble many past U.S. presidents have been (including LBJ, like do u even read Caro?), and this is where they lost me. They obviously still have that "respect for the office" nonsense, they'd slobber all over Bill Clinton for sure, they would handwave away Obama and the drones and all his other failings.
So I come away from the pod pleasantly surprised to the extent that bold economic progressive ideas have taken hold. But I cannot be a full-blown fanperson to a bunch of guys who worship LBJ, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. And who are supported by the advertising of a bunch of gig economy "disruptor" trash companies.
I just started Patreoning
The Katie Halper Show after listening to interviews with Matt Christman (Chapo) and Nathan Robinson (Current Affairs) and wanting to hear their bonus interviews.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aarono2690
I tried Chapo Trap House today. Some funny bits, but not sure I can sustain listening long term. I like their unrestrained vitriol, but their reliance on analogies for humor gets old.
Anytime someone goes for a comedic dunk:
“It’s like [insert politician] is the new [insert obscure corrupt 3rd world dictator from the 1960’s!”
“I know RIGHT?!”
*Chuckles*
“No no no, it’s more like [insert politician]...”
*roaring laughter*
Don’t get me wrong they are smart and articulate, I just feel they overly rely on a few comedic devices.
I think their obscure unexplained references are a part of what makes them good, and even perhaps make them seem smarter than they are. I see it as similar to a movie like Rounders before poker was popular, hearing a strange vernacular ("flopped the nut straight" etc.) that didn't make the whole movie incomprehensible, but gave it an air of authenticity and kinda made you feel smart for being able to follow along. (I don't know if this analogy makes sense to anyone other than me.)
But yea, they definitely have plenty of misses and bad bits imo. That's comedy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nolongeravailable
tl:dr. top 5 podcasts i should listen to?
My faves:
1. Michael & Us (it does not matter if you've actually seen whatever movie they're talking about that week)
2. Chapo
3. Citations Needed
4. 538
5. Current Affairs
The reason I have Current Affairs "low" despite loving their magazine and buying all their books is partly because their Patreon episodes can be boring. The main episodes are probably better (they're conflated in my head).