New York Magazine - USA (2019-12-23)

76 new york | december 23, 2019–january 5, 2020

year in culture / the critics ideological ef fects, highlighting a

strand of radicalism that seems to

be gaining ground by the day.

6.

Have You Heard George’s

Podcast? (BBC^ RADIO)

Each installment of this audio project

from George Mpanga—a.k.a. George

the Poet, the spoken-word artist—

threads together melodic narration,

taped dramatic performance, and

music in a way that ends up feeling

not just coherent but inevitable, as if

there weren’t any other way. Some of

Mpanga’s compositions are explicitly

personal; all are expressly political.

7.

Headlong: Running

From Cops (TOPIC STUDIOS

AND PINEAPPLE STREET STUDIOS)

Rigorously reported and smartly

constructed, this six-part series

walks listeners through the

history and legacy of Cops, from

its somewhat unremarkable

origins to its morally murky rise.

8.

10 Things That

Scare Me (WNYC)

Each bite-size episode features a

different person discussing ten things

they’re afraid of, ranging from the

everyday (bugs) to the existential (a

loss of purpose). Featuring some truly

wonderful sound design that renders

each installment as fluid as a dream.

9.

The Last Days of

August (AUDIBLE^ ORIGINALS)

The focus here is on a mysterious

tragedy: the suicide of the adult

performer August Ames. What

starts off feeling like another dicey

ex ercise in true crime elegantly

evolves into a portrait of loneliness.

10.

The Hottest Take (THE^ RINGER)

Each episode features a staffer

submitting a hot take that everybody

else proceeds to pounce on or defend.

They alternate between absurd

banality (buttons are bullshit) and

painful reasonableness (actually,

paper straws are good). The appeal

comes from the juxtaposition of

the takes’ low stakes and the high

intensity of the ensuing discourse.

1.

Lost Notes, season two (KCRW)

It’s hard to produce a uniformly

fantastic anthology series, but the latest

season of KCRW’s music-documentary

podcast pulls it off. The season presents

a chorus of individuals grappling with

memory, set against the backdrop

of music. Among the highlights:

“T eenage Offenders,” in which the

founding member of a punk band,

now a middle-aged father, reckons

with the misogyny of his old lyrics.

2.

1619 (THE NEW YORK TIMES)

Nikole Hannah-Jones’s expansive

multimedia project for The New

York Times Magazine reframes

the narrative of American history

through that of American slavery. The

project spans essays, photography,

fiction, and this five-part podcast,

which makes specific contributions

to the genre’s aesthetic. It’s a formal

reimagining of what an audio essay

can be, embracing aesthetic fluidity

and a vivid sense of atmosphere in

the service of historical remembering.

3.

Moonface (INDEPENDENT)

James Kim’s debut fiction podcast

centers on a specific moment in the

THE TEN

BEST

PODCASTS OF

THE YEAR

By nicholas quah

Top Ten

Comedy

Podcasts

By

our crack team

of comedy-podcast

experts *

life of Paul, a second-generation

Korean-American immigrant

and gay man played by Joel Kim

Booster, who is navigating a hazy

in-between phase of adulthood.

Propelled by a singular vision and

executed with tremendous flair,

Moonface is exactly the type of

podcast I wish to hear more of.

4.

The Walking Podcast

(INDEPENDENT)

A quirky little project from author

Jon Mooallem, Walking is a series

of field recordings capturing the

sounds of his hikes in various

woodlands. You hear the crunching

of leaves, the rush of rivers, the

infrequent acknowledgment

of other hikers. Occasionally,

there’s a short mid-hike pause

to deliver, somewhat absurdly, a

host-read ad. That’s about it.

5.

Bundyville: The Remnant

(LONGREADS AND OREGON

PUBLIC BROADCASTING)

Leah Sottile’s excellent documentary

on extremism in the American West.

Bundyville’s first season dug into

the Malheur standoff of January

2016; this follow-up examines its

1.

Las Culturistas

As comedians Matt

Rogers and Bowen Yang

demonstrate weekly,

to be a culturista is to

hyperventilate culture.

2.

Best Friends With

Nicole Byer and

Sasheer Zamata

Conversation comes

so naturally for these

longtime real-life best

friends it feels as if they’ve

been recording this since

the beginning of time.

3.

Conan O’Brien

Needs a Friend

Whether he’s riffing with

Dana Carvey or having

deep conversations

with Michelle Obama,

O’Brien has made a big

splash in his first season

of podcasts. We think

this kid’s going places.

4.

Hollywood Handbook

Long a comedy-fan

favorite, 2019’s “Masked

Engineer,” a parody

of The Masked Singer,

is an instant classic.

5.

How Did This

Get Played?

What are the worst

video games of all

time? The hosts

commit to self-torture

by playing them all.

6.

The Jeselnik

& Rosenthal

Vanity Project

Angry, funny, and tender,

comedian Anthony

Jeselnik and NFL Network

writer Gregg Rosenthal’s

podcast originally focused

on football. It’s now a

show in which “the only

goal seems to be getting

fired each and every

week.”

7.

Punch Up the Jam

Demi Adejuyigbe and

Miel Bredouw “revisit,

review, and revise the

songs of our yesterdays,”

then “punch up the jam”

with a fresh remix.

8.

Sooo Many

White Guys

A space for comedian

Phoebe Robinson to

champion artists who

are not just white guys.

A standout episode

featured a candid

discussion about

illness with SNL alum

Vanessa Bayer.

9.

Thirst Aid Kit

In 2019 , hosts Bim

Adewunmi and Nichole

Perkins were thirstier

than ever to answer the

question “Why do we

desire who we desire?”

10.

Yo, Is This Racist?

This celebrated a

1,000-episode run

with the “We Solved

Racism Special,” a

celebration of one of

the most beloved shows

in podcasting history. *

OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS: REBECCA ALTER, KATE DOYLE, PABLO GOLDSTEIN, NOAH JACOBS, BECCA JAMES, MARK KRAMER, ANNA MARR

PHOTOGRAPHS: LARA SOLANKI/NETFLIX (GLASER); HBO (HOWERY); HBO (TORRES)

ADVANCED FORM

TRANSMITTED

________ COPY ___ DD ___ AD ___ PD ___ EIC

AD

2619CR_YIC_section_lay [Print]_36372551.indd 76 12/17/19 2:32 PM

76 newyork| december23,2019–january5, 2020

yearinculture / thecritics ideologicalef fects,highlightinga

strandofradicalismthat seemsto

begaininggroundbytheday.

6.

HaveYouHeardGeorge’s

Podcast?(BBCRADIO)

Eachinstallmentofthisaudioproject

fromGeorge Mpanga—a.k.a.George

thePoet, thespoken-wordartist—

threadstogethermelodicnarration,

tapeddramaticperformance,and

musicina waythat endsupfeeling

notjustcoherentbutinevitable,asif

thereweren’tany otherway. Someof

Mpanga’scompositionsare explicitly

personal;allareexpresslypolitical.

7.

Headlong:Running

FromCops(TOPICSTUDIOS

ANDPINEAPPLESTREETSTUDIOS)

Rigorouslyreportedandsmartly

constructed,thissix-part series

walkslistenersthroughthe

history andlegacy ofCops,from

itssomewhat unremarkable

originstoitsmorallymurky rise.

8.

10 ThingsThat

ScareMe(WNYC)

Eachbite-sizeepisodefeaturesa

differentpersondiscussingtenthings

they’reafraidof, rangingfromthe

everyday(bugs)totheexistential(a

lossofpurpose).Featuringsometruly

wonderfulsounddesignthat renders

eachinstallmentasfluidasa dream.

9.

TheLastDaysof

August(AUDIBLEORIGINALS)

Thefocushere is ona mysterious

tragedy:thesuicideoftheadult

performerAugustAmes.What

startsoff feelinglike anotherdicey

ex erciseintruecrimeelegantly

evolvesintoa portraitofloneliness.

10.

TheHottestTake(THERINGER)

Eachepisodefeaturesa staffer

submittinga hottake that everybody

elseproceedstopounceonordefend.

They alternatebetweenabsurd

banality(buttonsare bullshit)and

painfulreasonableness(actually,

paperstrawsare good).Theappeal

comesfromthejuxtapositionof

thetakes’lowstakesandthehigh

intensityoftheensuingdiscourse.

1. LostNotes,seasontwo(KCRW)
   It’shard toproducea uniformly
   fantasticanthology series,butthelatest
   seasonofKCRW’smusic-documentary
   podcastpullsit off. Theseasonpresents
   a chorusofindividualsgrapplingwith
   memory, set against thebackdrop
   ofmusic.Amongthehighlights:
   “T eenageOffenders,”inwhichthe
   foundingmemberofa punkband,
   nowa middle-agedfather,reckons
   withthemisogyny ofhisoldlyrics.


2. 
   

   1619 (THENEWYORKTIMES)
   NikoleHannah-Jones’sexpansive
   multimediaprojectforTheNew
   York TimesMagazinereframes
   thenarrativeofAmericanhistory
   throughthatofAmericanslavery.The
   projectspansessays,photography,
   fiction,andthisfive-partpodcast,
   whichmakesspecific contributions
   tothegenre’saesthetic.It’sa formal
   reimaginingofwhat anaudioessay
   canbe,embracingaestheticfluidity
   anda vividsenseofatmosphere in
   theserviceofhistoricalremembering.

   
   


3. 
   

   Moonface(INDEPENDENT)
   JamesKim’s debutfictionpodcast
   centersona specificmomentinthe

   
   

THE TEN

BEST

PODCASTS OF

THE YEAR

By nicholas quah

Top Ten

Comedy

Podcasts

By

our crack team

of comedy-podcast

experts *

life of Paul, a second-generation

Korean-American immigrant

and gay man played by Joel Kim

Booster, who is navigating a hazy

in-between phase of adulthood.

Propelled by a singular vision and

executed with tremendous flair,

Moonfaceis exactlythetypeof

podcastI wishtohearmore of.

4.

TheWalkingPodcast

(INDEPENDENT)

A quirkylittleproject fromauthor

JonMooallem,Walkingis a series

offieldrecordingscapturingthe

soundsofhishikesinvarious

woodlands.Youhearthecrunching

ofleaves,therushofrivers,the

infrequentacknowledgment

ofotherhikers.Occasionally,

there’s a short mid-hike pause

todeliver,somewhatabsurdly,a

host-readad.That’saboutit.

5.

Bundyville:TheRemnant

(LONGREADS ANDOREGON

PUBLICBROADCASTING)

LeahSottile’sexcellentdocumentary

onextremismintheAmericanWest.

Bundyville’s firstseasonduginto

theMalheurstandoffofJanuary

2016;thisfollow-upexaminesits

1.

Las Culturistas

As comedians Matt

Rogers and Bowen Yang

demonstrate weekly,

to be a culturista is to

hyperventilate culture.

2.

Best Friends With

Nicole Byer and

Sasheer Zamata

Conversation comes

so naturally for these

longtime reallife best

friends it feels as if they’ve

been recording this since

the beginning of time.

3.

Conan O’Brien

Needs a Friend

Whether he’s riffing with

Dana Carvey or having

deep conversations

with Michelle Obama,

O’Brien has made a big

splash in his first season

of podcasts. We think

this kid’s going places.

4.

Hollywood Handbook

Long a comedyfan

favorite, 2019’s “Masked

Engineer,” a parody

of The Masked Singer,

is aninstantclassic.

5.

HowDidThis

GetPlayed?

Whatare theworst

videogamesofall

time?Thehosts

committoselftorture

byplayingthemall.

6.

TheJeselnik

&Rosenthal

Vanity Project

Angry,funny, andtender,

comedianAnthony

JeselnikandNFLNetwork

writerGreggRosenthal’s

podcastoriginallyfocused

onfootball.It’s nowa

showinwhich“theonly

goalseemstobegetting

firedeachandevery

week.”

7.

PunchUptheJam

DemiAdejuyigbeand

MielBredouw“revisit,

review, andrevisethe

songsofouryesterdays,”

then“punchupthejam”

witha freshremix.

8.

SoooMany

White Guys

A spaceforcomedian

PhoebeRobinsonto

championartistswho

arenotjustwhiteguys.

A standoutepisode

featureda candid

discussionabout

illnesswithSNLalum

VanessaBayer.

9.

ThirstAidKit

In 2019 , hostsBim

AdewunmiandNichole

Perkinswere thirstier

thanevertoanswerthe

question“Whydowe

desirewhowedesire?”

10.

Yo, IsThisRacist?

Thiscelebrateda

1,000episoderun

withthe“We Solved

RacismSpecial,”a

celebrationofoneof

themostbelovedshows

inpodcastinghistory. *

OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS: REBECCA ALTER, KATE DOYLE, PABLO GOLDSTEIN, NOAH JACOBS, BECCA JAMES, MARK KRAMER, ANNA MARR