Musings on...Podcast Proclivities
Revisiting Romy & Michele, Drunk History and Missed by the Muses
It has taken me a while to warm up to podcasts. Podcasts should be right up my nerd alley. The overflowing library of titles leans into my need to know a little something about a bit of everything, but very few have held my attention for long. It took me a minute to pinpoint the problem. Many podcasters speak like a tranquilized Ira Glass, and I like fast talkers. In general, most people speak too slowly for me. If there was a thought bubble above my head, it would read “Talk faster”. I can synthesize information fairly quickly, so I often find myself a thought ahead. It is my cross to bear.
The other reason is podcasts, due to their conversational style, tend to get off topic. Traditional media must run within a specific allotment of time, therefore it is precise and punctual. Podcasts do not have that restriction and I find many stray from the specific topic I tuned into. Since I am not a fox or Alice in Wonderland, I am not going down your rabbit hole. Stay on point, people!
I know that makes me a bit of a jerk, but #IsaidwhatIsaid. Reality and competition shows lose my interest for similar reasons. I am not for the superfluous, I want a straight line to the destination. Once they begin doling out the unnecessary backstories, I am ready to move on. I'm sure your family is precious, I’m not interested in what you will do with the prize money, I don’t need to know about your life. I need you to sing the song, do that Quickstep or Fox Trot, astound me by artfully using that basket of secret ingredients, give me the details to that beautiful décor and roll the credits. I'm not trying to catch feelings, I’m about the end product, I’m here to be captivated by your talent. If that hour of programming becomes 25 minutes of emotional filler, I’m out.
I have a phone full of podcasts I visit occasionally, never settling for long, until I stumbled into Celebrity Memoir Book Club. I live for memoirs, biographies and autobiographies. (I always forget the distinction between them, but as Shakespeare said, a book by any other name smells as sweet). Nonfiction, particularly life stories, is the bulk of my reading library. I had all the passion for this to be my idea, but alas, the muses did not visit me with their inspiration. Thankfully, Claire and Ashley have nailed the concept for us.
Celebrity Memoir Book Club is hosted by Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton, best friends, and comedians from Brooklyn. I felt in my bones I was in for big fun. Imagine a modern Romy & Michele’s book club, in the style of Drunk History.
That description is not an insult in any way: I’m exalting in the epic merger of three of my favorite things. I loved Drunk History1. I have been a server for over a decade and I’m here to tell you that drunk people are not as interesting as they think they are, but Drunk History struck the right balance of buffoonery. Maybe they were just acting, but I loved their enthusiastic semi-lucid reading of historical facts. I’m not sure if it ever won an Emmy, but if it didn’t, that was a definite miss for the academy. Able to make history funny and memorable, it is an adult-rated, debaucherous School House Rock. I had many great teachers in school, but NOT ONE of my history teachers made me want to investigate what I heard in class. Add to that the epic friendship and silliness at the heart of Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion. I still think it is an extremely clever movie, which has reached cult status for a reason. It is completely relatable: Who doesn’t want to be impressive at their high school reunion? It’s a cautionary tale: Be sure to Google your lie to ensure it is plausible. And it is still quotable. To this day, when I need a brain break, I whisper to myself: “Let’s fold scarves.”
I originally planned for this podcast to appear in my next Raves and Faves, but I couldn’t limit my feelings to a short paragraph or blurb.
These ladies are modern, hip, informed and very smart. They walk through the book, reading excerpts in certain places. They don’t critique harshly or praise profusely, but relay thoughtfully from a reader’s perspective. They draw very specific comparisons and analogies to similar books. Their thoughts on the books are laugh out loud funny, but also extremely insightful and sharp. They are not book critics, but like all comedians, they are keen observers of human nature, drawing attention to the absurd and sublime in each chapter. I have found my tribe! They don’t take themselves or the subjects too seriously, it feels like they are just hanging and talking, but the conversation is whip smart for those of us listening in. Cheers to them for making reading a comic event, allowing book nerds to become the new cool kids.
The first review I listened to was Julia Fox’s recently released memoir2. I was entranced with their analysis. (I have been musing on the enigma that is Julia Fox for a while and I’m working on a draft of a future essay. You will be surprised at where I land). Julia’s memoir is a hot mess of a roller coaster ride and drama is easy to sell, so I thought my enjoyment was a fluke. So, I moved on to Kerry Washington’s book. Surely, a serious actor like Kerry would need defter handling. I liked what they did with that one as well. Okay, sign me up, I’m a fan.
Yes, they do speak at a rapid pace, and they don’t have a lot of fluff. They spend the first few minutes warming up, catching up on each other’s week and vocal frying through a little chit chat, but the bulk of the broadcast is pure book talk, clocking in at a succinct 90ish minutes. In a couple of school pick-ups and drops offs, I’ve essentially ‘read’ a book. I’m using them as my vetting service. I began with the books I’ve been on the fence about buying. I liked hearing their synopsis, giving them the chance to change my mind about making the leap to buy the hard copy. Now, I’ve moved on to the books I have read (and recommended) and comparing our collective thoughts is a delightful exercise. It is definitely a funny show for people driving near me, as I argue and/or agree verbally with non-existent people in my car. A good time was had by all in my mobile book club.
Each broadcast ends with Claire and Ashley deciding if they would have a cocktail with the book’s subject. That is their barometer (once again, very R & M), and their answers are very funny. Make sure to check out their response to having a cocktail with Edward Enninful, I spit out my lemonade while laughing. I don’t drink cocktails, so I can’t use their rating system, but I would definitely fold scarves with them.
Please share your favorite podcasts. I will check them out, but you know I have some prerequisites.
My favorite Drunk History episode
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