The best podcasts you should listen to this week
By Jaclyn Schiff and Simon Owens
Do you love listening to podcasts but are overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices out there? Have you subscribed to way more podcasts than you could ever listen to and don’t want to miss the best episodes? AudioTeller is a weekly newsletter that tells you the can’t-miss episodes you absolutely need to download. To have this newsletter delivered to your inbox, sign up here.
Welcome! In this week’s issue you’ll learn why the Netflix series Master of None is one of the boldest TV shows in recent memory, hear what Condoleeza Rice thinks of Donald Trump, and relive the glory days of AOL dialup. Stay tuned…
From Sriram Gopal, a DC-based writer and musician:
Master of None proves that more inclusive TV can be popular [link]
Podcast: Code Switch — Episode: Master of None’s Alan Yang Unpacks Season 2
Season 2 of the Netflix television series Master of None has received quite a bit of buzz. The show’s primary director and star, Aziz Ansari, has deservedly received a great deal of attention, but his writing and producing partner Alan Yang also deserves a great deal of credit. Yang may come to mind due to his memorable acceptance speech at last year’s Emmy Awards, which highlighted the representation of Asians in popular culture. In this episode of Code Switch, Yang gives the backstory behind Master of None’s most memorable episodes and how the creative team very intentionally went about crafting inclusive stories written from under-represented points of view.
Why Master of None is one of the boldest shows in recent years [link]
Podcast: Pop Culture Happy Hour — Episode: Master of None and Snatched
I only mention this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour here because the panel of critics articulate the Master of None’s audaciousness in an engaging and entertaining way. They rightfully state that Season 2 contains some of the most bold and memorable examples of comedic television in recent years, perhaps even of all time, and then explain why that is the case.
From Tristan Vick, an accountant from Texas:
What Condoleeza Rice thinks of Donald Trump [link]
The Global Politico — Episode 15: Condoleezza Rice: American democracy will survive Trump
Before the War in Iraq, Condoleeza Rice was one of the most revered intellectuals in the Republican party. Along with Colin Powell, there was also no black Republican more respected than Rice. In this episode she explains a number of the decisions made during her time in the White House, as well as her current role in serving at Stanford University. She articulates a vision of the world that emphasizes America’s role in promoting democracy and freedom.
Rice explains how she came to recommend Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State and explains the pressures that go along with that job. She goes in depth into her thoughts on Donald Trump’s foreign policy, as well as whether she’d consider helping in his administration. Rice is first and foremost an intellectual, but her desire to continue to see the United States lead the world in promoting democracy and freedom comes through in this interview above all other interests.
From Rachael Zur, a shoe designer in Brooklyn:
How Bernie Madoff got away with it for so long [link]
Podcast: Ponzi Supernova —Episode: The Operation
A fraud so big it was coined by The Economist as the “Con of the Century” required not only skill and greed from the man at the center, but also involved the help of others to pull it off. How did Bernie Madoff get away with his scheme for as long as he did? The third episode of Ponzi Supernova, the ongoing six-part series, details how the scam worked. Pick a return and work backwards. Use antiquated devices for no digital trail. There were trusted confidants, friends, and family hired with no prior experience. “Special” clients that always demanded and received the higher return. Computer programmers demanding to be paid in diamonds. It’s definitely worth a listen!
From Ramya Swamy, a physician in Washington DC:
What happens when you try to get rid of paper money [link] and [link]
Podcast: Planet Money, Episodes: When India’s Cash Disappeared, Parts One and Two
This two part podcast traces the roots and consequences of the biggest demonetization in the world. Akil Bokil, a mechanical engineer by training and social activist, convinced the leader of the world’s largest democracy, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to declare the majority of the paper money invalid. In a heavily cash dependent system, this move, which was aimed at fighting corruption among the rich, had severe consequences for the poor. Farmers and other small business men and women suffered as one of the world’s biggest economies was upended overnight. Yet despite this, Modi’s approval soared after this event, a testament to how prevalent and loathed systemic corruption is in India.
From Simon Owens, AudioTeller co-editor:
How Steve Case built AOL [link]
Podcast: How I Built This — Episode: AOL: Steve Case
Today, AOL is a shadow of its former self, gobbled up and subsumed by a much larger Verizon, but people my age remember back when AOL was pretty much the entire internet. We can recall when our mailbox was bombarded with AOL floppy disks and, later, CD roms. We can still get nostalgic over the scratchy dialup tones and the booming “You’ve got mail!” So I was definitely fascinated listening to this episode of How I Built This in which Steve Case explains how he went from a marketing job at Pizza Hut to leading one of the largest mergers in corporate history.
Thanks for reading (and hopefully listening to our recommendations). Think we missed a great episode? Email us at audioteller@gmail.com. Want to have this list delivered to your inbox every week? Go here.
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