💅🏻 Inside a beauty salon 👵🏻 The New York International Auto Show 🛻 call of the void 🧗♀️ a blind man’s revenge🧑🦯
🍭 👂 You're in for a treat! 🌈 🤸♀️
Bonjour!
Today is Monday, May 2. There are 3 days until I go on my next Disney cruise. Next week, I’ll be on the ship so you’ll be getting a SPECIAL TREAT in your inbox—get excited. If you want me to send you a postcard from the cruise, fill out this form. In case this email is too long, a new podcast genre here, I never thought I’d like this but I did, enter a beauty salon with heart here.
xoxo lp
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Emma Eun-joo Choi
Writer, comic, and college junior Emma Eun-joo Choi is the host of Everyone & Their Mom, a new short-form comedy show from Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Follow Emma on Twitter here and on Instagram here. Follow Wait Wait…on Twitter here and Instagram here.
How’d you become the host of Everyone & Their Mom?
When I was an intern at Wait Wait, every Wednesday I gave a powerpoint about that week’s guest. It started out pretty short and factual, but quickly turned into an insane, fast paced, often profane whirlwind that was only like 25% about the guest and mostly me making fun of Doug Berman or creating imaginary situations with the guest. I also started putting a lot more videos on our instagram and making our content more chaotic, which brought a lot of new younger people to our show! At the same time, Wait Wait was looking to develop a new project aimed at a younger and more diverse audience, so that was really good timing. For the first pilot, I actually only read the credits, but everyone liked it so much that I co-hosted the next two pilots, and then eventually became the sole host!
Why should we listen to it?
Part of our goal in making ETM was that we wanted to create something unlike anything on the air right now. And I think we succeeded! ETM is a weird, joyful little rabbit hole that you can get lost in for fifteen minutes a week. The world is in bad shape, and there are a lot of serious things we can talk about, but I love that we can take just a little time every week to feel happy and laugh at something stupid.
Did it take you time to get comfortable on the mic?
Yes and no. I’m used to performing, and I feel really comfortable with everyone on our staff, so when I tape over zoom it’s easy to forget that I’m recording—it feels more like I’m cracking jokes with my friends. On the other hand, I basically had to re-learn how to talk for the show. I naturally talk really fast and elide my words together—both of which are enemies of clear speech. It took a while to get used to talking slower and pronouncing my words clearly. The word “Canada” made me lose my mind.
What will you be doing in 10 years?
Man, I’d love to be in a wine and cheese club. I feel like adults are always doing fancy stuff like that.
Any fun stories about your experience on Wait…Wait!?
During some of my weekly Wednesday guest presentations, I would threaten to quit constantly and for no reason. It confused everyone since I had literally no leverage, but I thought it was hilarious.
hey.
✨I created a podcast swap database for podcasters who want to set up promo and feed swaps and other sorts of partnerships. Fill out the form to enter your show into the database, then browse the shows that have already been submitted to find your new podcast friend. Learn more in Podcast Marketing Magic and on tinkmedia.co.
✨I’m hosting another podcast marketing session with Radio Boot Camp on 6/6. This time it’s an hour longer, which means an hour of more fun. (And we can TOTALLY nerd out.) Sign up here.
✨Arielle Nissenblatt spotlighted the podcast Curious State in her newsletter and podcast.
PRX IS HIRING!
PRX has several positions available including:
🚨If u only have time for 1 thing🚨
More Than a Feeling from Ten Percent Happier is Saleem Reshamwala’s real life quest to examine our emotions and why we have them and if we can control them. You’re Okay, I’m Okay was one of the most everything podcast episodes I’ve heard in awhile, it’s deserving of an award. Producer Reva Goldberg brings us straight to a beauty salon where the clientele is made primarily of women are in their 80s and 90s. Reva examines how the two hairdressers there create a space for these women to feel accepted, and the result is a beautiful piece on aging and the power of finding a place that allows you to be who you are. It’s thoughtful storytelling that’s emotional and funny. You’ll feel like you’re sitting in a chair at the salon with these women, observing the beautiful space these two hairdressers have created.
⚡️News from Sounds Profitable⚡️
In Sounds Profitable, Bryan Barletta talks about how while third-party services (like Podsights and Chartable) are good for podcasting, their track record and how our industry has adopted could be better—by embracing better education, having some skin in the game when it comes to certification, and understanding the issues surrounding ownership. Listen here. Read here.
💎BTW💎
🎙️I finally made it through the 2021 Bello 100, and the last entry is about a show recommended by Rufaro Faith, host of You’re Gonna Love This Podcast, called Coiled. It’s a personal documentary of host Leanne Alie, who takes us through her hair journey as she transitions from chemically straightened hair, back to natural, but it’s also packed with history of afro hair, where is human hair sourced, who owns the Black hair industry, and more. The two sides of the story are woven together beautifully. It was a treat for my brain because I learned so much, but I also felt so welcomed into Leanne’s world. I listened to the whole thing all at once. Listen here.
🎙️The New York International Auto Show came to New York City and don’t you know that The War on Cars was there (and probably the least welcome people in attendance) to take it all in. Bless their hearts for braving crowds, The Javits Center, and overly-confident muscle car and SUV reps who introduced Sarah and Doug to the world of Ford Bronco Raptors and the 800-horsepower Dodge Chargers. Sarah and Dough confront these guys with facts about the deaths these vehicles have caused, and question what marketers mean when they say their vehicles “own the road.” Is that a good thing? Does the styling of these massive things incite violence? Are these companies marketing aggression? These are questions these reps have obviously put very little thought into, but they spark fascinating discussions about cars. Listen here.
🎙️Lemonada has not just launched a new show, Being Trans, but a new genre to go with it. They’re calling it Audio Reality™, which perfectly describes the new show, a six-part unscripted doc-reality podcast series that follows four transgender Angelenos. We get to know the subjects over the course of three months, hearing their live conversations that expose their most vulnerable moments. It’s an audio eavesdrop and sounds like nothing Lemonada, or anyone else, has done before. It’s part of their new BEING Studios, which creates audio reality podcasts that provide an unfiltered look into other people's lives. Listen here.
🎙️Here’s something I never thought I’d like but did: 8th Layer Insights, where security researcher Perry Carpenter talks to experts about cybersecurity and the many fields it bleeds into. (The name refers to what cybersecurity pros often refer to as the "8th Layer" of security: humans.) 8th Layer Insights is a very human, fun, and all-encompassing show. The production is top notch (it feels like if Cautionary Tales was all about cybersecurity) and Perry is a imaginative creator—his episodes You’re Listening To the Dark Stream and Security Is Alive are genius and not what you would expect from a technology podcast. Listen here.
🎙️My podcast with Adela Mizrachi (of Podcast Brunch Club) Feed the Queue is here. The first episode is perfect, I’ll say no more. Listen here. Then subscribe to the show we feature and let me know you did. You can suggest shows to be featured by emailing feedthequeue@gmail.com.
🎙️Switched on Pop’s episode about “The New Alternative” starts with Nirvana’s 1991 track “Something in the Way” to illustrate how the DIY aesthetic of ’90s alternative music is back in many shapes and forms. Charlie and Nate hit the play button on current hits from Beabadoobee, Wet Leg, and Halsey, to prove that new artists are using alternative’s old sounds to shape the sound of contemporary pop. It took me like two hours to get through this episode because I kept on stopping to listen to these songs I love, and to notice for the first time, why I love them. (Blame it on the “head bang stop” which you’ll recognize in Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box and a few Blink-182 tracks.) This episode rocked. Listen here.
🎙️When you are walking on the edge of a steep cliff, do you feel a pull to jump off, or wonder what would happen if you did? I experience this phenomenon (which I have learned is called “high place phenomenon” or more romantically, “call of the void”) and thought everyone else did, too. Outside/In explains that it’s not something everyone experiences but for some it’s our brain misinterpreting safety signals that try to keep us out of danger. Our bodies react before we know what is happening, which makes it appear that we want to jump off that cliff, or even attack a friend with a knife, even though we probably won’t. To fix ourselves we need to confront these anxious moments and move past them so we teach our brains that it’s a false alarm, which I guess is a good remedy for anxiety in general. Listen here.'
🎙️Ilya Marritz and Andrea Bernstein made a mark with their show Trump Inc., and although they have since left WNYC, they have been dragged in for for a new project, Will Be Wild, which starts with the question: How did the insurrection on the capital happen under our noses? Will Be Wild has traces of Trump Inc. in the way it pulls together pieces from all sorts of unexpected places—a son who turned in his insurrectionist father to the authorities, an intelligence official who saw it coming but was basically ignored, and a woman who attended. (Later she won 3 seats in the Idaho’s Nampa City Council Election.) Everything comes together to paint a clearer picture of January 6, proving that we shouldn’t be surprised that it happened, nor should we be surprised if it happens again. Listen here.
🎙️In 1964, Frank Carver says his brother John attacked him with a broken glass, which basically blinded him and caused him to be discharged from the army, and this was the beginning of a truly unbelievable life story. It’s a story that Rob Collins (a corporate video producer) heard about because Frank (remember he’s basically blind) was emailing someone to try to get assistance in suing the Army (for discharging him) and his brother (for maiming him,) but there was a single typo in the email address he used, so the request ended up in the inbox of Rob. On Square Peg, Rob takes you on a wild journey, which includes traveling to Scunthorpe, England, to try to help Frank with his life mission to sue his brother and the army. (Oh, and Frank is dying of cancer and has since died. Rob spoke at his funeral.) Rob admits he’s not a reporter, or even a podcaster. So there is something unsettling about thinking about a guy showing up in this town and forcing himself into conversations with John and his family, who did not initiate the conversation. But what he finds in Scunthorpe is complex. He’s not sure he can trust Frank’s story at all, yet is determined the craft the story into what he thought it would be. He admits he isn’t sure he's glad he decided to involve himself in the family drama, which feels like a Greek tragedy (but who is the tragic figure—Frank or John?) but I’m glad he did because the result is actually a story about Rob and his attempt to make a podcast. His wife plays an important role, expressing skepticism at every turn. Both stories—of Frank and John and of Rob—are riveting enough that I couldn’t stop listening, and am so glad this show has completely dropped, I would have died if I wouldn’t have been able to binge it. Listen here.
🎙️On Human/Nature, nature expert Marcos Trinidad is inspiring us to connect with nature, even if we are living in cities. As a New Yorker, it feels like this podcast was meant for me. I often hear nature podcasts and episodes that encourage me to tap into nature in ways that are not available to me. Human/Nature seems to be finding the little things we can notice and do with our limited resources. In episode one, Marcos talks to Jenny Odell, author of How to Do Nothing, about birdwatching, and Jenny offers tips the city dwellers can work into their every day, like observing the same places throughout the year and observing the environmental changes. It’s looking at the world in a more exciting way. Listen here.
🎙️Borderline Salty is a fun cooking show that’s sort of like if Mark Bittman had an audio advice column. Carla Lalli Music and Rick Martinez are expert food entertainers, and this podcast showcases their ability to make hearing about food prep fun. (I often turn off food prep shows because as a vegetarian, when meat tenderizing or whatever comes up I’m like ‘I hate everything about this.’) Carla and Rick answer listener questions about cooking from memory and have a conversation about grilled cheese that was so philosophical I got lost in it. They also have a segment called Kitchen Nightmares where they share stories of cooking gone horribly wrong, which made me feel less stressed about my own mishaps, and more excited about the fun of messing something up. Listen here.
🎙️Ukraine Stories taps us into the war in Ukraine by sharing the voices of the humans who are living out the atrocities every day. David Greene talks to people united by one thing—they are fighting for their lives, scavenging for food and safety. They are all scavenging for each other, often separated from their loved ones, wondering where they are, hearing terrible news about them, or hearing terrible news about the cities they’re living in and knowing nothing about them. Those are the stories that sink me. They’re short, but not exactly digestible. I listen so I don’t forget. This is the first project from Fearless Media, the new company formed by a group of NPR and public radio veterans. Listen here.
🎙️Podcast the Newsletter reader Rachel Hanson casually mentioned that she was on an episode of DCL Podcast, a podcast all about Disney Cruises, which I didn’t know existed. It was a comforting balm for me, allowing me to hear about how other people spend their time onboard and on Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, where I will be in 4 days, and what the ship situation is like in a world of Covid. Thanks for the recommendation, Rachel. Listen here.
🎙️I love you!
This week we’re getting to peek into the listening life of Julio "JP" Ponce Marín, San Juan, Puerto Rico-based producer who has been podcasting since 2016 when he produced his first podcast talking to other sports social media professionals in Spanish. In 2018 he launched the first podcast for a major TV network in Puerto Rico. That led to the creation of the podcast network Wapa Podcasts, also a first for a TV network on the island. In 2020 he joined Blue Wire Podcasts to produce their first bilingual podcast. He’s also co-founder of the MeetUp Podcastero PR, a local meetup and networking event for Puertorican podcasters. Most recently he’s joined Podchaser, working as a Connect Specialist.
The app you use to listen: Apple Podcasts has been my OG player since the iPhone 3GS. Spotify for the ease of switching from music to podcasts while on the road. And now Podchaser has become my main listening platform.
What speed do you listen to? I like listening in 1.5x to 1.75 if it's an information or news show. I try, however, to stay on 1x as much as possible, especially if it's a highly produced show. I am a sound design nerd and I like listening for the editor's signature in breaks, cuts, edits, or the type and length of music. It's all those little things that make some podcasts great, but you can't fully experience them if you're listening fast. Therefore, I keep going back and forth between speeds.
How you discover new shows? I discover shows in part thanks to newsletters like Podnews, Find that Pod, Vía Podcast, and many more. I also curate personal lists on Twitter of people and companies in podcasting, and there are always great recommendations there. Now working for Podchaser, I'm finding a bunch of very interesting podcasts daily so the challenge is to add them to my queue along with my regulars!
What’s a show you love that everybody loves? One show I love that everybody loves is 99% Invisible. It's one of the first podcasts I listened to and has been inspiring me to create awesome audio since then. Honorable mention to 20k Hertz, everybody should love that show as well!
What’s a show you love that not enough people know about? One show I love that most people don't know about is Still Lives. I'm a huge audio drama fan and this show spun the post-apocalyptic/survival genre on its head. There are no zombies, no robots, no search for a technological advance, just a group of people living their lives after the fall of modern civilization. But then a new person shows up and the balance they've enjoyed is threatened. It's very good and sadly too short!
Anything else you want to say? Define what success looks like for you, cooperate with others to achieve mutual success, and most importantly enjoy the process of creating!
