Podcast The Newsletter

Bonjour.

If you are reading this on Friday, I am with my mom in Disney World. My mom is my best friend and Disney World traveling partner. We've been there more in the past 2 years than you have been in your entire life (probably) and we have the best time, every single time.

My mom (Cookie, we call her) is also my hero in so many ways. When I started pursuing my love for podcasts, obsessively consuming them and writing about them, celebrating them, I realized that the reason I was doing it was because I was copying her.

Ten years ago Cookie taught herself Italian and started a website called I Love Italian Movies. She started small, blogging about small indie films in Italy, focusing on lesser-known actors and directors, but my, has I Love Italian Movies grown. Cookie has recently developed a website Cinema Caramella, a database of Italian Film, and has interviewed the biggest names in Italian cinema. When I go to Italy with her, I can't compete for her attention—she is busy hobnobbing with famous people. And when we go to the Venice Film Festival every year, she is bopping around on the red carpet taking selfies with tall, gorgeous Italian actors.

One reason Cookie has been able to succeed is because she became a cheerleader of something she loved so genuinely, and so much more than 99% of everyone else. Italians don't watch their own movies, they watch dubbed American films. And many Italian directors and actors saw my mom's enthusiasm for what they were doing and were grateful for her dedication to their work. I think they thought, "who is this woman from Cleveland, Ohio, who brings us Lebron James jerseys to the red carpet?" (That is her trademark.) They were willing to work with her and support her back. And her site is so good because her love for Italian film is so pure. I Love Italian Movies is the digital version of Cookie's heart.

It's not exactly the same thing for me. Podcasts are huge and they don't need me. So many people are doing better work than I. But my passion for podcasts comes from my mom. When you talk to my mom about Italian movies, she comes alive and starts to sound like a 5-year-old talking about her new toys. During New York City's Open Roads Festival, she is a kid on Christmas morning every day. Anyone who is able to find something they love that much is lucky. Anyone who is able to contribute to that community in any way is even luckier. And I feel like a lot of podcasters are able to do just this—contribute to and communicate with a community they love, and create valuable content for it.

Podcasts make me feel like a kid on Christmas morning every day. I feel lucky that I get to write to you, that you are reading this now, that I have been connected with listeners and podcasters and producers, my heroes.

Thank you dear reader, and thank you, Cookie.

xoxo lp
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Anita Flores is Listening

Anita Flores is the host of I'm Listening. Season 3 of I'm listening premiers 10/1. Follow Anita on Twitter.

Introduce yourself!
I'm a comedian/video producer living in New York City. I've produced and starred in videos for Buzzfeed, Univision, and Pride.com. I host a monthly comedy show called Party of Two and am on tour with Awkward Sex and the City.

Tell us about your show and your history with the show Frasier.
I didn't have cable growing up, so everything I learned about TV, I learned from sitcoms. I watched Frasier when it was actually on, then in syndication, and then Netflix.

What was the moment where you realized having a Frasier podcast was the best idea ever?
As a comedian living in New York in this current day and age, you start to wonder, "Why don't I have a podcast?" I knew if I was going to do it, it had to be about something I knew VERY well. What do I know well? Television. What show have I watched more times than I can count and fall in love with more with each viewing? Frasier! That's how I'm Listening was born.

What are you most excited about when it comes to podcasting?
What's been the most exciting about podcasting is how little restriction there is on what I can do creatively. There's no true format for my show. Two of my favorite episodes of my podcast are entirely different, but still somehow about Frasier. 'The Queerness of Frasier' episode with guest Anthony Oliviera focuses on the queerness of Frasier and its treatment of homosexuality on the show. 'An Evening with Frasier Crane' was super fun because I got writer/improviser Dan Chamberlain (who does a great Frasier impression) to come on and let me interview him as Frasier Crane. It was totally improvised and totally insane.

Do you remember the first podcast you listened to?
The first podcast I listened to was The Ricky Gervais Show with Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Karl Pilkington. It was one of the funniest things I've ever heard, just listening to 3 friends talk about stupid stuff.

💎BTW:💎

🎙️Fuck. I just discovered Long Distance (a podcast about stories in the Filipino diaspora, heard about it on Kearning Cultures, another great show, more below) and was knocked off my feet. The storytelling is among the best I've heard—it invites you inside a new world, brings on interesting voices, and unleashes a narrative you've never before considered. During the episode on Tiki Bars (which I listened to three times) there was a moment where the host announced an ad break, and my first thought was, "dammit! I need to hear the rest of this story, like right now now!" although the ad break was like 15 seconds long. I'm impatient. I felt hungry for these stories, and the amount of time and care put into each episode is astonishing. I want to become a millionaire so that I can give all of my money to podcasts like Long Distance. (Become a Patreon subscriber, I did—it's a start!) Paola and Patrick are devoted to making phenomenal audio for you, for free. The very least you can do is listen to the Tiki Bar episode at least 10 times and give them a few dollars a month. Check out Long Distance.

🎙️When I saw Amanda Lund (<3 The Big Ones, Earios) was on Podcast The Ride talking about Disney Princesses, I almost had a heart attack. Is there a chance this episode was created for me, and me alone? I thought it would be about Disney Princess culture (that's something I want to hear) but it was about Amanda's experience as a Disney Princess in Disneyland. In *the most* informative episode of Podcast The Ride I've ever heard, Amanda shares it ALL (something former-cast members aren't supposed to do!) about how the DPs were encouraged to put creepy dads in their place, weird things about the costumes, and how...get this...sometimes people with special needs would get dropped off by their families at the park EVERY DAY because an annual Disney pass is cheaper than 24/7 care. DON'T TELL DISNEY ABOUT THIS EPISODE I DON'T WANT IT EVER TAKEN DOWN. (Did you all know that Amanda is married to Matt Gourley? I am either the last person to find out about this or one of the only people who thinks it's the coolest fun fact ever.)

🎙️I have been dreaming of Disney World for the past few weeks and I felt the universe was speaking to me when I saw Riley Silverman on Teresa Lee's You Can Tell Me Anything (read my interview with Teresa here) talking about Disneyland, Disney songs, and what it means to be a Disney gay. Then there's this episode of Parklandia that compares National Parks to Disney movies. (Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in western Colorado = Maleficent's castle in Sleeping Beauty.) Parklandia is true escapism for me. I feel like I'm in nature with Brad and Matt even though I'm really in the East Village. Their show drowns out the constant noise of blaring sirens and people outside my window yelling "Fuck, you!" (I assume these people are not talking to me.)

🎙️The Goodie Goodie with Sabrina Jalees had two episodes with Starlee Kine. Starlee told the story of Mystery Show, which is one of my favorite podcasts of all time. When Gimlet canceled Mystery Show, I remember thinking: WTF GIMLET YOU ARE DEAD TO ME FOREVER. (This rage lasted 20 minutes.) It wasn't until later that I truly thought about how insanely expensive that show much have been to make, how unsustainable the logistics must have been. Maybe Mystery Show was ahead of its time. With more money pouring into podcasts, there's a better chance we can have a show like Mystery Show in the future.

🎙️I was hesitant to listen to Patient Zero because deep down in my heart I thought it might lead to me contracting Lyme Disease. But let's be honest, I am a city girl and probably the last person who will ever get it. And as the first episode promises, this isn't a show about Lyme Disease—rather an "investigation of the spaces where people and pathogens collide." It's more of a true-crime story, something I'm not usually interested in, either. But this seems like more true-crime adjacent, sort of like Running from COPS, and it works for me. It's an entertaining (AND FRUSTRATING) investigation into a misunderstood disease.

🎙️I had bookmarked The Last Days of August, Jon Ronson's true-crime-ish investigation of a porn star who committed suicide shortly after receiving backlash for something she tweeted. (I loved Ronson's book, So You've Been Publically Shamed, his life experience and work make him the perfect guy to tackle this audio project.) When I started listening, I thought, 'this is fun, but is it interesting?' It just sounded like a bunch of people overreacting to a tweet. But the deeper the story gets, the more twisted it becomes. It ends up not having much to do with Twitter at all, but with August's ex-husband, who has a lot of skeletons in his closet. (That he is hellbent on hiding.) I was trying to figure out why I was on the edge of my seat listening to this story, when I often struggle to concentrate on true-crime shows. I think it's because it's so different and doesn't include typical true-crime tropes. Listen.

🎙️I woke up on Monday morning to find the most pleasant surprise in my feed—four bonus episodes of The Dream had been dropped overnight. (I believe it's Stitcher Premium only.) What a great way to start the week! It's all bonus content, and one of the most fascinating episodes was a conversation with Steven Hassan, who had spent years under control of the Moonies and when he got out, dedicated his life to getting people out of cults. His tactic? Tell people his own story and then ask them questions about theirs, allowing them to connect the dots on their own. Lots of things about MLM have cult-like qualities. You're in for a treat.

🎙️Sophia Chang is a) one of my first clients (ICYMI: I have started "the first podcast publicity agency for authors") b) the first Asian woman in hip hop c) the author of a THE BADDEST BITCH IN THE ROOM d) literally the baddest bitch in every room she walks into. She's amazing. Bust's Poptarts did a fantastic job interviewing her, calling her "Wu-Tang's secret weapon." They spent 7+ hours listening to her audiobook and came up with some thoughtful questions that made me want to listen to the book again. Hear the interview, order the audiobook (it dropped YESTERDAY), and LMK if you want to talk to Sophia. She is my hero.

🎙️Soph was also on another podcast I love, A Waste of Time with ItsTheReal. Eric and Jeff bleed hip-hop and their knowledge runs deep. They have interviewed literally everyone (Rick Ross, Trevor Noah, Cardi B, John Legend, Jemele Hill, Hasan Minhaj, Swizz Beatz, Wiz Khalifa, Lizzo, Migos) in their apartment for their show, and they are very funny and loveable. (I got to meet them!) If you love music please listen to everything, there are fewer than 300 episodes. I'll wait!

🎙️I love hearing Guy Branum on any podcast but I particularly enjoyed his conversation with Cameron Esposito on Queery. The honesty and openness that occurs when the two go back and forth with their own incredibly different YET incredibly similar experiences is magical. Something about Cameron brings out what I think is the best of Guy. Listen here.

🎙️I have been hoarding You're Wrong About all to myself and not sharing it with you, how selfish of me. Each week on You're Wrong About, hosts Mike and Sarah reconsider an event, person or phenomenon that's been miscast in the public imagination. They are journalists (funny journalists) who clearly spend time and energy researching their topics (they take turns presenting each topic to one another) so it never feels like they are just reading off a Wikipedia page. I leave every episode with a new take on things like gangs, Tonya Harding, and Kitty Genovese. Each episode is a total flip on what we have learned from media and traditional reporting.

🎙️iHeartRadio picked up Questlove for his third season of Questlove Supreme, a fun, irreverent show that stars musical legends and cultural icons. It's a show that's already great, but on iHeart, more people will be able to hear it!

🎙️Within the first few minutes of American Girls Podcast, hosts Allison Mary say, "if you're a Molly, you're our kind of people." And I knew this podcast was for me. American Girls Podcast goes over the popular book series and dolls of the 90s created by The Pleasant Company. Allison and Mary are historians, and their takes on the books and the kind of insidious messages embedded deep inside, are valuable. (I read and loved these books and was too young to pick up on the conservative messaging. How has this shaped me? Is this why when I got married I assumed I could quit my job and begin making shitloads of apple butter?) To give you an idea of the kind of insights Allison and Mary bring: they argue that Samantha would have attended the Fyre Festival with conviction. And yes, I'm a Molly girl. Molly had glasses and was nerdy, like I was. I can remember thinking she was not even my favorite. I wanted to own the Samantha or Felicity dolls but I didn't think I was cool enough. I knew I was a Molly, that it was Molly I deserved. That I had to support Molly because I pitied her, because I saw myself in her. My parents would have bought any fucking doll I asked for, it made no difference to them. But I asked for Molly because I knew I was Molly. Because The Pleasant Company offered a clothing catalog, I dressed like Molly. We had the same raincoat and galoshes. Wow, I kind of forgot where I was for a second. Hi. I think this podcast is going to help me learn about myself. So, in lieu of therapy, I offer you Americans Girl Podcast.

🎙️It was smart of Robert Evans to drop his trailer for The Worst Year Ever ahead of the other 50,000 political podcasts that about to emerge. Last time I checked, the trailer was ranking at #10 in the political podcast section of Apple Podcasts, and ahead of 538. I have no doubt this show is going to be well-researched, reassuring, even funny, and well-done overall. Can't wait.

🎙️If you haven't heard the story about the "6-year-old" Ukranian girl adopted by an Indiana couple who is now missing and suspected to be 22, a) you're in for a treat b) you simply must hear the story told by Ben and Harry on The Last Podcast On The Left. (Skip to the 5 minute mark.) They introduce an additional conspiracy theory that involves the mom being in on it the whole time.

🎙️In an early episode, I said that Jessa Crispin's Public Intellectual episodes had been scrubbed from the entire internet but they are back! Listen to them all.

🎙️I love you!

💎If you binge one thing this week...💎

I've been bingeing Kerning Culture, a show The Guardian called the "This American Life of the Middle East." When I read that, I thought, "why can't there be a "the This American Life of..." everything? But the answer (duh) is because it's, like, hard? But anyway, Kerning Cultures has done it. And the show's focus gives it edge and cohesion that TAL does not have.

In Case of Death explores what happens when you die in a country that is not your own. Mother Tongue talks about preserving a language when your government is actively trying to ban it. My favorite episode was Loving Lynn, which tells the story of a woman who left behind her hometown village in the Philippines for a housekeeping job in Lebanon at the age of 23 and fell in love with a man named Butros. At a few points there are full minute-long clips of Butros speaking in Arabic, and while I had no idea what was being said, hearing the words and the pain in Butros's voice made a huge impact on the entire story.

Says Kerning Cultures Co-Founder and CEO Hebah Fisher: "We started the Kerning Cultures show to tell stories from the Middle East and the spaces in between. The kinds of stories in which we can actually see ourselves, the kinds of stories we want to discuss with our friends over warm cups of coffee on cozy sofas. Because we love stories—really good stories, and there are so many from our region just waiting to be told. Also, Sarah Jessica Parker thinks our show is wonderful and that it transports her into places far away."

Kerning Cultures is a collection of beautiful stories that serve as important cultural pieces, excellently produced. Go listen.

Forbes wrote about Tink! Check it out.
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