Plumbers on the Death Star and 4 Other Must-Hear Podcasts
Pontificating stormtroopers, confused hostages, Grinchy council members, and one reference to Clerks: Plug in those earbuds and listen up, it’s a Christmas miracle! OK, not really. It's actually a list of five excellent podcast episodes, perfect for drowning out the sound of approaching wassailers or keeping your family occupied as you fill stockings. We’ve got deep dives into Death Star workplace culture, a quest to end distractingly crunchy popcorn, a thoughtful conversation between Ezra Klein and Ta-Nehisi Coates, and one city’s War on Christmas, with asides and twists so captivating that even Santa might stick around for the ending.
The Sound Show, "The Audience is Listening"
Other than a lion’s roar, few sounds indicate the movies like the THX crescendo. But where does that sound come from? On The Sound Show, Andy Moore reveals the source behind “Deep Note." It's a journey involving Return of the Jedi, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and a recording lost forever. (Plus, a quest for less distractingly loud popcorn kernels.) Listen here.
Panoply
The Ezra Klein Show, "Ta-Nehisi Coates"
After hundreds of hours of conversation with President Obama, Ta-Nehisi Coates talks to Ezra Klein about how the Democrats became the party of non-whites, how Obama finessed the presidency, and why we must maintain a sense of tragedy in American politics. But the most insightful turns come from a more personal space: Coates unpacks his discomfort after resonating with white audiences, and why young writers should have a disciplined, ordinary personal life in order to have an extraordinary creative life. Listen here.
Vox
