|
Kangra posted:I always thought of Rest Stop as one of their worst episodes ever and I'm surprised they replayed it. It was one of those times they went out and hoped to get some great stories but simply didn't and probably couldn't afford to waste two days of work. How I got into college started out great, but then it turned into a story about an econ professor's trip to private school. Kinda disappointed.
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2013 12:46
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 23:53 |
|
|
Kangra posted:The main story in How I Got Into College is pretty good (perhaps one gripe with the show is that it's really a one-story show, and not about getting into college at all). Even if it's not the greatest ever, it's a exactly the sort of thing I'd expect TAL to do. It is in some way a very American story, and it provides the opportunity for the questions that it seems the show likes to discuss. In contrast to stories about Eritreans in Sweden and lackluster repeats, it's nice to have a good one. This is exactly what ran through my head after finishing the episode. Hell, the main story wasn't even about getting into college!
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2013 23:59
|
|
|
Kangra posted:The main story in How I Got Into College is pretty good (perhaps one gripe with the show is that it's really a one-story show, and not about getting into college at all).
|
|
#
?
Sep 15, 2013 00:53
|
|
|
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/506/secret-identity This week on This American Life: furries. Possibly.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2013 09:00
|
|
|
Coming up next... Chapter II... Fursecution.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2013 17:05
|
|
|
I'm only 10 minutes into this week's episode, but the background music threw me for a loop because they used the same music that acts as the intro music on The Fogelnest Files.
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2013 21:00
|
|
|
fivre posted:http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/506/secret-identity As a father of a 3 year old boy I'd like to think I'll be pretty open minded and supportive with just about anything he wants to do with his life as he grows up, but when they were speaking to this girl's father all I could think was 'what the gently caress do I do if my son is a furry?! Do I pretend I'm ok with it and just hope it goes away?' The possibility had never occurred to me before.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2013 06:27
|
|
|
tnimark posted:As a father of a 3 year old boy I'd like to think I'll be pretty open minded and supportive with just about anything he wants to do with his life as he grows up, but when they were speaking to this girl's father all I could think was 'what the gently caress do I do if my son is a furry?! Do I pretend I'm ok with it and just hope it goes away?' The possibility had never occurred to me before. Really? It's the year 2013 and we're not all past giving a poo poo about what another person is turned on by?
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2013 16:26
|
|
|
I've been listening to this for YEARS, it's one of the staples that basically justifies the whole podcast thing for me. As an Aussie, we can often be pretty dismissive about American culture (it's all stupid and shallow) but this podcast is the one I link to friends when I want to make the point it's not all like that. Few weaker episodes recently, but that's because some of the all time greats are basically the best poo poo I've heard called 'a podcast'. Ira's nasal wine becomes like a comfortable old chair and musical interludes sometimes kick your already spinning mind into another level of 'holy poo poo'. Cannot recommend this high enough.
|
|
#
?
Oct 22, 2013 13:03
|
|
|
As a non-American, what episodes are your favorites? I don't usually think about the show that way, probably because most media produced in America is intended to be consumed primarily by Americans. There's a level of assumption there that colors everything. Like, 99.5% of fictional high schools are completely batshit and overstuffed with tropes, but since most Americans went to real American high schools, we all know just how batshit and unrealistic those portrayals are. The idea that people in other countries might be taking this stuff at face value is kinda scary. I'd be interested to know what someone with a different, outside perspective enjoys most about "This American Life."
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2013 05:32
|
|
|
Crisco Kid posted:Like, 99.5% of fictional high schools are completely batshit and overstuffed with tropes, but since most Americans went to real American high schools, we all know just how batshit and unrealistic those portrayals are. The idea that people in other countries might be taking this stuff at face value is kinda scary. I'd be interested to know what someone with a different, outside perspective enjoys most about "This American Life." I used to think that the American high school thing was just a stereotype, but the more I listen to TAL, the more it seems like the whole jocks/nerds/goths/druggies, high school sports teams/prom/cheerleading stuff is true.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2013 15:31
|
|
|
Crisco Kid posted:As a non-American, what episodes are your favorites? Mine was Harper's High School. I've been listening to TAL for only about a year though.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2013 17:28
|
|
|
'Petty Tyrant' is really good.
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2013 17:33
|
|
|
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2013 04:17
|
|
|
I have to go back and look at the backlog, because I've heard so many and there have been so many that have moved me. They're not all up on iTunes but I've found other sites that mirror them in the past. Let me get back to you on that one 
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2013 10:49
|
|
|
Crisco Kid posted:As a non-American, what episodes are your favorites? There was one about a prison performing Hamlet in one act per month (to avoid crowd gathering & rioting problems) that was fantastic. I think it was called "Act V"?
|
|
#
?
Nov 6, 2013 15:56
|
|
|
I know it's not the latest episode but I got through Fiasco! earlier today and it was awesome. Except, of course, for the fictional story. Why do I always have such a hard time listening to the made-up stories on this program, and why do they keep insisting on including them?
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 04:21
|
|
|
C-Euro posted:Why do I always have such a hard time listening to the made-up stories on this program, and why do they keep insisting on including them? I skip right over them (and David Sedaris) because I don't listen to This American Life for fictional stories that try so hard to be clever or witty, but just end up feeling forced about it as a result. I imagine they add them as filler for topics they couldn't get an hour's worth of stories about.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 04:34
|
|
|
For all the hype I thought the Peter Pan story was a lot funnier than Squirrel Cop.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 04:45
|
|
Tater Love 
|
I am at the same spot with this show. A couple years ago I just made the decision that if its a work of fiction I immediately skip it. It's made my listening more enjoyable.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 09:15
|
|
|
Couldn't disagree more. Fiasco was great and the one before it 'It says so right here', I was going to write a reply about that one actually. Someone asked 'what do you get out of it as a non-American?' and for both of those it's that.. it's not really an American life. It's an Australian life and an English life and probably a Canadian life. The concepts and emotions discussed and explored are common to all of us, it's a modern western life and we all share that. I'm sure you'll find more and more of China and Russia and places that aren't typically western can also relate, as American culture is so pervasive. The show can inspire me (Act 3 of the 'It says so right here', Josh whatshisname - what an inspiring individual) and it can sadden me (Act 2 of the same one where the girl finds out about Huntingtons and the feeling of when her friend that had it found out she didn't, and you heard her saying 'I just have to leave the room for a minute') and it intrigues me (Act 1 of the crazy story of the guy that stole the identity but so perfectly that noone could really tell who the gently caress he was). That's top entertainment, right there, regardless if you're American or not. I love the fictional stories. I find them always well written and if they're trying to be funny (they often are), they succeed. It's a nice break from the often heavy personal discovery and David Sedaris talking about animals having human traits will always get a smile out of me. I'm glad This American Life isn't produced by Goons.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 10:20
|
|
|
soggybagel posted:I am at the same spot with this show. A couple years ago I just made the decision that if its a work of fiction I immediately skip it. It's made my listening more enjoyable. Count me in too. Particularly when they don't clearly state that it's a work of fiction before the story and you have to work it out. (There was that short story they did years back - "X is resurrected"? - about a guy repeatedly half-drowning an armadillo, which had me boggled that they were broadcasting tales of animal cruelty.) More generally, the fiction seems like it's way outside the program's brief. True stories, history, how the world works, examining people's motives and feelings - then you slam a bit of fiction in there? One of these things is not like the other.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 14:31
|
|
|
The alternate is some of us don't need all the ducks to line up neatly in a row. I'm not listening to the Wall Street Journal.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 15:01
|
|
|
I have the same issue with audiobooks. I just don't enjoy hearing fiction read out loud. It's especially jarring on TAL, because TAL is generally a show that makes the most of its medium, so to hear it suddenly and awkwardly try to convert written stories into radio makes it feel all the more stilted.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 16:04
|
|
|
Is the latest episode worth getting through the first parts? Because after 10 minutes it went from "The Seven Things You're Not Supposed To Talk About" to "The One Episode Not Worth Listening To".
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 16:36
|
|
|
Haha, timing, I'm listening to it right now and eating dinner. It's dumb, I was just musing over the contrast of how lovely this is and how good the last two were, when I saw your post. you know what's funny about it, the old lady is right. Completely right. Her silly little daughter thought she'd be showing her Mum how modern and amazing she is, when the reality is her production is incredibly boring poo poo. I like that the old lady heard 'oh so you want to gang up on me with your friends and keep loving score and everything, you hold all the cards, and the intention is to make me look silly. Ok, young Sarah, give it your best shot (you silly child)'. Sarah's podcast sucks. Mrs Mathesion owns. That loving guy with his 'talking about health bullshit at the table' segment and he smarmily turns to the old dame and says 'so you have to admit it's not boring right?', and she straight up says 'no, gently caress you' but in more eloquent way. Sticks to her guns, because she's right - his segment was complete crap. You're also completely missing the point, Sarah. The point is if you want to go and find experts and put a team on it and blah blah then yeah I bet you could make any topic interesting. The point is in normal social conversation, with normal, everyday people.. you don't want to hear about their diets in detail. Do you really give that much of a poo poo about their history of health? People that talk about money incessantly are pains in the rear end. Yeah.. I guess this the side of TAL I don't like. Fiction stories are a lot better than this. Tony Montana fucked around with this message at 17:38 on Nov 12, 2013 |
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 17:25
|
|
|
Yeah, the mom was 100% right.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 18:19
|
|
|
That was possibly one of the most boring episodes of TAL I've heard in a while. At first I was like "the mom is crazy, surely these topics can be interesting in the right circumstances and her rules are really arbitrary", but by the end I was on her side. The "health problems" and "dream analysis" were painful ("you know how you find these subjects uninteresting? Here's people talking about them to an absurd degree! Interesting, right!?"). The story about the dog at the dinner party was kind of funny, and piece about the father and son driving was interesting and touching as well. I would have liked those bits in the context of a better episode.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 19:41
|
|
|
Tony Montana posted:Haha, timing, I'm listening to it right now and eating dinner. It's dumb, I was just musing over the contrast of how lovely this is and how good the last two were, when I saw your post. TAL producers are exactly the kind of people who'd be offended that no one wants to listen to their boring dreams or health problems.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 19:51
|
|
|
Sexy Randal posted:The story about the dog at the dinner party was kind of funny, and piece about the father and son driving was interesting and touching as well. I would have liked those bits in the context of a better episode. I thought these were good and the story about sleeping in space was interesting but they were bright spots in a pretty boring episode overall.
|
|
#
?
Nov 12, 2013 22:26
|
|
|
Tony Montana posted:That loving guy with his 'talking about health bullshit at the table' segment and he smarmily turns to the old dame and says 'so you have to admit it's not boring right?', and she straight up says 'no, gently caress you' but in more eloquent way. Sticks to her guns, because she's right - his segment was complete crap. Oh god, that was the worst. All I could think about during that segment was how dead loving awful it would be to have to sit around that table. I'm on Team Mom all the way. The only semi-interesting segments were 100% cheating, and even those fell flat. After not keeping up with the show for a few months this was a super disappointing episode to come back to. On a positive note, I'm glad they brought Fiasco! out of the archives. The Peter Pan story is one of the most astute and hilarious things they've ever produced.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2013 05:46
|
|
|
Well, I'm glad I decided to skip this latest episode then.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2013 07:05
|
|
|
Crisco Kid posted:As a non-American, what episodes are your favorites? The one that's 24h in the Diner is great. I also love The Super for how absurd it is.
|
|
#
?
Nov 13, 2013 09:48
|
|
|
Yeah, I normally enjoy any TAL episode, but the latest one rubbed me the wrong way. Especially after the "this is all about me and my mom" opening. I honestly didn't care about what her mom didn't let them talk about. Kinda felt like they didn't have any real material for this week. I'm hoping for a Poultry Slam 2013. They haven't done one since 2011.
|
|
#
?
Nov 14, 2013 04:03
|
|
|
I really liked the latest one. I think its the type of show that really made me fall in love with TAL in the first place. Just spending time with people trying to make a living selling cars. Spending time. Its just a good episode. Also the photos of the people are pretty much the type of people I had imagined when I heard them talk. http://www.thisamericanlife.org/at-the-car-lot/
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2013 11:18
|
|
|
Agreed. It wasn't a crazy story full of twists and turns, it was just a solid story of people trying to do their best. Definitely one of my favorite types of episodes.
|
|
#
?
Dec 17, 2013 16:29
|
|
|
I have to admit I was bummed that that the latest TAL episode featured two fictional stories, which are the usually the worst things that TAL does (in my mind) Then for the end credits they played Angels We Have Heard on High from Bad Religion's Christmas album and all was right with the world again.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2013 03:05
|
|
|
I like how they intentionally mispronounced polak as po-LACK
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2013 22:05
|
|
|
C-Euro posted:I have to admit I was bummed that that the latest TAL episode featured two fictional stories, which are the usually the worst things that TAL does (in my mind) 100% agree here. TAL is the podcast I listen to for stories about weird and heartwarming stuff that's happening in our country. I sigh when it's a story...especially when it's a story you don't realize is fiction until after it's done.
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2013 23:13
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 12, 2024 23:53 |
|
|
Medullah posted:100% agree here. TAL is the podcast I listen to for stories about weird and heartwarming stuff that's happening in our country. I sigh when it's a story...especially when it's a story you don't realize is fiction until after it's done. Especially bad is when you don't realize it's fiction until an animal starts talking.
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2013 02:22
|
|