Picks of the week
Anthems: Pride
“We need words that bind us not divide us!” So goes the trailer for Anthems: Pride, the latest addition to Broccoli Content’s wonderful stable of micro-tales and musings, all clocking in at around 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes so far have included journalist Lotte Jeffs on the “subtle beast” inside her teenage self, and where it goes over time, performance artist Travis Alabanaza on how binaries simplify our vastness, and DJ and broadcaster Ellie Prohan, who explains how she has balanced her queer and Persian identities. Totally wonderful. Hannah J Davies
Mandemic
Sideman’s podcast sees the Radio 1Xtra star spill whatever is on his mind, mixing memes, conspiracy theories and hobbies with the mundane moments of life. As lockdown eases, he’s moved from a daily to a weekly schedule, but there’s plenty to binge on. Highlights include his investigation of the “cuddle curtain”, Drake’s injured foot and why Jason Derulo tried to eat corn straight from his power drill. There are free-flowing laughs in every episode as well as relatable stories about his extreme nap-taking habit and washing up schedule. Hannah Verdier
Producer pick: Slow Burn
Chosen by Danielle Stephens
Back in January when Slate announced that the fourth series of its popular series, Slow Burn, was going to cover the political rise of the notorious KKK member-turned-politician David Duke, I doubt anybody involved in its production could have foreseen just how newsworthy it would be.
As it turns out, their first episode (White Knight) which tells the story of Duke’s first election win in 1989, has launched to a backdrop of worldwide protests against the police killing of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, whose name is now known all over the world.
The series doesn’t shy away from Duke’s unapologetic racism or anti-semitism. Even so, it’s hard to ignore the sense of foreboding eeriness that comes as the episode progresses, when you start to realise – through clever scripting and use of archive – that the story of a white man getting to power by making himself “a cause” for the disenfranchised isn’t a historical outlook. Present-day America shows us that Duke wasn’t an anomaly, but the beginning of a long-standing trend.
Some choppy edits make the podcast seem disjointed at times, but the content is there. Towards the end, the presenter, Josh Levin, who is Slate’s national editor, interjects with a personal connection to Duke’s election victory in District 81 in Louisiana. While its a link I would have liked to have heard about sooner in the episode, all-in-all Slow Burn offers another good, and unfortunately timely, listen.
Talking points
If you’re looking to find out more about the doyen of slick, occasionally weepy Canadian rap and R&B, tune into CBC’s new show This is Not a Drake Podcast, which launches on 16 June.
Why not try: Code Switch | White Lies | Insane In the Fem Brain
