Driving down Wilshire, to and from my LA-based summer internship, I had only one escape from the mounting aggravation of constant traffic and complete disregard for fellow human beings. I tuned out from the endless sea of cars, the desert heat, and the loudening sirens as I neared my Compton residence, and tune into NPR.I've always been fond of the variety of reporting that comes from such an academic source and for an hour or two (or even three, depending on the number of shootings the night before) I scratched my intellectual curiosity, only to sniff despair in the air. Remember, this was the summer of economic peril, a heated presidential race, increasing unemployment, etc. I swear, I'd go to work hearing about how many brave soldiers died in Iraq and come home to how deep stocks have plummeted on Wall street on a daily basis.
And so, by summer's end I had my fill. I quit. NPR that is.
Now, I'm back. And it's all because of this man. Ira Glass's show has made me a believer, once more, in the ability of public radio to present engaging programming that reflects personal interests and current socioeconomic events. I find myself in awe of This American Life's ability to captivate and stimulate my imagination. When Mr. Glass and his barrage of contributors speak, I see vivid images of interesting subjects, unique backdrops and colorful themes that represent a kaleidoscope of cultural happenings in America.
So, I have taken it upon myself to delve deeper into my appreciation of such a wonderfully produced radio show, now finding a wider audience in Podcast form. First and foremost, I must say that I probably wouldn't plan to continue listening if it were not available anytime online. In fact, I don't have a radio at this point in my life and would hardly ever be able to sit down at the exact time when the show is broadcast, so the ability to time-shift is integral to my future appreciation of this fabulous storytelling stage.
Secondly, I believe I can chalk up the engaging nature of the show to two general arenas clearly encompassed in Mr. Glass's expertise: Structure and Language (including voice, sound and music). "Why include sound and music in language?" you may ask. Well, I feel that song choice, speaking voice and layered audio are integral to the focus captured by the beautiful words read aloud over the air waves (fiber optic cables just doesn't sound the same).
Structure has a great deal to the retain focus on an hour long piece. Just as the program can be taken out of its initial context and replayed, so too are many of the story elements used on This American Life. We are able to jump between parallel universes, constantly in motion, to coherently understand the story being told. This unique element plays especially well to set-up/pay-off situations of jokes, and the draw-out tension of anticipation and curiosity.The several act structure of the show, clearly laid out in the introduction is a means for those without the time, or attention span, to break up their listening into convenient segments. Also, with time cues listed on the web page, a less appealing act can be skipped over, although this may lead to missing a part of the over-arching theme presented that week.
Combined, the time jumps and act structure pace the program in a way that an audience member can consider the implied messages and reflect on their relation to these subjects, directly or indirectly as it may be. To further enable this deep meditation on meaning, songs between segments are wisely used to bridge segments or instill a closing comment on the story just told through tonal, and lyrical implications. Genius.
Speaking of music, the Language of the show is what I find to most captivating. Whereas, the structure makes the endeavor of podcatching simple and engaging, language is truly what captivates me. As mentioned above, the quality of prose is top-notch on this program. Whether its the picture painting descriptions of a scene or the choice selection of soundbites from a story character, these devices are impeccably implemented to weave an authentic, emotional tale.
Not a moment is wasted, and not a word is out of place. Quotes are used as needed, but serve a greater purpose than delivering the line just right. Hearing a person's words in their own voice enables my ability to paint a picture of who they might be. What is going on in the background speaks to the setting of the interview, contextualizing their thought process and motivations. A perfect example of this, from the Plan B episode, is hearing the Cuervo Man encourage drinking in a New York bar. Without having to set up the atmosphere and the reception he received, I understood his uncanny ability to spread inebriated joy, a shot glass at a time.
And joy is what This American Life has brought to me now, and hopefully into the future. I have found a new outlet for my narrative needs and to my surprise, it needs no image for what the storytellers say, I can see.
Image source: Ira Glass, Time Shifts
I totally sympathize with you on the appeal of tuning into NPR in order to tune out the chaos of daily, routine travel. And the overwhelming nature of the news reported last summer. My gf generally uses me as a news filter because so much of the news is beyond our power.
ReplyDeleteYou make the great analogy of calling This American Life a "kaleidoscope of cultural happenings in America." Broken down into different acts with thoughtful song choices and characters that are merely living their lives but impart some bit wisdom they've picked up over time. It's a beautiful thing.
I am also a huge fan of the portability that podcasts allow. It was kinda like the advent of the preset-able VCR when I was kid. If you missed your TV program, that was it and chances were it would be months before they'd reair it. Now I can go about my day, travel when I need to, and fill travel with a collection of podcasts in-hand.
I'll definitely have to think about their use of layered audio. It's a great feature but to know when to use it–genius.
...Oh, and the picture I used on my post came from the "Plan B" page on their website but I did think it invokes a bit of mystery.
Hi BJ,
ReplyDeleteInteresting, thorough breakdown of what makes "This American Life" work. You touched on all of the details that I appreciate.
Personally, I'm a sucker for the show's use of layered audio and musical interludes. Radio often feels one-dimensional to me, but layering audio tracks just creates a richer program. After all, when all you have to work with is sound, how do you craft a full sensory experience? And, just as you said, the music effectively serves as "a closing comment" — well put.
Having worked for an NPR affiliate most of last year, I understand your frustration. If you haven't discovered it already, I recommend listening to "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" which — like "This American Life" — is a product of Chicago Public Radio. Each week it makes me laugh about even the most depressing news, and it's also available as a podcast.