I love it. I was completely perplexed a few months back when I first heard the term "girlpants" used in reference to a teenage boy's fashion choices, and I'm glad to have someone as witty as Katie Zager explain it to me. She maintains a deliciously amused tone as she introduces us to girlpants-wearing boys and the girls who love them, or who don't, as the case may be. Along the way, she very usefully explains some other cutting-edge terms (e.g. "fashioncore"). Her timing is tight and her actualities are nicely chosen. The one thing that surprises me is that these boys don't seem to come in for any homophobic teasing -- or if they do, Katie doesn't mention it. (The first time I heard about the girlpants phenomenon, it was in the context of a gay-bashing.) Nevertheless, this is a delightful peek into one fascinating corner of the teenage world.
Reasons to put this on the radio: 1) The topic is one that affects a lot of people, though most listeners may only have vague notions about it; 2) The tone is unpolished and real, in a way that makes you feel as if you're in one-on-one conversation with the speaker; 3) in just four and a half minutes, the piece paints a remarkeably detailed picture, I think.
Other comments: At first, this sounds like an interview with the questions slightly awkwardly edited out (was it?); then the speaker warms up and moves through it more smoothly. By the end, I was really drawn in. The lead-in (and out) about the newspaper is the awkward part.
The interviewer, Joey, is just as much a character in the piece as the guy he's interviewing. That's what gives this piece its fly-on-the-wall realness. It would serve very well as part of a larger exploration of the topic.
A thoughtful opinion piece about the pitiful state of Asian representation on TV. Leavened by a bit of humor. A point of view most listeners don't hear very often, but should!
A lovely piece about an instrument and instrumentalist many listeners (myself included) don't know anything about. Music is beautifully mixed in, and Wu Man is an inviting speaker.
Listening to this piece made me very uncomfortable, because as much as I sympathized with Benjamen, I also really felt for the poor guy on the other end of the line. But hey, that's a good thing. There's more than a touch of Joe Frank in the desperate, almost-whispered telephone call. This is worth airing.
A well-done interview with the author of a book about a Nevada brothel. Edited a little roughly in a couple of places, but very interesting. The questions are not at all hardball, but the author is an egaging speaker. She gives some fascinating and sometimes surprising (to me) details about the workings of the place, and the comeraderie among the sex workers and their support staff. This sounds like a good, straight-forward series.
This piece very effectively imitates the effect of sitting in a TV control room for hours on end -- but to tell you the truth, there aren't many points in my day when I particularly want to feel that effect for thirteen minutes, although I realize that's the point. The control room guy has some mildly entertaining things to say. The production is smooth, but if this is half of the original piece, I think it could have been halved again, without losing that great purgatorial effect. Still, the piece in its current form would fit nicely in a certain kind of show with a certain kind of meandering pace.
This is about as simple as a radio piece can get, and there's great beauty in that simplicity. I wish the bagpipes hadn't been playing the way-cliche "Amazing Grace", but the charm of the portrait far outweighs that tiny complaint.
Comments by Noah Miller
Comment for "Girlpants"
Noah Miller
Posted on July 15, 2005 at 08:15 PM | Permalink
Review of Girlpants
I love it. I was completely perplexed a few months back when I first heard the term "girlpants" used in reference to a teenage boy's fashion choices, and I'm glad to have someone as witty as Katie Zager explain it to me. She maintains a deliciously amused tone as she introduces us to girlpants-wearing boys and the girls who love them, or who don't, as the case may be. Along the way, she very usefully explains some other cutting-edge terms (e.g. "fashioncore"). Her timing is tight and her actualities are nicely chosen. The one thing that surprises me is that these boys don't seem to come in for any homophobic teasing -- or if they do, Katie doesn't mention it. (The first time I heard about the girlpants phenomenon, it was in the context of a gay-bashing.) Nevertheless, this is a delightful peek into one fascinating corner of the teenage world.
Comment for "Confessions of Teen Stripper"
Noah Miller
Posted on February 22, 2004 at 02:47 PM | Permalink
Review of Confessions of Teen Stripper
Reasons to put this on the radio: 1) The topic is one that affects a lot of people, though most listeners may only have vague notions about it; 2) The tone is unpolished and real, in a way that makes you feel as if you're in one-on-one conversation with the speaker; 3) in just four and a half minutes, the piece paints a remarkeably detailed picture, I think.
Other comments: At first, this sounds like an interview with the questions slightly awkwardly edited out (was it?); then the speaker warms up and moves through it more smoothly. By the end, I was really drawn in. The lead-in (and out) about the newspaper is the awkward part.
Comment for "Joey Interviews a Cutter"
Noah Miller
Posted on February 12, 2004 at 10:33 AM | Permalink
Review of Joey Interviews a Cutter
The interviewer, Joey, is just as much a character in the piece as the guy he's interviewing. That's what gives this piece its fly-on-the-wall realness. It would serve very well as part of a larger exploration of the topic.
Comment for "Come On Down"
Noah Miller
Posted on February 12, 2004 at 10:15 AM | Permalink
Review of Come On Down
A thoughtful opinion piece about the pitiful state of Asian representation on TV. Leavened by a bit of humor. A point of view most listeners don't hear very often, but should!
Comment for "That Democracy Show"
Noah Miller
Posted on November 05, 2003 at 01:20 PM | Permalink
Review of That Democracy Show
I love it. LOVE IT. There needs to be more radio like this.
Comment for "Wu Man - Pipa player"
Noah Miller
Posted on November 04, 2003 at 12:44 PM | Permalink
Review of Wu Man - Pipa player
A lovely piece about an instrument and instrumentalist many listeners (myself included) don't know anything about. Music is beautifully mixed in, and Wu Man is an inviting speaker.
Comment for "call to canada"
Noah Miller
Posted on October 31, 2003 at 01:11 PM | Permalink
Review of call to canada
Listening to this piece made me very uncomfortable, because as much as I sympathized with Benjamen, I also really felt for the poor guy on the other end of the line. But hey, that's a good thing. There's more than a touch of Joe Frank in the desperate, almost-whispered telephone call. This is worth airing.
Comment for "Life in a Brothel"
Noah Miller
Posted on October 31, 2003 at 10:23 AM | Permalink
Review of Life in a Brothel
A well-done interview with the author of a book about a Nevada brothel. Edited a little roughly in a couple of places, but very interesting. The questions are not at all hardball, but the author is an egaging speaker. She gives some fascinating and sometimes surprising (to me) details about the workings of the place, and the comeraderie among the sex workers and their support staff. This sounds like a good, straight-forward series.
Comment for "The Control Room"
Noah Miller
Posted on October 31, 2003 at 09:41 AM | Permalink
Review of The Control Room
This piece very effectively imitates the effect of sitting in a TV control room for hours on end -- but to tell you the truth, there aren't many points in my day when I particularly want to feel that effect for thirteen minutes, although I realize that's the point. The control room guy has some mildly entertaining things to say. The production is smooth, but if this is half of the original piece, I think it could have been halved again, without losing that great purgatorial effect. Still, the piece in its current form would fit nicely in a certain kind of show with a certain kind of meandering pace.
Comment for "Navajo Pentacostal"
Noah Miller
Posted on October 31, 2003 at 09:14 AM | Permalink
Review of Navajo Pentacostal [Scott Carrier]
Refreshing because it doesn't insist on making a point. The piece is a snapshot without a whole lot of caption. Caption would just get in the way.
Comment for "Singing in St. Andrews"
Noah Miller
Posted on October 20, 2003 at 12:14 PM | Permalink
Review of Singing in St. Andrews
This is about as simple as a radio piece can get, and there's great beauty in that simplicity. I wish the bagpipes hadn't been playing the way-cliche "Amazing Grace", but the charm of the portrait far outweighs that tiny complaint.