42 MacDirectory
DEPARTMENT
The Ricky Gervais
Podcast
Despite the plethora
of podcasts
categorized as
"comedy," very few
are actually funny.
Most are juvenile,
some are crass, and
all are hosted by garrulous personalities
who cackle at every one-liner cracked.
Thankfully, for everyone looking for laughs
from their iPod, comic genius Ricky
Gervais delivers both video and audio
podcasts. Creator and star of BBC's
The
Office
and HBO's Extras, Gervais brings his
risible wit to the Internet. The only
shortcoming is the sporadic posting of
new episodes.
Psychedelic Salon
Take a trip back to
the weird world of
the psychedelic '60s
with your soft spoken
host, Lorenzo.
Episodes are centered
on lectures given by
doctors, gurus, authors and others who
have interesting insight regarding
psychedelic lifestyles. You can listen to an
Aldous Huxley speech, from nearly 50
years ago, in which he discusses his
masterpiece
Brave New World. Tune into
Timothy Leary speeches from the '80s and
hear him talk about the need to hand
power, of all sorts, to younger generations.
Psychoactive drugs, crop circles, cyber
society, UFOs, and theories of
consciousness are all contemplated on this
spacey cast. The one flaw is that there is
no fast-forward, rewind, or length of the
episodes posted on iTunes. It could be an
attempt to create some psychedelic time-
warp experience for listeners, or it could
just be sloppy production — I'm not sure.
This Week in MEDIA
If you are a media
addict, this podcast is
a nice fix. Daisy
Whitney, John
Flowers, and other
hosts examine the
most recent
developments in content delivery systems
and analyze industry trends. The hosts'
obsession with the world of media is
tangible as they deconstruct the
challenges independent filmmakers face,
debate over Pixar's genius, and lament
over their addictions to hulu.com. The
hour-long episodes are packed with
information that keeps listeners abreast of
emerging media technologies. One of the
more interesting topics for all you wanna-
be media moguls is the shortcoming of
online marketing campaigns and innova-
tive ways to capture listeners and viewers
of online content. The production quality
is outstanding and the conversation is
engaging. What's better, streaming or
downloading? What is the new business
model for media companies? While you
may not agree with the hosts, they will
certainly get your brain going. And
obviously, anyone talking about the world
of media needs to give Apple, iTunes,
iPods and iPhones plenty of talk time.
In the Groove, Jazz and
Beyond
Bebop, hard bop, fusion, crossover and
international — any type of Jazz is game in
this relatively new podcast. Host Ken
Laster has a brain overflowing with musical
knowledge and flooded with the history of
jazz. Between songs, Laster weighs in with
commentary and anecdotes, but never
babbles incessantly like so many radio hosts
and podcasters. The tone of the entire
broadcast is so relaxed that it is easy to
drift off into smooth tempo and spend an
hour distracted by the rumblings of a deep
bass. The podcast is associated with
Laster's radio show, out of Storrs, Conn.
One recent episode celebrated what would
have been Charlie "Bird" Parker's 88th
birthday, with a tribute to the master of
bebop. Throughout the shows, songs from
iconic artists are laced seamlessly with acts
by more obscure artists, making for a nice
variety of tunes. Whether you are a jazz
aficionado or just shopping around for
some new music, this podcast is sure to
get you in the groove.
On the Page
For everyone out there who has dreamed
of writing the next Oscar-winning
screenplay, this podcast should help. Script
writing consultant Pilar Alessandra shares
her strategies and tips for the entire
process—from getting the first words on
the page to selling your masterpiece. She
covers all genres, film and television, and
even has pointers for creating comic back
adaptations. Go forth, future screenwriters
of America.
HOTTEST PODCASTS
MACDIRECTORY PRESENTS ITS PERIODIC LOOK AT THE HOTTEST PODCASTS ON THE WEB.
WHETHER IT'S HISTORY, POLITICS, HUMOR OR TECHNOLOGY, WE HAVE IT COVERED,
WORDS BY CHRIS SWEENEY
