On Backtalk, Bitch editors Amy and Sarah discuss this week in pop culture. This week, they dig into how the lack of diversity at the Oscars shows the way the film industry systemically discriminates against people of color. A great relevant read: “‘Proportional Representation’ Has No Place In Diversity Discussions” by Léonicka Valcius. Then, they dish on how the new season of Serial is not as good as they want it to be.
Tune in!
Also, on Backtalk, we feature one thing we read, saw, and heard.
READ: Monica Sok's piece on Fear, Fearlessness, and Intergenerational Trauma.
SAW: The documentary After Tiller is now on Netflix.
HEARD: Check out Taina Asili's Black Lives Matter anthem “Freedom.”
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3 Comments Have Been Posted
Serial
Christian Jaaames replied on
Hey, guys -- love the podcast. It's one of the few I set to automatically download and is my go-to Saturday morning breakfast-time listen.
I have to speak up to say, though -- I think you were a little dismissive of the second season of Serial. To me, a story about how messed up war is, the Kafkaesque bureaucracy and proceduralism behind it all, what deployment does to the minds of soldiers, how cruel humans can be to each other, and Sarah Koenig's efforts to make sense of the maelstrom of political and cultural currents make the first season -- a high school crime of passion -- seem pretty dull in comparison. The facts around a murder are hard to determine -- really? The police cut corners in trying to get a conviction -- really? A key witness' story isn't the same everytime -- really? I'm being flippant -- of course season one was very well-written, and of course Koenig is a gifted narrator and interviewer, but here's what I think you miss about season two.
Altogether, there's no disputing taste, and it's okay for people to find the second season boring or less well written, but I had to write register my disagreement -- season two has me rapt. I'd be interested to read what other listeners think.
Thanks for your note!
Sarah Mirk replied on
Hi Christian,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Serial is very well-produced and well-reported and there's a lot to admire about the show. But I think the story they're exploring this season just doesn't connect with me in the deep and powerful way the first season did. As a listener, I'm just less interested, less drawn in, and find my mind wandering to other stories I want them to explore instead. It's good to know that this season is connecting with some listeners, though. Thanks for your perspective.
Great points
Amy Lam replied on
Christian! Thanks so much for your thoughtful points. Like you said, there's really no accounting for taste! I have a friend who, like you, is interested in this season for many of the reasons you've pointed out. To your note about Sarah Koenig's representation of non-US military folks on the “other side,” I'm just not compelled by the show's depiction because it feels essentializing and two-dimensional. The most interesting bit about Bergdahl's captors was about how bored his guards were and loathed to be assigned to watch over him. And that moment you mentioned about the teaser where Koenig says she's going to call the Taliban, my jaw dropped for another reason because the way I heard the teaser made it sound like a cutesy, flippant way to describe speaking with an official from the Taliban. It just didn't sit right with me.
Thanks again for listening to Backtalk and really appreciate the dialogue!
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