Show Notes
This week we look at..ourselves and culture with Decoder Ring. Musical guest is DJ Booda.
Full Transcript:
Hey Pod lovers. I’m your host Marie and If you’re joining us for the first time: Welcome! The Mastercast is a podcast recommendation show that brings you a brand new non-spoiler binge-worthy review every week of the best podcasts in a short and sweet 2-3 minute summary on everything you could want to know, from the number of hosts to on average how long you can expect each episode to be. New episodes come out every Monday. You can find the week’s other reviews on the show’s social on Instagram @themastercast and Twitter @mastercastpods. If you like what you hear and want to help out this independent show you can find me on Buy me a coffee by searching The Mastercast. I’d really appreciate it. This week’s review is on
Decoder Ring - No Spoilers
This recommendation shouldn’t come as a surprise.I actually hesitated to review it because it’s not like it needs any help reaching more people. It’s a legend among those looking for mysteries that aren’t crime related. Related to Endless Thread and Gimlet’s short-run Mystery Show, Slate’s Decoder Ring sets itself apart by focusing on cultural mysteries. The rise and fall of the mullet, the Karen, and why every professional on Linked in is expected to consider themselves a storyteller are just a few of the many topics covered so far. In each monthly episode Willa Paskin, the show’s host, looks at an aspect of our lives, its lore and why it matters. I honestly can’t think of another podcast that looks at something the way this one does, by dissecting something mundane that we take for granted and turning it into nostalgia for things, in some cases, you weren’t even around for. There were episodes that didn’t immediately jump out as interesting to me but I listened anyway for Paskin’s charm and reasoning only to be thrilled with how fascinating they were. With 4.6 out of 5 stars and 1.5K Ratings, the show sits at #154 in the Apple Podcast charts for Society and cultural but #9 for documentary according to Chartable. The show currently sits at 59 episodes that are on average about 39 minutes long. Owltail has the most popular episodes as “Murphy's Law” and “Clown Panic.” Personally I think there are far better ones. Try starting off with “The Johnlock Conspiracy” or “The Incunabula Papers.” I also really loved this last season’s bonus episodes in which Paskin discusses the philosophies and methods of the show. In the past the show’s once a month release schedule had been a bit inconsistent at times which I suspect played into moving to a seasonal release schedule. Commercials are average bordering on a bit much but I promise it's a beloved podcast for a reason. Also ads allow you to listen to this for free and there is always fast-forwarding. Some think the podcast is too political but I don’t. If I had to name a complaint it would be that sometimes I feel like the conclusions the host draws doesn’t really sum up the whole topic, which can be a little underwhelming. It’s rare but there. Like the show is trying to make something out of nothing but I just sum it up to me not getting the point. It’s a show you can’t help but love. Content warnings are different for each episode but have some have included sexual assault and mature language.
Similar pods you may not have heard include: Spectacle, Shattered Souls (the older Thinking Sideways episodes), and Underunderstood.
All right, guys, that’s all for this week but remember if you want to see the cover art, sources or the written transcript for this episode be sure to check out the show notes. You can also send us an email at themastercastpodlist@gmail.com. There you can tell us if you have music you would like played on the show or submit a podcast to be recommended. This week’s music came from DJ Booda. The song featured is “We will see.” Please check him out on Soundcloud by searching DJ Booda. This link and info will also be in the show notes as well. Remember to share the show with the pod lovers in your life and tune in next Monday. Thanks for listening.
Artist: DJ Booda
Song: We Will See
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user370694015/we-will-see
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