This American Life– “Christmas and Commerce”

The weeks leading up to the holidays are always hectic, everyone scrambling at their local mall to find a the perfect gift. The stress of planning a perfect holiday is often taken out on the people who deserve it the least, retail employes. For David Sedaris, his experience as one of Santa’s helpers in New York Cities biggest Macy’s was truly enlightening. It started off as a dare. A local ad was posted in the newspaper looking for workers who were enthusiastic about “spreading Christmas cheer for all to hear”. He was intrigued by the ad and brought it home to show his friends. This ended up with him setting up an interview for the next day. Sedaris was nervous for his interview because of his fear of being rejected to work as an elf. In the interview he was asked how exceptional his people skills were and his shoe size (so he could receive a pair of infamous elf shoes). Sedaris’ time as a retail worker during the holiday season shows customers what they actually deal with on a day to day basis. This episode of This American Life shows the relationship between retail employees and the holiday season and how truly terrifying it is to work a holiday shift.

To listen to the full podcast:

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/47/christmas-and-commerce

Under Cover– “5 Seconds of Summer talks Post Malone “Stay” ”

Spotify Studios released the podcast Under Cover in early September of this year. Many artists on Spotify record live covers of other artists songs. Spotify decided to interview many of their featured artists, to reveal their decision process and what went into the making of their unique cover. This episode features 5 Seconds of Summer an Australian boy band that has a worldwide fan base. The boy band decided to perform “Stay” by world renowned Post Malone. Before the band had found their place in the music industry, they loved to experiment with covers from a variety of artists. From covers of “That’s What I LIke About You” by The Romantics to covers of “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus. They loved the idea of covering one of Post Malone’s songs because of his blend of 1960’s and modern day rap. They discuss how they made the song their own, through different beats and adding a whistling undertone. This episode is a perfect look into the overlooked process of covering another artist’s song well enough to make it one’s own.

To listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qd59quvvSL4PzASdFgAwC?si=O0arqRV-SParZdfe1L-nUA

Pretty Basic– “Weight Loss and Slut Shaming”

Youtubers Alisha Marie and Remi Ashten have become numb to the millions of hate comments received all over their social media pages. With over millions of followers on several platforms, hateful comments are unfortunately what is to be expected. After growing up on the heavier side, Ashten has always heard comments about her weight. She always tried to diet and exercise but she never saw results until she started losing weight for her own benefit. Oddly enough, Ashten had received an increased amount of hurtful comments after her documented 70 pound weight loss. She admits to making the weight loss seem too easy, which she thought was the cause of all of the hate, but even after admitting her mistake, the comments would not stop piling up. Both Marie and Ashten dive into the sensitive subject of weight loss and how jealousy plays a tremendous role in the hateful comments. This episode reveals the negatives of broadcasting one’s life online and how one can never please everyone.

To listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6oZ6BgmuBn72PFBWCtFicP?si=de70SCabS8KgYUfS_I1GeA