NPR: Pop Culture Happy Hour Podcast: Small Batch: The Bachelor

January 6, 2015 1:36 PM

In this Pop Culture Happy Hour extra, Linda Holmes and Stephen Thompson talk about Monday night's three hour premiere of The Bachelor. They'll talk about the Iowa farmer at the center of the fury, the women trying to win his heart, and lots more.

Associated Monkey See blog post with picture of Carly in pink taffeta serenading the Iowa Farmer on a rose-drenched stage.

posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome (14 comments total)

I'm one of the listeners of PCHH that is in the "why do they feature The Bachelor so much?" camp, and yet, paradoxically, I found this 'small batch' podcast (only about 11 minutes or so) delightful. What do you get? Linda Holmes singing, 30 women (not the standard 25) competing for one man leading to a (I think a very cute) serenade, discussion and acknowledgement of double-standards within the show and across the platform of shows, and the delightful hosts.

What more could you ask? Listen to it while putting your xmas decorations away.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 1:40 PM on January 6, 2015

Ok, fine, I'll listen to it. Just stop pimping it on all my other podcasts for the love of God.
posted by bq at 4:24 PM on January 6, 2015

NPR seem to have a policy of cross-pollination with the podcast promotions. Ohh, alliterative!
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 6:09 PM on January 6, 2015

It was OK. I have room for a lot of podcasts in my life so I'll check out a few more
posted by bq at 7:12 PM on January 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

I think the listener gains more as they get to know the presenters. I definitely enjoy spending time with the regular contributors, and the ones they rotate in. YMMV. (They do longer podcasts this is just one of those brief ones.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 11:18 PM on January 6, 2015

I like PCHH because even when they are talking about something I am not at all interested in, I find myself at least entertained. It's a great taking-a-walk-after-work podcast.
posted by rtha at 6:28 AM on January 7, 2015 [3 favorites]

YES! This. It's like you're listening in on a great conversation between intelligent people. Very well-done and the structure that Linda Holmes puts together for each show is excellent (the planning of it and "agenda" I mean).

Also there's a really good repore between the peeps and they do know each other well and rib each other. Great podcast.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:31 AM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

(ugh that sounded a bit snobbish when I said 'intelligent people'.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 7:31 AM on January 7, 2015

Rapport.

So what episodes should I start with?
posted by bq at 7:55 AM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

In my experiences, pretty much any one that catches your fancy, from the description (in itunes, for example. There are tons!
posted by rtha at 2:31 PM on January 7, 2015

Seconding rtha; sometimes it feels like the topics of the week are almost incidental, in terms of just listening and enjoying the critiques. Half the stuff I don't watch/read/listen to/attend, but I'm interested in hearing them discuss a play or movie or book, at any rate.

Holmes is one of the most assertive hosts I know of, in the same league as (UK radio presenter) Sandi Toksvig.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 9:27 PM on January 7, 2015

Yeah, I think a lot of it is the joy of hearing someone discuss articulately something that they're passionate about. The Bachelor isn't my bag at all but it is Linda's; and she's very good at expressing why.

Related: a great post from Linda on Monkey See discussing last season's Batchelor finale.
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 11:15 PM on January 7, 2015 [1 favorite]

Yes, PCHH is a weekly thing for me. Unless maybe they're talking about something I'm spoiler-phobic about in which case I have to save it for later. (There's one about Foxcatcher sitting on my iPhone from November right now still.) The show is a great blend of insightful and hilarious. They seem to have such a great time doing the show. I listened to a similar themed podcast from Slate once (actually, because PCHH's Glen Weldon was guest appearing) and it just felt to staid and boring in comparison. There have been many, many times when I've listened to PCHH feeling "damn, I really wish I was in that room with them..."

So what episodes should I start with?

I'd basically just advise starting with the newest and keep going. BUT, this holiday episode from last month contains a truly, truly wonderful bit from Glen about "The Year Without a Santa Claus" that I think I'm gonna have to add to my "things to listen to every December" list.
posted by dnash at 9:12 AM on January 8, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh, and another great Linda Holmes piece from last year on the Batcherlorette finale: "sex has always lived in such a bizarre part of Bachelor World."
posted by We had a deal, Kyle at 12:05 PM on January 8, 2015 [1 favorite]