Reply All: #89 Worldstar

February 23, 2017 9:59 AM

The unlikely rise of Lee O'Denat, the founder of Worldstar Hip Hop. Also, we reopen a cold case.

Episode page
Worldstarhiphop.com
Episode #80, "Flash!"

posted by radioamy (7 comments total)

I found this episode largely disappointing (save for the Flash update). There was the glimmer of a story, but it wasn't fleshed out enough. I do appreciate that they're letting some of the other producers have air time, but this was not a good way to introduce Chloe to listeners.
posted by radioamy at 10:03 AM on February 23, 2017

Yeah, it was good as far as it went, but it just stopped at the break without a real conclusion, and then a different story picked up, and I was momentarily confused because I wondered what happened to the end of the first story.
posted by rikschell at 5:13 PM on February 23, 2017

Same for the first part. Second part brightened up my morning and made me wonder how deeply hibernating tortoises sleep that the garage door and being picked up doesn't wake them!
posted by ellieBOA at 1:48 AM on February 24, 2017

Have to agree. When I saw that the episode was going to be about Worldstar, I was actually excited, but then the story ended up being...short and meh.
posted by General Malaise at 8:03 AM on February 24, 2017

I've got to disagree with the sentiment here about the first segment. I've never heard of worldstar before, and as an obit piece, it worked pretty well. "Here's a thing with a large following that you may not know about" is a fine way to spend radio time, even if it doesn't end in a punchline or a tight wrap-up. I'm happy to know about it. The controversy bit wasn't framed in quite the way I'd have chosen, but it wasn't unusual for a mainstream media piece.

I was a bit sad that the lost tortoise wrap-up wasn't paced in the same beautiful and infuriating way as the original. They really lost a second chance to advance the practice of tortoise-radio. And, I'm disappointed that there are people on Earth who would turn away from storm drain exploration because of raccoons. You know those jerks are nocturnal and two feet high, right? At the very least, I'd have expected mirrors on sticks and flashlights, not complete dismissal. How boring do you have to be to turn down a child who's begging you to explore the storm drain for a good cause? I suppose expecting adventure and a chaotic embrace from suburban tortoise owners is, actually, pretty inconsistent with the stereotypes I apply to people who would pick a tortoise as a pet. (Based on very little evidence.) But, people who live up to unreasonable stereotypes always annoy me. I'm glad you got your tortoise back, tortoise-owners, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to spend time with you. (To be fair, the host response to that topic was great. These are people I want to spend time with.)
posted by eotvos at 12:52 PM on February 25, 2017

eotvos: Raccoons may be small, but they have very sharp claws and teeth and are vicious and tough. My wife and I had to kill one, armed with only garden tools, that wouldn't stop attacking our dog (in broad daylight). I was whacking it repeatedly with a large heavy shovel while she impaled it repeatedly with a pitchfork, and it just. wouldn't. stop. attacking until it finally expired after about ten minutes of this. I sure as hell wouldn't go in a sewer that was known to contain potentially rabid raccoons.
posted by borsboom at 4:52 AM on February 26, 2017 [1 favorite]

OMG I wouldn't get near a raccoon voluntarily either (borsboom, your experience sounds truly terrifying). I do like the idea of using sticks and mirrors!
posted by radioamy at 12:09 PM on February 27, 2017