Podcast Idea: Flipped
A podcast about unlikely sources of political awakenings.
Description: What a time!? Bratz, the (sort of creepy) dolls company, was one of the early companies to post in support of BLM. Then came Gushers, Ben & Jerry’s, and hoards of other brands. In the last few weeks alone, the public conversation about Black Lives Matter, police abolition, and white supremacy has shifted seismically. Cousins of mine who were once wringing their hands about why the Oscar Grant protestors were “so loud” are now posting ACAB memes of Facebook. And these awakenings are often coming from odd places: internet chefs, horoscope meme accounts, foreign pop idols. On FLIPPED, you’ll hear from newly radicalized members of the cause, and learn about the unlikely post, person or group that brought them into the fold.
Host: Glennon Doyle (the white lady whisperer)*
Executive Producer: Rose Eveleth**
Comps: Conversations with People Who Hate Me (but the opposite) meets Death, Sex and Money.
Sample Episode 1: I was flipped by MOMMY BLOGS. On the first episode, Glennon Doyle introduces her role in helping bring moderate white women into the fold, and talks to people she’s successfully managed to activate about why they sat out before, and what changed when Doyle began posting about racism and police brutality. We learn how Doyle thinks about her role as an unlikely activator, and ruminate on the weird, small things that can get people to wake up.
Sample Episode 2: I was flipped by KPOP. Hoards of K-pop stans flooded police tip lines in support of Black Lives Matter recently. But how and why did K-pop become so politically active? Korean icons like Got7, Jay Park, Amber Liu, CL and have announced their support of the movement, citing the influence that Black musicians have had on them. Who educated these idols on their musical history? On this episode, we meet someone who decided to get involved through their K-pop fandom, and trace the political awkenings of some of the genre’s biggest stars to its source.
Sample Episode 3: I was flipped by HOROSCOPE MEMES. On this episode, Glennon talks to someone whose awakening came by way of Gemini memes, and dives into the resurgance of Instagram horoscopes. Is there a contradiction present in the ways that astrology accounts (which exist on the premise of sorting people into categories and assigning them “innate” personality traits based on the position of planets) talk about racism and discrimination? Can horoscopes combat hate? And why do some folks need the words of a pseudo-mystic to wake up?
Audience: People who love to read about internet culture and also like a bit of wonk in their lives. Whatever the Venn Diagram between Taylor Lorenz’s superfans are, and listeners to The Weeds.
If you have a podcast idea that you’d like to see me turn into a Podcast Idea, send it my way! rose.eveleth@protonmail.com, or just reply to this email.
Bonus Podcast From Twitter
* Hosts and guests have not signed on in any way. I’m making stuff up here!
** This newsletter is for fun. Ideas belong to their initial creator, credited here as Executive Producer. Don’t be a dick and don’t steal these ideas. If you love a show, and really want to get it made, get in touch with the person who came up with it.
Long live independent podcasts. Long live bad ideas.