Little Shop Of Horrors converts a showtune skeptic on MusicalSplaining

Damsels In The DMs
The Abuse Recovery Mentor

It’s no secret that modern dating is tough, so Damsels In The DMs exists to offer insight and reflection on the modern dating experience. Hosted by Aash Patel, Lauren Harris, and Alejandro Valtierra, each episode looks at a different facet of dating culture and the hosts examine a letter from listeners, fostering conversations to build a sense of community. This episode, the hosts are joined by Eve Bradley, a UK-based abuse recovery mentor devoted to helping survivors of domestic and narcissistic abuse move on. Bradley speaks candidly about her experiences with traumatic relationships and discusses the difficult process of breaking trauma bonds, as well as the warning signs of narcissistic behavior. The hosts deftly navigate a difficult conversation, unpacking potentially unfamiliar terms and breaking down patterns of behavior to understand the nuances within this type of relationship. Any listeners looking to move past a toxic relationship of their own will be assured they are not alone. [Jose Nateras]

Medium Popcorn Podcast
J.D.’s Revenge

It’s that time of year when this movie-review podcast spends the whole month focused on scary stuff. And the first film out of the gate comes from the blaxploitation era, a 1976 tale of possession starring Glynn Turman as a young man whose body gets taken over by the spirit of a vengeance-seeking 1940s hustler. Hosts Justin Brown and Brandon Collins spend a good hour explaining how this movie is more ridiculous than terrifying, as Turman’s character puts his hair in a conk, covers himself in a zoot suit, and goes on a rampage—and no one else in the film picks up on how crazy that is. The episode slides in and out of several tangents, like when Collins spends a few minutes doing a very mediocre Ryan Coogler impersonation. They also discuss who would play Turman’s character if this movie were remade today with an all-white cast. (Collins picks either Jason Bateman or Freddie Highmore, while Brown goes with Danny McBride or Tom Holland.) Since the movie is cuckoo bananas, the hosts make sure this episode is equally batshit. [Craig D. Lindsey]

Millennial Shelter
Arguments, But Online (with Dana Schwartz, Andrew Ti)

When comedian Joe Mande peaced out of the Twitterverse for good in 2017, he left behind a memorable pinned analogy: “Twitter is the internet’s version of smoking embalming fluid.” It’s an addictive, painful high that, despite leaving users worse off and despondent, keeps them coming back for more, he suggested. That perspective seems to be empathized with but not entirely shared by writers, creators, and very online people Dana Schwarz and Andrew Ti, who offer nuanced thoughts on the benefits and horrors of digital interaction with strangers during this week’s conversation with host Yusong Liu. Doughboys listeners will recognize Liu as that series’ former producer/current mailbag apparition, and he’s been a comedic voice, streamer, and podcaster in his own right now for some time. Currently two episodes in, Liu’s latest series focuses on and takes seriously issues relevant to millennials, delving into topics (like being on camera) deeper than the hacky and blithe commentary that usually mars mainstream discussion of the demographic. It’s an all-around considerate and insightful episode, particularly when it comes to acknowledging the power that social media has to reinforce the lack of popularity for awful ideas, if not to actually change minds. [Dan Jakes]

MusicalSplaining
Little Shop Of Horrors

In every episode of MusicalSplaining, Broadway fanatic Lindsay Ellis tries to convince showtune skeptic Kaveh Taherian that musicals are more than just embarrassing theater-kid nonsense. This particular episode is special, though, as it marks the first time in two years that the pair have been able to venture out and experience an actual live performance. For this momentous occasion, the hosts have invited friend of the show Elisa Hansen to watch the latest Off-Broadway production of the doo-wop-killer-plant-romance Little Shop Of Horrors. The trio have nothing but positive things to say about the latest iteration of the oft-revived musical and some of that excitement is due to finally watching a show with a packed audience again. Taherian in particular was delighted by the intimacy offered by a smaller theater as well as being able to witness the terror of a child in the front row who was not prepared for a giant man-eating puppet. In addition to this recounting of public emotional trauma, there’s also plenty of musical history and trivia, including what the term “Off-Broadway” actually means and how the success of Little Shop led to the Disney renaissance of the late ’80s and early ’90s. [Anthony D Herrera]