So I listened to the new episode on a tedious tube journey across London I noticed something that’s a small but kind of disappointing in terms of how contrived it actually is.
The epsiode is all about motherhood and the choice women face to do it or not, society’s judgement etc When discussing a book about a group of friends who all make different decisions by Emma Gannon, Pandora ever so casually compares it to expectation’, another novel about female friendship they’ve discussed in the past. She raved about it back then, I found it terrible, as it goes. One of the key reasons I don’t have much respect for her taste or judgement.
But that’s not important, the comparison still made sense on this new episode. it felt like a very insignificant moment, something she just thought of then and nothing more was said about it. But I kept the podcast running past the outro, music , end credits etc (unusually for me,) because my hands were occupied at that moment. At the very end there’s a disclaimer that ’support from the high low comes from expectation and penguin random house.’ So ...mentioning the book was not something that just occurred to her at all - and the whole thing feels more contrived.
How many of the books and shows mentioned are paying their way in to the conversation ? How much did they structure or script it to make it relevant to bring up ?I know I shouldn’t be surprised but I guess I didn’t realise a single book could sponsor a podcast epsiode - and only require an off the cuff mention. Also it rubs me the wrong way that the epsiode starts with their gin sponsor but this one is hidden at the end where most wont hear it. A glimpse at how the sausage is made I guess, never nice.
surprised that Dolly hasn’t come onto social media to celebrate Pandora’s book launch today.
