A Star for Each: Smart, Weird, Clever, Hilarious, Insightful
The gist of The Gist: This is a young radio natural finally given the chance to fully come into his own: DON'T MISS IT. The full meat & po-taters, or "What We Have Here" (it's articulately *not* a failure to communicate): I've always enjoyed Mike Pesca as the competent stand-in host for, well, pretty much everyone ever in public radio. But I never realized how brilliant and weird and hilarious he is when left to his own devices. First, to summarize the format, this show is interviews and commentaries about current events. If you're a news & politics junkie, and/or a fiend for smart radio, read on. Now for his tone, which is what really makes this show stand out: Imagine the earnest, thoughtful ire of a Frank DeFord editorial wrapped up in the freewheeling wit of a Radiolab interview. Given his own element, Pesca shines: He's got great radio presence, excellent guests, and best of all, a shrewd, quicksilver mind. The pilot episode is a perfect example of what to expect -- moreover because it might be the best first ep I've heard to date. I've heard a lot, and generally the best you can hope for is that the pilot isn't too clumsy, and maybe sounds like the actual show. Pesca wastes no time with such bumbling; he hits a home run on his first at-bat, replete with a hilarious interview: Jad Abumrad of Radiolab interviewing Pesca about his own show. Hah! By radio standards, he's a bit crazy to do a daily podcast (particularly if this is a side item to his main work), but with this level of talent and intelligence, he's clearly up to the task. This is a young radio natural finally given the chance to fully come into his own: Don't miss it.Read full review »
Crankyfu via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 05/11/14
More reviews of The Gist
When I first heard this in the Slate Daily podcast, I thought, oh my gosh, not every day - too much to keep up with. That lasted through 2 episodes. Now I'm completely charmed by Mike Pesca's humor and the wonderfully assorted subjects he tackles. Don't burn out Mike! This is so much...Read full review »
JM 42 via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 05/22/14
I love it.
Ccpdx via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 05/13/14
Really well done and entirely enjoyable.
jleftwich via Apple Podcasts · United States of America · 05/20/14
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