According to a report filed by the marketing research firm Edison Research, a little over one half of those residing in the USA has listed to a podcast, as noted in Edison’s 2019 Infinite Dial study.
The document noted that some 51% of Americans (around 144 million people) over the age of twelve has tuned into a podcast found within cyberspace that deals in various topics and subjects. (Last year, some 44% tuned into a podcast). And nearly one third of the 51% tune in to a podcast on a monthly basis. The report also notes that 70% are familiar to what a podcast actually is.
The information was based upon research conducted by Edison Research since 1998, long before the term “podcast” was actually coined and established, meaning that a lot has changed thanks to all internet based application created since the turn of the 21st century.
Complete details on the 2019 Infinate Dial report can be found through the link https://www.edisonresearch.com/infinite-dial-2019/
For those that may not be within the 70% of familiarity, a “Podcast” is basically a radio show that isn’t heard nor found on over-the-air radio. It usually consists of a person or series of people taking about a subject on hand covering nearly any topic manageable. It’s somewhat in the same style of a classic radio talk program where there can be a moderator and a second person or persons as the “guests”. A number of these podcasts may have commercial sponsorships as an over-the-air radio show could have, but most are commercial free.
The length of these programs can also vary, from as little as a five minute running time or for a number of hours per episode, although the traditional 30 and 60 minute length is the set standard.
Although many are just limited to voice, a few feature music from the classic radio DJ’s playing records of a specific musical genre, to a program that speak about a music format with the appropriate guests that deal with the musical topics on hand.
The reason why these shows are not called “radio shows” is the fact that they are not heard on the radio, but through various electronic devices that has an audio speaker and can reproduce sound. The “pod” in “podcast” comes from the iPod, Apple’s device where one can hold “a million songs in one’s pocket” as the late Steve Jobs stated when introducing this device to the world some fifteen years ago. (His actual quote about the million songs in a pocket is recited slightly out of context, but you get the idea!)
Although not many folks use a dedicated device for transmitting sounds, just about every smartphone in existence can be used as an “iPod” device, not necessarily limited to the iPhone brand. Anyone can gain access to a specific podcast obtained through a streaming element or for downloading to be heard at any given time.
As to what’s out there. There are literary millions of podcasts out there that cover any subject what one can muster up. Some programs are a lot better than others in terms to the knowledge of subject matter, consistency, and sound quality. The reason for this vast coverage is the fact that anyone can produce a podcast. Some present a program (or in many cases, a series of programs) that can be informative and entertaining. Others are good in content and not so much in sound quality. And there are others that shouldn’t be presenting a podcast, but do so just because they just feel that they can!
One of the most common questions we receive at Accessibly Live Off-Line is to why we don’t produce a podcast. Although we do have the knowledge of presenting a program for the ears that is worth its time for listening, we just don’t because we feel that our faithful readers would rather see our topics in hand as a text medium, rather than existing as a sound version. Although it does hold a convenience to hear a program rather than to read one, keeping the written word in check shows more importance than one with sounds. Granted, this writer’s voice can be heard by many for the first time, but the subjects found in each issue is presented as a quick and easy read, usually taking some ten or so minutes of time to consume. A podcast that runs around ten minutes each episode is also quick and easy, but should last longer. Rambling on longer as one should is one of the moist annoying elements found on a standard podcast. This ramblings for the sake of rambling is usually reserved for those people that present a podcast when they really have nothing to say. They feel that they can create a podcast, so they do!
And with recording devices and/or software programs to transcribe sounds become better is quality and cheaper to obtain, folks will continue to present an invisible radio program that isn’t found on the AM or FM bands. It’s there floating in cyberspace land, ready to be heard by just one person, or to reach the millions that may be out there!
Although the iPod device may no longer be the hot item as they once were, the podcasts will still continue. And as they used to say on the radio, tune in tomorrow, same time–same station!
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NEWS AND REVIEWS
The West Coast Jewish Theatre presents the west coast premier of Mark Leiren-Young’s BAR MITZVAH BOY, a dramity about a man who desires to have the bar mitzvah he never had some fifty plus years after the fact, and the rabbi that guide him on his journey to become a man long after the same fact.
Emmett Lee is Joey “Yosef” Brant. He’s an attorney that deals in divorce law. His grandson will soon have his bar mitzvah. However, Jory himself never had a bar mitzvah of his own due to circumstances encountered long ago. So he checks in at the same synagogue he attended those same years before. But things have changed over the period, discovering that the temple’s rabbi is a middled aged woman named Michael Levitz-Sharon (Pamela Heffler). Rabbi Michael has a family of her own, with an eleven year old daughter that will (hopefully) have her bat mitzvah. Although the rabbi doesn’t perform bar mitzvah guidance, she takes on Joey’s plea, even when he offers her an impressive tiding toward the synagogue. So the two start upon the process of Joey’s long awaited desires as the two embark on a spiritual journey that is more than just keeping with Jewish tradition.
This play written by Mark Leiren-Young is a tale where its plot point has a student figure who in this case is a man of a seasoned age, deals with a teacher, a woman that leads her congregation, and winds up switching roles. That is, the student becomes the teacher, and vice versa as the two learn from one another through their intertwined guidance. Pamela Heffler as Rabbi Michael performs her role as someone that is tomboy-esque, complete of having a name that is more masculine, yet she still keeps her feminine traits in gear playing a task of being a mother figure to her daughter and to Joey. R. Emmett Lee as Joey is a full grown adult that still has his boyish charms while remaining serious of completing his place within the Jewish traditions of having that bar mitzvah that could have wound up as long forgotten. These two character elements make this play as one that’s comical, tragic, charismatic, along with the notion that keeping one’s faith never goes out of style. Howard Teichman, artistic director for the West Coast Jewish Theatre, directs this single act play as one that would appeal to anyone that desires a story of keeping with tradition while staying with the times of now.
Also featured within the cast is Christine Torreele as the voice of Sheryl, Rabbi Michael’s unseen secretary as spoken through the temple’s intercom system.
One would suspect that the title BAR MITZVAH BOY would be more of a coming of age story through the persona of a young lad. Actually, it is a coming of age tale. However, the young lad isn’t as young as he used to be. And the rabbi is more than just a leader of an assembly of faith followers. This production would appeal to any theater attendee that enjoys an intense character study, no matter if one is Jewish, gentile, or some other else. It’s never too soon nor too late to keep the faith!
BAR MITZVAH BOY, presented by The West Coast Jewish Theatre, and performs at Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd. (at Wilshire), Santa Monica, until May 12th. Showtimes are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 8:00 PM, and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 PM. For ticket reservations or for more details, call (323) 821-2449, or visit online at http://www.WCJT.org
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US (Universal) begins within a simple and somewhat innocent scene at a oceanside carnival during the spring of 1986. A ten year old girl, Andleide Wilson, is with her family. As dad plays some of the carnival games, she wanders to what appears to be a “funhouse”. Something within that building gives her a sense that she has met her own being. The time shifts some thirty plus years to the present day. Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) a woman now in her early 40‘s, is with her husband Gabe (Winston Duke) and their two kids Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph) and Jason (Evan Alex) for a vacation stay at a summer home where Adelaide grew up in the same community. Late one evening as the family is settled inside their home, they encounter a strange group of beings that resembles a family, except they are donning red colored jumpsuits. At first, Gabe finds these strange people (along with the two others that appear to be young kids), as neighbors. They turn out as those that possess an evil presence, along with a nasty pair of shears! They are all out to kill this family. One element that these people contain–they are all mirror images of each Wilson family member, kids and all! But who are these people? Where did they come from? Why do they want to stalk the Wilsons? And perhaps the strangest element of them all that there are others just like them that don these red jumpsuits that serve as evil twins of others in the community that will kill!
This latest entry, written and directed by Jordan Peele, is a film that using an extensive blend of horror, psychological fear, along with plenty of doses of surrealism set within! This feature uses the aspect of what’s known as the doppelgänger, or the mysterious doubles of living people. These doppelgängers can be used as those that serve a purpose ranging from becoming every-so-good to holding a rage of downright evil. In this case, the latter emotion works out best. (It wouldn’t be much of an exciting story if these mysterious folks are there to serve a good cause!) There are plenty of twists and turns to this film that becomes the classic edge-or-your-seat thriller. In fact, this horror film could resemble a good Steven King story, except Peele is the one in charge here. Although there are acts of violence depicted, the blood and gore isn’t as intense as it could be. Its senses uses the art of deep-seated emotional fear, rather that spilling blood for the sake of cheap butchery!
Although the main cast featured are not necessarily an ensemble of well known names, the selling points of this film is the intense drama and senses of fear–an aspect that is rather tricky to work out well, and its writer/director/and producer Jordan Peele pulls it out! And there are other senses used that can be depicted in many ways. How this writer can present and interplant these hidden meanings aren’t spoiler alerts per se, since it’s a bit of a challenge to give one an alert to spoil outside of the fact that some minor characters that include friends of the Wilson family, Kitty and Josh Tyler (Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker) and their twin teenaged daughters Becca and Lindsey (Cali Sheldon and Noelle Sheldon) meet their evil twins with murder on their agenda.
US has been received as a crowd pleasing movie, even with a theme of an R-rated horror film. But unlike other horror films that usually cater to a rather younger demographic that contain less creative chills, this title uses the said horror in a very artistic way. Of course, one will spend time trying to decipher many of its other elements of symbolism used throughout. (Rabbits, ballet, et. al.) And this movie should not be confused with the TV series This is Us. The TV series doesn’t use violence nor doppelgängers. But you already knew that!
This film is rated R for violence and cussing. Now playing at all of the multiplexes found nationwide.
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ACCESSIBLY LIVE OFF-LINE (C) 2019 Linear Cycle Productions. All rights reserved. The views and opinions are those of the writers, and not necessarily of the staff and management. ‘Nuff said!
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