Podcast Portal: Little Gold Men

Welcome to Podcast Portal: a spontaneous column that will highlight podcasts of all genres that are lesser known or new shows that are worth giving a listen. With the medium continuing to grow, it is hard to acknowledge all of them. However, I am going to try and find as many noteworthy titles as possible to share and hopefully expand your mind to the greatest growing medium out there. If you have any podcast that you feel is worth adding to the Podcast Portal, please make sure to inform me whether through the comments or through an e-mail (information in sidebar). 

SHOW: Little Gold Men
HOSTS: Katey Rich, Mike Hogan, Richard Lawson
NETWORK: Panoply
EPISODE BEING DISCUSSED: "So, Is Johnny Depp Finally Going to Win the Oscar"

For many years now, I have been obsessed with the Oscar season. It is the one time of year when the conversation shifts to talking about how good movies are. Sure, summer blockbusters have value, but it is the Fall season where the great dramas hide out, waiting to be discovered by audiences. It's an exciting form of uncertainty that makes even the lesser films all the more promising. For instance, last year saw an impressive amount of surprise Best Picture nominees that made for one of the more interesting races in recent years. With 2015's season about to kick off, it seems like it would help to have some guidance in deciding what's worth the average viewer's time.
In their premiere episode, Little Gold Men tackles a subject that many have likely asked themselves: Will Johnny Depp win an Oscar? While his performance in Black Mass has garnered some divisive opinions, there's no doubt that it at least feels like the start of Oscar buzz for an actor whose last nomination was in 2007 for Sweeney Todd. The trio of hosts from Vanity Fair discuss the appeal of the performance while exploring whether Depp would be willing to do Oscar politicking int he near future. This launches conversation into various other current events, such as the films that have made an impression out of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), specifically Room and considered front runner Spotlight.
Part of the charm of these type of shows is the mixture of professional opinion and naivety. All three hosts are experienced veterans at this game and recognize patterns from the past few years. Part of the fun is raising awareness of smaller/underdog movies and hoping that they will pull ahead in a gratifying way. Much like sports however, there will always be those surprises that make you infuriated. I'm expecting Little Gold Men to at times be heated with frustrations and disagreement, even if this first episode seems like warm-up practice to everything ahead. As someone who loves awards season, I am looking forward to what's in store.
It may also just be that I share a personal bias for co-host Katey Rich as a writer and podcaster. Her work on the pop culture round-up (and personal favorite) show Fighting in the War Room is usually stellar and gives insight into modern trends on a weekly basis. She has also proven herself to be an Oscars enthusiast thanks to her consistent collaboration with Nathaniel Rodgers on his own enjoyable awards show podcast The Film Experience (I recommend subscribing to it as well). While I am not as familiar with the other two hosts, I am sure that the staff at Vanity Fair is more than qualified to provide insight thanks to their access to festivals and the events that form the season.
It is tough to really make the argument of what podcast has the best Oscar coverage and it is a little early to know how Little Gold Men will do. However, it is still a niche category and one that definitely intrigues me enough to give them a chance. Of course, it's more based on how the season ahead will go and if things will actually be interesting. For now, I will give the show its due because I trust the people involved and, based on the first episode, am thankful that they have immediate chemistry. Even if the episode clocks in at just 28 minutes, it's a packed running time that captures an enthusiasm that will hopefully run for the rest of this season.





OVERALL RATING: 3.5 out of 5
WORTH A SECOND GO?: Maybe it's because I am familiar with Rich's work on Fighting in the War Room and The Film Experience, but I am enthusiastic to see if this show will be a useful tool to navigating Oscar season. So yes, I'm definitely giving it a shot.

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