This is my second post about the podcast “Throughline,” the podcast that tells historical stories related to contemporary issues. In this episode, “The Most Sacred Right,” the topic is Frederick Douglass and voting rights. The story starts with Douglass’ birth. The hosts, Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei, then go through his escape from enslavement and his work for Black enfranchisement throughout the Civil War and the Civil Rights eras. They also discuss how voting rights have progressed since Douglass’ time and how it affects us today.
One narrative element that I touched on in my previous post is using voice actors for direct quotes. In that episode about the electoral college, they often used direct quotes from Alexander Hamilton. We can see the same mechanic used in this episode as well with quotes from Frederick Douglass. In fact, the very opening of the episode is straight from a Frederick Douglass speech, performed by Jose Rufino, the voice actor for this episode. “Throughline” uses direct quotes in a very consistent way throughout their episodes, using them to set the atmosphere and a direction of a topic, then summarizing and extending from the quote in the hosts’ own words. They also interpolate direct quotes from Douglass when possible to tell his own story – for example, they quote, “Every opportunity I got, I used to read this book.” Then the hosts jump in, “And clearly, that book had a great influence on him imagining his way out of slavery.” This use of direct quotes to accentuate and enhance the hosts’ commentary goes a long way to create a cohesive feel of the podcast, and this seems to be a defining characteristic of “Throughline” episodes.
Another element that adds to the feel of “Throughline” is the inclusion of short audio clips to respond to and set the scene for the story. For example, just before talking about Douglass getting a job on the wharves of Baltimore, we hear a soundbite of water splashing. The couple seconds of the sound effect go a long way to setting the feel of the episode – it transports the audience onto the docks of Baltimore in 1838, making us feel a lot more immersed in the story. The same effect also works to build tension when the hosts discuss the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan. We hear a clip of a mob yelling indistinctly, then an unidentified speaker says, “They shot the man, and they hanged him. And then used his body for target practice so as to teach Black folk a lesson.” Then finally, after establishing the gravity of the situation, the hosts begin to discuss the Jim Crow era. The use of soundbites as a preface prepares the audience for a new section of the episode and creates a tense mood.
Finally, “Throughline” also consistently employs the voices of resident experts in the topic of the episode. I didn’t write too much about it in the last post, but the electoral college episode featured several expert constitutional and historical scholars. In this episode, the main expert is David Blight, professor of American history at Yale and the author of a biography of Frederick Douglass. Such guest hosts lend credibility to the podcast, since the main hosts can’t be experts on every topic.
This episode of “Throughline” told a very engaging story of Frederick Douglass’ struggle for equality, and how the same issues he fought for are still present in our society today. It was released just before the 2020 election, so it’s a very timely presentation of voting and voter suppression issues. It was both entertaining and informative, and I would recommend everyone to take a listen.
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Hi Kavel! I really enjoyed your post about this episode of “Throughline”. Because this podcast focuses on historical events that took place, I can see how it would grab the listener’s attention. Similarly to S02 of Serial, the telling of real-life events causes it to be very compelling, for it is centered around events that are very historically important and pertinent. It is interesting that “Throughline” incorporates the use of voice actors. This is a very creative way in order to provide historical context and recite events and documents in a way that is engaging to the listener. Serial uses direct accounts from various sources as well. Like you mentioned, this works to provide the evidence first and then the host will jump in to give commentary and other information to support the claims. The use of the host here acts to soften the information so that the listener can effectively understand the events. I know that in Serial, the host will use common language in order to make the listener feel as though they are a part of the investigation of the story. This also creates a sense of familiarity and conversation rather than merely the reciting of facts which could be somewhat boring. The use of sound effects is an aspect that I have seen in various different podcasts and it seemingly very effective. You explain how it works to immerse the listener into the context of the podcast. I agree with this, for Serial does similarly. The sound effects often increase anxiety and draw the audience in for it makes the podcast more dynamic. Overall, this episode of “Throughline” seems very interesting to me, and it will definitely be one that I look into for myself!
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