Like all of the other Snap Judgement podcast episodes, The Gift (season 11, episode 21) is quite a memorable and intriguing story.
The episode begins with a question from the host, Glynn Washington: “Do you wanna live forever?” This then leads into a short anecdote from him about receiving gifts as a child. Like in the last episode I wrote about, there seems to be a recurring pattern of Washington introducing the topic of the episode through a personal, yet funny, anecdote. Also, beginning this episode with such a captivating question can compel the audience to continue listening by peaking their curiosity as to the answer to the question. Although the question is not really answered, it is used to transition into his anecdote. This anecdote was about how receiving a five-dollar gift from his uncle at age six was one of the best gifts he could receive back then. By using an informal tone in his anecdote and by speaking rhythmically with the background music — like in the other episode I listened to — he is able to effectively draw the audience into the podcast because these aspects are unique and intriguing. If all the episodes are constructed with similar introductions, then this allows us listeners to predict how the episode will progress. It maintains a consistent identity for this podcast because the listeners will be able to recognize from the beginning of each episode — through the anecdote — that interesting stories will be coming up soon.
Before going into the story, we get to hear a short interview with Snap Judgement’s Anna Sussman and the guest, Jaime Cortez. In this interview we get to hear a little bit about the storyteller’s background, living in a migrant worker camp with a stern father. Including such an interview is different from the last episode I listened to, but it gives the audience a sense of reality. This story was real. It was something that happened to this person in the past — not a fictional story for children as it may seem.
The rest of the episode consists of the story, which is told from the perspective of a child. As it is a story from his childhood, Cortez speaks in a childish tone and uses simplistic language to describe everything. After asking his father why there was a gift, his father said “just because,” to which he responded, “Oh my God. A ‘just-because’ present!” Describing the present in such a way is something that a child would do. Cortez deliberately keeps the diction of his story rudimentary and speaks in a childish tone because it gives them a sense of setting — the time in his life that the story took place.
He also changes his voice depending on the perspective that he takes. For instance, when talking from his own perspective as a child he speaks in a childish tone. However, when speaking his father’s dialogue, his voice becomes deeper and slightly growly. When speaking from his friend Miguelito’s perspective, his voice becomes slightly whiny and annoying to reflect that he was not too fond of this friend. Having distinct voices for different people in the story helps the audience differentiate each person and allows them to more easily follow along with the story, as seen in other episodes — and podcasts — as well.
Additionally, the author also changes his voice depending on the mood, which matches the background music as well. For instance, when he finds a mask of his favorite wrestler, El Santo, in the gift box, he speaks louder and more excitedly, which mirrors the upbeat music in the background. However, at the end when he accidentally hurts his friend, his voice becomes drained; the background music consists of minor notes and chords that gradually slow down and fade to the end. The changes in tone of voice and music appeals to the audience’s emotions, which draws them into the story. Snap Judgement is known for the way that they incorporate music into the podcasts, and this episode continues to demonstrate how well they do that.
Listening to this episode was a refreshing break from all of my studying. I really was able to stay engaged and enjoy this podcast because of the way in which the host and storytellers communicate their stories through their tone and the overall way that the podcast was structured.
Word Count: 725 words
Hey Hannah!
Snap Judgement sounds like it may be of interest to me, as, the host/narrator seems to use an anecdotal tactic similar to that of David Ridgen in the podcast I am listening to. The utilization of anecdotes at the beginning of any story in-alienates us to the story itself; it changes our position in listening to it from that of only a listener to the perspective of someone who the story may very well apply to. Ridgen seems to use it in a way similar to Washington, applying a question posed at the beginning to himself as if to beg the readers to do the same—a quality which I greatly enjoy and have thought about including in the podcasts we have been making.
I find that the most successful podcasts are ones that are able to encompass the listener—mystery stories which make you think as a detective, historical narratives which place you into the story as a person of that time. Through the use of tone, as well as complete voice change, it sounds like guests Jamie Cortez and Anna Sussman do that well. This, in addition to the first person perspective from which the story is told, seems to work well to turn a media that is typically listened to into media that is experienced.
Snap Judgement sounds interesting and I think I’m going to take a listen to it. Glynn Washington and his guests seem to utilize many of the same techniques to draw in their listener and I’m curious to compare how they continue to do so throughout each of their storytelling segments. Additionally, I’m interested to see how these tactics change as the host changes guests, as my podcast has only a single constant narrator which can get boring at times.
Word Count: 298