Ephemeral podcast

Ephemeral

The best source on our cultural identity is not the official, historical record — ask any anthropologist, it’s the town dump. Ephemera — those things that were just barely saved, and in some cases not saved at all — emanate with secrets we can only glimpse and mysteries we can never completely answer. The stories may be unfamiliar, but the themes are universal; this is a looking glass, a window into our own fragile, material existence that begs the question, “How will I be remembered?”

The best source on our cultural identity is not the official, historical record — ask any anthropologist, it’s the town dump. Ephemera — those things that were just barely saved, and in some cases not saved at all — emanate with secrets we can only glimpse and mysteries we can never completely answer. The stories may be unfamiliar, but the themes are universal; this is a looking glass, a window into our own fragile, material existence that begs the question, “How will I be remembered?”

 

#59

Ephemeral Podcasts

In our series finale, we ask some of our favorite creators about the ephemeral nature of p... more

31 Dec 2023

1 HR 08 MINS

1:08:21

31 Dec 2023


#58

UMAN

Listening to the rerelease of the 1992 album Chaleur Humaine by the band UMAN. Featuring a... more

25 Dec 2023

16 MINS

16:01

25 Dec 2023


#57

Vampira

The original, spooky, late-night TV host and one of the most influential characters in hor... more

24 Oct 2022

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:13

24 Oct 2022


#56

Video Stores III: Vidiots

We revisit our series on video stores by showcasing the iconic, LA-based Vidiots, one of t... more

19 Sep 2022

37 MINS

37:57

19 Sep 2022


#55

Movie Theaters

Nothing beats seeing a good movie on the big screen. But in the age of online streaming, h... more

08 Aug 2022

46 MINS

46:59

08 Aug 2022


#54

Sideshow

The history of the American Sideshow with guests Robin Miniter and Taylor Hagerdorn, the t... more

11 Jul 2022

24 MINS

24:44

11 Jul 2022


#53

Loyalty Freak Music

Longtime Ephemeral listeners may recognize the music of chameleon artist Rrrrrose Azerty, ... more

06 Jun 2022

40 MINS

40:07

06 Jun 2022


#52

Ed Wood II

We continue our deep dive in the life and work of director Ed Wood with an exploration of ... more

23 May 2022

1 HR 01 MINS

1:01:12

23 May 2022


#51

Ed Wood I

1959'sPlan 9 From Outer Spacehas been called "the worst film of all time," its creator Edw... more

09 May 2022

56 MINS

56:00

09 May 2022


#50

Star Ads

Audio ephemera collector Bob Purse returns to talk about more radio ads, this time from a ... more

25 Apr 2022

50 MINS

50:18

25 Apr 2022


#49

Radio Ads

The history of advertising over the air, featuring Cynthia B. Meyers, author ofA Word from... more

11 Apr 2022

57 MINS

57:04

11 Apr 2022


#48

BONUS: Video Game Saves

Video games create a marvelous world for players to live in and explore. But given the eph... more

28 Mar 2022

16 MINS

16:39

28 Mar 2022


#47

Video Games II

We wrap our historical dive into video games with the modern age of gaming, from Playstati... more

21 Mar 2022

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:04

21 Mar 2022


#46

Video Games I

From Pong to Elden Ring, video games have dominated the interactive entertainment world fo... more

07 Mar 2022

49 MINS

49:25

07 Mar 2022


#45

Walking and Silence

In our chaotic, noisy world, how does one find silence? Not only quiet surroundings, but i... more

21 Feb 2022

39 MINS

39:41

21 Feb 2022


#44

Exploration

What draws us off the beaten path? The first of a two-parter featuring polar explorer and ... more

14 Feb 2022

30 MINS

30:14

14 Feb 2022


#43

Moog Synthesizers

In the 1950's, engineer Bob Moog started to tinker and build his own electronic instrument... more

24 Jan 2022

51 MINS

51:15

24 Jan 2022


#42

Trash

With an unprecedented amount of new stuff being made, bought and sold everyday, we’re more... more

10 Jan 2022

41 MINS

41:48

10 Jan 2022


#41

Noel

It's a Williams family Christmas in search of Romeo Muller's last film, 1992's Noël .... more

26 Dec 2021

24 MINS

24:57

26 Dec 2021