I promised you a big announcement last week, but, honestly, it’s not the right time for that. Instead, we wanted to share a statement:
We believe in elevating voices, and there are many that deserve our full attention right now.
Black lives matter.
All of us at Maximum Fun stand against racism, and are horrified by the way racism in our public institutions continues to deprive Black people in America of their rights, liberty, and lives. We stand with our Black colleagues, artists, audience, and the Black community at large.
We encourage you to speak out against racial injustice, and support Black-led organizations in your community that are fighting against it.
Maximum Fun has donated $5,000 to the the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. If you’d like to join us in donating, you can do so here. Many organizations closer to your own community need your help, so please take some time to find what local organizations can best use your contribution. You can find a list of some of the organizations MaxFun staff members have donated to in this thread, if that helps get you started.
Suggested listening:
You may have been doing this all along, but if you are looking for shows that feature Black artists, here are some fantastic MaxFun podcasts we think you should check out:
Minority Korner host James Arthur brings on a new guest host each week to talk about culture, news, and history through an intersectional lens. James is able to cover light pop culture updates and serious news with equal skill – often in the same episode. Last Friday’s episode is a particularly important one and you should give it a listen. James covers the stories behind Christian Cooper and George Floyd and lets you know some things you can do to help.
FANTI is one of our newer shows, so hopefully you’ve checked it out since its debut, but in case you haven’t, here’s what it’s all about: Hosts and journalists Jarrett Hill and Tre’vell Anderson spend each week talking about things they love that may not love them back. Their dynamic is so much fun, but they know how to tackle important topics in an extremely thoughtful and nuanced way. Check out their most recent episode here.
Heat Rocks hosts Morgan Rhodes and Oliver Wang are both music professionals who know how to talk about music in a meaningful way (a thing I do not know how to do). Every week, they invite a guest on to speak about an album that is important to them. Through this podcast, you’ll learn more about the albums you love and fall in love with albums you may not have heard before. Listen to Felicia Angeja Viator talk about Cypress Hill on their most recent episode.
Tights and Fights is a show about wrestling that is surprisingly easy to get into even if you never watch wrestling (and I assume is even more fun if you do!). It is both hilarious and sincere about the wild and occasionally problematic stuff that goes on in the world of professional wrestling. Hosts Danielle Radford, Hal Lublin, and Lindsey Kelk are a joy to listen to. Back when we were all at MaxFun HQ one of the best things was hearing Producer Julian laugh so hard while they recorded. Check out a recent full-crew ep here!
Who Shot Ya? hosts Alonso Duralde, Ify Nwadiwe, and Drea Clark are your film buddies each week. Listening to them is like hanging out with your funny, insightful friends after leaving the movie theater. They cover film news, review a movie each week, and offer staff picks so your to-be-watched queue is always full. Right now they’re running through the whole Fast and Furious franchise if you’d like to watch along with them at home before you listen to the eps.
One extra suggestion: If you are planning to attend any upcoming protests, Sawbones just released an episode about medical racism and how to stay safe in a protest – particularly now while we are still in the midst of COVID-19. You might find that helpful as you prep.
Livestreams:
I imagine some of these livestreams are subject to change as the week goes on, but several are charity-related, so I’d like to share what’s planned as of today:
On Saturday June 6th, the hosts of The Flop House are hosting a live episode! Starting at 6pm PT/9pm ET, the hosts will each warm up with a live comedy presentation, followed by a discussion of the classic flop Howard the Duck. The stream is absolutely free to watch, but viewers are encouraged to donate to charities fighting hunger and racial injustice. Folks who donate $20 or more to an eligible charity can enter a raffle for an awesome Flop House merch pack: a Flop House poster, enamel pin, and set of three stickers. Tune in on Saturday to enjoy Elliott, Stuart and Dan talking about an anthropomorphic duck – for a good cause!
This past week:
Mission to Zyxx’s FULL JUCKING LIVE SHOW
Travis & Clint McElroy Live Q&A with PodUK
Mark Gagliardi, Janet Varney, and Hal Lublin in Thrilling Adventure Hour Live
Reading Glasses Isolation Book Club
Clint McElroy Stories from Your Gaffer
John Hodgman’s Get Your Pets
Coming up next:
Friday, June 5:
We Got This Clean Slate LIVE
Saturday, June 6:
Travis McElroy DMs Supporting Rolls, a D&D Benefit Event
The Flop House LIVE IN YOUR HOME!
Tuesday, June 9:
John Hodgman on Grey Gardens
Stay safe and take care of yourselves and each other. We love you all!
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