Politically Re-Active

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Politically Re-Active with W. Kamau Bell & Hari Kondabolu
Politically Re-Active Season 2.jpeg
Presentation
Hosted byW. Kamau Bell & Hari Kondabolu
GenrePolitics
UpdatesWeekly
Publication
Original release2016 – present
ProviderPanoply Media (seasons 1-2)
Topic Studios (season 3)
Websitewww.politicallyreactive.com

Politically Re-Active is a political comedy podcast hosted by comedians W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu. The left-leaning show, organized around guest interviews, launched in June 2016 and initially focused on the 2016 United States presidential election, but continued through October 2017. After a hiatus, it resumed in October 2020.

History[]

Bell and Kondabolu previously worked together on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell,[1] with Bell hosting and Kondabolu serving as writer and correspondent.[2] The show grew out of conversations the two hosts were having by telephone and backstage at shows over the course of their careers as stand-up comedians.[3]

The first two seasons of Politically Re-Active were produced by First Look Media in collaboration with Slate's podcasting division, Panoply.[4] The show was First Look Media's first podcast. The third season was produced by Topic Studios and WarnerMedia Podcast Network.[5]

Schedule[]

The podcast debuted in June 2016.[2] Early episodes focused on the U.S. presidential campaign of 2016, with weekly episodes from June through the election in November. Politically Re-Active aired two post-election episodes in November 2016, then went on hiatus.[6] Season 2 began on March 15, 2017 and ended on October 5, 2017.[7] The show's third season debuted on October 5, 2020.[8][9][10][11]

Format[]

The show consists of interviews and political comedy. Bell and Kondabolu "host (typically left-leaning) guests each week to try to understand the different ideologies that are shaping this election."[12] Wired described Politically Reactive as "mostly reasonable discussions with guests."[13] Topics of discussion have included dog-whistling, private prisons, presidential debates[14] and the Olympics.[15] Interviews are edited to insert occasional explanations from Bell and Kondabolu (introduced by Kondabolu saying, "Hold up, wait a minute!") to give additional context.[14]

Reception[]

ColorLines called it a "hilarious new politics podcast"[16] and The Guardian said of the debut, "Bell and Kondabolu are two of the sharpest, funniest political minds around, and based on the first episode, Politically Re-Active will be a great addition to the podcast roster."[17] In July The A.V. Club said the series had "start[ed] off strong," particularly praising the interview with Kathleen Hanna: "an altogether enjoyable episode that’s also a nice primer on both feminism and mansplaining. If the first three episodes are any indication, Bell and Kondabolu are going to be a podcasting force to be reckoned with."[18] AlterNet called it "a seriously great podcast series...easily one of the most binge-worthy things I’ve listened to in recent memory, and already a runaway hit."[19]

In the first six episodes, Politically Re-Active made iTunes' top 15 chart.[20]

Episodes[]

Season 1[]

Season 2[]

Season 3[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Kumar, Rashmee (3 August 2016). "Hari Kondabolu: 'People want to laugh to deal with frustrations about the world'". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Dry, Jude (27 June 2016). "Hari Kondabolu and W. Kamau Bell Get Political In New Comedy Podcast". Indie Wire. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  3. ^ Sarah, Lakshmi (July 14, 2016). "Race, Identity and the (Digital) Airwaves: The Renaissance of POC-Hosted Podcasts". KQED Pop. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  4. ^ Kulwin, Noah (27 June 2016). "Pierre Omidyar's First Look Media and Slate are teaming up on podcasts, starting with W. Kamau Bell". Recode. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  5. ^ "'Politically Re-Active' Will Restart After Two-Year Hiatus Under New Network". Insideradio.com. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  6. ^ Acker, Mike (November 23, 2016). "Political comedian Hari Kondabolu brings tour to Portland: 'I don't hold back'". The Oregonian. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  7. ^ "Politically Re-Active post". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2018-12-28.
  8. ^ Bhavani, Divya Kala (2020-10-13). "Hari Kondabolu : 'Politically Re-Active' will not be short on material this US election!". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  9. ^ Berkowitz, Joe (2020-10-08). "'Politically Re-Active,' 2016's smartest political comedy podcast, is back for another historic election". Fast Company. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  10. ^ Politically ReActive (2020-10-05). "PREMIERING TOMORROW!". Twitter. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  11. ^ "Politically Re-Active". Topic. Retrieved 2020-10-16.
  12. ^ Mausser, Grace (7 November 2016). "In the Public Ear: Time to Pod-Cast Your Ballot". MediaFile. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  13. ^ McFarland, K.M. (July 21, 2016). "Hari Kondabolu Is the Best Political Comedian You Don't Know Yet". Wired. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b Jagannathan, Meera (October 19, 2016). "7 podcasts that will make your life better — especially if you like improv comedy, Lifetime movies or politics". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 23, 2017.
  15. ^ Ober, Lauren (December 20, 2016). "Here Are Some Of Our Favorite Podcast Episodes Of 2016". NPR. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  16. ^ Rao, Sameer (29 June 2016). "W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu Launch Election-Focused Podcast". ColorLines. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  17. ^ Locker, Melissa (5 July 2016). "This week's best podcasts: Serial's impact, Vox Tablet ends, FOUND begins". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  18. ^ Browning, Laura M. (11 July 2016). "W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu's Politically Re-Active begins with a bang". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  19. ^ Holloway, Kali (21 July 2016). "Hari Kondabolu: America's Smartest and Funniest 'Mainstream Comic'". AlterNet. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  20. ^ Tseng, Ada (July 25, 2016). "Mainstream comic? Hari Kondabolu is changing the definition". PRI. Retrieved 5 August 2016.

External links[]

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