Un(con)Trolled Podcast: A Drama About The Chilling Effect Of Social Media
Also...Tails And Tassels Podcast: Catting Around With Burlesque Dancers
Podcast networks spend millions of dollars on top-notch audio fiction that typically attracts hordes of listeners and opportunistic advertisers. For example, Spotify scored big with Batman Unburied in 2022 and has recently released Batman Unburied: Fallen City.
Such a successful audio fiction podcast costs at least a million dollars to produce with production costs, voice actor salaries, and distribution and marketing.
This is another reason why independent podcasts are so essential and valuable to the podcasting industry. There is a recently released independent audio fiction podcast, Un(con)Trolled, that should win awards and was created and produced at a fraction of the cost of some of these network audio fiction shows.
Un(con)Trolled is a raw, gripping tale of social media influencer, Kenah, who has mastered the art of uncovering her Internet trolls’ darkest secrets and exacting her own brand of karmic justice. As her journey twists between unsettling encounters and mental manipulation, the line between control and chaos blurs, raising one chilling question: who is really in control?
This audio drama is eight episodes in length, with episode runtimes often less than seven minutes. But in this case, the abbreviated runtime works to heighten the suspense, the fractured sense of reality, the tricks a vengeful mind can play on itself, and the racist, misogynistic, and homophobic trolling that too often defines social media.
Un(con)Trolled is the brain child of Kimberly Renee, who was named 2022's Woman of the Year by USA Today. Renee is a sought-after speaker, powerful storyteller and commentator, and internationally-awarded social activist. She’s also known for her advocacy work, uncovering hidden truths in history, and creating programs to improve the lives of those in historically marginalized communities.
In 2020, she founded the internationally award-winning plant-based national hunger relief effort Food Love by Might Be Vegan to serve those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, giving particular attention to needs within BIPOC communities and people under medical care.
​In 2022, she was inducted into Meta’s 2022 We The Culture class.
Passionate about all things justice, intersectional environmentalism, and plant-based living, Kimberly Renee is a multi-hyphenate creator, producer, chef, actor, and singer with a bachelor of science in marketing from HBCU North Carolina A&T State University.
All of those accomplishments and attributes flow into Un(con)Trolled.
When we asked Kimberly about the creation and production of Un(con)Trolled, she said: "The sound design is by me. I made the choices and selected elements to create the scenes. I recorded in studio at Grindhaus Studios, which is a Black-owned studio in Charlotte, North Carolina. I used one of their engineers to bring to life my vision."
Kimberly worked on every aspect of the podcast. "The vision for the artwork is mine. I ended up hiring two people to bring it to life. First, I worked with an illustrator who drew the keyboard and keys as I instructed. (The broken keys on the table are U, N, Control, L, E, and D, which spell the title.) Once finished, I mocked up the keyboard with the background and added a title (selecting font and colors). Then, I hired a second illustrator to add the broken effect across the image."
When I asked Kimberly about the major themes in Un(con)Trolled, she answered: "Bullying online is easy. The ways people hurl negativity at others online often reflect behavior they’d never display in person. The perceived distance between the bully and their target gives them a false sense of security. But what happens when that distance disappears? What if there were real consequences for what we say online?"
Kimberly continues: "Big picture, Un(con)Trolled offers a fictional lens into the realities of cyberbullying, online predators, and the mental health impacts of social media. As the adage goes, 'On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.' I would go so far as to say that you never know which dog will bite, so scroll with caution. And that goes for bullies and those being bullied."
Kimberly is planning on a second season after the critical success of Un(con)Trolled.
"Yes, I'll work on season two very soon. Lots of ideas in my head about what happens next. I'd love to have the show purchased by a podcasting network for season two, and soon after produce it for a television streaming service," Kimberly says.
I agree with Kimberly Renee. After listening to the skills she has evinced by creating and producing Un(con)Trolled, a podcast network should snap up her skills. Like Liam Neeson in the movie Taken, Kimberly Reneee does have a particular set of skills that include scaring us, making us think, making us question reality, sending us down solipsistic dead ends, and offering a warning about the blurring of the line between digital universe and physical reality.
Un(con)Trolled is without a doubt one of the best audio dramas of the year. Podcasting needs more creators as talented as Kimberly Renee.
Kimberly Renee proves once again that independent podcasters are in a class by themselves.
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Tails And Tassels Podcast: Catting Around With Burlesque Dancers
Tails And Tassels is a superb independent podcast that a large podcast network would never make. Why? First, because podcast networks are linear thinkers who study Excel spreadsheets to determine programming. Second, podcast networks often copy content and think only in genre categories.
Imagine a meeting of podcast network execs discussing podcasting strategy. The Chief Creative Officer Chauncey Worthington III speaks up and announces, "We need two more true-crime podcasts, preferably with high body counts. We need another celebrity interview show and use the words opinionated, unfiltered, and controversial to describe the show."
Tails And Tassels barges into multiple genres and merges two of the unlikeliest topics, almost like a liverwurst and Nutella sandwich.
The best way to describe the Tails And Tassels podcast is to allow the creator / host Gemma Smith to tell you herself. "Hello, kitty cats! Welcome to Tails and Tassels. I'm your host, Gemma Smith, and I'm passionate about growing a com-mew-nity of cat-loving creatives. By day, I'm a manager at a Kitten Nursery in New York City, and by night, I host the Catbaret, my cat-themed variety show!​"
So, to summarize, in this podcast, you'll explore the world of burlesque and nightlife performers—their craft, their cats, and how these two worlds collide. Plus, enjoy bonus episodes featuring feline experts answering your burning questions.
I assume you are asking at this point: Why would someone combine these oil-and-water topics?
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Again, I will let Gemma Smith respond: "Since 2018, I've curated the Catbaret!, a cat-themed variety show featuring comedy, music and purr-lesque. Check me out in Time Out New York. And, under my stage name, Gemma Stone, I host Reali-Tease Burlesque!"
Gemma continues: "Connecting with audiences is my specialty. As an On-Air Spokesperson for the ASPCA Kitten Nursery, I make regular live broadcast appearances - with kittens! *Appearances include: Cheddar News, Sherri, Amazon Live, Pix 11 New York Living, Fox Weather and New York Live."
Gemma is not done yet: "In Tails and Tassels, I interview burlesque and nightlife performers about their craft, cats, and how the two worlds collide."
What's the podcast about? In the episodes, Gemma interviews burlesque performers from the Catbaret, asking about their profession and cats.
For example, my favorite episode so far was with dancer Pussy Leigh, who detailed her training as a dancer at USC Davis Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. It's considered very competitive to be accepted, with the estimated acceptance rate has hovered around 8% to 12%.
Pussy Leigh describes her dance training and her solo act, as well as her duo act called Kitten Coven with another dancer, Tabby Twitch. Then Leigh delights in talking about her two cats, Conan and Gordon.
What makes these episodes so fascinating is Gemma Smith. She's not a newbie. She's an established voice-over actor and on-camera host and spokesperson. Furthermore, she knows her way around a mic and public speaking.
As a podcast interviewer, Gemma Smith is first-rate. She's enthusiastic without being cloying; funny without trying too hard; and if she dances half as well as she conducts guest interviews, I'd say she's another Martha Graham, Anna Pavlova, or Misty Copeland.
Smith's voice acts like a comfy blanket, relaxing you and preparing your mind for new experiences. She's having fun. That's obvious and infectious.
In late October, Smith welcomed Stephen Quandt, a feline training and behavior specialist. The interview delved into subjects such as cats' Jacobson's organ, which is a special sense organ in cats that helps them detect chemicals in the air, including pheromones. This organ is located on the roof of the mouth.
Quandt also explained that cats, despite their reputation for being aloof, on average, spend as much with their humans as dogs. He also offered wisdom on how to adopt a cat, and how to ensure that your cats are engaged and not bored.
When I asked Gemma about her indie podcasting experience so far, she said, "I operate from a dedicated home studio and pride myself on being professional, warm, organized, and easy to direct."
Tails And Tassels is yet another example of the power of independent podcasting. Is Tails And Tassels for everybody? No, of course not. But it should attract an enthusiastic audience of cat lovers, dance fans, and lovers of live entertainment.
​​Even if you do not like cats, and have never watched Dancing With The Stars and do not know about burlesque, this podcast is still ear worthy for one reason. Gemma Smith, the host, is an uncut gem. She's terrific squared.
I know, these two topics do not seem to go together. Remember that at one time, nobody thought chocolate and peanut butter could co-exist until H.B. Reese invented the chocolate peanut butter cup.
If you're in New York City, check out Catbaret on West 53rd Street in Midtown.