Genre Politics Debut 2016 | Updates Weekly Provider Panoply Media | |
Website www.politicallyreactive.com | ||
Politically Re-Active with W. Kamau Bell & Hari Kondabolu is a political comedy podcast from First Look Media and Panoply hosted by comedians Bell and Kondabolu.
Contents
History
Bell and Kondabolu previously worked together on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell (2012-2013), with Bell hosting and Kondabolu serving as writer and correspondent.
Politically Re-Active was First Look Media's first podcast, produced in collaboration with Slate's podcasting division, Panoply. The show grew out of conversations Bell and Kondabolu were having by telephone and backstage at shows over the course of their careers as stand-up comedians.
Schedule
Politically Re-Active debuted in June 2016. Originally the show focused on the U.S. presidential campaign of 2016, with weekly episodes from June through the election. Politically Re-Active aired two post-election episodes in November 2016, then went on hiatus. Season 2 began on March 15, 2017.
Format
Politically Re-Active 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." Wired described Politically Reactive as "mostly reasonable discussions with guests." Topics of discussion have included dog-whistling, private prisons, presidential debates and the Olympics. Interviews are edited to insert occasional explanations from Bell and Kondabolu (introduced by Kondabolu saying, "Hold up, wait a minute!") to give additional context.
Reception
ColorLines called it a "hilarious new politics podcast" 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." 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." 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."
In the first six episodes, Politically Re-Active made iTunes' top 15 chart.