In episode 4, Jess tells her three sources that episodes 2 and 3 are about them. This is not, in fact, true. None of this series is about them. Their stories are simply fodder to tell Jess’s own story. The fact that she isn’t transparent about this with the three of them or even with herself ultimately leads to her unwitting exploitation of three vulnerable individuals, and an experience that leaves the listener shocked at her utter lack of self-awareness.

I listened bc I wanted to like it but the more I listened, the more I became annoyed with the narration and banal insights. The stories shared were not very interesting and neither were the insights shared.

This is a very well made podcast that addresses ethics in documentaries and ultimately asks the listener, “what makes you keep listening to someone’s story?” I will be thinking about these questions for a long time.

Exploitative, wrong-intentioned, collection of stories that should have been sensitive, but were solely for the vanity of the host. A disgrace.

How dare you choose very vulnerable people so you can win some award or get your MAF, you guys keep thinking you are the enlightened but you have is a white/educated saviour complex . You should have chose subjects that could handle all you expectations of podcast development / editing , you just your point about ethics of documentaries, super unethical to use vulnerable humans on your quest for the “I could win an award mentality “

Boring. Narcissistic

Very good podcast. Extremely honest, original idea, thought-provoking. I hope you make many more podcasts like this. Thank you!

Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is the most interactive podcast I have ever “experienced”. Finished the series with an unease worthy of deep consideration. I feel as if I too, as a wide consumer of the format, turned into a main character. The consumption of others “true stories” is perhaps not as passive as I once thought. Many rabbit holes of reflection for the offering. So.. not the easiest listen, but worth every moment. Fascinating, brilliantly done. So tightly ambiguous it could spin on a dime. Congratulations to all those that contributed!!! This is something to be proud of.

Loved this show!

This review is for Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative. It’s a must-listen for anyone who has ever told a story about someone else. I deeply appreciated the experiment that Jess designed to test the boundaries of documentary storytelling, and reveal all the fuzziness that exists within the assumption of journalistic ethics. It’s a much-needed view behind the curtain - a criticism of the industry that shows its devotion to the documentary at the same time. It examines many of the questions that I’ve asked as a creator and a listener, and asks us all to be more thoughtful about the stories we hear and the decisions that are made. BRAVO

Congrats to the Bot Love team for pulling this off...Bot Love is well done and a fascinating project to listen in on.

This podcast is just another liberal “But WhITe PeOple” I couldn’t even get through the first episode without cringing so hard. This show is just horrible. Why are we as a society so accepting of this pandering trash.

Titillating series that is one sided. No context is given for the participants. Except that they are all true believers, that were burned in “human” interactions. And they end up getting “ burned@ in their AI interactions as well. The elephant is not addressed and is likely beyond the scope of this podcast or may likely be too much to deal with. The sad truth is that we are so disconnected from each other that this is acceptable. Unbelievably sad. Humans have mostly been warlike instead of cooperative. Unlike animal and insect communities so maybe this is the most adaptive mechanism for Homo sapiens ? Pretty sad, but completely logical.

I listened to every available episode of Bot Love in one day. Fascinating topic, excellent reporting, compelling story telling, and high production values. I hope to hear more from these makers.

A really fascinating, modern topic I think everyone will be thinking about more in the near future. The podcast has interesting stories and incredible sound design bringing these artificial voices to life. It might change your mind about human robot relationships.

Without a doubt this podcast is of the best I’ve listened to. There is no other podcast that can compete with such raw and humbling emotions packaged in this podcast. Jason Reynolds had my curiosity as as reader of his work but his mother is what kept my attention.

So impactful, if you voted less than a five you a lame

This podcast is absolutely precious and absolutely touches the heart. It is raw and open and honest. I can’t recommend it enough.

Started listening after hearing on Ear Hustle Love the genuine conversation..

I found this podcast through Ear Hustle and I’m fully invested. I love the stories and the time you spend with your mom, keep creating, I’m along for the ride. Thank you!

So human in all the best ways. Loved tthe voices

Thank you for sharing and creating this podcast. Now your mom has taught me something that will be with me forever.

This podcast is really like a painting with words - like an impressionist painting- it evokes the nature of its subjects with a few brush strokes- revealing in small images the lives it explores. Revealing more profound truths about life. In such a short sequence I’m amazed at the sense I have of the interconnectedness of your family through the generations. I’m just so sorry this is just a “short”! What a great love story.

Pitch perfect prose!

This was like a walk down memory lane. The wisdom of Jason’s mother reminded me so much of my own mother. I grew up in Maryland during 60’s and 70’s and I found so much was relatable. This was such a joy to listen too. Keep going Jason keep going!

Thank you for sharing your Mother with us, both she and you bring perspectives that are enjoyable and exciting.

Thank you for a most honest, lovely and soul soothing podcast. I am forever grateful that your mother made you. You tell her, please

Radio storytelling like I have not heard. Thank you.

Hit Dog Will Holler is astoundingly good, from writing to acting to production. Tense, exciting, and so full of realness and dread. I binged it in one day bc I couldn’t put down my headphones, I had to know what was next. Thank you Snap Judgement for introducing me!

The only reason to give this type leftest crap a One Star is because I can't give it a Zero or Negative Star.

I needed to do this. Please make more, this was excellent and I love that the energy you put into this shows. Great great job. Please more

Once you start listening to this podcast, you will not want to stop. Seriously! Not only is Afia hilariously funny, but her mom, family & everyone she encounters. I hope a Part 2 is in the works. Her journey as a Ghanaian-American finding her roots & discovering her sexuality is heartfelt, touching, and universal. This is why we need more diverse storytelling from a talented podcaster. Well-done!

This show is gorgeous! Funny, loving, personal, beings you right into her experience. The sound and production - and Afia’s voice! - are gorgeous. And I’m learning so much too. Best podcast I’ve come across in a long time. Brava!

I loved this. Great amazing job

I’ve listened to many podcasts over many years and this is the first time I’ve ever been moved to leave a review. The soundscapes created in each episode, the use of actual dialog to bring the setting and the main characters to life, and the way the self-hating monologues were spliced into the middle of the narrative are some of the most creative, effective uses of the medium that I’ve ever heard. I’m going to be recommending this brilliant piece of work far and wide. Thank you!!!

This podcast almost felt like an audio book because the host was very descriptive and sucked in the listener. I binged listened because I was eager to know what happens next

Only about 13% commit over half of the crime. Wonder which group that is hmmmm?

Loved listening to Matthew! Highly recommend his podcast. It was funny, touching, and made me think about many things from a fresh perspective. Matthew will go far - what a talented guy. I hope we get to hear more from him.

I love this podcast! I have shared it with my children, and it has sparked many great conversations about diversity, compassion, and gratitude. The Brick by Brick episode was especially poignant as we are a LEGO-loving family. I loved the insight about how building things gave perspective as to the shape and appearance of objects that might otherwise be hard to “imagine”. I am so glad that there is a growing ability for sight-impaired kids (and adults) to enjoy building LEGO sets!

Can’t wait for more from Matthew Shifrin!!!

Wonderful story telling

I loved hearing about how he perceives the world.

Love this. I look forward to finding his essays & fiction. The music is great in this too. Keep up the good work Mr. Letson.

During my first depressive episode I discovered William Styron’s “Darkness Visible “. It was a priceless resource in fighting my way back to sanity. I stumbled upon this podcast, drawn in by the subject of mental illness. I was very excited to learn more about Styron’s life and journey with depression. The respective mental health struggles of Styron and his doctor and their subsequent interaction is well crafted and intriguing. The positive impact they had on each other is ultimately emotionally uplifting; a welcome outcome for a topic that is often difficult to explore.

I didn't bother to read the description until I'd started the episode, and I wish I'd done it earlier. The first episode had zero charisma and was about as compelling as mayonnaise sandwich. I couldn't figure out why it was so bad so I finally read the description. It's just lame fan fiction written by a mayo sandwich, produced by an even blander mayo sandwich, and starring mayo sandwiches that are somehow even blander than the other mayo sandwiches. It's not even bad enough to get upset about. It's just lame, worthless, and wasted ten minutes of my life that could have spent on extreme adventures like watching a Hot Pocket rotate on the carousel of a microwave while it cooks.

I don’t understand how the host can say the music doesn’t have a tangible cost. If a studio charges a per hour rate for recoding/engineering and producer likewise charges a lofty per-hour/per-song rate, in fact, doesn't that song have a “cost-per-minute” associated with it? Why would an artist feel that their material is free? Artists that have recorded in my studio signed contracts and certainly paid me for my time. I would expect they’d want to recoup that cost on sales and concerts. The average cost to make a decent record today is between $8000 and $20000. Sorry, engineers and producers have to eat too. Personally I don’t see the difference between an artist materializing a song no different than Elon materializing Tesla. He doesn’t give Tesla’s away for free. Yet another NPR leftists view on business. If it’s art, it must be free. Sadly Vanilla Ice thought the same, and he was wrong.

This one series in this podcast is strong , really interesting. On the strength of that series alone , I recommend this.

what a great show about a time we've almost forgotten.

Don’t listen to the people saying that the second show (the polybius conspiracy) is “fake news”. It’s obviously a very fun and interesting fictional podcast (it’s similar to Tanis or The Black Tapes). I love all the short run podcasts and I think it’s a great concept!

Well-made, well-written LIES!! I shouldn’t be so irritated at being entertained, but I do not like to have to start researching whether or not something is fiction and have to HUNT for the truth. Really creepy feeling. Good one guys! Ya got me! Was that... the point? I’m happy to listen to fiction... just let me know.... To be fair, it became obvious that the Polybius story was too good to be true around Ep. 3, but like... now I feel like a fool & I hate you.