Rob and Britta discuss This American Life Episode 14: Accidental Documentaries, including their own experience creating accidental documentaries. The main focus of the discussion is the centerpiece of this episode, a documentary edited out of reel to reel tapes that a family sent back and forth to each other back in 1967. And Rob talks to Joe Silovsky, the man who originally found those tapes and gave them to Ira Glass, and whose work as a performance artist echos the experience he had with those tapes back when he was an art student. And since this is the final episode of the show that originally aired under the name “Your Radio Playhouse,” Rob and Britta talk about some of the worst moments from those early episodes, and their awfulness is inspiring.

Links and Show Notes:

The Chase by Portastatic

Buried at Sea by MC (900 Ft. Jesus)

Coffero’s Theme by Bill Frisell Quartet

Pilentze Pee by The Bulgarian State Television Female Vocal Choir

Episode 2: Small Scale Sin

Episode 5: Anger and Forgiveness

Episode 7: Quitting

Episode 13: Love

Gentle Chase by Podington Bear

Joe Silovsky’s website

Rob’s Twitter

Britta’s Twitter

Before It Had a Theme Twitter

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