Content vs. Art: Media and the Music Industry

For the last time, "thank you for listening to The Socially Awkward Podcast." The Socially Awkward Podcast turns 3, and we are taking a break. The podcast has seen John, Rebecca, and Emma through various life events, a huge collective one being the pandemic. Producing 1 episode per month during periods of Covid restrictions while juggling studies and personal life was never easy. However, the skills and memories that producing the podcast has brought are invaluable and will be forever treasured by everyone on the team. We want to express our gratitude to everyone who helped make this podcast possible, including our families, team members, mentors, and guests!

Ethan has dialed in all the way from London where he is currently studying law. From topics like social clubs and making friends in University, to unpacking what "counts as racism", this podcast is jampacked from start to finish with every topic under the sun. As a podcast that is mainly based in Singapore, hearing about the housing crisis in the UK, transportation and professor strikes, and street protests from Ethan has been nothing short of eye opening. Having lived in both Singapore, and now the UK, Ethan describes the different experiences he's had in these different multicultural societies.

"When you're boiling hot water, you don't see it boiling until it's boiled" Audrian shares with Emma all about their experience as an athlete who does sprint kayaking. Kayaking has helped Audrian grow to understand that progress in not linear and to navigate through various things like athlete burnout, having peers go on to join the  Canoe Sprint National Junior Team and "impostor" syndrome. They candidly share about how this sport has impacted their life in various ways, especially how it made them wrestle with the concept of gender identity. Audrian identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. 

"You go to the grocery store and mom is not there to go like: 'oh we're not buying that' " Going to college at the height of the pandemic, all the way overseas was not easy for Anna. Having gone through the Singapore Public Education system, homeschooling, going to college, as well as being in between cultures, moving to Minnesota for college has really grown her a lot. She shares interesting college stories, talks about how she grew to like her accounting class, gaining confidence, and learning how to accept her Asian side as well as her white side. Did you go to college? How did that experience make you grow as a person?

When we were kids, there was probably a time in our lives when we dressed up as fictional characters. Whether it was putting on a random white coat and pretending to be a doctor, or dressing up as Superman for Halloween. Well, is cosplay any different? Claire talks about how she got into cosplaying, why she cosplays, what to be aware of when joining the cosplay community, and how to start cosplaying yourself! Whether you share Cayley and Claire's hobby of cosplaying or are just curious as to why some people do it, have a listen to this episode! There may have been some inaccurate preconceived notions that you have as it isn't something that people come in contact with often, but the best is to listen to what someone who cosplays has to say about it.

Back again on the podcast, Ethan updates Emma with his top 3 highlights as well as future plans! After deciding to dedicate more time to music, Ethan has released original songs (linktr.ee/ethantan) and has some exciting news regarding music school! As an independent artist, Ethan shares how Tiktok has given him new perspectives and opportunities, and how that has impacted him. With content and art inevitably coexisting in this day and age, Emma and Ethan share their thoughts on what exactly "art" is, and how the mishmash of the two has impacted the music industry, especially independent producers like Ethan.

All Gen-Zs born into the internet, Emma, Rebecca and Cayley share their different experiences growing up with the internet. They share about accidentally losing contact with a friend because of China's firewall, reading comics on the computer, and having to smack a box TV in order to watch something. While the internet has a multitude of positive aspects, the three of them highlight important issues like minors on tiktok, parents posting their children's faces online, how nuances of certain subjects are lost on particular platforms, and much more. Did you grow up with the internet? What was your experience like?

"I'm not being hired to be a representation of Henry Golding, or whatever actor there is out there. I'm entering this industry because I'm being a representation of myself because I'm not represented in the industry."  In this episode, Kevin shares with Emma how his love for acting started, and how his homeschooling experience and accumulation of life experiences led him to pursue acting in Los Angeles. It wasn't a straightforward or easy journey for Kevin, but he was determined to hold on to his dream. Now back in Singapore for a short break, Kevin shares the lessons he's learned in his line of work, how important it is for people to be comfortable in themselves and to define their own success.

Growing up reading the story The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, Emma, Rebecca,  and Cayley take a deep dive and relook at the morals of the book. Considered the "most divisive piece of children's literature", the relationship between the Tree and the Boy is heavily debated, with multiple interpretations and understandings of the story. The three of them chat about this story in the context of a parent-child relationship, bring up the point that the emotions of the boy are not written about, and how we may be more similar to the boy than we'd like to think. What is your interpretation of this story? How has it changed over time?

Have you had a moment in your life when you thought "wow, I'm really becoming like my mom"? With International Women's Day just around the corner, this episode is about all things "women". Cayley, Dani, Emma and Rebecca talk about expectations, harmful stereotypes, and intergenerational communication between women in the family. Regardless of your gender or how you identify, the truth of "being authentically you" remains. Understanding where others are coming from, and being able to have a good relationship despite differing views is not easy, and definitely a work in progress. This International Women's Day we want you to celebrate how far you've come, how much you've grown, and encourage you to press on as you try to be the most authentic you.