SOUNDBLOG

Date of entry: Tuesday March 8^th, 2010

Title of Program/piece: Radiolab/The Luckiest Lobster

Length:  13:28

Producers: Jad and Robert? Ellen Horne?

URL: http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2010/jul/12/the-luckiest-lobster / 

Description:

            This short starts in a way that is an unusual as the story. Jad and Robert are going through their usual banter, but the way the sounds of waves rise up in volume gradually is so dreamy, the listener is instantly seduced by the sound editing. Throughout this story of lobster salvation, the use of sound-songs, sound effects, fade ins and outs, creates a cohesive unit from hundreds of little snippets. The whole piece rolls like a single smooth line, though it is composed of so many little parts. There are over 10 people that become narrators in this story. For some reason -perhaps it’s the lightheartedness of the story, perhaps it’s the editing- the interviewees seem less like subjects of interrogation and more like storytellers participating  in the crafting of one gigantic anecdote. In classic radiolab style, Bonnie’s voice is played “off the phone” for the entirety of her role. Jad and Robert engage in a bit of post-story reflection, giving the listener a bit more food for thought. The piece fades out with some slightly eerie but gentle jazzy grooves. (“Isn’t that nice?” said Bonnie)

 

Response:

            The Luckiest Lobster is an adorable, heartwarming story. It really does feel out of character for Radiolab, but only because it seems to have very little to do with science. I would have easily pegged this for TAL. Of course, scientifically, the part about how long lobsters can live was really surprising. I watched a fantastic video called Shelly recently, based on this idea of lobster age, with a saddening note of over-fishing and human impact in the end. The animation was lovely too. But unlike Shelly, The Luckiest Lobster describes a much sweeter side to humanity, the kind that wants to make atonement, however small, for the damage we’ve done. The community interest in the event really surprised me and touched me almost more than the story itself.