We Disrupt This Broadcast

This episode, we’re talking about the Peabody Award-nominated animated children’s series Spirit Rangers, a superhero show about Native siblings who use their powers to protect the national park they call home. Showrunner and creator Karissa Valencia joins us to discuss how the show’s team came together and became the first U.S. preschool show that features an all-Native writers' room. Through this process, they created an authentically Native series that helps kids of all backgrounds connect to nature. Host Gabe Gonzalez then speaks with comedian and Spirit Rangers writer Joey Clift about the way their writers’ room and crew allowed them to tackle complex subjects that had never before been told in children’s animation.

In the season three premiere of We Disrupt This Broadcast, Jeffrey Jones, Executive Director of The Peabody Awards, leads a live-recorded conversation with this year’s Peabody Trailblazer Award winner, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Thompson is a musician, documentarian, author, podcaster, feature filmmaker, and DJ. As the co-founder and drummer of The Roots, he revolutionized hip-hop by introducing live instrumentation and blending genres, helping shape the Neo-Soul movement. He’s also become a cultural curator and historian through his Oscar and Peabody-winning documentary Summer of Soul, as well as Sly Lives!, a documentary on musician Sly Stone. Questlove also produced the documentary on the musical performances of Saturday Night Live. Jones spoke with Questlove about his personal record collection, his documentary work, and his advice for young artists. In this wide-ranging interview, they discuss the pressure and perils of Black genius, the importance of joy during moments of cultural upheaval and struggle, and the metaphysics of the band Earth, Wind, and Fire.

We Disrupt This Broadcast is back for season 3! Join us as we talk to the creative powerhouses that help reinvent and reimagine the kinds of stories we see on TV and who disrupt what we’ve come to expect on our screens and in our culture. We Disrupt This Broadcast is co-produced by The Peabody Awards and Center for Media & Social Impact and is produced and distributed in partnership with audio production group PRX. Hosted by comedian Gabe González, We Disrupt This Broadcast explores how the minds behind critically-acclaimed TV shows are re-imagining the world and tackling the big issues that move us forward. From intimate interviews with award-winning TV creatives to real talk with experts and social movement leaders, join us as we explore the inner workings and cultural significance of the shows that are changing all the rules and shaping our future. Listen to We Disrupt This Broadcast - back for its third season on January 22nd. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

The Peabody Award's Executive Director Jeffrey Jones sits down with Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, the minds behind the gripping mini-series Adolescence. The Emmy-winning crime drama explores the aftermath of a brutal crime committed by a young boy against a girl classmate. With its unflinching exploration of grief and confusion in the wake of such a horrific event, the show sparked worldwide conversations regarding online misogyny and teen behaviors. Graham and Thorne discuss how concern over the role that technology plays in the lives of children was a major inspiration behind the show. Graham also shares how his personal experiences shaped his character, Eddie Miller. Later, host Gabe González is joined by Dr. Harriet Over to discuss “the manosphere:” what it is, why we should all be concerned, and ways to tackle the very real rise of misogyny online.

This week, We Disrupt This Broadcast is excited to share an epiode of American Masters: Creative Spark. In this episode, actress, comedian and writer Natasha Rothwell shares how she connects to her character Belinda’s journey of self-discovery and how she collaborated with creator Mike White to bring greater nuance to the character. She reflects on the importance of diverse storytelling in Hollywood, the inspiration she drew from actress Nell Carter, and why she believes the arts are an empathy machine. Rothwell also opens up about her experience as a neurodivergent creator, the power of destigmatizing diagnoses, and the untapped potential of art. As she puts it, “From water lilies to Lily Tomlin, it’s all awesome.”