Podcast Summary: The New Yorker Radio Hour

Episode: For Teen Activists, What Good Is a Protest Song?
Date: September 19, 2017
Host: David Remnick
Reported by: Vincent Cunningham

Overview

This episode explores the evolving landscape of protest and activism through the lens of multiple generations, focusing on teenagers involved in a cross-generational performance of protest songs. Reporter Vincent Cunningham interviews two teen cast members, Maxwell Weisz and Logan Rozos, who participated in "Primer for a Failed Superpower"—a concert by the TEAM theater company that brought together baby boomers, millennials, and Generation Z performers. The discussion centers on the relevance of traditional protest songs, the shifting tools of activism, and the generational divide in approaches to social change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Generational Context of Modern Protests

• Protest Renaissance in the Trump Era:
  • David Remnick opens the show by noting a resurgence in protest culture post-2017, though today's activists rely heavily on tools and platforms unknown in the 1960s.
    • "There's been a kind of protest renaissance in the country...and social media has changed what it even means to protest." — David Remnick (00:29)
• Diverse Generations United by Protest Songs:
  • Cunningham comments on intergenerational dynamics and how today's teens differ from previous generations in their approaches to activism.
    • "The only view that we get really of people...significantly younger than myself are young people on college campuses...And that, I think, is a very unfair reduction of what the real energy there is." — Vincent Cunningham (01:17)

2. Personal Histories with Activism

• Early Activist Roots:
  • Maxwell Weisz's upbringing steeped in activism, including family stories of union engagement and early protest theater.
    • "My parents took me to a lot of marches as a kid. I went to the Women's march...my grandfather was a union delegate to the teachers union." — Maxwell Weisz (03:57)
  • Logan Rozos' activism began with small-scale action in middle school, such as protesting nail polish bans for boys.
    • "I remember in middle school, I did a small protest because they wouldn't let boys wear nail polish. So I did a walkout in my class." — Logan Rozos (04:28)

3. Shifting Modes of Protest: Online vs. Traditional

• Changing Tools and the Role of Social Media:
  • Teens today question the necessity of physical marches when activism can also happen online.
    • "We have so, so many new tools...we shouldn't necessarily be using civil rights movement era tactics to achieve our political demands." — Maxwell Weisz (05:35)
  • Online activism is sometimes seen as more a trend than a heartfelt cause.
    • "Currently activism and being woke is trendy...not because they think it's right, but because they think it's popular." — Logan Rozos (05:06)
• Lessons from Older Generations:
  • Face-to-face protest and visible community gathering remains significant wisdom passed down from older activists.
    • "Nothing gets done by sitting down in your room. You have to go out...and visually be there." — Logan Rozos, recalling advice from older cast members (05:30)

4. Experience With Protest Songs and Expanding Musical Awareness

• Learning Protest Music Across Generations:
  • Both teens discover new music and reflect on the evolving definition of protest songs.
    • "Most of the music in the show I was never exposed to...with this show, I remember...I asked all the older generation singers, like, can you tell me an album that I must go home and listen to?" — Logan Rozos (06:09)
    • "My dad is a huge Stevie Wonder fan...when we did Village Ghetto Land, I was like, oh. Because it doesn't protest against a particular issue." — Maxwell Weisz (07:07)
• Blurring Lines Between Personal and Political:
  • Songs that initially seem personal can be profoundly political in modern context.
    • "More and more the personal and political have been indistinguishable from each other." — Maxwell Weisz (07:24)

5. Generational Dialogues: Differences and Shared Challenges

• Performance as Dialogue:
  • The show staged a literal and metaphorical conversation: teens sang "Village Ghetto Land," adults sang "What a Wonderful World," revealing divergent perspectives.
    • "It was a pretty explicit dialogue between the teens singing Village Ghetto Land and the...baby boomers singing Wonderful World." — Maxwell Weisz (08:40)
• Perspectives on Recognition and Blind Spots:
  • Teens acknowledged the limits of mutual understanding due to rapid social change, especially with gender and LGBT issues.
    • "So much new vocabulary has been established...especially surrounding LGBT issues." — Maxwell Weisz (09:13)
    • "A lot of the older cast members never really understood the fact that there's non binary people because it wasn't a privilege that they have." — Logan Rozos (09:27)
• Wisdom from Younger Cast:
  • Logan recounts an empowering moment from a 12-year-old cast member about identity.
    • "If you approve yourself, then who cares?" — Gigi (as recalled by Logan Rozos, 09:52)

6. Expanding the Notion of Protest

• Everyday Forms of Protest:
  • The conversation ends with recognition that protest also includes micro-actions like using pronouns or trigger warnings to foster inclusivity.
    • "Saying a trigger warning or giving pronouns is a type of protest because you're enforcing an idea that you want to be inclusive." — Logan Rozos (10:35)
• Multiplicity of Tactics:
  • No single formula for meaningful protest; effectiveness may vary.
    • "I'm not gonna write off checking in somewhere on Facebook, and I'm not gonna write off walking, marching in the streets...there's no, like, perfect way to protest." — Maxwell Weisz (11:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Currently activism and being woke is trendy...not because they think it's right, but because they think it's popular."
  — Logan Rozos, 05:06

• "We have so, so many new tools...we shouldn't necessarily be using civil rights movement era tactics to achieve our political demands."
  — Maxwell Weisz, 05:35

• "If you approve yourself, then who cares?"
  — Gigi (as recalled by Logan Rozos), 09:52

• "More and more the personal and political have been indistinguishable from each other."
  — Maxwell Weisz, 07:24

• "There's no, like, perfect way to protest. Like, it's not like you either you live up to this ideal, or you're just wasting your time."
  — Maxwell Weisz, 11:02

• On Generational Stereotypes:
  "Gen Xers...love to take notes. That's all they did was take notes." — Maxwell Weisz & Logan Rozos, 11:33

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Protest Renaissance and Introduction: 00:29–01:17
• Teen Activist Backgrounds: 03:57–04:39
• Debate: Traditional Protest vs. Online Activism: 05:06–06:00
• Learning Protest Songs Across Generations: 06:09–07:07
• Discussion on Personal vs. Political Protest Music: 07:07–08:06
• Generational Dialogue in Performance: 08:20–09:02
• Navigating LGBT Language and Identities: 09:13–09:37
• Wisdom from the Youngest Cast: 09:49–10:19
• Broadening the Scope of Protest: 10:35–11:30
• Lighthearted Generation X Notes Joke: 11:33–11:44

Conclusion

The episode provides an insightful examination of the changing nature of protest through dialogue between generations. While teens and adults may differ in tactics and perspectives, both groups recognize the power of communal efforts—and the need for activism to adapt with the times. Through the shared experience of protest songs, the episode reveals not just the evolution of musical protest, but the ongoing negotiation over what it means to resist, to be heard, and to enact change.