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Genre Analysis Of Mabel

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One genre of podcast that I find intriguing for various nostalgic and inexplicably self-punitive reasons, is that which explores the eeriness of the world, reminiscent in ways of old-time horror radio shows. “Mabel” is a fictional narrative podcast written and produced by Becca De La Rosa that follows the mysterious experiences of Anna Limon, the in-home caregiver of Sally Martin, an elderly woman living in the remote countryside. In the first episode of “Mabel,” “The Letters,” Anna tries to get in contact with Sally’s estranged granddaughter, Mabel, after finding a box of unopened letters in the attic that sends the elderly woman into a fit of terror. “Sword and Scale” is a non-fiction narrative podcast hosted by Mike Boudet in which each …show more content…

The episode introduces listeners to the story world, characters, and plot while simultaneously leaving out certain details, enticing them to continue listening as the mysteries continue to unfold. For example, the reason that Anna is leaving voicemail messages for Mabel (her discovery of the letters) is not revealed until the very end of the episode. Even though the podcast features a single narrative extending over multiple episodes, I feel as though the main focus of the series, Anna’s encounters with strangeness, is successfully captured in “The …show more content…

In likeness to the beginning of “The Letters,” Boudet’s account of Bruce’s case begins with unsettling music, which is a common motif that continues throughout the episode. On the other hand, however, when he is recounting the night of the murders from the perspective of a neighbour, Boudet includes a cheesy gunshot sound effect that takes away from the gravity of the moment. There are also a number of moments where unsettling music is played for a significant period of time, around 15-20 seconds, after Boudet reveals a key part of the story that in my opinion, felt awkwardly lengthy. While I found the music itself to be effective in evoking feelings of unease, the timing of certain musical elements and sound effects was not quite right and thus distracting at

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