THIRST AID KIT | S2E15 | YOU CAN SAY THAT AGAIN!
*soothing bedtime story voice* Are you siting comfortably? Then we’ll begin.
This week we are ALL about the voice. Specifically, we are talking about the voices that have molded us, and the voices that make us tingle and melt and laugh and FEEL.
To help us close out our second season with a bang, we turned in particular to four very special voices from four very special people from across the world. Mads Mikkelsen, with his Danish-inflected voicebox, is a treat for your ears and your eyes (you already know how Nichole feels about him). We love the energy he transmits with his voice, whether he’s about to smash James Bond’s knackers in in Casino Royale, or eat people in Hannibal. Rawr!
We went South — Meridian, Mississippi to be exact! — to sample the very specific delights of rapper Big K.R.I.T. who sounds like something Nichole dreamed up in a lab, he’s so perfect-sounding. He’s also the prime example of how voicework is actually work; the voice as instrument, taking on new depths and highs to send a message, you know? Like honey, syrup, and other slow-dripping food items, K.R.I.T.’s voice makes you think about being home, relaxed, comfortable and also [REDACTED]. 👀
Then we flew to England to alight at the door of one of Bim’s longterm baes, The Walking Dead (now newly free of that carcass!) actor Andrew Lincoln, because, well, LISTEN. You wanna talk about dulcet tones? Step on up! Whether he’s reading Harry Potter for the kids, reciting poetry, or threatening bad men in the apocalypse, his voice reminds Bim of something rich and strong that you can feel in your belly. 😋
We landed back in the velvet embrace of Jeffrey Wright’s signature rasp, showcased most recently in Westworld, but most memorably for Bim, as CIA agent Felix Leiter (”a brother from Langley”) in Casino Royale. Also, remember him in that not-so-good remake of Shaft? Jesus, that raaaaaaasp! 💦
IT’S ALL GOOD, EVEN WHEN THEY’RE PLAYNG BAD.
Along the way, we also reflect on some other voices that have touched us (heh) over the years, from Keith David to Jeff Bridges.
We also have a segment on some iconic voices: goddesses like Kathleen Turner, with a huskiness that belongs only to her (and also Jessica Rabbit—HELLO); Jennifer Tilly’s twinkly but scratchy singular wonder of a voice (remember her in Bride Of Chucky? Think Lina Lamont from Singin’ In The Rain, and queen of a thousand voices, Cree Summer, who, LEST WE FORGET, was the original Penny in Inspector Gadget. Please put some respect on her name!
Finally, there’s Fanfic Wars, obviously, and well, your ears are in for even more of a treat. You can listen to the whole episode RIGHT HERE (more ways to listen listed below).
(MUCH) MORE TO WATCH AND READ, IF YOU LIKE
We’re gonna be off for a while, but you can still send us your Thirst Sommelier requests at 765-884-4778 aka 7658-THIRST (international listeners: send us a short recorded message via email, please). And you can still send us fanmail and love via the written word (aka your SHORT drabbles!) to: thirstaidkit@buzzfeed.com. Also, PLEASE, if you can, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. We sure do appreciate it!
HOUSEKEEPING: ISSA WRAP ON SEASON 2!
We want to send a very warm and heartfelt THANK YOU to our glorious guests this season: Alanna Bennett (for the Tom Hiddleston episode) and Alexis Nedd (for the Gael García Bernal episode) and Brittany Luse (for the More, More, More! episode) and Rahul Kohli (for his own solo It Ain’t A Thing episode. They were great, and we love them. So much. So please follow them and their work!
We also wanna thank our amazing Pod Squad, who are excellent every day and even more so every time we step into the studio. There is no show without them, and our producers, Julia Furlan and (new with season 2 and now invaluable!) TK Dutes are THE SHIT when it comes to rolling with the punches of quick turnarounds, scheduling conflicts, editing, mixing and uploading. They are the real MVPs, and we love them. Also, yeah, we’re all ladies. 🙌🏿
WE’LL BE BACK SOONER THAN YOU CAN SEND AN EGGPLANT EMOJI.
Stay thirsty, thirst-buckets. Your nation is depending on you. 😘💙💜💚❤️