Podcast Of The Week: Will Smith, Before The Slap

This is the Will Smith conversation I needed. 

Pre-slap I was evangelizing the book as maybe the best non-business business book I’d read so far in 2022. 

Post-slap I had a lot of “arghs” “ughs” “icks” and “what” meets “why” feels. 

Jon Caramanica and Soraya Nadia McDonald get into the career arc of Smith, how he’s attempted to frame himself to all of us all along, and ask what it means for us observers as much as him professionally. 

Understanding the good and the bad of how people amass audiences, success, or whatever measurement stick you want to hold up is fascinating. This is cultural criticism at its finest. I’m so happy they recorded and released this conversation.