There’s a big event in the Listener Library this week! Our mysterious listener Jessica recommended we listen to “The Parade” from X Minus One. Thanks, Jessica! An ambitious promoter is hired to tease an impending event with the simple slogan, “The Martians are coming.” As more money gets spent to advertise the big day, the more mysterious what will happen becomes. Did actual Martians hire an advertising agency? Or is this some kind of hoax to convince people that Martians are invading? Will Tim survive the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular at the Minnesota Zoo? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!
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There’s a great premise here, but it’s squandered on a story with no surprises. From the opening moments, we know that Luchar is a real Martian and that the “parade” will be a real invasion. And then…that’s what happens. The marketing campaign is unnecessary. If the goal is to draw attention to a public mass execution, the Martians should be perfectly capable of attracting a crowd by, for example, landing a saucer in Times Square. I felt that there was a more interesting satire lurking within. Instead, what if the campaign stoked interest in all things Martian, so that by… Read more »
Great episode with a real sense of tension. While the idea of if Luchar is really a martian isn’t milked, the tension of when the Ad man figure out what is going on and when the Martians will attack is really good. There is also the fun of watching a mildly unsympathetic character come to this realization of what is happening and his struggle to get help. The moral is pretty on the nose, with American consumerism having become so rampant and advertising becoming so influential. It is still an applicable message and the irony of the Ad man having… Read more »