It's Thursday, and you know what that means. Today is the day where we all drop everything and carve out 40ish minutes in our schedules to listen to the latest episode of Serial.
It seems like not since Orson Welles' 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast has a radio broadcast sent the country into a frenzy the way Serial has. The This American Life spin-off recently became the fastest podcast in iTunes history to reach 5 million downloads, according to Apple.
Then of course with massive success comes the backlash, which is the current stage we're in with the podcast. Some question host and executive producer Sarah Koenig's journalistic ethics in her reporting of the 15-year-old case of Adnan Syed's conviction for murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. Others think the series exploits the lives of everyone involved with the tragedy. While there are others who remind us of the effect opening up this years-old case will have on the victim's loved ones.
But even amid the criticism, people are still listening to the captivating series, obsessively binge-listening to it as if it were some crime thriller on Netflix. Like with many TV shows, Serial's following is passionate, inspiring discussion groups, parodies and a whole subreddit.
Fans of Serial have now made the podcast a part of their weekly routines, eagerly awaiting the premiere of the next episode. Those who listen to Serial know that there's a whole range of emotions and thoughts that go through your mind as you listen to each episode. Now designer Michelle Rial has put all of our feelings about Serial into chart form.
Tweets about @serial, visualized. cc: @ilovecharts pic.twitter.com/Y5CWWEwlmq
— This American Chart (@ThisAmerChart) November 14, 2014
Though the podcast is obviously an auditory medium, Rial's charts perfectly encapsulate the experience of listening to an episode of Serial. Whether you laugh at that child's pronunciation of "MailChimp" as "MailKimp" in the podcast's introductory advertisement, need someone to decipher what the deal is with Jay or immerse yourself in Serial's many conspiracy theories on the daily, if you're a fan of the podcast, you will most definitely get a kick out of these charts.
Listening to @serial and can't decide which side to take. pic.twitter.com/Shjx5k00LO — This American Chart (@ThisAmerChart) November 7, 2014
Rial has also created several charts for Serial's parent show This American Life, which you can see on the Twitter account This American Chart. Public radio has never looked so good.
American teenager or possible murderer? From @ThisAmerLife & @serial: "The Alibi" on https://t.co/iScIW9nuJQ. pic.twitter.com/tmnAgdo67G
— This American Chart (@ThisAmerChart) October 3, 2014
Check out the rest of Rial's Serial charts over at The Bold Italic.
