Talk:Fat Man Down

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This is classic Joe Frank material. It's one of my favorite programs, and also works as a great introduction piece for those new to Joe's work. The writing is brilliant, the program contains both humor and sadness, and the sound mix is perfect. It is one of the most polished shows you'll find. The entire program follows a single story, and the narrative structure is fairly straight-forward (if bimodal), which makes it a gentle introduction for those used to more traditional media. - Shiro (talk) 06:45, 6 March 2005


A young guy who's clever, likable, and smart, fails to keep up in life and rewrites his interpretations of the world into a narrative that flatters him, growing antisocial, miserable, and ultimately isolated, physically and mentally ill. He carries deep unresolved issues with his parents, even conflicted over whether and how to grieve upon his mother's death, and is never able to surmount his internal obstacles and connect meaningfully with the world. While trying to grow up from being a young contrarian I would listen to this show and think, "There but for the grace of God go I."

To me it is among the most well-structured hours of radio of Joe's I've heard. Sometimes an hour gave him a lot of time to wander far, or piece in a lot to make a coherent whole. But this is a beautifully and soundly constructed story, stepping back and forth from timeline to flashback at an even and and compelling pace. Lots of solid little scenes, with tear-jerking used judiciously enough to work. Probably my favorite of Joe's work, and one that informed my life. - Pete (talk) 16:15, 20 January 2018‎