Jaws Island - Podcast Rankings and reviews

I am an American who lives in Europe. Hardly a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask me about guns in America, and why we don’t change our laws when there is such a massive gun problem. This podcast provided a very useful and timely primer for me, to understand the issue and be able to speak about it. Thank you for the engaging, highly informative, thorough, and deeply personal ride through every aspect of guns in America.

This is the first podcast I’ve ever experienced where I started listening on a whim, immediately got sucked in and had to binge the entire show, and now, after the last episode, am left wondering whether they give a Pulitzer for podcast reporting. OMG. Thank you for the important work you’ve done sharing these stories.

To the other reviewer who said they feel turned off by the narrative tone of a Jerry Bruckheimer action movie, yeah, I get it, and at first I felt that too. But once I listened all the way through, it clicked. Now I understand why there’s a tone of urgency, of bitterness, and of foreboding in the reporter’s voice. Don’t judge a book by its cover, and don’t judge a podcaster by their voice, their raw self.

I binged this podcast from the moment I heard the intro/trailer. The music is awesome! Alain’s coverage on this difficult and jarring at times but an important topic should certainly give Americans pause. The historical context of guns was all but lost to me. Now with this newly discovered information thanks to this podcast I feel more informed. The last episode is gripping and definitely hit home for me.

Good background history on gun manufacturing, development, use, advertising and culture in America and how firearms manufacturers—the first defense contractors—were important benefactors of government dollars as patrons and large scale customers. I love that it’s presented by a former law enforcement officer gun nut who knows and appreciates firearms makes it way more credible than similar public radio shows covering firearms in America, even with a lefty lean that I share. However. like another reviewer noted the dramatic radio show tone is a bit much at times and does deteact
from that credibility a little.

The history is reasonably interesting and they at least make an effort to avoid seeming too anti gun. Still far from balanced with no real time spent on why one would disagree with the various depictions and explanations given in this series.

As an ethnic minority and liberal gun owner, I’ve known since the beginning of my “gun journey” that the 2nd Amendment was not originally meant for non-whites. That doesn’t mean that “gun rights” can’t be for EVERYBODY today. I’m really trying to get through these episodes, but the unnecessarily dramatic voice acting is really off putting. This series could have been a good primer for those less savvy about the history of firearms and firearms regulation in America, but it seems the reporters and producers have decided to simply preach to the choir and further polarize people on this important issue.