September 23, 2020

Title: POD CAST

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

PEPPERONI PIZZAS (17A: Circles with circular toppings)

POUND PUPPY (28A: Plush dog originally sold by Tonka) 

COPPER PIPE (46A: Fresh water conveyor)

JALAPEÑO POPPERS (57A: Stuffed appetizers with a kick)

Theme synopsis: Each theme answer contains four of the letter P. A letter can be referred to as a character. P's is a homophone of peas which grow in a pod. Therefore, each theme answer contains a POD CAST (of characters).

Things I learned:

• OBIE (13A: Writer Brooke who coined the Hurston-Walker Test) In a review of the movie, Queen & Slim, Brooke OBIE coined the term Hurston-Walker Test as she quoted from Alice Walker's introduction to Zora Neale Hurston's book, Barracoon. "Those who love us never leave us alone with our grief. At the moment they show us our wound, they reveal they have the medicine." OBIE went on to explain that the movie Queen & Slim revealed stunning, wounding imagery, but didn't offer healing. In July, George M. Johnson, author of the memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue, tweeted about keeping the Hurston-Walker Test in mind while writing his next book. 
• PULPIT (48D: Platform similar to a minbar) A minbar is a raised platform in a mosque where the imam stands to deliver sermons. Similarly, a PULPIT is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. I was familiar with the term PULPIT, and am appreciative of learning the word minbar.
• LEA (59D: Singer Salonga) LEA Salonga supplied the singing voices for Disney princesses Jasmine and Mulan.

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• POUND PUPPY (28A: Plush dog originally sold by Tonka) A POUND PUPPY was a stuffed dog sold in a cardboard case shaped like a doghouse. Each toy came with an "adoption certificate." The stuffed toys inspired a 1988 movie, Pound Puppies and the Legend of the Big Paw, and a 1985 TV special and two TV series (in 1986 and 2010) titled Pound Puppies.
• LIZ (10D: "Good Side" singer Phair) "Good Side" is the latest single from LIZ Phair. We saw this singer's last name in the July 23 puzzle clued as [Lilith Fair musician (and homophone of a word in this clue)]. 
• EYRE (34A: Jane who met Bertha Mason) Bertha Mason was the name of Edward Rochester's first wife (who he kept locked in a room on the third floor) in the novel, Jane EYRE. As a side note, I appreciated the ERR/EYRE pair in this row.
• DEGAS (36A: Contemporary of Cassatt) Mary Cassatt and Edgar DEGAS were artists in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
• LINDT (63A: Ferrero competitor) Ferrero Rocher, the chocolate and hazelnut delight produced by Italian company Ferrero, and LINDT truffles, produced by the Swiss company LINDT are two of my absolute favorites. As far as I'm concerned, they don't need to compete, but can coexist peacefully and continue to supply me with chocolate.
• PEDANT (28D: Person prone to nitpicking) I was going to say that I more frequently see the adjective form of this word, pedantic, than the noun, PEDANT. Then I realized that might be nitpicking... 
• KENO (55D: Game similar to bingo) KENO is a gambling game played at casinos and offered by some state lotteries. A player chooses a set of numbers and places a wager. A set of numbers are then chosen at random. Players win based on the number of matches made.

Geography review:

• COORS (14A: Colorado-based beer maker) The COORS brewery in Golden, Colorado is the largest single brewery facility in the world.
• CASA (32A: ___ Grande, Arizona) CASA Grande, Arizona is located approximately halfway between Phoenix and Tucson. The city is named after the CASA Grande Ruins National Monument, although the monument is actually located in Coolidge, Arizona. "CASA Grande" is Spanish for "big house."
• TAIPEI (25D: Capital where Ruby Lin was born) Ruby Lin is an actress who has been called, "Taiwan's TV Drama Queen." In 2009, Ruby Lin established her own production company, Ruby Lin Studio.
• OREGON (29D: Pacific Northwest state) In addition to OREGON, Idaho and Washington are also Pacific Northwest states.

Here is a conversation my husband and I had this morning:

Me: Come help me figure out how the theme of this puzzle relates to the title.

Husband: Okay.

Me: The title is POD CAST. The theme answers all have four P's, but I don't understand what P's have to do with a POD... Ooooh! Thank you.

Husband: You're welcome.

Yes, it took me a minute (or two) to make the connection between theme answers and title, and there was a definite "aha!" moment. (You might say I had to RASSLE with the theme... Maybe I was still half ASLEEP.) Quite clever. Fun theme answers, too. COPPER PIPE is not as exciting as the others, but the grid-spanning PEPPERONI PIZZAS and JALAPEÑO POPPERS were nice. BZZT was fun, too, though I wasn't quite sure how to spell it at first! This puzzle was an enjoyable way to begin my Wednesday.