Ginkgo Love
Explicit Language warning: in this episode, you’ll hear a swear word used in the original episode many times. You’ll also hear an ethnic slur, spoken in context during a conversation about racism.
In 2016, we produced an episode about the ginkgo tree titled "Ginkgo Stink." With its fan-shaped leaves and golden fall foliage, Ginkgo biloba is a beautiful tree with an incredible history dating back millions of years. It’s also a popular street tree among urban foresters, despite the fact that some ginkgoes produce malodorous cones. The episode was meant to be a celebration of the incredible ginkgo.
But the episode contained an offensive phrase and failed to consider a nonwhite perspective of this amazing species.
In this episode, we’re correcting our mistake, and adding some context about what exactly we got so wrong. First, Felix Poon shares his personal relationship with the ginkgo tree and explores the history of food-related racism in the United States. Then, a new version of the original story, edited to sound the way it should have when we first produced it four years ago.
Outside/In was produced this week by Felix Poon, Taylor Quimby, Sam Evans-Brown, and Justine Paradis.
Erika Janik is our executive producer.
Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder.
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.
If you’ve got a question for our Ask Sam hotline, give us a call! We’re always looking for rabbit holes to dive down into. Leave us a voicemail at: 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Don’t forget to leave a number so we can call you back.