Really?? Podcast Debuts: A Show That Explores Cultural Memory

I know I sound like a typical Boomer, fetishizing over 60s music and then obnoxiously explaining to newer generations that "music has never been as good." 

I was a huge Doors fan in the 60s and saw them once in concert. No, lead singer Jim Morrison did not expose himself, if that's what you're wondering. 

The Doors have always been polarizing. 
Their work is often described as experimental, atmospheric, and improvisational, which some find captivating and others find self-indulgent. The Doors are highly regarded for their unique blend of rock, blues, and psychedelia, and for Jim Morrison's poetic lyrics and charismatic, "Lizard King" persona. They are considered pioneers and were the first American band to achieve eight consecutive RIAA-certified Gold LPs. They have sold over 100 million records worldwide and were ranked 41st on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

Finally, a new podcast is going to tackle the legacy of The Doors. Really?? The Doors is a new podcast about cultural memory — the icons and ideas we've mythologized and, in the process, might have misread or misunderstood. 

In the first season of this new series from Talkhouse, the New Yorker's Naomi Fry convenes a multi-generational mix of musicians, writers, and cultural figures in conversation, to rediscover and reconsider the cultural legacy of The Doors in 2025, the band's sixtieth anniversary. The show will use The Doors' chaotic legend to ask what happens when myth overtakes meaning, and what that reveals about how we talk about American culture and about ourselves. The show is produced by podcast legend Jody Avirgan and executive produced by Noah Chernin. 

The first season rediscovers and reconsiders the cultural legacy of The Doors, featuring guests John Doe, Lili Anolik, Weyes Blood, Amanda Petrusich, Billy Idol, Chris Black, Lucinda Williams, Walter Martin, and The Doors' Drummer John Densmore.

Really?? shows The Doors not simply as a band, but as provocateurs, "erotic politicians" as they called themselves, and heretical artists whose work unsettled their own time—and continues to challenge ours.

Together, Naomi Fry and friends will tackle essential questions such as: What did The Doors mean for their time, and what do they mean today? What's the place of Los Angeles in The Doors' oeuvre? What can the figure of Jim Morrison tell us about American masculinity? Are The Doors cool? And, has popular culture completely misunderstood The Doors? 

Naomi Fry, a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2018, covers books, art, and popular culture.

Naomi says: "I've been obsessed with The Doors ever since I was a young teen. Over the years, I've come to discover that a lot of people think that this obsession is maybe a little embarrassing, and that Jim Morrison and The Doors aren't a worthwhile object of love and curiosity. I'm interested in mining the gap between these perceptions, partly to understand why I'm still obsessed, partly to look at The Doors through a wider cultural lens. This podcast isn't a straightforward biographical podcast; it's the work of enthusiasts rather than historians, or, as Morrison might put it, feelers rather than analysts. What it will offer are rich, varied, and funny conversations about a really significant if sometimes misunderstood band."

Across six episodes—including a live recording in Los Angeles at On Air Fest LA at KCRW on November 12th—Naomi will blend one-on-one conversations, group discussions, and a special talk with The Doors' drummer John Densmore. The series was created by Noah Chernin and is produced by Jody Avirgan (30 for 30, What Now? with Trevor Noah).

Really?? The Doors? with Naomi Fry is presented in partnership with Bootleg Live, a live music platform redefining how artists and fans connect, combining high-quality audio of concerts with exclusive content delivered directly to fans as collectible digital mementos.

The show is produced by Talkhouse is a Webby-Award-winning first-person media company, podcast network, and outlet for musicians, actors, filmmakers, and others in their respective fields. Talkhouse also produces Blank Check, and Santigold's Noble Champions, among other podcasts.

You don't have to be a Boomer to enjoy Really?? The Doors. What makes the show so provocative and evocative is the questions it asks about the sustained relevance of the group and its music, and how their music influenced the culture of that day, and how the culture influenced their music. In today's music world, there are very few bands at all. Why?