Smithsonian Launches Season Six of Sidedoor Podcast

The Smithsonian’s podcast Sidedoor returns today, Jan. 13, for its sixth season. The season kicks off with an episode exploring the history of Wonder Woman. Host Lizzie Peabody talks with historians and former editors at Ms. magazine to take listeners on a journey to understand how the comic book character, first introduced by a psychologist in the 1940s to counteract the masculinity of the classic male superhero, evolved into the feminist icon known today.

“I’m excited for our listeners to experience the fascinating stories we have lined up this season,” Peabody said. “I can’t think of a better way to start season six than with Wonder Woman. As a character, she’s been through a lot, and this story reminds me that our heroes—fictional or not—do matter. While visits to the Smithsonian aren’t possible at the moment, it’s our great pleasure to continue to share stories that entertain, educate and maybe even transport our listeners somewhere new.”

Sidedoor is the Smithsonian’s flagship podcast that dives into lesser-known Smithsonian stories from beyond the public view, with Peabody and renowned Smithsonian experts leading the way. Season six of Sidedoor will feature 13 new episodes. Listeners can look forward to stories spanning a wide array of topics—from the origins of Paredon Records, a 1970s record label dedicated to publishing the protest songs of those fighting for freedom and equality around the world, to the question of where black-crowned night herons go when they leave the Zoo each summer.

Since its debut in 2016, Sidedoor has been downloaded more than 7.5 million times. The podcast is a collaboration between the Smithsonian and PRX, a public media pioneer that brings listeners iconic audio programming, including “This American Life,” “The Moth Radio Hour,” “The Latino USA,” “Snap Judgement,” “The World” and the Radiotopia podcast network.

“Sidedoor has the distinct ability to capture listeners’ imaginations by way of remarkable true stories that could only be unearthed directly from the Smithsonian,” said Jason Saldanha, chief of business development at PRX. “We can’t wait to for audiences everywhere to hear this new season, which from the halls of the museums will bring listeners to new places.”

Sidedoor is produced by Smithsonian Digital Studios. Listeners can download the podcast on Apple Podcasts or stream it on si.edu/Sidedoor. New episodes are available every other Wednesday.

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SI-8-2021