ABSTRACT
The cameo becomes particularly useful for considering both Shakespeare and whiteness as important frames for Serial, particularly their deployment in ways that could not be considered “good action” or responsible toward the Other, therefore proving unethical regarding racial representation. Sarah Koenig’s reference to Othello causes tension regarding the podcast’s purported purpose, while also highlighting the subtle ways cultural and racial prejudice influence her characterizations of Serial’s protagonists. In the cameo, Shakespeare authorizes decidedly vexed characterizations of Otherness that more easily invoke rather than challenge common racial stereotypes and complicate Koenig’s ostensible purpose. Shakespeare authorizes decidedly vexed characterizations of Otherness that more easily invoke rather than challenge common racial stereotypes. Careful analysis of Koenig’s commentary demonstrates the subtle ways that she racializes her subjects while stressing her impressions and epistemological determinations. As such Koenig’s Shakespearean cameo helpfully exposes the thematic, structural, and racial overlaps between Serial and Shakespeare’s famous race play.
