So, March was #trypod month. I posted a list of my most favorite podcasts to listen to on my Facebook page that I thought might transfer here. It's just taken me almost a month to complete this action. Also, instead of just making a list, I thought I'd tell you a little bit about why I like each of my these podcasts.
All of these podcasts are entertaining (in my humble opinion). Some of them teach me things, either about history, politics, or other ethnic groups, which gives me speaking points on a variety of topics. So my sparkling conversational skills are all thanks to podcasts! And, y'know, my education. Probably. Other podcasts, those of the true crime variety, feed my rampant paranoia, which is why I have never forgotten to lock my door before I go to bed.
My Favorite Murder: This true crime/comedy (not as mutually exclusives as you might think) podcast is hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, two ladies who became friends when they started talking murder at a house party and drove everyone else away. Each week, they each pick a favorite murder to relate to other, as well as reading hometown murders sent in by listeners. Through their stories and jokes, Karen and Georgia also bring mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, into the light and frequently acknowledge their own use of therapy to live their best lives, as well as encouraging their listeners not to be afraid to get the help they might need. Personally, this podcast made me realize that it was not, in fact, an unhealthily early introduction to Law & Order that feeds my rampant paranoia, but a cultural devaluing of the lives of women and girls, due, of course, to toxic masculinity (which always ruins the party). There are currently, as of 4/28/2017, 66 episodes to binge-listen, and the podcast is only getting more popular as the hosts do live shows and get write-ups in popular news publications, like Entertainment Weekly, The Atlantic, and The Daily Dot.
Myths and Legends: This podcast is for history and literature nerds because myths and legends, by their very nature, both spring from and influence the culture and the history of the places they come from. Host Jason Weiser was a fabulous job of relating stories from around the world in an engaging and modern way. I really enjoy this podcast because I respect research and Weiser does a great job of relating where he thinks the myths and legends that he relates each episode come from and how many different variations and evolutions there are of the stories. There are episodes that I, raised in a western European tradition, am familiar with, but my favorite episodes are those that relate stories that I have never heard before because they teach me about cultures that I am unfamiliar with. Myths and Legends has been a weekly show since April of 2015. You by no means must start at the beginning because each episode relates a complete story, so I would recommend doing what I do, and go through and listen to the episodes that catch your eye. Feel free to judge by the title!
How Did This Get Made?: This podcast is pure fun, relating the plot of movies that are sometimes so bad that they're good, but usually so bad that they're just bad. Hosted by Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas and a rotating roster of guest stars, HDTGM often discusses production values and box office intake from the point of view of Hollywood insiders. I would recommend listening to movies that you don't care very much about or that you are ready to admit are very bad. I was ready to fight about movies that I love (through pure nostalgia), like Spice World (I for sure don't own a DVD of Spice World anymore, and I for sure have not watched in the last 6 months. No, sirree). In my honest opinin, the best episodes, to the surprise of no one, I'm sure, are the ones that cover movies starring Nic Cage, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Fake the Nation: If current political events have made you sad when you read the news and despair for the future of the United States of America, I encourage you to check this podcast. Hosted by comedian Negin Farsad, who is usually joined by two other funny people, each episode will keep you update on the big news from the week, while giving you a bit of the broader context on why these events are (or are not) as terrifying as you might have been led to believe by your Twitter feed. I like this podcast because it makes me feel better to know that, even when you think things are going poorly, you can for sure keep your good humor and, even, laugh at the craziness.
Mother, May I Sleep with Podcast?: This podcast breaks down Lifetime Original Movies, one movie per week. If, at any point in your life, you had the luxury of cable in your home, you've probably seen at least part of a Lifetime Original Movie. Hosted by Molly McAleer, she and a guest breakdown and discuss the plots of some of the most famous Lifetime movies (hence the name, yeah?) and give it a ranking. The first season ended with Liz & Dick, starring Lindsey Lohan, taking home "The Tori Spelling Lifetime Lifetime Achievement” Award. Much like HDTGM, this podcast is pure fun for the pop culture/TV junkie.
Martinis & Murder: A second true-crime podcast! This one has slightly less comedy and more alcohol. Sponsored by Oxygen and hosted by Daryn Carp and John Thrasher, the episode normally concern crimes detailed on the Oxygen TV show Snapped. However, I do not get Oxygen with my basic cable package, so there's not a huge amount of overlap for me. Additionally, I think this podcast is probably more interesting than watching the show, which, from what I remember, is just kind of straightforward "this is how this happened" kind of show. Carp and Thrasher add their own point of view and context. For example, Thrasher has a personal connection to a few of the cases he relates because he lived in the same college town and went to the same college. They also give you martini recipes at the top of each episode.
Code Switch: This podcast from NPR deals with issues of race and identity. Led and hosted by a team of journalist who are all people of color, this podcast regularly teaches me (a scrawny white girl) about the experiences and issues faced by people of color. I think the description on npr.org says it best: "Ever find yourself in a conversation about race and identity where you just get...stuck? Code Switch can help. We're all journalists of color, and this isn't just the work we do. It's the lives we lead. Sometimes, we'll make you laugh. Other times, you'll get uncomfortable. But we'll always be unflinchingly honest and empathetic. Come mix it up with us.
The Bright Sessions: This podcast is an audio drama, and it is fantastic! Dr. Bright is a therapist that counsels people who are familiar with the strange and the unusual. Each of Dr. Bright's patients has a unique (to say the least) ability and are in therapy in the hopes of learning to control these abilities. To say more would be to give too much away, so just go listen and enjoy it!
Bad with Money with Gaby Dunn: Gaby Dunn hosts a financial podcast that covers all the same topics that other financial podcasts take you through, BUT Dunn is anything but an expert, which makes her the perfect guide through the confusing world of financials. Dunn views money as an "endless existential crisis" (much like most of us, or at least, me). I usually wait and hoard a few episodes because just listening to other people talk about money makes me feel like my skin is too tight (a symptom, I'm sure, of not having enough of it). Throughout the episodes, Dunn talks to her parents, other comedians, artists, musicians, actors, a financial psychologist, and her close friends in an effort to figure out this money thing. If you don't have any idea what you're doing when it comes to money (either because you never have any or because you'll never have any), this is a safe space!
... These Are Their Stories: The Law & Order Podcast: This podcast is for Law & Order addicts. My name is Marie, and I have a problem. Each episode goes over one episode of TV's most enduring franchise (either original recipe, SVU, or Criminal Intent), and the real-life crimes that inspired the storylines. If you can't help but binge-watch the episodes that always seem to be on TNT or weTV, etc, then this podcast is just another way to mainline your chosen poison. "It's no ordinary police procedural, baby. It's the f'ing OG of police procedurals, baby."
something from the past. I was hooked from the first episode, "The Lady Vanishes," which looks at Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler, and the first women offered entrance to The Royal Academy. Through examining the life of Thompson, Gladwell examines the strange phenomenon of the “token" -- the outsider whose success serves not to alleviate discrimination but perpetuate it. The excellent thing
about this revision of history is that Gladwell brings it forward, explaining how these patterns are still playing out today and affecting culture and politics.
Pop Culture Happy Hour: Another NPR program, PCHH discusses what's popular in America today. This program keeps me updated on all the things people are talking about, without me having to kill myself to keep up with it all, which allows me to have a handle on most popular conversational topics happening at the water cooler.