Podcasts

I spend a lot of time in my car during the academic year since I have quite the commute. Previous to my last move that took me farther away from campus, I used to play music and sing along. Well, that’s not a big deal if your commute is fifteen minutes. At the moment, if I sang the entire way, I’d have no voice left long before I’d reach my destination. Kind of hard to teach without one.

When I first discovered podcasts, I had one that I listened to – but I also only had a five minute commute, so it didn’t take long for me to fall behind. Today, I have several that I juggle – but they help keep me awake (and entertained) whenever I’m on the road. So I thought I’d write up a little recommendation list in case you are looking for something to listen to.

Stuff You Should Know – My first podcast, which I encountered not long after they started airing. If you listen to this show, perhaps you also remember those first few pre-Chuck episodes that were like five minutes long. These days, they have three episodes a week, two coming it at about 45-60 minutes, with a ‘short stuff’ between that runs about 10-15 minutes. I really do love listening to this podcast. I love to learn, and they have taught me about so many interesting topics. They are well-researched, and I trust their credibility. I also just enjoy listening to the banter between the co-hosts, Josh and Chuck. It’s a good time all around. I’ve only ever skipped one episode because it came with a trigger warning for squeamish people…which I am. You can jump around, but I would recommend listening to episodes you think you might not have any interest in – they do a really good job of making even seemingly boring things interesting, as well as breaking down difficult topics to make them more easily understood.

How Did This Get Made – I remember discovering this a few years after it launched, and I started downloading them. I did get through the first couple episodes, but my commute was so short back then that I didn’t have time to keep up. When I ended up with a much longer commute and therefore more listening time, I started trying to catch up – though by that point, their full back catalogue was only available through a subscription with Stitcher. I listen via Apple Podcasts, which has the last six months available. The podcast did start up Matinee Mondays where they pull an episode from ‘the vault’ and air it again, so you can eventually listen to them all even without a subscription. Generally, they’ll pick an episode that fits whatever new film they are talking about. I will offer that you don’t necessarily need to watch the films before listening (though I’m sure that will add to the experience – though sometimes it’s fun with the more absurd films not to have seen it while listening to them trying to react to it). I will throw out there that this may not be a podcast to listen to with kids in the car. There are at times some raunchy jokes, as well as swearing in just about every episode.

Armchair Expert – I started listening to this when it first launched – I was a fan of Dax Shepard from Parenthood, and as an introvert, the notion of a long-form interview really resonated with me (we introverts prefer in depth conversations over small talk, which is likely why I’m not a fan of talk shows where interviews are a few minutes and guests repeat the same couple stories). I particularly enjoy the Experts on Expert thread (where they interview experts in their fields) and Flightless Bird (with David Farrier, a New Zealander who got stranded in the U.S. during COVID and began a podcast under the Armchair umbrella where he explores the strangeness of our country). They have a couple other podcasts under their umbrella, like one on dating and another on freezing your eggs/fertility, and more recently a series called Armchair Anonymous where they post prompts and then virtually meet with folks to hear their stories. The celebrity interviews, which was the original podcast, is also engaging – even if you don’t care for the celebrity, you can still learn some interesting things. There is also a fact check after these episodes where his co-host, Monica Padman, checks the things folks say throughout the episode (later into the series, their producer Rob also speaks up more, and I find him delightful). As time has gone on, the fact checks have grown more into the three checking in with each other and telling stories.

Smartless – I’ve been a fan of Sean Hayes since Will & Grace, so when he, along with his buddies Jason Bateman and Will Arnett, started up this interview podcast, I had to give it a listen. These episodes are about an hour. They come out first to their subscribers (through Wondery, ad free), then are available elsewhere a week later. They start with the three catching up, telling stories and poking fun (which carries throughout the episode – depending on who the guest is). Then, one will introduce their surprise guest – the other two don’t know who they are about to interview. Again, because it’s a long-form interview, you get to learn things about these folks that you probably didn’t already know. It’s especially fun when one of the three hosts fans out over one of the guests.

From Smartless Media comes my new favorite podcast, Just Jack and Will, where Sean Hayes and Eric McCormack are re-watching and discussing episodes of Will & Grace. It’s like someone made a podcast just for me… I love this show so much, for so many reasons, and so far they have discussed three episodes – and I find myself smiling through the entire conversation. The behind-the-scene tidbits and memories from Hayes, McCormack, and their guest (so far Max Mutchnick, Jimmy Burrows, and Debra Messing) are great – but the way it sounds like no time has passed just continues to make this such a comfort show.

Films to Be Buried With – This is my most recent find, though the podcast has been out since 2018. In this, Brett Goldstein (who you likely know as Roy Kent on Ted Lasso) has a discussion with their guest about films. The premise is they have died (and they get to choose how they died), and they reflect on their life through the lens of films they’ve watched. It’s a lovely premise (death aside, of course) and a fun listen – even if you don’t know the guest.

Badass Writers – I first encountered Kathleen Foxx via writing twitter, and she’s one of my most favorite people to follow. In addition to creating a welcoming writing community on that platform, she has a podcast where she interviews authors (full disclosure, I was one of the authors), as well as agents and editors, granting access to knowledge for writers trying to make their way through the querying trenches. If you’re a writer, give it a listen, and make sure to follow her on twitter.

Where Should We Being? – I first heard Esther Perel via her interview with Armchair Expert. She has her own podcast where she counsels couples through conflict. Normally, this is something that is kept behind closed doors – but with this podcast, these conversations come to light and can help others feel less alone in their own lives and conflicts. This is a podcast with ‘seasons’, so there aren’t continuous episodes. There is a backlog of about seventy-five episodes to listen to while you wait for the new season. (She also has a fun game with the same name.)

I’ve got other podcasts I’ve downloaded but just haven’t had the time to listen to yet (like Revisionist History, No Stupid Questions, and Happy Sad Confused). What podcasts do you listen to that you’d recommend folks should give a try?