Generally, I do not re-listen to podcast episodes. But here are some episodes I have re-listened to, many of them many times. I also give an occasional bonus episode when it was hard for me to choose just one from a podcast.
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"Barbie Girl" by Aqua - The podcast Punch up the Jam has two of the hosts from Too Scary; Didn't Watch on as guests. In PUTJ, the hosts would redo a popular song (in this case, the song "Barbie Girl") and this particular episode is hysterical. Even if you have never listened to either of these podcasts before, this episode stands up. I've listened to it several times and it hits every time. If you've never heard "Barbie Girl," though, you might want to listen to the song before going in.
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| Ken's hair in the "Barbie Girl" video. If you listen to this episode, you're going to need to have seen this. |
"ANACONDA" with Wes Larson - Speaking of Too Scary; Didn't Watch, this episode of their recap of the movie Anaconda with Wes Larson from the podcast Tooth and Claw was hysterical. Honestly, any TSDW episode with Wes Larson or Paul F. Thompkins is sheer gold.
"This Side of the Line" - I wasn't all that impressed with the second season of the podcast Bear Brook. It was good, but not great. The seventh episode of the season, though, is the best I've ever head in terms of a breakdown of the Reid technique, an interrogation technique many US police departments use, including its origin and its flaws. This episode should have won all the awards.
"Money Tree" - I think about this episode of the podcast Criminal every time I use my debit card. There's a follow-up episode called "The Less People Know About Us" and I highly recommend that one, but "Money Tree" is exceptionally powerful.
"The Living Room" - This is, hands down, the most haunting episode of a podcast I've ever listened to. I don't even subscribe to Love + Radio, but this episode lives rent free in my head.
"Raccoons" - There's a defunct podcast called You're the Expert in which a scientific expert asked a panel of comedians questions. This episode is peak YTE, although every one of the episodes is brilliant.
"Once You're in the Ocean, You're Going Everywhere" - I had a hard time deciding which Ear Hustle episode I'd include here, but this is a moving episode about the aging prison population and I had a hard time getting through it without crying. (There was a moment in "Tray, Tumbler, Spork" that made me tear up, too. It was a relatively lighthearted episode until it wasn't. And I admired the guts it took for them to put "The Trail." I mean, every episode of Ear Hustle is worth listening to.)
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| Illustration by T. Rusty Nunes |
"The Lonely Death of George Bell" - A man dies alone in his New York City apartment. What happens to his body and his estate? Simply fascinating.
"Extinct Hockey" - There was a very short-lived podcast from the early days of Gimlet called Surprisingly Awesome. This episode is hosted by the glorious John Hodgman and I did find the topic surprisingly awesome. (Also, super surprisingly awesome was another Hodgman hosted episode about "Cardboard." My interest in cardboard took a surprising turn after listening to this episode.)
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| FedEx logo. Small point, but the negative space between the E and the x make an arrow. |
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| Hartford Whalers logo. You need to know this when listening to the "Extinct Hockey" episode. |
"Life's Work" - Nate DiMeo, the writer and narrator of The Memory Palace, is a true writing genius. I wish I could write like him. The eps are short (10 - 15 minutes MAX) and how he writes and delivers what should just be the footnote of a story puts the focus on what would, in a lesser author's hands, be unimportant is majestic. Do you want more from my good friend Nate? Consider "Gallery 742," "Stories about the St. Louis," "Butterflies," or "Life's Work."
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Do you have ONE excellent episode of a podcast to recommend? One that has stuck in your mind months or years after you've first listened to it?
No because I feel like the only person on the planet who doesn't listen to podcasts very often. BUT I do hope to do more listening in 2024. It's not a goal...but a wish, perhaps, for the year ahead.
ReplyDeleteA wish! Yes, that's a lovely reframing of it. Although, if a type of media doesn't resonate with you, I say you can feel free to skip it!
DeleteGoing to listen to the PUTJ take on "Barbie Girl." My kids used to sing "Let's go party" as "Let's go potty." We're sophisticated!
ReplyDeleteI think you will find this episode hilarious. There's a moment when one of the guests says "this song is devastating" and I cry with laughter every time I hear it.
DeleteWell, yes, I do but I am not going to recommend them to you because I don't think you'd like them! However I love the Elvis and Me episode of Glamorous Trash (used to be called Celebrity Book Club) and Both Sides Now from The Deep Dive. I have also relistened to a couple of Jiffy Pop Culture episodes because they were so funny, and they are on hiatus right now. I have listened to Not Your Venus, our Venn diagram of podcast listening has overlapped! I read Butts: A Backstory that had a lot to do with that topic as well, and was very interesting. A book about butts, how great is that!
ReplyDeleteI added Elvis and Me and Both Sides Now to my playlist! Yay! The Venn diagram might get bigger!
DeleteEeee okayyyyy #nervous But I see your comment to Jenny, that you like when people are enthusiastic! Me too. I loved the Sugar Ray episode of We Didn't Start The Fire, and I have ZERO interest in boxing - but the guest was SO into it! If you like enthusiasm, you maybe could try Cookbook Club - these ladies are very into cooking, and I find it so soothing to listen to their NPR-style voices. There was a recent episode - I think Pancakes and Waffles - where they talked for five solid minutes about rainbow sprinkles, should white be included in rainbow sprinkle mixes, the pros and cons of making your own rainbow sprinkle mix. Engie, I was here for that conversation. It was amazing.
DeleteOh, I tried WDSTF, but found it a little dry, so I am excited for the Sugar Ray guest to spice it up! Cookbook Club sounds PERFECT. I, too, want to think about whether or not white should be included in rainbow sprinkle mixes (I think yes right now, but what if this conversation changes my mind?!). What great recs!
DeleteI also don't want to recommend my podcasts to you because I don't think you (or most people for that matter) would like them. I listen to podcasts like Florida Trail Runners, and also lately I've been listening to more lighthearted ones like The Mom Hour and Girl Next Door. I've been enjoying less "serious" listening during this season when everything is so busy- my brain needs a break.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is that I like to listen to people talking about things they are super enthusiastic about. I listened to fifteen hours of George Saunders dissecting stories by Russian authors, so I can be convinced to listen to just about anything if someone is enthusiastic and smart enough about them. I may not be a runner, but I will happily listen to other people talk about it!
DeleteUgh I really WANT to like podcasts, but I just don't prioritize them over audiobooks. And since audiobooks are 90% of my reading these days, I don't think that will change. But I do love reading about people's favorite podcasts and thinking about listening to them! This is a really great list because it's not a commitment to a whole season or series!
ReplyDeleteI actually wish I could listen to more audiobooks instead of always reaching for podcasts. I just really struggle to get into audiobooks, but when I find one I like, it's magical!
DeleteOh my stars, picking just one episode seems so final in my head! I really enjoyed Maintenance Phase this year (and catching up on their back catalogue) and I just started Stuff the British Stole....
ReplyDeletePeople love Maintenance Phase! Nothing wrong with a classic.
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