It seems like everyone is starting podcasts these days, whether it’s actors who were bored during the pandemic or two best friends who just have to share their thoughts. Podcasts are great to accompany you on your walk to class, while you fold laundry, or when you’re tired of your music! So how do you sort the truly entertaining from those who should have their mic privileges revoked? Here’s a list of my current favorites to help start your podcast journey…
News
It seems like a million things happen every day and it’s impossible to keep up (even more difficult when your main news source is TikTok). To level up your information game I recommend The Daily by the New York Times. The episodes are about 30 minutes long and are usually on a top news story from the day, hence the name. It has helped me stay up to date with the current election and is a great way to stay informed!
Silly
Everyone needs a break sometimes to listen to some truly silly nonsense, and the following podcasts do it best. You’ve probably seen clips of them on TikTok or might even remember their days on Vine, but Drew Phillips and Enya Umanzor now make the hilariously ridiculous podcast Emergency Intercom. This one has some deep lore and is definitely for the chronically online, but I highly recommend Episode 68 (Halloween Spookie Ookie Special), Episode 99 (Midnight at McDonald’s), or Episode 96 (Drew Comes Out as Straight with Barbie Ferreira). Watch on YouTube for the best experience…they love to dress up.
If you’re looking for a mix of comedy, impressions, and Wikipedia deep dives, turn to The Broski Report by Brittany Broski. You might know her as “kombucha girl”, but Brittany is genuine, intensely intelligent, and speaks to herself in an empty room every Tuesday. Some weeks she talks about womanhood, some weeks it’s the Irish man she fell in love with on Hinge, but every week it’s equal parts funny, entertaining, and even thought-provoking.
Interview
Thank you to my mom for introducing me to Smartless, a podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett (hey Arrested Development fans), and Sean Hayes where they interview a new guest (mainly those in showbiz) each week. The best part? Only one of them knows who the guest is going to be. They’ve had everyone from Tim Walz to Daisy Ridley to Stephen Curry. I would recommend their episode with Matthew McConaughey for some deep talks or with Andy Samberg because I just love Andy Samberg.
For some non-50-year-olds, turn to Therapuss with Jake Shane. He’s interviewed two of my favs Role Model and Lizzy McAlpine so what’s not to like? There’s also the fairly new In Your Dreams with Owen Theile where Owen just can’t sleep and needs to talk to Emma Chamberlain, Rachel Sennott, or the fabulous Molly Gordon! Less interview and more conversation, Therapuss and In Your Dreams are both great for some background sound.