As a commuter student, I spend a lot of time stuck on the 405 (which is the worst). Sometimes it even takes me and an hour and half to get home during rush hour. During this downtime I usually turn to music to drown out my incessant thoughts, but lately I’ve been using that time spent in my car discovering and catching up on my favorite podcasts. After listening to many different ones, I’ve narrowed it down to my favorite picks. These are the most entertaining, informative, and overall humorous podcasts to get me through mind-numbing traffic.
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1. Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness
If you’ve seen Queer Eye, the host of this podcast, Jonathan Van Ness, might sound familiar. Van Ness is the grooming expert on the hit Netflix show, but before he landed that role he actually had this podcast. He uses this as a platform for him to learn and explore topics that make him curious with topics varying from the opioid crisis, the difference between Sunni and Shia muslims, or even interviewing his Queer Eye castmates. He also brings experts onto the show like famous professors, political figures, and most recently the philanthropist Melinda Gates. My favorite thing about this podcast is that Van Ness is open to learning about all kinds of issues which leads to a podcast that is incredibly educational and informative. Plus, his effervescent personality is so contagious that it immediately puts you in a cheerful mood when hearing his voice.
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2. Pod Save America
Politics have gotten a lot of attention lately and it can get tricky to follow from time to time. When that happens, that’s when I turn to Crooked Media’s Pod Save America. It’s hosted by Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor who were all former staffers under the Obama administration. They release new podcasts every Tuesday and Thursday to not only keep you up-to-date on current political affairs but also to dissect it themselves. They use a perfect balance between levity and seriousness when they go in-depth about politics. Crooked Media productions also has numerous podcasts which include Lovett or Leave It, Crooked Conversations, Keep It and a lot more if you’re in dire need of more of their political commentary.
Photo Courtesy of the Daily Beast
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3. Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O’Brien is my absolute favorite entertainer so this podcast is a no-brainer for me. If you’re not familiar with him, he’s a comedian and the talk show host of CONAN. His style of comedy can be described as self-deprecating but he’s also quick-witted which makes for fun banter between him and his guests. The podcast greatly differs from his talk show in which the conversations are more laidback and casual. This is vibe is probably created by being in a more intimate setting with his guests. In this podcast, O’Brien talks to his good Hollywood friends such as Jimmy Kimmel, Kristen Bell, Adam Sandler, and many more about a variety of topics and issues.
Photo Courtesy of Apple Podcasts
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4. The Champs with Neal Brennan + Moshe Kasher
I actually found out about this podcast through one of my political science professors. One of the hosts, Neal Brennan, is a well-known comedian and writer for Dave Chappelle’s Comedy Central show: Chappelle’s Show. Moshe Kasher is also a stand-up comedian and together Neal and Moshe make for a hilarious tongue-in-cheek comedy duo when interviewing their guests. The best part of this podcast is DJ Doug randomly dropping sound effects every now and then to alleviate too serious moments. Also, one of the more unique aspects of their podcast is that they make sure to interview a new black guest every week. However, although their podcast ended in 2016, there are still many hour-long interviews to catch up on. Some of their guests included Tiffany Haddish, Jordan Peele, and Kumail Nanjiani.