These days, there’s a podcast for just about every single interest a person could have (and if there isn’t one for your particular interest, you can easily start one!). I tend to favor those that focus on comedy, but lately I’ve been trying to branch out into other topics. Podcasts are great to listen to while you’re working out, on a long car ride, or just drinking coffee on a weekend morning. Now that the school year is almost over and you’ll have one of the only luxuries of a summer in Georgia— free time— you should get into one or more of these amazing shows. All of these are available on iTunes, or you can listen online with the provided links.
1. You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes (here.)I tell just about everyone I meet to listen to this podcast. Pete Holmes subscribes to the theory that everyone should have three main interests. His are comedy, sex, and God, so he brings up all three topics on every episode, but many other subjects are usually broached as well. Most of his guests are comedians, but he’s also interviewed musicians, actors, nutritionists, magicians, and scientists. But be forewarned, it averages about two hours per episode and there’s usually quite a bit of foul language.
2. Fresh Air with Terry Gross (here.)This pop culture driven podcast is put out by NPR, but before you start to slowly back away from the crazy lady telling you to listen to public radio, just listen to Terry Gross interview someone for five minutes. She’s that good. This show covers just about everything under the sun, and it’s a good introduction for people who aren’t avid podcast listeners (yet). I would be willing to bet that after one segment, you’ll be wondering where Terry Gross has been all of your life. And once you give in to the fact that you’re now a public radio listener, check out some of NPR’s other podcasts, like This American Life, Morning Edition, Car Talk, Prairie Home Companion, and/or Pop Culture Happy Hour.
3. Professor Blastoff (here.)I have a confession to make— I’m a very curious person, but also a very easily bored person. A lot of times when I wonder/ask “how do they do that?” and then pursue an answer, I end up not caring because science is just not my jam. That’s why I love Professor Blastoff so much. They explain the science behind so many things that have always fascinated me, but because the hosts are all outstanding comedians and, with the exception of David Huntsberger (who holds a degree in Civil Engineering), not highly educated in the sciences, they are able to hold my attention much more than most science-driven programs. Even if you’re some kind of super-genius who understands the entire world already, I can guarantee you that you’ll learn at least one new thing from every episode.
4. Stuff You Should Know (here.)If you ever plan on being on Jeopardy!, this is probably the podcast for you. They explain everything from amnesia to 3D printers, from termites to sign language. Most of their episodes are under an hour, and you’re sure to gain some information that, if nothing else, could end a conversational lull (statistically they happen every eleven minutes, so you might need it— and yes, I learned that from the podcast). And BONUS!, if you enjoy this show, one of the hosts, Josh Clark, has a web series called Don’t Be Dumb in which hilariously dispells common myths in short videos. And BONUS BONUS!, this podcast is put out by howstuffworks.com, which has a ton of other, more focused shows, such as Stuff You Missed in History Class, BrainStuff, CarStuff, and Stuff Mom Never Told You, all of which are definitely worth checking out.
5. Mike and Tom Eat Snacks (here.)Best friends Michael Ian Black (you probably know him from VH1 or one of the other million things he’s done) and Tom Cavanagh (you probably know him as “that guy,” and you’ll say you definitely “know him from somewhere”) sample different snacks and talk about them. Obviously they talk about other things too, but the snacks are the glue that holds the show together. As a self-described “grazer” I enjoy their takes on various snack foods, and as a human being I enjoy their amazing conversations. The bad news is that they don’t update it that often, but the good news is that you’ll probably be able to listen to all of them before a new episode comes out!
6. Savage Lovecast (here.)One of my favorite parts about this podcast is that there are two versions of every episode— they’re called Micro and Magnum, and the former is free and usually around 45 minutes while the latter requires a paid subscription and is closer to two hours. Dan Savage, for those of you who don’t know, is a leader of the gay rights movement. (Remember a little campaign called It Gets Better? Yeah, he founded that with his husband.) If intense convos about sexuality make you uncomfortable and you’re okay with that, then this is certainly not the podcast for you, but if you’re looking to expand your mind when it comes to sex and relationships, Dan Savage can most definitely help you out there.
If you feel like your favorite podcast was snubbed by my (very small, not even remotely definitive) list, comment below! I’m always looking for new shows.