If you’d asked me back in April how I would be spending Summer 2020, I would’ve mentioned studying abroad, choreographing a children’s musical, going on vacations, spending time with my family outside of the house, etc. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the shock that is COVID-19. Sure I missed out on some trips and some fun experiences but I wouldn’t trade my family and friends being/staying healthy for the world. There are sacrifices I am willing to make for the greater good, ya know? Anyway, I had to find some way to pass the time aside from binge-watching another TV show or reading another book so I turned to one of my other favorite pastimes–podcasts. Here’s a list of the podcasts I started and finished during quarantine before I came back to school.
- My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
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My Favorite Murder is my FAVORITE podcast. Karen and Georgia are two of my favorite human beings alive and I don’t even know them. I’ve talked about MFM before and I could talk about this crew until the end of time. I highly suggest this podcast for true crime fans that need comedy to cope with the intensity of the world and all the bad that comes along with it. They make me feel held. I just know they give good hugs.
- True Crime Obsessed with Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle
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I’m not entirely sure how I discovered this pod. I think I literally gave “true crime comedy podcasts” a Goog and found them that way. True Crime Obsessed is unique in the sense that the episodes don’t just cover a different case every episode, they cover a true crime documentary every episode. When I tell you I binge-listened to this podcast SO FAST, I am not kidding you. I couldn’t get enough of Patrick and Gillian’s commentary and they lace audio clips of the documentary throughout the episodes. It’s unique, it’s funny, there’s a hint of Broadway love and there’s a lot of true crime obsession. The perfect recipe for me.
- Radio Rental
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From Payne Lindsey and Tenderfoot TV, Radio Rental is an anthology series that tells bizarre, true stories from people on the internet. It’s no secret that I absolutely love Payne Lindsey and his podcasts so I’m not sure why I waited so long to listen to this one. Radio Rental is much different from what I expected. The podcast is narrated/hosted by Terry Carnation played by Rainn Wilson (yes, Dwight from The Office) who owns a VHS rental store. He has a secret collection of tapes of people telling stories of bizarre things that have happened to them. Those tapes are narrated by Payne Lindsey and the people who wrote in their stories. This podcast is unique and already has two seasons out with a third in the works.
- Conviction: American Panic
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From Gimlet and hosted by Julia Marchesi and Sharon Shattuck is the second season of Conviction. I’ve never known much about the satanic panic but y’all, now I do. Conviction’s second season introduces the Quinney family, whose patriarch was one of the first convicted by his own son in the infamous satanic panic. The podcast follows their story while also thoroughly explaining one of the most bizarre chapters of American history. I was hooked on this from beginning to end. Sorry mom for trying to explain all of this to you in one sitting.
- Small Town Murder
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From Stitcher and hosted by James Pietragallo & Jimmie Whisman. I was curious about this one because they boast about only doing truly small towns on the pod. If you know me, you know that I am from a pretty small town in Southern Illinois so I was eager to see if they had done the murders that are still controversial in our small town and sure enough, there it was!! #019 – Two Deaths, One Unexpected Murderer in Eldorado, Illinois!! I laughed my way through this and absolutely loved their commentary. If you’re from a small town, I highly recommend checking this podcast out!!
- Showmance: Glee Recap Edition with Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz
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Guys…I am a Gleek.
LMAO. No really. I religiously watched Glee in secret in middle school on my iPod because I thought I would get in trouble for watching it. I own the first three seasons on DVD and every once and awhile I go back and watch a few episodes to feel something again. Kevin and Jenna do deep dives into the episodes starting from the pilot episode talking about every little thing they can remember and bringing in the BEST guests for the episode they’re on. I love listening to this pod. It’s so special to hear them talk so lovingly about Cory Monteith and Naya Rivera, both of whom have passed away. They’re currently on hiatus following Naya Rivera’s death but plan to make more in the future.