In a time in which it seems that everyone and their mother have a podcast, it’s hard to separate the good from the bad without wasting hours listening to countless shows, but have no fear: that’s why I’m here. Now, I’ve spent a lot of my time listening to podcasts—actually, if you see me around campus with my headphones on, I’m probably in the middle of an episode of some podcast—and in that time I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the Spotify podcast section browsing for my next listen. Here are some of the podcast that really got me hooked and I feel you all should listen to:
1. Guys We F**ked
Image via Podbay
The self-proclaimed “anti-slut shaming podcast” is hosted by two friends, Corinne Fisher & Krystyna Hutchinson, who have a lot of sex and they’re proud of it. The two friends began their show by interviewing the men they have had sex with in the past, but after years of being on the air, it has become so much more. The show now touches on so many gender-issues while still maintaining the humor and honesty that appealed to so many from the start. The episodes come out once a week and are usually around two hours long, the perfect length for my weekly meal prep sessions.
2. Pantsuit Politics
Image via Pantsuit Politics Show
It’s obvious that today’s political climate affects the way in which women live our lives. It’s important to be informed and armed with the knowledge this podcast gives you. Hosted by two women from each political side (Sarah Steward Holland from the left and Beth Silvers from the right), the show offers political discussion without the insults or the shouting that has become the norm in political discussions. Pantsuit Politics airs twice a week, offering their listeners updated news in usually hour-long episodes and reminding their audience that this is not normal. I usually press play in this political podcast in the mornings during my walk to campus and in the short burst of free time in between classes. If you’re looking for another political podcast, I’d also recommend Pod Save America.
3. Limetown
Image via Two-Up Productions
When I say that I was regretfully late to this podcast, I mean I was years late. Limetown is a fiction series podcast that first aired in 2015, and in less than two months after it began shot up to number one on the US iTunes podcast chart. This show centers around the mystery surrounding the fictional town of Limetown and the disappearance of its 300 residents. The story is told by American Public Radio reporter Lia Haddock as she investigates the town she has always felt a sort of connection to. The first season of the podcast is made up of six 30-minute episodes that, I’m not ashamed to say, I finished in a day. The addicting nature of the show is widespread throughout the show’s audience, proven by their reaction to Limetown’s announcement of its long-anticipated second season, which will premiere on later this year on Halloween.
4. Call Your Girlfriend
Image via Call Your Girlfriend
Hosted by two long-distance besties, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, Call Your Girlfriend is a podcast that reminds me of the long discussions my friends and I have around the dinner table. With topics ranging from politics to current pop culture, Call Your Girlfriend is a podcast has something everyone and offers its listeners easy-listening knowledge, expanding their readers’ horizons without feeling condescending. Not only do the host of this podcast speak about issues important to women but they also highlight exceptional women from all ways of life. This show is fiercely feminist, opinionated, funny, and warm—a joy to listen to every week. New episodes air every Friday.
5. Modern Love
Image via NPR
I am an unashamed hopeless romantic, and this podcast is perfect for my fellow lovers of love. Every week this podcast readings of stories of love and the rollercoaster that comes with it performed by celebrities we all know and love. On the latest episode, which aired on April 25th, Broad City star Abbi Jacobson reads “Boy, What a Fabulous Baker,” a story about a woman who pines for a beautiful baker from afar until she finally gets the nerve to ask him out. It seems that each week this podcast highlights beautifully written piece that I immediately fall in love with and becomes my new favorite. Not only do we get to listen to the words of many different authors, but the listeners also get the privilege to hear a little from the authors. What I love about this podcast is you can jump in at any episode and allow these beautifully read pieces to remind you of the beauty that comes with every love.
Me whenever someone wants to interrupt my podcast-listening time:
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