Two years ago I began my foray into the world of podcasts and I have never looked back. My love of podcasts used to be somewhat of a joke among my roommates. I don’t think any of us really imagined how popular they’d become but here I am, knee deep in podcasts. I listen on the way to work, driving home from work, even while I’m working, etc. Listening to other people talk is so much more fulfilling than I could have ever dreamed and I don’t plan on cutting my backlog of podcasts any time soon.
There are too many podcasts available to listen to them all, and as my interests reach pretty far I feel obligated to share my favorites (or maybe I just want to talk about them because no one else will listen to me).
1. My Favorite Murder
I’m not the first, nor will I be the last to sing its praises. Hosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark make listening to otherwise horrible things fun and entertaining (not that murder should be fun or entertaining but those of us that are interested in such dark subjects can sleep a little better after some witty banter and tasteful jokes). I used to think that listening to people pepper murder stories with their own commentary would bring me to boredom, but I’ve found that I actually need the commentary to stay interested. And it makes it feel that much more like a conversation with friends, which is especially comforting during quarantine and social distancing. If you like true crime and have even a hint of a sense of humor, Karen and Georgia will be your go-to form of entertainment. Stay sexy and listen to My Favorite Murder .
2. And That’s Why We Drink
I know I said I have various interests, and I do. This just happens to be another true crime podcast, BUT it has a twist, which you will be excited about if you enjoy the paranormal. Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer bring you a true crime story and a paranormal story each week. Em’s Paranormal stories range from the history of haunted buildings to strange stories about resurrection and alien lovers (Episodes 169 and 180, respectively). Christine’s true crime stories are well researched and their commentary is nothing short of fantastic. Whether they’re discussing Christine’s ghosts or Zak Bagel Bites (aka Zak Bagans, star of hit TV series Ghost Adventures who also blocked Christine on twitter), you’ll never want it to end. There’s even the added bonus of filmed episodes on youtube!
3. Office Ladies
We have yet another gem of the podcast world: Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer’s (aka Angela Martin and Pam Beesley on The Office) Office rewatch podcast. They have guests on to discuss episodes of the show and their experience on the set as a whole. You can watch the series a million times and still never get the insight that Angela and Jenna offer on their podcast. They’re currently re-watching season 3 of the show, and each episode gets better and better. There was something so organic about the show’s comedy; everything felt so in-the-moment, which makes it hard to tell what’s improv and what was scripted. Now, we have the privilege of knowing what was what thanks to Jenna’s collection of old scripts! For all you “Office” fans who didn’t think you could love the show any more, listen to Office Ladies and find out just how much more you like the show.
4. Ghosted! By Roz Drezfalez
Ghosted! combines my love of Drag Queens with my interest in the paranormal. Roz, a drag queen, talks ghosts, hauntings, spirituality, psychics, and all things paranormal with comedians, actors, psychics, and various other guests. Past guests have included Elvira, Bekah Martinez (basically a Chatty Broads/Ghosted Crossover), Busy Phillips, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Harvey Guillen, Karen Kilgariff (yet another crossover), Emma Dumont, Rain Phoenix, and David Oman (lives 150 feet away from the Sharon Tate house on Cielo Drive). Roz discusses the paranormal with the guest, whether or not they have personally had experiences and at the end of the episode they listen to EVP’S, or ghost voices, she found on youtube. Roz injects comedy and a sense of comfort into topics that tend to make people uncomfortable, which makes Ghosted! such an entertaining podcast to listen to. We bear witness to some pretty crazy and mind-boggling stories. One of the wildest ones involved a guest and a creepy shared dream experience that I can’t even begin to describe. Seriously, this story will have you the most freaked out you have ever been in your entire life. Listen to the Gunnar Deatherage episode to hear it all. While you’re at it, listen to the episode with Kylie Sonique Love as well and watch the video of her ghost experience (it’s on Kylie’s youtube channel). It’s so simple yet so freaky you won’t be able to stop watching. If you love Celebrity Ghost Stories, Drag, Ghosts, psychics, or discussing your Catholic upbringing then you’ll love Roz.
5. Chatty Broads
Bachelor Nation, hear my call; you need to listen to Chatty Broads. Hosts Bekah Martinez and Jess Ambrose talk all things Bachelor, but they branch out from strictly discussing the franchise. They talk to astrologers, psychic mediums, and anyone they want to have an entertaining conversation with. They’ve done multiple collaborations with Game of Roses (a truly fantastic Bachelor podcast that I also recommend listening to for their in depth analysis of contestants and strategies). The Broads covered Nick Viall’s GOAT episode with them and I can already tell you that you are not prepared for how good this episode is. If you listen to only one episode of Chatty Broads, let it be episode 180. If you’re a part of Bachelor Nation, this will be the best and most surprising 2.5 hours of your day. As I briefly mentioned earlier, Bekah was a guest on Roz’s podcast, but I did not mention that Jess was as well, so we’ve got not one, but TWO crossovers between Ghosted! and Chatty Broads here.
I only shared 5 of the many podcasts I listen to currently, but here are a few more if none of those tickle your fancy: Call Her Daddy, Podcast But Outside, She Rates Dogs: The Podcast, and Schnitt Talk (which has ended as of this week but is still entertaining and has got a long backlog of episodes to listen to).