Internet Things On My Mind: Podcast Edition

A Year-End Roundup of Podcasts That Made Me Laugh, Cry, and Think

I have been obsessed with podcasts since 2016. It started with listening to NPR’s morning edition and Democracy Now on my commute to work. And now, you can find me listening to a podcast almost all the time - whether I am watering my plants, washing my dishes, walking my dogs, or wrapping up some work emails.

Initially, it was all about political podcasts, essentially using this medium to learn something. However, earlier this year, something shifted, and I started listening to podcasts that I wasn’t particularly proud of, silly podcasts that talked about celebrities or things people were obsessing over on social media. Now, breaking down why my brain was being so judgmental of my consumption of “junk” media is for another newsletter, but know that I am (almost) over it, and this list will include some silly, goofy podcasts.

Long story short: I love podcasts so much that I started my own, which hasn’t been particularly easy, but I digress.

Photo by Melanie Pongratz on Unsplash

While this list started as a response to a Tuesday Thread by Anne Helen Peterson, dumping the entire list I shared in the thread on you could leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure as to where to start. So, I am going to leave you with five podcasts that surprised me this last year.

Without further adieu, here’s my list of podcasts, in no particular order. I hope you find something that speaks to you and makes your holiday travels and dinners with family a little bearable or adds fun to your everyday chores.

1. The Girlfriends

   It is a true-crime podcast that I binge-listened within a weekend. Here’s how I described it to my sister: there’s drama, women looking out for each other, women listening to their gut and trusting their instincts. The same group of women banded together to get this suspicious guy prosecuted for his wife’s murder after 30 years! All the episodes are available so that you can binge the entire story.

2. I Was Never There

   This podcast is about the back-to-the-land movement of the 70s, a woman looking for her missing friend, and, at times, a candid conversation between a mother and daughter about raising kids in your mid-20s vs mid-30s. Like The Girlfriends, the entire series has been released, making it another prime candidate for when you want to listen to something as you wrap those presents.

3. The 13th Step

   This podcast was especially difficult for me to listen. I know that The Girlfriends and I Was Never There are intense podcasts, too, but this one by NPR covers the #MeToo movement in the addiction treatment industry. Yes, you read that correctly - the addiction treatment industry. Some episodes left me feeling furious, so I want to warn you about its content.

4. Normal Gossip

   Okay, this is me trying to balance out the intensity of the previous three podcasts. First of all, if you think gossip is the worst, then a) you have not listened to this podcast, and b) don’t yuck my yum. Each episode is a ridiculous, over-the-top story about people that I will never meet or even know, for that matter. It is absolutely inconsequential, but it makes me laugh almost every single time. These stories range from the pettiest shit ever to the most outrageous sorority rituals, sometimes giving me an insight into a world that I WILL NEVER KNOW! If you are wondering where to begin, here’s the link to the story sorority story and an episode that really spoke to me.

5. Giggly Squad

   Speaking of irrelevant gossip stories, Giggly Squad is one of the podcasts that I eagerly anticipate every week. It is released every Tuesday, but I wait until Friday evening to listen to it. That, my friend, is self-control! It is part of starting-my-weekend-routine, which includes watering my plants and listening to Giggly Squad.

   This podcast is somewhat challenging to describe, but I will do my best. The two hosts, Hannah Berner & Paige DeSorbo, were on Summer House, but I didn't know about the show or the hosts when I started listening to the podcast. It's an hour of giggling with a friend about all the dumb things, so don't let the fact that they were on Summer House stop you from enjoying it.

   With everything happening in the world, it is kind of nice to tune out for a bit every week. Just give it a shot! You will not learn anything; you’ll probably burn a few brain cells, so you have been warned!

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BONUS: if the list above has left you craving for more, here’s a snapshot of all the podcasts I shared in the Culture Study Tuesday Thread.