I hope you all had a contented vacation weekend and, with a bit of luck, are off this week. Final week, I dug into the wonky, rocky financial outlook for podcasting in 2023. This week, I’m maintaining it gentle (plus, nothing a lot occurs within the liminal area between Christmas and New Years, anyway).
There have been plenty of thorough, professional rankings of the highest podcasts of the yr – this isn’t one in all them. It is a purely subjective listing of episodes I actually loved throughout my free time that had nothing to do with writing this article. In case your style is something like mine, I hope you do too.
Regular Gossip, “Steampunk-Ass Homicide Thriller with Tuck Woodstock”
I’m not authentic, and like most individuals linked ultimately to the podcasting business, I’m obsessive about Regular Gossip. My husband and I usually wrestle to search out podcasts that we get pleasure from listening to collectively, however this one is a slam dunk each time. With the podcasting area so saturated with rote tales about homicide and violence, it’s thrilling to listen to well-told tales about low-level scams and on a regular basis drama.
There are numerous nice episodes (“Grandma’s ‘Finest Good friend’ Dot” is a powerful runner up), however the newest season finale really had my husband and I screaming within the automobile. I actually don’t wish to spoil the story, and I’d by no means in any other case suppose that area of interest pocketwatch chatroom drama would pique my curiosity. However host Kelsey McKinney is masterful at offering the sort of private particulars and choose-your-own-adventure fashion narrative that get you personally invested in a narrative that might in any other case be too mundane for the general public. In the event you solely pay attention to at least one episode of Regular Gossip as a result of your pals have been badgering you to take action, make it this one.
You’re Useless to Me, “The Historical past of Timekeeping”
This BBC Radio 4 present is well my favourite new addition to my podcast rotation. Hosted by Greg Jenner, every episode of the podcast includes a completely different historic matter and brings on an educational professional and a comic who’s decidedly not an professional. When you have a large historical past food regimen and a penchant for British panel reveals, this podcast is for you (and particularly for me)!
It was truthfully sort of onerous to choose one episode “Prohibition within the USA” was a banger, “Medieval Christmas” was delightfully bizarre, however I actually need to provide it to “The Historical past of Timekeeping” for 2 causes. First, I had by no means really considered this matter, and it seems, timekeeping is sort of insidious and has at all times been utilized by powers that be to maintain folks underneath management. This actually spoke to me as somebody who constantly runs 10 minutes late. Second, I merely love Desiree Burch and her interpretation of French Revolutionary Time made me chuckle so onerous I peed my pants somewhat.
Newcomers, “The Lord of the Rings Fanfiction”
This season ran in 2020, so it’s not technically a 2022 podcast. However I began listening in 2022, and with the magic of again catalogs, it doesn’t actually matter anyway. And I’m so glad I did! Newcomers is a lighthearted take a look at how secretly dumb our beloved popular culture franchises are. Every season focuses on a unique popular culture franchise, and never each season is for me (will I ever hearken to the Quick & Livid season? Most likely not), however the Lord of the Rings season hits that candy spot in that I type of know the books and movies, however am additionally fairly skeptical of them. Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus are additionally fairly skeptical, which is what makes it a lot enjoyable.
Most recap podcasts (How Did This Get Made? apart) deal with the supply materials with a sure reverence. Fortunately, that isn’t the case with this present, and there’s no higher instance of that than the fanfiction episode. It’s completely filthy and bonkers and I’m fairly positive I’d get in hassle with the bosses at Vox Media if I repeated any of it right here.
You’re Mistaken About, “The Donner Social gathering w. Chelsey Weber-Smith”
Following the shock departure of co-host Michael Hobbes, this was a rocky yr for the critically acclaimed present. Host Sarah Marshall introduced on company like Laci Mosley, Anne Helen Peterson, and Dana Schwartz to re-examine figures and occasions that loom massive in public narratives. The content material remains to be nice, even when the rhythm is a bit off. That stated, the episode concerning the Donner Social gathering was deeply informative and upsetting (and due to this fact, a traditional You’re Mistaken About).
Dealt with by one other podcast, the story of the Donner Social gathering may need centered on the gore and cannibalism. As a substitute, Marshall and Weber-Smith dug into the historic context of the journey, the political and cultural motivations of the vacationers, and the ethical code they lived by even when issues bought actually, actually dangerous. (Bonus truth: a younger Abraham Lincoln nearly joined the Donner Social gathering!!). I truthfully by no means cared concerning the historical past of westward growth till this episode, and it has kicked me off right into a weeks-long deep dive.
The Brian Lehrer Present, “Younger Voters and Getting older Political Management”
Okay so this one might appear to be a run-of-the-mill Brian Lehrer political section, and it’s. Nevertheless it additionally has a really unimaginable, unhinged listener name that I nonetheless take into consideration on a regular basis.
Within the section, Lehrer discusses a ballot that confirmed younger Democrats have been sad with older leaders of the celebration, and President Biden specifically. He requested for listeners underneath the age of 30 to name in and share their opinions. A lot of the suggestions was typical (Democrats aren’t doing sufficient for local weather change/abortion rights/inequality and so on), however then there was “Christopher.” I put that in quotes as a result of that will or will not be his actual title, however one factor I do know for positive is he was not underneath 30. “Christopher” proceeded to go on a rant about how younger folks don’t do their analysis and the Democrats in energy are too busy to place collectively a messaging plan.
“There are over 120, 115 issues this administration has carried out… your station doesn’t speak about that truth, and solely factors out three issues, or 5 issues. It’s a complete lot of issues!” stated “Christopher,” not as soon as mentioning what these issues are. “You must dedicate a complete episode of your present to mentioning all the various issues.”
Lehrer clearly performed it very straight, and pushed him for specifics. However a reside public radio present just isn’t the place to name out a faker, and I would really like a comply with up. That is my model of a whodunnit. Who’s “Christopher”? Is he 50 or 70 years outdated? Is he secretly my Uncle Avi? Did he suppose he was getting away with sounding like a Millennial or, god forbid, a Gen Zer? And what, precisely, are the issues?
Completely happy New 12 months, and see you in 2023!
