all the best podcasts to drown out the existential dread
for the last three years or so, podcasts have been my go-to form of entertainment. and now more than ever, when i can't bear to live in silence while i'm working or cleaning or driving or doing literally anything due to the existential dread i feel on a daily basis because of the state of our country, our government, its citizens, etc. etc., these are my favorite ones to listen to. get into 'em, and tell me about your favorites, too!
gilmore guys
ugh. these guys. gilmore guys is a podcast about, you guessed it, gilmore girls. kevin, a lifelong gilmore fan, roped demi into watching along for the first time as they dissect each episode of the show, week by week. these guys and this show (which introduced me to some of my favorite writers/comedians/internet people) has been one of the great joys of my life. participating in the conversations on twitter, discovering new, hilarious people each week, getting to know and love the repeat guests, and watching along as they go from joking about a reboot of the show happening, to seeing them in the background of the netflix episodes, was so much fun.
the show just recently wrapped up, but not before they made their way through all 18 episodes of bunheads and a final conversation with lorelai herself, lauren graham. if you're looking for a new/old show to binge, make it gilmore girls and listen along with these two. the bits, the jingles, the laughs, and the people are all so fun and so worth the hours.
my favorite murder
if you are at all into true crime stories, you should definitely be listening to this one. i was familiar with cohost georgia hardstark from her slumber party podcast (more on that later) and also knew cohost karen kilgariff from her guest spot on that same show. as soon as this show was announced, i knew it would be my newest jam. these two ladies are hilarious and are able to present these horrific stories in a mostly light-hearted way while still honoring the victims. they also speak openly about suffering from anxiety and depression and helping yourself through those struggles. (as is evidenced by the title of this post, i have *some* experience in these areas.) the podcast exploded in popularity and these two boss ladies are currently doing live shows all over the country and i could just cry with how much i love all of their successes.
straight talk with ross mathews
this show, after over 150 episodes, feels like family. i've loved ross for a long time, since his ross the intern days on leno, and this podcast takes it to a new level. it started in 2014 with a couple of friends and his manager, mark, and has evolved into something bigger and more fun than i think anyone could have predicted. they have celebrity guests and snack attacks and so many original jingles and songs that will be stuck in your head at all hours of the day (mother's milk is my personal favorite.) this is the show i choose to listen to while i'm working. i believe i'm on my fourth listen-through currently, and because i know the show and the cast so well, i can just put it on in my headphones and feel like i'm hanging out with all of my favorite people, when in reality, i'm just sitting in front of a computer.
if you're going to listen, i would suggest you start at the beginning and just make your way through. you'll get to know everyone, you'll be in on all of the jokes, and in no time you'll start to feel like another member of this incredibly dysfunctional family. i could write essays on the cast dynamics and just how insane they all are, but i'm not sure the universe really wants that. go check it out!
reply all
reply all is a long-running show all about the internet. each episode covers a different story that stems from something digital and they are all so interesting. the hosts, pj vogt and alex goldman, really make the show what it is, and the stories are all well-researched, written, and edited. reply all probably has my favorite episode of any podcast ever, #86 - man of the people. it's THE MOST fascinating story, starting with goat testicles and ending with an insane con man broadcasting a radio station throughout the entire world. if you take nothing else from this post, please listen to that episode. it'll blow your whole mind.
slumber party with alie and georgia
alie ward and georgia hardstark, of mcnuggetini and cooking channel fame, host this fun podcast where they just chat with a fun guest in their pajamas. they play fun games, tell ghost stories, and talk about their most shameful midnight snacks. the show is currently on hiatus and who knows if it'll come back, but it has brought me much more than just entertainment. the show has a facebook group that is somehow full of all the best people on the internet. i have a whole group of friends that i've never met in person to talk to all day, relate with, get support from, and get supported by. the group is officially my favorite place to be and these people are real friends that i think about and chat with every day.
this is the beauty of the podcasting world. the audiences of these shows are already spending a good part of their days online, and little communities pop up where people of similar interests can meet and get to know each other. it's a beautiful thing that happens because some funny, creative people decide to put some free entertainment out into the world. i'm so grateful for the laughs and tears and friends these shows have brought into my life recently. what podcasts are you listening to?
what podcasts are you listening to? i'm always looking for more!