Tag: podcasts of the moment

Podcasts of the moment

It’s been over two years since my last podcast lineup check-in, and as usual some things have changed while some things remain.

Changes: Many of the shows in my last update have either stopped publishing or lost my interest, and I’ve stepped away from the political ones. I’m also thrilled I was finally able to ditch Spotify once Armchair Expert went back to being non-exclusive, so I’m back in Apple Podcasts full time (along with Google Podcasts when listening on desktop).

The Same: I still listen at 1.5x speed. And I still greatly enjoy the parasocial pleasures and intellectual stimulation of podcast listening, even if it does severely reduce my audiobook reading.

My Current Lineup

Regular Listens

  • Armchair Expert
  • The Big Picture
  • Filmspotting
  • Judge John Hodgman
  • Office Ladies
  • Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
  • The Town with Matthew Belloni

Depends on the Subject/Guest

  • The Rewatchables
  • Pivot
  • Unspooled
  • Pod Meets World
  • The Letterboxd Show
  • SmartLess

November 27, 2023 Add Comment

Podcasts of the moment

I won’t do this quite as often as Media of the Moment, but I think it’s interesting to check in every once in a while with my podcast lineup and habits, since they do change over time for various reasons.

What hasn’t changed since my last dispatch: I listen to too many podcasts, and/but I’m still quick to skip episodes as desired.

What has changed: I’ve transitioned to Spotify (free version), and I listen at 1.5x speed.

I’m not super happy about the first one, but once four of my regular listens went Spotify-exclusive I decided to bite the bullet for the sake of a unified podcast listening experience, however frustrating it can be. There’s still one holdout stranded in Apple Podcasts because Spotify doesn’t allow for adding podcasts by custom URL, but otherwise that’s where I live.

Anyway, here’s the current lineup:

Regular Listens

  • Armchair Expert
  • The Big Picture
  • Dare to Lead with Brene Brown
  • Filmspotting
  • Judge John Hodgman
  • The Office Deep Dive
  • Office Ladies
  • The Rewatchables
  • 10 Questions with Kyle Brandt
  • Unlocking Us with Brene Brown

Depends on the Subject/Guest

  • The Bill Simmons Podcast
  • Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
  • The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan
  • The Dispatch Podcast
  • The Ezra Klein Show
  • On Being
  • Revisionist History
  • Slate Political Gabfest
  • SmartLess
  • Typology

August 7, 2021 2 Comments

My favorite podcasts right now

After examining my current newsletter situation, I thought it would be a good time to look at the podcasts I’m into right now.

I say “right now” because since my September purging, I’m constantly looking for reasons not to follow a podcast. (For the record: I use Apple Podcasts, and I never increase the audio speed.) There have never been more to choose from. It’s a good problem to have, but the need for discernment has never been higher. Even with the ones I do follow, I don’t feel obligated to listen to every episode.

So these are the ones I’ve stuck with, that bring me joy or enrich my soul or challenge my mind or lighten my mood:

Regular Listens

Filmspotting, Pop Culture Happy Hour, Judge John Hodgman, On Being with Krista Tippett, Armchair Expert, This American Life

Depends On The Guest

Typology, WTF with Marc Maron, Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, ID10T with Chris Hardwick

Depends on the Subject

The Rewatchables, The Bill Simmons Podcast, This Movie Changed Me, Ask Science Mike, Slate Political Gabfest, The Liturgists, The Big Picture

What are yours?

January 31, 2019 5 Comments

In Praise Of Podcasts

Good podcasts give you more than opinions or entertainment; they give perspective. I like to listen to my favorites on iTunes while making dinner, or when I want to unwind after a long day.

I’m consistently impressed with Q: The Podcast, a Canadian take on current events and pop culture. The host, Jian Ghomeshi, is the best in the business and isn’t afraid to challenge his guests’ arguments. I go to NPR’s Fresh Air and The Sound of Young America [now called Bullseye] for in-depth interviews with artists and icons, though hosts Terry Gross and Jesse Thorn tends to fawn too much.

For great thematic storytelling, This American Life and Radiolab are the perfect combo. I also love Studio 360 for its “American Icons” series, which spotlight different American figures and works of art like the Lincoln Memorial and Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. To feel smarter, the TEDTalks video podcast is a good start, though with its scientific and technological focus I tend to skip videos that don’t interest me.

Finally, to keep things interesting, I’ll take in The Bugle, a comedic (and often dirty) take on current events by British comedians John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman wherein the two gentlemen exchange one-liners about everything from the city of Cleveland, Ohio, to erstwhile Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

All of this adds up to an eclectic but immensely gratifying mix of entertainment and enlightenment. And they’re all free.

March 20, 2011 2 Comments