Pop Culture Podcast
Popspotting #133: “Top Five Podcasts Revisited” (Sept. 21, 2011)
It was over five years ago when Jen last shared her “Top Five Favorite Podcasts.” Suffice it to say, a lot has changed since then… but some things haven’t! Today, we send shoutouts to a few of our fellow media makers… with the prominent caveat that we probably could never mention or list everyone we should. Both Jen and Ryan share separate lists, bringing you at least ten other podcasts you might want to check out. From tech shows to personal stories to public radio, there’s something for everyone.
Here were Jen’s picks:
And here were Ryan’s favorites:
Who was on our list in 2006? In addition to Coverville and Filmspotting, we highlighted:
The Moth, The Moth, The Moth. I discovered this via This American Life (Mike Birbiglia, in particular) and I’ve been hooked ever since. The last Moth story that I’ve listened to was Fab Morvan… yes, Fab Morvan of Milli Vanilli, and I was actually blown away by how honest he was about the whole experience. (This is coming from somebody who watched the “Behind the Music” episode of MV.)Â
Come to think of it, Moth and Sporkful are the only two podcasts I listen to on a regular basis, to the point where I’ve neglected This American Life and iTunes’ Celebrity Playlist Podcast. Heee!Â
Thanks for the great recommendations, Ryan and Jen! I was a full-time listener to the Transmission during the wonderful run of Lost that will forever be missed (it’s getting a little dusty in here) and I have not missed a show of Popspotting since you (re)started. I have also been a long-time listener to Filmspotting, although not as long as you two! Two podcasts that I would put in my top 5 are the All Songs Considered show put out by NPR. They have turned me on to so much good music that I would otherwise not have been exposed to (they also have another sister podcast that just has live music concerts as well as the awesome Tiny Desk Concerts). The second is the Relevant Magazine podcast. This one makes me laugh out loud the most. I also listen to this one mostly in the car so I am guessing that I look like a coomplete idiot as I am driving down the road laughing my butt off!
Wait, Wait don’t Tell Me, Car Talk, The Fringepodcast, Fresh Air, Gleefulpodcast, The Tobolowsky Files (very good stories told by Stephen Tobolowsky – some awesome behind the scenes stuff from tv/movies he’s been in)
Hey Ryan and Jen! Loved this topic because as a courier (long story involving trying to be a stay at home mom in a small town), I am on the road a LOT! Podcasts saved me from complete boredom and it all started with The Transmission. I listen to many of the more well known ones like Filmspotting, This American Life, The Moth, Fresh Air, /Filmcast, The Tobolowsky Files, etc. I would like; however, to mention some new favorites. Discovery has a series of podcasts that are short, fun and informative. My favorites are “Stuff You Should Know” and “Stuff You Missed in History Class”. SYSK has a huge range of topics from Acne to Zombies and the hosts are very entertaining. SYMIHC is like the B-side of history – they discuss the lesser known tales of famous figures or events. It’s great. There’s also “The History Chicks”. Two women with a fondness for history talk about women who made history and it’s never dull. They just finished a series on the Gilded Age which I loved. Finally, there’s “The British History Podcast”. The host, Jamie Jeffers, is a Brit raised in America. He has a great sense of humor and he makes the stories come to life. My favorite part about this podcast is that it doesn’t skip around. It starts with prehistory and lingers on particularly juicy tales of survival, political intrigue and daily life of whatever time period is the focus.
These are some of my recommendations for you, but to my friends here at home I always suggest Popspotting. Thanks for a truly terrific daily!
Some of my favorites which haven’t been mentioned yet: Kermode & Mayo Film Reviews, Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan, KCRW’s The Business, CBC’s Q podcast.
Radiolab showed up on my playlist right after this episode where you expressed your love for it. Â That made me chuckle. Â
If you like John Hodgeman, might I suggest a podcast with another Daily Show guy… “The Bugle – Audio Newspaper For A Visual World” at http://www.thebuglepodcast.com/. Â It’s got John Oliver and his companion in comedic arms Andy Zaltzman. Â It’s not one I’d play around the kids, but quite funny.