While most people listen to podcasts in the car, I have a strong 7-minute commute and my listens typically happen at work. My favorite podcasts are everything from uplifting to amusing and a little bit catty political. They often calm my bad moods or encourage me to do better in multiple facets. Check out my faves below!
Another Round
So I love Tracy and Heben like they are my best friends. At my previous job, they were my fake black co-workers in my head. What I love most about them is they take deep dives with artists, political figures and all around amazing people that will never grace my Rolodex. And they are solely to blame for my Hamilton obsession, as I first of Lin-Manuel on their podcast.
Fake the Nation
Okay, so I heard of Negin Farsad from an episode of Another Round, to be honest. Fake the Nation is a weekly political/other things podcast by the Iranian-American comedian and her other funny friends. Negin calls commander in orange Donny Twimp and that makes me giggle a lot. Out of all the podcasts I listen to, I make sure I tune in every week for this.
With Friends Like These
I think I started listening to this one right around inauguration time. The cool thing about this podcast is founder Ana Marie Cox gets with people of opposing views to really actively listen and positively converse about today’s world. When you take away the desire to be right and change the other person’s mind, you learn a lot of things about other people. Sadly, our Facebook pages don’t include a lot of active listening and open dialogue, so this podcast fills that void for me.
Here to Make Friends
Back when I watched Bachelorette for half of Rachel’s season, I happened upon these super sweet girls from Huffington Post. Even though I’ve stopped watching, I still listen to their in-depth recaps of Bachelor and Bachelor-adjacent shows as they call it. They can also be very woke in terms of racial and feminist tensions on the show and I enjoy that they call ABC out when they choose to run with harmful narratives.
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text
So this one can sound kind of sacrilegious, but hear me out. The podcasters apply their seminary/sacred text studying techniques to each chapter of Harry Potter. They often glean some great human elements and truths that we definitely might’ve glossed over as children and teenagers when we were first reading it. When I’m in the worst of moods, this podcast is my go-to.
On One with Angela Rye
Angela Rye is my constant reminder that you can never know too much about the black experience in America. Her guests always bring so much insight and I’m always intrigued to learn about different facets of the past, present, and future of black issues. Her dad shows up on the show every now and again and I find it hilarious how gets into these rabbit holes and Angela has to reel him back in.
Wait, Wait….Don’t Tell Me
This is actually an NPR radio show, but you can catch up anywhere you listen to podcasts. It’s a comedic show about current events and horribly underrated in my opinion. In addition to their regulars, they cycle guest hosts from podcasters to comedians to Hollywood big shots like Jordan Peele. My favorite part is the beginning pun by a host, Bill Murray. He’s hilarious and I can’t handle it.
Live from the Poundstone Institute
So I heard of this show from Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me where Paula Poundstone was a regular. This show is part funny, part inundation of random facts. Whichever way, I feel more knowledgeable after every show.
All of these podcasts are available anywhere where podcasts are found. What are some of your favorite podcasts right now?
