Now that spring has sprung, the time for obsessive spring cleaning and gardening is upon us. One of the things I love to do to keep my brain entertained while performing tedious tasks is listen to podcasts. I have been a long-time podcast listener, and I love finding new podcasts that will make me laugh and think. The best part is that podcasts cover a wide variety of topics.
Want something to keep you updated on current events? Try listening to Front Burner or CANADALAND. Interested in true crimes that have taken place in Canada? Look into Dark Poutine. Missing your sense of community and wanting to research different cults? Check out the straightforwardly named podcast Cults. Ever dreamt of listening to three grown Australian men watch and recap every single episode of the hit CBS television show The Big Bang Theory? Bazinga Boys may be for you.
It’s true, there is a podcast for every taste. So, I am here to be your guide—to introduce you to three new podcasts that you can enjoy while cleaning the house, watering your plants, or taking your pet weasel for a walk.
Rabbit Hole
If you watched the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma and found it changed the way you view social media, wait until you listen to Rabbit Hole.
I found this podcast last spring and listened to the whole show in one day. In this eight-episode podcast, New York Times tech writer Kevin Roose does a deep-dive into the internet and reveals how algorithms are changing us. From interviewing the CEO of YouTube to following the journey of current and former QAnon believers and tracing the steps of one man’s conversion to the alt-right as a result of the YouTube Algorithm, Roose shows the truth of how scary it can be to fall down an internet Rabbit Hole.
Podcast But Outside
Podcast But Outside is another Spring 2020 find for me, and as somebody interested in audio and podcast production, every single time I turn on an episode I say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” aloud. The idea behind the show is simple: two guys (both with a background in comedy) set up a table outside somewhere in Los Angeles and just record whatever and whoever comes their way. It is such a simple but phenomenal idea.
Co-hosts Cole Hersch and Andrew Michaan set up their table in various areas, including a skatepark, mall, beach rave, dog park, stranger’s wedding, and outside a divorce law office on Valentine’s day. The show is not scripted, so you never know who they might interview. This unscripted element, mixed with the hosts’ hilarious dry humour and amazing ability to bounce off the energy of whoever they talk to, results in guaranteed entertainment.
This Might Get Weird
If you spent a lot of time on YouTube during the early 2010s you may recognize the names of the hosts of This Might Get Weird. Co-hosts and best friends Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart spend each episode talking nonsense as well as common sense, all while recapping the high jinks and hilarious situations they often find themselves in.
The two bring unique personal experiences to the table while discussing current events in popular culture and conducting weekly check-ins on the friendly neighbourhood rodents that like to hang out in their backyards. The show is casual; it feels like you’re listening in on a conversation between friends, and it’s a great show to de-stress and have a good laugh or two.
So while you are decluttering your closet, reorganizing your bookshelf to a rainbow colour scheme, or just bored with nothing else to do, check out these podcasts for some knowledge, conversations, and laughs. You never know where one podcast might take you!
