Welcome podcast-obsessed denizens of the interwebs. This is Podcast Catch-Up, a monthly series for those of us who love podcasts and frequently finish episodes and want some place to shout our happiness or horror.
On this, the inaugural post, it’ll probably be helpful if I disclose what I listen to as a jumping point for discussion. I spend a lot of time reading, writing, and driving, and I’m incapable of functioning without processing at least two things at once, so I have a lot of time to sit quietly while people talk in my ear.
It should be noted that I have a serious bias against NPR podcasts (ESPECIALLY This American Life). I firmly believe only boring people who do things like eat mild, boneless buffalo wings from a TGI Fridays on an actual Friday listen to NPR podcasts. I’m open to being convinced otherwise.
(No, I’m not.)
My podcasts by type(ish):
Interview
- Girl on Guy (Aisha Tyler)
- WTF (Marc Maron)
- The Nerdist (select episodes)
- Mohr Stories with Jay Mohr (I feel shame about this one.)
Pop Culture
Black People Stuff
- This Week in Blackness Prime (aka TWiB Prime)
- We Nerd Hard
- Black Girl Nerds Podcast
- The Mixed Experience and Mixed Chicks Chat
- Historical Blackness
Sports
- Sportsball (a TWiB media property)
- B.S. Report (a crossover with the Interview category)
- The Jalen Rose Report (I love him, but I’m lazy about his podcast.)
Smart People Shit (aka trivia prep)
- Hardcore History
- U.S. Presidents Podcast (Ask me anything about Fillmore.)
- Rachel Maddow
- StarTalk Radio
So now for the catch-up part of this already too long post. This isn’t exhaustive, just some quick thoughts about episodes of podcasts I thought were especially terrible or fun.
Girl on Guy Episode 134: Ryan Stiles
I wasn’t sure the third season of Girl on Guy could get any more disappointing or that another famous creative-type person would be able to out-horrible some of the most annoying, self-important, pretentious, and, most damning of all, boring, interviewees to ever be featured on a podcast (looking at you Josh Radnor and Greg Grunberg). But Ryan Stiles managed to self-congratulate his way near to the top of that list.
I’ve literally never heard so much smug packed into an hour of talking and that’s saying something because I’m friends with several white people who have degrees from Harvard and Yale. It felt like he wanted a medal for washing his own car and deigning to actually enjoy walking around gorgeous, sunny Los Angeles when he’s there being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to film a TV show.
“I eat very well.” That four-word sentence almost caused an eye roll-related stroke as I listened while power-sucking down a smoothie before boarding a flight.
Aisha, please. No more straight white, men. Every single straight, white, man episode this season has been so banally terrible. How about Ilana Grazer? Or Jason Matsoukis? Or basically anyone from the cast of Broad City?
Sportsball #22 HGH For Great Justice
I’ll admit I am a bit blinded by my massive crush on the host of Sportsball, Aaron Rand Freeman, but this episode had me in laugh-tears. In this episode the hosts discussed the real victim of the crackdown on doping in baseball, pure awesomeness. Yeah, yeah, yeah doping is bad, it wrecks people’s bodies, and messes with the stats (YAWN). But fuck all that noise because if you’re even the most casual baseball fan you know that Aaron is right when he talks about how totally fuckin’ awesome the early 2000’s were in baseball. Giant, behemoth hitters dueling it out for the home run record, pitchers hurling incredible fastballs, and people bouncing back from injuries like they were made of rubber or steel or some other shit that doesn’t break.
Also, there was a fun chat about the greatness of women’s college basketball. As a long time fan of the Seattle Storm, I appreciate any time ladies college hoops gets a shoutout for being 100x more awesome and common sense-sounding and acting than the dudes. Because it totally is.
I also enjoy the weekly laments about the state of Chicago sports. Keep fuckin’ that hockey chicken, dorks.
B.S. Report- Steve Nash 3/14/14
Sorry not sorry about the sports-heavy discussion. Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, this discussion is a must listen and not just because Steve Nash plays for the greatest team in NBA history (from a town that’s not totally bullshit). This is a frank discussion about coming to terms with the loss of one’s ability to do the thing they not only love, but were also one of the best. What it’s like when even your best, most totally committed effort is not enough to make the thing you love work and whether you surrender to those limitations or dig even deeper to try to keep going.
Nash lucidly describes what he’s going through and Bill Simmons doesn’t coddle him. I actually winced at several of the questions. Rare for an interview in podcastland. Nash is the voice of his generation of players who seem to be in the (sports) news every day with a new injury and with pundits questioning whether they have what it takes to the lead their teams through their 15th, 16th, and even 17th seasons. Nash tackles questions that a lot of people from all walks of life struggle with. What does it means to end a highly regarded career without ever achieving the highest honor in your field? Do our blessings outweigh our regrets? What do we want our legacy to be? And after you’ve lived your dream, what the hell do you do with the rest of your life?
It’s best listened to while doing something life affirming.
Not sex.
—
What’s going on in your podcast world? Any good recs? Any great/terrible episodes you want to discuss?
I’m in the middle of the current Hardcore History episode. Please, don’t tell me who wins WWI.