Give me podcasts

in Random Crap

So, my head has been mushy lately, which you can probably tell because when my depression gets weird I tend to post here less because my focus goes to shit, I get paralyzed and then my brain tells me no one wants to hear from me…FUN TIMES.

My therapist rightly pointed out that I haven’t been as physically active lately and reminded me that physical activity can be as effective as meds and that’s probably true, but I’m soaking in depression exhaustion so I need a good motivation to go for walks, and one of the best motivations for me is a fabulous podcast that is so fascinating that I don’t want it to stop so I’ll just keep walking until it’s over.

So, give me good podcasts to listen to. Preferably fascinating, true stories, ridiculous humor, true crime, or low-stakes drama.

I listen to too many to list but here are a few podcasts I’ve loved lately in case you’re looking for something new:

The Jungle Prince

Scamanda

Missed Fortune

Normal Gossip

I Saw What You Did

Okay, your turn…what have you been loving lately?

265 thoughts on “Give me podcasts”

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  5. Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal and Society with Kate Lister. It is hilarious, surprising and informative!

  6. Camp Counselors Podcast is hysterical…I can’t get enough. Also, The Dating Detectives with Mackenzie and Hanna is so entertaining!

  7. I need this too! Thank you for posting because I need to get active and this should help me out of my funk.

  8. Red Handed! Tons of back catalogue and two snarky British hosts who make the worst of things very entertaining.

  10. That Chapter. Fantastic dives into true crime with a glorious Irish accent. 💜

  11. The Letter — true story about a family dealing with the murder of a family member. SO GOOD

  12. This is not a podcast. Two people, married. Two adult children. Numerous friends and relatives. The married couple builds a home, 20 years ago, for the purpose of caring for all of the people. Cancer, addiction, precious babies pass through the home. One job, lost. Next job, lost. The couple will lose the home of hope within one month, plus or minus. Major depression. The couple loves you and understands, as much as a couple can, your despair. Godspeed, Jenny.

  14. 1. Real Survival Stories (compelling true disasters to take the focus off the chatter in my brain)
    2. Nothing Much Happens (boring stories with soothing narration to help me fall asleep)

  16. My Dad Wrote a Porno
    You’re Dead to Me

    Both very funny, and my go-to when I need a mood uplift.

  18. Smartless (Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes); WTF (Marc Maron) – both excellent!

  19. Park Predators. True crime stories that take place in our national parks. She only posts new episodes during the summer but you can listen to past seasons cause they are good. I sometimes scare myself listening them while walking through trails in the woods haha.

  20. Do Go On – A fact based comedy podcast hosted by Melbourne comedians Matt Stewart, Jess Perkins and Dave Warneke. Each week they take it in turns to research a topic and then report back to the class.

  21. Pretty much anything from Aaron Mahnke’s Grim and Mild. Homespun Haints is more paranormal but it’s really funny. Same with Guide to the Unknown, although they tend to do more horror but they crack me up.

  23. Stuff You Should Know, Stuff You Missed in History Class, and We’re Not So Different are my go-to podcasts. The historian who does We’re Not So Different is hilarious.

  24. Flightless Bird with David Farrier. Kiwi documentarian who lives in LA and discusses new-to-him phenomenon found in American. Same guy who did Dark Tourist, Tickled, and Mr. Organ (highly recommended docs).

  25. In no particular order:
    Was I in a Cult?; This Podcast Will Kill You; Behind the Bastards; American Hysteria; Creature Feature; Imaginary Worlds; Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet; Criminal.

  26. No Such Thing as a Fish- British podcast by researchers for the show Q.I. Each person presents their favorite fact they learned that week, and they chat about said fact and go on silly tangents. It’s funny and a great source of weird random knowledge. Also good for when you don’t have much mental bandwidth, because the subjects bounce around, and you don’t have to pay attention 100% of the time to enjoy it. It’s basically listening to a group of silly, intelligent nerds have a meandering conversation.

  30. The history chicks: 2 women being hilariously funny while talking About bad ass historical women

    Sawbones: weird medical history by a comedian and his doctor wife

  31. Puttin’ On Airs With Trae Crowder and Corey Ryan Forrester might work for you!

  32. Kathleen Madigan’s Pubcast for when I’m driving; Done & Dunne for when I’m running; In the Past Lane – The Podcast About History and Why It Matters for anytime. And… Dear Gabby when I need inspiration.
    Also, if you want to listen to something hilarious, check out ‘Shit, Actually’ by Lindy West. It’s a book of her movie reviews and I LOVED it.

  33. 1. Beach too Sandy, Water too Wet
    2. …These are Their Stories (Law and Order related)
    3. Beautiful Stores from Anonymous
    4. Song Exploder

  34. The Rest is Entertainment. British podcast on tv and movie making with Richard Osman and Marina Hyde. Just listened to Q&A episode with the glorious title Do you have to fish out props that are thrown in the sea? I hope they can make my commute more joyful.

  36. The Dollop. Two comedians, one tells a forgotten story from American history, the other (who has never heard the story) reacts. Start with episode 323, the 1908 New York to Paris Car Race. Easily my most-listened podcast, so dang funny.

    The Moth. People telling stories from their lives at essentially open-mics. Some stories are funny, some are tragic, some are amazing.

    A recent favorite: Bigfeets. Some former Cracked.com writers watch the goofy hillbilly cosplay “reality” series Mountain Monsters. Basically they pretend to hunt Bigfoot and other random cryptids.

  37. If you like non-scary tales of monsters and weird people, the The Loremen. Any of the History Hit ones that take your fancy. And Alan Alda’s Clear and Vivid.

  38. I’ve been listening to Who Did What Now? About funny, awesome or crazy things in history. The last podcast I listen to was about the testicle thefts in Chicago in the 1920s. Very entertaining

  39. Last Podcast on the Left – Three incrediby funny dudes talking about true crime, aliens, cryptids, horror and other weird stuff!

  40. Were You Raised by Wolves – highly entertaining etiquette discussions

  42. Maintenance Phase! The hosts are hilarious and you can tell they’re good friends. The content is really interesting too, investigating wellness & diet culture.

  43. Wiser Than Me – Julia Louis Dreyfus interviews older, successful, fascinating women, then chats with her mom about it as an outro. She just announced there will be a season 2.

    Ologies with Aly Ward. The black hole two-parter is a recent, fun one.

    Buried Bones – Paul Holes and Kate Winkler Dawson talk all things crime scene and historical murder-y.

    Dear Chelsea – Chelsea Handler, all grow’d up.

    Scamanda was SOOO GOOOD! A lighter version is The Dating Detectives.

    My Unsung Hero – it always makes me cry. (In a good way. If anyone’s medication is keeping the tears in, this just may help.)

  44. Fruit Loops – serial killers of color – factual, funny and respectful. Wendy & Beth are podcast chemistry gold!
    RedHanded – already mentioned but I second it, Hannah & Suruti are fab!
    Scamfluencers – very well researched & entertaining and at times jaw dropping.
    The Big Flop – about famous failures. Hosted by “don’t cross a gay man” Sasha with comedian guests each episode. .
    Anatomy of Murder – lots of cold cases
    Buried Bones – historical true crime

  45. Oh No Ross and Carrie for fun but thoughtful exploration of fringe religious groups and paranormal claims, Sound Heap which is a compilation of fake podcasts.

    Worlds Beyond Number which is a D&D actual play podcast and doesn’t quite fit your categories but it’s so good I had to add it in here! It’s really out of this world good!

    Not sure how you are about medical stuff but Sawbones where a doctor talks about medical history and such with her non doctor husband.

  46. Mr. Ballen. He has hundreds of videos on YouTube, as well as podcasts. Stories of the “strange, dark, and mysterious.”

  47. I suppose you are already a Morbid listener.
    But I’ve also loved National Parks After Dark.

  49. Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories, Haunted Places, Unexplained Mysteries…basically anything Parcast puts out. For something lighter, Sibling Revelry.

  50. The Dollop because, as a comedic American history podcast, it reminds you that this country has always been hilariously fucked and this is just the current iteration of fucked.

  51. Dan Carlins Hardcore History- tons of series now that he’s done, everything from the mongols to wwii, I am not a history buff in general but he tells a cracking good story.

    Ex Urbe Ad Astra is a collaboration between sf authors Jo Walton and Ada Palmer, who grab a third interesting person and interview them. Mostly about writing but the discussions are wide ranging and always get me through chores like weeding.

  52. I’m shocked no one has mentioned it (that I saw), but Sinisterhood! It’s hosted by two best friends from Dallas with backgrounds in improv comedy and (for one of them) law. They’re hilarious and heartfelt and compassionate. Absolutely one of my favorite podcasts.

    You want true crime? They got you!
    You want ghosts? They got you!
    How about cryptid? Hell yeah!

    It is perfect and I’m 100% sure it’s right up your alley!

  53. Did you ever try The Lovecraft Investigations? It’s a dramatized fiction podcast that was originally on BBC Sounds, and it’s reworking Lovecraftian stuff but through a modern lens (99% less racism!). Main characters are true crime podcasters who stumble into a “locked room mystery” that ends up becoming a reworked version of The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward. Season 4 (shorter than 1-3) came out in October and somehow I missed when it came out, and then I went back and binged the whole series just to see where all the breadcrumbs were laid.

  54. My Favorite Monster is hilarious about taking creatures from popular culture and evaluating what kind of pets they would make. Also I like ones for TV shows I watch.

  55. Check out “You’re Dead To Me” – it’s a a BBC podcast about history with comedy. Literally, they have a historian and a comedian on to talk about a specific topic. It’s both funny and educational, and how I learned that Pythagoras probably didn’t invent his theorem and was known for his beautiful thighs.

  56. Unreal Irish Folklore. Just let Ruth’s lilting accent carry you away…

  57. Double Love! Two hilarious Irish women discuss “the strange and terrifying world of Sweet Valley High, book by book”

  59. Small Town Murder a true crime comedy podcast is really funny. They have a fairly new podcast, Your Stupid Opinions, and it’s hysterical.

  62. For ridiculous humor, I’d suggest May and Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social.

  63. Text Me Back! With Lindy West and her best friend – they talk about a little of everything, super funny, just feels easy and fun, like hanging out with friends where you don’t have to carry any of the conversation

  64. “Your Stupid Opinions” – A couple of comedians reading hilarious reviews of random things on the internet.

  66. I’ve got two: You Are Good- A Feelings Podcast About Movies and Failure to Adapt. They are both centered on movies, but I enjoy the episodes even if I haven’t seen the movie they are talking about. You Are Good is with Sarah Marshall (who also does the fabulous podcast You’re Wrong About) and Alex Steed. I enjoy listening in to their conversations so much and I enjoy their approach to movies and how they make us feel. Failure to Adapt is with Maggie Tokuda-Hall (of Love in the Library and the fabulous middle school book The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea, and comedian Red Scott. Each episode they look at a movie that was adapted from a written work- book, article, play etc. and consider the two pieces of media. It is a really fun structure and they are just such engaging and nice people it’s nice to spend some time in their (virtual) company. Both of these podcasts really act as comfort listens for me and I enjoy them no matter what mood or headspace I am in.

  71. The Worst Bestsellers
    Song Exploder
    Any of the shows from Witch, Please Productions

  73. I just discovered the Handsome podcast with Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster, and Mae Martin; it’s hilarious!

  75. Maintenance Phase, If Books Could Kill, Lawyers Behaving Badly, and Hugo, Girl

  76. Kinky History – super interesting facts about what it sounds like

    Murder, Mystery, and Makeup – true crime

  77. Dungeons and Daddies
    Off Menu
    Twenty Thousand Hertz

    Those are the ones I’m binging right now

  78. Smartless
    There’s no such thing as a fish
    Handsome
    Flightless bird
    Sawbones
    Mobituaries

  80. “fascinating, true stories”

    I mean obviously This American Life and Radiolab, but these days also Search Engine and Science VS

    “ridiculous humor”

    I’ve got Handsome with Tig Notaro. “Bad Dates” with Jameela Jamil, and “Conan O’Brian Needs a Friend,” but I’ve only just subscribed to that one. Oh, and “The Chris Chatman Do-over” which is producedby Amy Poehler, and is improv comedy at thr expense of a fictional Joe Rogan type character.

    “True crime”

    It’s not ONLY true crime, but “You’re Wrong About” definitely has some good true crime content. But really I stay for the sympathetic portraits of female pop culture “villains” like Monica Lewinsky, Tonya Harding, and Jessica Simpson.

    Former co-host Michael Hobbes also hosts “Maintenance Phase” (debunking health-related misinformation) and “If Books Could Kill” debunking get rich quick schemes and other “nonfiction” nonsense.

  82. but wait, there’s more:

    the coldest case in laramie

    dakota spotlight

    small town dicks

    behind the investigation (this is older and about the journalist kim wall’s murder)

  83. I don’t follow very many podcasts, but I listen to Ken Levine’s every week.

    https://kenlevine.blogspot.com/

    Named one of the BEST 25 BLOGS by TIME Magazine. Ken Levine is an Emmy winning writer/director/producer/major league baseball announcer. In a career that has spanned over 30 years Ken has worked on MASH, CHEERS, FRASIER, THE SIMPSONS, WINGS, EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, BECKER, DHARMA & GREG, and has co-created three series. He and his partner wrote the feature VOLUNTEERS. Ken has also been the radio/TV play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres. and Dodger Talk. He is a contributing cartoonist to the New Yorker magazine, and he hosts the podcast HOLLYWOOD & LEVINE

  85. I really enjoyed Dirty John, and I just finished Man in the WIndow which was also really good! Both true crime.

  86. The Big Flop. Misha (Michael) lives in Austin, he has comedians on. It’s funny, a bit gossipy. He also has an Instagram page called Dontmesswithagayman.
    He stands up for others, like men being abusive to women.

  87. Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked. It’s a true ghost story podcast with great audio editing and effects.

  89. For ridiculous humour, which starts strong and gets stronger, I recommend Beef and Dairy: https://maximumfun.org/podcasts/beef-and-dairy-network/

    The creator is also in my recommendation for “very funny but also soft comfortable words that fill my brain and keep the bad shit away” (exactly what I’ve been using it on repeat for recently, while doing my silly little mental health walks), Three Bean Salad: https://pod.link/1564066507

    For “please shut up brain so I can sleep”, it’s Boring Books for Bedtime https://boringbooksforbedtime.libsyn.com/

    And for “nightmares, but GOOD ones”, The Sink https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-sink-a-sleep-aid/id1536779644

  90. True Crime Obsessed is amazing, the hosts are funny but respectful of victims and it’s just a great listen!

  93. Hypochondriactor…. Love this so much. My face hurts from laughing while learning.

  95. My favorite comedy podcasts, loaded with silly improv:

    Comedy Bang Bang

    The Neighborhood Listen

  96. ‘Off Menu’ for food and funnies, then one I haven’t listened to yet but combines both humor and true crime that I KNOW will be good from the title alone is: ‘Who shat on the floor at my wedding?’ 🤣

  97. Lately I have been listening to cheesy romances. But my current favorite podcast is the Huberman Lab. He is super sciency – I am a newly minted PT so, all the research he does speaks to me. (the first one I listened to was 2.5 hrs on stretching). The one podcast that always makes me laugh is Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. My other favs are all NPR related. (the Moth is great, but I have to wear sunglasses when I walk & listen or else my whole neighborhood will see me cry – so it may not be what you need right now) sending love and warm healing fuzzies.

  98. Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley. Historical true crime mostly Victorian era England, but also North America and Australia. There is a strong feminist bent to the analysis.

  100. The Real Brady Bros – where Christopher Knight and Barry Williams talk about ant deconstruct a different (randomly picked) episode of The Brady Bunch each episode.
    Hard On the 80’s – where they talk about 80’s movies (everything from Porky’s to The Breakfast Club), and it’s pretty damn hilarious!

  101. I love listening to Spooked by Snap judgement, Stange and unexplained, and lastly Mr. Ballen podcast/YouTube too.
    There are a few more, but these 3 are a starting point. Real true crime, paranormal, and great listening.

  102. Ghost Story by Wondry – SOOOOO good!
    Gay Girl Gone
    S-Town – You’ve probably already heard it (older podcast) but this is one of my all TIME favorites

  103. We Can Do Hard Things
    Wait Wait….Don’t Tell Me
    Marketplace
    Here’s the Thing
    Conan O’Brian Needs A Frirnd

  105. I love I Shake My Head with Lisa and Sam — a couple of silly Canadian Prairie gals who ramble about miscellaneous stuff. Granted one of the team is practically family, so I might be biased! 🙂

  109. Not weird at all (sorry), but I do love The Moth (NPR). People telling their stories. Gets me through cooking, especially cleaning/chopping stuff.

  111. Ologies with Alie Ward. A different topic every week that range from black holes to trees. The passion each ologist brings to the episodes makes everything fascinating.

  113. I am a huge and unapologetic fan of The Office Ladies – Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fisher break down each episode in GREAT detail. They are so much fun to listen to, and the production values are nearly flawless. They have special guests (all of the big actors have been on at least once.

  114. Escape This Podcast is a current favorite!!

    Escape rooms mixed with table top role playing. Plus Australian accents!

  115. You made it weird with Pete Holmes is always 2-3 hrs long. It’s super random and organic ranging from silliness to the meaning of life. And Beautiful Anonymous is great if you don’t know that one.

  117. Ether & Ichor – The stories behind the stories that made us from folk tales, fairy tales, mythology, and the gothic. 3 seasons thus far – Vampires, Fairy Tales, and Mythology. The Fairy Tale season is my favorite – and themed cocktails were my idea! Vampires – https://open.spotify.com/episode/6nDFQYwLwsNWfZ1MkL83Sc / Fairy Tales – https://open.spotify.com/episode/0OW5HdKeLDWdYOQOL3tjiK /Mythology – https://open.spotify.com/episode/1qyLo62a3rZlweukVgcGrp

  119. I don’t listen to many podcasts, but I think you might get a kick out of “Is This A Ghost?” There isn’t a lot of time spent on ghosts per se, more on history leading up to ghosts, and the ratio gets more and more skewed as it goes on. It’s mostly just two semi-dorky dads in a Mulder/Scully situation. They catch up with each other, b.s. a bit about random crap, and then one of them tells the other one the story of the people/places/things involved with the creation of the ghost and then about the incidents of haunting that people have experienced since then. It started out with the Muldery one trying to convince the Scully one that it is a genuine case of ghost, but he gave that up after a year or so. Now he just tells the story. It is usually very amusing with the rare exception of other stuff.

  120. Celebrity Memoir Boom Club, Scam Goddess (Both Hilarious) and Three. A True Crime podcast about one story. Like Scamanda in style, not content.

  121. Jann Arden pod with Caitlin and Sarah. Never know what they will get into but it will be fun

  122. Handsome podcast. Fortune Feimster, Tig Notaro, and Mae (last name escaping me). I love love LOVE this podcast. Makes me crack up every week!

  124. I’m a big fan of Stuff You Should Know and Smartless. Just finished SNAFU with Ed Helms (my daughter is production assistant) and that led me to Ultra with Rachel Maddow-fascinating true American history.

  126. Nonfiction-In the Dark-Season 2- In 1997, Curtis Flowers, a Black man from Winona, Mississippi, was arrested for the murder of four people at a local furniture store. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. In the two decades that followed, Flowers was tried five more times for the same crime. Each time, his trial ended with a hung jury or the conviction was reversed on appeal, and the prosecutor pursued the case again. In 2017, a small team of public-radio reporters began looking into the case, examining the exceptional number of reversals and the decision by the district attorney to continue bringing it to trial. Loved Season 1 too.
    https://features.apmreports.org/in-the-dark/?fbclid=IwAR13r_01vBWChptjT0j-srhUdm4xIODJKfnWs-2VUXPeCX9FGT26dn7QzBw

    Proof-Season1-Brian’s family passionately believe that Brian’s best friend, Josh Storey, conspired with a second teen named Lee Clark to murder Brian. This was the version of events that prosecutors presented to the jury – who then convicted Josh and Lee, sentencing them to life. But there are many people in Rome who believe that Josh and Lee were wrongfully convicted, and maybe even railroaded. That Brian got caught up in a stupid, tragic game of Russian Roulette and pulled the trigger himself. If that is true, then two innocent teens are still sitting in prison 25 years later. Over the course of the next 10 episodes, Susan and Jacinda will try to discover what really happened that night and in the crucial months that followed.
    https://www.proofcrimepod.com/seasons/season-1-russian-roulette

  127. Ridiculous Crime, Terribly Famous, You’re Dead to Me, Myths and Legends, 60 Songs That Explain the ’90s, and British Scandal are some of my favorite podcasts for when I require lighter fare. All are excellent.

  128. So I don’t do podcasts, but I’m sending you a big virtual go get ‘em, girl to walk off your depression monster. Exercise when you’re depressed is so very hard to get motivated to do, but once you’re up and walking, you feel better after.
    Your depression monster will have trouble keeping up, if you walk fast enough.

  129. Paula Poundstone. Listening to her won’t jolt you out of your depression, but you’ll get lost in her asides and wind up thinking, “Jeez, I’m not so bad after all”

  130. Ok, I have more!…

    Tim Key’s poetry programme – ridiculous and so funny

    Bear Brook – best true crime I’ve heard

    I’m not a monster – interesting

    The missing cryptoqueen – scam wham bam!

  132. Ologies, by Alie Ward–science from the scientist’s mouth.

    Random Horror Podcast #9: horror movie criticism that’s surprisingly smart, inclusive, warmhearted and funny.

  135. The ‘Pickle People’ of the 80’s…why and what inspired their being?

  136. Russell Howard’s Wonderbox – not as wholesome as the description, I promise! I don’t know most of the guests & it’s still great.
    “A Wonderbox is a place where you keep little reminders of what makes life worth living. Each week Russell will chat to a special guest about what they’d keep in their Wonderbox, recounting the most memorable and funniest moments of their lives”.

    Lateral with Tom Scott – This one is wholesome/family friendly but don’t let that dissuade you.
    “Comedy panel game about weird questions with wonderful answers. Each week, Tom Scott is joined by three guests to ask each other questions with a sideways twist. There’s no points or prizes – just reputation and bragging rights on the line.”

    SciShow Tangents (you probably know this one already) – Fascinating & funny science quiz show – a bit NSFW.

  137. No such thing as a fish. It’s been on for years, so lots to listen to. British and funny!

  138. “My Dad Wrote a Porno.” It was my walking motivation for the very same reason. I only allowed myself to listen if I was walking outside.

  139. Armchair Anonymous-laugh out loud hilarious stories from real people. It’s an offshoot of Armchair Expert.

  140. Bad Women: The Ripper Retold
    Crimelines
    Accused
    The Adventure Zone

  141. My Dad Wrote a Porno will leave you howling in laughter. It can be dangerous to listen to while driving, though – nearly drop off the road laughing!

  142. Not sure if this fits the bill but my podcast features authors, actors, an SFX guy who worked on Preacher (and was nearly arrested for carrying prosthetic limbs in his ute), directors and a whole heap more. So it’s nonfiction but about other stories. So, for example, there’s Esta Spalding talking about making Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches for tv. Kell Woods on writing a new Hansel and Gretel story but for adults. Stephanie Holmes talking about being legally blind while writing legally blind characters. And a whole heap more.
    https://www.darkmatterzine.com/category/podcast/

  144. Who Shat On The Floor At My Wedding – brilliant and hilarious!

  145. Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell
    Strike Force Five
    Ear Hustle
    Heavyweight (It’s been cancelled but 8 seasons of episodes are still available.)
    Judge John Hodgman
    Rough Translation (Also cancelled but past episodes are still available)
    This Is Uncomfortable
    Story of the Week (Also cancelled, but past episodes are still available. Worth listening just for the intro and outro song.)

  147. I have been addicted to Dateline!!! They have tons and tons of the episodes. Just click on the 30 second fast forward to skip the few commercials. I also use podcasts to motivate me to exercise!

  151. Right now I’ve been enjoying Spirits, We Got This with Mark and Hal, Spilled Milk, Ologies… on the darker side I’m into Scared All The Time (the hosts are lovely, the fears are real) and Old Gods of Appalachia (the language is just off the charts, it’s so rich!)

  152. We’re Here to Help with Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds – so funny! Also The Dollop with Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds – amazing and hilarious! Both podcasts take you away from your troubles…

  154. Ologies! Alie Ward is a treasure.
    99% Invisible, Roman Mars. Legend.
    The Allusionist, Hellen Zaltzman. A calm port in our crazy world.

  158. I only listen to one podcast and it is Strangerville by Eli McCann. I have read his blog for years. Gay lawyer married to a doctor, former Mormon, signs up for marathons and the forgets to train until the week before and berates us for letting him sign up again, dog mom, bizarre amount of stories with him being caught accidentally naked.

  159. Lady Killers by Lucy Worsley
    Betwixt the Sheets by Kate Lister
    Queens Podacst
    Noble Blood

  160. Who shat on the floor at my wedding.
    Girls next level
    WTB (women talking bollocks)
    ghost story
    A Magical World With Sterling Moon
    Your Mama’s Kitchen

  162. Antiques Freaks. Funny and very informative deep dives into all kinds of antiques and collectibles, from Beanie Babies to uranium glass.

  166. The podcasts that keep
    Me walking…Levar Burton Reads, Our Opinions are Correct, and Candlelit Tales

  167. Three shows on the Maximum Fun Network: Reading Glasses, in which two very entertaining young women talk about books; Dr. Gameshow, a phone-in game show in which callers play games submitted by listeners (very silly, hosted by two very low-key stand-up comedians); and Fanti, in which two black queer journalists talk very insightfully and also entertainingly about culture, entertainment, and
    politics, as it affects the black community.

  168. SALON CONFESSIONS PODCAST
    Unhelpful and silly stories clumsily intertwined with deep insights and a plethora of curse words. In a nail studio.

  171. John Scalzi’s “Starter Villain” audiobook performed by Wil Wheaton is a joy.

  174. Pingback: Give me podcasts – Freedom Quote By Joss Whedon: “You can’t take…”

  175. The Spitballers! We listen on road trips. They play “Would you rather…” And it’ll be stuff like, “If your mouth had to be somewhere else on your body, would you rather it be in your armpit, or on your foot?” We always pause and give our own answers. The last half of the podcast is drafting… like fantasy football, but with, say, Best Sandwich Items. It’s goofy and fun and fart jokes.

  176. Where there’s a will there’s a wake
    Wonderbox
    Newcomers
    Off menu
    Noble blood
    Oh my dog
    Namaste motherf**kers

  177. Three suggestions…
    1. Let’s learn everything! (The exclamation mark is part of it). Ella, Caroline and Tom cover science and miscellaneous topics with infectious enthusiasm.
    2. Kill James Bond! (Also with exclamation mark). Start at episode 1 if you want to hear the team develop as podcasters by dissecting each James Bond film in turn before giving it a score in their ‘science based SCUM system’ with marks out of 7 for Smarm, Cultural insensitivity, Unprovoked violence and Misogyny. No knowledge of the films required first.
    3. Lateral with Tom Scott for around 40 minutes of quiz show format lateral questions where the discussion is as entertaining as the answers

    Hope you find something that fits for walking for you x

  178. Decoding the Unknown. Simon is not a believer in the paranormal and uses science to prove it. LOL. He’s very funny.

    The Casual Criminalist. Remarkably non-sensationalized true crime. And the writers are from all over the world, so the crimes are from all over the world. Also created by Simon.

    Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of Simon Whistler’s channels. Fans call it the Whistle-verse.

  180. Crime Junkie
    Counterclock
    You are Good
    You’re Wrong About
    A Word to the Wise
    These are finished but they are fascinating: Kingpins, the Dark Side Of, and Espionage

  181. No such thing as a fish. There’s a long running comedy panel show in the UK called QI, no idea if it’s something you get stateside (BBC America maybe?). Anyway, it’s all about facts and is really interesting (well, Quite Interesting I guess given that’s what QI stands for) and the comedians on the panel obviously make it humorous too. It’s a great show honestly and has been on for decades here.

    I swear I’m getting to the point. The people who do this podcast are some of the people who come up with the facts for the show, so each episode they all bring an interesting fact to share and discuss it. Which makes it sound a lot duller than it is! Look I swear, just try it, it’s funny and interesting and you learn stuff every week. It’s stuff that is completely and utterly useless in every day life but they are things you can use as conversation topics for those around you. Victor will LOVE it I guarantee 😀

  185. Maintenance Phase was recommended by others because it’s awesome. Added bonus: no commercials
    Audiobooks:
    Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim (she played Nellie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie)

  187. I completely understand this post all too well. I’m so sorry you’re in tough place Jenny-hopefully you feel much better soon.

    In rebuttal to your brain being a liar about no one wanting to hear from you, I say pish posh! YOUR WEIRDOS (us) and normal people LOVE to hear from you! Sorry I don’t know why I’m shouting in this comment like Ron Burgundy in a glass case of emotion.

    Anyway! Until your brain plays nicely with you here are some of my favs that you might enjoy listening to…

    1. Radio Rental-Do you love all types of true horror stories (paranormal, true crime, oddly mysterious) that are horrifying as those are intriguing? Look no further than Radio Rental. The bonus is that Rainn Wilson from The Office is in character as the host who happens to be an off kilter video rental store owner from the 80’s. I’m still haunted by some episodes like episode two, “The Doppleganger” and episode 13 “The Dog Man Monsters.” You might have nightmares for weeks after listening, but at least you’ll have walking material!

    2. I Hear Fear-Carey Mulligan (yes, the two time Oscar nominated actress) hosts a podcast that include scary stories inspired by real events. The last episode of the first season is the best one, and is an actual story of something that happened to her. It also doesn’t hurt that Carey Mulligan has a gorgeous speaking voice that is like velvet to listen to. I’d like for her to narrate my life.

    3. The No Sleep Podcast-This is the kind of show I listen to during the day because it can be so scary, but the host David Cummings has a comforting Canadian voice that guides you through the scariness.

    The stories are fictional and submitted on reddit. Listen to the much older episodes. (start w/the first ever episode). I find the older episodes to be the best. Enjoy!

  188. Ologies with Ali Ward. Entertaining Science things! Addicting. I started episode 1 Volcanology and I’m working my way through ( in order because I have to). Yesterday was Teuthology ( squids!) and learned beta cuttle fish will crossdress to get some! Pod started in 2017 so there are like 100+

  189. I Think Not – True Crime with a lot of humor. Serious True Crime but well done with a lot of respect paid to the victims – Crimelines and Gone Cold (all Tx cases).

  190. MORLS—Mystery Old Radio Listening Society. Come for the creepy old radio shows and stay for the delicious commentary by the three Minnesotan devotees. A++

  191. Psychopedia. I’ve been listening since day 1. Its a true crime podcast with comedy and the hosts have been friends for 20+ years. It is also the only thing I have ever supported on Patreon.

  193. If you haven’t tried Heaviest it’s awesome. It can go a bit deep at times but it’s really cool

  194. I’m not sure if anyone else mentioned it, but i love the New Yorker Fiction podcast. They release one once a month, and it’s like a seminar class in short fiction – you get background on the writer, the story itself read by a current fiction writer, and then a discussion about the work with analysis by the guest and Deborah Triesman, the NYer fiction editor. I get totally lost in it, and feel like I’ve been educated with no effort.

  195. Jenny – we all want to hear from you. Your brain is lying. You are a bright spot in this crazy world. I’ve been binging on dateline – they have lots and lots of material.

  196. Of course I need to represent! 3 Book Girls reviews at least 3 different books every week, including back-list titles and various genres. We are very sweary, and usually spend the first 15 minutes of the show discussing random crap, and then get down to the business of books. There are actually now 5 members from 3 generations of readers, friends who do a book club style show but never read the same book!

  197. The Handsome podcast is so funny! It’s hosted by comedians Tig Notaro, Fortune Feimster & Mae Martin, and absolutely love it. They just have some really fun & interesting conversations centered around a thought-provoking question a friend of theirs gives them (like, “if I had to murder someone, would you cover for me?” or “do you believe in ghosts?”). Their personal stories are so endearing and funny, it just lifts my spirits.

  198. Ridiculous Crime – True crime without the murder (most of the time). It’s hilarious.

    Myths and Legends – Stories from myth and folklore told through a more modern lens. Jason is great.

    Is This a Ghost? – They crack me up. Clayton tells his skeptical friend Patrick ghost stories.

    Drinking the Koolaid – These gals make me want to get drinks with them and talk about weird stuff. And Taco Bell. But mostly weird stuff. They are one of those that’s not necessarily super polished because they both have day jobs so it’s more like listening to a friend tell stories ranging from true crime to weird parts of the world to aliens and conspiracy theories.

    Also second (third, fourth?) Old Gods of Appalachia and Ologies with Allie Ward.

  199. Criminal
    This is Love
    Gastropod
    Shedunnit
    Imaginary Worlds
    The Allusionist
    Myths and Legends
    99 Percent Invisible

  200. BigSofyTitty.png

    yes I know title is very out there but its a podcast by the funniest Australian comedy couple I know

  202. I don’t know if this counts, but I’m loving Guilty Pleasures right now which is a movie review podcast where they decide if cult classic movies are a pleasure, a guilty pleasure, or just plain guilty. They do crazy stuff like the Mr. Bean movie, Freaky Friday, Trolls, Kung-fu Panda, etc. Most are nostalgic kids movies but some are more adult.

    Also, even if you aren’t into D&D, if you haven’t been listening to The Adventure Zone with the McElroys, you should. It’s a great podcast with humor, great storytelling, and all kinds of twists and turns. With pauses to roll D20s.

  203. Someone already mentioned Stuff You Should Know (SYSK) – but I just want to say YES!

    Chuck and Josh are great guys. When I am too sad (most of the time) to listen to music, they are usually funny, their voices are comforting and, BONUS – you actually learn a lot of shit!!!

  204. My favorites are:
    Fated Mates (Super smart deep dives on romance novels and romance tropes)

    Hot Nuance Book Club (Right now they’re doing Tamora Pierce’s Alanna, which is a book that made a BIG impression on pre-teen me)

    Ty and that Guy (Writer and actor talk about their TV show, but also a lot about writing and movies and TV shows that they like)

    Historic Royal Palaces Podcast (History and stories about the palaces in the historic royal palaces trust, but also historical preservation and all sorts of interesting lectures)

    The Bowery Boys (New York history)

    Smart Podcast, Trashy Books (Romance novels but also other genres. Sarah is a great interviewer)

  205. I listen to pretty much ANYTHING Wondery puts out put some of my favorites are: Scamfluencers, Over My Dead Body, Dr. Death, Operator, This is Actually Happening, The Shrink Next Door

  206. My go-tos:

    Ear Hustle – life behind bars at San Quentin (and more recently, California Women’s Prison). Love the hosts!

    Criminal – short true crime stories, often with a twist.

    This Is Love – the flip side of Criminal with same host. I enjoy her storytelling. See episode “Roselle and Michael” about a man and his guide dog in one of the towers on 9/11

    Song Exploder – tracks every moment in the making of specific song per episode, featuring the songwriters/artists. Why is Rick Astley’s hit so fast? He lets you know in his episode.

    Smartless – saucy bromance of Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Wil Arnett talking to one celebrity, writer, sporty person or politician per week. Light listen, which I sometimes need.

    Sawbones – medical history but make it fun.

    The Village – great weaving each season of several tragedies in Canada’s LGBTQ2S Toronto community, including serial killer Bruce McArthur, missing trans women, and HIV/AIDS. Great empathetic storytelling.

    Vinyl Cafe – stories by Stuart McLean – blend of stories, essays and music, recorded at live concerts across Canada. McLean’s hilarious stories are about Dave, owner of a second-hand record store, and assorted family, friends and neighbours.

    Now or Never – people that want to do something, and the hosts help them give it a go. Some silly, some deeply personal, all told with great interest.

    And most CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) podcasts keep me very engaged!

  207. Current very silly favourites include Fangasm (formerly Potterotica) where three weird friends read erotic fanfiction aloud, Mom Can’t Cook! where two English dudes watch and recap terrible Disney Channel Original Movies from the 90s/00s, and The Film Reroll where a group of actors roleplay movies as tabletop RPGs with much chaos. Other silly options: Double Love (recapping the Sweet Valley High books) and Romancing the Pod (tearing romantic comedies to shreds).

  209. Two podcasts I would highly recommended: 1) Dolly Parton’s America (she is just lovely!) and 2) The Neighborhood Listen (so hilarious)

  210. Sandi Toksvig (current host of QI – UK comedy panel/game show) had one during early COVID days called “We Will Get Past This”. There are only about 50 and each is only about 10 minutes long. She herself is a fascinating person, so smart and funny, and has a soothing delivery.

    Description:
    Join Sandi Toksvig for a daily perusal through her room of books, as she provides some succour for the soul whilst celebrating some forgotten (and unforgotten) characters in history; some heroic, others comedic and a few who are just downright idiotic.

  211. Another one, if you’re a fan of UK show Taskmaster, where 5 comedians compete to compete ridiculous tasks, is the Taskmaster podcast. They have one for every episode that has aired in the UK, usually with a contestant from that episode, a prior contestant, or even celebrity fans of the show. Watch an episode of the TV show, then listen to the podcast where they discuss it.

  212. Podcasts are great! My favorite is Red Handed. It’s true crime and hilarious and intelligent podcasters. Enjoy!!

  213. Necronimpod is by far my favorite – also Sword and Scale – Mike is a bit scandalous but his voice is great and they do incredible research. Casefile is wonderful too!

  214. Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out. So funny and intellectual, at the same time.

  215. Scaredy Boys – cowardly friends review horror movies
    Who Knew it with Matt Stewart? – Balderdash with clever comedians

  216. Pod Save the UK – good because it’s all about problems that have not much to do with ours. Also one of the moderators is Nish Kumar, who is a very funny comedian.

  218. I second The Handsome Pod- hilarious! and Ologies with Alie Ward- even if you aren’t interested in what this week’s Ologist studies, Alie’s interviewing skill, humor and enthusiasm always make for a great show.

  221. My Unsung Hero – very short episodes; uplifting

    Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me – so funny, great mini interviews, quiz show

    Hidden Brain – very interesting, often practical info about our amazing brains

  222. My Skeptical Sister. Banter heavy, comedy/paranormal pod with 2 sisters. Episode 40 is so scary. It’s about La Lechuza. Also……this is my podcast. Also, I talk about your books a lot on the show!!

  223. Mr.Ballen’s Medical Mysteries, The Moth, My Grandma’s Diaries (my favorite), My Favorite Murder

  224. Small Town Murders – true crime and comedy
    RedHanded – true crime, some humor

  225. Wait wait, don’t tell me. – from NPR. Hilarious news show/podcast.

  226. Ghosted – ghost stories, cryptids, haunted dolls, and an amazing host. The theme song alone is enough to immediately cheer me up.

  228. Another vote for That Chapter! I love his videos and his podcast is interesting too!

  229. Wiser Than Me. Julia Louis Dreyfus interviews famous older women who have lived amazing lives and digs out wise advice.

  230. Second Ear Hustle. I also really enjoy Serialously, Women and Crime, American Scandal, Stuff your Mother Never Told You, Against the Odds, the 13th Step (OMG this one is a rabbit hole!), The Angry Therapist,

  233. Drunk Women Solving Crime and Getting Curious with Jonathan van Ness. And as said before – Off Menu and Handsome.

  234. It’s fiction and a little older, but Limetown is extremely well done.

  236. I’m literally here for the comments as I need a new podcast, also. I mostly listen to Questlove Supreme. It’s hilarious and perfect for those of us who are music/pop culture nerds 🙂

  240. Oops, I listen to Rest Is History on Spotify, I didn’t realize the site was abandoned.

  241. Something Rhymes with Purple…if you are a logophile or enjoy really obscure factoids, this one is fascinating.

  243. I love Citation Needed (citationpod.com). They take a Wikipedia article, pretend they’re experts, and write a funny essay on the subject. They have an extensive back catalog, and I recommend starting at the beginning. Because Chernobyl was funny!

  244. The “We All Love & Adore Jenny Lawson” podcast.

    Ok. It’s not really a podcast, but it’s true. Just in case your tricksy brain starts messing with you again.

  245. I have so many!
    Betwixt the Sheets, the History of Sex, Scandal, and Society with Dr. Kate Lister (she’s also on Instagram and I love her) https://access.historyhit.com/betwixt-the-sheets
    You also might like Lady Killers, which is a podcast about Victorian era women killers and looking at their cases from a modern view and then deciding if they’re guilty. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lady-killers-with-lucy-worsley/id1620155570
    I’ve listened to a couple and it’s fascinating and sad. I know you love true crime.

  248. These are their stories- hilarious law and order recaps
    Bigfeets-hilarious deconstruction of a monster hunting show few people have heard of
    How did this get made-all about (mostly) terrible movies
    Strange and Unexplained-all about weird phenomena or unsolved mysteries
    Scam Goddess-all about con artists
    Dungeons and Daddies-a DnD podcast about 4 suburban dads lost in a fantasy world

    These are just a few that I listen to and I have more if needed

  249. I’m sure you’re overloaded by now – I’m comment #250! but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention two podcasts about chronic illness.

    Post-Exertional Mayonnaise focuses on having conversations and connecting with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME/cfs) and chronic illness communities. The main focus is how we make meaning, how we cope, how we navigate life, relationships, and creative work.

    I was featured in Grief Stories #7, which aired 12/6/2023.

    You can find it in lots of places, just check this page: https://www.pempod.com/podcast

    The second is No End in Sight, which covers all kinds of chronic illnesses, not just MEcfs, including mental illnesses.

    You can find it here: https://noendinsight.co/

  252. Dear Hank and John (not true crime but neat facts and hilariously bad advice)

    Handsome

    Dating kinda sucks

    Wait Wait don’t tell me

    The moth

    Mormon stories (if you want to hear a cult leader tell cult stories while in denial that its a cult.)

  253. Family Trips With the Meyers Brothers
    -Seth and Josh Meyers
    -funny and interesting

  256. oh Jenny m’luv are ya sorry you asked? Here are more.

    #1 rec for a good walk: THE FITZROY DIARIES – a lovely Aussie lady takes us with on her daily neighborhood stroll and narrates the events – an absolute joy.

    Others I love:

    Articles of Interest – cool stuff about clothing & its history. pockets, man, pockets.

    Breaker Whiskey – 1970s, something maybe apocalyptic happened? daily eps, 2-5 min each, like little snacks. Oh, and there’s Morse Code!

    The Bright Sessions – “Therapy for the Strange and Unusual” – a therapist and her Atypical patients – weirdness ensues.

    The Heart – great stories, often a little heavy but always deep

    Heavyweight – Jonathan helps folx go back to “the thing they wish had turned out differently” in their past (and sometimes fix it!)

    Hidden Brain – if you’re in the mood for cool science-y stuff

    The Memory Palace – Nate is a great “reader” and tells the stories you never heard and now wonder why.

    Sawbones – “a marital tour of misguided medicine” – great for info about general health but also lots of “things Pliny the elder thought were medicinal” (but later turned out to be poison lolol) type history.

    Snap Judgement – “Storytelling with a Beat” and especially for you, Jenny, his other show, Spooked which is exactly what it sounds like.

    This is Love – stories about love but not like you think

    The Truth – true radio drama, sometimes dark, sometimes funny, always interesting.

    Feel better, Jenny!!

  257. My girl Brittany Broski has the funniest podcast I’ve ever listened to.

  260. Ok, I have been catching up on all of the Random Number Generator Horror Podcast No. 9 on my commute to work since August. There are an overwhelming number of episodes since they have done this every Tuesday since the beginning of covid, but you don’t have to listen to all of them or even in order.

    It’s Jeffrey Cranor and Cecil Baldwin from Welcome to Nightvale. And it’s Cecil helping Jeffery on his adventure into horror movies, as he was very horror adverse in the beginning. And they sometimes have special guests like Symphony Sanders.

    They roll 1 die to determine the scare they will have for the week and then roll another one for the style of movie to go with the scare. I could listen to those 2 talk horror movies all day long!

  261. Victoriocity! Absurd murder mystery set in alternate steampunkish London. Lots of fun characters. The third season was just released.

  262. BANANAS! Crazy (fun) news stories with personal stories from the hosts/sometimes a guest mixed in!

  263. Natalie Haynes Stands up for the Classics. Classic mythology but described hilariously.

  264. My Favs right now are:
    How Did This Get Made – they watch a movie and rip it to shreds and it’s hilarious!
    That’s Why We Drink – two friends talk about true crime and the paranormal. Each one takes a subject each time. The stories are great, but their friendship is even greater.

    And podcasts and audio books are how I get myself on a walk too!

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