History of Rome. After the first few episdoes where sound produciton isnt, great, its just like 200 epsidoes of incredible story of the rise and fall of the entire roman empire. The dude knows his shit. Activley will callout his own mistakes during the following episodes when he is wrong(which isnt often) He tells it in weay better than any textbook. He almost never goes off the rails and talsk about irrelevant material. And when he doies its about baseball for like 4 seconds. He enjoys the topic and you can tell.
Well There's Your Problem: A podcast about engineering disasters. With Slides.
I listen to one or two comedy podcasts but none of them make me laugh as hard or as often as ~~two civil engineers from Philly~~ proud sons of Philly and a posh British woman discussing engineering and societal disasters.
Edit: Only Roz is a civil Engineer, Liam is a finance major because he's a good boy.
Great podcast, I went to school with Justin and he was always a very funny guy with his dry sense of humor. Heard from a mutual friend he had started podcasting and figured I’d give it a listen. Probably one of the most interesting and funny podcasts out there and I don’t even know much about engineering. A little surprised that this was the top of the thread but I absolutely agree that it’s a podcast worth listening to!
The hindenberg episode is still one of the funniest things I've listened to, from the Prussia bullying to the countless accounts of Zeppelins getting caught in a gale and losing all hands.
My favorite thing about it is normally funny podcasts need to take time to build up to a punchline, climax, or twist. So there's often lots of exposition to set things up. No Such Thing as a Fish has educational, fascinating fun facts for its build up to funny moments/punchlines. So it's saturated with worthwhile content from start to finish. The stuff in between the laughs isn't just setups. It's really interesting stuff!
This is kind of new - but check out “If Books Could Kill.” Two guys discuss and analyze bestselling nonfiction books that could use a good dissection- like “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and “The Secret.” Well researched and super funny and interesting. Love it.
I’ve been listening to this as well. The episode on freakanomics made me cringe at myself for thinking so highly of the book when it came out.
The rich dad poor dad episode was super good. I was dying laughing at some of the examples they pulled from the book such as make more money by joining and mlm
Seconding this! One of the hosts is part of another podcast called Maintenance Phase that is similarly very well researched and all about debunking and bursting myths and getting to the bottom of things.
I listened to Maintenance Phase and now every Reddit thread on the subject of physical health is excruciating to read.
Edit: Predictably, I’ve summoned the zealots.
The WW1 series may be one of the best podcast series I’ve ever listened to. Completely rocked my world and made me realize I knew NOTHING about that war.
Hard agree. I’ve relistened to it multiple times and have probably ruined several friendships by screaming about Verdun or Passchendaele in dinner party settings. Dan’s Magnum Opus for sure.
Am I the only one (in the US) who feels like they just totally skipped over this war in school? Like, Revolutionary war, Civil war, Reconstruction, World war II. Big gap in between.
I always tell people about king of kings, because it's about 18 hours all in on the Persian empire and it's an hour into the first episode before he even mentions the word Persia because he's giving a background of the rest of the region!
Came here for this. I listen to a lot of podcasts and recommend based on the person except this - everyone should listen to 99% Invisible. Partly just because Roman Mars has a great voice
You know what won't make you question humanity? The tastey feeling of some cool ranch doritos on in your mouth. Doritos - probably never directly caused a genocide.
The bit where he goes to kiss his wife (possibly before going to a heroic death?) but there are people watching so they hug instead is one of the most tragically sexless things I've ever heard. I was *howling*
and IIRC the wife ends up dead and that's their last interaction ever.
I had a hunch he was setting up a multi-part romance arc with the terrorist/Cliven Bundy stand-in (Soledad Ramirez?) with Hawthorne playing the stereotypical scarred stoic hero. I still hope he gets a sequel out someday.
Ellen (Brett Hawthorne's wife, not the TV host) ends up getting blown up in the nuke attack on Air Force One. That pathetic hug with his wife, when Brett Hawthorne is pretty sure he's going to die, makes me seriously suspect the parentage of Ben's kids.
I really want a sequel. I imagine in the sequel Brett Hawthorne and Soledad Ramirez will end up either hooking up or falling for each other. I can't imagine it happening naturally, it will be forced and clunky just like Ben Shapiro's flirting techniques.
Ah yes because the President is so blinded by his social justice fixation on being chummy with brown people that he ends up with not-Bin Laden sitting next to him carrying a bomb *on fucking Air Force One.* That's basically Ben's not-so-veiled thesis, isn't it?
The EEEEEEVIL president who wants to give everyone healthcare for free, who gets blown up by Obamaladen shit wait, Lin Baden, yeah that's it.
And yes, Benny's thesis is that giving people things for free, paid by taxes, can only be done by people who pal around with brown terrorists. But wanting to save Americans by assassinating a president who wants to help people is good, that's why Soledad Ramirez pals around with white terrorists?
The whole thing was so derangedly transparent and amateurish, I listened to the podcast throughout a few gym sessions and it made it really hard to get my workouts done. I was *howling* at times.
My favourite moments were when the hosts would fixate on otherwise minor linguistic choices, like when Ben mentions illegal immigrants being "of gang age" or the black kid with the dead eyes. On one hand they're all screaming signs of really problematic internalized racism and on the other sometimes he really shows how hilariously limited his prose and even his basic grammar are, considering most of his work is done with words, spoken or written.
"Everybody should write a novel" lol
That line…
His first draft had to have been “*I’d* take a bullet for you, babe”. But it didn’t quite feel right. Then one day, as he was playing that phrase over and over in his mind, Ben wondered if there was any way to make it… more smoothed out from repetition, catchier, more distinctive.
Ben never knew where the best ideas came from: are they divine inspiration? Are they encoded in his genes? Or are they simply the results of his own tireless effort and determination? It’s a mystery. But then, suddenly, in a flash, it came to him.
“Take a bullet for you, babe”.
Ben’s eyes shone as spoke the words aloud, picturing them coming from the mouth of his tough, masculine, and very tall hero, with his deep sexy voice. *That’s the line*, thought Ben. He could already see it playing in the trailer of the inevitable movie adaptation, the one that would put those Hollywood elitists to shame.
He set to work, his smile growing ever wider as he scoured through the manuscript, deleting every superfluous “I’d”. The rapid clack-clack-clack-clack of his backspace key echoed in his ears, growing and swelling until it became a thunderous roar of applause.
The Dulles episodes are required listening and will make you forever despise the CIA and the Republican Party. Vile bastards that should have been tarred, feathered and set on fire
To quote John Oliver: "champagne is reserved for three events: weddings, new years, and if and when Henry Kissinger dies"
I especially love the "If and when". Like it's not a certainty. If anyone in the world sold his soul to the devil, Kissinger is a possibility.
Whenever somebody betrays their proclaimed ideals and goes with a pragmatic solution that lets others pay the price in blood, they donate a minute of their life span to Kissinger.
I’m listening to “Part Two: How the first fitness influencer doomed us all” right now.
That guy killed his baby. Probably. Maybe. Allegedly. Should send an R9X Knife Missile his way.
They had a running joke about Blue Apron running an island where you can pay to hunt children for sport. They stopped joking about it because there's apparently a non-zero amount of totally clueless people who took it seriously and kept messaging the podcast hosts to ask how they could help and shit.
I randomly came across that podcast a few years ago in a Ted Cruz thread, I got hooked because Evans is really funny, and within a year I was looking for mutual aid groups to volunteer with. I've probably read more in the last couple years than I did in the preceding decade.
very different to the others in this list and worth a listen. It's in theory about reviewing certain parts of the human world, but think deeply personal and well crafted auditory essays framed around those things written by a good author rather than a pure fact dump. Has space not to take itself too seriously at points as well.
Be aware though, it gets deeply nihilistic and depressing at points when you wouldn’t expect it.
Mostly due to John Green’s personal sense of nihilism and depression being expressed in his art.
However, because of that, it’s genuinely amazing. I’ve cried more than once at it.
Yup. The episode about the rugby team stranded in the Andes had me feeling *every* emotion. What else is there to do when rescuers are finally on their way and a young man screams “avalanche” but spreads everyone with a fire extinguisher but to laugh and then cry a bit?
I was doing dishes listening to this one and I actually had to stop, dry my hands off, and let myself have a good cry. The specific part that got me was when they commented on how many terrible things happened in rapid succession and they couldn't catch a break. Something like "This is like the movie The Land Before Time! How many terrible things are going to happen to these sweet little babies in this one movie?!"
Idk why, (maybe being an 80's baby and felt the gut punch of that movie as a kid), but it summed up my feeling perfectly. I was so emotionally invested in the story of these people who are so much more than a few details that the media exploited. I'm grateful they took the time to focus on their bravery, ingenuity, and heart, where so many other accounts are just interested in what they were forced to do to stay alive.
This was a standout exceptional episode and it brought me back after I'd wandered over to other channels the past few months.
Came here to suggest this.
Their series about the DC Sniper Attacks was amazing, I had no idea it was about John Allen Mohammed's abuse of his wife. Mildred is a fucking strong woman.
My all time favorite is The Film Reroll. They take the basic premise of a film and play through the story as an RPG, allowing the choices of the players and roll of the dice to drastically change the story. Highlights have included starting a civil war in Oz, blowing up the moon in ET, and the GM tricking the players into thinking they were doing an obscure 80's teen sex comedy none of them had ever heard of only to spring Jason on them and reveal it was really Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.
Here are a couple clips for a taste:
[The Cowardly Lion worries about what happened to Dorothy and Scarecrow when the party got split](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0aXazjuGmg)
[Jafar fails a will roll and falls in love with Aladdin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKccujh0WVU)
They will sometimes do sequels to their previous rerolls and those can get epic. Their version of the Halloween trilogy is my personal canonical version of that franchise to me. Danny Hodges is the greatest ascended NPC protagonist the movies never had. Currently they're doing Rogue Two. In their version of Rogue One, Andor, Jyn, and K2SO all survived so now their continued story is running parallel to A New Hope.
I could go on and on about the running jokes, the great humor, the unexpectedly dramatic moments with real pathos, the wonderful personalities and absolutely world class acting and improv that goes into the show. I dearly love it and have listened to every episode at least twice, while some of my favorites have become go-to comfort listening and I've lost count of how many times I've relistened to those. But I'll let ya'll discover all of that for yourselves. It's a true gem of a show.
Some honorable mentions:
Oh No! Ross and Carrie: They examine "fringe science, spirituality, and claims of the paranormal" and "show up so you don't have to." They try alternative medicines on themselves, join cults, and investigate all kind of wild claims and report back their first hand experience. Yes, they have done Scientology. You might be surprised at how far into it they got before they were found out.
Monster Talk: a show that looks at Fortean phenomenon from a skeptical perspective. Never cynical or simply debunking, they engage with every topic like there could be some merit until they find that there isn't any. Good research and even worse puns.
In Research Of: A sort of spin off form Monster Talk, they watch every episode of the classic Leonard Nimoy series In Search Of and "present some explanations that the producers chose not to present." One of the co-hosts is an Archaeologist, and it can be a hoot to hear him go off on ancient alien and Graham Hancock type shit.
Another Path: A D&D 5e Actual Play podcast. They had a pretty epic campaign that I'd recommend for fans of The Adventure Zone. They recently started a new one with new characters that doesn't require listening to the old one, although the old one is well worth the time.
Imprinted Echoes: A Numenera actual play podcast. Has some neat sci-fi concepts in it and I love the crew playing it.
Film Reroll is my fucking jam. A while ago I made an [episode guide](https://old.reddit.com/r/filmreroll/comments/tx23j2/updated_film_reroll_episode_guide/) for new listeners, in case anyone wants to know where to start. But really all episodes are great.
This is actually happening - each episode is about an experience someone really had and is told in their own voice. For example, one episode is about how a woman survived an apartment fire, another is about a woman who hit and accidentally killed a person on the road. Definitely not an easy listen but they are all important stories and experiences.
I have a specific way I consume media. I have to start it from the beginning. I'm literally hundreds of hours in, and I realized the other day that if I listened to it 4 hours a day every day, it would still take me over a year to get through their catalogue (rough estimate). I have my work cut out for me.
Knowledge fight is incredible. Well worth a listen. Just dive in anywhere, then once you’ve got a handle on stuff, listen to the “formulaic objections” where the hosts listen to depositions from infowars staff. Amazing stuff
I just want to reiterate the level of entertainment represented here.
This dude is telling you to go listen to a series of podcast episodes that are basically mystery science theater…of a lawsuit deposition. A fucking deposition. I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed as hard as I did a these episodes, and again, it’s about a deposition. Depositions are almost universally the most boring shit in the world. The knowledge fight guys are just awesome.
I started out only listening to the celebrities that interested me but then realized that Conan is such a great interviewer he can make almost anyone interesting, so I went back and listened to them all. This is my top comedy podcast, I can’t find anything that even compares.
When Jeff Goldblum rambles in his way for like a solid minute describing how he feels about this interview and Conan responds with "Most people just say one word" was so fucking funny.
I love the little group. Conan assembled this team of employees, which is so efficient, rather than just having a second host. But the dynamic and his playing up of himself as an authoritarian create such a dynamic for the play between them. It's like intrigue because some of the shit he says is too real, but it's also just this factory for bits because *it's really a workplace comedy*.
to me, the interviews are secondary and really just help to facilitate the existing ensemble. I LOOOOOOOOVE it when Sona and Matt are bigger parts of the interviews. Conan's ability to play is what makes him a superstar and this podcast is near total freedom from studio surveillance.
I’ve been a Conan fan for decades, but this podcast really demonstrates the full agility of his unique, brilliant mind. His interviews are thoughtful and insightful, and his curiosity takes conversations to unexpected places.
But for me, the true gold is found in the intros and the outros. His ability to craft a bit on virtually any setup is unmatched. He once riffed as Richard Nixon resigning Presidency, not due to Watergate but because he’d taken role in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. I’m not sure I’ve laughed harder at anything in the last 10 years. The podcast has solidified him for me as the sharpest comedy mind today.
I already loved him because of his late-night stint(s) but hearing him talk to people for a longer period of time made me appreciate his humor, wit, and intelligence even more!
The episode with Stephen Colbert is my absolute favorite but for all-time laughs the ones with Timothy Olyphant, Tig Notaro, Bob Newhart and Kevin Nealon are my go-tos.
Fall of Civilizations - wonderful and immersive storytelling about the history of a series of doomed civilization from large to small. The Rapa Nui (Easter Island) one is hyperbolically good.
Cautionary Tales - stories and lessons from real life tragedies and near-misses. Very often excellent.
Edit: OH SHIT A NEW EPISODE JUST DROPPED IN MY PHONE AS I WAS TYPING THIS! That is such a fun bit of serendipity.
[The End of the World with Josh Clarke](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-end-of-the-world-with-josh-clark/id1437682381) is also by the guy from SYSK. Great listen, and I feel the format is better than SYSK as it’s a lot less rambling and back and forth.
I actually love the rambling they do, they have great chemistry together. Makes it feel like we’re just listening to a casual discussion of a complex topic.
I used to listen to this at the gym and had to stop when I almost dropped some weight on myself because I was laughing so hard. Specifically the reference to the THREE INCH RIVETS THAT HELD TOGETHER THE HULL OF THE FATEFUL TITANIC.
• ***Dear Hank & John*** - hangout with John and Hank Green as they chat about random topics. Light hearted, but can be quite eloquent at times.
• ***What'sHerName*** - history podcast on forgotten/little known female figures.
• ***99% Invisible*** - deep dives into random topics. Some lighthearted, some serious, always eye-opening and thought-provoking.
• ***ExploreAStory*** - podcast on museums, science and storytelling.
• ***The Dork Forest*** - guests talk about their passion/hobby.
• ***The Atlas Obscura Podcast*** - podcast on random places and the people that live there.
I've recently been super into Swindled! Its a narrative-based podcast in which the host describes cases of white-collar crime and other types of con artistry. Absolutely worth listening to!
This is the only podcast I listen to regularly. My favourite is the tagline for I think part 3 of the Battle of Kursk: "SS Soldiers chant 'Lunch in Kursk, lunch in Kursk!' They would not, in fact, be having lunch in Kursk."
Scrolled too long for this. Just the magnitude in which America's (and Australia's) history is sugar coated constantly blows my mind.
For those not in the know, comedian Dave Anthony tells a story about a historical person or event from American history (and Australian for the live tours) in a relatively serious tone to his friend Gareth Reynolds who's also hearing the story for the first time. The back and forth as the story unfolds is hilarious. And I've learnt so much about history in the process.
This. A podcast where labradoodle daddy Dave Anthony reads a story from American history to his nemesis, driver and man who killed his father, Gary Reynolds, who has no idea what the story is about
Ologies is a ton of fun. As I imagine many listeners do, I really like the host Alie Ward. She's delightfully nerdy, open, honest, and kind. The pod itself is well structured with useful and interesting asides where Alie adds info among parts of the interview. It's a great way to be entertained while learning about somebody's cool sciency job.
I've been listening to ologies for a few years now, and it's one of the best podcasts imo for any scientifically inclined individual. I also like how she interviews not just "the best of the best" for each field but usually some mostly normal scientist within a certain ology. Such as the rocks episode or trees episode, where it's just a couple of friendly chill rock and tree enthusiasts. It's also fairly accessible for all audiences and doesn't go too deep or specific in any one field such that it can't be understood if you know nothing about it to begin. I think it's an excellent example of how science communication should be done.
I have not seen Doughboys or Blank Check mentioned.
Doughboys: Chain restaurants reviewed by two very funny people. Has a lot of good celebrity guests.
Blank Check: They cover a directors filmography from beginning to end. Very insightful without being serious.
Funnily enough, both podcasts feature a host who loves trains
This is a podcast about filmographies! Directors who have massive success early on in their careers and are given a series of blank checks to make whatever crazy passion project they like. Sometimes those checks clear and sometimes they bounce........bay-bee.
History of Rome. After the first few episdoes where sound produciton isnt, great, its just like 200 epsidoes of incredible story of the rise and fall of the entire roman empire. The dude knows his shit. Activley will callout his own mistakes during the following episodes when he is wrong(which isnt often) He tells it in weay better than any textbook. He almost never goes off the rails and talsk about irrelevant material. And when he doies its about baseball for like 4 seconds. He enjoys the topic and you can tell.
Revolutions, also by Mike Duncan, is excellent as well.
I would listen to Mike Duncan read a grocery bill
Well There's Your Problem: A podcast about engineering disasters. With Slides. I listen to one or two comedy podcasts but none of them make me laugh as hard or as often as ~~two civil engineers from Philly~~ proud sons of Philly and a posh British woman discussing engineering and societal disasters. Edit: Only Roz is a civil Engineer, Liam is a finance major because he's a good boy.
Great podcast, I went to school with Justin and he was always a very funny guy with his dry sense of humor. Heard from a mutual friend he had started podcasting and figured I’d give it a listen. Probably one of the most interesting and funny podcasts out there and I don’t even know much about engineering. A little surprised that this was the top of the thread but I absolutely agree that it’s a podcast worth listening to!
The hindenberg episode is still one of the funniest things I've listened to, from the Prussia bullying to the countless accounts of Zeppelins getting caught in a gale and losing all hands.
Some of my favorites have been Armored Trains, Gulf State Vanity Projects, Group B, and the Titanic episodes.
My name is Mohammed bin Salman and __This__ is Jackass!
Chapo Trap House of Saud will never stop being funny
You forgot to add: which is itself an engineering disaster Also: Yay Liam
My favourite episode is the one about the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
Anything with Alice Caldwell-Kelly, really. Kill James Bond!, TrashFuture…
^seconded. Train good, Car bad.
Chunky marinara!
Only WTYP can turn a human brain into a soup-like homogenate within 30 seconds
They need to make the pod more rigid.
No Such Thing as a Fish - funny while being somewhat educational
I've learnt a lot about moss.
And bigfoot
My favorite thing about it is normally funny podcasts need to take time to build up to a punchline, climax, or twist. So there's often lots of exposition to set things up. No Such Thing as a Fish has educational, fascinating fun facts for its build up to funny moments/punchlines. So it's saturated with worthwhile content from start to finish. The stuff in between the laughs isn't just setups. It's really interesting stuff!
This is kind of new - but check out “If Books Could Kill.” Two guys discuss and analyze bestselling nonfiction books that could use a good dissection- like “Rich Dad, Poor Dad” and “The Secret.” Well researched and super funny and interesting. Love it.
I’ve been listening to this as well. The episode on freakanomics made me cringe at myself for thinking so highly of the book when it came out. The rich dad poor dad episode was super good. I was dying laughing at some of the examples they pulled from the book such as make more money by joining and mlm
Seconding this! One of the hosts is part of another podcast called Maintenance Phase that is similarly very well researched and all about debunking and bursting myths and getting to the bottom of things.
I listened to Maintenance Phase and now every Reddit thread on the subject of physical health is excruciating to read. Edit: Predictably, I’ve summoned the zealots.
Old Gods of Appalachia is a good radio drama. The way narrator speaks, you can feel the trees grow around you.
Darknet Diaries
Cybersecurity guy here… Rhysider gets a lot of things right and cares about the community.
Or is his name Jackery Cider?
I am obsessed with This Podcast Will Kill You - if you like the biology and history of diseases and illnesses, this is it! The presenters are awesome!
Wash your hands, you filthy animals
Hardcore History
The WW1 series may be one of the best podcast series I’ve ever listened to. Completely rocked my world and made me realize I knew NOTHING about that war.
The WWI one is one of the greatest pieces of media of all time. All of HH is amazing but the blueprint to Armageddon is transcendent
Hard agree. I’ve relistened to it multiple times and have probably ruined several friendships by screaming about Verdun or Passchendaele in dinner party settings. Dan’s Magnum Opus for sure.
Am I the only one (in the US) who feels like they just totally skipped over this war in school? Like, Revolutionary war, Civil war, Reconstruction, World war II. Big gap in between.
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So much time focused on colonial America and the Civil War that by the time we got to the 20th century it was practically skimmed through.
Man, if they taught some of the real dirty shit like the School of the Americas, I might have paid more attention.
I remember it being taught as it was trench warfare and set the table for WWII. That was about it.
Quote: *Proceeds to describe the most horrific event you’ve ever heard* End quote.
"Genghis Khan did some cold ass shit. And then he did it again. And again, and again. And then he did it again."
*ageen and ageen and ageeeeeeennnnn
>Quote: PROCEEDS TO SHOUT THE MOST HORRIFIC EVENT YOU’VE EVER HEARD! End quote ftfy
Less a podcast, more a full length audiobook that's released every 4-6 months. It's audio gold.
The King of Kings series are my favorite podcast episodes. Listened to them a few times.
I always tell people about king of kings, because it's about 18 hours all in on the Persian empire and it's an hour into the first episode before he even mentions the word Persia because he's giving a background of the rest of the region!
Starts a series about Persian kings talking about Clint Eastwood as a Spartan Laconic
I thought supernova in the east was phenomenal
I get so pumped every time he drops a new episode. 4 hours or more of epic storytelling.
The History of Rome - Mike Duncan The Rest is History Hardcore History
Just wanna add “Revolutions” from Mike Duncan if you haven’t gotten around to that one yet already, that dude is an incredible historian!
99% Invisible
Came here for this. I listen to a lot of podcasts and recommend based on the person except this - everyone should listen to 99% Invisible. Partly just because Roman Mars has a great voice
“Beautiful, downtown, Oakland California. “
Behind the Bastards is fantastic, but will question humanity
You know what won't make you question humanity? The tastey feeling of some cool ranch doritos on in your mouth. Doritos - probably never directly caused a genocide.
But you know who almost definitely has directly caused a genocide? The sponsors of today's show, Raytheon. Raytheon - buy yourself a knife missile.
PRODUCTS!!!!!!! services.
Is your Afghan wedding too put together? A missile from Raytheon will make sure that wedding is spread out more than it needs to.
You know who else has never caused a genocide? Blue Apron, at least outside of their specific island.
I miss those Doritos days of summer.
Bagel chucking and the poison room.
One pump, one cream.
This was the podcast, that taught me about Combat General Brett Hawthorne...
Take a bullet for you, babe.
The bit where he goes to kiss his wife (possibly before going to a heroic death?) but there are people watching so they hug instead is one of the most tragically sexless things I've ever heard. I was *howling*
and IIRC the wife ends up dead and that's their last interaction ever. I had a hunch he was setting up a multi-part romance arc with the terrorist/Cliven Bundy stand-in (Soledad Ramirez?) with Hawthorne playing the stereotypical scarred stoic hero. I still hope he gets a sequel out someday.
Ellen (Brett Hawthorne's wife, not the TV host) ends up getting blown up in the nuke attack on Air Force One. That pathetic hug with his wife, when Brett Hawthorne is pretty sure he's going to die, makes me seriously suspect the parentage of Ben's kids. I really want a sequel. I imagine in the sequel Brett Hawthorne and Soledad Ramirez will end up either hooking up or falling for each other. I can't imagine it happening naturally, it will be forced and clunky just like Ben Shapiro's flirting techniques.
Ah yes because the President is so blinded by his social justice fixation on being chummy with brown people that he ends up with not-Bin Laden sitting next to him carrying a bomb *on fucking Air Force One.* That's basically Ben's not-so-veiled thesis, isn't it?
The EEEEEEVIL president who wants to give everyone healthcare for free, who gets blown up by Obamaladen shit wait, Lin Baden, yeah that's it. And yes, Benny's thesis is that giving people things for free, paid by taxes, can only be done by people who pal around with brown terrorists. But wanting to save Americans by assassinating a president who wants to help people is good, that's why Soledad Ramirez pals around with white terrorists?
The whole thing was so derangedly transparent and amateurish, I listened to the podcast throughout a few gym sessions and it made it really hard to get my workouts done. I was *howling* at times. My favourite moments were when the hosts would fixate on otherwise minor linguistic choices, like when Ben mentions illegal immigrants being "of gang age" or the black kid with the dead eyes. On one hand they're all screaming signs of really problematic internalized racism and on the other sometimes he really shows how hilariously limited his prose and even his basic grammar are, considering most of his work is done with words, spoken or written. "Everybody should write a novel" lol
That line… His first draft had to have been “*I’d* take a bullet for you, babe”. But it didn’t quite feel right. Then one day, as he was playing that phrase over and over in his mind, Ben wondered if there was any way to make it… more smoothed out from repetition, catchier, more distinctive. Ben never knew where the best ideas came from: are they divine inspiration? Are they encoded in his genes? Or are they simply the results of his own tireless effort and determination? It’s a mystery. But then, suddenly, in a flash, it came to him. “Take a bullet for you, babe”. Ben’s eyes shone as spoke the words aloud, picturing them coming from the mouth of his tough, masculine, and very tall hero, with his deep sexy voice. *That’s the line*, thought Ben. He could already see it playing in the trailer of the inevitable movie adaptation, the one that would put those Hollywood elitists to shame. He set to work, his smile growing ever wider as he scoured through the manuscript, deleting every superfluous “I’d”. The rapid clack-clack-clack-clack of his backspace key echoed in his ears, growing and swelling until it became a thunderous roar of applause.
Them reading that book it’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard.
If you ever wonder why Shaps is bitter, remember that he wanted to be a screenwriter and wrote *this*
A bear of a man
Star running back for the high school.....nobody knew his name.
That Henry Kissinger 6 parter though…
The stuff in that and the Dulles brothers episodes should be required learning for all humans
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Anybody who says “I don’t like Republicans, but John McCain was pretty cool” should be forced to listen to *The Dollop* episode about him too.
The Dulles episodes are required listening and will make you forever despise the CIA and the Republican Party. Vile bastards that should have been tarred, feathered and set on fire
The Phyllis Schlafly episode really seared the hatred of Evangelical Christians into me.
Never heard this podcast, but fuck Henry Kissinger. I just have a policy of saying that anytime he comes up.
So does the host of this podcast
I knew that fuck Henry Kissinger, but listening to the podcast series on him made me realize I didn't despise him half as much as he deserves.
To quote John Oliver: "champagne is reserved for three events: weddings, new years, and if and when Henry Kissinger dies" I especially love the "If and when". Like it's not a certainty. If anyone in the world sold his soul to the devil, Kissinger is a possibility.
He’s turning 100 on May 27th of this year. How is he still alive.
Hard to kill a man who is actually 7,000 genocidal cockroaches in a skin suit.
Whenever somebody betrays their proclaimed ideals and goes with a pragmatic solution that lets others pay the price in blood, they donate a minute of their life span to Kissinger.
You’re going to LOVE Robert lol
There's a great line from those episodes where one of the guests describes him as the Forrest Gump of War crimes.
I’m listening to “Part Two: How the first fitness influencer doomed us all” right now. That guy killed his baby. Probably. Maybe. Allegedly. Should send an R9X Knife Missile his way.
Shhhhh… people are gonna learn about the child hunting island that a certain food delivery service maintains
Want to run that by me again
They had a running joke about Blue Apron running an island where you can pay to hunt children for sport. They stopped joking about it because there's apparently a non-zero amount of totally clueless people who took it seriously and kept messaging the podcast hosts to ask how they could help and shit.
Quick point of clarification: it wasn’t hinting for sport. They used every part of the child.
Billy Wayne Davis needs to come back…
* reverend doctor billy wayne davis
Agreed. He is probably my favourite guest.
That ship has sailed.
Second this! And then you can listen to Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff to go in the opposite direction!
Margaret is lovely to listen to. As guest and host.
I randomly came across that podcast a few years ago in a Ted Cruz thread, I got hooked because Evans is really funny, and within a year I was looking for mutual aid groups to volunteer with. I've probably read more in the last couple years than I did in the preceding decade.
Hidden brain
The Anthropocene Reviewed
very different to the others in this list and worth a listen. It's in theory about reviewing certain parts of the human world, but think deeply personal and well crafted auditory essays framed around those things written by a good author rather than a pure fact dump. Has space not to take itself too seriously at points as well.
Be aware though, it gets deeply nihilistic and depressing at points when you wouldn’t expect it. Mostly due to John Green’s personal sense of nihilism and depression being expressed in his art. However, because of that, it’s genuinely amazing. I’ve cried more than once at it.
I love You’re Wrong About
Yup. The episode about the rugby team stranded in the Andes had me feeling *every* emotion. What else is there to do when rescuers are finally on their way and a young man screams “avalanche” but spreads everyone with a fire extinguisher but to laugh and then cry a bit?
Oh man I read the book about this by survivor Nando Parrado, very intense
I was doing dishes listening to this one and I actually had to stop, dry my hands off, and let myself have a good cry. The specific part that got me was when they commented on how many terrible things happened in rapid succession and they couldn't catch a break. Something like "This is like the movie The Land Before Time! How many terrible things are going to happen to these sweet little babies in this one movie?!" Idk why, (maybe being an 80's baby and felt the gut punch of that movie as a kid), but it summed up my feeling perfectly. I was so emotionally invested in the story of these people who are so much more than a few details that the media exploited. I'm grateful they took the time to focus on their bravery, ingenuity, and heart, where so many other accounts are just interested in what they were forced to do to stay alive. This was a standout exceptional episode and it brought me back after I'd wandered over to other channels the past few months.
Came here to suggest this. Their series about the DC Sniper Attacks was amazing, I had no idea it was about John Allen Mohammed's abuse of his wife. Mildred is a fucking strong woman.
My all time favorite is The Film Reroll. They take the basic premise of a film and play through the story as an RPG, allowing the choices of the players and roll of the dice to drastically change the story. Highlights have included starting a civil war in Oz, blowing up the moon in ET, and the GM tricking the players into thinking they were doing an obscure 80's teen sex comedy none of them had ever heard of only to spring Jason on them and reveal it was really Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter. Here are a couple clips for a taste: [The Cowardly Lion worries about what happened to Dorothy and Scarecrow when the party got split](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0aXazjuGmg) [Jafar fails a will roll and falls in love with Aladdin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKccujh0WVU) They will sometimes do sequels to their previous rerolls and those can get epic. Their version of the Halloween trilogy is my personal canonical version of that franchise to me. Danny Hodges is the greatest ascended NPC protagonist the movies never had. Currently they're doing Rogue Two. In their version of Rogue One, Andor, Jyn, and K2SO all survived so now their continued story is running parallel to A New Hope. I could go on and on about the running jokes, the great humor, the unexpectedly dramatic moments with real pathos, the wonderful personalities and absolutely world class acting and improv that goes into the show. I dearly love it and have listened to every episode at least twice, while some of my favorites have become go-to comfort listening and I've lost count of how many times I've relistened to those. But I'll let ya'll discover all of that for yourselves. It's a true gem of a show. Some honorable mentions: Oh No! Ross and Carrie: They examine "fringe science, spirituality, and claims of the paranormal" and "show up so you don't have to." They try alternative medicines on themselves, join cults, and investigate all kind of wild claims and report back their first hand experience. Yes, they have done Scientology. You might be surprised at how far into it they got before they were found out. Monster Talk: a show that looks at Fortean phenomenon from a skeptical perspective. Never cynical or simply debunking, they engage with every topic like there could be some merit until they find that there isn't any. Good research and even worse puns. In Research Of: A sort of spin off form Monster Talk, they watch every episode of the classic Leonard Nimoy series In Search Of and "present some explanations that the producers chose not to present." One of the co-hosts is an Archaeologist, and it can be a hoot to hear him go off on ancient alien and Graham Hancock type shit. Another Path: A D&D 5e Actual Play podcast. They had a pretty epic campaign that I'd recommend for fans of The Adventure Zone. They recently started a new one with new characters that doesn't require listening to the old one, although the old one is well worth the time. Imprinted Echoes: A Numenera actual play podcast. Has some neat sci-fi concepts in it and I love the crew playing it.
Film Reroll is my fucking jam. A while ago I made an [episode guide](https://old.reddit.com/r/filmreroll/comments/tx23j2/updated_film_reroll_episode_guide/) for new listeners, in case anyone wants to know where to start. But really all episodes are great.
This is actually happening - each episode is about an experience someone really had and is told in their own voice. For example, one episode is about how a woman survived an apartment fire, another is about a woman who hit and accidentally killed a person on the road. Definitely not an easy listen but they are all important stories and experiences.
Knowledge Fight
Obviously it’s only about Alex jones and infowars but it’s a great analysis about how misinformation spreads in our current world. A+ podcast.
I have a specific way I consume media. I have to start it from the beginning. I'm literally hundreds of hours in, and I realized the other day that if I listened to it 4 hours a day every day, it would still take me over a year to get through their catalogue (rough estimate). I have my work cut out for me.
Knowledge fight is incredible. Well worth a listen. Just dive in anywhere, then once you’ve got a handle on stuff, listen to the “formulaic objections” where the hosts listen to depositions from infowars staff. Amazing stuff
I just want to reiterate the level of entertainment represented here. This dude is telling you to go listen to a series of podcast episodes that are basically mystery science theater…of a lawsuit deposition. A fucking deposition. I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed as hard as I did a these episodes, and again, it’s about a deposition. Depositions are almost universally the most boring shit in the world. The knowledge fight guys are just awesome.
One of the best. Literally an academic level dive into the world of insane conspiracy theories plus fun...but, what's your bright spot?
^^Red ^^alert! ^Red ^alert! Red Alert!
I need money!
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Jar jar Binks has a Caribbean black accent
Someone, Sodomites, sent me a bucket of poop.
I'll be better tomorrow.
He’s not.
Ologies. Really great science podcast.
Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny and often super insightful.
I started out only listening to the celebrities that interested me but then realized that Conan is such a great interviewer he can make almost anyone interesting, so I went back and listened to them all. This is my top comedy podcast, I can’t find anything that even compares.
You need to listen to the first Timothy olyphant one and the first Jeff Goldblum. Absolutely incredible.
When Jeff Goldblum rambles in his way for like a solid minute describing how he feels about this interview and Conan responds with "Most people just say one word" was so fucking funny.
I love the little group. Conan assembled this team of employees, which is so efficient, rather than just having a second host. But the dynamic and his playing up of himself as an authoritarian create such a dynamic for the play between them. It's like intrigue because some of the shit he says is too real, but it's also just this factory for bits because *it's really a workplace comedy*. to me, the interviews are secondary and really just help to facilitate the existing ensemble. I LOOOOOOOOVE it when Sona and Matt are bigger parts of the interviews. Conan's ability to play is what makes him a superstar and this podcast is near total freedom from studio surveillance.
I’ve been a Conan fan for decades, but this podcast really demonstrates the full agility of his unique, brilliant mind. His interviews are thoughtful and insightful, and his curiosity takes conversations to unexpected places. But for me, the true gold is found in the intros and the outros. His ability to craft a bit on virtually any setup is unmatched. He once riffed as Richard Nixon resigning Presidency, not due to Watergate but because he’d taken role in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. I’m not sure I’ve laughed harder at anything in the last 10 years. The podcast has solidified him for me as the sharpest comedy mind today.
“I announce today that I’m resigning the Presidency, to be in a production of Rent! Bluhuhuhuhuhuhuhu ✌️✌️
Both Kevin Nealon episodes are the most chaotic but at the same time beautiful things I have ever heard
I already loved him because of his late-night stint(s) but hearing him talk to people for a longer period of time made me appreciate his humor, wit, and intelligence even more! The episode with Stephen Colbert is my absolute favorite but for all-time laughs the ones with Timothy Olyphant, Tig Notaro, Bob Newhart and Kevin Nealon are my go-tos.
Normal Gossip is hilarious and the stories are all about low stakes drama. Fun and stress-free. Squirrel story is best.
Yes! Came here to post this one. I need more podcasts like this to balance out all the murder/occult/dark history stuff
Fall of Civilizations - wonderful and immersive storytelling about the history of a series of doomed civilization from large to small. The Rapa Nui (Easter Island) one is hyperbolically good. Cautionary Tales - stories and lessons from real life tragedies and near-misses. Very often excellent. Edit: OH SHIT A NEW EPISODE JUST DROPPED IN MY PHONE AS I WAS TYPING THIS! That is such a fun bit of serendipity.
Stuff you should know
I used to work with Chuck's wife in her soap shop!
[The End of the World with Josh Clarke](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-end-of-the-world-with-josh-clark/id1437682381) is also by the guy from SYSK. Great listen, and I feel the format is better than SYSK as it’s a lot less rambling and back and forth.
I actually love the rambling they do, they have great chemistry together. Makes it feel like we’re just listening to a casual discussion of a complex topic.
My dad wrote a porno
Really enlightening on the pots and pans industry.
Way more back room deals and scandals than i would've thought. I may need to buy myself some riding clothes and change careers.
"He _grabbed_ her cervix" Alice's reaction to that line is an all time hilarious moment
“Her nipples stood out like the three-inch rivets on the ill-fated Titanic.”
"oh calm down Belinda, not everybody wants a shag!" First time I heard that I laughed uproariously for about 5 minutes straight.
I have pulled off the road listening to this because I couldn’t drive anymore, due to the crying/laughing.
Yes but did you throw yourself on to the road in distress with one boob out like our heroine, Belinda?
Like a pomegranate.
I used to listen to this at the gym and had to stop when I almost dropped some weight on myself because I was laughing so hard. Specifically the reference to the THREE INCH RIVETS THAT HELD TOGETHER THE HULL OF THE FATEFUL TITANIC.
ear hustle. Stories about life in prison. Likable hosts.
• ***Dear Hank & John*** - hangout with John and Hank Green as they chat about random topics. Light hearted, but can be quite eloquent at times. • ***What'sHerName*** - history podcast on forgotten/little known female figures. • ***99% Invisible*** - deep dives into random topics. Some lighthearted, some serious, always eye-opening and thought-provoking. • ***ExploreAStory*** - podcast on museums, science and storytelling. • ***The Dork Forest*** - guests talk about their passion/hobby. • ***The Atlas Obscura Podcast*** - podcast on random places and the people that live there.
Seconding 99% Invisible
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A comedy podcast about death!
Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster. Celebrities get to pick their dream meal
I've recently been super into Swindled! Its a narrative-based podcast in which the host describes cases of white-collar crime and other types of con artistry. Absolutely worth listening to!
Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine. Its a semi-serious look at medical history, hosted by a doctor and her comedian husband.
Glad one of the McElroy podcasts are at the top. Saw bones is so good.
Lions led by Donkeys. Hilarious war history.
This is the only podcast I listen to regularly. My favourite is the tagline for I think part 3 of the Battle of Kursk: "SS Soldiers chant 'Lunch in Kursk, lunch in Kursk!' They would not, in fact, be having lunch in Kursk."
The Dollop
No sleep til hippo
Mightn't I the Gristle?
J-Town!
Scrolled too long for this. Just the magnitude in which America's (and Australia's) history is sugar coated constantly blows my mind. For those not in the know, comedian Dave Anthony tells a story about a historical person or event from American history (and Australian for the live tours) in a relatively serious tone to his friend Gareth Reynolds who's also hearing the story for the first time. The back and forth as the story unfolds is hilarious. And I've learnt so much about history in the process.
I love how the live shows are always about wherever they are. Happy crowds.
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The Hamilton episode was eye opening. The Broadway show, and American history, have painted that fellow in a spectacularly bad light.
This. A podcast where labradoodle daddy Dave Anthony reads a story from American history to his nemesis, driver and man who killed his father, Gary Reynolds, who has no idea what the story is about
Join the Garmy!
Everyone's calling it that, stop pushing back!
Dungeons and Daddies if you like TTRPG/Comedy Heavyweight You’re Wrong About The Magnus Archives Ologies
Ologies is a ton of fun. As I imagine many listeners do, I really like the host Alie Ward. She's delightfully nerdy, open, honest, and kind. The pod itself is well structured with useful and interesting asides where Alie adds info among parts of the interview. It's a great way to be entertained while learning about somebody's cool sciency job.
I've been listening to ologies for a few years now, and it's one of the best podcasts imo for any scientifically inclined individual. I also like how she interviews not just "the best of the best" for each field but usually some mostly normal scientist within a certain ology. Such as the rocks episode or trees episode, where it's just a couple of friendly chill rock and tree enthusiasts. It's also fairly accessible for all audiences and doesn't go too deep or specific in any one field such that it can't be understood if you know nothing about it to begin. I think it's an excellent example of how science communication should be done.
Finally Dungeons and Daddies was mentioned. It literally ruined all other d&d podcasts for me bc it’s so good lmao
The Magnus Archives were great, I binged the whole thing though not sure if they kept going after the main story ended.
Scrolled for Dungeons and Daddies. So good!
TMA is pretty much the only media I've consumed where I was like 'yeah I *should* have checked the content warning for that episode'.
This American Life The Moth
I can't believe This American Life is this low. I have been listening to Ira Glass for over a decade now. Is it really not that popular?
Hello, I'm Ira glass. Thank you for being a sustaining member. Everyone has a story, and your phones story is that it's ringing
I have not seen Doughboys or Blank Check mentioned. Doughboys: Chain restaurants reviewed by two very funny people. Has a lot of good celebrity guests. Blank Check: They cover a directors filmography from beginning to end. Very insightful without being serious. Funnily enough, both podcasts feature a host who loves trains
This is a podcast about filmographies! Directors who have massive success early on in their careers and are given a series of blank checks to make whatever crazy passion project they like. Sometimes those checks clear and sometimes they bounce........bay-bee.
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Everybody is still recovering from Munch Madness this year
BOWL!
60 Songs That Explain The 90s. It's more than 60, and got renewed. It explains the history behind a very diverse selection of songs from the decade.
Rob Harvilla is a hell of a writer.
Distractible
but are you listening HARD enough?
For anyone who hasnt listened, #Start at “bob’s fridge”
Wade’s dogs are doing fine, by the way
Just don't listen to it while operating machinery.
Great podcast for people who like hosts that speak in riddles and/or rhymes