I don’t know about you, but I’ve been at home a lot more in the past year. As life has been forced to a standstill, I’ve been eager to fill my days with something other than pondering the existential dread of existence.
For me, this took the form of diving into podcasts.
The sheer amount of content available in podcasts means that you’re never without content, and the smooth voices through your headphones can make you think you actually have friends.
Here are a few of my top picks from the wide, weird world of podcasting.
Hello! From The Magic Tavern!
This strange little show was my first introduction to fictional podcasts and, quite frankly, it’s a weird one. When host Arnie falls through a portal behind a Burger King, he finds himself in the magical world of Foon. Arnie uses the faint Wi-Fi signal from the fast food joint to start his own podcast and interview the characters that inhabit the strange land. If you’re a fan of absurd comedy, fantasy and diving into a whole new world, this podcast is the one for you. HFTMT is insanely charming and completely unpredictable, since most of the episodes are completely improvised. Listening from the beginning gets you the whole story, and it’s a wild one.
This Podcast Will Kill You
If hearing about a certain worldwide disease has awakened a morbid curiosity in you, this podcast may become your new addiction. Epidemiologists Erin Welsch and Erin Allman Updyke take you through the history and all the nasty details of every disease, ailment and malady you can think of, all whilst sipping their own signature cocktails, quarantinis. The hosts bring their own brand of humour and knowledge to the table, and mix theory with real-life patient accounts to create a podcast that is as empathetic as it is informative. If you love getting all the gory details, learning about the human body, or just like good cocktails, give this one a listen.
Get Sleepy
These days, getting a good night’s sleep can be a struggle. This is where Get Sleepy comes in. Stop thinking about those overdue assignments and embarrassing things you said seven years ago and let host Tom Jones guide you through over 100 episodes of sleep-inducing bedtime stories. Get Sleepy is the perfect nightcap to any stressful day. I could give an in-depth review, but most of the time I’m asleep before the episode finishes. But I think that’s a review in itself, don’t you?
Kill James Bond!
From my mediocre attempts at research, I can tell you there are a ton of James Bond podcasts out there. However, KJB is the Bond podcast with a difference. Kill James Bond is an out-and-proud anti-Bond Bond Podcast. Every fortnight, Hosts Alice Caldwell-Kelly, Abigail Thorn and Devon watch a new Bond film, tearing the martini-drinking superspy to shreds in the process. KJB manages to find the perfect balance between sincere commentary on issues like misogyny and racism in film, and complete dumbassery. This podcast is hilarious, thought-provoking and ridiculous. No prior knowledge is required, so simply plug your headphones and start your mission to Kill James Bond.
