Before launching into my podcast picks to see you through quarantine, I must reiterate a plea from Derry Girls’ Nicola Coughlan. To all you straight men out there: please do not start a podcast in your newly found free time. Steven, we are looking at you. We don’t want to hear it. Although, I personally don’t have a leg to stand on since I am the Beaver Sound Editor. Jokes aside, if your eyes are getting screen fatigue from work, communication, and Tiger King, podcasts are the solution. These five gems are just a handful of the brilliantly composed, funny, and intriguing podcasts the internet has to offer, entirely for free!
Lockdown and Chill: The Guilty Feminist
This excellent weekly series is a long-running success and coming up to its 200th episode. Comedian Deborah Frances-White leads guests in an audio stand-up set guided by the phrase “I’m a feminist but…” The relatable frustrations and stories capture how exhausting it is to be a feminist woman sometimes and will make you cry with laughter. Even in quarantine, these candid comedians serve up content we can all connect with, from being a feminist but… taking ten minutes to find a good angle for your Zoom call to the struggles of Zoom participants not recognising you in your quarantine zombie attire. The guilty feminist struggle is real and this podcast lays it bare. If you are looking for something to keep you smiling and chuckling throughout the day, this is the one.
Essentially Working: This American Life
This American Life is the godfather of the podcast world, having released its first episode (albeit in a radio format) in 1995. The beautifully composed episodes lead listeners through four acts, each comprising a story that relates to the episode’s title. The stories are wide-ranging, from memoirs, individual experiences of current affairs, family dramas, to much more. However, they are all united by an elegant simplicity and ability to draw in the listener in under ten minutes. The most recent episode opens with the omnipresently calm tones of presenter Ira Glass interviewing couples therapist Esther Perel on the impact of lockdown on her clients. On the seemingly opposite end of the spectrum is my favourite episode – number 688 (‘Out of the Crowd’). This episode tells the stories of migrants stuck in refugee camps on the US-Mexico border. This American Life demonstrates the power of giving someone space to tell their story with dignity and respect. Listening will give you all the feels and leaves you with a wonderful sense of satisfaction that only a good story provides.
Stop It’s Not Fun Anymore: Risk!
Risk! Is another empowering space that serves up, as the name suggests, riskier content. The producers invite amateur storytellers to live shows where they record a story they never thought they’d share. The content ranges from embarrassing encounters to heart-breaking histories. I was lucky enough to attend one of the live shows at the 2019 London Podcast Festival. I was taken aback by the bravery of these individuals sharing their experience with brutal honesty while demonstrating masterful storytelling techniques, which kept the audience captivated. One account came from a middle-aged man recounting the first time his parents had met his soon to be in-laws. His father, an alcoholic, had mistaken the mashed potato bowl for a toilet. Suffice it to say chaos ensued as the teller desperately tried to salvage the encounter while suffering from his own heroin addiction. In the space of just ten minutes the teller had us laughing, surprised, and in somber silence. The show has now reached such popularity that it provides online workshops in story-telling so more people can grasp this wonderful skill.
If I Weren’t Locked Down I’d Be Rioting: Serial
If you feel yourself on edge (which we all inevitably do) and need an escape, Serial is the podcast for you. Each season is structured like a mini-series and explores a criminal case in painstaking detail. The first season reached critical acclaim as it pulled apart the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, 15 years after the fact. Her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed was convicted of the crime, but as journalist Sarah Koenig takes listeners step-by-step through the evidence, trial, and interviews individuals connected to the case, it becomes clear just how unclear the case really is. In addition, each episode on the website comes with access to case evidence material for the budding criminal lawyers among us to comb through. The combination of Sarah Koenig’s soothing yet inquisitive voice in addition to the gripping structure of the episodes and true nature of the content makes Serial an excellent escape to dive into.
WHO Needs Hair Anyway: S* Town
If a breakdown were a podcast it would be S* Town. It is chaos shaken in a bottle and turned into a masterpiece. This is possibly the only way to explain S* Town’s plot because I cannot emphasize enough how surprising the twists-and-turns in this documentary series are. Your expectations will be shattered. Produced by This American Life and Serial, it starts by following John, an Alabaman living on the outskirts of a small town, which he fondly calls Shit Town. He calls on This American Life reporter Brian Reed to investigate the inhabitants of the town and you’ll have to listen to learn what he finds. The shocking true story has treasure, death, secrets, and all the ingredients of an incredible tale. So, next time the tears start flowing and you can’t stand the sight of revision, plug into this pearl of a podcast and be transported to where chaos somehow makes sense.
