(More) podcasts to ride out the pandemic
I look back on this post and just ... shudder.
If I'd known at that time that we'd be in virtually the same spot two years later, with the pandemic not uniting us in purpose but dividing us with more violence — man, I don't know if I'd have made it this far. But far (at least in calendar space) we've come. And many of us, especially those of us with small children who can't be vaccinated yet, could use something to help us endure this cold, dark, and depressing chapter of the pandemic. Here are a few of my favorite podcasts of the moment that may fit that bill.
If you like true crime: The Murdaugh Murders Podcast
I've spent the better part of the last two years trying to tame my addiction to police dramas and true crime podcasts. But I haven't been able to resist following the batshit crazy story unfolding about an hour from my parents' South Carolina home. Things started with the mysterious murder of a woman and her son on their country estate outside of Charleston in June and got weirder after a botched suicide attempt by the husband/father in September. As host Mandy Matney and other journalists pulled the thread on these stories, a ton of dirt on the family — and the South Carolina justice system — has shaken loose. There's a deep catalog of episodes to get you started and new ones are coming just about every week as developments in the cases unfold.
If you like to laugh: The Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz
When I worked in an office, I streamed the LeBatard show on ESPN radio almost daily. But when the pandemic sent me home, I didn't listen to audio on my computer much anymore. So when I heard at the turn of last year that LeBatard and Friends left ESPN and were creating a podcast, I was thrilled. I can now listen to the show while I walk my dog, go running, or do work around the house. Everything that drew me to the old show seems exponentially better in this new iteration — a cast of lovably flawed characters delivering an eclectic mix of sports, social commentary, and a ton of laughs. One word of caution: Don't listen to the show while lifting weights, because you never know when you'll begin cackling so hard you almost drop a barbell on your face. Yes, this happened to me.
If you like sports: Nothing Personal with David Samson
I discovered David Samson via his weekly Thursday appearance on the LeBatard show's local hour. David is the former president of the Miami Marlins and Montreal Expos and uses his podcast to deliver the news of the sports day filtered through the lens of a longtime team executive. I started listening just in time for the MLB playoffs and loved David's unique insight about what happens off the field, especially during the World Series. His perspective on the business of sports is one I can't say I've heard or read anywhere else. And even though sometimes his takes make my blood boil (for example, his position on the potential trade of Deshaun Watson earlier this NFL season), he's a living, breathing reminder that in sports, it's strictly business — it's nothing personal. Bonus: He gives a daily movie/TV show review, which has helped decrease my aimless streaming-service scrolling by a solid 20%.
If you like soccer with a side of humanity: Men in Blazers
I went long on this one last year, but I'd be remiss if I didn't give Rog and Davo a shout here, too. Their show is about football, but it's also about life, and it matters next to none whether you know anything about the former.
If you like suspense thrillers: Passenger List
This is a two-season fiction podcast that centers on a plane that goes missing on a flight from London to New York. The twin sister of one of the passengers refuses to believe the official story of the plane's disappearance and starts investigating the — you guessed it — passenger list. Her path to the truth makes for an addictive series of 30-45-minute episodes. If you have a long drive or a cross-country flight in your future — or, like me, you're just trying to hide from your toddler for an hour — this makes a great companion.
If you like little-known chapters of history: Wind of Change
If nonfiction is more your style, this highly bingeable show is for you. Host Patrick Radden Keefe chases down a long-circulating rumor that a Scorpions hit from the '90s, Wind of Change, was actually commissioned by the CIA as propaganda to help topple the Soviet Union. The notion sounds ludicrous until Keefe walks you through the many occasions on which the American government previously wielded popular culture as a weapon to influence and intervene in affairs both foreign and domestic. The show is a delight for history buffs, conspiracy theorists, rock enthusiasts — and people like me, who are none of the above.
If you like discovering that everything you know is wrong: Maintenance Phase
Brought to you by Michael Hobbes, previously of You're Wrong About, and Aubrey Gordon, Maintenance Phase covers diets, workout fads, and other weight loss-related subjects. Specifically, they go deep on how just about everything we know about "wellness" is backed by dubious science at best and unbridled corporate greed at worst. The episodes range in tone from hilarious to downright disturbing, but all will have you questioning your assumptions about what it means to be "healthy." For some '90s nostalgia, start with some of the show's first episodes about the President's Physical Fitness Test (posted 10/20/20) and Snackwell's Cookies (11/3/20).