Is too much of the same queue a good thing?
Overcoming trauma, stereotypes, feeling stuck, climate proof locations, music allergy, Margaret Cho's playlist.
Do you ever feel like you’re getting too repetitive in your queue? I know I do. You might’ve noticed how often I mention listening to climate themed podcasts, or even capitalism themed ones. And if you didn’t before, I’ve now brought your attention to it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that either! After all, that’s the whole point of choosing what you listen to, watch, or read. But I will confess that there are several podcasts within those themes that I have burdened my family with my reviews of, instead of including them here. I want Podstack to be full of different flavours, as much as I can. So I won’t write about the recent episodes from Science Vs, The Gray Area, and Search Engine that have been swirling in my head over the past couple of weeks.
This week’s podstack
From Now On - THE ISLAND: Trapped on Little Saint Jeff’s
To talk about an incredibly traumatic experience is one thing, to do it on a podcast takes a whole other level of strength. To take an experience that forever changes you, go through the work it takes to process it, and then create a space for others to speak about their experiences is a generous act. That’s what Lisa Phillips is doing on her new show. She’s a former model and survivor of sexual abuse who wants to help others, especially those in the modeling and entertainment industry, have a space to share their experiences of trauma, assault, and abuse, so that people can feel seen and learn about the red flags, the manipulation, and the healing processes. For the first episode Lisa is in conversation with another model who experienced abuse while working in the industry. The second episode is where the heaviness and purpose of the show is felt. Lisa shares her story and speaks with a trauma expert about what happens when you experience trauma and how to heal after it. It’s not always an easy listen, but the show is so thoughtfully produced that you want to go on this journey with Lisa.
Homegoings - The myth of the deadbeat dad
If you haven’t listened to an episode of Homegoings, you’ll probably have the same reaction I did - why aren’t more people talking about this show?! The quality of the storytelling, editing, and overall narrative structure alone sets it apart from a lot of shows. But there’s also host Myra Flynn’s unwavering curiosity and generosity as she listens to people’s perspectives, shares her own sometimes very personal experiences, and helps us all better understand each other. If you’re looking for a place to start, their latest series on stereotypes about Black men is a powerful example of what the show does best. It brings together some candid and genuine conversations, to reveal how troubling, dangerous, and profound these stereotypes are.
Season of Stuck - Unlocking The Science Of Stuck
On the surface, this feels like a topic for an episode of Hidden Brain that I would absolutely listen to. But in the actual execution, it’s the perfect mix of personally relatable conversation and scientific understanding. Host Deanna deBara is ready and eager for Britt Frank to help her debunk the feelings of being stuck. You know when you want to do something and you feel like your brain just won’t move? Or maybe you feel like things are fine enough to not warrant doing anything, but you’re not necessarily happy? Britt explains those patterns in our brain and how “micro yes’s” work to help you, uncertainty works against you, and how to break free. This episode gives you equal parts science and actionable advice.
99% Invisible - Not Built For This #1: The Bottom of the Bowl
It feels like every podcast could have climate related episodes or mini-series these days and I’m so glad 99% Invisible is sharing theirs! In true 99 PI style, they’re helping us understand the ways climate change is impacting the places we live. Like in the first episode, where a small Vermont town that was once thought to be safe from any climate-related issues, faces the difficult reality of its flood risk. Or the second episode, where a place literally named Paradise can no longer be that for its residents after brutal forest fires. The reporting on these stories is so heartfelt, but also shows you the societal and political factors that are making things even harder. (transcript)
Canadaland - Can You be Allergic to Music?
Canadaland is great at finding fascinating stories to share and this one is a perfect example of that! Can you imagine being so powerfully negatively impacted by music that you have to actively avoid it or you’ll experience crippling mental illness? That was the mysterious experience of Anya and this episode reveals how she eventually found peace thanks to a revolutionary ultrasound technology in Canada that could so specifically target the area of her brain that was triggering her painful symptoms. With the way this episode combines our experience of music and the psychological and neurological impacts it can have, it almost feels like something that Twenty Thousand Hertz would cover, but I love Canadaland’s take on it.
Life in Seven Songs - How comedy saved Margaret Cho’s life
I love the way you can learn so much about a person by getting their list of favourite…anything! Whether it’s specific movies, like on Films to Be Buried With, or foods like on Your Last Meal, it’s such a fun way to get to know a person. This episode with Margaret Cho is a perfect example of that too. Through a list of seven songs, you learn about Margaret’s life and all the fun, difficult, and impactful moments that made her who she is today. She also brings a deep knowledge of music to the episode, so when she’s talking about each song she gets so detailed about the specific parts that resonate with her. It made for such a great episode and her playlist is awesome! (transcript)
More sweet treats
I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts about podcasting and the industry.
Lauren and I talked about the joy of podcasting on insidewink.
On Feed the Queue the Tink crew investigated whether podcasting is dead?!
Alex Goldman spoke about making a podcast again after previously co-hosting one of the biggest shows around.
Never Post did a state of the union roundtable about what’s happening in the industry.
Thank you for reading! If you listened to something this week that made your heart sing, your imagination wander, or your brain ponder, I’d love to hear about it!