Podcasts are my happy place

pluto's story, mission to mars, what the stars tell us, the original food writer, Rocky's art, normalizing failure, surviving winter

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – podcasts are my happy place. When I find myself feeling down, uninspired, or just in a funk it usually means I either need food, coffee, or a good podcast. Many times, it’s all of the above! The beauty of podcasts is all the different ways they can make me feel whole again. Sometimes you just need great banter and conversation to keep you company, sometimes you need a story so captivating the rest of the world melts away, and sometimes you really need to not hear your own inner monologue for a bit. It never ceases to amaze me how the right podcast can perk me right up. And in those times, picking the one that will hit the spot is so important. Just like finding the perfect snack when you’re hungry. The good thing is I always have lots of shows I know I can turn to, no matter my listening mood.

I’d love to hear what podcast you turn to when you need a pick-me-up!

Some podcasts that have made me happy lately

Pale Blue Pod - Pluto in Grandma’s Living Room

Moiya and Corinne had me at “I can look at a picture of space and be like ‘oh, I’m feeling too tiny now, gotta look away’,” when describing how overwhelming space can be sometimes. I’ve been consuming a lot of space content lately (looking at you For All Mankind and Avenue 5), but this is different in exactly the way I need it to be. It’s sciencey but very fun! This is the first episode, so you meet the hosts, Moiya and Corinne, learn about their history with space, and then get into Pluto’s history (aka how it lost its planet status). It feels like a perfect introduction to their chemistry and the tone of the show. Weirdly, I think casual but informative space talk might be a good comfort pod for me.

Starship Q Star - Two Girls, One Captaincy

Oops there’s a space theme happening, but I’m into it! I discovered Starship Q Star in Apple Podcasts’ (Canada) New and Noteworthy section. It’s a fictional show that follows a space agency’s first all female and non-binary space crew on a mission to Mars, that is meant to just be a PR stunt until things go very, very wrong (I won’t spoil the twist). The humour pokes fun at all the ridiculous ways a space organization might treat an all non-male mission… like having no sense of sanitary needs and putting excessive precautions and safeguards in place in case of hormones. On top of that, the crew has two captains who also happen to have recently become exes. They’re figuring out that dynamic, the rest of the crew each have their own personal things they’re working through and then they meet someone new who brings some fun food-themed bits to the action (and another twist I won’t spoil). The writing is so good at balancing some very obvious and hilarious jokes, with those subtle ones that you really appreciate if you’re paying attention. I’m on episode three now and I’ve found myself laughing out loud and so intrigued by how they’re going to survive this trip! (transcripts)

Immigrantly - Written in the Stars

Now we’re going to shift from talking about space, to talking about the stars… sort of. I have been eagerly awaiting Immigrantly’s recent episode featuring Mangesh Hattikudur, host of Skyline Drive. For starters, Saadia Khan is such a welcoming and curious host who always asks the best questions. You know she’s done her research but she’s also listening so intently to prompt her guests in such insightful ways. And secondly, Skyline Drive is easily one of my favourite shows to be released in the last year, maybe more. I listened to the first episode at least three times. But I’m going to write more about it in a future issue. Whether you’ve listened to Skyline Drive or not, Saadia and Mangesh have immediate chemistry that continues throughout the episode for such an enjoyable conversation. They discuss their relationships with astrology, how the westernized version of astrology differs, and the many unique ways people choose to interact with astrology. No matter what you think about astrology or horoscopes, there’s so much to learn about when and why people turn to the stars for answers.

Fierce - Clementine Paddleford: The Woman who Revolutionized Food Writing

I had this episode about Clementine in my queue already… and then Mangesh mentioned her in his interview with Saadia and my jaw dropped. It’s a sign?! More likely just a funny coincidence that I happened to stumble upon Fierce, a show that Mangesh also had a hand in creating. Either way, the serendipity of it all made me eager to listen! If you love stories about interesting and impactful parts of history but always wondered where all the women are, you’ll love this show. Clementine is a huge part of how food writing became the career it has because she proved how food is actually about the stories, interactions, and impacts our food has on our lives, not just our nutrition. She’s described as this badass mix of Nellie Bly meets Anthony Bourdain (even though she paved the way for his work). The style of this show is my kind of history lesson! Host Jo Piazza keeps things relatable and approachable while talking with experts, describing the historical timelines with dramatic readings of Clementine’s work, and even interviewing a current-day food writer who is baffled she’d never heard of Clementine before now.

The Statue - Patron Saint of the Underdog

Did I think I would find myself googling “Sylvester Stallone art” this week? Not a chance. Mostly because I didn’t even know that was something to be googled! It turns out a podcast about the Rocky statue in Philadelphia has a lot more layers to explore than I expected. On the one side, there’s the question of how a fictional character became so important/popular that its statue became a symbol of a city. But it also tells a story about the actor behind that character, how they are connected, and how art connects it all. I really like the way the host Paul Farber, whose life work is studying monuments, guides us through all the related tangents stemming from this statue. I haven’t even seen the movies and yet I’m feeling invested! That might also be because it explores a little film history as well, like how the steadycam was new for this film and had a significant influence. I also love all the trumpety music used throughout the show, but be prepared to have the Rocky theme song stuck in your head a lot. (transcript)

Normalize This - Failure

What does it mean to normalize failure? Could we be better off if we change our perspective on these so-called “failures”? Danielle Young and Adam Rippon make a good case for why we should! On each episode of the show they analyze trends, behaviours, and stigmas in the world to determine whether we need to re-frame how we think about them. What stood out to me about this particular episode is that Adam has a lot of experience in something where the stakes for failure can be really high – he was an Olympic figure skater. Together, he and Danielle remind us that sometimes we can be too hard on ourselves and inflate those feelings of failure. Their friendship and banter makes their analysis so much more fun and relatable than how this might normally be discussed.

Outside/In - 13 Tips on How to "Surthrive" this Winter

Just your friendly neighbourhood Canadian here, looking for tips on becoming friends with winter, which is exactly what this episode aims to help with. Don’t let the very cold open (literally) scare you off, it’s actually such a warm conversation. The team from Outside/In, along with special guest Mara Hoplamazian, get together to discuss the ways they find joy, brightness, and warmth during the dark and cold days of winter. They share special activities, things they treat themselves to, and even some off-screen options that have brought them comfort. I loved when they mentioned a Portlandia episode where they desperately chase the sun around, because that is me. I hope this helps you find some winter comfort ideas! (transcript)

Thank you for reading! And thank you to everyone who has sent me recommendations to check out – I’m so excited! 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!