Self-help yourself in the queue
Self-improvements, algorithmic taste, drinking elixirs, Nancy Meyers, Gen Z pop culture, Justine snacks.
After an unplanned break, Podstack is back! I was sick last week and quickly discovered that podcasts don’t pair too well with being sick. While trying to rest as much as possible, I fell very behind in my queue. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know that I love to pair podcasts with cooking, cleaning, and crafting. Those were all things that I wasn’t doing much of! I found it difficult to just sit still and listen to podcasts, so I completely fell out of my routine. Thankfully, I’m feeling back to myself but I’m still getting back into the swing of my listening habits. My queue is piling up, but this is supposed to be fun! So I’m reminding myself that it’s not a race, I don’t need to hustle, and the podcasts aren’t going anywhere as I take my time catching up on all of them. Considering the time of year and my thoughts so far, there’s a bit of a self-care theme to this week’s list mixed in with some new gems.
This week’s podstack
Embodied - (Self) Helped: Inside The Industry That Wants To Change Your Life
The self-help industry is eager to feed us tips and tricks for improving ourselves, especially this time of year. How did this become such a popular genre full of more scams than supports? Anita Rao investigates the best-selling books and their advice, while speaking to people who have critically analyzed this work. She helps us realize how these books oversimplify and often ignore the systemic factors that are at the centre of so many things we think we need self-help for. I love the way episodes of Embodied blend together some history, some interviews, and a personal touch from the host and guests. (transcript)
The Ezra Klein Show - How to Discover Your Own Taste
This episode raised a question I didn’t even realize I needed to be thinking about - what’s happening to our taste in a world that is so strongly determined by algorithms? How do you know if you like a certain thing because you genuinely like it or if your prferences and taste are being skewed and sculpted by what algorithms are serving you? Like so many of Ezra’s interviews, this grows into a bigger conversation about how we learn what we like, how we are spending our attention, and how we can take back control of our experience of the world. It feels like a difficult thing to do when algorithms are so ever-present, but the awareness this brings to things feels like a good place to start. It’ll make you think about why you’re choosing the things you are and what causes a trend. I’m becoming a more frequent Ezra Klein listener every week because of the critical and curious thinking he inspires. (transcript)
Well, Now - A Toast to Dry January
I did say there was a bit of self-care theme this week and this show is definitely a big part of that. I listened to it right after Embodied and it felt like a complimentary journey through what self-help and self-care have been, to what they are today. This is a new show and what surprised me the most about the first episode was the choice to break out of the studio and take the conversation to a sober speakeasy. It brought a fun dynamic to the episode and helped introduce the hosts in a playful way! I didn’t realize how big the world of elixirs have become, or the fact that language is shifting away from mocktails towards calling non-alcoholic drinks elixirs because it adds some sophistication to them, instead of feeling like something off the kids menu. The second episode, about what ‘wellness’ even means, is also a perfect follow up to the Embodied episode. (transcript)
Talking Pictures - Nancy Meyers
Behind the scenes stories of Nancy Meyers’ movies is every bit as delightful as you’d think it would be. Whether you love her movies, her iconic kitchens, or just any kind of movie history, you’ll love this. The fact that the interview takes place in Nancy’s home, more specifically her kitchen, adds this feeling of closeness. Like you’re really just listening to a friendly conversation between Nancy and host Ben Mankiewicz. They also mix in clips from the movies and moments they discuss throughout the episode and it’ll just make you want to go watch her movies! I actually love that they chose to launch this show with Nancy’s episode, because by doing so they’re doing something that Nancy talks about in the interview - adding legitimacy to her genre of movies. She mentions how calling her movies ‘rom-coms’ almost makes it easier for people to take them less seriously. I want more episodes like this!
Banterly - Guess What? Gen Z is Having Sex Now
I’ve talked a lot about the various internet/pop culture podcasts I listen to, but many of them are hosted by people my age or older. Now, I have a show that helps me learn the Gen Z perspective about the movies, memes, and trends floating around the zeitgeist. Hosts Aidan and Aditi take a critical and analytical approach to the topics they’re covering, but like the name of the show suggests, there’s lots of fun banter! Their first episode talks about the way sex is being portrayed in popular Gen Z shows like Sex Education and Sex Lives of College Girls. They explore what works or is helpful about these shows and what’s been harmful about other shows.
Radio Cherry Bombe - 2023’s Top Episode: Justine Doiron Of Justine Snacks
I can’t believe I missed this episode when it first aired, so I’m glad they re-aired it for me to discover! I watch Justine’s recipes on TikTok and I’ve made a few of her recipes, so I was really curious to hear more about her. She has always stood out for her personal and relatable approach to cooking. She’s open about the fact that she is mostly self-taught, but that makes me even more intrigued by the creative recipes she comes up with. Even if you’re not big on cooking content, she also has an interesting and very honest story about being a content creator. She talks about when she had to choose between her job and her TikTok account and what made it possible for her to leave her full-time job. (transcript)
More sweet treats
SO MANY fascinating facts that we learned from podcasts in 2023.
Winter is really wintering, but look at these snowflakes. How are they even real.
I just discovered this wildly impressive combination of table tennis and keep-it-up.
Do you know why ice is slippery? This song has the answer and it’s been playing in my head all week.
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!