Still having fun with podcasts
Good girls, saying sorry, posting disease, animal thoughts, mental illness, supercommunicators.
I finally got around to updating my podcast cover art display! I really need to do it more than three times a year because there’s so many I haven’t displayed yet that would look so good. Speaking of finally getting around to things, I’m being a little more flexible with the timing of my weekly podstacks. I want this to continue to be a space that celebrates and supports audio, but I also want to keep it fun! I’m trying to be mindful of that balance between doing it because I love listening to podcasts and not turning my personal podcast listening into “work”. For me, that means flexibility and not overthinking it. I hope you’re still enjoying it, because there’s certainly still lots of podcasts I want to share with you.
This week’s podstack
Sorry For Apologizing - What Does It Mean To Be a “Good Girl”? With Elise Loehnen
When I heard the overall focus of this show, I couldn’t help needing to listen. It’s about the ways women are conditioned by society to play small and all the places that shows up. This episode really encapsulates a lot of the show’s theme, so it felt like a good first taste of the show. When Elise Loehnen was studying the qualities that society dictates a woman must have to be considered “good”, she realized that they mapped to the seven deadly sins. Even though she’s not religious, it was just such an obvious realization to her. Why does this happen? Women are conditioned for goodness because everything comes back to our reputations, while men are conditioned for power. Women are conditioned to be desirable, but never express desire. It was reminding me of America Ferrera’s monologue in the Barbie movie. (transcript)
The Secret Life of Canada - S6: Sorry not Sorry
Speaking of sorry… Do Canadians really say sorry too much? Who better to investigate that Leah and Falen! It’s kinda surprising that they’re on their sixth season and they haven’t covered this topic yet, but I’m glad we have some answers. They go through the history of sorry and what people did before apologizing was even a thing. I was relating so much to the beginning of the episode when they were sharing all the different kinds of sorrys we say. But this episode does have an unexpected conclusion when it comes to Canada’s apologetic reputation.
Never post - I'm Mad, You're Mad, We're All Mad Here
This is going to sound over the top but Never Post is the show I didn’t know I needed and I can’t believe was missing from my queue. I talk a lot about listening to shows that cover pop culture, media, and society’s relationship with the internet and Never Post does all of those things so well and so thoroughly. In the span of one episode, I got a brief news update of headlines related to the internet, a reported story about why tween fashion trends don’t exist anymore, and I learned about posting disease. That’s a disease of the mind where you start viewing life through a lens of which moments can be content. It’s like a need to post. All of these topics were so fascinating but also delivered in the perfectly balanced style of info-tainment. It’s researched, well-reported, and everyone on the show has great energy. The attention to sound design also supports that energy so well and keeps you very engaged. I know I’m going to be eagerly awaiting new episodes every week now!
Creature Preacher - Super Support Dog
What’s going through the mind of a dog named Dave? How does Brad the chicken feel about loud noises? What kind of personalities does Philip the pig fit in with? Even before listening to the first two episodes of Creature Preacher, I was already charmed by how funny these animal names are. Just simple human names, but hilarious animal names! And it turns out that Dave might be pretty particular about his name. At least, that’s what animal communicator Nancy Mello discovered. No nicknames for Dave! As long as Nancy sees a photo of an animal’s eyes, she’s able to communicate with them and that’s what she does in this show. She speaks with Tim and Annie about Dave’s role in their family and they asked some questions to hopefully get to know their dog better. With short but fun episodes we get to escape into some of the thoughts going through animal’s minds. I’m very curious to hear when a cat is on the show, they just seem like creatures who might have some funny thoughts!
Playing With Marbles - Click here to start loving your brain!
This season of Playing With Marbles is all about mental illness, how common it is, and how it impacts everyone, but especially young people. Why is it becoming more prevalent in youth? I love the sound design and storytelling of this show as it navigates the scientific and societal factors of mental illness. It balances the sometimes heavy topics and brain science, with simple explanations and frequent check-ins. Even though it feels like we’re hearing more and more about what it means to have depression or anxiety, both guests and experts get pretty detailed on the experiences and possible supports that have made a difference to their mental health. Shows like this can help deepen our understanding of ourselves and those around us. I think the fact that they go into the science and the lived experiences makes it stand apart as a thorough resource for learning more. Plus, the new show art for this season is so cute I might have to print it out for display!
Life Kit - How to be a 'supercommunicator'
If communication feels like a mystery you haven’t quite figured out yet or you want your interactions to lead to deeper connections, this episode might reveal some helpful insights. Even though some people, regardless of whether they’re extroverts or introverts, are just better at being “supercommunicators”, it doesn’t mean that can’t change. A supercommunicator just knows the ways to navigate different conversations and interactions. I think one of the biggest takeaways from this episode is recognizing the kind of conversation that you’re having or that the person you’re talking to wants to have. There’s four types and even knowing those types can help you think of things to say depending on what type you’re having.
More sweet treats
A crochet prodigy who can crochet a whole hat in 54 minutes?!
What would a true crime podcast about the hamburglar sound like?
I was reminded of the Disney short film about much more than a ball of yarn.
Meryl Streep uses the podcast app a lot…
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!