It’s been a while between Weekend Reading posts, so to help ease us back into things we thought we’d shake things up with a podcast special. Hey, why read when you could listen?
Stuff You Missed In History Class
SYMIHC is possibly our deepest internet love. Over the years, it has been hosted by a rotating team of smart funny women (okay once Josh from Stuff You Should Know was a host, but he’s a cool dude so we’ll let that slide) who research and report on amazing history bites you may not know about. They investigate cool little know stories (The Amazons of Dahomey), bring fresh dimensions to historical figures (Calamity Jane), shed new light on thing you thought you couldn’t learn more about (A Brief History of Peanut Butter), introduce you to new heroes (Joe Carstairs), and perhaps best of all ever October role out some great scary content for Halloween.
With the tagline, “We read stuff so you don’t have to”, TWBS podcast is part of the great tradition on loving things that are bad for you. They read terrible books that did much better than they should have, and talk about what makes them amazingly bad, and sometimes undeniably enjoyable. Their targets are impressibly broad, from Twilight to Dianetics, and our personal favourite, Tyra Banks’ classic Modelland.
Listening to CYG feels less like checking in with a podcast, and more like lurking on amazing female friendships you’d love to crash in on. Each week Gina Delvac, Ann Friedman, and Aminatou Sow dedicate time to keeping their long distant friendships alive by calling each other and chatting about whatever is on their mind. It’s smart, fun, intimate, and original.
I SEEM FUN; The Diary of Jen Kirkman Podcast
You might have noticed a theme that these ‘casts are largely projects by women we just really want to be friends with. Nowhere is this more true that with Jen Kirkman. People familiar with her comedy know she’s the funny cool girl you think you are after having a couple of Aperol Spritzers. Keep the fantasy going through an extra outlet.
You know when you’re out with your mates having a super weird conversation, and you’re like, “We should start a podcast!” Then you realise everything you’ve been talking about is super, super weird and figure it wouldn’t translate so you drop the idea? Well Chlesea Peretti’s podcast is that moment, if you were like, “Fuck it, let’s do it anyway.” Basically a call in show, each week Chelsea and often an impossibly cool pal shoot the shit over a range of issues, and pretty much wing it. The fact this is so fun, and not a hot mess, is a testament to how amazing and charismatic she is.
Still into reading? Check out some other great GGG recommended articles.
