JCC Where's the Subscribe Button? A Podcast Discussion Thread!

So, yeah, I love podcasts. Love, love, love them. The world of podcasts is this incredibly exciting, exhilarating world where any kind of entertainment you want is at your fingertips: music, news, comedy, drama, cultural criticism, political commentary, sports talk, history, trivia, advice, philosophy, spirituality, and, of course, sex. There’s quite literally, I would guess, not a niche out there that isn’t represented by some sort of podcast.

One of the most amazing things about podcasts? They’re FREE. A large portion of them anyway. All it takes is an iTunes subscription (or some other kind of subscription) and every morning you wake up with a boatload of entertainment that has magically appeared on your computer or media device without you having to pay anything at all. I hate these kinds of things, but I have to say it: the future of mass media is in the world of podcasting.

In this new project, I’ll be talking about a lot of podcasts. I’ll be bringing up award-winning podcasts, my favorites and, in a few cases, truly awful podcasts (you knew I’d have to do it, right?).

Don’t feel restricted to talking about the podcasts I bring up; I’m kind of treating this as a hosted discussion from my end, but post about the podcasts you’re listening to as well. If you listen to a podcast on a regular basis, post about each episode as you hear it. Let’s discuss the latest episodes, the classic episodes, the unfortunately defunct and exciting debuts.

In my next big post, I’ll be bringing up a wonderful informative history podcast that is, beautifully, complete, allowing you to download every episode and in, just a handful of hours, be incredibly informed on a fascinating period of history.

For now, what are some of your favorites?

Yes, Ender Sai, I finally started it.

 

I hope you feature an interview with that guy that said he listens to 61 podcasts a week, prompting Rogue Number Ten to ask what sort of graduate study program he was in, as there were several television shows he wanted to catch up on.

EDIT: Yeah, Point Given, that was honestly my thought about this, too. The title really implies it.

 

I enjoy the In Our Time podcast, although that's literally just a radio show distributed for free over the internet ex post facto.

 

Oh, God, no! I will reword the title immediately as under no circumstances will that be happening.

Yeah, I count radio shows distributed as podcasts. Well, heck, even some TV shows do it. 60 Minutes is the only one that springs to mind immediately.

I've heard maybe two or three episodes of In Our Time. There was one I heard about some kind of ancient religion that I found really interesting, but I have forgotten even what religion it was about. It's a little too sedate to ever be one of my favorites if you know what I mean. Very British. I could hear the term "dry" being used against it, though I don't really think that's fair. But it's certainly muted and methodical.

 

I love podcasts. I first got into the medium back in 2010, listening to Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith's "Jay and Silent Bob Get Old". I'd loved Smith films since Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob especially, so this seemed interesting. It turned out to be fascinating; I knew Mewes had been arrested for shooting dope but I didn't realise the extent of his problems. The podcast was an intervention of sorts, and has given Mewes a new lease on life.

Since I catch a bus to work and can't really read on the bus, podcasts became invaluable to me - it's better than just listening to music in that you can actually learn something. I know the podcast Rogue is talking about, so I won't steal his thunder but I will, in anticipation of his post, say I 110% endorse that podcast as amazing.

So what am I listening to now? Lots, in short.

Fat Man on Batman - Kevin Smith has a whole network of podcasts, but this one is a particular and enduring favourite. Smith talks to key people in the Batman universe - artists, writers, voice actors - for two hours at a time. Smith's intended audience is one person - Smith - but this works in favour of the podcast, because he's basically geeking out with other Batman fans. It's pure joy to listen to. And when you list the guests, you can see why: Mark Hammil, Paul Dini, Kevin Conroy, Tara Strong, Scott Snyder, Jim Lee, Kyle Higgins, Greg Capullo, Bruce Timm... Get this podcast, Batfans!

Hollywood Babble-On - Another Kevin Smith podcast, this is a live comedy show featuring Smith and California radio personality Ralph Garman. Garman is fairly talented as an impressionist and the show covers of all the wonderful goings on in pop culture. Genuinely funny.

BBC History Hour - Like most BBC World Service shows, it's a well researched and impeccably British podcast covering off 2 to 3 major world events in an hour.

Freakonomics - A lot of people feel economists are people who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. Co-author of the wildly successful Freakonomics book, Stephen Dubner, presents a half hour weekly show that applies an economist's mindset to a range of questions such as "Why bad environmentalism is a really good sell"; "An economist's guide to parenting (parts I and II)", and "what do skating rinks, ultimate frisbee and the world have in common" (answer: spontaneous order). Highly recommend this one - it will change your mind on how you see things.

If there are any Formula 1 fans reading the thread; BBC 5Live Chequered Flag Podcast is the best F1 podcast I've come across.

I used to listen to the rationalist podcast Reasonable Doubts, but they began to lose their edge in my view and it was less fulfilling than it used to be.

(Note: I listen to other podcasts; Sidepodcast and Infiniti Red Bull Racing Official for Formula 1; WOTC's official D&D, which is worth it for whenever the Penny Arcade/PvP combo group plays live sessions; Order 66 for the Fantasy Flight SWRPG etc. It's just these are the ones I'd recommend people check out)

 

All I know about podcasts is that my roommate listens to them and it's obnoxious as hell. Nonstop all day people talking. Why do I care what they have to say? They all sound like idiots who couldn't get a proper job so what, they went into talking about what crosses their limited failed brains with specific topics? Wouldn't I better myself by reading a book written by someone properly educated and validated by society?

 

My attention is too divided to sit there and just listen to people talk. I always attempt podcasts, but I find myself tabbing through web pages, missing everything they're saying. My commute is about five minutes long, too, so there's no time in the car.

 

Depends.

I can't read on the bus - I'm not sure why, I used to be able to but now I get motion sick. It's incredibly annoying but I can't sit like a moron so podcasts form a nice bridge between reading a book or an informed magazine style website, and having something to do.

Similarly if I'm driving, I prefer to listen to a local service that rebroadcasts Radio Netherlands, NPR, BBC World Service and Deutsche Welle. However that same station can also broadcast commentary of sports I care nothing for, so that's where podcasts come in useful.

But, yes - there is no quality filter other than trusting aggregate reviews or peer feedback, and since there's literally no bar to entry - you could record one on an iPhone - there's no uniform standard. Fair call.

Rogue1-and-a-half needs to name drop this podcast that we both agree on but SLG - if you go and listen to the 5 part series in this SOON TO BE NAMED HINT HINT ROGUE podcast on Genghis Khan and the Mongol empire, and don't come away impressed, I'll eat your hat.

I'm not eating mine, I need it.

 

We're Alive - A story of survival... - "Zombie" apocalypse story following Sergeant Michael Cross and friends as they try to survive following the outbreak of a disease turning people into shambling hordes with a penchant for human flesh. The podcast is now on season 4, the final season, and is absolutely awesome. I know zombie stuff has been done to death (haha) recently, however I really believe this is worth checking out as, inevitably, the cast clash with other survivors as well as the infected. I got my brother hooked on it and he's only been up to date this final season.

Get caught up with it now, I think I managed to listen to the back catalogue in about a fortnight... each episode is broken up into 3 parts and each part is released once a week, with a week's gap between part 3 and part 1 of the next episode (hard to explain, basically 1 episode every 4 weeks).

PC Pro Podcast - I work in IT, this podcast gives some nice insight into things going on in the real world, released every Wednesday.

Simon Mayo's Confessions Podcast - I love this so much, people's stories of never-before admitted to naughtiness... my personal favourite was a Christmas one... Dad goes out on Christmas eve to the pub, two sons go to another pub and all of them get exceedingly drunk while Mum cooks the Christmas turkey (the night before?!? Why?!?).

Sons get home, Dad's asleep in the armchair and the smell of turkey is overwhelming. Sons eat a bit of turkey, don't keep an eye on how much they've eaten and practically devour it.

Remembering Dad in the chair, they place a drumstick (turkey, not a Dave Grohl special) in each of his hands, rub turkey grease around his mouth and go to bed. Husband wakes up following shrieks from his wife, and can't deny eating the turkey as he had so much to drink he couldn't remember if he had or not.

Wife crucifies husband and sons have given Dad a slice of their turkey each Christmas dinner out of guilt.

 

I'm in a time crunch here, so I'll address the things you brought up later, Ender Sai.

But just to address this, I know the kind of podcasts you're talking about here. There are a lot of them like this. But there are plenty of podcasts curated by incredibly intelligent people: economists, historians, intelligent journalists (ha ha yes they exist), politicians, people with doctorates and masters degrees, etc. In fact, the next one I'm going to throw up a long post on is a really incredibly intelligent podcast about history. But many of these people are properly educated and validated by society. And the format has definite advantages; like this next one. It's like maybe five hours long all told and you get a ton of information; if you read the guy's books, it would take much longer than five hours. But he distills the basic points down for a podcast audience.

And then there are comedy podcasts. You don't listen to those to get informed about the world; you listen to them to be entertained. And some of them are incredibly entertaining.

In short, your roommate has terrible taste in podcasts. I'm sorry you've had such a horrid experience with them, because there are some really great ones out there.

 

I don't watch any.

 

I feel like the only podcasts legitimate enough to spend time on are things that already exist and have been vetted in other forms. For instance, an award-winning radio show that simply makes its weekly episodes available for podcast listening in case someone can't tune in during the normal broadcast slot. Alternatively, I do use a number of short fiction podcasts that are merely "books on tape" as applied to stories that are shorter than novel length. They carry the short stories of published authors in professional literature magazines as read by award-winning narrators. It's a good solution to the problem Ender referenced, where one can't read for whatever reason. Having made those sorts of caveats, at least 90% of this medium is complete crap.

 

Flop House
/Film Cast
Eleventh Hour Podcast
Nerdist (for the interviews with people I want to hear)
Radio Free Skaro
The Watching Dead

 

Doug Loves Movies
How Did This Get Made?
SModcast
Tell Em Steve-Dave
Assemble After Dark (formally IGN Assemble)

I'll occasionally listen to Nerdist or some of Kevin Smith's other podcasts but I'm so far behind on Smodcast and TESD that I haven't had time in a while.

 

Wocky, Kevin Smith's podcasts and the F1 podcast "Sidepodcast" have excellent production values and aren't radio programs. Moreover, distributing radio over podcast channels isn't really podcasting per se.

 

filmspotting

 

I usually listen to How Did This Get Made, Radiodrome, Lost In The Static, and Geek Juice Radio. The last three are hosted by this guy named Josh Hadley, who is pretty well informed about TV and movies, but he can be obnoxious at times and very opinionated, and isn't afraid to let you know it. He's a paragon of sanity compared to his co-host on a couple other podcasts (Hart Fisher), who is practically Howard Beale in comparison.

 

Well, Wocky, 90% of every medium is crap.

And, as I may have already said, radio programs released as podcasts count in my book.

 

leaving out the radio programs:

breaking bad (now defunct, obv)
dan carlin's insane history (or something like that, it's pretty okay)
c-span - lectures in american history
kreative kontrol
the dogfart podcast




(that last one is fake)

 

I never got into the podcast scene, sadly. I'm probably missing out.

 

Not quite. This is most akin to self-published books, in that there is no mandatory professional oversight process that screens for quality or content or. . .basically anything. As I understand it, literally anyone with the time and interest can set something up. That more or less guarantees a much higher proportion of garbage.

 

Case in point: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1449997414/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1385793257&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70 by Wormiesaber