March 2, 2020

Podcasts lately.

Unrelated, yesterday.

I don't know what I did with my time before podcasts came around. Podcasts are definitely the new blog: everyone has one. However, I've done a LOT of trimming and adjusting when it comes to podcasts I listen to. Some I just plain outgrew. Some became tedious. Some I realized weren't good for me to listen to day in and day out.

Some examples of this: 

Happier with Gretchen Rubin 
Gretchen is kind of insufferable, but okay. I couldn't get over how haplessly ridiculous Elizabeth was, though. Life is not as hard as she makes it out to be. Figure out a way to make yourself doctor appointments and actually arrive for them, Liz. Also, re: exercise. It's not as impossible as she makes it seem.

What Should I Read Next? 
They just kept recommending the same boring books over and over again. And then they all have the same hufflepuff problems: they can't not finish books and they can't say they hate books.

The Popcast
I really, really liked this for a long time. Then, the sound issues started to bug me. Knox speaks too quietly and Jami speaks too loudly. I would have to constantly adjust the volume. Finally, I'd had enough.

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I used to just listen to podcasts while I drove to work and while I walked the dogs. Now, I will just put an earbud in and listen while I putter around the house and Wells plays. I hate that I multitask in this way, but I need something to listen to. I don't do music (it's weird, I know). I used to just stick my phone in my pocket, but the AirPods were a game-changer. Plus, I'm at the point in Wells' toddlerhood where he probably doesn't need to listen to all the podcasts like he did as a baby. He's going to start picking up on things.

In addition to podcasts I don't listen to anymore at all and stopped subscribing to (above), I've trimmed the fat in other ways. I do one political podcast a day. I was doing 2-3, but that was the equivalent of leaving cable news on in the background. Too much.

I try to do 1-2 Christian podcasts a week. I was listening to too many and felt like I was getting conflicting information I was trying to sort out in my head and so I stopped listening to people talk about the Bible and I just started reading the Bible and I do this 5-10 minute podcast each morning.

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But these are 3 podcasts that I'm currently listening to and wanted to mention for one reason or another. Some good reasons, some bad reasons :)

If you watched Love is Blind, and if you listen to Here to Make Friends, listen to this episode from Thursday.






Emma and Leah talked to someone about Love is Blind and, if you thought Emma was bad, this Jessa Crispin is the most miserable and bitter person to come into existence. She opens by saying she hates reality TV and dating shows. This was a hate-filled listen/eye-roll-fest for me.

My favorite part was when Emma claimed she only watched The Bachelor for work and also lamented that everyone, everywhere, all the time is too heterosexual. We get it, Emma: The woke police won't come for you if you keep insisting that you're sorry you're white and straight.



The Office Ladies is becoming hate-listen territory as well. Jenna Fischer is insufferable. She's actually ruining The Office for me.

Here's the reason: If you watch seasons 4-9, and if you listen to her on the podcast, she's not even acting. She's literally playing herself. There is nothing else there. It's just Jenna named Pam. Angela is ACTING to play Angela Martin. She's completely different in real life. Jenna is not. It's kind of infuriating because you can tell everyone puts so much into the comedy on that show and works so hard on their character, and Jenna just shows up and talks. I never realized this until I listened to her on this podcast. She's doing the whole show a disservice now.

(Also, Pam isn't funny. I read, on a forum, that Pam is the worst character on the show and this poster listed out a bunch of evidence and it's all true.)

Finally, a hard "yes" recommendation:




A blog/IG friend recommended this to me and I sent it straight to Scott because he loves true crime podcasts. I generally don't because of the annoying dramatic music, my HSP-personality, etc. He loves My Favorite Murder and I can't stand it.
But I started listening and now I can't stop.
These hosts are straightforward and not chatty. They give facts and details, not opinions. No tangents either! They also don't get super grisly.  HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

What podcasts have you been listening to lately?

6 comments:

  1. i'm really bad about listening to the podcasts that I have in my que, but I listen to Up First and Skimm this every day! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

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  2. I had to stop listening to the Popcast too - the lady would just grate my nerves something fierce.
    As for book podcasts - I really like Currently Reading
    I gotta go check out that Here to Make Friend episode!! I was trying to find some Love is Blind stuff this morning!

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  3. I had to quit The Popcast too. It can be SO FUNNY, but Jamie gets really annoying sometimes. And the constant enneagram talk just ruined it for me.

    I haven’t listened to Office Ladies in months because with a chatty almost 5 year old, I have zero time to listen to anything lately. You make a great point about Jenna. She really is Pam. Angela is 100% different than Angela Martin. I was actually mildly stunned to see how delightful she can be.

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  4. Thank you for being honest about reasons you are quitting listening to certain podcasts. I have been having many of the same type of thoughts/feelings recently and have been wondering if was just me that got annoyed by different things while listening and it's refreshing to know I'm not the only one. I've had to take a step back from them and have started listening to more audio books, because I just was feeling more annoyed and/or bombarded by so many opinions/voices out there. Thank you for sharing!

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  5. Thank you for being honest about reasons you stopped listening to certain podcasts. I have felt the same thoughts/feelings you talked about recently and was wondering if it was just me. You have made me feel better that I'm not the only one that gets annoyed about them. Honestly I have started to try to listen to more audio books because I felt myself just feeling overwhelmed/bombarded by all the opinions and do's/dont's and should's/should not's that people would talk about. Thanks for sharing this!

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  6. Will start listening to Crime Junkie ASAP. I used to like MFM but they just started to annoy me, and I HATED the live episodes. I gave up on it forever ago.

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