Hello friends! I have not dared to check when was the last time I talked about podcast but… it was definitely a long time ago. And I do have some podcasts that I would like to share, and also to help myself record what went on in the podcast app this year. So without further ado, here is an off-the-cuff and probably incomplete list of the podcast that I started, stopped, and finished this year.
Podcasts I started
More or Less – I think I’ve been on a bit of a BBC podcast roll because More or Less, In Our Time, and You’re Dead to Me are all staples in my feed now. I used to listen to Tim Harford’s other podcast, Cautionary Tales, but I like this one a lot more. I think it’s the myth-busting effect, it’s always interesting to peel back the headlines and see how reliable or unreliable a quoted number is.
You’re Dead to Me – Confession: I don’t find this very funny, in that I don’t laugh when listening to this though it’s supposed to be a comedy podcast. Instead, I just really like the format of having one expert and one layman talk about a historical person or subject because it does bring it down to a level that I can access easily. The range of topics are pretty interesting now, I loved that they covered Zheng Yi Sao!
The Folklore Podcast – I keep talking about folklore but never listened to podcasts about it… until now. I am slowly going through the archive, and I must admit I enjoy the topical episodes more than those that explore how contemporary artists are using folklore, but overall this is definitely one that fans of folklore will enjoy.
What Happened in Skinner, Season 2 – I forgot to put this in at first, but a new episode was released and I was reminded that I’m currently following the second season of What Happened in Skinner. I quite liked season 1 (though I don’t remember a lot of the details) and so far, I’m enjoying season 2. The amount of ads for the show’s patreon is a little annoying, but so far the story is interesting enough that I’m invested.
真夜中の読書会 – This podcast got me into reading Japanese books again and I cannot thank it enough for it. I love how soothing the host’s voice is and she gives such great recommendations that I have a huge TBR stack of Japanese books now. This is the podcast that got me wanting more Japanese podcasts.
ながら日経 – This is a daily news podcast from Nikkei and I started listening to it as a way of keeping in touch with “standard” Japanese (instead of just conversational Japanese). But now, I also enjoy all the little tidbits that the different hosts share, it’s quite nice how they personalise the episodes! This would be good for Japanese learners as well, it’s not exactly the slowest but it’s a great for listening practice.
やさしい民俗学 – Translated as “Easy Folklore”, this podcasts takes every day Japanese practices and exploring the history behind them. Curious about how the calendar came to be? The history of kimono? Why rice is so important? All this and more is explored in the podcast. This is also great for intermediate Japanese learners, the host speaks clearly and at a fairly slow pace too.
ゆる民俗学ラジオ – I felt that this folklore-themed podcast had a very chaotic start since the hosts started episode one by just shooting the breeze BUT they had interesting info on the way people in Japan allude to death so I continued listening. It’s not the easiest podcast, and I have skipped episodes, but they do have some very good series, like the one on Shamans in Mongolia.
Podcasts I finished
The Gatekeepers – This podcast looks at the rise of the social media giants and how they affect us. I find it interesting they started from the whole earth catalogue rather than a specific platform. But I do find it weird that they left out TikTok when it was recently produced and different enough from US companies that it should be worth exploring.
Helen Lewis has left the chat – This podcast examines the effects of messaging chat apps from various angles – family, work, politics, and even war. I found it fascinating and she has some prominent guests on, which was a surprise. I definitely want to learn more about the impact of messaging groups on culture now so if you have any book recommendations, send them my way!
Being Roman with Mary Beard – This is a fairly short podcast (2 series of 6 episodes each) but very fascinating. In each episode, Mary Bear uncovers how Romans are more similar and different to us than we might expect by looking at “unconventional” Romans. There are lots of ‘on-site’ recordings and interviews with experts that help bring the topic to life.
Hoaxed – I’ve never heard of the Hampstead Hoax but I enjoyed this deep dive very much. I really liked how the host used this case to also explore the world of conspiracy theorists and how they gain credibility through proximity to credible figures.
Tanis – No, this isn’t new but I wanted a “crochet podcast” that I could put in the background and thought of re-listening to this. As I was finishing, I saw that they dropped the teaser for season 6 so I really, really hope that comes within a year!
The Last Movie – After relistening to Tanis, I decided to start their shorter, related podcast, The Last Movie next. I’m on season two right now and really enjoying it. I will probably continue to relisten to their older series.
Podcasts I stopped
Modes of Thought in Anterran Literature – At first, I found the combination of a deeper conspiracy hidden in “ordinary” lectures to be fascinating, but that medium can only go so far. It’s hard to bring in a kidnapping and other weird audio into what was supposed to be a lecture feed, so it started straining credulity. Eventually, the plot got a bit over the top for me and I didn’t feel invested
Most self-publishing/marketing podcasts – Nothing much comes to mind but I find that I’m just skipping a lot of self-publishing and marking podcasts nowadays! Even though most of my podcast feed was marketing/self-publishing news when I started getting into podcasts, I find my listening tastes has wandered away from that this year.
As always, if you have recommendations, please let me know and I’ll probably try at least one episode. In particular, if anyone has any French or Japanese podcasts recommendations, please let me know! I stopped formal French lessons but it would be nice not to completely forget the language. Right now, I can muddle along with Inner French and get most of it as long as I don’t lose my concentration.
The Japanese podcasts sound quite interesting. It’s so cool that you speak so many languages, Eustacia. Very impressive too. And it’s great that you’re still trying to keep your French language skills alive. I actually talked to someone in French a while back and struggled like you wouldn’t believe. Even though I had French class for so many years, and went to French language camps as a kid, years of not using the language has definitely had a big impact on my ability to properly use it.
They are! But it definitely took a while to get used to listening to Japanese regularly (though it paid off when I went to Japan). Completely feel you on how language skills just… slowly disappear if you don’t use them!