Podcasts for Your Thoughts
From the great toilet paper shortage of 2020, to what happened to the rise and fall of the 1998 US men's soccer team, our podcast recommendations span from l'eau to late 20th century France.
The Alarmist — Coronavirus Toilet Paper Panic: Who is to Blame?
From what the experts are calling “The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020”, Rebecca Smith (who coined, and is, The Alarmist), alongside Associate Professor Melissa Norberg, explores who and where we should be pointing the finger at for the TP ransack across the country. Hint (non-spoiler): you may want to take a closer look at your own porcelain reflection this evening.
You're Wrong About — O.J Simpson Trial Series
You’re Wrong About is an awesome podcast series that focuses on all the things we tend to over-explain and gawk about to one another with an utmost confidence. The OJ Simpson Trial Series is a great place to start, as we all want to be sure we have clean hands during this time, right?
The Moth — Is Love Wild, Is Love Real
For our most active readers (NJ-based and otherwise), you may be keen after reading this headline after the streaming cocktails post and realizing the Springsteen motif. Truthfully, I’ve always been more into jam bands, but I totally get the appeal—I mean, I have a buddy who dedicated his thesis to The Boss. Anyway, if you haven’t heard of The Moth yet, you need to stop listening to so many Ted Talks and appeal to your emotional side of storytelling. This is a truly great episode to start with, and not to mention Sarfraz Manzoor totally looks like Mark Ruffalo (and you won’t like him when he’s angry).
American Fiasco — Episode 1
1994 was a big year—the “Chunnel” opened between England and France, The Shawshank Redemption came out, the first GMO tomato was approved (for better or for worse), and the U.S. hosted the World Cup. Despite Brazil taking home the Cup trophy that year, the U.S. made it into the sweet 16, positioning them to be leading competitors in France’s 1998 tournament. What happened four years later was a disaster. American Fiasco tells the story of the 1994 team who believed it was their destiny to win France, but failed due to the fault of none other, but themselves.
Bear Brook — Episode 1
Imagine a richley dense New England state park: thick forest, breadths of wild animals (including the last remaining NE rattlesnakes), and kids playing hide and seek on four wheelers—you know the usual suspects. 30 years ago, in this innocuous, picturesque park, a mother and son were found in a bag alongside a 55 gallon drum, dead. Bear Brook is a series that follows the unsolved murder in this New England park, and uses techniques and methods that are changing how murders will be investigated forever.
Hidden Brain — 1918 Epidemic
Hidden Brain is my favorite podcast—one I listen to religiously every Monday -and thus choosing an episode to start out with is a challenge. The podcast explores the hidden side of the human condition—what are the things that make us tick, why do we act certain ways, how have our interactions developed as a species—and does so with the utmost genuine curiosity and intrigue. The 1918 epidemic episode contrasts our current crisis with that of what was (perhaps falsely) known as the Spanish Flu, and what we have learned, and what we haven’t, since the early 20th century pandemic swept the world.
