Lore
Podcastapalooza: or, Podcasts We Think You Should Check Out
Have you heard we launched a podcast? It’s called The Way Out There, and we think it’s pretty good. We’re big fans of podcasts here at Blue Ion so I thought I’d ask around the office about what peeps are listening to. So settle in, get yourself an orange mocha frappuccino, scroll about, and get ready to fill your feed. And don’t forget to check our podcast out.
But first! One of my co-workers requested that I share my thoughts on why podcasts are suddenly the hot new thing like Hansel. Let me climb atop my soapbox real quick, alright, wait, ok, good to go.
Tapping on a screen is one of the strangest behaviors we engage in on a daily basis. There is no historical precedent for this action. This is why I’m very bullish on the future of voice assistants and wireless headphones like AirPods. We have a long history of verbally communicating, not so for typing. So point #1 for podcasts is that they engage us with information without us having to engage with a screen.
Podcasts are also a passive activity. It’s like music, you put them on in the background and can still do nearly anything else you want. What makes washing the dishes better? Podcasts. What makes your commute more enjoyable? Podcasts. What’s a fun way to block out the kids? Podcasts through really big headphones. And let’s face it, we’re all busy people who love to pretend multi-tasking is a real thing so podcasts are like our catnip. Point #2 for podcasts: they don’t require all your attention and can accompany most other tasks.
Audiobooks are surging in popularity too. Give us that sweet, sweet ear candy! But audiobooks are usually pretty long, a quick Google tells me the average is 9 hours long. What’s the average podcast length? 30 minutes according to Google (I would have guessed around 45 minutes). That’s much more manageable. Point #3 for podcasts: they’re bite-sized pieces of content that can usually be consumed in one listen, but even the longer ones don’t take more than a few sessions.
Alright, let’s get to the pretty pictures and recommendations.
These three are the heavy hitters in our group. 99pi might be the most listened to podcast in the office. Outside and On Being are also popular amongst multiple ears.
Welcome to the Heavy Hitters: NPR Edition section. Multiple pencil heads get down with How I Built This, Hidden Brain, and Fresh Air.
More NPR! Disclaimer: Bundyville is “a series, not an ongoing podcast”.
All Songs Considered was recommended because it’s a “great way to find new music of all genres, new album reviews, live broadcast from festivals around the country”.
I like The Indicator because it’s a quick, daily podcast that makes me feel like I’m using my Econ degree for something.
Ah, the humor section, every good roundup needs one.
Throwing Shade is a “funny, slightly political podcast talking about feminist and LGBTQ issues. Pretty fun way to stay informed on topics”.
The Last Podcast on the Left “covers dark topics in a super funny way”.
What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law is “a fun look at constitutional law with an anti-trump lean”.
We’ll call this section “playing with forms”. Music= Song Exploder, Stories= LeVar Burton Reads, History/Perception= Malcolm Gladwell.
LeVar Burton Reads is Reading Rainbow for adults.
Now let’s get a little heavier (but not super heavy) with Pod Save America, which has awesome cover art.
Criminal, recommended because they’re “into crime podcasts and this is that. Usually on the shorter side and cover everything from funny crimes to serious ones; this day and age and ones that go back years & years. Super interesting”.
Hysteria, “an all women pod and they talk about politics/social issues”. Yeah, we abbreviate podcast, deal with it.
Grab bag! Oprah’s Master Class, NYT’s The Daily, and Everything is Alive a.k.a. “one of the more unique things I’ve listened to”.
Grab bag #2 (I ran out of good theme ideas, ok?). This Week In Photo, Pardon My Take, and Fullerton Nutrition.
Grab bag #3: deal with it. The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, BiggerPockets, and Google Partners (we spend a lot of time in Google products).
The AI Element is a great way to start getting familiar with AI.
The Candid Entrepreneur is by our very own Jeremy Elrod.
And did you think I wouldn’t end this whole by mentioning The Way Out There again?
Happy listening!