With no traditional gatekeepers, the podcast medium has opened up many opportunities for womxn.
Are you on the Podcast bandwagon yet? Once you’re on, you’re on. Listen to podcasts either through a podcast app on a mobile phone, or using Spotify or iTunes on a computer.
Though preferably I like to walk around with earphones in around the house, from making a cup of tea to painting and back to the kitchen to do some dishes, and falling asleep to conversation-style interviews or advice podcasts.
Podcasts exist around anyone’s preferred subject, whether it’s economics, popular psychology or dating and heartbreak. Check out the following podcasts by womxn or featuring womxn. One might notice a preference here for podcasts hosted by comedians in this list.. Links to favorite episodes are provided so you can start listening right away.
Scam Goddess
This podcast has me laughing out loud regularly. Host and comedian Laci Mosley is Scam Goddess as she unravels scams with a guest comedian. Laci Mosley is an improv comedian genius and also gets the best out of the podcast guests, asking them what their relationship to scams is before contiuing on to the story of the day
A Little Bit Culty
There have been a lot of documentaries, podcasts and films about cults, such as The Vow and Wild, Wild Country. While they feature victims or participants of cults, it isn’t often that this content is created by people who have been in cults.
That’s what sets this podcast about cults apart. Sarah Edmondson and Anthony “Nippy” Ames were in the NXIVM cult, before they ‘woke up” and left. On the podcast they feature guests, to talk about cults they were in or other experts, such as Moira Penza, attorney of the NXIVM case in New York City.
Couples Therapy
Comedians Naomi Ekperigin and Andy Beckerman are married and in this podcast feature comics and actors to talk about relationships. They also take listener calls and dole out romance advice together with their guests.
How To Be Fine
Admittedly, I am listening to to the earliest Podcast episodes at the moment, when released under the title ‘by the book’. Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg would read a self-help book such as ”The Secret” and then spend two weeks living by that book. Anyone even remotely interested in self-help or cultural critique will be charmed by this podcast.
Service From Hell
Podcast host Kate Gaffney in Los Angeles has a lot of experience working in the service industry. She interviews guests who work or used to work in the service industry as well, from actors to comedians, from circus workers to sex workers. Anyone who has worked in the service industry will love this podcast immediately, for its relatibility and laughable cringe moments. Amazingly, every interview is structured like a restaurant menu, with the entrees guests and their current careers are introduced, and before dessert the question ‘which bodily fluids have you had on you whilst on the clock’ comes around.
Why Won’t You Date Me?
Comedian Nicole Byer is single and talking about it since December 2017. In the first episodes of her podcasts there are guests that she dated in a distant past and asks them why they aren’t dating anymore. Talking dating apps, love, sex and relationships and comedy, hilarious mishaps at the end of the episode she asks each guest ‘would you date me?’.
Terrible, Thanks for Asking
If when answering the question ‘how are you?’ you have ever had a sinking feeling, you might welcome this podcast answers that questions every each with ‘terrible’. Each episode features one person talking about their trials tribulations.
On social media there also seems to be something of a taboo on sharing going through hard times, but it can be helpful to share sometimes so that we don’t feel like we have to market our own lives as some dreamy fantasy. Nora McInerny is the host of “Terrible Thanks for Asking” and while the subjects may be heavy, she saves room for a touch of humor and lightness.
You can also sign up to their Terrible Writing Club.
Favorite episode: 9 Things (available on premium)
Afford Anything
‘You can afford anything, but not everything, what’s it gonna be?’ Improve your finances and life with this podcast by Paula Plant.
My Dad Wrote a Porno
With this podcast I have had to suppress my laughter while on public transport, because it is THAT hilarious.
My Dad Wrote a Porno is a British podcast hosted by Jamie Morton, James Cooper, and Alice Levine. Each episode features Morton reading a new chapter of an amateur erotic novel, titled Belinda Blinked, written by his father under the pen name Rocky Flintstone.
Rocky Flintstone doesn’t seem to understand basic anatomy which makes it all the more funny and quite the opposite of sexy. The My dad wrote a porno podcast has risen to such fame that Flintstone’s books are suddenly bestsellers and special guests such as Elijah Wood have been on.
Tip: Start from the very beginning.
Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations and The Oprah Winfrey Show: The Podcast
The talent and skill that Oprah has in talking to people will never get old. Listen to old TV episodes on The Oprah Winfrey Show: The Podcast.
With Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations, get your spiritual on and life quality improved featuring different guests. Get inspired by Suze Orman’s episode talking about how the time has never been more right for women to take control of their finances.
Favorite episodes: Brené Brown: http://tun.in/tik33r, RuPaul Charles
How’s Work with Esther Perel
Belgian psychotherapist Esther Perel already has a hit podcast called Where Should We Begin? in which couples were recorded undergoing one relationship therapy session with her and we could guess if the couples were going to work it out or not.
Then she had a new podcast ‘How’s Work’ about the ‘world of emotion at the workplace’, with couples counseling but for pairs of colleagues in the workplace.
Aside from listening to her enthralling voice there also books that can be read of Esther Perel such as The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity.
WTF with Marc Maron – Amazing Femxle Guests
The token bro for this list, comedian Marc Maron has interviewed well over a 1000 guests on his podcast, among which many women from comedy, writing, music, TV and film. A unique chance to get to know womxn you may have never heard and how they practice their craft.
Favorite episodes: Maria Bamford, Lucinda Williams
Sadly Marc’s partner Lynn Shelton has passed away. She was a filmmaker, writer, director and producer. She directed TV shows such as GLOW but also created her own films with her own vision like Touchy Feely and Hump day.
Remembering Lynn Shelton episode: https://tunein.com/embed/player/t143935129/
In Conclusion
The world of podcasts has opened up a new arena for womxn to produce media in. Sometimes these podcasts function as career launchers, as have said Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams about their extremely funny podcast 2 Dope Queens, they have had episodes on HBO as well.
While I have featured tune-in audio links to al the podcasts here, use the Podcast app if you own an iPhone or if you have another type of smartphone download an app such as Podcast Addict to listen. I promise you, the listening experience will be SO MUCH BETTER.
Discontinued podcasts: Sooo Many White Guys, 2 Dope Queens, Bye Felipe, Another Round, Bitch Media, Very Loose Women
Here’s a random assumption, you must already know: The Moth, My Favorite Murder, Unladylike
You might want to check out: Breakdown with Mayim Bialik, Girls on Porn, I love a Lifetime movie, This is uncomfortable, Awesome Etiquette, Maintenance Phase (about what’s real in dieting)
Dutch podcasts: Damn Honey!, Dipsaus
Podcast making is a lot of work, consider donating to your favourite podcasts so we may all keep listening.
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