I listed to podcasts to fill the void, and by fill the void I mean “fill in every single possible silence that exists in my life so that my internal thoughts never have a chance to firmly take hold and send me into an aggressive spiral”

That’s right, I have either a podcast or an audiobook playing literally at all times in my life, unless I’m watching TV or TikTok, or I’m writing. I need to have noise taking up the space which all of my existential panic deeply desires to fill or else I will become immobilized, incapable of going about my daily tasks like a normal functioning human being. Of course, I also have to turn off the podcasts to write (or to do my actual full time job) because thinking requires brain space, and the panic thoughts normally help me write better anyways.

In light of that fact, I am pretty much a podcast expert, and so I decided to share a few podcasts that I’ve been listening to lately that I really enjoy.

Just Women’s Sports

Just Women’s Sports is a company dedicated to promoting women’s sports. To this end, they created a podcast hosted by Kelley O’Hara (a USWNT athlete) where she interviews fellow athletes on their experiences growing up and getting to the professional level. I love these interviews because Kelley O’Hara is normally at least tangentially friends with the people she interviews, and so the interviews are simultaneously casual and fun. O’Hara asks great questions and walks us through the lives of the athletes on her podcast. I truly feel like I “know” people better after listening to the podcast, and it’s definitely put me onto supporting quite a few athletes that I hadn’t thought much about beforehand.

Favorite Episode: Chloe Kim

The Homo Schedule

The Homo Schedule is a fairly new podcast and I’m so excited to see where it goes! The Homo Schedule is Netflix’s super gay podcast hosted by Yellowjackets breakout stars Jasmin Savoy Brown and Liv Hewson, who are real life queer AND in the show. Jasmin and Liv have such good chemistry with each other and they know how to keep a conversation going. It’s not necessarily a behind-the-scenes Yellowjackets look, but it is a great way to get to know these actors more if you are still sitting at home wondering who the Yellowjackets ate in the pilot. In the episode I watched, they talked about Bex’s experience with coming out in the acting world (among other things) in such a lighthearted way even when approaching it from a serious angle that it won my heart instantly.

Favorite Episode: Bex Taylor-Klaus’ Schedule

Parental Guidance

This is exactly what fans of Rose & Rosie would expect if they’ve been following them for the past 13 years. The Youtube famous couple had a baby in 2020, and they created this podcast to talk about their experiences being a lesbian couple conceiving and raising a baby in the UK. They’re definitely more serious here than they are on their youtube channel, and some episodes are genuinely super informative, but there’s still the lighthearted banter and obvious chemistry that has kept people obsessed with their relationship for so long.

Favorite Episode: Can you learn to be maternal? Feat. Dani Dyer

Lovers and Friends

Shan Boody, best known for her Youtube channel, has started a podcast and it’s everything you would expect it to be and more. She interviews people from celebrities to sexologists about their relationship with sex, intimacy, and relationships. Shan is a big oversharer about her own life, and she brings out a similar mindset in the people she interviews. These episodes are SO INTERESTING if you have even a slight interest in sex&relationships because they speak so deeply about who we are as people. Truly if I were to give one example of a great way to conduct an interview, it would be to watch Shan.

Favorite Episode: Is it Cheating? Or is it an Open Relationship?

To L And Back

If you’re a fan of the L Word (or the reboot) and haven’t listened to this entire podcast already, you’re missing out. It’s an Autostraddle podcast with a variety of different hosts for different seasons, including Riese Bernard, Carly Usdin, Drew Gregory, and more. They recapped the entire original series and every episode of the reboot, and I expect that they’ll be back for the new season later this year! Their takes are always funny and relatable and they’re not afraid of critiquing the show or sharing a tangential personal story halfway through, so it feels like you’re talking about the episode with friends.

Favorite Episode: Literally all of season 5 recaps

Pants

Speaking of the L Word, this podcast is hosted by starring cast members Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig. They have also been recapping the original series, but honestly I find their recaps a bit dull (minus the occasional very great behind the scenes bits which make it worth it). What is great about this podcast is their celebrity interviews! They’ve interviewed pretty much everyone in the L Word universe, and have made progress on interviewing the most popular members of Generation Q. These interviews are especially fun because everyone is already friends, so they basically just gossip the entire time and then talk about aspects of the show that they love/miss/hate.

Favorite episode: Jamie Clayton Interview

Couples Therapy

In this podcast, married couple Naomi and Andy are normally joined by a C-list famous person to talk about life. They make interviews really fun and do their best to dive into personal relationships of their guests. It’s a fun way to get to know your favorite micro celebrities a little bit better. I admittedly haven’t listened to toooo many episodes, because I don’t know a lot of famous people and I think these episodes are best served if you have some background knowledge coming in, but you should definitely scroll through their catalogue and give it a shot.

Favorite Episode: Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allyne

This Might Get Weird

If you’ve ever used Youtube for something other than an instructional video about how to assemble an Ikea table, you should know about Mamrie Hart and Grace Helbig. They’re early youtube legends, and they’ve continued their legendary status with a podcast. They literally just sit around and talk about whatever has been going on in their lives, and occasionally a special guest joins in on the fun. This is my go-to podcast for when I don’t have the brain capacity to fully pay attention, but I want it to seem like I have friends over my house that are having a side conversation while I go about my daily routine.

Favorite Episode: Grace Picks a Flight on a Plane

What are your favorite podcasts? Let me know in the comments because I’m ALWAYS in need of recommendations!

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