SINCE IT’S JANUARY and all, you’re probably thinking about going on walks, heading to the gym, and basically trying to keep the head up while it’s still dark and cold out.
These podcasts are all funny, comforting, and/or informative in one way or another, and will keep you company through it all.
1. How Did This Get Made?
Trashing bad films is something we can all enjoy, and no one does it better than June Diane Raphael, Paul Scheer, and Jason Mantzoukas.
The Sharknado episode is poetic podcasting. Trust us.
2. Mouth Time
Reductress is the feminist Onion, and regularly fools people with its absolutely daft headlines (please look at the responses to this tweet):
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Now two of the editors have their own podcast, where they poke fun at women’s magazines with the help of guests like Aubrey Plaza and Mara Wilson.
3. My Brother, My Brother And Me
Once you realise that this ‘advice podcast for the modern era’ is less about actual advice than it is about the charming McElroy brothers riffing on each other’s goofy ideas, you’ll love it.
There are nearly 400 episodes, but just dive in anywhere you want. (If you fall in love with the McElroys, you should also listen to The Adventure Zone, a podcast in which they play Dungeons and Dragons with their dad.)
4. Who? Weekly
There are two categories of celebrity: Thems, who are widely known for what they do, and Whos, the ones who populate the Daily Mail’s sidebar of shame.
This podcast gleefully discusses the latter, giving the likes of Bella Thorne, Rita Ora, and various reality TV stars their day in the sun.
5. My Dad Wrote A Porno
We really cannot stress how funny this is. The title says it all – host Jamie Mortan’s da has written a series of erotic novels, and he reads through them with his friends Alice Levine and James Cooper. You will make a fool of yourself in public listening to this, and you will love every minute of it.
6. Dreamgun Film Reads
In each episode, the lads of Dreamgun take a beloved film, turn it into a radio play, and have actors and comedians perform it in front of a live audience in Dublin.
The thing is, they aren’t given a chance to read the script beforehand – and it makes for hilarious listening.
7. Guilty Feminist
Host Deborah Frances-White (and loads of notable guests) explores the little contradictions and hypocrisies of being a feminist, with discussions about hair removal, stereotypes, deciding not to have children, etc… It’ll make you think.
8. The Blindboy Podcast
Blindboy of the Rubberbandits started his own podcast back in October, and it’s been a firm fixture on the iTunes podcast charts ever since.
In typical Blindboy style, it’s a mixture of surreal humour and ruminations on topics like mental health, politics, and art – and somehow, it’s weirdly relaxing too.
9. Keep It!
This is a new podcast from the esteemed writer Ira Madison III, who is known for examining the intersection of politics and pop culture in very entertaining fashion.
The first episode delves into last week’s Golden Globes and the #MeToo movement – we’ve definitely hit subscribe.
10. Double Love
Here’s a nice niche one for you – remember the Sweet Valley High series, chronicling the lives of Californian twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield?
The books are lovingly lampooned in this Irish podcast hosted by Karyn and Anna, two Sweet Valley nuts who just want to understand the “strange and terrifying” world of the Wakefields.
11. 2 Dope Queens
Jessica Williams (formerly of The Daily Show) and Phoebe Robinson (Broad City) host a live comedy show in Brooklyn where they touch on subjects like sex, race, hair, and everything else in between. Listen out for guests like Marc Maron, Tig Notaro, and Queen Latifah.
12. The Alison Spittle Show
Alison is such a warm presence, so it’s no surprise that she’s the ideal talk show host. Her podcast has a great mix of guests, from fellow comedians like Tommy Tiernan and Maeve Higgins, to characters like Mattress Mick. Lovely!
