Podcasts with the topic "all the things this person is interested in"
May 5, 2016 6:51 AM Subscribe
Can you recommend podcasts you like, where there’s an eclectic set of topics, and those topics are pretty much just all the particular things the host of the show is interested in?
I’m asking because I’m thinking about starting a podcast of my own, and doing one on a mix of topics like that seems really enjoyable. (I have a small existing audience, as the co-author of a book on similarly varied topics, and as the host of of a lecture series that’s also kind of eclectic. My hope is there are at least some people out there who would tune in to listen to me talk and interview people about a breadth of topics)
A couple of sort-of examples for me are Sam Harris’s “Waking up” podcast, which is about neuroscience, Islamism, meditation, veganism, and whatever else Sam Harris is interested in. Also Mike Pesca’s “The Gist”, some of which is just general current events stuff, but where, more importantly for my interests, he talks about vexilology and about word origins and makes up very corny songs, and talks in excruciating detail about pop music, and the thing that that holds it all together is “yeah, those are just things Mike Pesca likes”.
There must be others like that. I’d love to hear about them!
(This is as opposed to a podcast that has a single, specific, nameable topic...)
Are there podcasts you enjoy that work like this?
I’m asking because I’m thinking about starting a podcast of my own, and doing one on a mix of topics like that seems really enjoyable. (I have a small existing audience, as the co-author of a book on similarly varied topics, and as the host of of a lecture series that’s also kind of eclectic. My hope is there are at least some people out there who would tune in to listen to me talk and interview people about a breadth of topics)
A couple of sort-of examples for me are Sam Harris’s “Waking up” podcast, which is about neuroscience, Islamism, meditation, veganism, and whatever else Sam Harris is interested in. Also Mike Pesca’s “The Gist”, some of which is just general current events stuff, but where, more importantly for my interests, he talks about vexilology and about word origins and makes up very corny songs, and talks in excruciating detail about pop music, and the thing that that holds it all together is “yeah, those are just things Mike Pesca likes”.
There must be others like that. I’d love to hear about them!
(This is as opposed to a podcast that has a single, specific, nameable topic...)
Are there podcasts you enjoy that work like this?
The Jeff Rubin Jeff Rubin Show (yes, that's the correct title) comes to mind, he just hosted a person who designs the challenges for 'Survivor' and he's covered all kinds of interesting people from a crossword champion to father/son knife throwers to a pen nerd.
The Dana Gould hour - Dana's a very funny comedian who wrote for the Simpsons in its early years and loves to talk about his obsessions including stories of old Hollywood and monster movies.
posted by mattholomew at 7:10 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Dana Gould hour - Dana's a very funny comedian who wrote for the Simpsons in its early years and loves to talk about his obsessions including stories of old Hollywood and monster movies.
posted by mattholomew at 7:10 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Futility Closet podcast, from the site of the same name, is my favorite podcast when it comes to an eclectic mix of topics. The posts on the main site should give you an idea of what range of topics are involved.
posted by dhalgren at 7:24 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by dhalgren at 7:24 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project seems to be a good fit. Every episode is a mix and match of various topics of interest shared by three very enthusiastic hosts. Here's a video version.
posted by ringu0 at 7:58 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ringu0 at 7:58 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
I really enjoy The Christian Humanist, which is three English PhDs, all also Christians, who talk about literature, theology, and whatever else happens to strike them, like the recent Top Gun episode.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:01 AM on May 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:01 AM on May 5, 2016 [2 favorites]
Too Beautiful To Live (TBTL) - daily podcast with no set topics. They discuss current events, pop culture, sports and their personal lives.
posted by GoldenEel at 8:49 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by GoldenEel at 8:49 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'd second Still Untitled as long as you are somewhat interested in tech/maker/pop culture/learning stuff; they basically just talk about whatever comes up for half an hour, but it seems to work.
posted by selfnoise at 11:11 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by selfnoise at 11:11 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Elle Collins' Into It features Elle and a guest talking about a particular pop culture topic each week.
posted by zenzicube at 12:14 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by zenzicube at 12:14 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
What, no Hello Internet mention yet?
HI #62: Grey and Brady discuss environmental nagging, cheer pressure, Apple products and wants/needs/weeds, singular use of 'we' and caring less, Boaty McBoatface, Encryption and if your phone is part of you.
HI #61: Grey and Brady discuss the roofs of their houses, the mighty black stump, pointing at things, vandalizing Wikipedia, the Tesla model 3, King Tut corner, The Cricket World Cup, the word "brave", and spec work and working for free.
If you're into vexillology, don't miss the back episodes about the NZ flag referendum, Liberian county flags, and the vote to create a flag for Hello Internet (episodes ~49 through 53). The votes are still being shown off, one a day, at the Podcast Postcards site.
posted by RedOrGreen at 1:32 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
HI #62: Grey and Brady discuss environmental nagging, cheer pressure, Apple products and wants/needs/weeds, singular use of 'we' and caring less, Boaty McBoatface, Encryption and if your phone is part of you.
HI #61: Grey and Brady discuss the roofs of their houses, the mighty black stump, pointing at things, vandalizing Wikipedia, the Tesla model 3, King Tut corner, The Cricket World Cup, the word "brave", and spec work and working for free.
If you're into vexillology, don't miss the back episodes about the NZ flag referendum, Liberian county flags, and the vote to create a flag for Hello Internet (episodes ~49 through 53). The votes are still being shown off, one a day, at the Podcast Postcards site.
posted by RedOrGreen at 1:32 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
If you want more funny, random banter rather than any serious sort of format that happens to contain eclectic topics, I find Kevin & Ursula Eat Cheap fits the bill well. The podcast is ostensibly about Hugo Award-winning author Ursula Vernon and her husband eating various store-bought, pre-packaged foods and then rating them, but that's really just a launching board into what the podcast actually is, and the personalities involved just make it so fun to listen to. It's hard for me to exactly describe it, so I'd say just listen to an episode and see if you like it. A recent one that I thought was a lot of fun is Ep. 219 - Yellow Cake Uranium Chocolate.
posted by Aleyn at 4:58 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Aleyn at 4:58 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness, the most charming man on the planet. The episodes are just him talking to someone who knows a lot about something he's interested in learning about.
posted by moons in june at 10:34 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by moons in june at 10:34 PM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: These look great, Thanks!!!
posted by ManInSuit at 9:14 AM on May 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by ManInSuit at 9:14 AM on May 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 7:08 AM on May 5, 2016 [1 favorite]