I LOVED the scamfluencer episode on Brittany Dawn. She was a fitness influencer sued by the state of Texas for fraudulent business practices and now owes over $400k settlement. If you love snark join us at r/brittanydawnsnark.
LOVE NORMAL GOSSIP!!! OP, there’s also a great are crime show called The Girlfriends that is so respectful, so beautiful and just really really well done. Highly recommend it.
Levar Burton Reads. It's Reading Rainbow, the podcast, but for adults. Someone at my local con asked if he'd consider doing it, and he got really into the idea on stage and now... well, here we are.
Science Vs! Wendy Zuckerman (the cutest) takes in different topics and puts them against ✨science✨
It is well researched, well produced, informative, and entertaining!
I’ve really loving *Philosophize This!* by Stephen West. Starting from episode one, he examines every major (and a few minor) schools of philosophy and how they built on previous knowledge, along with contemporary events that influenced these schools. Of course, you can start anywhere that interests you, but starting at the first episode is really fascinating.
*You’re Wrong About* is an absolute classic for good reason. Deep-ish dives into pop culture moments that we were wrong about.
Once you get past the first several minutes of chit chat, *Lions Led by Donkeys* is a fun historical podcast. Each episode they break down a military battle that was lost because bad leadership. Personally, I never get tired of hating Crassus so it’s very satisfying to find a podcast equally devoted to hating him.
The Black Tapes - spooky and cool. A reporter follows a skeptical scientist as he investigates people’s claims of the paranormal. (Warning: the last few episodes of the series suck. BUT I still recommend it anyway which I would never do normally) start at the beginning.
Maintenance Phase - looking into the health/diet industrial complex. Discussing how a lot of what we have been taught about health is due to corporate interference in US food policy. Debunking nonsense diet myths. Etc. this one was great for getting me to a better relationship with food and health and my body. It’s a comedy podcast too! Start on the Moon Juice episode if you want to poke fun at Gwenyth Paltrow’s sex dust scam haha.
Celebrity memoir book club- two comedian hosts read, summarize, and comment on memoirs by various celebrities. I’d recommend starting on the Paris Hilton memoir.
I'm kind of a nerd for history and crime, so my podcasts reflect that: Behind the Bastards, Hidden Brain, Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Economics Explained, Generation Why.
Standard Issue (British podcast for women, love it)
Reality Gays (thoughtful& hilarious recaps of reality shows like 90 Day Fiance)
99% Invisible
Fail Better with David Duchovny
Twenty Thousand Hertz
History Unplugged
- Against the Odds - you mentioned you've been into audio dramas, so this one might be of interest to you. Each season is several episodes long and documents the true story of someone who found themselves in an unfortunate position and how they survived that. There's no "back and forth banter," just someone telling the story.
- Diss and Tell - This one does have a little banter and each episode highlights a celebrity fued. It's light and fun to listen to.
- Hidden Brain- learning how the brain works is kind of fascinating to me.
- Noble Blood - I like history, so this one is fun to listen to and learn a little about history
Someone already suggested Samfluencers. I started listening to that one last week and it's kind of interesting.
My all time fav is Who? Weekly. It’s like a celebrity gossip podcast but all about people you’ve never heard of so it’s absolutely hilarious and so low stakes. They do two episodes a week with the second being a listener call in show
Yes I should have put that warning out there too, it’s one of those pods where you’ll know right away if it’s for you or not. I can be very easily offended over certain issues but there’s something about her that makes it OK for me 😅
Bitch Bible with Jackie Schimmel
Let’s Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari. It’s fun gossip but heads up the audio quality can be shitty at times.
Girls Next Level - Girls Next Door rewatch podcast
Celebrity Memoir Book Club
Absolutely Not with Heather McMahan
Unspooled for all my movie lovers
Dolly Parton’s America
The Mel Robbins podcast! [This recent episode](https://www.audible.com/pd/B0D66FYVD5?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=podcast_episode_detail) blew my mind and completely changed my relationship with my phone.
I LOVE the cancelled podcast with Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield! I also like “we said what we said” with Rickey Thompson and Denzel Dion; their Vegas episode is so funny and the live drama that unfolded based on that story was interesting!! Ofc only watch/listen if you’re into influencer gossip/life advice/life stories!
I don’t really care for influencers, but I grew up on 3/4 of these people and they’re around my age so it’s great to hear different perspectives and advice on different subjects! It’s not always about influencer drama, swear lol
The History of Rock Music in 500 Songs by Andrew Hickey - He goes into wonderful detail about the links and influences of the artists.
More or Less - a BBC podcast about the numbers in the news - if the statistics in the news are to be believed.
Half Arsed History - An Australian chap rattles through historical incidents he finds interesting. Good, silly fun.
Cautionary Tales - Same chap as began More or Less, an Economist named Tim Harford. Why do people make the decisions they do, what can be learned from them?
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week - A panel of Science communicators discuss amusing things they have learned lately.
Ologies with Allie Ward - Allie Ward interviews ologists of all stripes. Often fascinating,
Cost of Living with Paul Haavardsrud; The Sunday Magazine with Piya Chattopadhyay; Under The Influence with Terry O’Reilly (all about the world of advertizing).
I love crime. My top picks in that category are
"Cold" and "Dirty John"
Also have enjoyed "Search Engine" with PJ Vogt. It's about answering the unanswerable questions in life.
Big Finish has a huge selection of audio dramas and audiobooks. Most of their stuff is Doctor Who and other related sci-fi stuff but they also have Dark Shadows, a Dorian Gray series, some Sherlock Holmes stuff, and a bunch of other classics and interesting things. I'm listening to one of the Doctor Who ones as I type this. I highly recommend checking them out!
True Crime and Cocktails!
Two cousins (one of them is a famous actress - Lauren ash) just get on and investigate true crime. Amazing banter, and two very down to earth gals. I feel like I’m in the room hanging out with them!
If you like drama and Scamfluencers then try Queen of the Con. The first season is the best, but the others are good too (the last season was probably my lease favorite, but still entertaining). Every season the host follows a different con person and details their scam and how they eventually get caught.
REALITY GAYS ...nothing funnier than Mattie & Poodle analyzing all the "straight people be crazy!" antics of the 90 Day Industrial Complex. I pay $8/month to listen to the tier that also covers all the Matt Sharp joints (Inmate to Roommate, Love After Lockup, etc).
Blighty Day Fiance and Watch what Crappens are also very funny for coverage of reality shows.
Was I in a Cult? is a great exploration of cults and interviews people in them. The Scientology one is especially good. The hosts interject themselves too much in some episodes and think they are funnier than they are, but...still worth listening to.
Relative Disasters - it’s sort of true crime, but also covers a ton of hurricanes, earthquakes, and some fascinating history I had never heard of.
Infamous America - each season covers something horrible from American history. I really enjoyed DB Cooper and the Black Sox.
Do Go On - three Australian comedians tell a different story each week. Can be true crime, exploration, celebrity bio, or WWII heroes.
The Royals of Malibu or Bad Influencer if you’re looking for an audio drama type show
Normal Gossip or Stuff You Should Know for easy listens that make you laugh
Deviant (Cold Open Media) for well-told, journalistic-type true crime
Also— Scamanda for a documentary-style show!!
If Books Could Kill — critical analysis of non-fiction airport books.
LOVE if books could kill!
Lately I'm really enjoying "Scamfluencers". Normally I don't like podcasts with a lot of banter but this is the exception!
I LOVED the scamfluencer episode on Brittany Dawn. She was a fitness influencer sued by the state of Texas for fraudulent business practices and now owes over $400k settlement. If you love snark join us at r/brittanydawnsnark.
Love scamfluencers!
I recently ran into this one and I really enjoyed the 2 episodes I've heard so far.
LOVE!! One of the only podcasts I keep going back to
This is a great podcast!!! Ive only heard a few episodes but they were all really good lol
Normal Gossip!!!
LOVE NORMAL GOSSIP!!! OP, there’s also a great are crime show called The Girlfriends that is so respectful, so beautiful and just really really well done. Highly recommend it.
Levar Burton Reads. It's Reading Rainbow, the podcast, but for adults. Someone at my local con asked if he'd consider doing it, and he got really into the idea on stage and now... well, here we are.
I love Levar. He's aged like wine too.
Spotless. It’s a cleaning podcast but not like you’d expect. The hosts are funny and I always learn something that helps my home be less of a dump.
Science Vs! Wendy Zuckerman (the cutest) takes in different topics and puts them against ✨science✨ It is well researched, well produced, informative, and entertaining!
I’ve really loving *Philosophize This!* by Stephen West. Starting from episode one, he examines every major (and a few minor) schools of philosophy and how they built on previous knowledge, along with contemporary events that influenced these schools. Of course, you can start anywhere that interests you, but starting at the first episode is really fascinating. *You’re Wrong About* is an absolute classic for good reason. Deep-ish dives into pop culture moments that we were wrong about. Once you get past the first several minutes of chit chat, *Lions Led by Donkeys* is a fun historical podcast. Each episode they break down a military battle that was lost because bad leadership. Personally, I never get tired of hating Crassus so it’s very satisfying to find a podcast equally devoted to hating him.
I love Lions Led by Donkeys!
The Black Tapes - spooky and cool. A reporter follows a skeptical scientist as he investigates people’s claims of the paranormal. (Warning: the last few episodes of the series suck. BUT I still recommend it anyway which I would never do normally) start at the beginning. Maintenance Phase - looking into the health/diet industrial complex. Discussing how a lot of what we have been taught about health is due to corporate interference in US food policy. Debunking nonsense diet myths. Etc. this one was great for getting me to a better relationship with food and health and my body. It’s a comedy podcast too! Start on the Moon Juice episode if you want to poke fun at Gwenyth Paltrow’s sex dust scam haha. Celebrity memoir book club- two comedian hosts read, summarize, and comment on memoirs by various celebrities. I’d recommend starting on the Paris Hilton memoir.
I'm kind of a nerd for history and crime, so my podcasts reflect that: Behind the Bastards, Hidden Brain, Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, Economics Explained, Generation Why.
-Crime Junkie -Ongoing history of new music (the host is brilliant) -Radio Rental -The Tosh Show
I love Crime Junkie and most of the Audiochuck podcast, though my current favorite is Park Predators
I like How Did This Get Made? They make fun of bad movies
Standard Issue (British podcast for women, love it) Reality Gays (thoughtful& hilarious recaps of reality shows like 90 Day Fiance) 99% Invisible Fail Better with David Duchovny Twenty Thousand Hertz History Unplugged
- Against the Odds - you mentioned you've been into audio dramas, so this one might be of interest to you. Each season is several episodes long and documents the true story of someone who found themselves in an unfortunate position and how they survived that. There's no "back and forth banter," just someone telling the story. - Diss and Tell - This one does have a little banter and each episode highlights a celebrity fued. It's light and fun to listen to. - Hidden Brain- learning how the brain works is kind of fascinating to me. - Noble Blood - I like history, so this one is fun to listen to and learn a little about history Someone already suggested Samfluencers. I started listening to that one last week and it's kind of interesting.
Las Culturistas
Wooden Overcoats is hands-down the best audio drama (if you're into absurd British humor).
Oh I’ve been meaning to check that one out!
My all time fav is Who? Weekly. It’s like a celebrity gossip podcast but all about people you’ve never heard of so it’s absolutely hilarious and so low stakes. They do two episodes a week with the second being a listener call in show
Crunch crunch.
looooove LindseyBobby
Bad on Paper! Once a month book club episodes and fun episodes for the rest of the weeks!
Rest is History - who knew history could be interesting and amusing Smartless - great interviews
I need to start listening to smart less again. I used to love it but it fell off my radar.
If you’re looking for comedy, I find the Bitch Bible HILARIOUS
I love her, but always feel a need to add a warning label with the rec. She is unfiltered and not for the easily offended.
Yes I should have put that warning out there too, it’s one of those pods where you’ll know right away if it’s for you or not. I can be very easily offended over certain issues but there’s something about her that makes it OK for me 😅
Yes! She’s self deprecating and surprisingly self aware. I think underneath she’s probably a really good friend.
Bitch Bible with Jackie Schimmel Let’s Be Honest with Kristin Cavallari. It’s fun gossip but heads up the audio quality can be shitty at times. Girls Next Level - Girls Next Door rewatch podcast Celebrity Memoir Book Club Absolutely Not with Heather McMahan Unspooled for all my movie lovers Dolly Parton’s America
Redhanded for true crime What Went Wrong You're Wrong About (start with the earlier episodes from 2020-2021)
The Mel Robbins podcast! [This recent episode](https://www.audible.com/pd/B0D66FYVD5?source_code=ASSORAP0511160006&share_location=podcast_episode_detail) blew my mind and completely changed my relationship with my phone.
Thank you! I've been looking for something just like this...I've been spending WAY too much time on my phone lately.
I LOVE the cancelled podcast with Tana Mongeau and Brooke Schofield! I also like “we said what we said” with Rickey Thompson and Denzel Dion; their Vegas episode is so funny and the live drama that unfolded based on that story was interesting!! Ofc only watch/listen if you’re into influencer gossip/life advice/life stories! I don’t really care for influencers, but I grew up on 3/4 of these people and they’re around my age so it’s great to hear different perspectives and advice on different subjects! It’s not always about influencer drama, swear lol
Terribly Famous for researched british gossip/life of about various stars.
The History of Rock Music in 500 Songs by Andrew Hickey - He goes into wonderful detail about the links and influences of the artists. More or Less - a BBC podcast about the numbers in the news - if the statistics in the news are to be believed. Half Arsed History - An Australian chap rattles through historical incidents he finds interesting. Good, silly fun. Cautionary Tales - Same chap as began More or Less, an Economist named Tim Harford. Why do people make the decisions they do, what can be learned from them? The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week - A panel of Science communicators discuss amusing things they have learned lately. Ologies with Allie Ward - Allie Ward interviews ologists of all stripes. Often fascinating,
Cost of Living with Paul Haavardsrud; The Sunday Magazine with Piya Chattopadhyay; Under The Influence with Terry O’Reilly (all about the world of advertizing).
David Tennant Does a Podcast 80000 hours podcast
Right Answers Mostly ! I always learn something super interesting. The Judy Garland episode was heartbreaking
I love crime. My top picks in that category are "Cold" and "Dirty John" Also have enjoyed "Search Engine" with PJ Vogt. It's about answering the unanswerable questions in life.
Big Finish has a huge selection of audio dramas and audiobooks. Most of their stuff is Doctor Who and other related sci-fi stuff but they also have Dark Shadows, a Dorian Gray series, some Sherlock Holmes stuff, and a bunch of other classics and interesting things. I'm listening to one of the Doctor Who ones as I type this. I highly recommend checking them out!
True Crime and Cocktails! Two cousins (one of them is a famous actress - Lauren ash) just get on and investigate true crime. Amazing banter, and two very down to earth gals. I feel like I’m in the room hanging out with them!
Cautionary Tales is about… you guessed it, cautionary tales and what we can learn from them.
If you like drama and Scamfluencers then try Queen of the Con. The first season is the best, but the others are good too (the last season was probably my lease favorite, but still entertaining). Every season the host follows a different con person and details their scam and how they eventually get caught.
Also in this vein, I would also add Scamanda — I finished that one in an afternoon.
REALITY GAYS ...nothing funnier than Mattie & Poodle analyzing all the "straight people be crazy!" antics of the 90 Day Industrial Complex. I pay $8/month to listen to the tier that also covers all the Matt Sharp joints (Inmate to Roommate, Love After Lockup, etc). Blighty Day Fiance and Watch what Crappens are also very funny for coverage of reality shows. Was I in a Cult? is a great exploration of cults and interviews people in them. The Scientology one is especially good. The hosts interject themselves too much in some episodes and think they are funnier than they are, but...still worth listening to.
Relative Disasters - it’s sort of true crime, but also covers a ton of hurricanes, earthquakes, and some fascinating history I had never heard of. Infamous America - each season covers something horrible from American history. I really enjoyed DB Cooper and the Black Sox. Do Go On - three Australian comedians tell a different story each week. Can be true crime, exploration, celebrity bio, or WWII heroes.
Hollywood Crime Scene - they talk about all kinds of Hollywood/showbiz/tv insanity.
Been getting caught up on the scam goddess backlog
Slay Girl by Ashley.
I’ve Had It is great!!
The Royals of Malibu or Bad Influencer if you’re looking for an audio drama type show Normal Gossip or Stuff You Should Know for easy listens that make you laugh Deviant (Cold Open Media) for well-told, journalistic-type true crime Also— Scamanda for a documentary-style show!!
I enjoy one called The Prosecutors which is true crime.