Podcast Recommendations

There are few things in life I enjoy more than a good podcast. Whether it’s during a long road trip, grocery shopping, while I’m out walking somewhere, in my room, or even during a break at work, it’s always nice to have a good podcast to listen to. I look forward to new podcast episodes just as much as I look forward to new episodes of a tv show I like dropping, or even a new album dropping. They can be informative, entertaining, and are a nice way to pass the time. A lot of times people say they want to listen to podcasts, but don’t know where to start. There are an abundance of podcasts out there now, but not all of them are good. Here’s a list of some of my favorite podcasts. 

• The Right Time with Bomani Jones (genre: sports) – This is possibly my favorite podcast. Every week he has the most intelligent sports takes in the game mixed in with entertaining guests. It’s not just a sports podcast though as Bomani also gives his take on interesting news topics, and personal stories. Bomani brings lots of logic to his discussions, and speaks in a way that challenges his listeners to keep up with him. One of the highlights of the week for me is listening to his Foxworth Friday show that he does with Dominique Foxworth every Friday. They have great chemistry and are both extremely knowledgeable in sports and in life. It won’t take long before you’re anxiously anticipating his show to drop every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 
• Revolution Ramblings (genre: miscellaneous) – Amber Khan is my favorite tarot reader and when I found out she had a podcast I wasn’t sure what to expect. Her podcast doesn’t really go into astrology/tarot at all but more so current events that she’s feeling passionate about. Typically she intertwines her philosophical and moral views with whatever interesting current event she’s discussing on the show. I really love how perceptive she is, it’s a gift that she is able to display in both her tarot reading, and her podcast. Hearing her talk makes you feel like she has a deeper understanding of reality than you do. While I don’t agree with all of her takes, anytime I listen to her, I feel like my perspective is challenged and pushed, and is improved as a result of that. 
• But, Don’t Quote Me (genre: relationship) – I appreciate how chill this podcast is. The hosts typically cover relationship dynamics, current events, and just things going on in their lives. It really just feels like you’re listening to a podcast between friends. A lot of times relationship podcasts have hosts that get way too intense for my liking, especially when the hosts are men, but this show isn’t like that. I also appreciate that their takes are all reasonable and realistic. The energy the show gives me is like a podcast version of the show Insecure without any drama, and I mean that in a good way. 
• 51 First Dates (genre: relationship) – This show is really wholesome and earnest. Just a couple of nice sounding women who talk about the dating scene. I’ve found that I relate to women, relationship podcasters more than men. I think part of the reason for that is because I find the women’s perspective more interesting because it’s not one that I’m exposed to that often. Also because most men that have podcasts about relationships tend to be incels, “nice guys”, or the “player” type. None of which I relate to. I think of myself as more of a hopeless romantic and this podcast hits those notes for me. 
• The Mina Kimes show (genre: sports) – This show is super informative for casual football fans who want to learn more about the game and players. Mina does a great job of breaking down different matchups, roster construction, conference outlooks, and individual team/player performances throughout the regular season and offseason. And on top of it all she presents it in a way that’s easy for anyone to understand, and in a way that’s not boring. 
• Whatculture Wrestling (genre: wrestling) – This is probably my favorite wrestling podcast. I love listening to their preview/review shows that they drop for the two main wrestling promotions almost daily. Michael Sidwig, and Michael Hamflet are both extremely eloquent, well spoken. They add an element of intellectualism to an industry that’s pretty silly and basic on the surface. They help unlock the deeper layers of the stories and philosophies that are seen on wrestling shows. 
• First Take Her Take (genre: sports/miscellaneous) – This show is kind of hard to classify because it involves ESPN personalities and is an ESPN product but it doesn’t focus solely on sports. They talk about a variety of topics including current events in sports and out of sports, their lives as TV personalities, their general day to day experiences, among other things. This show sort of reminds me of the show I mentioned earlier But, Don’t Quote Me, in the sense that it feels more like a conversation between friends that just goes where it goes. I started listening to this show only a month or so ago, and I’m glad I did. 
• Office Ladies (genre: Comedy/TV) – Last summer I binge watched The Office for the 3rd time and magically my podcast feed suggested this show to me. I thoroughly enjoy it. The hosts break down each episode, giving their opinion on certain scenes and characters, while also providing interesting behind the scenes tidbits. I never thought that I’d like the actress that plays Angela as much as I do. 
• Fake Doctors, Real Friends (genre: Comedy/TV) –  When I worked at Smoothie King, this was one of the podcasts that was always in the rotation. Back when I was trying to ignore the customers and limit how anxious I was feeling, this show felt almost like a warm hug. The lighthearted comedy and chemistry between the hosts made me feel more at peace in the middle of the chaos. The show revolves around the TV show Scrubs with the actors that played Turk and JD as two of the hosts who, similarly to Office Ladies, breakdown episodes and provide behind the scenes fun facts. I have a nostalgic connection to the show Scrubs so hearing some of the callers talk about how they were also big fans when they were younger makes me feel like I’m a part of the Scrubs community. 
• PW Torch East Coast Cast (genre: Wrestling) – The only thing holding this podcast back is the audio quality, and the fact that it releases once every 3 weeks now. The actual quality of the content is top tier, and I really like the dynamic between the two hosts. Cam Hawkins in particular brings an element that’s relatable to people, especially people who may not be super deep into wrestling. When people think of wrestling fans, they typically think of fat, smelly, white men. But Cam is pretty much the opposite of that. As a seemingly cool, in shape, socially adjusted, black man, he brings a valuable perspective to the wrestling industry. If I was trying to get one of my friends into wrestling, I’d be trying to expose them to Cam’s content.