Confused? Good. Stay confused. Just like how the episode tries to warn you in advance to stop listening to the episode if you don’t know what’s going on, stop reading this article if you don’t know what’s going on. I’ll explain it, but I don’t want to. You deserve better.

Go away.

C’mon.

Okay, fine. Today’s episode of Decoder Ring regards a strange internet-born game simply called The Game, the terms of playing/losing/winning (?), and its origins. Reported on by senior producer Benjamin Frisch, “You Just Lost The Game” will make you, y’know . . . lose The Game.

So, what is The Game? You should listen to the episode to find out, but in short: everyone is always playing The Game, and someone loses The Game by thinking about The Game. You are in a state of “winning” The Game until you think about The Game, at which point you must declare you have lost The Game, thereby making others also lose The Game. So by making an episode with this title, on this subject, all of us who know about The Game and listen to Decoder Ring have been made to lose The Game.

Read more: Listen to These Podcasts After Watching “Inside” by Bo Burnham

It is 2006, and I am a high school freshman sitting in my orchestra class. By some evil, cruel twist of fate (by which I mean my school was mostly populated by a very specific nerd-ass religious sect), my public high school is not dominated by cool kids and jocks. It is dominated by choir girls, marching band kids, and theater kids. Almost all of them, somehow, are also weebs. Some of you might think that sounds like a sort of educational utopia. If this is your response instead of deep, deep terror, let me just say I would not like to hang out with you please. It was a bad place. It was a cursed place.

And it was, namely, a place of memes out loud. A place of speaking in full “I Can Haz Cheezburger” on the regular. A place of constant announcements that you have lost The Game, followed by groans and the occasional thrown pencil.

It is 2006, and I hear the sixth chair cellist in orchestra say, “I just lost The Game.” I ask what he means, and then he explains it to me, and that was the moment my soul was trapped in hell forever. In that moment, I had unwittingly made a deal with Mephastophilis and the only thing I got in return was the “magical” ability to understand some 4chan dweebs sometimes.

It is 2013, and I am in undergrad, and someone says they just lost The Game in one of my classes. I cringe.

It is 2021, and I have been free from hell for so many years. I’m a whole big kid now. I’m like, married and shit. I never have to listen to Andrew Lloyd Webber again because I never have to be in a hall filled with eighteen million theater kids again. I see an alert that one of my favorite podcasts, Decoder Ring, has updated.

It is 2021, and I have just lost The Game. I blame my hubris.

And the worst part is that the episode rules.

“I Just Lost The Game” is Decoder Ring as its finest. I’m aware of my bias here, given my specific closeness to the subject, but as the episode explains, that’s the case for most of us. The Game isn’t as obscure as it seems, though its origins are. Decoder Ring is a podcast about unraveling the mysteries of strange cultural phenomena, tracing them all the way back to their roots–and “I Just Lost The Game” does not disappoint.

The episode unfolds with Frisch’s own experiences with The Game before diving into how we got here. The story involves a science fiction society, a psychological experiment, and someone just trying to practice making websites. The Game is an example of something going viral in such an original, authentic, unmanufactured sense. “Going viral” is a term applied to just about anything when any media can get millions of views, but this was real.

But what makes this episode of Decoder Ring special isn’t just the idiosyncrasy of The Game or its origins. It’s the classic Decoder Ring whimsy and delight. The team behind Decoder Ring has mastered the art of taking something desperately uncool–e.g. Segways, soap operas, or, um, Truck Nutz–and making them fascinating. The stories are there, absolutely, but they’re bolstered by the investment the team has in that story itself.

With an episode on The Game, or any other Decoder Ring topic, it could feel like a tightrope to stay away from being condescending or straight up mean. Other, lesser podcasts, might topple over to that side without thinking twice. But Frisch and the Decoder Ring team stay earnest and curious. It’s refreshing, and it’s illuminating. It’s a step towards the growing sentiment that “cringe” just is not real.

As I listened, I found myself looking back at my high school wondering if maybe I was in the wrong about it all. Maybe there was something kind of wonderful about just how much people expressed their interests. After much deliberation, I can firmly say that no, it was definitely godawful. But there were definitely more moments of bliss laced in late nights driving with the windows down scream-singing the entire soundtrack of Repo! The Genetic Opera, or being met with understanding at a Firefly quote, or laughing to tears over “Numa Numa” than I care to remember.

Listen: “cringe” is a thing we can feel, but it’s not a thing on its own. It requires personal experience and personal embarrassment. It requires a negative nostalgia, a forced look into the past selves we tried to kill but haunt us to this day.

But podcasts like Decoder Ring help ease that gut-twisting feeling. Podcasts like Decoder Ring look at our weird, goofy pasts, and say, “Hey, what was the deal with that?” and then they actually answer that question. They take the seeming nonsense, or nothing, or ephemera, and look into both how they began and why we remember them. Decoder Ring tells us what pop phenomena tells us about ourselves.

Is “You Just Lost The Game” the perfect episode to start listening to Decoder Ring? It might be. But I implore you, instead, to look at the episode list and scroll until you cringe. That’s where you should start.

The post Dammit, Decoder Ring appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

Inside made me galaxy brain hard, and now you all have to deal with the ramifications of that. Here is a list of podcast episodes related to the content of Inside that have made me insufferable before viewing Inside, and now even more insufferable after.

Decoder Ring, “The Johnlock Conspiracy”

The way most people consume art is . . . weird, right? Fandom has a way of making an audience idolize creators and corporations alike–see the idolization of Marvel or Lucasfilms tied to the fans’ love of their attached intellectual property. Decoder Ring‘s second episode, “The Johnlock Conspiracy,” dissects how fandoms devote themselves to headcanons and ships to the point of conspiracy theories. The episode touches on parasocial relationships, but also how willing we can be to trust companies like the BBC with our hearts to almost exclusively tragic ends. Bo Burnham jokes that Wheat Thins want you to believe they care about lyme disease; meanwhile, Steven Moffat wants you to believe he cares about the gays.

You’re Wrong About‘s Princess Diana series

You’re Wrong About is precisely what it says on the tin, breaking down the assumed narratives of cultural phenomena and contrasting those narratives against what actually happened. In their much-beloved series on Princess Diana, a theme emerges early and infuses itself into almost every episode: fame is a form of abuse. From the royal family having no experience other than constant surveillance to the way people across the globe have sensationalized a woman’s life and death, You’re Wrong About is here to explain why the costs of fame often outweigh the benefits.

Childish

Childish is a musical fiction podcast about a college student who is trying his best to emulate Donald Glover’s life in hopes of becoming one. The protagonist, Dante, enrolls at the university Glover attended, and then gets the same RA job Glover had while also writing for NBC sitcom 30 Rock. That framing alone makes it a great companion piece to the Bo Burnham special, but the connections deepen as the plot of Childish unfolds. What starts as a goofy heightened comedy about being yourself eventually analyzes the carceral state, white supremacy, and underlying currents of privilege.

Read more: Like This Movie or TV Show? You’ll Love This Podcast

Throughline, “Policing in America”

Did you think I was done saying ACAB? Absolutely not. Bo Burnham routinely brings up the carceral state in Inside, whether directly in his routine with his sock puppet Socko or in the simple lines, “Now come out with your hands up, we’ve got you surrounded.” This episode of Throughline traces the history of police in America–and it’s a shorter history than you might think, with darker beginnings than you might think. Inside and Bo Burnham do not necessarily say, “Abolition in this lifetime,” but I certainly do.

Null/Void

Null/Void is a limited series fiction podcast that follows Piper, an employee at a nightmarish mega-corporation who stumbles into a strange conspiracy, finding herself pulled between the mega-corp and a group of activists who want to take it down. Null/Void is incredible, engaging, and suspenseful–but it’s also one of the single best depictions of how impossible it can be to truly free yourself from the business that own everything. (Disclosure: Creator Cle Burkhardt is a Discover Pods contributor.)

Real Life Audio Edition, “Future Myopia by Mehitabel Glenhaber”

This one may be a little bit of a cheat; Real Life Audio Edition is simply the narrated version of Real Life, a digital magazine about how humans interact with technology. It is a podcast made for expanded accessibility for written essays more than it is its own podcast; however also, it rules and you should listen to it. This essay by Mehitabel Glenhaber interrogates how current generations are supposed to deal with the mistakes of the former generations that did not consider them, specifically in regards to the global climate crisis. It’s a brilliant essay, and it will undoubtedly give you what Bo Burnham simply calls “that funny feeling.”

Conversations with People Who Hate Me, “Digital Self Harm”

Conversations with People Who Hate Me, like You’re Wrong About, is what it says on the tin. In its first season, host Dylan Marron has conversations with people who have left him hateful comments online. In its second season, Marron moderates conversations between people who have received online hate and the people who sent it–expect for this episode, “Digital Self-Harm.” In this episode, Marron hosts a conversation with someone who has received online hate . . . from herself. The episode discusses suicidal ideation and, of course, digital self-harm–both concepts that come up consistently in the works of Bo Burnham.

Happy galaxy braining. Or maybe, like, deeply unhappy galaxy braining. That’s for you to find our for yourself. Sorry; you’re welcome.

The post Listen to These Podcasts After Watching “Inside” by Bo Burnham appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

The series, producer and host Sruthi Pinnamaneni explained in the first episode, would focus on the catastrophic and public downfall of Bon Appetit‘s test kitchen. Bon Appetit‘s popular YouTube channel was revealed to be an unhealthy, deeply racist workplace. Our “unproblematic faves” went full milkshake duck, leaving many viewers shaken.

The Reply All series started with an episode that was well-received by Reply All‘s general audience, and the promise of exhuming and illuminating racist workplace practices. Pinnamaneni interviewed several prior of and current members of the Bon Appetit staff, using only the audio of the people of color instead of any of the white staffers from the food magazine. The series would have felt like a necessary investigation, had it not been a mirror for what was going on at Reply All‘s own network, Gimlet.

On February 16th, Eric Eddings posted a thread about his own experiences with Gimlet. The thread discusses how closely Bon Appetit‘s problems matched the problems he experienced at Gimlet. I–Wil Williams, specifically, writing this introduction, the managing editor for Discover Pods who is, important to note, white–highly recommend that you read the thread in full.

Brittany Luse, Eddings’s co-host and co-creator of The Nod, expressed her own frustrations with the Reply All series:

In the following days, more Black producers, creators, and employees of networks and public media shared the experiences they’ve had with racism in the workplace. I want to especially highlight an essay by renowned producer James T. Green titled “Glass Walls” about his own experiences with Gimlet:

Gimlet was a risk worth taking. Prove your worth, and you’ll stay on.

We believed it, or at least we tried to. We noticed the new batch of contractors were Black and Brown like us, and the Full Timers were mostly white.

James T. Green, “Glass Walls”

Edit 3/8/21: C. C. Paschal, another Black former Gimlet employee, has also shared their experiences in an essay. Like Green’s, Paschal’s essay, “Hidden In Plain Sight,” should also be read in full:

After reading countless narratives and records from and about enslaved people, including Harriet Tubman–star of the award-winning episode––whose values diminished in the eyes of their white masters after their bodies were broken from their work––I realized bringing my nonbinary femme and Black body to the team was not enough to counteract the toxicity. Instead, my body was the sponge––trying to sop up the worst of the mess as we pushed content out to the public. 

C. C. Pashcal

Vogt and Pinnamaneni have since stepped down from Reply All. They shared a short message about the series–which they are canceling, regardless of the unaired interviews with Bon Appetit employees whose stories have yet to be told–on the Reply All feed. I am not linking it here, because frankly, I do not want it to get more download numbers.

All of which is to say: in our Slack, the writers all felt like we should be listening to other podcasts, while taking this time to actively support those least respected and represented in the tech, media, and audio industries. Here’s our list of things to listen to instead of Reply All. We hope you give them a listen, and I hope that you take the time to read and process what people have said about the podcast and the company itself.

The Butterfly Effect with Jon Ronson

Journalist, author and filmmaker Jon Ronson has a long list of credits to his name, but The Butterfly Effect takes the cake for being one of the more curious ones. The podcast investigates internet pornography and Pornhub’s effect on the industry, starting with the story of eccentric founder Fabian Thylmann and then zooming out, or perhaps zooming tangentially, to share the website’s direct and indirect impact. The seven episode season was produced by Audible in 2017 and is a great binge listen at just over 3 hours total. Despite the subject matter, is not risque or explicit and instead tells personal, sometimes emotional stories of the people that Pornhub has impacted, and continues to impact. What makes the show especially enjoyable is that it is presented without any judgment or critique, yet it remains sharp, witty, and impactful. 

Read more: Over 200 Audio Professionals Sign Anti-Racist Open Letter to Public Media

If you enjoy this investigation, Ronson did a second project with Audible in 2019 called The Last Days of August, focused on the 2017 death of pornographic actress August Ames. The two shows are different, but on most platforms are released on the same feed.

–Brian Benton

Decoder Ring

Pop culture, tech, and the internet are like the BLT sandwich of the media these days. When you’ve got those three ingredients together, it usually leads to a story you really want to sink your teeth into. From the mania that Bart Simpson caused, to the truth about that iconic song about Fridays, Decoder Ring loves all kinds of cultural curiosities. Each episode, host Willa Paskin seeks to answer a question about the impact these sometimes seemingly insignificant things actually have on society.

Since the show references a lot of pop culture, there’s also so many opportunities for fun and nostalgic sound bites that really add to the depth and entertainment. Honestly, some of the clips used are so perfect that I also just want to know how Decoder Ring‘s producers found or remembered a quote that good. It’s like finding the gif or meme that emphasizes your point exactly. Audio memes should not be underestimated, and Decoder Ring has many to be appreciated. Beyond the memes, the producers also always finds the best voices to help crack these mysteries. Sometimes they’re pop culture experts with seriously niche knowledge, or the people closest to the story like Rebecca Black herself.

–Devin Andrade

Endless Thread

How many internet moments or memes have you stumbled upon, wondered about, and never known the origins of? On places like Reddit, the threads can go on and on. Sometimes the search for the answers behind internet stories, especially the really strange or obscure ones, can feel endless.

Getting to the bottom of internet mysteries is Endless Thread’s specialty. Each episode dives into a thread, question, or trend found on Reddit and searches for the full story behind it. Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Siverston have mastered their way around Reddit and reached out to other redditors for answers about everything from international anonymous gift exchanges to piles of plates in a forest. It’s not uncommon for these stories to span beyond the web and into real life, which helps remind you that the web’s weirdness is a reflection of just how strange real life can be. Redditors as a community already tend to band together to solve mysteries on the internet, and Endless Thread captures that same collaborative effort when they dive into each story. Not to mention, the chemistry between Johnson and Siverston also gives way to some excellent puns and banter.

–Devin Andrade

Minority Korner

Maximum Fun’s Minority Korner is a look into pop culture from an intersectional lens, dissecting how we make and interact with media and what that says about society. It’s a fun chatcast in which host James Arthur M. talks about what’s hot in the zeitgeist with his co-host of the week, but it’s more than just poppy fun. James’s knowledge of pop culture and its history is encyclopedic, and the discussions tying cultural conversations together is riveting and enlightening.

Like Reply All, Minority Korner aims to dissect and explain the cultural conversation du jour. The episodes aren’t focused on tech in the way that Reply All‘s often have been–but those who have been paying attention to Reply All for some time know that their episodes don’t really anymore, either.

–Wil Williams

There Are No Girls on the Internet

Bridget Todd’s internet culture and news podcast is there to set the record straight about marginalized people on the internet and how they have shaped it. It’s a sharp, empathetic chronicling of marginalized folks and their experiences online, so often overlooked. Todd gives an incredible breadth of space to her interviewees to tell their stories in detail, sometimes including the times that they laugh together which gives this podcast a welcoming, inclusive vibe.

Read more: Black History Month: Integrated Diversity in Podcasting

There’s a tendency in nonfiction storytelling podcasts to dramatize and craft a narrative for entertainment in the style of public media, one sanitized and framed for the consumption of the dominant culture. Todd, in the way that she keeps so much of her interviewee’s speech and voice and the kind of additions and links she provides as a narrator centers the marginalized people these episodes are about. And the topics are complex and varied and too-often covered only by cis, white men in media is covered at all, like the #NotYourMascot campaign, how The Matrix symbolizes a trans experience, and a miniseries within the podcast about the spread of disinformation and the women fighting it at the frontlines.

–Elena Fernández Collins

You’re Wrong About

As they explore internet wonders and pop culture highlights, You’re Wrong About feels like two friends eagerly sharing the new thing they learned with each other. It might sound like it’s going to be just a chatcast but it manages to go beyond that with a bit more attention to its production value. Hosts Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall are essentially just talking with each other, but not without extensively researching their topic beforehand. With that research also comes the addition of reference audio clips that make the story feel richer and more engaging.

Each episode looks at a cultural moment, phenomenon, or memory that has been misunderstood. Whether these misunderstandings come from people not educating themselves or from the spread of misinformation, Hobbes’ and Marshall’s research takes you along as they work to better understand these stories. They’re critical, unapologetic, and love to see how far down the rabbit hole they can go. This also means sometimes we get treated to special mini-series like one on Princess Diana because there’s just too much you need to know! Their show is a reminder that just because you heard about something in a tweet, doesn’t mean you understand it.

–Devin Andrade

The post What to Listen to Instead of Reply All appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.

If you’re interested in an even more diverse set of podcasts from 2018, see picks at the halfway mark of the year from Eric Silver, Wil Williams, Ma’ayan Plaut, Arielle Nissenblatt, and myself — the best podcasts of 2018 (so far).

Alright, enough blabber. Here were my best podcasts of 2018 in no discernable order.

1. Caliphate

Holy crap. I started my Caliphate binge during a 3-hour drive from Austin to Dallas. I honestly can’t remember a quicker trip. Caliphate, produced by The New York Times, follows journalist Rukmini Callimachi as she reports on ISIS and the fall of Mosul. Expertly researched, Callimachi gives adequate context and interviews a former ISIS member to give further insight into their initial appeal, recruiting, and organization.

Caliphate is a 10-episode story with each episode hovering around the 30-minute mark.

2. Binge Mode: Harry Potter

A little less heavy than Caliphate, but arguably denser, the Binge Mode team of Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion strike a happy nerd cord with their deep dives into the Harry Potter series. I’ve written about my love for Binge Mode before (here and here), but it’s honestly one of my favorite podcasts — whether they tackle Game of Thrones or Harry Potter. As co-hosts, Rubin and Concepcion have an unrivaled rapport combined with sharp, sometimes dirty humor and extensive knowledge of the series and wider canon.

Binge Mode isn’t the podcast for a quick binge. As of this writing, the Harry Potter version of the feed has 63 episodes with most having over a 1.5-hour runtime. If you call yourself a Potterhead, you can’t miss it.

3. Articles of Interest

99% Invisible‘s Avery Trufelman produced a 6-part series that exemplifies what I enjoy about podcasts. Each episode goes into a different piece of clothing to analyze its history and the events that shaped it to be what we now think about it. For instance, how did Hawaiian shirts lead to “casual Friday”, or how did blue jeans become and remain such a ubiquitous article of clothing? Each episode is around 30 minutes and while thematically linked, can be listened to separately.

4. The Bright Sessions

I’ll be the first to admit, I had zero interest in audio drama podcasts. I don’t know why, I just never bothered to listen to any. However, we’re fortunate enough to have audio drama conoussier, Wil Williams, write for Discover Pods and she gave me a curated audio drama starter kit. For a comic book fan, The Bright Sessions comparisons to The X-Men are easy to make, but still don’t quite do it justice. The Bright Sessions follows therapist to the extraordinary, Dr. Bright, as she navigates complex relationships, coming of age challenges, and a sinister government corporation.

The Bright Sessions wrapped up their core story in June, but they’re still producing special individual episodes following new patients and creator, Lauren Shippen, has deals in place to adapt the story into other formats. Read our feature on Shippen here.  

5. 30 for 30 Bikram

As you’ll likely pick up from this list, I listen to podcasts for a few reasons: to be informed, to learn about something new, and to be entertained. These interests tend to lead to vastly different podcast choices — which I consider a good thing. ESPN’s 30 for 30 is a podcast I’ve subscribed to since day one. I’ve always been a fan of the documentary series and highly anticipated the podcast version of episodic audio documentaries.

However, the podcast took a mini departure from their winning format with the serialized Bikram season. They expanded their story to a 5-part series detailing the rise of popular fitness regime, Bikram Yoga and its horrific founder, Bikram Choudhury.

Read my full review of 30 for 30 Bikram here.

6. Endless Thread

I was initially apprehensive about a podcast using Reddit as their foundation. It seemed like a short-lived pseudo-branded podcast destined to live in mediocrity. But once again, I was wrong. The Reddit x WBUR collab has been a delightful new podcast for 2018. Reddit, as it turns out, is a nearly endless supply of stories and ideation for a quality podcast to build off of. From diving into Ken Bone’s fifteen minutes of fame, to analyzing the Mattress Firm potential conspiracy, to a story of strangers going great lengths to do a favor, and many other tangents, Endless Thread combines WBUR’s talent for good radio and Reddit’s already proven focus group of what people find interesting.

7. Dissect

I wrote about Dissect, the deep dive podcast analyzing specific hip hop albums, after host Cole Cuchna wrapped up the season on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Since then, the podcast and host were gobbled up by Spotify and Cuchna has completed two seasons on Frank Ocean and Lauryn Hill.

Cuchna’s penchant for choosing albums that happen to near and dear to my heart is unfathomable (pssst Cole, Yeezus next, thanks). Dissect does a great job of providing context into the events that led to the album creation, analyzing and discussing the significance of the lyrics, and breaking apart the beat production so even us layman can understand.

8. Disgraceland

I don’t typically gush over true crime podcasts unless there’s something unique or some unmatched production value. Disgraceland does have its faults — notably some exaggeration. However, there’s no denying the compelling writing and delivery of the story. Each episode tells the past crime of some musician. Stories include the alleged forced overdose of Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious, drug- and sex-crazed Rick James, and of course the murder of Tupac.

Read my feature on Disgraceland creator, Jake Brennan here.

9. Slow Burn

The first anthology of Slow Burn was one of the best podcasts of 2017, chronicling the Watergate investigation and impeachment process of President Nixon. The collective podcast community was unsurprisingly excited when they revealed the Bill Clinton scandal and impeachment would be the focus of season two. It didn’t disappoint, and in many ways, surpassed the inaugural season. Host Leon Neyfakh does a masterful job of crafting historical evidence, new interviews, and forgotten context to present a well-known story in a new light.

Neyfakh surprised many when he announced his departure from Slate to start his own podcast company. Their first podcast, FIASCO, appears to follow a similar format to Slow Burn and will initially focus on the 2000 presidential election, Bush v. Gore. For their part, Slate has remained steadfast that Slow Burn will continue without Neyfakh.

10. Ars Paradoxica

Another audio drama I fell in love with (thanks again Wil! Read her full review). Ars Paradoxica tells the complicated story of time travel and clandestine government organizations. What I appreciated most, however, was their magnified attention to detail. They don’t shy away from the existential issues time travel would undoubtedly create — multiple universes, butterfly effect, and more. This unbridled focus is also readily apparent within the plot and dialogue that led to constant theorizing and speculation among the most ardent fans.

Though the main story is spread between 36 episodes, there are several bonus episodes and cast interviews that give even more insight into the story and characters.

11. Villains

Best-selling author, Shea Serrano, takes his unique humor, fanboy’ness, and honesty to create one of my favorite new podcasts. The concept of Villains is fairly simple, each week Serrano and a panel of guest hosts dive into a specific movie villain and discuss their motivations, actions, and determine if they’re redeemable. The topics and format is something The Ringer has already had success with The Rewatchables — a movie podcast.

What’s absolutely endearing about Villains is Shea’s honesty about being an amateur podcaster. In multiple episodes, Shea has added post-production audio footnotes providing meta-commentary on the podcast and his mistakes. It’s great.

12. Hi-Phi Nation

Along with Dissect, Hi-Phi Nation is another indie podcast receiving a promotion in 2018. In November, creator Barry Lam announced Hi-Phi Nation had been picked up by Slate to join their ranks. The philosophy podcast carefully blends qualitative and quantitative data to craft an immensely interesting podcast while also being extremely informative.

If you need to start with one episode, I’d recommend “The Chamber of Facts,” which details how our political beliefs are shaped by media echo chambers and what happens when the script is flipped.

13. Decoder Ring

Another new podcast from this year to crack my best of list. Slate’s Decoder Ring is billed as “cracking cultural mysteries”. This likely intentional vague descriptor really works for a podcast that’s explored topics ranging from opposing factions of a Sherlock Holmes fanfic theory to the origins and rise of the art in hotels.

Also, what I said at the top of the article about why I listen: “to be informed, to learn about something new, and to be entertained” — this podcast is a perfect 3/3. Host, Willa Paskin, does a great job acting as the audience’s proxy by asking the right questions and getting to the crucial aspects of the story.  

14. The Big Loop

Whoa, another audio drama! Audio dramas make-up 18.75% of my best of list, a stat I would not have believed had you told me a year ago. Creator and professional good human, Paul Bae, takes an episodic approach the genre. While most audio dramas tell a narrative fiction story serialized over several seasons, The Big Loop changes stories, characters, and overall format with each episode.

In the first episode, “The Studio,” Bae takes his influence from a popular Love+Radio episode, “The Living Room,” but adds a characteristic supernatural spin on the story. Arguably the best episode, however, is “Goodbye Mr. Adams,” which tells the coming-of-age story and a special lesson from a unique teacher. Briggon Snow voices the main character and does a great job encapsulating the teenage angst he brought to his character Caleb from The Bright Sessions. Combined with clever writing and intriguing stories, The Big Loop also adds custom music to provide the soundtrack for each episode.

15. Everything is Alive

Probably the most unique podcast I’ve heard in quite some time, Everything Is Alive brings life and personality to inanimate everyday objects. Creator and host, Ian Chillag, has a compelling and heartfelt unscripted conversation with objects you encounter on a daily basis to understand what they’re thinking, their struggles, and to see life a little differently. Objects range from a can of cola, to a lamppost, to a subway seat, and you actually start to think about how your interactions with these objects may be construed.

16. This is Love

I wanted to leave this list with the most heartfelt, uplifting podcasts in a world too often filled with negativity. Along with Everything Is Alive, This Is Love win the award for most likely to make you sob uncontrollably. From the team that brought you episodic true crime podcast, Criminal, you’ll get weekly episodes detailing different examples of love and loving in the world.

For example, in the second episode, “Something Large and Wild,” I was blown away by how much I cared about the relationship between an avid swimmer and a whale.

The post The 16 Best Podcasts of 2018 appeared first on Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods.