I have only recently fully dipped my feet into the world of podcasts. I am a huge music buff so usually when I am doing laundry or cleaning my room I just throw on one of my impeccable playlists and jam out while doing that task. One thing that made me ditch the music and start listening to podcasts however is actually my anxiety. I am alone a lot of the time, being an only child and COD (child of divorce) I am usually only in the house with one other person. One of my biggest coping mechanisms, when I have an anxiety attack, is to do anything and everything to change my focus and calm myself down. In order to do that, listening to a podcast and hearing someone talk to me about various subjects has actually helped and that is one of the reasons why I have grown to love podcasts over the past two years. I used to only listen to podcasts when a specific person I like would be a guest on a show but now I have a list of podcasts that I religiously listen to every week! So here’s a list of my favorite podcasts to listen to in your quarantine pod!
1. We Met At Acme:
We Met At Acme is a podcast created by fellow New Yorker, Lindsey Metselaar. It’s a millennial dating podcast, mostly about dating in NYC but with regular dating and relationship advice in general as well. Lindsey does solo episodes and episodes with guests where she talks about everything from her love of astrology, how to open up to your partner, tips for dating apps, etc. One of the things I have loved about Lindsey’s show is that it is authentic, she doesn’t claim to be a professional on relationships, in fact, she is very open about how she’s had failed relationships herself. She always is saying things that I know are true but try to turn a blind eye too and I really appreciate her honesty.
Some of my favorite episodes of We Met At Acme are:
- Settling vs Compromising, Emotionally Abusive Relationships, and My Parent’s Love Story
- What a 26-Year-Old Guy is Looking For, PTSD from Exes, and When You’re Into Someone but the Timing is Off
- On/Off Relationships, Bullying, Nose-jobs, and How Much to Share on Social Media
- Getting Financially Naked: When You Should Ask a Partner What They Make and Why Prenups are Crucial
- My Relationship Trauma, and How to Heal from Rejection and Cheating
2. Hoot and a Half:
If you know me you know that I am a DIE HARD Matt King fan. He is just the epitome of my type and just UGH *chef’s kiss*. Some of you might know Matt King from his vine days which is how he really blew up, but he is also a member of the notorious and beloved Vlog Squad. Matt King has always stuck out to me from the group of maybe 15+ friends not only because of his nonchalant adorable look but because of how smart and knowledgeable he is. It’s funny because within the Vlog Squad it’s almost a running joke how much smarter Matt is than everyone else. During quarantine Matt and his best friend Mike Sheffer, another Vlog Squad member, created this amazing podcast called Hoot and a Half. Matt and Mike have said that the purpose of this podcast is to have their friends on to talk to them and learn about them on a deeper level. It’s a simple concept but something that I like about it specifically is that both Matt and Mike are ridiculously smart like I said and ask very inquisitive and interesting questions that lead to great conversations. They’re very much still in the show’s inception but so far they’ve had Josh Peck as a guest and fellow vlog squad members Jason Nash, Carly Incontro, and others. I specifically loved Josh Peck’s episode because I got to learn so much about him that I didn’t know even though he was one of my generation’s biggest childhood stars. Matt King, the love of my life, once again blows me away.
Some of my favorite episodes of Hoot and a Half are:
- 01 Josh Peck
- 03 Carly Incontro
- 05 Casey Neistat
- 09 Will Darbyshire
3. Friend of a Friend by Olivia Perez
Fried of A Friend is a podcast hosted by Olivia Perez where she interviews up-and-coming entrepreneurs, influencers, and other iconic figures. They share their stories of success and give tips on how to make an impact in the world. I love this show because Olivia interviews some true underrated people that I have come to discover through her and love. Friend of a Friend is also very business oriented and that’s not something I usually get from the podcasts I listen to. She is wickedly smart, I highly recommend checking out this show to hear some great advice from people who are making it big.
Some of my favorite episodes of Friend of a Friend are:
- Hannah Bronfam
- Madison Utendahl (Call Your Friends Part V)
- Devon Lee Carlson
- Sami Miro
- Brandin Cohen
4. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard:
Armchair Expert is actor Dax Shepard’s podcast in which he interviews friends and celebrities and has natural flowing conversations with them. Dax says that his background of acting, sobriety, and an anthropology degree “qualify” him to have these interesting conversations. Because of Dax’s notoriety, he is able to get some really good talent for his show including Alicia Keys, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks, and a bunch of other amazing people you probably love. The episodes are longer than some of the other podcasts I regularly listen to but definitely for a train or plane ride this podcast can be a great choice to listen to some household names have great conversations that you normally don’t hear them have.
Some of my favorite episodes of Armchair Expert are:
- Jimmy Kimmel – February 19th, 2018
- Ike Barinholtz – September 17th, 2018
- Monica Lewinsky – October 27th, 2019
- Dave Franco – July 27th 2020
- Will Arnett – February 3rd, 2020
5. The Daily by the New York Times:
The Daily by the New York Times is another podcast I have only just started listening to but is highly informative and a great one to add to your roster. It is a podcast that covers current events, with new episodes 5 days a week, hosted by Michael Barbaro from the New York Times. Something that I love about The Daily is that it lets me get deeper into news stories that I want to hear more about. I am not the biggest news person (let’s be real, I get more accurate info on Twitter than through most newspapers) but The Daily has given me a really great opportunity to hear professional takes on what is currently happening in the world whether it be concerning the election, global warming, race relations, and more.
Some of my favorite episodes of The Daily are:
- The Case for Defunding the Police
- The History and Meaning of Juneteenth
- The Voters Trump is Losing
- The Field: Why Suburban Women Changed Their Minds
6. Ageless by Cynthia Rowley and Kit Keenan
It has been a dream of mine to start a podcast with my dad (one day guys, I know you all love faj) and so parent duo podcasts are so intriguing to me. Influencer and Youtuber, Kit Keenan, and her fashion designer extraordinaire mother, Cynthia Rowley, started Ageless and I have been hooked since the beginning. I was fortunate to meet Kit years ago because we went to school together and to see her grow into this iconic fashion idol and fitness influencer is honestly so inspiring. Their great rapport would inspire you to want a podcast with your parents. Ageless has some great guests and I love hearing the difference in perspectives Kit and Cynthia show through the questions they ask. I’m not even saying this because I’m biased, but they genuinely are so pure despite their large platforms and there is nothing more enticing than two people who you admire on social media acting like their true selves.
Some of my favorite episodes of Ageless are:
- If you’ve ever asked yourself “WTF do I eat?” with Bianca Valle
- SPF Every Single Day with Supergoop!
- What’s it like being famous
- Vanessa Hong on being a multi-hyphenate digital creator
7. Virgo Today by Parcast Network
If you look forward to your Co-Star and Pattern notifications, then you need to start listening to Parcast Networks astrology podcasts. I am a Virgo (woot woot best sign no discussion) and so I listen to “Virgo Today” but there’s one for each of the signs. They’re literally just 2 minute daily episodes of this woman with a calming voice talking about what is happening with your sign for that day. It’s a great way to start your morning. If you have something exciting in your life coming soon like a date, interview, birthday, etc it’s definitely a good idea to start listening a week before the special day to your horoscope to see what they have to say.
8. Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel
Ever since I can remember I was so interested in the concept of love, relationships, and marriage. I thoroughly enjoy watching movies about love stories and hearing about people’s experiences surrounding these topics. I am a pessimist and also not fully a believer in love and that’s why I am infatuated by fictional stories about it. Where Should We Begin is a podcast with relationship therapist Esther Perel who lets you sit in on couples counseling sessions. The topics go from infidelity, to managing a family, how to be happy, and so much more. It’s a very soulful and deep podcast compared to most of the ones I listen to and I suggest it to those who are interested in hearing true, vulnerable stories about love.
Some of my favorite episodes of Where Should We Begin are:
- I Can’t Give You a Child
- A Small Town Affair
- When I’m Manic I Cheat
- Leaving the Shame Behind
9. Views with David Dobrik and Jason Nash
Of course after putting Hoot and a Half on here you could bet that this one wasn’t going to be left out. Views is a podcast created by the King of the Vlog Squad David Dobrik and his ‘old’ best friend Jason Nash. These two have such a unique and layered relationship that their podcast reflects and is entertaining to listen to. Something that I love about Views that I don’t get from anywhere else is the sense of randomness. Every Monday they come together and talk about whatever they want, with random guests popping in constantly. It’s very sporadic but honestly, I love the energy. There are probably around 8-10 people in the room when they are podcasting and every few minutes you’ll hear a new voice chime in. I usually love listening to Views while I’m on a walk because it feels like I’m on the iconic cloud couch with them talking away and I love that feeling of inclusion.
Some of my favorite episodes of Views are:
- Burying Drugs in Las Vegas
- David’s First Big Paycheck
- Nude’s Leaked
- David’s Dream Girl
10. 10 Things That Scare Me
10 Things That Scare Me is a podcast show where one person speaks for an episode about 10 things that scare them, pretty self explanatory. I really like this podcast because it is short, usually less than 10 minutes long, and because it connects people in a way that usually we don’t connect in. When socializing we always discuss things we have in common that are positive qualities or thoughts, very rarely do we talk identify and discuss the things that terrify us. Not only is it reassuring to hear people talk about fears that you might also have, but interesting to hear what truly keeps people up at night.
Some of my favorite episodes of 10 Things That Scare Me are:
- Charles
- Dan Savage
- Anna Sale
- Liana Finck
- Growing Old
11. How Cum
How Cum by Remy Kassimir is a fabulous, liberating show about the host who started this podcast to explore the reason why at 28 she’d never had an orgasm before. Remy interviews sex experts, her sexually positive sister, and others about their favorite sex and relationship advice but also just works towards making the conversation surronding sex less taboo. I really like this podcast as I love having these raunchy conversations with my friends and also want to close the orgasm gap between men and women. Remy starts each interview with asking the guest to describe the first time they orgasmed and obviously as being first-time stories they are hilarious, weird, and cringey.
Some of my favorite episodes of How Cum are:
- 06: Guys We F****d + Girls Who Came
- 25: Audio Erotica
- 31: Sex & Disability
