074: Pod people

via We Heart It

I don't listen to a lot of podcasts on a regular basis.  I just don't have the space on my iPod to dedicate to them, and I got tired of the weird looks I got at work when people saw me sitting alone at my desk, snickering at the podcast from Russell Brand's defunct BBC Radio 2 show.  However, on the advice of a friend, I started listening to the Nerdist podcast recently, and it's rekindled my love for the format.  There's just something about listening to a bunch of guys sitting around, making fun of each other and talking to celebrities that warms the cockles of my bitter heart.

Last spring, while I was working a couple of temp positions at my former employer/alma mater/current employer, I would stream Made of Fail and Wil Wheaton's Radio Free Burrito and Memories of the Futurecast to pass the time while I puzzled over how to organize Swedish newspaper clippings (a difficult task, as I do not speak Swedish).  Made of Fail was nice, since their marathon-length episodes would cover almost the entire time between my lunch break and quitting time (and one of my favorite snarkbloggers, Cleolinda Jones, is a frequent guest).  "The Official LOST Podcast" with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse was a source of amusement and frustration throughout the run of Lost, while the BBC's Doctor Who commentary podcasts during Russell T. Davies' tenure were well-intentioned, but basically pointless by the time the DVDs came out.  Almost all of the programs I've mentioned so far 1) talk about the things I like, 2) have interesting and amusing people talking about the things I like, and 3) don't take up too much of my time having interesting, amusing people talk about the things I like.  Make me laugh and I'm sold, podcasters.

Nowadays, I'm subscribed to a handful of news podcasts -- the Anderson Cooper 360 podcast, NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, and CBS Evening News with Katie Couric -- that I watch as soon as they're posted, while Chris Hardwick and friends from the Nerdist tend to pile up until I have a few hours to spare.  Sometimes it's more important being informed than being amused.

Any favorite podcasts you'd suggest, random internet reader?