Podcasts really are changing and shaping the way that we engage with the world.
They allow us intimate access to some of the best minds on earth and also provide us with endless hours of entertainment. But what to listen to? And why should you listen to it?
Literally anyone can sit down at home and make a podcast, which makes it especially hard when it comes to making your choice and wading between the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Here are our top five. Some are brand new, some are institutions, and some are just down-right weird, which is really what we’re all here for.
1. The Dream
If you’ve ever googled something along the lines of is *insert well-known company a pyramid scheme or my friend is selling *insert brand here* on Facebook and is totally annoying me I think she’s trapped in a pyramid scheme. Or better yet: Is the White House a pyramid scheme, then this is the podcast for you.
Hosted by Jane Marie, this podcast attempts to uncover exactly what Multi-Level Marketing (the legal term for legal businesses that appear, act, operate and exist the way a pyramid scheme would) is, and how it affects millions of people across the world every day. They focus on the origins, the main offenders, and the horror stories.
It’s well-produced and quite frankly, is a dream to listen to.
2. My Dad Wrote a Porno
This is a (kind of) oldie but a goodie.
If you’re like me and tend to be a little stubborn when it comes to trying new things (especially new podcasts) and you’ve yet to give this one a listen, I promise it is so totally worth your while.
It’s funny, and crude, and Brittish and will have you cackling away in no time, I swear on the life of Belinda and her pots and pans.
3. Blood Territory
This one is exclusive to Audible, and you can listen for free if you’re a member, which, as a book lover, I highly recommend you doing.
This is about a case in the Northern Territory, as reported by Walkley Award-winning journalist Mark Whittaker and is captivating right from the very beginning.
There are a lot of true crime podcasts floating around, but the production on this is excellent and will have you raising a lot of questions about the way we operate here in Australia, and especially in the top end.
4. The Shrink Next Door
This podcast is just plain odd, but that’s obviously why it’s a hit.
It’s based on the story of a manipulative psychiatrist, as told by his New Yorker neighbour, and a series of events that will leave you saying ‘huh’ over and over again until the penny drops. It’s catchy, and again well produced, and well worth a listen if you’re into that sort of thing.
5. My favourite murder
If true crime is your jam, but you don’t really want to be borderline vomiting at your desk or the gym or in the car (or wherever else it is that you listen to podcasts) then this is the podcast for you.
It has just enough gruesome facts to satisfy your true crime itch but doesn’t leave you feeling like you need to walk around with a bodyguard at all times.
It’s light and funny, and you won’t feel like a weirdo when you’re listening because they love murder and true crime just as much as you do.
