Top 10 Podcasts You Should Be Listening to
Thanks to webpage such as YouTube people worldwide, including myself, now have another way to waste away hours without really getting anything accomplished. WebPages like YouTube.com, CollegeHumor.com, and many others provide anybody with the internet to upload videos of whatever they want. Other surfers will then come to these pages and spend hours watching videos. Well G4TV had a brilliant idea, why don’t we give the web surfers a more efficient way to waste time. We’ll find all the best videos from all these sites and tell them which ones to watch. That’s exactly what the Daily Nut does. The Daily Nut is a daily video podcast where two hosts from G4TV, usually Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn, who will introduce a clip and then it will be played. So forget about spending hours searching on YouTube. Just go to the Daily Nut and they will show you what you need to see.
9. Podcast 411
Podcast411 is a podcast hosted by Rob Walch. On each episode Rob interviews a host from another podcast. Rob usually start with a few general questions like when the interviewee started listening to podcasts and what podcasts they listen to now. Then they talk about what that person’s preferences are when doing their podcast. What kind of software and hardware they use, what kind of computer they have. It’s great if you’re interested in starting your own podcast or if you have a podcast and are always looking for some tips on how to run the one you have. Podcast411 also helps listeners find new podcasts. A lot of the podcasts I listen I toeither heard the host interviewed on Podcast411 or the guest mentioned in when they were asked what podcasts they listen to.
8. Ebert & Roeper
Ebert & Roper I’m sure you know, are two movie critics who have a weekly show where they tell their thoughts on the movies that were released the weekend. While I don’t tend to agree very often with either I do enjoy listening to them anyway because you don’t have to have the same opinions to be a good movie reviewer. Both of them, Ebert especially, know what they’re talking about and is really one of the top names as far as movie reviewers go, so as a movie buff I just feel like I should hear what the E has to say.
7. 10 Rounds with Steve and Anthony
10 Round with Steven and Anthony is a sports podcast. They talk and debate over all the topics currently going on in sports. What’s original about the show is the 10 rounds part. Throughout the show they will talk about 10 topics, spending just a few minutes on each topic. So unlike most sports shows you don’t have to listen to them relentlessly talking about the same subject for 45 minutes straight. Also, listeners are encouraged to keep track of who they agreed with on each topic, then you can go online and vote on which of the two “won” the 10 Rounds for that week.
6. Me and the Bean
Some podcasts are much like blogs except the person who has the podcast is obviously speaking rather than typing. I usually find these podcasts rather uninteresting because who wants to hear about some average Joe’s life. But for some reason, Me and the Bean really entertains me. The show is hosted by Me (no not actually me, that’s just what the guy goes by) and The Bean, hence the name Me and the Bean. They are a married couple with two little boys Evan and Max. They pretty much just talk about what’s going on in their life, which usually revolves around their boys, it helps that the older boy Evan is a little mischievous so they have a lot of stories to tell about him. They seem like a very sweet and friendly couple and their soothing voices and ability to tell a good story makes you feel like you’re chatting with your next door neighbors over a cup of coffee.
5. TV Guide Talk
If you couldn’t tell by the title, TV Guide Talk is podcast brought to you by tvguide.com. The show features host Dan Manu, Michael Ausiello, Angel Cohn and Maitland McDonagh. The show usually begins with Michael Ausiello talking about the latest television scoop. After that Dan, Michael, and Angel usually have a discussion about all their favorite TV shows from the past week. Finally, they let Maitland join in on the discussion by giving us reviews of the new movies coming up that weekend. TV Guide Talk is the place to get the best late breaking news, and it’s all legit news that Ausiello usually gets straight from the producers and writers, not just rumors. The whole gang is a lot of fun and listening to them is like hanging out with a bunch of friends and talking about your favorite shows.
4. Top of the Pods
Most podcasts are pretty simple; they have a topic and the talk about it. Top of the Pods is a little bit more unique than that. On Top of the Pods the two hosts, Rob and Jon, count down various different Top Ten lists making comments as they go along. But they encourage a little listener participation by having listeners send in top 10s. The topics aren’t generic things either like “My Top 10 favorite bands”. The lists that actually make the show are actually pretty creative and unique like “the top ten human animal hybrids”, “the top ten things I would do if I could pause time”, “the top ten rejected plotlines for back to the future”, or the latest episode, “the top things that always happen in a game of Monopoly.” Occasionally a list will be sent in that isn’t very good but Rob and Jon have such a witty sense of humor that they always make it entertaining even if they don’t have a good topic to talk about. In fact, one day I’m going to send in a “Top 10 Things More Boring than watching the grass grow” and they’ll still make it entertaining.
3. Hometown Tales
Remember when you were a kid and you and your friends would go camping and you’d sit around the campfire and tell ghost stories? Well now you can still do the same thing as an adult in the comfy confines of your own home. Bryan and Gene bring you Hometown Tales a podcast dedicated to telling the listeners about ghost stories and other hometown myths and legends. They’ve talked about legendary creatures like the Loch Ness Monster and Big Foot. They’ll tell you the story behind ghost stories like the Bell Witch. They even dive into myths like the Spear of Destiny. Whatever the topic it’s usually really interesting, both Bryan and Gene are very good speakers and great story tellers. I even learned from them that my home state of Alabama is the only place where there is a
Chemical
Warfare
Museum
. But don’t worry I’m sure your state has more interesting stories than that.
2. Comic Geek Speak
Comic Geek Speak is podcast about comic books. A group of six friends (Bryan, Peter, Jamie, Shane, Kevin and Matt) get together and discuss the events and news in the current world of comics as well as reminisce about the Golden Age of comics. They all have different tastes so it’s not the same old comics being talked about over and over again. But the guys have gone above and beyond the call of duty by helping out the little guys. A lot of shows they bring in a writer or artist for an interview, and while they would never pass up an opportunity to talk to a legend like Stan Lee, they also give equal time to independent writers and artists. I and many other comic book readers would probably never even hear of a lot of these comics and their artists and writers if it wasn’t for the Comic Geek Speak guys having them on their show. Another great addition to the show is their book of the month. Every month they choose a trade paperback that they are all going to read and encourage the listeners to read it and send in thoughts. Each show they take a few minutes to read listener’s emails. It’s nearly impossible to go one show without at least one email from a fan who said they stopped reading comic books, but Comic Geek Speak has pulled them back in.
1. Filmspotting
Filmspotting, once called Cinecast, is the best podcast on the internet for movie buffs like me. Every week Filmspotting hosts Adam Kempenaar and Sam Hallgren get together to tell you their thoughts on one of the big releases of the week. Both men have an obvious love for movies and express very well their reasons for loving or hating a movie. Unlike a lot of movie reviewers they are pretty fair to all genres. They enjoy a good Oscar caliber drama, but don’t stick their noses up at the latest Will Ferrell movie either. In addition to the newest release they also review a movie from their current movie marathon. Each month or so Sam and Adam pick a certain genre of movie, like musicals or westerns, and choose six movies from that genre. Then each week they will watch one of the movies and encourage the listeners to do the same thing. Due to this unique concept many fans write in thanking Sam and Adam because they loved a movie they would’ve seen if it wasn’t for their show. Sam and Adam also do a segment each week called Massacre Theatre. In Massacre Theatre Sam and Adam read lines from a scene acting out the parts, one of the fans who emails saying what scene the movie is from gets a prize, usually a free DVD. Finally they also do a Top 5 list each week. They manage to always come up with good topics for their top 5, like best character actor or best male bonding movie, despite doing over fifty different lists. Filmspotting is a must for any movie fan.
