Mihret’s Podcast Picks: Nerdy fun for Women’s History Month
By Mihret Yirgeta, March 29 2023—
To celebrate Women’s History Month, I am choosing to embrace the nerdy part of me that revels in fandom. I invite you to join me with this month’s podcast picks.
Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby!
This is not your average mythology podcast. Hosted by Liv Albert — a Canadian 30-something millennial with a penchant for cursing and a feminist attitude — the stories are deeply researched, thoroughly told, and they don’t hold back on the details that have been sugar-coated and treated with kid gloves over the millennia. Myths of the ancient world are examined through a modern intersectional feminist lens, focusing where possible on amplifying the voices of women, trans and non-binary people.
You Are What You Love
Hosted by Marisa Tandon, You Are What You Love asks people the question, “What piece of media changed who you are as a person?” Guests from different backgrounds answer the question as they gush over some of their favourite pieces of media and how it has affected their lives. Discussed media include Bo Burnham live, Dungeons & Dragons, Green Day, Twilight, and more. If you would like to listen to adults with proper jobs and lives become absolute nerds for an hour, this is the perfect show for you.
Dashboard Diaries
In this incredibly nerdy podcast, long-time Tumblr user Lauren Shippen and long-time user-slash-Tumblr-employee Cherokee McAnelly dive deep into our favorite fandom site. Twice a month they talk about trending topics, share new ships, and forecast upcoming fandoms. Because Tumblr culture is very niche, this is the perfect podcast for anyone who is curious about this strange ecosystem or just confused by the inside jokes that sometimes make it to Twitter.
The Fic List
It’s like a book club, but for fanfiction. Every episode, hosts Erin and Alan pick a fanfiction tag and explain it then read, recap and rate fanfic under that tag. They cover a multitude of fandoms and fanfics of varying lengths. The discussions are hilarious, but they don’t mock or make fun of fanfiction itself, which is a refreshing take. The update schedule is inconsistent, but there is quite a backlog to get through until the next episode drops. They have excellent taste, and maybe you will discover a new fandom to join.
Potterless/The Newest Olympian
And now, the only male-created podcasts on the list, Potterless and The Newest Olympian. Created by the same person, both shows follow Mike Schubert, a grown man reading the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson books for the very first time as an adult. Every week Schubert is joined by fans of the series as he recaps the chapter or section, and they discuss their thoughts. It’s like a virtual book club hosted by a comedian. While Potterless has finished airing, The Newest Olympian is still ongoing, and if you need an excuse to (re)read Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, definitely try these two.