The Big Listen ended production in May 2018. While this site is no longer updated, all the content remains available for archive purposes.
Sometimes doing stuff your mom does isn’t uncool at all!
Hey, pals! Hope this finds you well and in good health, if not good spirits.
Remember when you were a mouthy teen and didn’t want to do anything your parents told you to do…or was that just me? The last thing I wanted to do as a teenager was listen to my parents or do anything they liked, which is why 17-year-old Eliza Rubin is perplexing to me. She hosts the podcast Eliza Starting At 16. Her mom, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, also hosts a podcast called Happier. Like mother, like daughter? Hear more from the pair in this week’s episode of The Big Listen.
Guests
- Gretchen Rubin Host, Happier
- Eliza Rubin Host, Eliza Starting At 16
- Dan Carlin Host, Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
- Andrea Silenzi Host, Why Oh Why
- Shannon Cason Host, Homemade Stories
What Else Is On This Week’s Show?
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History is a podcast whose length is rivaled only by the colossal sweep of history it explores. Host Dan Carlin covers some of the world’s most important epochs, from the Punic Wars of 200 BCE (oooh, my favorite!) to World War I. The episodes regularly run three to four hours or more. They are, shall we say, an investment.
If you are a person who has dated in the 21st century, then you know things can get awkward. What is the appropriate text etiquette? When is it too soon to follow your date on Facebook? Will anyone swipe right on me? The podcast Why Oh Why celebrates that awkwardness. It is a show about love and dating in a technological age where it’s hard to tell fact from fiction. It’s delightful. And unnerving.
Live storytelling is hot these days. Wherever you live, there’s probably a storytelling night where folks are pouring their hearts out in front of a mic. Shannon Cason, host of Homemade Stories, is one of those folks. He let us put eyeballs on his playlist, and lately he recommends:
Audio Baubles
- Very attractive listener recommendations for this week: Noir Factory and Not By Accident
- As we do each week, let’s check the charts! Or rather, the 289th-ranked podcast on iTunes: The Splendid Table. Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s public radio culinary smorgasbord has been filling listeners’ stomachs and ears for the past 20 years. Want to know how to spatchcock your Thanksgiving turkey? Lynne’s got you covered.
- Best podcast title of the week: Matt & Doree’s Eggcellent Adventure
Call Me!
Do you have a podcast recommendation you’d like to share with us? We want to hear it! Give us a jingle on the Pod Line at 202-885-POD1 and leave a message. Then we’ll put you on the radio and you’ll be famous.
Thanks for reading, pals! ‘Til next time…keep listening, America.
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