Hello Readers, it’s co-editor Gail. Last week, co-editor Meagan shared recommendations of media to help you take a break from the news cycle. So today, I thought I’d share my favorite resources for when you are ready to check back in. Every week I listen to three podcasts that are all incredibly informative, cathartic, and even funny. They get me through the ever-infuriating news of the week and leave me feeling more aware and less alone by the end. So without further ado, I am thrilled to share with you:
- Even More News (Some More News on Youtube)
Even More News is the companion podcast to the Youtube channel Some More News run by cracked.com alums Cody Johnston and Katy Stoll. Their videos feature Johnston as a wild, discombobulated news dude as he rants on a specific topic. This has ranged from the serious topics of facism, white supremacy, Q Anon, economic inequality, climate change, immagration etc., but also dive into more unexpected things such as Quibi, Planter’s Baby Nut, John Krasinski and an epidemic of radioactive boars and how they all surprisingly connect to those issues mentioned above. For the podcast, Johnston and Stoll speak as themselves and discuss the news of the week often with a guest. They read the latest headlines and explain the further nuances of the situation and call out where both political parties are succeeding or failing to fix the situation. I greatly enjoy their discussions as they make me constantly think about where I align on the issue. I am sure I am not alone in feeling a constant back and forth between anger and despair and positive hopefulness about the current state of the world. What I enjoy most about Some More News is that it lets me feel both with Cody serving as my shoulder devil affirming my justified rage while Katy acts as my shoulder angel bringing me back down to earth with reason and optimism that things can and will get better.
Behind the Bastards is a podcast hosted by investigative reporter Robert Evans. The tagline reads “from Hitler’s love of YA fiction to Saddam Hussein’s shameful romance novels, this podcast sheds new, weird light on history’s monsters.” Every week, Robert sits down with a comedian guest and explains to them the life story of a terrible person from the past or even in our present. Through his deep dive research, Robert explains how the systems in place, biases and ideologies of the time and oftentimes flat out absurdity created the awful people we know today and how they were allowed to gain and hold power as well as the lasting effects of their grim legacies. Each episode is a history lesson that can leave you shocked and horrified but also relieved that it’s not just us, people have always been stupid. These past few weeks, the pod has been running a miniseries about the history of policing in the United States. I have gained such a better understanding of the past from this pod that has truly helped me contextualise our present and how we got here.
Now here is where the dream team comes together! Worst Year Ever, the podcast that truly lives up to its name, was created by the combined powers of Cody Johnston, Katy Stoll and Robert Evans. Initially started to track and break down the 2020 election, like everything else, has added Coronavirus and Black Lives Matter protests to its repertoire. Before the pandemic hit, they did deep dives on all of the major democratic candidates and their career history and continue to discuss the pros and cons of presumptive nominee former vice president Joe Biden.
Since the start of the pandemic they have had interviews with various experts and advocates for different marginalized communities and resources affected such as trans folks, prisons, abortion acess, lupis patients, renters etc. Since the protests, the team has been going to protests in their cities most notably Evans who often live streams the late night protests in Portland Oregon and the police brutality happening there. He also visited the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone and recounted his experience there. They have also done interviews with a lawyer about what your rights as a protestor are and another investigative reporter on what you can do when the police don’t do their job properly. Worst Year Ever gives me a sense of empowerment that ordinary people like myself can do things that help and make a difference in the long run despite how doomed everything can and has felt this year especially. Whenever I feel down and out I can sing their catchy theme song to myself and be reminded that we will get through all this together.
I really hope you give these pods a listen. Independent progressive media is something I believe we all need and should have access to. I truly thank Cody Katy, Robert and their producer Sophie for all of their hard work. Can’t wait to tune in tomorrow.
Keep Protesting, say their names.
Gail Bello is a poet and playwright from Waltham, Massachusetts. She graduated in 2019 with a BFA in Creative Writing and a minor in Theatre from The University of Maine at Farmington. Find her previous publications at https://thaumaturgedramaturge.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter @AquajadeGail