Five addictive podcasts to get you through the end of semester
Students need tips on procrastination about as much as your grandma needs a selfie-stick, however there’s a limit to how many hours you can stare at the computer screen to pass the vital hours leading up to a deadline (and only three seasons of Broad City…).
Podcasts are becoming a staple of the time-waster’s toolkit because they’re so portable and packed with comic potential, but with so many in the store it’s good to be nudged towards the best ones.
The Russell Brand Podcast
For those unacquainted with Russell Brand, you may just know him for his Trews-spouting online political diatribes, his dubious morals and a couple of average films where he appears to play himself. His best work was actually on BBC Radio, a show he hosted with friends Matt Morgan and hip-hop poet Mr Gee.
Their improvised ramblings were cut short after Russell and guest Jonathan Ross caused a media stir with a prank phone call (receiving over 30,000 complaints back in 2008, leading to cancellation). Cut forward to the present and they’re back with a podcast offering similar nonsense where you can waste hours learning about the mysterious ways of Ling Long Ling, El Nordico and Telephone Neighbours.
Under The Radar
Sean Hughes was a big name in stand-up in the ‘90s. Years later, instead of becoming washed up, he’s started hosting a podcast where he talks with some of the best current stand-ups in the British underground scene. There’s a good mix of up-and-comers and old hands, and chat focuses on stand-up as a pure art form, often avoiding comedians who are just doing it as a means to get on TV.
Sean has a natural way of comically antagonising his guests with his Irish lilt, while gently squeezing out their philosophies and musings for all to hear. Anyone with an interest in comedy should keep up with this podcast, for everyone else the half-hour episodes stand alone as a kooky way to pass the morning commute.
Hamish & Andy
One of the frustrations of the podcast format is that it can be a week between episodes and you’re left scraping through obscure YouTube clips to pass the time. But Hamish & Andy has solved that issue with their daily podcast.
While it might seem like an obvious and mainstream pick, they punch out a pretty good comedy hour every weekday. While Australian comedy isn’t necessarily at its current peak, the duo (particularly Hamish) really carry on the home-grown comedy tradition. The podcast leaves out the fluff from the live radio show and pulls out the best bits of their daily chat, squashing it into something that’s pithy, addictive and often laugh-out-loud funny.
The Adam Buxton Podcast
An unsung legend of comedy, Adam Buxton has always been a pioneer of the digital sphere (type his name into YouTube for proof). His podcast feels a little more personal than his other work, as he paints a picture of an ageing comedian in the midst of an existential crisis having never quite hit the fame he probably deserves.
The show is still in its infancy but shaping up to be a hit, with guests ranging from the likes of Lianne La Havas, Louis Theroux, Jon Ronson, Doc Brown to Caitlin Moran. The theme music and homemade ads are super catchy too…
WTF with Marc Maron
This US based podcast has run over 700 episodes, so the back-catalogue is an absolute minefield of procrastination. The show definitely proved its popularity with a guest appearance from Obama, who requested to be a guest in mid-2015.
While Marc is a comedian, he’s not always playing this one for laughs, but rather candid and revealing interviews from some of the world’s most talented humans, including Abbi & Ilana from Broad City, Louis CK, Charlie Kaufman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Richard Linklater and Daniel Radcliffe.
Alex Dick
Alex studies media at RMIT, is a freelance writer and photographer, and comedy fanatic. He’s a perfectionist, but is also lazy, so he lives in constant frustration of the imperfect world around him.