Hey there, I’m Mike, and welcome to the salon! Today, we’re diving into the world of unusual podcasts. Did you know that in 2014, two guys started a podcast where they watched and talked about the movie “Grown Ups 2” every week for a whole year? It’s called “The Worst Idea of All Time,” and now they’re discussing “Sex and the City.” Let’s explore more quirky podcasts!
“You Talkin’ U2 to Me?” is a podcast where Adam Scott from “Parks and Recreation” and comedian Scott Aukerman chat about the band U2. They even interviewed Bono! Another music-themed podcast was “Analyze Fish,” where Harris Wittels tried to change his friend Scott Aukerman’s mind about the band Fish.
For Taylor Swift fans, there’s “Taylor Talk,” where hosts dive into her songs, tours, and personal life. They’ve been doing this since 2011!
“One Bad Mother” is a space for moms to share their parenting ups and downs. With nearly 2,000 episodes, there’s plenty to listen to! “Trucker Tom’s” is hosted by a real trucker who talks about driving and politics while traveling across America.
“I Was There Too” interviews actors who had small roles in big movies like “A Few Good Men.” “Calvinist Batman and Friends” discusses religion and culture, and sometimes compares movies like “War Machine” and “War Horse.”
If you’re a “Star Trek” fan, check out “Improvised Star Trek,” where an improv group creates stories in the Star Trek universe. Prefer “Star Wars”? “Star Wars Minute” dedicates an episode to each minute of the movies!
“A Talking Cat” is a podcast that hilariously discusses a children’s film about a talking cat, one minute at a time.
For hobbyists, “The Model Railroad Show” is all about model trains, while “Subway Knits” discusses knitting on the subway. Pinball enthusiasts might enjoy the “Electromechanical and Bingo Pinball Podcast” or “Arcade Outsiders” for arcade game collectors.
“Autographed Weekly” is for autograph collectors, and “Should I Worry About This?” is hosted by two professional worriers discussing various concerns.
“Drunk J Fans” is a fun podcast about the Blue Jays baseball team, with a bit of drinking involved. “Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time, Period” celebrates Denzel Washington’s movies, featuring guests like Spike Lee.
For conspiracy theory fans, “Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know” covers mysterious historical events. “Jungle Apocalypse” and “Coast to Coast” are also worth checking out.
If you’re into writing tools, “The Pen Addict” and “The Anderson Pen Podcast” are for pen lovers, while “Erasable” focuses on pencils.
“Dial a Stranger” collected questions from listeners and called random numbers to ask them. “Comedians Tell Horror Stories” features comedians sharing their most embarrassing moments.
Health enthusiasts might like “Juicing Radio” for juice benefits or “Water Values” for water-related topics. “Doughboys” reviews chain restaurants, and “Mike and Tom Eat Snacks” is all about snack foods.
The “Renaissance Festival Podcast” records music from Renaissance Fairs, and while eating a turkey leg isn’t required, it’s recommended!
If you love TV show recaps, “Go Bayside” covers “Saved by the Bell,” “How Rude” focuses on “Full House,” and “Gilmore Guys” goes through every episode of “Gilmore Girls.”
Finally, there’s “For the Love of Podcasts,” where the host talks about everything podcast-related, from technical aspects to why people love them.
Thanks for joining me in exploring these fascinating podcasts! I’m Mike Rugnetta, and you can find more of my work on my YouTube channel, PBS Idea Channel. Let us know which podcasts you enjoy in the comments, and maybe you’ll check out my podcast, “Reasonably Sound.” See you next time!
Imagine you are starting your own podcast. Choose a quirky or unusual topic that interests you. Plan out your first episode, including the title, main points, and any special guests or segments you might include. Record a short introduction and share it with your classmates.
Pick one of the podcasts mentioned in the article and listen to an episode. Prepare a short presentation for the class, summarizing the podcast’s theme, what you learned, and your personal opinion on the episode. Be ready to answer questions from your classmates.
Choose a podcast genre from the article, such as music, movies, or hobbies. Research and list at least three other podcasts within that genre. Compare and contrast their styles, formats, and content. Share your findings with the class in a creative way, such as a poster or digital slideshow.
Write a script for a 5-minute podcast episode on a topic of your choice. Focus on creating an engaging introduction, a clear main section, and a memorable conclusion. Practice reading your script aloud, paying attention to your tone and pacing, and present it to a small group.
Pair up with a classmate and choose a podcast from the article. One of you will play the role of the podcast host, and the other will be a guest related to the podcast’s theme. Prepare questions and answers, and perform a short interview for the class, focusing on making it entertaining and informative.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hey there, I’m Mike. Welcome to the salon! This is a Mental Floss video, and did you know that in 2014, two men started a podcast where they watched and discussed the film “Grown Ups 2” every week for a year? It’s called “The Worst Idea of All Time” podcast, which I think is a very appropriate title. They got through a year of “Grown Ups 2” and have now moved on to “Sex and the City.”
That’s just the first of many podcasts with unusual premises that I’m going to share with you today. “You Talkin’ U2 to Me?” is a podcast hosted by Adam Scott of “Parks and Recreation” fame and comedian Scott Aukerman. The premise is simple: every episode is a discussion about the band U2. They’ve even had an interview with Bono on the show!
Another interesting podcast was “Analyze Fish,” which is no longer being produced since its host, Harris Wittels, passed away. The premise was him trying to convince his friend Scott Aukerman to change his negative opinion about the band Fish.
Of course, there are many podcasts about Taylor Swift, but one notable one is “Taylor Talk,” where the hosts analyze her songs, tours, and personal life. They’ve been at it since 2011.
“One Bad Mother” provides a space for mothers to vent about their parenting mistakes and share some positive experiences as well. At this point, there are almost 2,000 episodes!
“Trucker Tom’s” is a podcast by an actual trucker who discusses driving and politics as he travels across America. “I Was There Too” features interviews with actors who appeared in successful movies like “A Few Good Men” or “Groundhog Day,” but were only background players or had just a couple of lines.
“Calvinist Batman and Friends” is a podcast where Calvinist Batman chats with guests about religion and culture. There are also episodes comparing similar movies, like “War Machine” versus “War Horse” and “School of Rock” versus “Pitch Perfect.”
“Improvised Star Trek” is exactly what it sounds like—an improv group creates stories that are supposed to exist in the Star Trek universe. If you’re more into Star Wars, check out “Star Wars Minute,” where the hosts discuss the Star Wars movies, dedicating an episode to each minute of the franchise.
“A Talking Cat” is another podcast that takes a one-minute-at-a-time approach, discussing the ridiculous children’s film from 2013 starring, of course, a talking cat.
There are many podcasts dedicated to specific hobbies, like “The Model Railroad Show,” which is all about model railroads, and “Subway Knits,” featuring discussions about knitting on the subway. For amusement, there’s the “Electromechanical and Bingo Pinball Podcast,” a long title for a podcast about pinball repair. Similarly, “Arcade Outsiders” is for arcade and pinball game collectors.
“Autographed Weekly” is hosted by people who collect autographs, and keep an eye out for my new upcoming podcast, “Mike Lists the Titles of Podcasts.” “Should I Worry About This?” is run by two self-described professional worriers who discuss various scenarios and whether you should be concerned about them.
“Drunk J Fans” is worth mentioning just for the awesome name—it’s dedicated to the baseball team, the Blue Jays, and also involves drinking. Another podcast with an excellent name is “Denzel Washington is the Greatest Actor of All Time, Period,” where the hosts discuss Denzel Washington’s movies. They recently had a special guest, Spike Lee, on the show.
There are a few podcasts dedicated to conspiracy theories, such as “Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know,” which covers unexplained historical events. For genuine conspiracy theorists, check out “Jungle Apocalypse” and “Coast to Coast.”
For those interested in writing utensils, you might enjoy “The Pen Addict” or “The Anderson Pen Podcast.” If you prefer pencils, check out “Erasable.”
“Dial a Stranger” has over a hundred episodes, although they haven’t made one since 2012. They collected questions from listeners and called random numbers to ask those questions.
“Comedians Tell Horror Stories” features comedians sharing their worst bathroom experiences and embarrassing moments.
If you’re into health, “Juicing Radio” discusses the benefits of juice, while “Water Values” covers topics related to water utilities and treatment resources.
“Doughboys” has two hosts who review various chain restaurants like TGI Fridays and Long John Silver’s. Similarly, “Mike and Tom Eat Snacks” features actors Michael Ian Black and Tom Cavanagh reviewing snack foods.
The “Renaissance Festival Podcast” records music from acts that perform at Renaissance Fairs. While it’s not required to eat a turkey leg while listening, it is highly recommended!
If you enjoy episode-by-episode recaps of random TV shows, I have some podcasts for you. “Go Bayside” is all about “Saved by the Bell,” “How Rude” focuses on “Full House,” and “Gilmore Guys” is hosted by two men working their way through every episode of “Gilmore Girls.”
Finally, there’s a podcast about podcasts called “For the Love of Podcasts,” where the host discusses everything from the technical aspects of podcasts to why people love to listen to them.
Thanks for watching Mental Floss video, made with the help of these nice people. Again, my name is Mike Rugnetta. You can check out my YouTube channel, PBS Idea Channel. Let us know which podcasts you listen to in the comments, and hopefully one of them is my podcast, “Reasonably Sound.” We’ll put a link to that somewhere too. Okay, bye!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Podcasts – A digital audio or video recording available for streaming or download, often part of a themed series, that can include discussions about music and performing arts. – Example sentence: The music teacher recommended a series of podcasts about famous composers to help us learn more about classical music.
Music – The art of arranging sounds in time to produce a composition through the elements of melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. – Example sentence: During the school assembly, the choir performed a piece of music that they had been practicing for weeks.
Bands – Groups of musicians who play instruments and perform together, often creating music in genres like rock, jazz, or pop. – Example sentence: Our school band is preparing for a big concert where they will play several popular songs.
Songs – Musical compositions with lyrics that are sung by a vocalist or group of vocalists. – Example sentence: The students wrote their own songs for the talent show, showcasing their creativity and musical skills.
Tours – Series of performances by an artist or band in different locations, often to promote a new album or project. – Example sentence: The famous pop band announced their world tour, which includes a concert in our city next month.
Fans – People who have a strong interest in or admiration for a particular artist, band, or genre of music. – Example sentence: The fans cheered loudly when their favorite singer took the stage at the music festival.
Interviews – Conversations where questions are asked to musicians or performers to gain insights into their work and experiences. – Example sentence: Our class watched an interview with a famous violinist who shared tips on how to improve our playing techniques.
Comedy – A genre of performing arts that aims to entertain and amuse the audience through humor. – Example sentence: The drama club’s latest production is a comedy that had everyone laughing from start to finish.
Artists – Individuals who create art, including musicians, singers, and performers, who express themselves through their work. – Example sentence: The music festival featured artists from around the world, each bringing their unique style to the stage.
Culture – The shared beliefs, customs, arts, and practices of a group, which can be expressed through music and performing arts. – Example sentence: Our music class explored the culture of different countries by listening to traditional songs and learning about their origins.
