This week, Serial broke an iTunes record by becoming the fastest podcast to ever reach five million downloads and streams. Meanwhile, we learned that Spotify may be getting ready to launch its own podcasting service. Just more proof that podcasts are literally the biggest form of media to ever be invented. EVER! If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options of great stuff to listen to, we humbly offer this weekly guide to shows you should check out.
The Treatment
Episode: “Christopher Nolan: Interstellar”
Elvis Mitchell is one of my favorite pop-culture interviewers. He’s got tons of love for—and encyclopedic knowledge of—film, music, and art. He’s a fan, but never overly fannish, and has a real talent for getting guests to reveal interesting details about themselves and their work. On Mitchell’s recent episode with Interstellar director (and WIRED guest editor) Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker talks about the sci-fi blockbuster kings who inspired him, the challenge of balancing human emotion with grand spectacle, and the importance of choosing the right car for each character. Mitchell has interviewed Nolan several times before, and the rapport between the two yields a fluid, insightful conversation. Listen here.
How Did This Get Made?
Episode: “Rhinestone: Live!”
Rhinestone, in case you missed it—and you probably did—is a 1984 musical comedy in which Dolly Parton tries to turn Sylvester Stallone’s rough-and-tumble cab driver into a country music sensation. Guess whether it turned out to be an abysmal, embarrassing failure for everyone involved. Yep, it sure did!
On its 30th anniversary, HDTGM hosts Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas tear the inane flick apart in their typically hilarious fashion. Matt Jones (the actor/comedian who played Jesse’s loyal, dimwitted pal Badger on Breaking Bad), joins in on the fun, in front of a live audience at LA’s Largo theater. As with pretty much all episodes of this podcast, it doesn’t matter whether you’ve actually seen the craptastic movie they’re dissecting; just hearing the hosts rant about it is more than funny enough. Listen here.
Slate Money
Episode: “The ‘Smoking Up Behind the Bleachers’ Edition”
I’ve been a faithful listener of Slate Money since its debut six months ago, and while I wouldn’t have expected a podcast about economic news to become such a favorite, it’s one of the shows I most look forward to each week. Business writers Felix Salmon, Cathy O’Neil, and Jordan Weissman are smart, clear, and entertaining guides to the world of finance. The show is just perfect for a dumdum like me who has watched many (many!) feature-length documentaries about the global financial meltdown but somehow still just baaarely understands WTFingF happened.
A great place to start: The trio’s recent episode breaking down Taylor Swift’s masterful business dealings (and what they mean for the music industry), and the possible economic implications of legal weed. See? Economics can be super fun! Listen here.
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