Podcasters prepped for the royal wedding, and they’re still excited about Donald Glover and the epic return of Malcolm Gladwell. He nailed it this week talking about punctuation.

Subscribe to This Week in Podcasts!

Enter your email below and every Friday I’ll email you a skimmable recap of the week’s podcasts, highlighting provocative takes, great binges, new pods and a comprehensive list of notable podcast guests.

8 Pod Takes: Provocative Thoughts From This Week’s Podcasts

1) “Probably the biggest intellectual change in my lifetime is the fact that we’ve moved from this period where knowing about the past meant you were smart, and now knowing about the past kind of means you’re irrelevant almost.”

Listen: Celebration Rock: Chuck Klosterman On The Rise And Fall Of Classic Rock (47:31)

That’s take-machine Klosterman, who blames Twitter for fostering a culture that elevates ignorance.
Klosterman’s exhibit A: The response when Kanye and Rihanna made “FourFiveSeconds” with Paul McCartney. Klosterman says it inspired a Buzzfeed listicle of tweets from people who had no clue Macca existed.
My take: Bad take, Klosterman. My exhibit A: Slow Burn, American History Tellers and many more popular backwards-looking podcasts. There’s a cultural thirst for understanding the past.
One more (good) take from host Steven Hyden: With streaming services, “no genre of music really ever has to die.”

2) “Synchronous movement is a language of its own.”

Listen: Hidden Brain: Baby Talk (8:25)

That’s Shankar Vedantam, highlighting guest Laura Cirelli’s insight about the power of synchronization in human communication.
It’s a language of affection, says Cirelli.
My take: A fascinating and enlightening pod that cracks some of the mysteries of baby babbling.

3) “Scientists must be free to fail.”

Listen: Ted Talks Daily: Scientists must be free to learn, to speak and to challenge (4:32)

That’s Kirsty Duncan, Canada’s first Minister of Science, on how most science doesn’t lead to Hollywood endings.
But failures can lead to unintended discoveries that, nevertheless, contribute to science.

4) “Ruth Bader Ginsburg did change the way the world is for American women whether they know it or not.”

Listen: It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders: How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Became ‘Notorious RBG’ (8:25)

So says NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg, summing up the life and legacy of the U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
Sanders adds: “She was living this kind of Sheryl Sandbergian have-it-all life before we had a name for that.”
Adds guest Julia Cohen, co-director of the film “RBG”: “She was leaning the heck in before leaning in was a thing.”

5) “It’s like they loaded a shotgun with commas and fired it at the Second Amendment.”

Listen: Revisionist History: Divide and Conquer (19:15)

That’s Malcolm Gladwell, clearing his throat during an (inevitable?) Gladwellian deep dive about “the world’s most controversial semicolon.”
Spoiler: An obscure law review article leads Gladwell to punctuation that means Texas could break into five different states and “turn American politics upside down.”
My take: Gladwell and grammar. Great combo.

6) “What more does she have to do on this Earth to be regarded as a genius?”

Listen: Still Processing: We Unpack Black Male Privilege (25:18)

Rembert Browne’s talking, of course, about Beyoncé.
Context: In the wake of Donald Glover’s elevation to genius post-”This is America,” Browne and Wesley Morris discuss how our cultural genius bar has evolved.
Spoiler: Black women, they say, don’t seem to make the cut.

7) “Nixon retained the soul of a benchwarmer throughout his aborted presidency.”

Listen: Upon Further Review: What If Nixon Had Been Good At Football? (17:48)

Host Leon Neyfakh ties Nixon’s Nixon-ness back to his days as a football wannabe at Whittier College.
Neyfakh speculates how Nixon’s life — and American life — might be different had he been better at the sport he loved.
My take: Love this premise for a pod: revisiting what ifs from sports history.

8) “Now we can lose money legally, Cousin Sal. What a day. This is the greatest day of our lives.”

Listen: The Bill Simmons Podcast: Sports Gambling Is Legal (!) With Cousin Sal, and Ethan Hawke Breaks Down Every Fun Movie He Ever Made (3:19)

So says Simmons, loving the Supreme Court’s decision to eliminate the federal ban on sports gambling in the U.S.
My take: You’re exaggerating, Simmons. But only slightly.

Go Deep

1) The Royal Wedding

Listen: When Meghan Met Harry

Hurry! There’s only a little time left to binge all 22 full episodes of this royally obsessed pod before Meghan and Harry get hitched.
Binge time: 11 hours, 34 minutes.

2) The Saga of the Bundy Family

Listen: Bundyville

A seven-part pod chronicles armed uprisings in Nevada and Oregon by the Bundy family.
The central question: Are the Bundys patriots or domestic terrorists?
Binge time: 3 hours, 23 minutes.

3) “Yeezus”

Listen: Heat Rocks

Dissect’s Cole Cuchna helps dissect Kanye’s album.
Length: 43 minutes.

4) “No Tears Left to Cry”

Listen: Switched on Pop

Nate and Charlie break down Ariana Grande’s latest track.
Length: 39 minutes.

Pick From a Podcaster

This week’s podcaster: Conor Reid, whose Words To That Effect is a literary podcast of the intriguing, the curious and the unexplored.

Conor adds: The show is created in Dublin, Ireland, and it’s a research-based, storytelling show which explores the places where literature, history and science collide. Why did the creator of Sherlock Holmes fervently believe in ghosts and fairies? How do we reach utopia? What is transhumanism? What is the cultural history behind zombies?

Conor’s pick: Documentary on One’s “Don’t Go Far”

Conor says: I love storytelling podcasts with great sound design that really bring you into the world of the story. Documentary on On, the multiple award-winning documentary unit of RTE (the Irish national radio station), has been producing stories of this type for decades.
He adds: “Don’t Go Far” tells the story of two young Dublin boys, aged 10 and 13, whose spur-of-the-moment adventure made national news in the 1980s. After a quick journey on a local train, they bluff and lie their way past security guards onto a ferry to Britain, a train to London… and a plane all the way to New York City. It’s a great story, recounted years later by one of the boys, and full of mischief and humour.

Guest Appearances By…

Albright, Donald The Adam Carolla Show

“Atlanta Monster” podcaster talks murder, with co-producer Payne Lindsey.

Ames, Jonathan Otherppl with Brad Listi

Convo with “You Were Never Really Here” author.

Andrés, José The Axe Files

Avenatti, Michael Pod Save America

Bloom, Rachel Scriptnotes

Convo with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” co-creator, with Aline Brosh McKenna.

Brolin, Josh WTF with Marc Maron

Thanos!

Brooker, Charlie The Adam Buxton Podcast

Convo with “Black Mirror” creator.

Cena, John The Adam Carolla Show

Corcoran, Barbara How I Built This With Guy Raz

Mogul recounts path from real estate to “Shark Tank.”

Donelly, Tanya This Song

Throwing Muses and Belly musician talks about the influence of “All You Need is Love” on her life and music.

Falcone, Ben The Big Picture

Ferguson, Niall The Jamie Weinstein Show

Famed history professor on Trump, China, North Korea.

Fieri, Guy Beyond the Plate

Filkins, Dexter Why is This Happening? with Chris Hayes

Convo with The New Yorker foreign correspondent.

Gil, Gilberto The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

Convo with the eminent Brazilian musician and social activist.

Guthrie, Savannah Skimm’d From the Couch

Hachisu, Nancy Singleton Bon Appetit Foodcast

Convo with the author of “Japan: A Cookbook.”

Hawke, Ethan The Bill Simmons Podcast

Heti, Sheila Longform Podcast

“I think my mom always had this idea that writing is playing, and it is playing, but it’s a serious kind of playing,” says the author of “Motherhood: A Novel.”

Ifill, Sherrilyn Stay Tuned With Preet

Convo with the president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Jacobs, Gillian Bullseye

Johnson, Rian The Dave Chang Show

“The Last Jedi” director talks innovation and criticism, with Karina Longworth.

Kelly, Kevin Deviate With Rolf Potts, The Tim Ferriss Show

“If you have a chance to travel, just do it. You won’t regret it,” says Wired magazine co-founder.

Kotb, Hoda Skimm’d From the Couch

Laguens, Dawn Queery

Convo with EVP of Planned Parenthood.

Lanier, Jaron Danny in the Valley

Leist, Libby Skimm’d From the Couch

Lindsey, Payne The Adam Carolla Show

“Atlanta Monster” podcaster talks murder, with co-producer Donald Albright.

Longworth, Karina The Dave Chang Show

“You Must Remember This” host talks innovation and criticism, with Rian Johnson.

McKenna, Aline Brosh Scriptnotes

Convo with “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” co-creator, with Rachel Bloom.

Mitski All Songs Considered

Musical artist talks about her new album.

Nolan, Christopher The Treatment

Filmmaker talks about reviving 70mm reprint of “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Notaro, Tig Fresh Air

Oates, Joyce Carol Bookworm

Prolific author discusses her 2,923rd* book. (*estimated)

Pao, Ellen How It Is

She talks about her stand against sexism in Silicon Valley.

Penn, Mark Recode Decode

“The first thing people get rid of when they get more money is kids,” says the pollster and author of “Microtrends Squared.”

Pollan, Michael The Ezra Klein Show, Fresh Air, Recode Decode

Food guru talks and talks and talks about his new book about mind expansion.

Rexha, Bebe The Dan Wootton Interview

Richardson, April R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: ME?

Comedian talks “Monster” with Scott and Scott.

Scheer, Paul The Watch

Convo with the actor/filmmaker/podcaster.

Scovell, Nell How to Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black

Serrano, Shea House of Carbs, The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Gist

Teacher turned best-selling author on Houston and San Antonio as food cities, “Cobra Kai,” bank robbery movies, Becky Hammon.

Sietsema, Robert Eater Upsell

Chemist turned food critic takes food tour of Queens.

Smigel, Robert Bullseye

Solo, Hope We Came to Win

Convo with U.S.A.’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper.

Steenburgen, Mary WTF with Marc Maron

Thomas, Louisa The Gist

Convo about Becky Hammon’s potential to be the NBA’s first female head coach.

Thompson, Tessa Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

Tyler, Steven The Joe Rogan Experience

Union, Gabrielle Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Urban, Keith Required Listening

Waithe, Lena How It Is

On the importance of giving zero fucks.

Yang, Jimmy O. Sooo Many White Guys

Notable New Podcasts and New Seasons

1) Unspooled

Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson kick off 100 podcasts, one for each of the films on AFI’s list of the 100 best movies.
First episode: “Citizen Kane.”

2) The Wonderland Murders

It’s “the tale of a violent home invasion robbery and the revenge rampage that followed. It involves a drug-fueled gang of criminals, a crazed crime kingpin — and the world’s most famous porn star on a downward and deadly spiral.”

3) Dissect

Cole Cuchna’s song-by-song dissection of albums returns for a third season, exclusively on Spotify.
This season’s albums: Frank Ocean’s “Channel Orange” and “Blonde.”

4) Upon Further Review

5) Business Wars

The Wondery pod’s latest season recalls the Sony vs. Nintendo video game wars.

6) The Space Race

American History Tellers begins a deep dive into the post-war space race.

7) Revisionist History

Gladwell’s pod’s back for its third season.

8) Love + Radio

Another season of “otherworldly-produced interviews.”

Meta Podcast Moment of the Week

“Every time they say podcast, drink.”

Listen: The Gist: Becky Hammon’s Next Big Shot

On his podcast, Mike Pesca shares the drinking game he created for “Alex, Inc.”, a TV show about a podcast company where they say “podcast” many, many times.
Spoiler: “Alex, Inc.” has been cancelled.
Perhaps Pesca can revive the game for the TV version of “The Daily.”

Thanks for reading! Find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.