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This Week in Podcasts

This Week in Podcasts: Amy Schumer’s new podcast, songs of summer and how rage rooms are like burritos (#19)

Summer’s officially here, and so is Amy Schumer’s million dollar podcast. A few words on that and takes on aliens, burritos, songs of summer, Trump’s inhumanity and more in this week’s pods.

7 Pod Takes

1) “I think you can be in love and not love the person.”

Listen: Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith: Love (2:47)

  • Schumer’s new pod begins with a hot take about love. She says: “Being ‘in love’ is a feeling that passes.”

  • The whole pod’s about love, which, with Schumer (and three of her friends), means the conversation bounces from slow jams to the manipulation of “being songed” to Applebee’s to bladder devices.

  • Also, there’s a Pound It or Pass segment, if you’d like to know which famous people Schumer and her friends would sleep with.

  • Yes, Spotify’s paying her $1 million for her pod.

 

2) “If you could gamble on the existence of alien intelligence in Las Vegas, it’d be the easiest bet at the casino.”

Listen: Crazy/Genius: Why Haven’t We Found Aliens (5:44)

  • Derek Thompson sums up the position of his guest, astrophysicist Adam Frank.

  • The astrophysicist, by the way, would push all-in with a pro-alien intelligence bet.

  • Says Thompson: “We are getting tantalizingly close to answering one of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos.”

  • My take: A riveting, science-driven look at the oldest question in astronomy: Are we alone?

 

3) “This is an incredibly complicated policy problem even if you have the best, smartest, most experienced, compassionate people doing it. We do not have that in this situation.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “Sta-cey! Sta-cey! Sta-cey!” (4:18)

  • That’s Dan Pfeiffer, talking about U.S. immigration policy and the Trump administration’s inhumane practices at the border.

  • My take: I appreciate the mix of justified outrage and sober discussion about the challenges of border issues and immigration. The Pod Save America guys’ knowledge of the complex issue from their time in the Obama administration shows.

 

4) “Back in the day, if you wanted to see good-hearted Americans fighting Klansmen, you’d turn on Jerry Springer. And now if you want to see good-hearted Americans fighting Klansmen, you turn on CNN.”

Listen: The Press Box: Trump’s “Lies,” the Strange Case of Ali Watkins, and Stephen A. Smith (2:21)

  • Co-host Bryan Curtis nails the state of media discourse in America.

 

5) “Biography the best form of history.”

Listen: The Tim Ferriss Show: Brandon Stanton — The Story of Humans of New York and 25M+ Fans (22:01)

  • That’s Stanton, the man behind Humans of New York, which he says might be the most popular photography project on the planet.

  • Biography, he says, “cuts through the theory” and the speculation of the author.

  • My take: Inspiring story about an incredible project. Worth the Ferrissian-length pod of almost 2 hours.

 

6) “Everybody’s family believes they’ve pulled a fast one. And they never do. Everybody always knows.”

Listen: Dear Sugars: Who’s Your Daddy (24:11)

  • That’s Steve Lickteig, whose family and most of his community kept his true identity a secret from him for 18 years.

  • Spoilers: His mother and father, who he thought were his adoptive parents, are his biological grandparents. His eldest sister is his biological mother.

  • My take: A fascinating look at Lickteig’s life, as well as the consequences of DNA testing and genetic discoveries on families.

 

7) “[It’s] kind of like when you get a really excellent burrito, and you’re like, ‘I cannot finish this, but I will.’”

Listen: Hannahlize This: We Tried a Rage Room (6:16)

  • That’s Hannah Gelb, comparing smashing objects in a rage room to one of the greatest dishes in the world.

  • My take: Rage rooms are like burritos? Rage rooms sound wonderful.

Got a Pod Take, a show to binge or a great guest I should consider for next week’s newsletter? Send it!

Go Deep

1) Songs of Summer

Listen: Switched on Pop, All Songs Considered

  • Switched on Pop announces its Switched on Summer series, which will deconstruct “summer pop hits from the ‘60s to the present.”

  • All Songs Considered pops open a box of wine and rides the roséwave for 38 minutes.

  • Says NPR Music’s Lars Gotrich: Roséwave isn’t a musical genre. It’s a lifestyle.

2) Travel Writing

Listen: Deviate with Rolf Potts

  • Travel writing heavyweights Potts and Thomas Swick highlight a discussion about the state of the genre in a post-Bourdain world.

  • Binge time: 1 hour, 7 minutes.

 

3) Inclusivity in Outdoor Communities

Listen: Outside Podcast

  • Outside wraps a four-part series looking at people of color in outdoor sports and communities.

  • Binge time: 1 hour, 27 minutes

 

4) “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

Listen: The Bechdel Cast

  • A 1-hour, 16-minute breakdown of the movie.

 

5) “Pretty in Pink” Soundtrack

Listen: Heat Rocks

  • Eliza Skinner goes 43 minutes on an iconic ‘80s movie soundtrack.

Guest Appearances By…

Adlon, Pamela Remote Controller

Alexander, Jason Modern Love

  • The actor reads a story about the search for love and parking.

Anderson, Louie Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!

Barbaro, Michael Recode Decode

  • Convo with host of “The Daily.”

Bird, Brad The Treatment

Beane, Billy Men in Blazers

  • Inspiration for “Moneyball” talks soccer.

Boogie2988 H3 Podcast

  • Convo with the comedian/vlogger.

Bortles, Blake Pardon My Take

  • Bortles!

Brady, Tom Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

  • Two-part convo with the New England Patriots’ QB, who attempts to prove he’s not a robot.

Buss, Jeanie Inside of You

  • Convo with the president of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Cannon, Kay FilmStruck

  • The writer/director talks comedy writing, “Rocky” fantasies.

Cenac, Wyatt Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

Cordeiro, Carlos Planet Futbol with Grant Wahl

  • Convo with U.S. Soccer president about how Canada, Mexico and the U.S. won the 2026 World Cup. Also: Yes!

Donovan, Landon Planet Futbol with Grant Wahl

Ek, Daniel Recode Media with Peter Kafka

  • Spotify’s CEO on R. Kelly, losing money.

Esposito, Cameron Remade in America with Bassem Youssef

Fahrenthold, David Pod Save America

  • WaPo Pulitzer winner talks about his reporting on the Trump Foundation.

Frank, Adam The Joe Rogan Experience

  • The astrophysicist goes 2 hours, 32 minutes on alien worlds.

Gillibrand, Kirsten Off Message

  • Convo with the U.S. Senator from New York.

Glaser, Rob The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

  • Convo with the founder of RealNetworks.

Grant, Heidi HBR Ideacast

  • Social psychologist on how to ask colleagues for help.

Green, Laci Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig

  • Convo with “the internet’s favorite sex educator.”

Hamm, Jon Hannibal Buress Handsome Rambler

Itzkoff, Dave WTF with Marc Maron

  • Author of new Robin Williams bio talks about the one-of-a-kind comic.

James, Jim Celebration Rock

Jacinto, Manny The Good Place: The Podcast

  • Jason!

Kaine, Tim Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Kondabolu, Hari I Think You’re Interesting

Kreischer, Bert Anna Faris is Unqualified

Maddow, Rachel The Axe Files

Metcalf, Laurie Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

Mitchell, Donovan The J.J. Redick Podcast

  • Convo with one of the NBA’s top 2017-18 rookies.

Moore, Mandy Remote Controller

  • Convo with the ”This is Us” star.

Mraz, Jason The Monocle Culture Show

Nash, Niecy It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Nichols, Rachel Pardon My Take

Olson, Kaitlin Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Pao, Ellen The Ezra Klein Show

Pfeiffer, Dan Recode Media with Peter Kafka, The Gist, The Moment with Brian Koppelman

  • Convos with Pod Save America co-host about his new book, “Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump.”

Prine, John This Song

  • Singer/songwriter discusses Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.”

Riggle, Rob The Adam Carolla Show

Rosner, Helen Longform Podcast

  • Convo with The New Yorker food writer.

Snider, Dee This Past Weekend

Stickles, Patrick This Must Be the Gig

  • Singer of Titus Andronicus on Sleater-Kinney and the band’s new album.

Taffer, Jon The Adam Carolla Show

Thornton, Billy Bob WTF with Marc Maron

Wilde, Olivia The Goop Podcast

Wilson, Chip How I Built This with Guy Raz

  • Convo with founder of Lululemon Athletica.

Yang, Andrew Waking Up with Sam Harris

  • Longshot presidential candidate talks universal basic income.

Notable New Podcasts

1) Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith

  • Amy Schumer and her friends “dish about their lives, pop culture, politics, and stand-up comedy. It’s dinner with your besties—if your besties were morally bankrupt.” Extended episodes are available on Spotify.

2) Hard Factor

  • Barstool Sports stays on brand with a “10ish minute news-suppository for people who think cable anchors don’t scream at each other enough.”

3) Rivers of Oil

  • New Minnesota Public Radio pod’s “about the oil pipelines that flow beneath our feet and the epic tug of war between our reliance on oil and the risk that oil poses to the future.”

4) Aftereffect

  • WNYC’s new pod tells the story of,a police shooting that “upended the life of Arnaldo Rios Soto, a 26-year old, non-speaking, autistic man.” Audrey Quinn hosts.

5) Hey Babe

  • Missy and Bryan Lanning offer “a behind the scenes look into what it’s like running a family and multiple YouTube channels.”

6) Hollywood in Color

  • The pod that covers “the stories of the stars usually left out of entertainment history — the people of color in front of and behind the camera” returns for its second season.

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