Hello World, it's your Mystery Man here and I've got a mission to accomplish. Two of the most frequent questions I get when I'm not wearing my Mystery Fedora is "What podcasts are any good?" and "What blogs should I read?" Both questions are very important for two reasons.
The first is that it reflects the fact that we have more options for entertainment than ever before. Twenty years ago, we had cable, magazines and radio. But now, we've got social media in addition to regular media, and millions of websites tailored to specific subsets of the population. We've got entertainment, customized to us, on demand whenever we want it. More than we can digest in a lifetime.
The second reason this is important is that people are paralyzed by choice. When faced with 20,000 websites specifically on cross-stitch or the Denver Broncos or fencing, what do we choose? How can we even find a definitive list to choose from? With such wealth, we are struck by how poor our understanding of our options are.
Well fear not. The Mystery Man is going to wade through the chaos and make your entertainment choices a lot easier. I've compiled a list of Podcasts To Listen To and Blogs To Read. If you're in the market for comforting voices coming through your iPhone or intriguing words coming through on your iPad, look no further. Ladies, these are what I recommend.
Podcast To Listen To: Joy The Baker and Shutterbean - Joy the Baker is, appropriately enough, a baker. Shutterbean (her real name is Tracy) is a photographer and new mom. Together, they talk about life and food and being adults and acting like kids. The reason you should listen is because they remind you that it's alright to laugh, and it's alright to be passionate about things and share them with the world.
Blog To Read: xoJane - xoJane aggregates incredible stories submitted by, mostly, women in particularly compelling circumstances. You should read this because every article elicits an emotional response, as the titles of some of the recent articles would suggest (There Will Never Be Anything Effortless About My Body and I Became A Perfectionist Because My Father Died, to name a couple). xoJane takes no shortcuts. Every story has a purpose.
Podcast To Listen To: Mike and Tom Eat Snacks - This podcast has a simple concept. Comedian Michael Ian Black and actor Tom Cavanagh pick a snack to eat, eat that snack, and then give that snack a rating. But embedded in that simple concept is amazing back and forth banter. It's the kind of stuff that takes years of being good friends to create. You should listen because it is a study about how to give and take in a conversation. Each person sets up the other person for a joke, and then they both riff elegantly off of the joke. Also, you should listen because it will make you hungry for snacks.
Blog To Read: Bridesmaiding - The site's creator, Rachel Rosenthal, compiles joyful stories, troubling anecdotes, and time-tested advice about going to weddings and (of course) being a bridesmaid. You should read this blog because being a bridesmaid is hard, expensive and frustrating, and you need a guide to it. Brides-to-be should also take notice, as it is interesting to see how decisions you make about your special day affect your friends and loved ones.
Podcast To Listen To: Savage Love - Dan Savage provides advice to adults with very, very adult problems. You should listen to this because Dan Savage doesn't pull punches. He calls it like he sees it every time, regardless of how startling the situation is.
Blog To Read: Savage Love - Yes, I repeated it. But the guy also has a blog, and it's freaking incredible.
Podcast To Listen To: How Was Your Week with Julie Klausner - Julie Klausner has a conversation with different celebrities, sort-of celebrities, and interesting people during each podcast. You should listen because there's very little small talk. It's all big talk. People are very comfortable sharing humanizing details about themselves with Julie and her audience. You feel like you're sitting in on the most important conversation of someone's year when you listen.
Blog To Read: Dadspin on Deadspin.com - Author, sports commentator and dad Drew Magary writes the exact way that most men think. He talks about sports with passion, fatherhood with detail, and food with fury. You should read this because you will have a better understanding of your man and all men. This is what we talk like. This is how we think. This is what we feel about things.
This is, of course, just the smallest tip of an immense iceberg of options. But I say these are a good start. Listen to these things. Read these things. You'll be entertained, empowered, and emotionally drained in equal measure. You're welcome, world.
The first is that it reflects the fact that we have more options for entertainment than ever before. Twenty years ago, we had cable, magazines and radio. But now, we've got social media in addition to regular media, and millions of websites tailored to specific subsets of the population. We've got entertainment, customized to us, on demand whenever we want it. More than we can digest in a lifetime.
The second reason this is important is that people are paralyzed by choice. When faced with 20,000 websites specifically on cross-stitch or the Denver Broncos or fencing, what do we choose? How can we even find a definitive list to choose from? With such wealth, we are struck by how poor our understanding of our options are.
Well fear not. The Mystery Man is going to wade through the chaos and make your entertainment choices a lot easier. I've compiled a list of Podcasts To Listen To and Blogs To Read. If you're in the market for comforting voices coming through your iPhone or intriguing words coming through on your iPad, look no further. Ladies, these are what I recommend.
Podcast To Listen To: Joy The Baker and Shutterbean - Joy the Baker is, appropriately enough, a baker. Shutterbean (her real name is Tracy) is a photographer and new mom. Together, they talk about life and food and being adults and acting like kids. The reason you should listen is because they remind you that it's alright to laugh, and it's alright to be passionate about things and share them with the world.
Blog To Read: xoJane - xoJane aggregates incredible stories submitted by, mostly, women in particularly compelling circumstances. You should read this because every article elicits an emotional response, as the titles of some of the recent articles would suggest (There Will Never Be Anything Effortless About My Body and I Became A Perfectionist Because My Father Died, to name a couple). xoJane takes no shortcuts. Every story has a purpose.
Podcast To Listen To: Mike and Tom Eat Snacks - This podcast has a simple concept. Comedian Michael Ian Black and actor Tom Cavanagh pick a snack to eat, eat that snack, and then give that snack a rating. But embedded in that simple concept is amazing back and forth banter. It's the kind of stuff that takes years of being good friends to create. You should listen because it is a study about how to give and take in a conversation. Each person sets up the other person for a joke, and then they both riff elegantly off of the joke. Also, you should listen because it will make you hungry for snacks.
Blog To Read: Bridesmaiding - The site's creator, Rachel Rosenthal, compiles joyful stories, troubling anecdotes, and time-tested advice about going to weddings and (of course) being a bridesmaid. You should read this blog because being a bridesmaid is hard, expensive and frustrating, and you need a guide to it. Brides-to-be should also take notice, as it is interesting to see how decisions you make about your special day affect your friends and loved ones.
Podcast To Listen To: Savage Love - Dan Savage provides advice to adults with very, very adult problems. You should listen to this because Dan Savage doesn't pull punches. He calls it like he sees it every time, regardless of how startling the situation is.
Blog To Read: Savage Love - Yes, I repeated it. But the guy also has a blog, and it's freaking incredible.
Podcast To Listen To: How Was Your Week with Julie Klausner - Julie Klausner has a conversation with different celebrities, sort-of celebrities, and interesting people during each podcast. You should listen because there's very little small talk. It's all big talk. People are very comfortable sharing humanizing details about themselves with Julie and her audience. You feel like you're sitting in on the most important conversation of someone's year when you listen.
Blog To Read: Dadspin on Deadspin.com - Author, sports commentator and dad Drew Magary writes the exact way that most men think. He talks about sports with passion, fatherhood with detail, and food with fury. You should read this because you will have a better understanding of your man and all men. This is what we talk like. This is how we think. This is what we feel about things.
This is, of course, just the smallest tip of an immense iceberg of options. But I say these are a good start. Listen to these things. Read these things. You'll be entertained, empowered, and emotionally drained in equal measure. You're welcome, world.
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