Throughout the years, people have found many ways to stay entertained. From books to movies, music and now, podcasts, the opportunities to be entertained are endless. However, even with the new addition of podcasts in the early 2000s, over 35% of student respondents to a Talisman survey said they rarely listen to a podcast.
“My schedule is insane, but if I have the time to be able to just chill [and listen to a podcast] for a bit, then it’s always nice to,” freshman David McDaniel said.
However, for students who have time to listen to and explore new podcasts, here are some of the most popular ones mentioned by students.
“Chuckle Sandwich”
“Chuckle Sandwich,” an American comedy podcast hosted by Ted Nivison and Johnathan Schlatt (with former host Charlie Slimecicle), was a particular fan favorite amongst the students of Hayes. This podcast is about the humor of grown men, talking about random things that have happened to them.
In the first episode, “Schlatt’s Monkey Lamp,” Schlatt talked about his obsession with gibbons (whilst eating Muenster cheese).
For the first 20 minutes, the three friends continued to make monkey sounds while discussing the fact that Schlatt spent $500 on monkey lamps. In the latter part of the episode, Slimecicle complained about the stingray that had stung him in the foot when surfing in California. The whole episode felt a little randomized, and one conversation bled into another one without much effort.
While this podcast might not be for everyone, many students at Hayes, including McDaniel, love listening to it.
“They come up with unique ideas,” McDaniel said. “It’s a couple of guys who I already like. They’re just kind of fun.”
One recent episode, titled “The End of Chuckle Sandwich,” was supposed to be the last episode, according to fans. However, there’s a new episode out: “The Pokimane Episode.” The podcast is planning on officially ending after 4 more episodes.
“Heart Starts Pounding: Horrors, Hauntings and Mysteries
The podcast follows the stories that have been collected by host Kaelyn Moore. From the supernatural to true crime, this podcast uses the stories either obtained or given to Moore by fans. New episodes come out every Thursday.
The first episode, which premiered on Nov 2, 2022, was titled “The Devil in the Nursing Home: America’s First Female Serial Killer.”
While this episode was based on true crime, the second episode was “Haunted House Tales From Listeners.” This was a clear indication that Moore takes a lot of consideration to what her listeners want to hear while also incorporating a horror-based topic for the episode.
The style that Moore narrates her podcast in is very immersive. She uses different cases to back up the one she’s focusing on and uses background sounds to help amplify elements of the story. The fact that she double-checks her facts and makes sure that what she’s saying is true is impressive and not usually acknowledged by listeners.
“It keeps me entertained without fail,” sophomore Simon Jones said. “The different kinds of episodes are all unique and special.”
The official website, heartstartspounding.com, relays more about the history of Moore. According to the website, “Kaelyn grew up in a small New England town with a serial killer. A serial killer her great grandfather, a junior reporter at the local paper, helped catch.” That very serial killer (Amy Archer-Gilligan) was talked about in her first episode.
“The Broski Report with Brittany Broski”
This podcast was mentioned by a variety of students at Hayes. In this program, “Supreme Leader” Brittany Broski catches listeners up with anything she is “obsessing over, learning about, crying about, etc,” according to her own description.
In her first episode, “Growing Kelp In My Keurig,” Broski introduces her office space, describing the space she’s recording in. Later, she starts talking about why she created her podcast (giving a nod back to Emma Chamberlain), and goes on side rants, mostly talking about other people she admires.
“[Brittany Broski] is just so me, in so many ways, but also incredibly different,” junior Jimena Ruano said. “She is just herself, is vulnerable and just transparent with her [listeners]. She’s the type of person that even though I haven’t met, I feel really close to.”
Broski has connected with lots of different listeners because of her spontaneous and talkative nature. While sometimes Broski talks about serious topics, she can “still be fun,” according to Ruano. New episodes come out every Tuesday.
With all the podcast varieties, there’s always something new to listen to. Whether it’s true crime, humor, commentary, or something totally different, consider opening a podcast app and seeing what’s available. “Podcasts are a good way to learn about the world because you get a personal aspect from different narrators,” Jones said.
