Podcasts are more popular than ever, and it can be tough to find the gems. I can’t promise that my favorite podcasts of 2020 will be ones that appeal to you — they are perhaps somewhat niche — but I hope some of you will really enjoy these.
In no particular order:
Feminist Survival Project 2020: Emily and Amelia Nagoski wrote an indispensable book in 2019, “Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle,” and this is their podcast companion to the book. They had a feeling 2020 would be a difficult year, but they had no idea how difficult it would be when they launched this podcast in late 2019. Each episode is full of chatty, useful science and tools for getting through life. Favorite episode: “The Madwoman.”
I Weigh: Hosted by Jameela Jamil (“The Good Place,” “Legendary”), each episode features a deep, vulnerable interview with someone who’s making a difference in the world. I love how honest and cathartic these conversations are. Favorite episode: “ALOK.”
How to Survive the End of the World: Sisters Autumn Brown and adrienne maree brown’s podcast about “learning from apocalypse with grace, rigor, and curiosity” feels a little too relevant in 2020. Early this year, Autumn did a series of wonderful solo interviews that focused on different survival skills: housing, health care, agriculture and much more. My favorite was the two-part interview with Queer Nature, which connected wilderness survival skills to trauma survival, nervous system regulation and much more: “Tactical Hope” and “The OODA Loop.”
Maintenance Phase: Aubrey Gordon (Your Fat Friend) and Michael Hobbes (“You’re Wrong About”) launched this brilliant new podcast late this year, with deeply researched episodes on aspects of the weight loss industry, including Snackwells cookies and “wellness” culture. They’ll be back with new episodes soon. Favorite episode: “Anti-Fat Bias.”
Rebel Eaters Club: Writer and teacher Virgie Tovar’s podcast features a lively and fun interview each episode on food, diet culture, and feeling good in our bodies. (Each one also features one of the guest’s favorite snacks). Catch up now and get ready for season 2, which begins on Jan. 5. Favorite episode: “Food is Life” (with SF Chronicle food writer Soleil Ho).
Feels Like the First Time: It might be cheating to include this one, since it’s only available to people who are Patreon supporters of “The Storm: A Lost Rewatch Podcast” or “Buffering the Vampire Slayer.” In this bonus podcast, culture writer Joanna Robinson (“The Storm”) introduces activist Kristin Russo (“Buffering”) to major movie franchises she hasn’t seen before, quizzing her beforehand to see if she can guess key plot points and catch phrases. Sometimes Kristin turns the tables and shows Joanna a movie she hasn’t seen before. Either way, they are hilarious and charming — and now there’s a slack where subscribers can live-watch movies with them each month. It’s some of the most fun I’ve had this year. If you’re already interested in either “Lost” or “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and want to invest in a quality podcast, it’s worth it to get this bonus podcast.