The Rabbit Hole that are Podcasts
Working by yourself, the company of music, netflix and podcasts is, for me, essential. Noise, good noise that is, makes me think clearer and be more productive. Neurotic small dogs barking at couriers and thier deliveries, is not the soundtrack of choice, but I have that one too.
It took me a few years before listening to one of those new talky web things called a podcast. It was one in particular about some friends I'd gone to school with. After that, I looked for the next one and next one and was hooked.
Perfect for Escapism
In my escapist work of creating pretty shiny things, I am often in my workroom listening to grizzly true crime. Why, I'm not sure, but some (a lot), are fascinating. I particularly find many Aussie ones a great listen. Anything by Adam Shand is always very worth a listen. BBC produce some excellent docos, a big plus for listening pleasure, they're light on ads. Our own RNZ have produced some crackers too.
It's possibly my way of getting something serious into my brain, as I work in a frivilous world of pretty things. I've always liked a bit of investigative journalism, and podcasts seem to cover that well. Podcasts are just another form, or addition, to the world of escapism. There is something for everyone, from childhood favourite stories read in sleepy lulled tones, for those who find sleep illusive, to many self help offerings - (A bit airy fairy for me, not escapist enough). If true crime is your bag, the options are endless. I've even found myself listening to a series about SEO (search engine optimisation) and e-commerce- Desperate times, desperate measures. Pod casts have every lisening desire covered.
Lockdown Listening
Lock Down 2020, speaking of desperate times. There was many a podcast churned through. The one which became like a forbidden visit from friends, was Loose Units. So much so, it became the inspiration for Lola & Alice's 'Super Hero Stories' range. A fantastic listen. Yes, there's grizzly bits, but it's about more than that. Paul Verhoven, author, actor and comedian from Melbourne, interviews his Dad, John, who was a cop in Sydney, in the dirty old 80's. Paul has written two books based on his dad's years as a cop, then firey then funeral director. The books are, Loose Units and Electric Blue. The podcast came about to tell the real stories behind the stories. They're excellent storytellers and you often find yourself having a good laugh. It's more like sitting in the lounge with good mates. Just like good mates checking in to see how you're doing, Paul and John created an additional spin off episode, each week over lockdown to keep their locked-down listeners company.
Cold Cases Reopened
There are a number of pocasts about cold cases which have been reinvestigated due to public interest and new leads coming forward. The Teacher's Pet was one such podcast. Investigative journalist,
Hedley Thomas, tells the case of Sydney mum, Lynette Dawson who disappeared in 1982 never to be seen again. The twists and turns of this 21 episode true story have the listener hooked early on. Without spoiling it, I'll just say the case got re-opened and fresh leads discovered. So far it's hooked in over 28 million downloads worth of listeners.
Gritty; Grizzly; Giggly; Glitzy
I'll call them the 4 G's. For your listening adventures, here's a list of some of my favourites.
There's plenty to get your teeth into here. Fashion, fraud, funny, freaks, frights, fame, feme fatale's and even a bit of science (or lack of in the case of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos in The Dropout ) and medical misadventures in Dr Death (3 seasons).
New Additions to Listen to.
The list of pods to listen to is growing. Here's just a handful of what the ears are waiting for.
I've just stumbled upon this one. Another one for creative-fix-list, tick.
There's just not enough hours in the day for the amount of options available to grab your ears. One thing is a definite; the sound of silence in the work room is not going to be for quite some time.
If there's any you have listened to and can recommend, please share and post in the comments. I and many others are always keen to add to their listening lists!
Thanks for joinging the journey of escapism. Share it about, subscribe, get some escape in your week.
Until the next escapist adventure...
Cheers
Roz
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