I feel like I'm missing out on what's hot right now. Every time I check social media, there's some new podcast everyone's raving about. What are the trending podcasts that are actually worth the hype? I want to be part of the podcast discussion community but I need to catch up on what people are actually discussing. Bonus points if they're actually good and not just popular because of marketing.
Right now The Retrievals is the show everyone in my circles is talking about. It's about women at a Yale fertility clinic who weren't given proper pain medication during procedures. The reporting is incredible and it's sparking important conversations about women's pain being dismissed.
Scamanda is still trending hard in true crime circles. The story is just so audacious. Also The Girlfriends about a group of women who discover they're all dating the same con man. Both are limited series that dropped recently and have people hooked.
In comedy, Strike Force Five was huge - all the late night hosts during the writers strike. Now that it's over people are still talking about it. Las Culturistas has been having a moment too, especially their annual competition episodes.
The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling sparked tons of discussion earlier this year. Whether you agree with the perspective or not, it was definitely trending. Search Engine from PJ Vogt (formerly Reply All) is also getting buzz for tackling interesting questions.
Tech wise, Hard Fork is trending as people try to understand AI developments. Waveform with MKBHD is popular in gadget circles. Both are actually good beyond the hype - the hosts know their stuff and explain things clearly without dumbing down.
Huberman Lab is still trending in wellness, though some criticize it for oversimplifying complex science. The Happiness Lab continues to be popular for evidence-based approaches to wellbeing. Both are actually backed by research which is why they maintain popularity beyond fads.