A few weeks ago, I was listening to A Little Bit Culty, and the episode was about Twin Flames Universe (TFU), a high-pressure group I'd never heard of before. The guest was Keely Griffin, a former member of the group. I've heard of the concept of "twin flames," but I had no idea there was a whole culty organization centered on the idea. A few days later I heard an advertisement for a new Wondery show called Twin Flames that explores and exposes the group, and I immediately downloaded the first two episodes.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: Something Was Wrong
somethingwaswrong.com
Our listeners know we love a scam. Last summer when I was in search of some new scammy content, I stumbled upon Something Was Wrong in Stitcher. At the time, the show was already several seasons in, but I’d seen some buzz for season one in reviews, so I started at the beginning. What I found was better than just a scam story; I found an empathetic storyteller centering victims of abuse, control, and manipulation. Something Was Wrong is riveting in its subject matter, but more importantly, it’s bringing attention to some really crucial issues.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: You're Wrong About
I’m back on my bullshit, and that bullshit is talking about podcasts all the damn time. This time I’m here to talk about You’re Wrong About, which is a podcast I absolutely cannot stop listening to right now. Hosts Michael Hobbes (Maintenance Phase, HuffPost) and Sarah Marshall (journalist, currently working on a book about the Satanic Panic) delve into the stories behind the cultural phenomena, moral panics and public figures that we all think we know the stories of, but in fact, we’re wrong about. Here’s why you should check it out.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: Maintenance Phase
For the past week, I haven’t been able to shut up about Maintenance Phase, a podcast that decodes and debunks everything related to wellness and weight loss. The podcast, hosted by Michael Hobbes (You’re Wrong About) and Aubrey Gordon (Your Fat Friend, What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat), examines everything from anti-fat bias to Weight Watchers to Dr. Oz to diet pills, and I guarantee that every episode contains information you’ve never heard before. Here are some of the reasons you should check out Maintenance Phase. Get ready to learn, unlearn, and gasp out loud when you listen.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad – Newcomers: Star Wars, With Lauren Lapkus & Nicole Byer
Comedy, television and podcast veterans Lauren Lapkus and Nicole Byers have never seen a single Star Wars film. They know nothing about Star Wars except some random names, phrases, and a couple of iconic moments they’ve heard over the years. In fact, they’ve kind of avoided all things Star Wars for their entire lives. Now, these two brilliantly funny women are joining forces (see what did there?) for Newcomers, a podcast that has them watching one Star Wars film per week, in theatrical release order.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: The Last Days of August
August Ames and her husband, Kevin Moore, an adult film producer.
Photograph: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
The inner workings of the porn industry are largely misunderstood or unknown to outsiders, despite the ubiquity of porn itself. Jon Ronson's latest project — the second of his about the porn industry — is a podcast that uncovers tough truths about the porn world as he investigates the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of 23-year-old porn star August Ames. My final #PodSquad post of the year is about one of my favorite podcasts of 2019. The Last Days of August is an outstanding podcast that tackles difficult issues in a unique industry and humanizes the people who work in it.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: The Dream
Image Credit: Little Everywhere
"Hey girl! I was just looking at your pictures, and you're so cute! I love how much spunk and personality you have! Have you ever thought about doing what I do? You'd be GREAT at it! I make money just by selling products I love on social media! It's so easy, and I make great money! Right now we're running a special and you can sign up to be a presenter for a MAJORLY discounted price. Plus, FREE products! Are you in?!"
If you haven't gotten at least one DM like this from an acquaintance in the past three years, are you even on social media? These all-to-familiar messages (read: pitches) are from people who work for "Multi-Level Marketing" companies, or MLMs. Some of the more common ones you've probably seen shared on social media include but are not limited to: Rodan + Fields, Younique, Mary Kay, SeneGence (LipSense), Monat, ItWorks!, Arbonne and LuLaRoe. There are countless more. I was already fascinated by MLMs before I discovered The Dream, a podcast from Stitcher and Little Everywhere that investigates and exposes the problems with such companies.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: Crime Junkie
Hosted by Ashley Flowers with co-host Brit Prawat, Crime Junkie is my new favorite binge-worthy crime podcast. And if you know me, you know I've listened to a LOT of crime pods. Here’s what I love about it.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: This Podcast Will Kill You
Erin Welsh and Erin Allman Updyke, hosts of This Podcast Will Kill You
Photo: TPWKY Facebook page
The beloved hosts of My Favorite Murder recently started their own podcast network called Exactly Right, and I’ve been so excited to check out their lineup, which caters to audiences that like MFM (also known as: me!). First up on my sampling of Exactly Right’s menu: This Podcast Will Kill You. First of all, that’s a great title. Second, it does something similar to what MFM does — makes an unsavory topic (infectious diseases, in this case) totally cool to talk about. And you’ll definitely want to be friends with these gals.
Read moreSusan's #PodSquad: You're the Expert
You’re the Expert live at National Geographic in Washington, DC
Photo by Taylor Mickal