Podcast Playlist

This week we've got six hot new releases to refresh your podcast rotation. Words like "girl boss," "gaslight" and "gatekeeper" have taken over on social media but, like a game of telephone, how they're used in memes can be a long way from their original meaning.  In its latest season, the Canadian podcast Rehash hones in on internet terminology and archetypes and untangles it all. Hosts Hannah and Maia (otherwise known as Broey Deschanel on YouTube) sit down with Podcast Playlist host Leah-Simone Bowen to chat about what viral moments and internet drama say about wider culture and whether the shenanigans all add up to a net positive or negative.  Plus, we'll take a look at the latest seasons and new listens from podcast institutions and newbies alike, including a deep dive into the lengths the province of Alberta went to keep rats from crossing over the border from Saskatchewan.  Podcasts featured this week: Secret Life of Canada: "Is it true that Alberta is a rat-free province? We look into why the province of Alberta took rat hating to a new level." California Love: K-Pop Dreaming: "Growing up in Koreatown during the 90s and 2000s, host Vivian Yoon was an emo-listening teenager who embraced American pop culture. At least that's what it seemed from the outside. But at home, by herself, what she listened to was K-Pop. How Vivian's hidden love for the music is propelling her to explore the connections between K-Pop and her hometown." The Turning: Room of Mirrors: " By tracing the origins of this unusual lifestyle, starting with the legacy of choreographer George Balanchine and the intimate stories of young dancers, we expose the beauty of an artform and the complexity of ballet culture." You Didn't See Nothin': "Part investigation and part memoir, "You Didn't See Nothin" follows Yohance Lacour as he revisits the story [of Lenard Clark] that introduced him to the world of investigative journalism, and examines how its ripple effects have shaped his life over the past quarter-century." Serial: Coldest Case in Laramie: "A Times investigative reporter, Kim Barker, revisits the murder of Shelli Wiley — a long-unsolved case from Kim's time in high school. She reaches out to Shelli's family to understand why the police arrested a man named Fred Lamb for Shelli's murder in 2016, and why prosecutors abruptly dropped the charges against him." Rehash: "Caleb was a very bad boy. But did we have to John Tucker him x 1 million? Hannah and Maia get personal about life in the trenches of online dating, and whether or not doxxing is a justified means to a feminist end." Plus, we interview Rehash hosts Hannah and Maia about the internet's most overused words

This week we're re-releasing one of our fave episodes from May 2021. You may know our guest today, Jamie Loftus, from one of her many podcast endeavors. My Year in Mensa, The Bechdel Cast, Lolita and most recently The Aack Cast. This week she stops by to share her fave pods and talk about her deep dive into Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. What do you think of when you hear Lolita? Heart-shaped sunglasses? Lana del Rey? Romance? Critics have called it a great love story. But look deeper into Vladimir Nabokov's novel and you might instead see a cautionary tale full of predatory behavior told by an unreliable narrator. So why does that name still conjure images of love and lollipops? You might remember host Jamie Loftus from My Year In Mensa (featured on our recommendation chain) or from The Bechdel Cast. She first learned about Lolita at age twelve and has had a complicated relationship with it ever since. That relationship inspired her to create Lolita Podcast, a deep dive into the history and cultural legacy of Lolita. Jamie joins Elamin this week to talk all things Lolita Podcast. And she brought along some of her favorite podcasts to play for us! Featuring: Lolita, You're Wrong About, There are no girls on the internet. As a note before you listen: Jamie and Elamin's conversation touches on mature themes, including child abuse and pedophilia. Please take care while listening.

New and Notable: August 2022 Edition. We're sharing high profile crime stories told from the perspective of the journalists who covered them, an investigation into the secrets behind the multi-billion dollar porn industry, and an ode to scent. Featuring: True Crime Byline: "True Crime is one of the most popular genres in podcasting. Every year big studios release dozens of high production series about gruesome crimes and real-life scams. But before those stories become podcasts, most of the time, there's a dogged reporter doing the hard work of bringing them to light. True Crime Byline interviews the reporters who cover these crimes, and ask them what it was actually like to sit in courtrooms, chase down leads, get to know family members and talk to witnesses." Hot Money: "This series seeks to uncover the inner workings of the business side of the modern porn industry. The internet undeniably had a massive impact on shifting the way porn was distributed. In this first episode, Patricia Nilsson and Alex Barker of the Financial Times speak with sex performer Stoya about how this shift into tube sites, like Pornhub, changed things for her — and how the owners of tube sites are not subjected to the same stigmas." Welcome to Provincetown: "Welcome to Provincetown follows the stories of seven people over the course of a summer in the iconic LGBTQ community of Provincetown, Massachusetts. In this clip, host Mitra Kaboli introduces us to Qya Cristal, a local drag queen." Off Leash: "Dogs are, above all, creatures of the nose. What can they sniff out, and what can we learn about smelling by following them? Alexandra Horowitz talks to a detection-dog handler and a food critic about olfaction, then puts some Freakonomics hosts' noses to the test." Dear Old Dads: "Hey kids, get ON our lawn! Dear old Dads is a podcast examining and deconstructing all things Dad. From parenting to patriarchy; manning the grill to manning up; Dear Old Dads asks – what even is a dad anyway? What does it mean to be a good man in today's world? What should it mean? Listen along as we definitely find the correct, concise answers to all these questions and more, with hosts and dads Eli Bosnick, Thomas Smith, and Tom Curry." For more visit cbc.ca/podcastplaylist or follow us on Twitter: @podcastplaylist

In this episode we're sharing selections from Anna Sale, the host of WNYC's Death, Sex & Money. Featuring: Death, Sex & Money, Reply All, Nancy and Throughline. For more podcast recommendations visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastplaylist

Is it the raw talent or the intense dedication to performance? Or maybe it’s the attitude, the ‘IT’ factor, that charms audiences all around the world. From Aretha to Beyonce to Celine — we bring you podcasts about some of the mightiest women in music. . Making Beyonce: "Before the Grammys, before the platinum records, before Destiny's Child, there was just a shy girl growing up in Houston. We follow Beyoncé Knowles from the stages of local talent shows to her first crack at a record deal with the group Girls Tyme." . Dolly Parton's America: "One of Dolly's most iconic and successful songs is "Jolene," a song that, at first listen, is about a romantic rival trying to steal her man: a prime example of the classic "cheating song." But some see it as flipping a popular country music trope on its head. This idea takes shape when Nadine Hubbs, a professor at the University of Michigan, writes a fourth verse to "Jolene," which makes us reimagine Dolly's songs in entirely new ways." . Switched on Pop: The Switched on Pop team join forces with producer Gina Delvac to talk about the evolution of Rihanna and her much anticipated ninth studio album. . The Big Story: "Céline Dion has been many things throughout her career, but 'cool' has rarely been one of them. As one of the bestselling artists to call this country home Céline should have won us all over long ago. But she never quite broke through to the more cynical younger generation.Until that generation stopped being cynical, that is. It turns out Céline Dion was always cool. She was just waiting for us to come to her. And over the past few years, we have, by the millions." . Inside the Junos: "Alanis Morissette burst on the scene with 'Jagged Little Pill' and shook up the music world. Her magic says Chilly is, 'that strange yodel, that weird break in her voice that makes the vocal performance so raw and so real.'" . Heat Rocks: "Heat Rocks had always planned to sit down with DJ Lynnée Denise, an LA-based DJ and music scholar, but when Aretha Franklin passed on August 16th, we invited her to come talk with us about the Queen's life and legacy as part two of our series Women Behaving Boldly."

Featuring: Conversations with People Who Hate Me: "In the summer of 2017 journalist Katie Herzog wrote a piece that was widely criticized. Ultimately she found herself at the bottom of a social media pile-on. 3,000 miles east of Katie, a woman named Robyn Kanner joined that pile-on tweeting "ur just trash." In this episode, taped live in front an audience, Katie and Robyn meet onstage for the first time to discuss what happened between them, and the unlikely twist that brought them closer than they would have ever guessed." . Food, We Need To Talk: "You know better than to expect life to be fair. But still, it's enough to drive anyone crazy: some people seem to be able to eat anything they want and never gain weight." . Drilled: "In this season we're tackling Big Oil's big propaganda machine — its origins, the spin masters who created it, and why it's been so effective. It all began more than 100 years ago with Standard Oil, John D. Rockefeller and his son, a bloody miners' strike, and the very first P.R. guy, who swooped in to clean it all up." . Death, Sex & Money: "A text message gone wrong. A bachelorette party exclusion. A racist comment during the 2016 debates. Today, we're sharing your stories about how race, identity, and racism have impacted your friendships." . Twenty Thousand Hertz: Is Paul McCartney actually a cyborg who was replaced in 1969? We'll learn about the musical phenomenon of "backmasking" and why it had people playing their records backwards. . The Program audio series: "The Program audio series is a historical podcast set in a future in which Money, State and God became fused into a single entity called the Program. Each episode is a self-contained story focusing on ordinary people inhabiting this extraordinary world. And for them, it is not this future that is terrifying - it is our present."

We bring you a list of podcasts that all delve raising others and what it's like to be raised. There are a lot of different approaches to being a parent, and we have all the angles covered. The Longest Shortest Time – "Myra Jones-Taylor's son is black, but it's a constant struggle to get his peers and teachers to see him that way." Mom and Dad are Fighting – "Slate's parenting advice show helps a listener with how to talk to a 5-year-old about their absent father." Death, Sex & Money – "The year after Tig Notaro's life fell apart, she turned it into a comedy set — and it went viral, bringing her overnight fame. And in the middle of it all, she was trying to become a parent." Other People's Problems – "Belle is feeling like a bad parent. Hillary talks with her about the idea of a "good enough" mom." Reveal – "A controversial theory about child abuse is swaying family court judges to award custody to parents accused of harming kids. We trace the origins of 'parental alienation.'" Family Secrets – "The first time Marla had cancer, she and her husband John told the whole family, and Marla hated the attention it brought. So when it came back years later, they hardly told anyone — including their own children."

This week on Podcast Playlist, we’re listening to true crime. During the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, there was a huge amount of online hate directed towards Amber. But what if that was all part of an organized campaign? We’ll find out on Who Trolled Amber. Plus, even if you’ve never heard of Peter Ivers, you’ve probably heard some of his music without realizing it. He was murdered in 1983, and the case was never solved. Now, a new podcast called Peter And The Acid King is trying to get to the bottom of it. It’s hosted by Penelope Spheeris, a friend of Peter’s and the director of Wayne’s World. Leah will sit down with Penelope to talk about the show, and Peter’s legacy. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Peter And The Acid King, Stolen, White Lies, Who Trolled Amber, Ghost In The MachineFor links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

To make this show, our team listens through hours upon hours of audio. But sometimes, a few excellent shows will slip through the cracks.This week, Leah is joined by the Podcast Playlist crew to share some amazing podcasts that you may have missed.Like Once upon a time...at Bennington College. Our senior producer Kate Evans likes it because listening feels like, "a summer page turner, but for a podcast." The show shares the history of the unique Liberal arts college where authors Brett Easton Ellis, Jonathan Lethem and Donna Tartt all went to school together. Plus, producer Julian Uzielli shares a heartfelt podcast about a group of Armenian soliders who survived months of being trapped behind enemy lines.That and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.Featuring: Once Upon A Time...At Bennington College, Freeway Phantom, The Ballad of Billy Balls, Country Of DustFor more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

You might have heard of a popular conspiracy theory about one of Canada's most famous rock stars. Avril Lavigne died in 2003, and her record label secretly replaced her with a body double who has been living as an impostor ever since. Could it be true? Probably not, but comedian Joanne McNally helps us find out on the new podcast Who Replaced Avril Lavigne. Plus, a lot of people think history is boring. Depending on how you were taught, that's pretty understandable. Simply memorizing a bunch of dates or names can make history feel about as dead as that fourth prime minister (whose name you've already forgotten).To Simone Polanen, the opposite is true– history is all around us, woven into the fabric of everyday life. Simone joins us to talk about her podcasts Past Perfect, a history trivia show, and Not Past It, a story-driven show about the links between the past and the present.All that and more of this month's top picks, this week on Podcast Playlist.FEATURING: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? // City Space // Past Perfect // The Ultimate Choice // The Recipe with Kenji and DebFor links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist we're listening to stories about late bloomers. The first time Jean Westcott auditioned for Jeopardy, she had to wait 18 months to see if she made it. She never got the call. But instead of giving up, she auditioned again… and again… and again… for 20 years. We’ll hear her story.Plus, what does it take to swim from Cuba to Key West? We’ll hear from record-breaking swimmer Diana Nyad on completing that swim at 64 years old.All that and more this week. Featuring: Snap Judgement, This Is Love, Death, Sex & Money, 70 Over 70, Grown from The MothFor more info head to our website, cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist, we’re featuring podcasts about rock and roll. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is often called “The Godmother of Rock and Roll” and inspired artists like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Aretha Franklin… Yet she’s been largely left out of the history books. The podcast They Did That tells her story.Plus, churches are often the venue for a unique but hugely influential subset of rock music: Christian rock. PRX’s Rock That Doesn’t Roll explores how contemporary Christian music shaped the youths of Church kids everywhere– in sometimes unexpected ways.Featuring: Decoder Ring, The Moth, Rock That Doesn't Roll, They Did That, Switched On Pop, DisgracelandFor links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

One early morning in December 2010, Tony Carleo rolled up to the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Dressed in a full motorcycle jumpsuit, gloves and helmet, he took out a pistol and robbed $1.5 million worth of casino chips. But that wasn’t all. Soon after he returned, and he used the very money he stole to check into the hotel and live like a king – for free.We’ll hear that story, plus other tales about scammers and thieves, this week on Podcast Playlist.Featuring: The High Roller Heist, Hot White Heist, Code Switch, Chameleon: Scam Likely, Life Kit For links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

When you think of Canadian cultural exports, you probably don’t think of porn. But Montreal is home to a little website you may have heard of: Pornhub. On The Pornhub Empire: Understood, we’ll hear the little-known story of the company’s history. Plus, Leah sits down with host Samantha Cole to learn more. And: Telling personal stories in the form of podcasts can move us, create empathy, and drive positive change...right? Jess Shane isn't so sure. Listen to Leah's conversation with Jess about her new series Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative | Sounds Gay | The Pornhub Empire: Understood | Ripple For links and more info, head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week, we’re listening to one, two, three, four, five, six different podcasts all about numbers.In the 80s, your favourite celebrities were just one dial away. And about $3 per minute, of course. But what’s a couple extra bucks on the phone bill, if it means chatting with your favourite superstars, psychics, or potential spouses? Twenty Thousand Hertz tells us about the booming, controversial business of 1-900 numbers. Plus, long-haul truckers spend hours alone on the road. But how do thousands of miles of isolation change a person? And how is that experience unique for truck-drivers who are women?On NPR’s Rough Translation, we hear the stories of how years on the road changed two truckers’ perspective on life.That and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.Featuring: Twenty Thousand Hertz, Rough Translation, Planet Money, Snap Judgement, The Moth Radio Hour, OlogiesFor links and more info head to cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week, Leah sat down with the hosts of three history podcasts to learn about their shows. Martine Powers from The Washington Post's The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop, Tim Harford from Pushkin's Cautionary Tales and Ramtin Arablouei from NPR's Throughline.First, Martine Powers tells us about The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop. In 1979, there was a revolution on the Caribbean island of Grenada. The new prime minister was a young, charismatic, socialist named Maurice Bishop. Bishop introduced a wave of social reforms, like free public healthcare and paid maternity leave. Though he was a popular leader at home, U.S president Ronald Reagan was not a fan. Less than five years after he took power, Bishop was executed in a coup. Days later, the U.S. invaded Grenada. In the chaos that followed, the bodies of Bishop and his supporters disappeared, never to be seen again. The Washington Post set out to solve the mystery. What happened to the bodies of Bishop and his supporters?Then Tim Hartford tells us how voice actors and sound design bring history to life on Cautionary Tales. He also shares a clip from an episode where a competition goes terribly awry.Finally, Ramtin Arablouei tells Leah about how Throughline has evolved over the years. From documentary style episodes about reality TV to an episode about music that was designed to fall asleep to. Throughline is just scratching the surface of what it aims to achieve. Featured podcasts: The Empty Grave of Comrade Bishop, Cautionary Tales and Throughline.

*This episode was first broadcast June 2023 This week on Podcast Playlist: Gossip. Whether you’ve been a part of spreading it or have been at the centre of it, we’ve all had experience with gossip in one form or another. Some may argue that dishing the dirt can ruin lives, but it also has a unique ability to bring people together. The podcast Normal Gossip has shot to fame within the past year all thanks to the unifying power of gossip. On the show, host Kelsey McKinney shares listener-submitted gossip from the lives of everyday people. From weird neighbours, to sorority wedding drama, to secret workplace romances, each story is equally trivial, hilarious and unbelievable. Kelsey joins Leah to talk about why we love to gossip and looks at how it can actually keep us safe. Then, she’ll share her favourite podcasts. We dive into scammers, Taylor Swift, Bachelor Nation, and more! Featuring: Normal Gossip, ICYMI, Articles of Interest, Scam Goddess, Who Weekly, Love to See It For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

This week on Podcast Playlist we’re sharing some of the best new and notable podcasts. Charlie Chaplin is one of the most important people in the history of cinema. But he wasn’t universally admired in his heyday, and he had some powerful enemies, including J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. Hoover became obsessed with Chaplin, and was certain he was a communist. We’ll hear the story of how he drove Chaplin out of the country on a new podcast hosted by Chaplin’s granddaughter, Hollywood Exiles. Plus, if it feels like the country is going a little nuts, it’s not just you. According to a recent poll, as many as one in four Canadians believe in online conspiracy theories. On the new season of Screen Time, we’ll hear how and why that’s happening, and what we can do about it. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Hollywood Exiles, Screen Time, In Her Defence, Canadaland: The Newfoundlander, Murder in Boston, Sports Explains the World For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist

When former ABC News anchor Dan Harris had a panic attack on live TV, he knew he needed a change. He took up meditation, and wrote a book called Ten Percent Happier. Ten years later, that book is an international bestseller, and has morphed into a popular meditation app and a podcast of the same name. This week on Podcast Playlist, Dan Harris joins Leah to talk about meditation and listen to his favourite shows. Rick Rubin is a legendary music producer, but did you know he’s also a lifelong meditator? We’ll hear some of his interview on Dan’s podcast Ten Percent Happier. Plus, for many of us, Netflix is still the default streaming platform. But how does that affect the wider TV industry? That conversation on The Watch. All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. Featuring: Ten Percent Happier, Pivot, The Watch For links and more info, head to http://cbc.ca/podcastplaylist.

This week on Podcast Playlist we're sharing new and notable podcasts for January, along with some interviews from the podcast world. First: In 2016, Soleiman Faqiri was killed by guards at an Ontario jail. An inquest last month determined his death was a homicide, but the podcast Unascertained reached that conclusion more than two years ago. Leah sits down with host Yusuf Zine to talk about the case. Then: Weight For It is a show that unpacks the nuanced thoughts of fat folks, and of anyone who worries about their weight. Host Ronald Young Jr. joins Leah to talk about body image and how we can challenge weight bias. Plus: Boston's "Big Dig" was the most expensive highway project ever built in America. Construction lasted nearly two decades and the project ended up going billions of dollars over budget. But was it worth the outcome? Host Ian Coss of The Big Dig weighs in, and shares what this project can teach us about how to build better cities.