JEANINE GRILLO

I never thought I would be a person who would find podcasts remotely engaging or useful, that is, until I started commuting.

My daily commute is very rarely under 35 minutes, and this semester I am commuting 5 days a week. Sometime during my freshmen year, I decided that music alone could not satisfy my traffic boredom. I began to explore other options and settled on the mysterious world of podcasts.

My first favorite is produced by the fabulous Grace Helbig. Her podcast, titled “Not Too Deep,” is an hour long and published on a bi-weekly basis. Grace interviews online celebrities by asking random and witty questions that keep the conversations light and fun. The last thing I want to listen to after class is something emotional and serious. I need to temporarily forget the fact that I have a million and one things to do when I get home. Listening to Grace ask guests about junk food addictions and the type of soup they would be always relaxes me and preps me for the homework yet to be done.  

Boyfriend-girlfriend duo Jenna Marbles and Julien Solomita also hold an hour-long weekly podcast discussing current events and unique topics. I love listening to their opinions on issues and their debates when they disagree, They also bring in fascinating guests that always have different perspectives on the entertainment industry. From their conspiracy theory arguments, to celebrity trivia, to perspectives on Miley Cyrus, it is almost impossible to have a boring commute.

Shane Dawson and Jessie Buttafuoco are my go-to after a rough or bad day. While they do not post as consistently as others, their podcasts are always guaranteed to be hilariously funny. The first half of the podcast is a discussion between the two hosts about current events and topics.The second half is a discussion with a famous guest in which Shane and Jessie put a hilarious spin on high and low points during the guest’s career. I have literally laughed out loud multiple times while listening and usually wait in anticipation for another episode to be uploaded.
Podcasts can be used while doing homework, performing a monotonous task, or just for relaxation. I highly recommend these and the other hundreds of podcasts out there. As a business major, I find it useful to browse and listen to current issues in finance to gain a perspective on things happening in the market. With so many categories and options, there is definitely a podcast for everyone!