He’ll riff on politics, the internet, stand-up comedy, hunting and mixed martial arts – but underpinning everything is an earnestness and authenticity which suck listeners in and gets them hooked – even if they have no interest in the subject matter. Longtime listeners may tire of his pet rants, which he will often repeat ad nauseum, but for new listeners he’ll introduce you to a fresh new way of thinking and living. Now liberated from such trivial matters as talking points or advertisers, Carolla is completely free to talk without a filter, and he will riff on everything from American muscle cars, to his days working as a labourer, and the vapidity of the Hollywood entertainment industry. If you want something that will routinely inspire you to think outside the box, Ted talks provide a great springboard to dip your toe into before you dive into the really heavy stuff.
Admittedly, the old indie spirit which gave Ted talks that refreshing and exciting feeling of breaking new ground with each new talk to hit the web is no longer quite as present as it used to be. What’s more, not all of the talks are strictly academic – there are talks on how to spot a liar, the qualities that make a great leader, and why lovers cheat on their partners. And every so often there are moments when Ted reaches the heights of years gone by (Dr. Chris Ryan’s fascinating lecture on human sexuality, for example). By providing an accessibly entry into the world of pop-intellectuals, Ted talks form a bridge for regular people to expand their consciousness and challenge the way we think about the world we live in. Ted talks embody the most fundamentally beautiful qualities of the World Wide Web. Nominated for a Stitcher Award in the “Best Educational & Learning Podcast” category, Carlin drops some serious knowledge every few months, with a collection of meticulously researched podcasts which ooze curiosity and enthusiasm for the subject matter. Enlisting celebrities and civilians alike (speakers include rappers, scientists, drug addicts, authors and teachers, to name a few); The Moth explores the nature of human life through the art of oral storytelling.
Other popular episodes include Steve Burns (more commonly known as the Blues Clues guy) pontificating on the strange nature of fame, and bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell recalling an awkward wedding toast gone bad. The very nature of this series prohibits me from getting into too much detail so as not to spoil the stories, but believe me when I say that every episode I’ve listened to has moved and entertained me in surprising and heartfelt ways. The Moth is a collection of stories which can range from amusing to profound, to devastatingly sad within each hourly episode. Described by some fans as the “male Oprah,” Rogan delves into a huge range of topics which appeal to the 10-year-old boy in all of us. Rogan is equal parts intellectual (for example, he’s interviewed celebrity physicist Neil Degrasse Tyson), political (he often brings on people from the outer margins of society – for example Andreas Antonopoulos, an expert on BitCoin), and ridiculous (as a stand-up comedian the most common guests he brings on are fellow comics).
Indeed, most of the people in his life seem to realise this and he’s incredibly popular around the L.A. However, its archives are still filled with lectures which everyone should listen to, for example Jon Ronson’s talk on the prominence of psychopaths in the halls of power (for example politicians and business executives), Richard Wilkinson’s talk about how income inequality destroys society (using hard data he illustrates that indicators such as crime, life expectancy, and health are all correlated with inequality), and Stephen Hawking’s talk explaining the origin of the universe and life as we know it. Fired from his cushy radio gig, Carolla decided he’d had enough of taking orders and went rogue, using his hefty severance cheque to set up his own state-of-the-art recording studio. Formerly a journalist and radio show host in California, it may be hard for some to see from afar how Dan Carlin is qualified to talk about history the way he does. A gifted orator and storyteller, Carlin keeps you rapt as he explores some of the more thrilling events in human history – from tales of Genghis Kahn and his brutal Mongol warriors, to a frame-by-frame breakdown of the fall of the Roman Empire.
