Office DJ: Stop crafting, start podcasting

I don’t know about you all, but I’m bored. 

You would think that hours of Zoom classes, baking, Netflix-binging and crafting would be enough to take up my time. 

Unfortunately, over the past few days — as I have diligently done my duty as a citizen and practiced social distancing — I’ve realized that it’s not. 

I’m sure I’m not alone in this. 

And while I’ve always loved podcasts — seriously, I even made a podcast about local murders in my town during my senior year of high school — I’ve listened to more in the past 19 days than I have in the past 19 years of my life. 

I did some extensive research (read: texting everyone in my contacts) to compile a carefully curated list of some of the best, most interesting episodes from a variety of different podcasts. 

Some of these episodes are coronavirus or quarantine-themed. A lot of them aren’t. 

Some were published two days ago, some are over five years old. And five of them are from NPR — I’m not biased, I just really, really love NPR.

My favorite thing about podcasts is there’s one for every mood: funny, smart, inspiring, dark or even sentimental.

Want an eerie, murder-themed podcast that’s actually kind of funny? Look no further than “My Favorite Murder,” a podcast from two female comedians who I’ve listened to almost every episode of. I got hooked on it when my AP English Literature teacher recommended it to me, and I haven’t looked back since (thanks, Ms. Weeks). 

What about a funny, lighthearted podcast where two cool guys spend every episode talking about the greatest show to ever exist? You’ve got “Gilmore Guys,” which is still trekking on years after the beloved show “Gilmore Girls” ended. 

Are you “too cool” to be a podcast person and upset that I didn’t create a normal playlist of music? Yeah, there’s a podcast about songs on my playlist, too. 

I’ve compiled together roughly 16 hours of some pretty great episodes, but the best part is that after you’re done listening to all of these, you can explore the hundreds of other podcasts that exist in this beautiful world. 

Podcasts aren't just an "I'm bored because I'm self-isolating and I need something to do" activity, either. They're perfect for road trips, long walks, runs or getting your daily news briefing while cooking breakfast or dinner. So even after this quarantine is over, I highly encourage every single one of you to continue being a podcast connoisseur. 

Also, my best friend just texted me and told me she heard through the grapevine that Barack and Michelle Obama are going to launch their own podcast soon, so we’ve got a lot to look forward to in the podcast world. But until then, I think you'll be off to a good start below. Happy quarantining!

@sonjarao

arts@dailytarheel.com