11 Podcasts Debunking Political, Cultural, and Scientific Fallacies
Ready to dive into the world of podcasts? Here are some shows that put a magnifying glass on popular health, science, political, and cultural narratives to challenge the norm and ditch the hype.
Normal Curves
A podcast that's like a science book club, Normal Curves breaks down academic journals making their way to mainstream and pop culture. It's the perfect pairing of humor and insight, setting you up to dissect the data and assess scientific studies yourself.
Diabolical Lies
This long-form podcast is a must-listen if you're searching for a deep Cultural Critique and political roast session. Katie Gatti Tassin and Caro Claire Burke tackle everything from the problem of capitalism and patriarchy to the myth of the girl boss while keeping you laughing, thinking, and maybe even a little heated.
Corporate Gossip
For those who love true crime and digging into the nitty-gritty details, Corporate Gossip is your go-to. Hosts Becca and Adam Platsky cover shady business dealings and board room machinations, from eBay scandals to FTX and beyond. The topics are serious, but the vibe is casual and often hysterical.
Oddly Specific
Host Meredith Lynch covers a wide range of topics from pop culture to politics, delivering a fresh perspective on everything from the issue with dollar stores to critiques of the prison industrial complex. Guests come on to share their expertise, and Meredith keeps it real while highlighting the problems and showing you what matters most.
Bad Therapist
Want to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to therapy speak? Psychotherapist Ash Compton and journalist Rachel Monroe are here to help on their show Bad Therapist. They scrutinize the bad actors who use pop psych cliches and weaponize wellness to profit, focusing on topics like therapeutic communes, conversion therapy, and life coaches.
If Books Could Kill
Have you ever wondered about those best-sellers at the airport promoting miracle diets, pseudo-science, and reskinned versions of The Secret? Hosts Michael Hobbes (also co-host of Maintenance Phase) and Peter Shamshiri take you on a deep dive into these books and their impact on our culture and minds. Episodes range from in-depth analyses to lighter, sillier takes, making it a pod you won't want to miss.
The Dream
From multilevel marketing schemes to fraud in the wellness industry, seasons one and two of The Dream are all about exposing the truth. Now in its weekly installments, the show covers a broad range of subjects, all focused on dissecting oppressive systems that make "the American Dream" unmanageable.
5-4
Get a funny, liberal perspective on the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court with hosts Peter Routhier, Rhiannon Brown, and Michael F. Vecchione. Each episode analyzes and discusses a single Supreme Court decision, making the high court's biases surrounding issues like affirmative action, gun rights, and campaign finance more accessible and easy to understand.
Knowledge Fight
With hosts Dan Friesen and Jordan Holmes keeping tabs on Alex Jones, Knowledge Fight is your go-to source for discussions on conspiracy theories. They take a deep dive into recent clips from Jones' Infowars programming, breaking it down to make sense of it all while frequently dipping back into past episodes to highlight Jones' ever-evolving opinions.
Maintenance Phase
Hosts Michael Hobbes and Aubrey Gordon bring you Maintenance Phase, a show dedicated to exploring and critiquing the latest health and wellness fads, debunking misconceptions, and helping to separate the myth from the reality. Together they dive into diets, exercise trends, supplements, beauty products, and more to help you make informed decisions about your health.
I Hate Bill Maher
Comedian Will Weldon has created an entire podcast, I Hate Bill Maher, to voice his disdain for Bill Maher's politics and comedy. Each episode takes a closer look at Maher's TV show Real Time and podcast Club Random, diving deep into individual episodes to tackle Maher's superficial, misogynistic, and transphobic comments while making light of it all.
- Normal Curves offers a unique blend of humor and insight, placing academic journals that influence popular health, science, and cultural narratives under a magnifying glass.
- Diabolical Lies is a long-form podcast that delivers a deep cultural critique and political roast session, tackling topics like capitalism, patriarchy, and the myth of the girl boss with a mix of laughter, thought-provoking analysis, and heated discussions.
- For those interested in true crime and shady business dealings, Corporate Gossip offers a casual, often hysterical take on eBay scandals, FTX, and other boardroom machinations.
- Maintenance Phase, a podcast dedicated to exploring health and wellness fads, focuses on debunking misconceptions and separating myth from reality, providing a fresh perspective on diets, exercise trends, supplements, and more.
