As much as this website encourages people to disconnect, podcasts are one of those things that are an exception to that rule. They’re incredible. And they can make the mundane (doing laundry, riding the bus, ironing or shining shoes) nothing short of extraordinary. Each month our resident podcast connoisseur, Dave I., finds three podcasts worth your time and ears.
Business Wars
Adidas vs Nike. XBox vs Playstation. McDonald’s vs Burger King. These are just some of the iconic business battles covered in the Business Wars podcast, a podcast dedicated to exploring the economic battles between major corporations and/or consumer products. What makes Business Wars a fascinating podcast is each corporate battle is handled over five or six episodes, allowing the show to dive deep in to the the socio-economic challenges each company or commodity faced as it drove to be dominant in a particular industry. Told in a lighthearted and entertaining way, Business Wars will interest those listeners who are curious to know why, for example, Netflix came to be the dominant streaming service for movies.
Blackout
Ever stop to think what would happen if all technology, including household electricity, one day just stopped? Blackout posits this reality in a vivid audio drama, lead by Rami Malek of Bohemian Rhapsody and Mr. Robot fame. The podcast is serialized, so listeners need to start at episode one and make their way through each episode. The good news is episodes average approximately 30 minutes and the show creators do an excellent job of putting the listener right in the center of the cast of characters, making each episode fly by.
Heavyweight
Have you ever had a friend who is good at solving problems? A friend who identifies the root of a problem between you and someone else, and then aids in resolution? If so, then the premise of Heavyweight will be familiar to you. Host Jonathan Goldstein (of CBC Wiretap fame) works with friends, family, and strangers to help them overcome conflicts from their past. Be it feeling guilty about never writing a research paper for a college professor who paid you to do so (episode #20 Soraya), or sitting on a jury and feeling guilty about the impact of the verdict on the accused life (episode #18 Sven), or being angry at your Mom for preventing you from playing basketball (episode #11 Christina), Jonathan is there to help the person achieve peace and set things right.
About the author: Dave I. has been a Dappered reader for several years. His interest in fashion started with shoes and expanded to encompass watches, suits, and general men’s style. When not thinking about his next purchase he can be found enjoying a pint of locally brewed craft beer.