OH NO, Ross and Carrie! - By Matty Jacobson

THE SKEWED REVIEW | PODCASTS

Podcasts on the strange and mysterious have always fascinated me, and to this day I think it's a shame that AM Coast-to-Coast isn't available in podcast format.

However, I've never really been interested in listening to those skeptics' podcasts that tear apart all the fun of occultism, the Illuminati, mysticism and whatnot. But as I happened to hear a plug for this particular show, "Oh No, Ross and Carrie!", when I was listening to another podcast.

It piqued my interest because the hosts, Ross Blocher and Carrie Poppy, don't just sit and talk about why dousing rods are just a bunch of hooey. No, they actually go and investigate. Since they delve pretty deep into topics, the show is released monthly.

I wasn't sure if I planned on actually investing my time in this show, but as I scrolled through old episodes, I saw they had a two-parter on Mormonism. Well, considering everything that's going on currently with Utah and the denial of equal rights of its citizens because of the aforementioned church, I had to take a listen.

Ross and Carrie are true investigators. They sat through all the missionary discussions (back when the missionaries did that sort of thing), attended church, legitimately prayed about their experiences and -- gasp! -- also got baptized.

I was astounded at the level of commitment to getting the whole story. But Mormonism isn't the only topic they cover. From Kabbalah to juice cleansing, this duo goes in strong under the guise of being legitimately interested. And, from listening to a few episodes, it seems like the two do get legitimately interested in some aspects of the things they investigate.

They wrap up with informing the listeners about the dangers, the financial impact and the scientific probability, among other things, of whatever religion/belief/superstition they've spent their time on.

You can check out their website and stream the show here. You can subscribe to the show through iTunes here.

The Dead Authors Podcast - by Matty Jacobson

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THE SKEWED REVIEW | PODCASTS

Podcasts come in every shape, size, color and any other noun that would metaphorically but not literally apply to something you listen to.

But one thing you'll usually find is podcasts tend to stay within their genres. If you're downloading an educational podcast, its goal is to educate. If you're downloading a comedy podcast, its goal is to make you laugh, and so on.

So when a podcast can combine genres, it's something special, and "The Dead Authors Podcast" does just that.

"Dead Authors" is hosted by a time-travelling H. G. Wells, of "The Time Machine" fame (and played by the multi-charactered Paul F. Tompkins), who pulls dead authors (played by an array of comedians) out of time and brings them to the UCB stage in Los Angeles. The authors then discuss their lives and works with Wells -- unscripted.

It's educational because Tompkins and the guests talk about the authors' lives. We get insight into what an author was like, what he or she found inspirational, what his or her vices were, etc. Of course, since they're all comedians, the podcast is less of a lecture and more of an improv show.

And best of all, "Dead Authors" also benefits 826LA, which is a non-profit writing and tutoring center "dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write," according to 826LA.org. 

Some of my personal favorite guest authors were John Hodgman as Ayn Rand, Kristen Schaal as Tennessee Williams, and Jessica Chaffin as Agatha Christie. Make sure to check those out!

You can get information about the podcast and stream it here. You can subscribe to it on iTunes here.