The 10 Best Podcasts of 2016—From Conspiracies to Digital Revenge
Conspiracy theories. Viral performance art. Heartbreak. This year, if nothing else, managed to completely avoid being boring. And in 2016, through personal stories, nuanced analysis, and escapist fiction, podcasts helped us make sense of all of it—from weird Internet phenomena to the election-cycle-that-must-not-be-named. Podcasts also offered proof that when it comes to inventive storytelling, audio is just getting started. Keep reading for the 10 best podcast episodes of 2016. And if these excellent 'casts give you the audio bug, head back into our weekly roundup archives to listen to more.
More Perfect, "Imperfect Plaintiffs"
Meet Edward Blum, Supreme Court matchmaker. In six landmark cases, the "legal entrepreneur" has hand-picked just the right plaintiffs necessary to change American laws through the highest court in the land. More Perfect, the Radiolab spinoff all about the Supreme Court, is worth listening to in its entirety. Start with the unlikely path of how one 911 call led to the end of sodomy laws, and the essential role of strategy in choosing representative cases. Listen here.
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99% Invisible, "Miss Manhattan"
One woman's body adorns libraries and city halls and museum courtyards across the country. But who is she? Like the best 99% Invisible episodes, "Miss Manhattan" investigates an architectural element hidden in plain sight. It's the story of Audrey Munson, "America's first supermodel," and her path from serving as inspiration for over 30 statues at the Met to a sensationalized murder scandal to becoming a rollerblading eccentric in a small town. Listen here.
Radiotopia
This American Life, "Tell Me I’m Fat"
Yeah, This American Life isn't new—but its storytelling is still the gold standard for a reason. In "Tell Me I'm Fat," comedian and author Lindy West, producer Elna Baker, and writer Roxane Gay tell vivid, alarming first-person accounts of how living as a fat person means being treated as a second-class citizen. As West says, being fat can feel like “a thin person who's failing consistently for your whole life.” This harrowing episode will stay with you. Listen here.
<a href="http://www.photojj.com/" target="_blank">Jenny Jimenez</a>
Radiolab, “Seneca, Nebraska”
What do you do with a populace so divided there's no hope? We don't know the answer for America, but in Seneca, Nebraska, the citizens trusted in democracy—and put their existence up to a vote. After small-town squabbles became irreconcilable differences, the denizens hit the polls to decide whether to unincorporate, or whether there was any value in keeping the town together. Listen here.
NPR
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