Looking to learn, be entertained or simply shut out your thoughts for a while? Well, these history, politics and culture critic podcasts might be just right for you.

If you are anything like me you may be — or have been — tentatively avoidant of podcasts. You hear about them everywhere, see clips of them pop up all over your social media feeds and it seems as though every D-list celebrity, TikTok influencer, frat-bro friend group, and Nickelodeon child star is starting one — everyone has a podcast nowadays. 

It’s easy to think that this is all the world of podcasting has to offer, that every podcast fits under the big umbrella of a ‘long-form conversation.’ Fortunately that is not the case, and to prove it to you I’ve compiled a list of three engaging, entertaining and informative podcasts that will be sure to fill your head with all sorts of fun-facts that you can share with your friends.

1.Behind the Bastards – Political Studies

Hosted by Robert Evans, an American journalist, author and comedy writer, Behind the Bastards tells you everything you don’t know about the worst people in all of history. Covering everything from Josef Stalin’s obsession with childish pranks, Saddam Hussein’s secret double-life as an erotic novelist, and the evil machinations that brought Dr. Phil and his day-time television show to the American limelight, Behind the Bastards has it all.

Published every Tuesday and Thursday, and featuring guest comedians and hosts who learn the facts alongside listeners, Behind the Bastards is a deep-dive into the stories that won’t be found in history books. To ease the weight of the world from listeners’ shoulders the show is interspersed with comedy that lightens the mood, and includes social commentary that informs you on how our world has ended up as messed up as it is, without leaving you downtrod. 

A personal favourite episode of mine is the first part of a six-part series called, A Complete History of the Illuminati. If you’re a student who is looking to be informed, cautioned or amused by politics and history this podcast is a must listen.

2. SPLAININ’ – History

If you’re looking for a podcast that will make you the fun-fact aficionado of your friend group you will feel right at home while listening to SPLAININ’.

Hosted by Canadian best-friends Evan Smith and Jeff Simms, SPLAININ’ is “A podcast where two guys explain things to each other that they should know, but don’t.” Listening to this podcast feels like the auditory equivalent of scouring the depths of Wikipedia at 3 a.m. (don’t worry, I won’t judge you, we’ve all done it).

With each episode running for roughly two hours, there is more than enough time for Smith and Simms to alternate spouting out all they could learn on their crazily juxtaposed topics. Personal favourites include: Season 3, Episode 1: JRDC and the DT, where “Jeff ‘splains the 2008 Financial Crisis [and] Evan ‘splains the OJ Simpson Trial and Season 3, Episode 3: This One’s for Gary, where “Jeff ‘splains the Vietnam War [while] Evan ‘splains the Newfoundland Prohibition of Alcohol.”

While no new podcasts have been uploaded since January 2022, the sixty-five episode back-catalogue will be more than enough for any student looking to fill their ear-holes with everything on the most-often-mentioned things in pop-culture, science and history.

3. If Books Could Kill – English 

A bit different from the other podcasts mentioned in this list, If Books Could Kill takes a step away from deep diving through pop-culture, history and politics and instead looks to make fun of all the “Airport bestsellers that captured our [the public’s] hearts and ruined our [their] minds.”

If you love reading books and critiquing books, or listening to audiobooks — well, first off, you’re a nerd and second off, you’ll love this podcast. 

Hosted by former Huffington Post journalist Michael Hobbes and his friend Peter Samshiri, If Books Could Kill is described by The Atlantic as “Captur[ing] the distinct strangeness of only vaguely remembering a book that was once everywhere.” Truly there is no better description for this show as Hobbes and Samshiri explain the untruths, misinformation and general bad messages proliferated by these books that seem to make their rounds though the social media ‘grindset sphere’ every few months.

Episodes include rather scathing exploratory critiques of Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad and The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. While the hosts do tout their politics proudly as quite far left of center they — in my opinion — still leave room for fair and honest middle-grounded criticism that looks to simply remove some of these aforementioned self-help bibles from their golden pedestals.

If you’re looking for a good episode to start your binge off, their coverage of James Clear’s Atomic Habits is cutting in its criticism just as it is informative. 

With all the dude-bro and television rewatch podcasts floating around these days it can seem hard to find anything with any sort of substance. Fortunately what seems to be the case is merely a stereotype, as there exist hundreds of great podcasts ready for your listening ears. 

If politics, history and pop-culture are your bread then let these three aforementioned podcasts be your butter. Not only will you come out feeling like the mega-informed citizen you want to be — and we all want to be that — you’ll also take the crown as the most knowledgeable history buff and fun-fact curator of your friend group… and who doesn’t love those sorts of bragging rights?