Hugh Likes Podcasts: The Dork Forest
Hosted by Jackie Kashian
TheDorkForest.com
There are a lot of nerdy podcasts out there. In fact, the later almost always implies the former. But The Dork Forest is a nerd podcast in an entirely different vein, and it is one of the best.
Hosted by comedian Jackie Kashian, this is an interview show that dives deeply into the unexpected and delightful things that we all dork out about. Everyone has something they love, and Jackie finds out about the unusual obsessions of celebrity geeks. This isn’t just Dungeons and Dragons and comic books, although subject have been covered in the past. Anything could be a topic, from Presidential biographies to 70’s McDonalds advertising mascots.
A show like this could focus on the bizarre and incomprehensible aspects of these dorkdoms, but Kashian approaches her subjects with an empathy and sense of humor that celebrates their interests rather than points fingers. The Dork Forest is a podcast that celebrates wonderful and weird corners of nerd culture at a time when so much of fan discussion has devolved into mean-spirited yelling, internet trolling, and attempts to dictate how other people should enjoy things.
The Dork Forest is a geeky ray of sunshine that always shows me something delightful and surprising. The show can be found in your favorite podcatcher or at JackieKashian.com
Hugh Likes Podcasts: The Dork Forest
August 31, 2015
Hugh Likes Podcasts Comedy, Geekery, HLP, Hugh Likes Podcasts, Jackie Kashian, podcasting, The Dork Forest Leave a comment
Hugh Likes Podcasts: Nutty Bites!
August 24, 2015
Hugh Likes Podcasts Geekery, HLP, Hugh Likes Podcasts, Nuchtchas, Nutty Bites Leave a comment
Nuchtchas is not your average geek. And her show “Nutty Bites” is not your average pop culture podcast. A transplant from Long Island to Canada, she brings creativity, wit, and above all empathy to the discussion and dissection of nerd culture.
Joined by her husband/cohost/antagonist Tek, as well as other guests, Nutty debates geeky topics, interviews nerd celebrities like Paul and Storm, and generally brings the awesome to every discussion she sets her sights on.
Nuchtchas, AKA Nutty, has a particular talent for finding and bringing out the best in other geeks. Nutty Debates always feature some cool geek I haven’t heard from before. These roundtable discussions are as far-reaching as they are nerdy, ranging from lamest super-powers to favorite SF Films.
She is also a participant in the Dog Days of Podcasting. Going on every August, this is a project to record a podcast every day leading up to Dragon*Con. Nutty uses the opportunity to interview geeks from across the web. These mini-episodes act as ten to twenty-minute windows into the lives of podcasters, artists, writers, and other interesting geeks. For propriety’s sake, I will put in the disclaimer that I was a participant in this year’s set of podcasts.
In addition to her own show, Nutty also is a member of specficmedia.com’s Beyond The Wall “Game of Thrones” podcast, and a frequent contributor to CHSR’s Epic.
Nutty visits all corners of the nerd community, and she’s enthusiastic about everything. In an internet where so much of the conversation has become a battle, even Nutty Debates are friendly, fun, and above all positive. I always find out something I didn’t know, or become a fan of a podcaster, writer, cosplayer or artist I hadn’t heard of before. This is required fan listening in my book. Visit NIMLAS.org and listen to this illuminating podcast.
Hugh J. O'Donnell 