Podcast roundup: The best this week, from Cracked to Dressed and History Extra

Podcasts have seen a rapid upsurge in popularity in recent years. From true crime to design, popular culture and modern relationships, fiction to in-depth reportage, podcasts have proliferated to the point where no matter how esoteric the subject, there’s bound to be a show that deals with it. Amid this cornucopia of audio delights, however, how do you pick the podcast that’s most worth your while? This is where our weekly curated playlist steps in; it’s a lowdown on the best episodes from a selection of podcasts that deserve a listen. Ready to tune in? *** —  The Cracked Podcast 10 Creepy Unsolved Mysteries From History About the podcast: Every week, host Alex Schmidt brings together comedians, authors, scientists, and Cracked staffers, to “celebrate the awesome truth that being alive is more interesting than people think it is.” Hilarious, absurd, entertaining and thought-provoking in equal measure, there is much to enjoy beyond the often clickbait-y episode titles. About the episode: On this episode, Schmidt is joined by Jenny Jaffe and Carey O’Donnell to rediscover history’s strangest disappearances, murders, and more. The trio explore all kinds of baffling tales that have confounded professional investigators from the past through today. Runtime: 66 minutes Listen to the episode here.

—  WTF with Marc Maron Episode 1000 About the podcast: A weekly podcast and radio show hosted by stand-up comedian  Marc Maron in his garage, where he interviews celebrities, artists and fellow comedians while venting out some voices in his own head. Lock the gate! About the episode: A thousand episodes! To celebrate the milestone, Marc and WTF producer Brendan McDonald reflect on how they got here, why they created the show in the first place, and what the future holds for them and WTF. They answer listener questions and divulge some never-before-heard revelations, such as the time the show almost ended and how the White House reacted to President Obama’s interview in the garage. Runtime: 149 minutes Listen to the episode  here.

—  Dressed: The History of Fashion Finding Beauty, an Interview with Photographer Tony Vaccaro About the podcast: April Calahan and  Cassidy Zachary explore the rich and complex history — the who, what, when — of clothing as it relates to one of the most significant forces that drive the world today: fashion. About the episode: This week, Calahan and Zachary talk to the photographer Tony Vaccaro about his prolific seventy-plus year career photographing fashion, celebrity and the World War. His subjects include Dovima, Verushka, Hubert de Givenchy, Pablo Picasso and Georgia O’Keefe. Vaccaro, now 96-years-old, recalls a globe-spanning career, full of highs and heartbreaks, in an insightful and heartfelt interview. Runtime: 37 minutes Listen to the episode  here.

—  KERA’s Think The Perils Of Worshiping Work About the podcast: Hosted by  Krys Boyd, Think is a daily, topic-driven interview and call-in program, covering a wide variety of topics ranging from history, politics, current events, science, technology and emerging trends, to food and wine, travel, adventure, and entertainment. About the episode: The Atlantic’s staff writer Derek Thompson joins the podcast to talk about how work often fills the voids left by relationships, religion and other forms of human connection – and about the dangers of allowing work to be everything. Read his story on the same here. Runtime: 49 minutes Listen to the episode  here.

—  History Extra podcast Victorian murder scandal About the podcast: A bi-weekly podcast featuring interviews with notable historians talking about topics ranging from crusading knights to Tudor monarchs and the D-Day landings. About the episode: Author and biographer Claire Harman discusses the 19th-century killing of Lord William Russell, the subject of her new book Murder by the Book, that drew in the literary world, including Dickens and Thackeray. Runtime: 24 minutes Listen to the episode  here.