If you need something new to listen to while you cook, drive to work, or walk your dog, I have the perfect podcast! I recently discovered "Smosh Reads Reddit Stories"—yes, that Smosh, the YouTube sketch comedy-improv collective founded by Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox that took off in the early 2000s. Over the last few months, I've been happily making my way through the podcast's back catalog. I've long been an avid reader of Reddit, so I was excited to discover "Smosh Reads," which draws its content from some of my favorite subReddits, including r/relationships, r/AmItheAsshole, and more. Spotify describes the show:
Host Shayne Topp delights and disgusts his couch of guests (various Smosh cast members) with a themed collection of posts from Reddit, prompting hilarious commentary. "Reddit Stories" is posted every Saturday, and delves into personal anecdotes of friendship, romance, revenge, and beyond.
According to the Smosh Fandom Wiki, "Smosh Reads Reddit Stories" began in earnest on November 24, 2022 and expanded into a podcast on July 15, 2023. The format is simple: host Shayne Topp, a Smosh regular, reads stories from Reddit and his co-hosts — typically two other regular Smosh cast members, including Chanse McCrary, Ian Hecox, Amanda Lehan-Canto, Trevor Evarts, Courtney Miller, Angela Giarratana, and Arasha Lalani — discuss the stories, which explore relationship issues and drama among roommates, partners, co-workers, family, and more. The hosts bring their signature humor to the discussions, but also analyze the stories with empathy, insight, and wisdom.
In a review of the show, Maya Kornyeyeva calls the podcast "inherently refreshing," as each episode is a mix of "lighthearted humor, shocked silences and serious deliberation" among friends. She goes on:
Many of the stories that are featured on Smosh contain numerous layers and occasionally unreliable narrators, making each one the topics of complex debate . . . It's rare for me to hear anyone canvas out issues with such empathy and attention to detail . . . Smosh is unique because everything is said in a space free of judgment, and every story is given a fair and deliberate hearing. Even when reading and replying to the darkest, strangest stories, Smosh's co-hosts manage to find some light and hilarity amongst it all.
The show is still going strong and is up to 161 episodes (and counting!), so there's plenty of content for you to binge. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Find it on YouTube here, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Previously:
• Early YouTube legends Smosh revive one of their biggest series after nearly a decade
• Reddit's glitch in the matrix Subreddit will mess with your reality
• Reddit takes a stand against the EU's plan to break the internet
• Subreddits planning to go dark over Reddit's initial public enshittification
