The best podcasts for Comedic Close Reading

If Books Could Kill looks at the airport bestsellers that helped shape our ideas about the economy, crime, relationships, and health. From Nudge to The Rules, Michael and Peter dig into the contradictions of the texts and the qualifications of the authors to better understand why these books spoke to the masses, how they shaped policy, and why they largely fall flat when put to the test.

In How to Be Fine, and it's predecessor By The Book, Jolenta and Kristen examine the mixed (and often dangerous) messages of the wellness world. From diet to personal finance to decluttering to relationships, they look at the coded language, inherent classism, and pervasive message that we're not good enough as we are. In the case of By The Book (in the same feed as How to Be Fine), they even road-test self-help books so listeners can eavesdrop on how the books' messages enhance and - more often - destroy their lives and marriages.

Memoirs by female celebrities are often dismissed as froth, fluff, or inconsequential drivel. But Chelsea Devantez knows there's more to these texts than just page-turning juice. There are also insights into what our society thinks of women more broadly, revelations of the extent to which women are still marginalized, and reassurances that we're not alone in our struggles and successes.

In the Daily Fail, Maura and Kristen dissect and laugh at the world's most-read tabloid newspaper, choosing three stories each week that embody the worst of what tabloid culture is all about - sexism, ageism, racism, nativism, anti-fatness, and misinformation. From dog-whistle language to outright abusive headlines, Maura and Kristen find humor both in what's being said, and what's not-so-subtly being implied.

Book Vs. Movie isn't the only podcast out there that looks at books that have been adapted into movies - but it's definitely the smartest and funniest, calling to task antiquated texts that never should have made it to the screen, and laughing at the liberties filmmakers take in adapting even the slimmest texts into popular movies (I'm talking to you, Harper Valley PTA!).