For many of us, Thanksgiving isn’t just a day to spend giving thanks for all that we have to be grateful for; it’s also about dodging the minefield of drama that spending an afternoon around the dinner table with our extended families brings with it. Whether it’s arguing about impeachment proceedings, lifestyle choices, or any of the other hot-button topics that are sure to get your crazy uncle and rebellious cousin shouting at each other, most of us would rather be force-fed turkey through our eye sockets than be expected to pick a side in our homemade Thanksgiving edition of The Family Feud. That’s why I recommend finding something productive to do when the eating’s through, and popping your headphones in while you do it.

After all, nobody can blame you for tapping out of a conversation about universal basic income when there are dishes to be done! So, if you’re anything like me, and would rather do hard labor than spend the afternoon correcting your family members as they read Facebook memes out loud as though they’re reliable news sources, these are the podcasts I recommend seeking refuge in.

 

The Last Podcast on the Left

The three hosts of The Last Podcast on the Left (LPOTL) have spent the last ten years recording weekly episodes that delve into everything from true crime horror stories to crackpot alien conspiracies, all delivered through their unique combination of host perspectives. Marcus Parks handles the heavy research, ensuring that each episode is as informative as possible, while comedian and actor Henry Zabrowski (who you may have seen in movies like “The Wolf of Wall Street”) riffs on the episode’s concept and players, and host Ben Kissel (who you may recognize as one of the hosts of Fox News Radio) tries his best to keep the whole thing on the rails.

This podcast series is genuinely hilarious, informative, and entertaining — but what’s even better is that they’ve got a massive backlog of content for you to peruse while your family starts digging foxholes in their mashed potatoes.

 

How Did This Get Made

If you’re looking for some light-hearted content that doesn’t delve into the sorts of issues that get people riled up on social media, How Did this Get Made is a great choice. Hosts Paul Scheer (“The League”), Jason Mantzoukas (“John Wick 3”), and June Diane Raphael (Big Mouth) delve into a crappy movie each week (or month, as of late) — discussing just how inane some of cinema’s failures can really be. This podcast is, most weeks, blissfully free of political content, allowing you to drop your guard a bit and just ease back while enjoying the sounds of comedians tearing apart bad movies.

Live episodes can be particularly fun thanks to audience participation and a long list of celebrity guests.

 

SOFREP Radio

Come on, you had to know this was coming! After all, I’ve even hosted a few episodes of this show myself! For years now, SOFREP Radio has been a great place to hear perspectives you won’t find anywhere else on the web — from special operations war fighters to fighter pilots tasked with training a new generation to fly the most advanced platforms this planet has ever seen. SOFREP Radio isn’t just about being informative or being entertaining: it’s about people telling their own stories in their own words.

If you need a break from your family’s notional combat, throw in your earbuds and check out SOFREP Radio’s backlog where you can hear stories about real combat, and the real heroes that did the fighting.