Popular Reviews of The Press Box

Great media discussion. Thought provoking podcast with charismatic hosts.

I’m obviously more than a little taken with podcasts, and it’s rare to find a show that I don’t at least appreciate in some way. I’ve probably encountered close to 1000 shows dating back to high school. All that said, I’m not sure I’ve ever found a pod that so fully exudes my sense of humor, wit, and values as does the Ringer podcast The Press Box. You could call it a talking heads current event show with a slot for regular interviews with writers or other media figures, and technically that would be pretty accurate. Co-hosts Bryan Curtis and David Shoemaker put out two episodes a week, with regular segments like the “overworked Twitter joke of the week” and “strained pun headline” which poke fun at media tropes while providing a novel lens through which to view news consumption. It’s got a convivial tone with a winningly light veil of cynicism, not at all self-serious but very polished in it’s easy-going aesthetic. The content is both familiar and unique. It’s literary, sort of, political, sort of, comedic, sort of… I’m totally smitten with this show that feels insidery while also being devoid of precocity. I won’t go as far to say this podcast perfectly personifies me (probably not enough indie music or theater references for that), but with the mix of sports and media and culture and wordplay I think it’s at least pretty darn close to how I’d present on my best days.