A guide to Covid aware internet shows that aren’t all about Covid
Have you listened to a podcast or watched a show on YouTube that has nothing to do with Covid, and out of the blue the hosts say bullshit like “now that we’re post pandemic,” “during Covid,” and so on? Or have the hosts been coughing, or having “mysterious” illnesses or a “mystery virus”?
The shows could be about international politics, fashion, sports, video games, the law, nerdy stuff, your hobbies. As a Covid cautious person, you hope to not be reminded of the mass Covid denial while you listen to a show that’s about baking cookies or whatever. But when Covid denial pops out of nowhere, it’s jarring. And it’s a literal trauma trigger to those of us who are aware of the constant horror. It must be especially trauma triggering for Covid cautious people who have Long Covid, have lost loved ones to Covid, or just have to go out into maskless plague world and be harassed for wearing a respirator that is literally saving their own lives.
I have dropped so many podcasts and YouTubers for that shit. It’s time to enjoy watching and listening to shows on topics that interest you that won’t slap you hard in the face with Covid denial when you least expect it.
So here’s a list of podcasts and YouTubers that I can assure you are Covid cautious based on experience, even when that’s not the main topic of their programs.
Special thanks goes to my friend Ms. Opossum (https://linktr.ee/anarchodelphis) for recommending one of the YouTubers on this list. She also does excellent variant tracking work and you should check out her Linktree.
Now, if you want resources that are completely dedicated to Covid, check out my master Covid information and resources list here: https://buttondown.email/Crowgirl/archive/kim-crawleys-master-covid-information-and/
And if you have any suggestions to add, please email me with them: runnymede13 (at) gmail (dot com).
Now, onto the shows!
Podcasts
Blueprints of Disruption
Blueprints of Disruption is a Canadian radical left social justice podcast hosted by Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero. They cover important issues like the Palestinian genocide, anti-worker injustices in Canada and beyond, corruption in Canadian politics, and housing and survival.
Jessa and Santiago understand that the Covid pandemic is currently ongoing, even though most of their episodes aren’t about Covid. And I know from firsthand experience that not only do Jessa and Santiago feel strongly about fighting for the marginalized, they’re also supportive of neurodivergent and otherwise disabled people, and are open to constructive criticism.
Blueprints of Disruption
A weekly podcasts that features in depth discussions with front line activists, organizers and rabble rousers on how they are working to disrupt the status quo, decolonize our spaces and bring down Capitalism. We aim to explain and amplify their great work, while explaining why and how people are pushing back.
Their show is available on pretty much all podcast sources.
For the sake of full disclosure, their Covid episode from September 2023 featured an interview with me:
COVID Conscious Under Capitalism - Blueprints of Disruption
Quickly and easily listen to Blueprints of Disruption for free!
Ghost of a Podcast
Jessica Lanyadoo’s Ghost of a Podcast is all about western tropical astrology.
Ghost of a Podcast | Jessica Lanyadoo | Astrology + Woo
Ghost of a Podcast is an astrology and advice show hosted by expert Jessica Lanyadoo. Each week she gives a reading to a lucky listener and breaks down the personal and social implications for the week ahead by way of the most practical horoscope you'll hear. Transcripts always available.
If astrology’s your thing, Lanyadoo not only talks about current transits and people’s natal charts, but she’s also passionate about social justice issues. On many episodes, she mentions Covid and the importance of wearing respirators for the sake of community care. Her show is also available through all of the usual podcast channels.
Death Panel
This might be cheating a bit, because more than half of their episodes since the Covid pandemic began are all about Covid. But they have enough episodes that are about other capitalist/colonialist health injustices that they belong on this list.
“The Death Panel is a twice weekly podcast about the political economy of health co-hosted by Beatrice Adler-Bolton, Artie Vierkant, Phil Rocco, Jules Gill-Peterson and Abby Cartus.”
https://www.deathpanel.net/episodesLike the others, all of their non-Patreon paywalled episodes are available though all of the usual podcasting sources.
DisMoviePod
It’s coming soon, from my friend Hilary.
“A podcast about disability representation in movies- by and about disabled people, for everyone.
Hear from a disabled person who talks about how their disability is reflected in a given film. Good, bad, and sometimes truly bizarre, how movies represent a disability can form public opinion. Let’s dispel myths about how disabilities work, but also talk about things we love in movies- even bad ones!”
Home - DisMoviePod
YouTube
Punch Up Pod
The name suggests they’re a podcast, but to the best of my knowledge, they’re a YouTube show. Leila and Pat cover American and sometimes international politics from a somewhat radical leftist perspective. (It’s time for you to give up on Bernie Sanders completely, Pat!) The tone of the show is very fast paced and fun, and the hosts do a lot of drinking and topic wheel spinning.
https://www.youtube.com/@punchuppod/
Covid as a currently ongoing pandemic is mentioned in most episodes. New episodes stream live almost every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern, and 5pm Pacific. If you miss Wednesday night, you can watch the full show later on and clips from the previous week’s show are published throughout the week.
Lab Muffin Beauty Science
Michelle is a science educator and cosmetic chemist from Australia. She uses her academic expertise to critique and recommend skincare and hair care products.
She does briefly acknowledge that the Covid pandemic is currently ongoing and recommends wearing respirators in a few episodes, including recent ones.
https://www.youtube.com/@LabMuffinBeautyScience
Cathode Ray Dude
Cathode Ray Dude is a great YouTube channel for us nerdy types who are into the technicalities of computers and electronics.
“Video cameras, computer mice, and the 2000s in general are my usual topics. I'm sure I'll waver eventually. I hate capitalism and I'm not here to get sponsorships, I just want to share what I'm up to for your entertainment and education.”
He had a health scare a few months ago. In his recent electronics thrift shopping videos (especially in his recent YouTube Shorts), if you look and listen carefully, you can tell that he wears a respirator in public. You can tell from the slightly muffled sound of his voice in those videos, and also when you can catch his reflection off of shiny objects in the shops.
https://www.youtube.com/@CathodeRayDude
Luxander
Luxander is a great YouTuber who was recommended to me by Ms. Opossum. Luxander is nonbinary and uses it/its pronouns. Its videos are excellent, and they are often about transgender rights and other social justice matters (such as Free Palestine and worker’s rights). It has also done a couple of great videos about Covid injustice:
Biden Abandons Us To 2nd BIGGEST COVID Wave
CDC Hiding COVID Facts & Downplaying Severity of Illness
Follow Luxander here! https://www.youtube.com/@LuxanderReal
A Dishonourable Mention
Status Coup
I started a Change.org petition about Status Coup, because the way they continue to completely ignore Covid is contrary to their stated values of doing investigative journalism on horrible incidents and injustices that the media won’t cover.
Please sign and share the petition.
Petition · Status Coup: Cover COVID and measles news on your show! · Change.org
Status Coup: Cover COVID and measles news on your show!
From the petition’s text:
“Status Coup is an investigative news show founded by Jordan Chariton that broadcasts on YouTube. There are often multiple videos per day.
https://statuscoup.com/About-UsStatus Coup has done some great investigative journalism, such as:
• Covering the Flint, Michigan water crisis long after the mainstream media stopped caring about it.
• Covering the East Palestine, Ohio train wreak mass toxic disaster.
• Covering protests against the Palestinian genocide.
I am a monthly Status Coup donating member. Chariton proudly states on the Status Coup website that he "has been covering stories that corporate media REFUSES to for over a decade."
The scandals I mentioned are all incidents that have massive death and disability tolls that are perpetrated or greatly worsened by malice, neglect, and violence from the US government and big corporations.
Think about it for a second. What's another massively deadly, mass disabling event that is made many times worse by malice, neglect, and violence from the US government and big corporations?
Think... Think...
COVID!
The fact that Status Coup never ever covers our currently ongoing airborne Covid pandemic is a horrific void and continuing to ignore Covid is contrary to Status Coup's stated mission and values.”
Here’s the petition link again: https://chng.it/hmCYVWm4MM
Thank you everyone for your support!
Kim Crawley, buttondown.email/Crowgirl, @crowgirl.bsky.social, @crowgirl@hachyderm.io, linktr.ee/kimcrawley