Podcast recommendation: Judge John Hodgman

I’ve recommended three podcasts on this site so far: Search Engine, Hyperfixed, and Heavyweight. Today, I’m recommending Judge John Hodgman.

If you don’t recognize John Hodgman’s name, you still know who he is. Perhaps his most famous role was as the PC in the “Hello I’m a Mac” ads with Justin Long. John is also an author, a Daily Show correspondent, the co-creator of Hulu’s Dicktown, and a frequent guest star on great TV comedies.

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And he’s two things I love in an entertainer: He’s really, really funny, and he’s really, really smart.

On Judge John Hodgman, John adjudicates cases between friends about silly, trivial, or otherwise mundane disputes.

Recent cases heard on the show include:

Die Hard: With Defendants: Which of two pivotal scenes in Die Hard is less realistic?

Force Masseur: Should a husband be forced to get rid of his old, unattractive Sharper Image massage chair?

Pace Dismissed: This is actually me taking my wife Lauren to court, because she likes to get her steps by pacing around the house, instead of using the basement treadmill, to the annoyance of everyone else.

I love this podcast because Hodgman’s verdicts are often surprising but always thoughtful. He has strongly held worldviews (“People like what they like”; “Be mindful of the work you leave for others”; “Nostalgia is a toxic impulse”) that help shape his rulings. And the show is funny as hell. Bailiff Jesse Thorn adds delightful and funny insights, and John does lovely work aiming to get both litigants involved — and tries to make everyone look good.

Some podcasts I listen to when I feel like it. Judge John Hodgman is one I listen to as soon as I see a new episode is released.

(John also publishes a Judge John Hodgman columnette in The New York Times Magazine. He’s ruled on a case of mine there once, involving my Rebound cohosts Dan Moren and John Moltz.)