Oddly Specific

Should you show your kids online? What rules should you have in place if your child wants to start a YouTube? What have we learned so far about this mostly uncharted world of child influencing? Fan favorite journalist Fortesa Latifi (Rolling Stone, The Cut, etc) is back on the pod to break it all down. We get into the recent doc Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kid Influencing to discuss what can go wrong when kids become influencers and what parents should be aware of. Pre-Order Fortesa's book here Follow Fortesa on social  Join Meredith's Patreon 

Our friends from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project are back to help us unpack what's at stake with the sale of Walgreens to private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Jim Baker, Executive Director of PESP joins us to get into Sycamore's track record and why that brings up concerns for their involvement in Walgreens. We also get into how Trump 2.0 has been responding to private equity and a few wins we have been seeing at the state level. It's an important episode of anyone who has ever needed to go to the pharmacy, so it's an important episode for basically everyone.    Follow PESP on Instagram here Subscribe to the Patreon here

First things first, BOSTON we hope you have your tickets to come see us Wednesday, June 25th at Laugh Boston. Tix here! This week on the pod the King of Kansas City is here to discuss all the wild historical things that happened on the day we recorded this. Brace yourselves because it goes from Anne Frank to OJ Simpson FAST. We discuss some of our earliest attempts at being funny (don't cancel us), cursive writing, and the Christmas where every 14-year-old boy got a Structure sweater and a gold chain. AND I uncover why men become cops! PLUS a lil Taylor Swift.  Follow Rob!  Come see us live June 25th at Laugh Boston! Tix Here!     

My cousin in Christ Molly McAleer is in the house to talk about the Revolutionary War, Karen Read, and if anyone is switching cell phone providers in 2025. We get into Turtle Boy, what happened when I discovered the fifth wave of Beatles fans, and I invite Molly to be a city planner.  Come see us June 25th and June 26th in Boston! Tix here!  Get this full conversation on Pateron. See the playground where it all went down.  Follow Mollz 

Road trips, cannibalism, and coming to terms with the stories we tell—this week on the pod, I welcome journalist and author E.A. Hanks to talk about her memoir The 10, a powerful deep dive into family, loss, and the messy contradictions of America. We covered everything from growing up with famous parents (yes, those Hanks) to the truths she uncovered while driving the full stretch of Interstate 10. E.A. opens up about writing through trauma, confronting history, and what she found at the intersection of identity, immigration, and myth-making. Spoiler: there’s World War I, evangelical poetry, and a gas station tiger. Obviously. We also talked about the writing process, creative burnout, and how making something real often takes a village. If you’re into memoirs that mix personal storytelling with sharp cultural critique, if you’ve ever lost a parent too young, or if you’ve ever wondered what America looks like when you actually go see it—this one’s for you. The 10 asks big questions about memory, meaning, and what we inherit, and EA was just as thoughtful, funny, and oddly specific as you’d hope. The 10 by EA Hanks Follow E.A. Hanks on Instagram: @EAHanks Learn more about Hardcore History's Blueprint for Armageddon: Dan Carlin's Hardcore History Book recommendation: This Republic of Suffering by Drew Gilpin Faust (on Civil War and grief) Book recommendation: Motherless Daughters by Hope Edelman Podcast: You Must Remember This (for the Manson series mentioned) Meredith’s Patreon Tickets for Boston Live Shows: Laugh Boston June 25 | City Winery June 26 Listen to past Oddly Specific episodes: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Unions are on the line with the Trump Administration and we need to chat. This week on the pod I welcome Teacher Pay with K, a high school math teacher and president of her local union to discuss all the ways in which these structures support teachers, students, and well everyone. Digressions include my storied high school math career, phones in school, and Pete Davidson, union kid at heart?    Come to my live shows!!! May 8th in LA and June 25th in Boston, tix here.  Follow Teacher Pay with K on IG and TikTok  Subscribe to my Patreon

Once upon a time you would toggle between MTV and VH1 they way we toggle between TikTok and Instagram. While much is said about the impact of MTV there is considerably less about her cool, older cousin VH1. This week on Oddly Specific my friends Emilie Begin and Margaux Poupard from the Old Millennials podcast stop by to talk about their new series that covers everything from Behind the Music to Best Week Ever. Digressions include, AOL, the Century City Mall, and where the hell are kids suppose to hang out??    Follow their podcast Follow Old Millennials on Instagram Follow Emilie and Margaux ALSO come to my live shows all tix are here For more fun, join my Patreon!

With tariffs on the rise and the stock market plummeting it's a precarious time for wallets. Most Americans are looking for deal but are dollar stores the solution or do they cause more pain then they are worth? This week on Oddly Specific Meredith welcomes Kennedy Smith, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance whose work on the impact of dollar stores on communities will blow your mind. We also look at some ways cities like Tulsa are curbing the practices of these stores along with what happens when we keep business within our cities and towns.  Learn more about Kennedy and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance here! Subscribe to the Patreon  Come see us live in LA or Boston

Subscribe to the Patreon  Come see us live in LA or Boston Follow my pal Mary Mahoney on Substack and IG The incomparable historian Mary Mahoney (Dolls of Our Lives) is on the pod today to talk all things American Girl, Titanic, and using books as medicine (not in a MAHA way). We unpack how we reflect on national tragedies, the impact of spending your childhood with Greatest Gen grandparents, and why I'm still looking for some justice for my boy Carson Daly. PLUS why were Jane Austen novels labeled as dangerous in the 1800s and how it relates to book banning today. 

Mia Chard, a TikTok content creator and mental health advocate joins me for an honest conversation about loneliness, dating, and the impact of social media on relationships. Together we chat about the cultural influences that make us who we are, personal growth, and the importance of authenticity in connecting with others. Mia's story resonates with many who have experienced similar feelings of loneliness and the pressure of societal expectations regarding relationships.    Follow Mia  Come to the Live Shows!!! LA: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friends-only-tickets-1278304265469?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Boston: https://lilchuckboston.com/friends-only-live-with-meredith-lynch-molly-mcaleer-and-rob-schulte/

Show Notes: When wildfires, hurricanes, and other billion-dollar disasters strike, private equity firms aren’t just watching—they’re cashing in. From buying up disaster recovery companies to profiting off the fossil fuel investments that fuel climate change, these firms have turned catastrophe into a business model. But how does private equity work, and what exactly do private equity firms do? In this episode of Oddly Specific, we talk to Azani Creeks, senior research and campaign coordinator at the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, to break down the high-stakes world of private equity. From understanding the key differences between Blackstone vs. BlackRock to the ongoing debate of private equity versus investment banking, this episode exposes how these firms extract wealth, consolidate industries, and profit at multiple points in the same crisis. Azani explains how private equity plays a growing role in disaster recovery—both contributing to climate change through fossil fuel investments and cashing in on cleanup efforts. We also discuss private equity’s increasing control over industries like healthcare, housing, and education, and what can be done to push for greater transparency and accountability. Let’s keep the conversation going—follow Oddly Specific and tell a friend to tell a friend about private equity!   Chapters and Markers 00:00 Welcome and Announcements 00:21 Live Show Dates and Social Media Workshops 01:35 Introduction to Private Equity Stakeholder Project 03:07 What is Private Equity? 03:55 Blackstone vs. BlackRock 07:41 Private Equity and Climate Disasters 14:42 Private Equity in Disaster Recovery 32:03 Conclusion and Thank You Resources & Links: Live Show - LA May 8: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friends-only-tickets-1278304265469 Live Show- Boston June 25 & June 26: https://lilchuckboston.com/friends-only-live-with-meredith-lynch-molly-mcaleer-and-rob-schulte/ Sign Up for Social Media Workshops: Email me at meredithcollabs at gmail.com Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP): https://pestakeholder.org/ Private Equity Climate Risk Scorecard: https://peclimaterisks.org/2024scorecard/ Hospital Ownership Tracker: https://pestakeholder.org/private-equity-hospital-tracker/ PESP Report on Private Equity in Education & Childcare: https://pestakeholder.org/reports/making-the-grade-private-equity-privatization-and-the-future-of-american-education/ More Perfect Union + Meredith Lynch- When Private Equity Is Your Landlord: https://www.tiktok.com/@moreperfectunion/video/7471033140279053598 Gretchen Morganson’s Book These Are the Plunderers: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/These-Are-the-Plunderers/Gretchen-Morgenson/9781982191290   Meredith: Hi everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Oddly Specific. It's the podcast that covers everything from private equity to Pete Davidson. I'm your host Meredith Lynch, and while I actually do have a private equity episode for you today that I think is incredibly important, and I know you're gonna be interested in, I also have a few announcements. Meredith: Firstly, I have three live show dates. This is a live pod recording that I'm doing with my friends, Molly McAleer and Rob Schulte, and they're fantastic friends and so are all of you, which is why we're calling the show friends only. Meredith: It's an IRL night with your chronically online besties. We have special guests, we have hot takes. So many things that we can only say friends only. Okay, dates. Los Angeles on May 8th. We are at West Side Comedy doing the show and we can't wait to see you there. We have meet and greets available for that. Meredith: And then Boston, we are in your city, June 25th and June 26th at Little Chuck in the theater district. Ticket links are in all the bios of my social media platforms. I will also link them here in the show notes. Would love to see you there and stay tuned 'cause we're working on adding more cities to this little tour. Meredith: Also signups for my next round of social media workshops. That kickoff in late April are officially open. We are doing a Tuesday night and a Friday AM workshop, so shoot me an email if you want additional information on those. These are six week small group sessions that I love doing, and we work on a really personalized approach of how to grow your channels. Meredith: Now let's get into today's episode. This week I have on Azani Creeks, a senior research and campaign coordinator at the Private Equity Stakeholder Project where she has written about private equity's impact on workers, students, incarcerated people, and more. Azani is based in Brooklyn, New York, and if the Private Equity Stakeholder Project sounds familiar to you, it's because they are. They are a nonprofit watchdog organization focused on the growing private equity and broader private funds industry.  Meredith: You might remember we've actually had on Azani's colleague, Michael Fenne, talking about veterinary care and prisons and healthcare in previous episodes. Meredith: And we're really excited to have you meet Azani. So without further ado, let's get Oddly Specific.  Meredith: Hey everyone, and welcome back to another episode of Oddly Specific, the only podcast that covers everything from private equity to Pete Davidson. I'm your host Meredith Lynch and y'all we have a fantastic guest for you today. We have a private equity episode. I've been promising you a private equity episode. Meredith: I'm giving you a private equity episode. I have Azani Creeks with us here today from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project. You know about them because we've had Azani's colleague Michael Fenne on before. I know y'all love him. I'm really excited for y'all to meet Azani.  Meredith: Azani, welcome to the podcast. Azani: Thank you. It's great to be here. Meredith: It's great to have you here. So I always start off these private equity episodes, especially when I have an expert like you here. I always start them off by asking folks what exactly is private equity? Azani: Great question. So private equity firms are large investment managers, which pool funding mostly from institutional investors, such as pension funds or foundations, sometimes wealthy individuals. This money is then pooled and then used to invest in companies, different than how we invest on the public stock market. So, for example, you and I could go buy a share of Amazon stock or a share of Walmart stock. That is not possible with private equity-owned companies. Those investments are held privately by these large firms which manage billions and billions of dollars. Meredith: Yeah. Something I've been seeing over the last week actually on social media is some confusion around the difference between two specific entities, Blackstone and BlackRock. Would you be able to just walk us through what the difference is between Blackstone and Blackrock? Because I've been trying to tell people like, first of all, they're just different. They're different. Also the way that they operate is actually different. So I wonder if you could just walk us through that, using that example. Azani: Yeah, exactly. So Blackstone, is an example of a private equity firm, kind of in the most traditional sense that we talk about. So Blackstone, for example, will go to your local pension fund and ask them for a commitment of say, $50 million. They'll get that commitment from the pension fund and then use that money to invest in a company. Blackstone will then hold that company for, you know, anywhere from five to seven years, and try to sell the company at the end, making a large profit and large returns for their investors. Those investments are kind of locked in and the investors that have given Blackstone that money, such as the pension fund, don't really have any kind of control over how their money is invested. Azani: BlackRock is also a large investment manager, but it doesn't really work in quite the same way. They don't necessarily do these funds and, you know, go ask pension funds for money. It is more of a typical stock investment. It fluctuates much more. It's not that they're holding a company for a certain length of time and trying to squeeze out all the profits as quickly as possible. They're a much more flexible investor. And yeah, it's just a different structure. It is all technically private, you know, in the sense that we can't, as regular people, invest in BlackRock either, but the points of leverage that we have and the investors that do invest in those two are, are a bit different. Meredith: And so if you wanna answer this, you can, and if you don't, that's okay. But I feel like in the, in the in the minutia of it all, there is a big difference when you confuse Blackstone and BlackRock.  Azani: There is, yeah, there is.  Meredith: People were telling me they were like, meh, Meredith. Potato. Potato, that's a little nuanced. And I was like, Just because private equity is my special interest doesn't mean that, and listen y'all, I am not speaking for Azani, but I am not saying like long live BlackRock. I'm just saying we need to be aware that there are differences in these. And one of the things that I think I've found in talking with Michael and talking with Gretchen Morganson is that these places actually love it when we confuse them and we don't fully understand what they do because it actually helps the way that they operate.  Azani: Exactly. I mean, that's the whole point of having investments be private, is so that people don't understand and people don't have access to the information. Like, it is helping them for us to not understand. And things are a bit complicated, you know, as with economics, generally, it's kind of made to be a little bit confusing and convoluted, but that's why we're here, at the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, to simplify some things.  Meredith: Exactly, and y'all don't worry. Obviously there's a lot of private equity firms, right? And there's, you know, the major players. But Bl

Mads Mitch knows a thing or two about going viral on the internet. Her "How hard can it be boys do it" gained a life of its own during the 2024 election season catching the attention of the Harris campaign and spinning off a successful merch line. But there is SO much more that happens behind the scenes of content creation and together we break down what inspires Mads to create, how she navigates the misogyny, and what makes us both true oldest daughters/oldest sisters.  Follow Mads Mitch Subscribe to the Patreon!! Buy tix to Friends Only with Molly McAleer and Rob Shulte for LA  Buy tix to Friends Only with Molly McAleer and Rob Shulte in Boston   Transcript  Hey everyone, welcome back to another episode of oddly specific. It's the podcast that covers everything from private equity to Pete Davidson. I'm your host, Meredith Lynch, and I'm thrilled you're here for the intro because I have so many exciting things to tell you. Firstly, I have three live show dates. We are doing a live pod recording, I'm doing it with my friends, Molly Maclear and Rob Schultz, and they're great friends, but so are all of you. And that's why we're calling this show Friends Only, an IRL night with your chronically online besties. We have special guests, we have hot takes, we have so many things that we can only say friends only. So Los Angeles, on May 8th, we are at West Side Comedy doing the show, and Boston, we are in your city on June 25th and June 26th. That's two nights of fun at Little Chuck in the theater district. Ticket link will be in the show notes. The ticket link is in my Instagram bio. We have a few meet and greet tickets available. We would love to see you there and stay tuned because we are working on adding more cities to this little tour. Also. If you want to kick your social media up a notch, I have a few fun workshops and opportunities coming up. This Saturday, March 15th, my friend Stephanie Wilder Taylor and I are doing a workshop specifically for writers who want to grow their social media presence. That's the Saturday, March 15th from 1pm to 3pm PST. I will link that in the show notes. It's also on my Instagram profile linked in the bio. And still there are a few hot seat social media strategy sessions. If you want to grab a 45 minute session with my partner in content crime, Vienna and me, we would love to see you over there. Today's guest is an absolute legend on the apps. Mads Match created the viral phrase, how hard can it be boys do it? The phrase went global, catching the attention of the Harris campaign, launching Mads successful collection of merch and has been a springboard to bringing her empowering message to the world. She is the host of a pod that I love, Parked Car Combos. I loved having her on my pod and I know you will too. Without further ado, let's get Oddly Specific.  Hey y'all. Welcome back to another episode of Oddly Specific. I'm your host, Meredith Lynch, and I have a very special guest today. Maddie Madds. I'm calling you Maddie Madds because she signed on and I was like, wait. It says Maddie, not Mads.  Yeah, I just love to keep people on their toes. I just am constantly, it's constantly evolving. It's also, on some things, it's Mad, not Mads.  Yes! Yeah, it's just a trifecta. It's the holy trinity. Mad, Mads, and Maddie. And you never know which one you're gonna get. But, today, I can be Maddie Mads. That's fine. I like it. Mad Dog. Well, welcome to the podcast. Yeah, I wear a lot of hats. Yeah.  I'm really excited that you're here. I've been following your social media journey for so long now and I am so excited to get into what you have done, what you're up to, what's in the future. But first and foremost, You, like me, are not only an East Coast girl, because, listen, you guys, I'm just gonna talk, I want to talk about this for a second. Here in LA, Maddie, when I tell people that I moved here from the East Coast, Mm hmm. Their immediate thought is that I came here from New York. And so, like, it will be like, I'll be like, Oh, well, I moved here from the East Coast, like, four years ago. And they'll be like, Oh, New York. And I'm like, Uh, actually, no, Massachusetts. The light just, it just dims in their eyes. Like, I have fucking disappointed them. Like, like, like, I swear to God, people, people are like, Oh, you're, you, you're from there? I thought that's just a place that people went on field trips to. I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. People, people actually live there. Um. They do live there. And it's actually a great state all around. Look at the statistics, people.  It's an honor. So you, did you grow up in Massachusetts? Mm hmm. Born and raised. Okay. What do you think makes being from Massachusetts? Or like Boston area because your Boston area so different than being from New York And like I know you're not gonna say like just sports teams, which is why I love you  Yeah, which is it is part of it It I think growing up in like the tom brady era of new england instilled like a massive superiority complex That like I wasn't prepared to part ways with do you know what I mean? Like it's just like oh and now we're bad. I don't know how to cope with that. No, but it is I don't know. New England itself, I just feel like is so elite. Like it has everything a little bit of everything. And from Cape Cod in the summer, which is like how I envisioned summer is like Cape Cod. And then I, every fall I go up to Vermont for a little bit and I spend time in the mountains and the foliage. It just like has everything that you could ever, ever need. And It's, it's such a great place. I can't say enough good things about it. Okay, if you had to pick like your favorite summer getaway in the New England area, what would you pick and why? That's tricky because there's some really cute places in Maine that I've gone for like day trips and stuff that are so cute and I would love to spend more time up there, but I think I'm going Chatham every single time. Even though it's busy in the summer and chaotic and like overwhelming, it's, it's for a reason. It's because people love it there because it's amazing. And so I would have to go chat him slash Cape Cod every time. Okay. Yeah. And I think like if you're someone who's, if you're new England curious, I think the Cape is a good place to start, too. Totally. Totally. Yeah, you go in like the middle of summer when we can guarantee warmth and not snow, that's good. And then, yeah, it's, it's such a, it's like I think what people think when they think of like New England is like picturesque, quaint towns, and like that's what that is, every time. Have you ever been to Kennebunkport?  I have, yes. That's my jam. A long time ago though. Yeah. So cute up there. I went to Igunquit a couple summers ago too. So pretty. Yeah. Super similar. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So cute. Yeah. We should do a, um, creator trip and all the followers, right? It would be so fun. There's a hotel where I got married in, in Maine. I got married in Kennebunkport and there's a hotel, it's called the Colony Hotel. And it's like, Kind of got a dirty dancing vibe because everybody who works there lives there for the summer. Oh fun I know so it's not just so much to write a rom com about that. That's  You know what? Like yes wrong. Are you writing one? No, but like there's the wild thing The only like tea that I know about people like living there in the summer actually, this is like a really bad endorsement of this hotel, but when I was When I was a kid, this happened, um, because I would go up there in the summer, my, my My aunt had a house there. Somebody, like two people who were living there for the summer, working there, got into a fight. Oh no. And over like, oh you're playing your drums too loud, and one per, one guy killed the other guy. Oh my god. Nothing could have prepared me for that. That is so not what I thought you were going to say. I know. Wow. That's, so someone could actually write like a murder mystery novel. Yes, exactly. Yeah, yeah. We shifted gears, but. Here's the wildest part. Like, five years ago. I don't know why, but like, because I, I don't know, should probably be like, doing something productive. I remembered that. Like, I remembered the story, so I looked it up. And I found the newspaper article on it, and the lawyer who defended the guy who shot the other guy was Christine Gutierrez, I think that's the name. Does that name sound familiar to you? No, but I feel like it should based on your face. Yeah.  It was the lawyer from the Adnan Syed trial. Oh my God. Right? Remember the, the serial one? It was the same lawyer who like was unhinged. Right? That's crazy. Yeah. I know. Such a small world. What a ringing endorsement to go to Kennebunkport, my friend. Come to New England. It's great. Very safe. We love it.  So take me through a little bit of like how you got into content creation because you first came up on my radar during the, the Barbie movie stuff and, but were you making content before that? Yeah, I had been, I think I started posting on TikTok probably during the pandemic when everyone else was just like funny little like trends, you know, hopping on trends and just, just for fun. And then in 2020,  oh my God, like what year is it? And what year 2023? Question mark. I lost my job. I had worked in brand social, so I had always been in social media, but I'd been on the brand side of things, which I loved, and then I got laid off. My whole, our whole team got laid off. They just cut social media in general. They said, we don't need this. And they laid all of us off. And then I started, I spiraled for a little bit. Cause I had just, it's funny, the timing of things is. Hilarious always in hindsight, but I had just bought a car and then I had also just booked because I worked remotely. So I wanted to like travel while I was working. And I had booked two month long Airbnb stays, one in Charleston, South Carolina, and one in the Outer Banks in North Carolina. I

I have got my friend and NYT bestseller Stefanie Wilder-Taylor is in the house for a FUN bonus episode. We talk about our bad ex-boyfriends, Stefanie's career in tv including working in reality tv, quitting drinking, and how this bad b changed my life before I even met her. PLUS we spill on an opportunity to work with us later this month.    Follow Stefanie!  Take our workshop, sign up here! Subscribe to the Patreon

This week we welcome our pop culture king Blakely Thornton to the pod to talk about Kimberly Noel's Criminal Justice Era. We discuss how the Kardashians have evolved, Kim's journey from Paris Hilton's closet to the White House, and of course a few moments with Kris. Together we unpack how celebrities impact social issues and the nearly impossible task of fixing deep problems in the justice system.  Check out the episode on Private Equity in prisons with Bianca Tylek Follow Blakely!! on ig  Follow Blakely!! on TikTok Join the Patreon and never miss the tea!   Meredith Lynch (00:01) Hi everyone and welcome back to another episode of Oddly Specific. I'm your host, Meredith Lynch. And this is like kind of a groundbreaking episode y'all because I have billed this podcast as the only podcast that covers everything from private equity to Pete Davidson. And a lot of you have reached out and said, Meredith, you've never had an episode where you have ever mentioned Pete Davidson. And they would be right. But today I think we're gonna get Pete Davidson adjacent. I am so excited for this guest. Y'all are going to freak out. Y'all are going to say, Meredith, what if Oddly Specific was just hosted by this person and you just went away? And I would say, listen, I'm open to it. Blakely Thornton, welcome. Thank you. Thank you for being here. How are you doing? Blakely Thornton (00:41) Hello, thank you. Thank you. Welcome. Doing well, just got over the flu. We're good, but I feel human today. My body temperature is regulating as previously discussed and I'm ready to talk P.E. and Kimberly Noel, you know? Meredith Lynch (00:59) I love it, I'm so excited. Isn't it wild when you get sick as an adult too? Because you kind of forget, like when I was a kid, I would just throw up all the time. Blakely Thornton (01:09) Yeah. I just think you forget when like it sucks. Like I think because the primary directive as a child when you miss when you when you get sick is missing school or like getting to watch some TV. But it's like when you're an adult and you work for yourself and there's actually also like no one taking care of you specifically like I have to like go get the medicine feeling like this. There's just no purpose and also like sick days if we're just skipping work and like going to basketball games or like Meredith Lynch (01:20) RAID! Thanks. Blakely Thornton (01:38) They're like taking your vacation, you know, they're not for actually being ill. Meredith Lynch (01:42) Yes, exactly. When you were a little Blakely and you are homesick from school, what was the show of choice, the daytime show of choice? Blakely Thornton (01:51) I think it was a little Matlock. We'd have like a Matlock pizza party like the old school like I don't even know what that man's name was. But like that old white haired KFC like Colonel Sanders looking white man that Matlock and like a Domino's pizza, even though like I don't know why I think Domino's was better in the in 90s before now. But I remember Domino's pizza tasting really good. So Domino's, Matlock, Sally, Jesse Raphael on occasion. Yes, daytime smut. Meredith Lynch (02:17) Well, yes. Daytime smart. used to really like Lisa. There was a show called Lisa. Yeah, that was my girl. And I also really, you know, I was that was how I got into Jerry Springer originally was I think a lot of us via sick days. Blakely Thornton (02:23) Yeah, Lisa Gibbons. Right? I was actually thinking of like, I was actually talking to my friend the other day about like, need to bring back those shows to like rehabilitate like maga men. Like remember how you should like take kids away to those camps? Just like needs to be that but for like straight men with podcasts, like, oh, you have a podcast? You've never read a book? Oh no, you're going, you're going, know, we take them like to libraries. Meredith Lynch (02:56) my god, like the intros would be like, I don't care what my job says, I'm never getting vaccinated. Blakely Thornton (03:00) Yeah. I'm an alpha. I don't deal with we need more alphas. And it's like you don't have a job, Rob. You have a high school diploma and unemployment like like that. Like get go to library, read a book. Meredith Lynch (03:08) Right? my God, I love this. How do we pitch this? Anyway, I love this. I love what you do. And I would love if you could just sort of explain, you know, how you got to where you are because you are this sought after creator, speaker. You're an incredible host. You call yourself a pop culture anthropologist, which I love. And I would love to know what that means to you. Blakely Thornton (03:33) Yes. I just think we are in an attention based economy and there is no longer higher low culture. Like someone yesterday asked me, are you finding it hard to be interested in pop culture and music and fashion when we're like in a fascism right now? And I'm like, no, because it's all connected and we're actually currently a country run by a bankrupt game show host. like those things are connected. Like the apprentice to the White House to like, you know, the fourth Reich is all together. I might as well listen to music and pay attention in the meantime. But I got into this. I actually worked the short hero's journey as I worked in finance out of college. Hated it. It ended up working in marketing and brand strategy for Ralph Lauren for four and a half years. And then a couple of agencies actually worked for Fuck Jerry right after the whole fire festival debacle. So they were and they were turning that debacle into a film. Meredith Lynch (04:32) my god. Blakely Thornton (04:36) So that was interesting. So I kind of got to see all sides of how the sausage was made. And then my friend was working at TikTok and was like, please get on TikTok and say something. And I was like, that was back in the old like dancing phase of it. And I was like, I'm not doing that. like, but she's like, just do it once a day for a month. And like the fourth thing I said got viewed like 2 million times. And then when Instagram went into reels, I had this huge backlog of like, videos that had done well. My friend taught me how to like take the things off TikTok and put them on wheels with no watermark. then that, so then people were like, you, you know, you create so quickly, which I guess I kind of do. But also the thing that kind of popped it off was I said, I would like murder Tom Holland and live the rest of my life with like, with like five, six, and then white face to date Zendaya, even though I'm gay. And then like Tom Holland liked and commented on it. And that just kind of Meredith Lynch (05:05) Hey! Blakely Thornton (05:31) And apparently he'd been on like a social media break for two years. So that was the first thing he'd interacted with. And like, always say like, and like I always say, yeah, like I threatened to murder him and he was like, that's funny. which is kind of my MO. I'm like, you know, but I also think I stand 10 toes down in anything I say on the internet. I would say to your face. I think that's what sets me apart from most commentators is that if I, whatever I'm talking about you, I will tag you in it. Meredith Lynch (05:37) You brought him back to the bed. Blakely Thornton (06:00) And if you have a problem with it, I might stop. might be like, unless you're like, you know, a fascist or a racist or a misogynist or a homophobe. But if I like, don't like your pants and you're like, hey, that made me feel bad. Okay. I'll, I'll, I'll, I'll back up. I think, yeah. Meredith Lynch (06:13) Right. Yeah, that's very different. I appreciate that. I appreciate that. And you have this catchphrase that is famous. And I mean, I could say it, but you could say it for us and it would mean so much. Blakely Thornton (06:22) Yes. I I guess I don't even think of the role credits of it all. That originated because I didn't originally start saying it. Just one day I was so pissed and I knew I was gonna put the credits at the end, because I like putting credits at the end because it's a way to add an extra on the nose joke. The song usually has something to do with what I'm saying, usually a reference to like 80s or 90s culture or just Chapel Rowan or whatever I'm feeling right now and the gay girlie cop pops of it all. And then one day I was like really mad and I said it before the end and it became kind of like a thing that people really latched on to the point where like, if I don't say it, I get comments about not saying it. But you know, everybody needs a hook. Like the guy from Blues Traveler said, it brings people back. Meredith Lynch (07:18) ain't that the truth? What a fucking jam, by the way. I don't think so. Yeah. Well, I'll tell you who is alive and well. The person who I invited you to come on and talk about on this on today's podcast, which is Kimberly Noel. I like to call her Kimberly Noel, even though I think it might be infantilizing her. Noel, people always like, why do you call her? Why Noel? I'm like, it's her middle name, you guys. I think I made it up. Blakely Thornton (07:21) Right? John Popper, is he alive? Neither do I. Yes. middle name. Meredith Lynch (07:48) But I wanted to know, we're gonna get into a little bit of Kim's criminal justice work, because like you said, this is one of those moments where you see how pop culture is political. And I also like to remind people, pop culture stands for popular culture. Like it doesn't stand for like music, it stands for anything that's in that sort of popular culture zeitgeist. And so I would love to know. Blakely Thornton (07:54) Yes. Meredith Lynch (08:15) Keeping Up With The Kardashians premiered in 2007. I would love to know what was sort of your introduction to the Kardashians and how did you feel about them back in 2007, 2008, 2009? Blakely Thornton (08:18) Yes. I believe it was a junior in college at Penn when it first debuted on E! News. I remember like Wawa being a big part of my life in Philadelphia. And it was just the

Fresh off the Eagles win I'm joined by journalist and New York Times best selling author Jo Piazza for a conversation about tradwives, mom influencers, and our changing media landscape. We dig into Jo's own stint as a mom influencer, her writing process, and the economy of internet content creation.  Jo will be back for a special book club episode of her forthcoming book, Everyone Is Lying To You, pre-order it here.  Follow Jo  on social!  Subscribe to my Patreon!

Since time immemorial we have documented our families lives, but over the years birth announcements have evolved from placing a note in the newspaper (we used to do that!!) to filming pregnancy announcements for your family vlog channel in a Target bathroom. But does family vlogging blur the lines on our children's privacy? What are the long term implications of making your daughter's first period into content? This week I welcome Fortesa Latifi, a journalist who is currently writing a book about family vloggers and influencer children for Simon & Schuster. She's written for places like Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, among so many others. I think you will learn a lot about family vlogging culture in this insightful conversation.    Follow Fortesa  Read her latest piece for The Cut on MTV's Teen Mom  Watch Tay and Kay  at your own risk! IN MY OPINION!   

What's the deal with TikTok? No seriously, what's the deal with it? This week I invite on social strategist and friend of the pod Vienna DeGiacomo from Good Story Branding to unpack the latest on the TikTok ban. We get into our predictions for the future of the app and what platforms and strategies we are recommending and implementing ourselves.  It's a candid conversation on all the behind the scenes of content creation that unfortunately is often gatekept. If you're a creator, brand, or just creator curious this episode is for you! Follow Vienna: https://www.instagram.com/goodstorybranding/ Email Meredith to learn more about her workshops and consults, meredithcollabs@gmail.com 

Welcome to 2025 and welcome back to Oddly Specific. This week we welcome Dr. JonPaul Higgins, Ed.D. Dr. JonPaul is an award winning educator, professor, national speaker, freelance journalist, thought leader and media critic who examines the intersections of identity, gender and race in entertainment. They share their experience growing up Jehovah Witness, and their path to leaving. We also spend time chatting about their upcoming book,  Black Fat Femme: How to Love Yourself by Unveiling the Power of Visibly Queer Voices. We also discuss the challenges of inclusion and representation in the creative industry, and what might be done to move the needle. Plus who is actually moving it.  And for good measure we spend some time discussing Goop!  Follow Dr. JonPaul on Instagram  Pre-order their book 

Private Equity be damned! We need to talk about Christmas sometimes. Meredith welcomes Jenny Chalikian and Erin Judge to the pod this week to discuss their fantastic new comedy album (take that PETE DAVIDSON!!) and their monthly show at LA hot spot The Ripped Bodice.  We then get to the meat of an unspoken Christmas tinged beef that Jenny and I have had without even knowing it. It takes us from the heart of Medford Square, to the California Gold Rush, to the southern streets of Savannah Georgia. You'll be laughing all the way, until you learn the truth about a beloved Christmas carol. Follow Erin: https://www.instagram.com/iamerinjudge/ Follow Jenny: https://www.instagram.com/jchalikian/ Buy the album: https://www.blondemedicine.com/bm139-romantic-comedy Learn the real story behind Jingle Bells  https://www.bu.edu/articles/2016/jingle-bells-history/

Pets! If you don't have one you probably know one. In this episode of my podcast, I sit down with Michael Fenne from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project to unpack the growing trend of private equity in veterinary practices—how it affects costs, quality of care, and the future of independent vets.  PLUS Michael breaks down what the upcoming Trump administration could mean for private equity regulations.  Follow PESP https://www.instagram.com/pestakeholder/ Read Michael Fenne's research on PE in vet care, https://pestakeholder.org/news/antitrust-enforcement-and-consolidation-in-veterinary-medicine/ JAB holdings and Senators Warren and Blumenthal  https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/warren_blumenthal_letter_to_jab_holdings_re_veterinary_clinics.pdf  https://www.jabholco.com/documents/6/JAB_Letter_to_Sens__Warren_and_Blumenthal.pdf Also referenced: https://www.axios.com/2024/11/04/private-equity-preps-veterinary-merger https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4804/text https://pocan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pocan-warren-lead-lawmakers-renewed-push-stop-private-equity-looting