Binchtopia

In the final episode of the year, the girlies celebrate 4 years of Binchtopia (!!!!!) and give their long-awaited pop culture recap of 2024’s most absurd moments. Digressions include the wool-less sweater epidemic, the Bible’s copyright laws, retractions on former Wicked slander and, of course, JoJo Siwa. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

The girlies bring you a seasonal episode to discuss some terrifying Christmas lore — the Germanic tale of Krampus and the panopticon horror of the Elf on the Shelf. Digressions include our thoughts on the United Healthcare CEO shooter, why we should be shaming people more, and a quick digest of our recent nightmares.  This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.  

The girlies explore the concept of Doomsday, revisiting the countless times we’ve thought the world was coming to an end. From luxury arks and poisonous comets to God’s wrath and alien invasions, they consider the fact that the world has never ended…yet. Digressions include cozy season in the studio, being Twitter clean, and Eliza’s mom’s podcast debut. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES Halley’s Comet, Covid-19, and the history of ‘miracle’ anti-comet remedies People Have Always Been Obsessed with the End of the World  How it Ends: The Ancient Roots of Doomsday Prophecies and End of the World Beliefs  ESOTERICA Volume IX (2007)  Storming The Ark  End of World in 2012? Maya "Doomsday" Calendar Explained  2012: The End of the World as We Know It?   Maya Expert: The 'End Of Times' Is Our Idea, Not The Ancients'  Y2K bug Apocalypse Then: When Y2K Didn’t Lead To The End Of Civilization  The lessons of Y2K, 20 years later  What Drives Doomsday Preppers  Heaven’s Gate cult members found dead  Doomsday Prepping Poised to Become $2.46 Billion Industry.  In uncertain times, the prepper supply business is booming  We Should All Be Preppers Is There a Future in the Doomsday Economy?. Here's a look inside a 15-story underground doomsday shelter for the 1% that has luxury homes, guns, and armored trucks ‘End of the world vibes’: why culture can’t stop thinking about apocalypse  Psychology Reveals the Comforts of the Apocalypse  Creation Story of the Maya  Our Fascination With The End Of The World  Our never ending obsession with the apocalypse  Doomsday Psychology: The Appeal of Armageddon  The Resiliency of Apocalyptic Belief  The Christmas the Aliens Didn’t Come   Survivalists and Preppers  Comet Hale-Bopp: Facts about the bright and tragic comet  Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake

The girlies sit down for a chatty episode about their current ailments. Namely, the various hip and back problems that for some reason plague us in our 20s, the spiritual enlightenment/terrorism of the Adrianne Lenker concert, the Wicked press tour, and more. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.  

The girlies are joined by literary it-girl Emmeline Clein to discuss her new book, Dead Weight, and the evergreen topic of eating disorders. They dive into the over-maligned Tumblr pro-ana communities, why eating disorder treatment is often counterintuitive to healing, how the intersection of big tech and diet culture has muddied the waters between health and sickness, and more! Digressions include why boyfriends should never go grocery shopping and how to support a friend in recovery. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.  

Julia is joined by bestie of the pod Nick Garros for a wide-ranging and eye-opening Q+A. They discuss the best way to get revenge, the importance of eating beads, advice for getting hit by a car, the time Nick almost killed his grandma, and so much more!  This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

The girls go off-the-cuff to discuss some post-election thoughts. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

The girlies bring you a silly Election Day episode to distract you from the horrors and feelings of impending doom. They discuss the craziest smear campaigns of elections past, why “our candidate is a great guy to have a beer with” has always been a winning message, and some truly wild political memorabilia from America’s history. Digressions include some wonderful, apolitical headlines from the esteemed Daily Mail and how we’re planning to spend the most stressful day of the last four years.  This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan.  To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES The Role of Music in the 1840 Campaign of William Henry Harrison William Harrison: Campaigns and Elections The Whig Campaign of 1840: The Editorial Policy of George D. Prentice The Campaign of 1840: William Henry Harrison and Tyler, Too The New Political History and the Election of 1840  Political Buttons and the Material Culture of American Politics, 1828-1976  Whig Women, Politics, and Culture in the Campaign of 1840: Three Perspectives from Massachusetts  Getting the Message Out: Presidential Campaign Memorabilia from the Collection of Allen A. Frey Quirky Tools of Past Presidential Campaigns Find a New Audience  Political Fashion Statements From the 1952 Presidential Campaign  Women Unite for Ike!  John Quincy Adams: Campaigns and Elections  A Brief History of Presidential Campaign Merch  Cash for kitsch: Let’s talk about campaign merchandise The Forgotten Joy of 1960 Presidential Campaign Jingles 7 Campaign Gimmicks Used by Presidential Candidates    Sewing Box, Andrew Jackson, 1828  6 Presidential Campaign Slogans That Fell Flat  These Artifacts Show the Best—And Worst—of American Election Ephemera  Win or Lose: Memorable Presidential Slogans  Incredible Political Fashion Statements From Past Elections The Forgotten Joy of 1960 Presidential Campaign Jingles Why did early presidents not campaign? It’s all modern presidents seem to do   The Origins of Modern Campaigning  Edna Mae Phelps Political Collection  Miniature Log Cabin  What Ten Artifacts from the Smithsonian Collections Can Tell Us About the Crazy History of American Politics  The Long Tradition of the Smear Campaign  “Pulp Fashion”: Paper Dresses of the 1960s Keep the Ball Rolling The IKE Dress: Did it Really Deliver its Promise? William Harrison: Life Before the Presidency  Vote for Me: West Virginia Political Memorabilia  Al Smith: Provocative Slogan Button....  Jeb Bush Wants to Sell You a $75 Guacamole Bowl   

The girlies get contemplative this spooky season — from pondering listener stories about ghosts and garments to philosophizing about the possibility of maintaining one’s moral code under capitalism. Plus, the most important question of them all: when is the last time we got a new candy?!  This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.  

To celebrate the spooky season, the girlies explore the world of psychics and spiritual mediums. They consider crucial questions such as: are psychics gifted visionaries or just talented scammers? Can ghosts be seen in photographs? Did spirits from the other side really endorse feminism? Is celebrity medium Tyler Henry the only true spiritualist? Digressions include things psychics should under no circumstances be allowed to tell you, our experience with spiritual scams, and one listener’s spooky premonition. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Penelope Spurr. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES Beyond the Veil: Spiritualism in the 19th Century Hollywood Medium Tyler Henry Has a Waiting List 600,000 People Long Inside the Secret Sting Operations to Expose Celebrity Psychics Man Who Gave Psychics $718,00 ‘Just Got Sucked In’ Mary Lincoln's Seance at the Soldiers' Home Séances and Spirits: The Spiritual Movement and Tracing Family History Sensing the Extraordinary Spiritual Physiologies Spiritualism in the 19th Century That’s the Spirit The Body as Medium in Medieval Art and Culture The Middle Ages, Ch. 10: Medieval Christian Mysticism The Middle Ages, Ch. 11: Hildegard of Bingen and Women's Mysticism Things That Go BUMP in the Parlor: Spiritualism, Lincoln, and a Happy Hallowe'en Who are ‘spiritual but not religious’ Americans?  

The girlies review the most unhinged book they’ve ever read, in which a green-haired liberal is saved from Antifa by a proud MAGA man. Tracking down a copy of this book was a journey in and of itself, but it was worth it — we’ve since become enlightened to the evils of feminism, hair dye, tattoos, and the woke mind virus. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive bonus episode. To become a Patron and get access to this episode along with 50+ other bonus episodes, go to www.patreon.com/binchtopia 

The girlies wrestle with the phenomenon of the iPad Kid. They delve into the research around child psychology and children’s programming to answer the important questions: Was children’s entertainment always this bad? How detrimental is the iPad to a growing child’s brain, really? And, why can’t you zoom in on things IRL? Digressions include some lovely Fall Behavior and the philosophical musings of one listener that inspired this episode’s title. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Penelope Spurr. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES: Addictive use of digital devices in young children: Associations with delay discounting, self-control and academic performance Brain Development Cognitive Development Do Babies Know the Difference Between FaceTime and TV? Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? How Sesame Street Helps Children Learn For Life How We Got to Sesame Street I'm Worried About The iPad Impacts caused by the use of screens during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents: an integrative review  “iPad Kids” and the future of early childhood development “iPad Kids” are Shaping the Future of Education iPad Kids Are Getting Out of Hand iPad Kids Generation: The Nightmare of Educators Letter Responding to Complaint and Request for Investigation Lola the Cow Song! CoComelon Nursery Rhymes  Play and Cognitive Development…Operational Perspective of Piaget’s Theory  Poor student behaviour is forcing teachers out of the profession Research finds more negative effects of screen time on kids… higher risk of OCD Screen Media Usage, Sleep Time and Academic Performance in Adolescents Screen Time and Children Screen Time….Communication and Problem-Solving Developmental Delay Screen time and developmental and behavioral problems…NSCH Sesame Street and Child Development Sesame Street: King of 8 Self-Organizing Maps Analysis Something is wrong on the internet The Origin of Concepts The “CoComelon” Conundrum: Crack for Kids or Parenting Tool? The coronavirus pandemic helped boost Apple’s iPad and Mac sales The lockdown habit that’s hardest to break: using an iPad as a babysitter The Rise and Fall of Baby Einstein Television Viewing Patterns in 6- to 18-Month-Olds The Touch-Screen Generation Television Viewing Patterns…The Role of Caregiver–Infant Interactional Quality  The Controversial Kid ASMR Community The “iPad Kid” Epidemic is More than an Internet Joke Trends in Screen Time Use Among Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic Upgrading Education with Technology: Insights from Experimental Research What kind of adults will iPad kids be? Why It’s So Hard to Know What to Do With Your Baby YouTube's latest hit: neon superheroes, giant ducks and plenty of lycra

Have you ever been so desperate for salvation that you’d pay a farmer’s market white woman $600 for an allegedly life-changing mushroom retreat? Join Julia and Binchtopia favorite Nick Garros for their dramatic retelling of the time they were gaslit into believing they had a spiritual experience and got turned into crabs. This episode was originally released on February 15, 2023 as a Patreon Exclusive. We've unlocked it for you while we're on our break! Become a patron today to support the show, keep us ad-free, and unlock our backlog of over 50 bonus episodes at patreon.com/binchtopia

The girlies read some of your stories about times you were GAGGED. From a mistaken cheer for cancer to a poor girl assisting her own burglary, you guys brought the stories and we brought the laffs. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

The girlies are back with more things they don't understand. Such as... how do GIANT boats float? What the fuck is a nitrate? Why do we have baby teeth? Was Trisha Paytas right all along? And more This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia (http://patreon.com/binchtopia) and become a patron today.

The girlies dive into the world of American talk shows — the modern circus helmed by formidable “experts.” They track the history of syndicated television, the rise of popular figureheads like Dr. Phil and Judge Judy, and interrogate the philosophical carnival that makes these programs simultaneously appealing and horrifying. Digressions include our favorite Instagram Reels creators, and how one listener’s family was ripped apart via the diet terrorism of Dr. Oz. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza Mclamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Penelope Spurr. SOURCES: Admissible in a Court of Law: dna, paternity, and the talk show And God Created Oprah “America’s Doctor” Dr Oz fights back against critics Bodies Defined and Confined Don't Be Funny: Litigation is no laughing matter to your clients Electronic Carnival: spectacularizing talk Family Experts on Television Talk Shows: Facts, Values, and Half-Truths E-mails offer glimpse into launch of Dr. Phil-endorsed diet products Life in the Bleep-Cycle: Inventing Id -TV on the Jerry Springer Show Nielsen Ratings, 2007 Nobrow Culture Oprah and The Party Crashers Televised medical talk shows—what they recommend and the evidence to support their The Commercial Logic of Vulture Culture: how corporate media shape talk show culture  The Commodification of Talk Show Culture The People's Law versus Judge Judy Justice: Two Models of Law in American Reality-Based Courtroom TV THE TALK SHOW AND THE TERROR OF CONVERSATION The time Oprah Winfrey beefed with the Texas cattle industry TV talk show therapy as a distinct genre of discourse What’s Wrong With Dr. Oz?  Dr. Oz Shouldn't Be a Senator--or a Doctor.

Redacted takes the third mic to pose some unique, hypothetical questions. Would you save your nephew from years of torturous bullying by striking David Delouise with lightning, just once? Would you believe your son, even if he was tinfoil? These questions are answered, and more. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia (http://patreon.com/binchtopia) and become a patron today.

The girlies break down the establishments that plague our neighborhoods and corporatize our lunch hours: fast casual restaurants. From Cava to Chipotle, have we really elevated fast food or just made it more expensive? Digressions include a petty gripes section, the Olympics of transvestigation, and tens of thousands of rewards points. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza Mclamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Penelope Spurr. SOURCES: 10 storylines that defined the decade in fast food 90 Minutes With The Chipotle Boys Calories Often Absent on Third-Party Food Delivery Platforms, Analysis Finds Chipotle enhances partnership with top influencers Chipotle is constantly searching for the intersection of its brand and culture Chipotle is selling 'Chipotle Boy' bowls aimed at vest-wearing finance bros Consumer control and customization in online environments Fast-casual consumers: Who are they? Food of the ‘90s: Fast, Fun, and Environment Friendly How Sweetgreen turned itself into a restaurant that’s known for food quality instead of a technology startup that happens to sell food Impacts of the 2008 Great Recession on dietary intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis In a Burger World, Can Sweetgreen Scale Up? Kendrick Lamar kicked Sweetlife Fest founder off stage Personalization Psychology: Why We Crave Customization. Rise of the Restaurant Robots: Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Others Bet on Automation Salad Days Are Gone: I Went to Sweetgreen’s Music Festival Server-less Restaurants Might Be the Future of Dining Sweetgreen 2022 Impact Report Sweetgreen beats ‘sad desk salad’ vibes to soar above fast-food competitors. It can thank fancy foods, high prices—and robots Sweetgreen just pulled the plug on the Sweetlife Festival. Here’s what’s likely to replace it. Sweetgreen makes boom at LA launch with performances by BANKS and Alvvays Sweetgreen Marketing Strategy: Uncovering Key Ingredients Behind Growth Sweetgreen stock soars after its IPO, valued at $5.5 billion The Controversial Rise Of Fast Casual Bowl Restaurants The Origin of the 9-5 Work Schedule and Its Crazy Incompatibility with the Modern World The Role of Technology in Fast Casual Restaurants: Ordering Apps and Self-Service Kiosks Two Years After Buying Spyce, Sweetgreen Launches Infinite Kitchen Robotic Restaurant Unintentional food zoning: A case study of East Harlem, New York When McDonald’s was America and America was McDonald’s Why a Salad Company Has a Tech Team Why fast-casual restaurants became the decade’s most important food trend Why is fast casual winning?

The girlies do a pop culture recap of the last several weeks. They discuss the Ballerina Farm article that broke the internet, the potential of falling out of a coconut tree during brat summer, and more. Plus, a #NotSponsored segment all about their favorite and least favorite products.  This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia (http://patreon.com/binchtopia) and become a patron today. Come see us on tour! Find tickets for our Boston and NYC shows at linktr.ee/binchtopia

The girlies investigate our modern-day digital panopticon through an exploration on the history of surveillance in the US. From wiretapping to Watergate to hidden AirBnb spyware, Americans have been accustomed to and unsettled by being watched for decades. Digressions include the 2016 vibes and a pig named Heidi Klum. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza Mclamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Penelope Spurr. NOTE: This episode mentions the role of surveillance in cases of police brutality. We wanted to note that it was recorded before the horrific murder of Sonya Massey by the police — a tragic reminder, as mentioned in the episode, that surveillance alone is rarely enough to provoke justice. Our thoughts are with the Massey family.  SOURCES: 19th Century - The Origins of Surveillance A Brief History of Surveillance in America Airbnb Has a Hidden-Camera Problem CAN THE USE OF ‘NANNY CAMS’ BE MORALLY JUSTIFIED? Castle Doctrine During the COVID-19 Pandemic Electronic performance monitoring: a risk factor for workplace stress George Holliday, Who Taped Police Beating of Rodney King, Dies at 61 How citizen journalism has changed since George Holliday’s Rodney King video John Locke and the labor theory of value Psychological aspects of active surveillance Psychology and Surveillance Capitalism: The Risk of Pushing Mental Health Apps  She Thought She Caught a Man Cheating, So She Posted on TikTok Social anxiety disorder: more than just shyness Sun on Privacy: 'Get Over It' | WIRED Surveillance as Cultural Practice Surveillance Culture: Engagement, Exposure, and Ethics in Digital Modernity Surveillance of the intimate Surveillance under the Patriot Act Towards a psychology of surveillance: do ‘watching eyes’ affect behaviour? The Employer-Surveillance State The Work of Being Watched: Interactive Media and the Exploitation of Self-Disclosure There’s no place like home They Used Smartphone Cameras to Record Police Brutality—and Change History What constant surveillance does to your brain ‘What have you caught?' Nannycams and hidden cameras as normalised Watching Me, Watching You Where would racial progress in policing be without camera phones? Who's watching?: Daily practices of surveillance among contemporary families Why we must continue to turn the camera on police Us and them - the social impact of 'new surveillance' technologies