Low Culture Boil

Rax and Courtney snack on spoonfuls of everyone's favorite lard alternative. Learn how Procter & Gamble preyed upon kosher households to offload its ingenious, gelatinous invention. How does cotton seed oil fit into making the perfect pie crust? Can one achieve optimum crumble with butter, or do we need that Country Crock goodness? Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Salon chains: What would we do without 'em? Join team LCB for a look into our favorite franchised hair establishments, from the mediocre (Great Clips) to the mediocre-with-a-fun-gimmick (the boxing  themed Knockout Hair Salon). Discover how the salon was where franchise itself began and how Christian Scientists might be responsible for millions of shitty haircuts across the ages.  Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

The full LCB crew is BACK and ready to pay an arm and a leg for some profoundly mediocre American fare while staring at a costume from Lethal Weapon 3. That's right, we're taking a trip to Planet Hollywood, the a 90s creation that is somehow clinging to life, and ready to welcome at least one of our hosts. All brought to you by the producer of Sophie's Choice. Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Videographer and podcaster Molly Mary O'Brien (@missmollymary) joins a lone Amber to talk up the mean girl of bottled water: Evian. Plastic might be destroying the planet, but we're talking vibes, and you don't need a boutique bottle with a crystal in it to feel em. Take a sip of this ambrosia from the south shores of Lake Geneva and hydrate like French nobility.  Check out Molly's music crit podcast And Introducing, @andintropod Become a trash patron today!!! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

A tiny LCB digs into this tiny phenomenon, which finds broke Millenials striving to achieve some semblance of the American Dream in 8 square feet. Learn the history of tiny homes past with Jacques Prouvé's post-earthquake shelters and the interwar Germans' Existenzminimum movement. Learn the un-green truth about these bite-sized ecological nightmares. And insert some other thing I can call small here.   Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Elle Features Editor and Discourse Blog contributor Katherine Krueger joins the gals to muse on ancient reality show "The Hills". Yes, we're going back to club drama, pre-Marxist Teen Vogue, and whale tails for this one, choosing our problematic faves, marveling at the lack of production value, and asking what we'd do if we stumbled upon a wall of Post-its plotting our future. Follow Katherine on Twitter @kath_krueger Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

It's a special Father's Day edition of our monthly dumpster dive, this time with the added bonus of LCB father Brian Rawlings! Join the crew as we explore Brian's Appalachian origins, divorced dad meals, Amber's childhood reality TV appearance, a hip-shattering wasp, and of course a jerky bouquet! Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

From Aesop's Fables to tasteful flappers, fishnet hosiery— tights, gloves, bodystockings— has been a mainstay in fact and fiction for at least 100 years. Journey with team LCB into the world of this enticing accessory, a favorite among pin-ups, punks, and even Perry Ellis, a fabric flaunting that sexy "intermittence of skin flashing between two articles of clothing", according to Roland Barthes. Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

It's the third edition of LCB's monthly Dumpster Dive, wherein the crew sounds off about their favorite trash picks of the moment. For May we find ourselves praising fascist-killing cargo pants, dated sex advice, more Real Housewives, Zoomer video games, and a special Amber's Animal Facts featuring a lucrative human fingernail scheme!   Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

If you count the amusement parks, Mall of America is the largest shopping mall in the western hemisphere. Despite a negative reception upon its opening in 1992, the massive complex continues to thrive. Team LCB asks: Is MOA a public space? How do we remedy the scourge of mall security? And how has this consumption colossus survived the "Mallpocalypse"? Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil