Low Culture Boil

In this episode Amber and Rax talk about Thomas Kinkade. You might not recognize the name but you have seen his paintings hanging in AirBnb's or at your friend's grandma's house, or on a hallmark card. He is known as "The Painter of Light" because he called himself that and trademarked it. Why was this kitsch painter so hated by the art world? Why was he so loved by the masses? What did he have against Winnie the Pooh? All that and more in this free ep! For more episodes join our patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Author Greg Mania joins the girls in this salute to the gayest chain restaurant, Applebees! Did you know this restaurant used to be called T.J. Applebee's Edibles and Elixirs? Did you hate learning that as much as we did? Also, we reveal what dish Applebees cooks say never to order! Please don't be spinach artichoke dip, please don't be spinach artichoke dip...

What made these little plastic ponies so popular with girls and this cartoon for girls so popular with men? Amber and Rax dive into it with the magic of friendship in this episode! They talk about the true creator of My Little Ponies (Bonnie Zacherle, obvi), BronyCon, and Pester Power. Which reminds us, please bother your parents to sign up for our patreon! This episode is also in video form on our YouTube! https://youtu.be/Nu1Xy2Rfgj4 

Hustler magazine: close-up images of pussy, or First Amendment champion content? Larry Flynt: disgusting misogynist, or hero of journalistic integrity? In part one of our two parter on the magazine's legacy, we talk history, lawsuits, and what happened when Rax brought her copy of Hustler to the public library to research this episode. Also, a very special, extra incensed Gripe Zone!

Have you ever craved a dusty train ride to a sandy beach full of mosquitos and biting flies? If so, early Atlantic City might have been for you! In this episode Amber and Rax talk about the Lenape people convinced to leave for some finished goods, the first family to live there year round and Pitney, the doctor who fought God to turn a dusty swampy beach into a health resort? They also talk about the freed slaves who worked at the resort and made it THE destination for working class Philadelphians. This is just the start, tune in Thursday for pt. 2,  available to patrons only (patreon.com/lowcultureboil) This ep's video is also on our YouTube! https://youtu.be/Cc7-fJnjXzk

Amber talks with friend and comedian Chanel Ali about MTV's reality show/cautionary tale, Teen Mom. Make yourself a nice meal and take some solace in the fact that you aren't a teen mother right now, unless you are, in which case watch for lessons. Huge shoutout to Tyler, of Catelyn and Tyler, who just got a vasectomy. Other teen dads, take note. If you want to hear more Amber and Chanel you can check out their former podcast Daddy-Less Issues on Spotify or iTunes.

Rax and Amber are joined by film critic Jourdain Searles of Bad Romance Pod to show some love to the official Genre For Girls. When's the last time they even showed a romcom at a movie theater? What's your favorite romcom? Have they always been this maligned? All this plus the Gripe Zone today!

Fun fact: Rax failed to get a job here when she was 19. Actually, everything about the history of Hooters could be relayed in "fun fact" form, from the story of its founding to the rules its famous Hooters Girls have to obey on the clock. Just how did these guys get the idea to pair chicken wings with push-up bras? (Goes great with a side of our Sexy Scissors episode!)

(NYC culture-boilers, have you bought your tickets for our live show at Bushwick Public House on 5/11 yet? $12 for chads and gladiators who buy in advance, $15 for haters and losers who wait to get theirs at the door!) Amber and Rax are joined by comedian and writer Ellory Smith to talk about two of the missing links of reality TV, Flavor of Love and Rock of Love. Listen to hear about our shared love of good street finds, VH1s series of celebrity reality shows, and who's love we would rather be competeting for between Bret Michaels and Flavor Flav. As a wise woman once said, don't threaten us with a good time.

Rax and Amber are joined by quickie author Lily Lady to pay tribute to that motherlode of trash culture, the Real Housewives franchise. Tune in to hear about Rax's humiliating experience on Watch What Happens Live, plus anti-snoring discrimination, a dissection of the "real" self of reality TV, and airplane gripes.