
Binchtopia
If Plato and Aristotle had internet addictions and knew what "gaslighting" was, they'd probably make this podcast. Hosts Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb guide you through our current cultural hellscape, share sociological and psychological perspectives on pop culture, and deconstruct everything you've ever loved. Come have a laugh with us through the end times of late stage capitalism! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Feb 28, 2024 • 1h 22min
My Year of Prolonged Suffering and Decrepitude
Exploring the societal pressure and personal experiences related to anti-aging, discussing skincare routines, the impact of the anti-aging industry, and the importance of valuing wisdom from older women. Delving into historical anti-aging practices like Cleopatra's donkey milk baths and contrasting Renaissance perspectives with modern attitudes towards aging.

Feb 21, 2024 • 5min
Bad Book Club: Fifty Shades of Fucked Up *TEASER*
Bad Book Club returns to review the Twilight fanfiction turned kinky nightmare that captivated suburban moms everywhere. This one has it all — a clinically insane man who tells our protagonist to "stay away" while constantly stalking her, the worst stock POC best friend characterization we've ever seen, and some truly heinous sex scenes. ¡Ay, Dios mío! This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To become a patron and get access to this episode and 50+ other bonus episodes, go to patreon.com/binchtopia.

Feb 14, 2024 • 1h 20min
The 2024 Valentine Hotline
The hosts offer relationship advice on avoiding mommy roles, love languages, and planning a boyfriend convention. Discussions include a sass dispatch and Grammy department. Insights on Super Bowl halftime show, Grammys, Taylor Swift, Tracy Chapman, and Miley Cyrus. Exploring relationship dynamics, Tokyo relationship challenges, commitment struggles, and rise of sassy men. Understanding love languages and heartwarming listener voicemail.

Feb 7, 2024 • 5min
Getting to the -core of It *TEASER*
The girlies dive deep into the micro-trends that have been populating the internet over the last few years. From cottage-core to ballet-core, clean girl to mob wife, they rank microaesthetics based on the level of abject harm they cause to women, the pedophilic undertones, and whether or not they make their brains Soup. Digressions include welcoming Ballerina Farm into the NYT club and digging up dirt on the other Mormon influencers. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. Become a patron and listen to the full episode at patreon.com/binchtopia (http://patreon.com/binchtopia).

Jan 31, 2024 • 1h 16min
We Are All Memes
The girlies hop into the meme pool to investigate how memes are made, why they spread, and what happens when the worst moments of someone’s life follow them forever in the memeiverse. Digressions include a mysterious case of Souping, the Binchtopia infirmary ward, and one listener’s horrifying baby Jesus figurine. Sources: Slayed, Mother: Gypsy Rose’s Digital Homecoming by Jax Preyer The Meme is Dead, Long Live the Meme by Roy Christopher Talking to the Guy Who Invented the Word ‘Meme’: Richard Dawkins by Mahmood Fazal Taking the Dawkins Challenge, or, The Dark Side of the Meme by Gregory Schrempp Alex From Target: The Other Side of Fame Alix Bromley Adjudication Internet Memes and “The Right to Privacy” Most Americans support right to have some personal info removed from online searches As a domestic violence victim, my story became a joke. You Know the Lorena Bobbitt Story. But Not All of It The Definitive Oral History of the Bobbitt Case, 25 Years Later Accidentally famous: The psychology of going viral Monica Lewinsky Wins The Internet With Best 'I Have A Joke' Tweet The last of the Monica meme Monica Lewinsky on the Culture of Humiliation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 17, 2024 • 1h 17min
Who's Afraid of Gypsy Rose?
The girlies dissect the case of America's newly freed sweetheart, Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Julia puts her PhD studies to use and guides us through the history of Munchausen by proxy, opening up an exploration of why people make themselves and others sick, and how the "bad mom" trope reifies social anxieties around motherhood and care. Digressions include our time in the Stu, the depths of our notesapp, and a bold mailbox moments. To see the video version of this episode and to keep up with our bonus content, subscribe at patreon.com/binchtopia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 10, 2024 • 1h 17min
We Give You A Princess
In the first episode of the New Year, the girlies investigate a cultural concept that plagues us all in the new year: The Makeover. From the transformative promise of the American Dream to hit shows like What Not to Wear and The Biggest Loser, they discuss how “the makeover” seeks to ease cultural anxieties, reify the status quo, and affirm that changing ones appearance can change ones life. Digressions include one listener who found Eliza’s twin at the Margaritaville restaurant in Orlando, another who hears our voices in their schizoaffective delusion, and the world’s need for a one dance. SOURCES: Eliza Makeover Nation: The United States of Reinvention by Toby Miller The Makeover: Reality Television and Reflexive Audiences by Katherine Sender The Great American Makeover: Television, History, Nation by Dana Heller ‘Oh goodness, I am watching reality TV’ How methods make class in audience research Notes on What Not to Wear and Post-feminist Symbolic Violence Spirituality Among Americans: Spiritual Beliefs by Pew Research Center Americans Take Prescriptions a Large Portion of Their Lives Can I Please Give You Some Advice?: Clueless and the Teen Makeover by Alice Leppert Julia Makeover TV: Selfhood, Citizenship, and Celebrity by Brenda Weber Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 13, 2023 • 1h 22min
The 2023 Lowbrow Roundup
The girlies hop on the mic for the last time this year to recap a timeline of the memes, celebrity relationships, and silly internet shit that captured our attention in 2023. Digressions include a failed STD test and He Need A One Dance. If you’ll miss us on our break, you can find bonus episodes, mediasodes, monthly zoom meetings, and more on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 6, 2023 • 1h 7min
Saving the Body of Christ for Later
The girlies open up the mailbox and dedicate an entire episode to your hilarious moments. We’re with you through the hard times (salmonella Tinder date) and the good times (dislodging pasta from beneath your fingertip by cooking it soft). Thanks for another year of being our listeners. Digressions include predictions for who will be woman’d in 2024 and our made-up idioms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nov 22, 2023 • 1h 21min
Baby's First Simulacra
The girlies return to the world of family vloggers to answer the important questions — how did the momfluencer come to be and why are we so obsessed with her? Can children ever meaningfully consent to being shared online? Did Jean Baudrillard predict our real life Truman Show with Simulacra and Simulation in 1981? Digressions include your newest NY Times covergirls, the Binchtopia Boy Draft, and one listener’s experience as an assistant momager. Support the podcast on Patreon at patreon.com/binchtopia Binchtopia is created, produced, and hosted by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb. This episode was edited by Allison Hagan. *note: we hit the character limit for this description -- additional sources for this episode are linked on our Patreon! SOURCES: Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture Simulacra and Simulation Are We To Be Forever Trapped Between the Two? The Internet, Modernity, and Postmodernity in the Early 21st Century Child-produced content and the simulation of childhood New law entitles child social media influencers to a percentage of earnings Why did Mark Zuckerberg cover his kids’ faces on Instagram? Their lives were documented online from birth. Now, they’re coming of age The YouTube Parents Who are Turning Family Moments into Big Bucks Kidfluencers Are Today’s Version of Chimney Sweeps Research Brief: “Sharenting” and Child Influencers Sharenting: parent blogging and the boundaries of the digital self Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.