Oddly Specific

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 had literally just done that. And then like two days later, I lost my job. So I went on this very like eat, pray, love, like, what am I doing with my life? Cause I already paid for this trip. So I'm still going to go on it while I was unemployed, which was, uh, very enlightening. And then, um, I really leaned into posting on social media for myself because I needed that creative outlet. Like I was, I really got to flex the creativity in my corporate job, which is like rare. I feel like a lot of people don't get to say that about their corporate job, but I really got to lean into it. And I was missing that. And I, as you know, from following me have like a lot of opinions and I just love. to chat. So I was just constantly finding myself reaching for my phone just to share literally whatever was coming to mind. And a few months later, I started making list videos and that's what really catapulted and kind of like snowballs over the course of that whole summer really. And now we're here. And that was also the, the summer of the Barbie, Barbie movie. So it's all kind of interconnected there. How do you feel about the fact that you coined the term in the summer of the Barbie movie  a bigger meaning to it than just those words. So could you just walk people through like what that meant at the time? Yeah, I think, oh god, to be so young and naive like we were that, that summer, that fateful summer. But it was, I, I think it's funny because when I think about my content, it's kind of like dual faceted. It's half the time it's just me being silly and goofy and talking about things that everyone can relate to, like buying spinach and letting it rot in the back of your fridge. But then on the other hand, It's because, like I said, I have a lot of opinions and I'm not afraid of voicing them most of the time. It's a lot about feminism and female empowerment. And that's like a huge, huge pillar of my content as well. And so everyone was so excited that summer about the Barbie movie. And I, I think there was just like this sense of like girlhood. I think that's kind of where that all like the trend of girlhood kind of started and just. Women leading into like, wait, this is fun to like be girls together and to be there for each other and to support each other. And there was just so much community and like camaraderie in that. And then I, you know, as per always men have audacity and they always have, and they always will. And so I was like, this is kind of funny to say like, really, you're going to say that to me in the year of the Barbie movie. And it just kind of took off and it was really cool. It was, it was just like a really, I think it was. My little tiny like corner of being a part of that moment, which was really, really fun. And then it's, it's always fun when people kind of associate those things with you. It's like, Oh, like what an actual honor that like someone thinks, Oh, in the year of the Barbie movie and they associate that with me, like, that's just insane. And like, so cool. It was just, I think such a fun moment in time on social media because of the way that. You know, pop culture was at that moment and, and that was just my little piece of it. I love that. And I, I want to hold space for all of that. But I also want to say, what year of a movie are we in now? The Titanic.  I would say in the year of Paddington three. And that's where he packs his bags and flees to Peru. Yeah, that totally tracks.  That feels like, yeah,  yeah, it's, it was. A time of hope that I look back on fondly and now, now it's a different, it's a different, I look back at it differently now, but Where do you stand with hope right now? That's a good question. I think a lot of people after the election were because because of the how hard can it be boys do it of it all is I just have a feminist mantra for every year i'm so excited to see what this year's will be but a lot of people I felt a lot of people kind of turn to me and be like what like what now do I do? Yeah, and that was so  I'm, like babe, your guess is as good as mine, but I think I got to Have a front row seat Because of these, these moments that I've been a part of on social media, I'm able to see how many good people there are in the world. And that's such a blessing. And that wouldn't exist if I didn't have this job, if I didn't post the content that I had, if, you know, there's so many factors that go into it. But I remember. That was something that brought me so much peace back in November and I've kind of held on to that ever since is it's easy to feel like the bad outweighs the good in so many ways, you know, especially in something like an election where it's like the yep it and it did but there's still so much good and I don't want to diminish that I don't want to reduce that at all. And that's something that I just am continuously holding on to. Yeah, I I feel like  I got some of that similar feedback after the election, people messaging me and being like, Meredith, what do we do? And you know, it's, first of all, it's two things. I feel like I'm really grateful for the platform that I have and what I've built in the community I've created. And at the same time, I also feel like I'm in a position where like, I am a straight, white, cisgendered woman, and so like, I, it is, and I'm not saying that everybody has to do this who falls into those buckets, but for me, I do think that it's on me to speak up because I'm protected in so many ways and Totally. It shouldn't be on marginalized or groups that have typically been pushed to the margins to, to be the ones to do all of the work. And, you know, I, at a job that I used to have, that I loved, I worked for YWCA Boston and our mission was dismantling racism. And one of the things we used to say, like to people, cause we would go into like corporations and stuff and do like workshops on, you know, equity, diversity, and justice. And one of the things we used to say was, it'd be like, if women. If people of color could have fixed this on their own, they would have done it a long time ago. So that's why we need the buy in and so I really think it's, I think what you have done a little bit is been a, is been part of that buy in, right? Of like, I'm gonna use my platform. Mm-hmm. In this way. Yeah. It's, it's one of those things that you don't, I it's, it's so multifaceted. I think, I think a lot of people look at it very simplistically of like, oh, I, I follow this creator that has a, a huge platform. I'm not talking about myself. I'm talking about, I'm talking about, oh, you do have, do you wanna say you do have a huge, oh my God, the other night, like, and I. I'm going to say this with love because I love this guy, but the other night I was out with a friend and he was like, Oh, like he was talking about how he wants his social media to grow. And I was like, Oh, why don't you do X, Y, Z? And he was like, wait, that's actually such a good idea. And I was like, I'm going to make up his name. I was like, Paul, this is my job.  Like he was shocked that I had this good idea. I was like, I literally, I know what I'm fucking doing. It's almost like I do this for a living. Right? And he was like, Oh my God, you're right. But like, I do think that people sometimes. Forget that aspect of content creation, but go on totally. No, I just think I mean it's such a nuanced topic talking about people with platforms using their platform and what they use it for And it's something that over The years, like before I really had a platform when I was just posting for shits and gigs back in, you know, 2020 when shit was hitting the fan in so many different ways, I was much more freely vocal about certain things and the world and the internet have gotten scarier and people have gotten, certain people have gotten louder and that, you know, it makes it. It makes it that much harder and that's it's just like a it's it's really really there's there's so many layers to these things and that's why I think I'm glad that the things that I have talked about have resonated with people the way that they have because it's scary.  How do you deal with the backlash that you must get in your comments that are, you know, misogyny or just straight up bullying? How do you deal with those comments? It depends on the day, quite frankly. I'm very much a fighter. Like, I'm not like a, I'm not like a, oh, I'm just gonna let it roll off my back. I really admire people that can do that. That's like, I'm just like very argumentative too. And if I know that you're wrong, Do you have siblings? I have a younger brother.  Oh, and another piece of the puzzle falls into place. I'm an oldest. I'm the oldest. I'm the eldest daughter. Yeah.  I'm the oldest daughter myself. Sometimes I'm like, justice for Prince William. No, I'm just kidding. I'm kidding. But I'm just saying, like, like,  yeah, anyway, carry on. It makes a lot of sense. Yeah. It, yeah, so it depends on the day. I think in certain things it's like so painfully black and white that I'm like, no, I actually am correct and I actually, and you are actually wrong and I want you to know that I also have been doing a lot of work on just internally on like, I can't make everyone see things. My way or the correct way that's an impossible task and if it could be done it would have been done at this point in time so it's like you can't make people see things that they don't want to see but I think when how hard can it be boys do it really took off that was I was inundated with just just some crazy shit and it was funny because to me how hard can it be boys do it is in a political statement that's not controversial to think that men and women can do the same things like that's That should be a given and it wasn't to so many people and I was I constantly had just like the smallest men ever to have ever lived in my comment section. I will say with that it was more funny. It was just like this like that's a crazy thing to say like it was it there was a certain like levity to the situation because it's just like you are so clearly absurd and like Like, insanely insecure. So that was, but it was a lot. It was like, I was inundated with it. Which, that was, that was tricky. It's just, unfortunately, a part of the internet. And if you're gonna post, there will be people that have things to say. No matter how wrong those things are. Of course. And when you made that video, cause this happens to me, sometimes I make a video and I go, I think this one's gonna do okay. Like, I think this is going to be good. When you made that video, what was your mindset when you hit post? So it's funny because the moment, the video itself, because a lot of people don't even really like know the backstory. They just know like the little soundbite. But when it was, it was like October of 2023. I was with my mom in my car. I went to go get gas and my tire pressure light had been on for weeks, which I don't recommend. I'm like, no one should leave their tire pressure light on for weeks. Like address the issue. I see that. Right now my tire pressure light is also still on and it's been on for a week. So like, who knows, but I was at the gas station and I was like, I'm just going to use their little air pump and pump up my tires. And I went and put air in it. And my mom's sitting in the car the whole time. Just like, can't be bothered to like assist me in any way, shape or form. Like God love her. And so I get back in the car. Why is it so embarrassing to use the little palm? It's so fucking embarrassing. And I, like, didn't know which tire it was. I'm, like, going around to all of it. Like, it was just, yeah. And you have to pull the little thing off and it's hard to do and you get the black stuff on your hands. And, like, here's the thing. Like, also, too, I think it's, like, admitting a type of defeat. That's, like, actually the other day I had to tie my shoe in public and I was, like, this is embarrassing. That's so embarrassing.  So embarrassing. Like being like, go around me. I'm tying my shoe . Like, I know I should have like really gotten this down in kindergarten, but like I'm out here tying my shoes  doing. Yeah. Um, but you're, so you're doing that, you're, you're trying to, you're trying to pump the tire back up. Yep. And then I get back in the car, the light goes off. Success. And my mom was like, honestly, I'm really impressed with you because like traditionally this is like a role that I would have like said, Hey, dad, my tire pressure lights on. Can you take care of that for me? And I know my mom would have done the same thing. So she was like, she was like, wow, like good for you. And I said, yeah, well, I mean, how hard can it be boys do it? And we both paused and we were like. That was really good. Like that's crazy. And so then I made a video about it, like a few days later, like it had kind of the moment it passed. I made a video about a few days later, so I posted in October and it didn't, it did well at the time. It like, it, you know, God, I think like a hundred thousand likes or something like that. And then, but no one was using the sound, like nothing came of it because it's a minute and a half long video. Like it's me telling a story. It's not just like that little soundbite, the soundbite, which people need to understand. Like a little viral clip can be a lot.  You guys, little pro tip, a little viral clip might get you like a viral moment or whatever, but it's usually not going to translate to long term engagement. And that's why Maddie probably did so well with this video was because she already had this platform, but plus like there was more to it than just the little sound clip. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Carry on. So, so then the, the sound starts being used three months later. So like three months had passed and I thought like nothing, I didn't think anything of it. I was just like, Oh, like. You know, it was a video that did well, but that's it. And then in January, people started using it and yeah, it just, it kind of. Blew up from there. So it's funny because it's like I posted the video. It was well received I was like, okay good But I don't even I don't even think I say how are gonna be boys do it until like a minute in so I Never would have expected it to become like a sound that people use because it was like like just kind of hidden in the middle There video. Yeah. Yeah, and then and then it kind of took off in January, which was just crazy and it caught the attention of What I would say is our, you know, I have so much respect for what Kamala Harris did.  It caught the attention of the Harris campaign. What was that like? It was crazy because it, it like, it had a big moment, January, February, which is when like everyone was kind of participating in the trend that I was like anyone who participated in it, participated in it probably January, February, then. I, like I made the merch for it and that released that in February. And then, you know, months go on, everything teeters off as is true with everything on social media. Like it had a big moment and then it, and I never thought another moment would, like, I never thought it would have a second wind and it did. It had a huge second wind in, what was it? July or August that Kamala announced she was running. And that was. Just wild because I never like you just never you think it's dead you think it's over and then it's like nope it's back and that was like just as crazy. It was such a It was, I guess, more meaningful that time around because it felt like, Ooh, this like has something, you know, like this is like, this could be something. And yeah, it was just, it was really cool. I had so many people sending me, um, pictures of them voting, wearing the merch, which was like insane and just like so surreal. And it was just such a cool thing to be a part of and to kind of witness and have like a front row seat too. Yeah. I mean. It's so funny that you say all this because now when I think when I first thought about it and was remembering the viral moment and we were booking this episode etc. I just assumed that it came out during the election and so to hear the whole genesis of it. It is so cool. What is something else that you feel like is having a, how hard can it be boys do it moment? Like, for example, like fixing your tire pressure, how hard can it be boys do it running for president? How hard can it be boys do it? Like to me, I'm like, there are so many things that guys just, they just. Say like, okay, I'm just going to go for it. So for example, I had someone really criticizing my content the other day. And I do think that they like my content, but they were really like coming down hard on me in my DMS. And there's someone with a ton of access and power. And so I just said to them, like, Hey, I could do more with this. If I had support, you have like a lot of connections. Would you be able to help me? And I was like, yeah, that's what a guy would say. Instead of like getting so upset, I was just like, can you help me, you know, connect with XYZ person? And they were like, um, not right now. And I was like, okay, that's fine. But I was like, yeah, like, do you ever have other, so let me say it like this. Do you ever have like other moments where you like have said or done something that you're like, Oh, that's not so fucking scary. Mm hmm. I think this is funny. I made a video about this not too long ago I had done like a Q& A on Instagram and someone asked and this is like a question I've gotten a lot of which has always I guess kind of confused me but people say someone asked how Did you get so confident? Like, do you ever struggle with self doubt? Like all of these things. And  I kid you not, I had to like do some like introspection. Cause I was like, I actually have no clue where this comes from. Like, I, I don't like, there wasn't like a turning point for me. Like I couldn't pin it back to anything. It was just like, it's just kind of always been there. And I realized that like, I do. For better or worse have the confidence of like a the unbridled confidence of like a unskilled white man The only difference is I think mine's a little bit more substantiated But it is one of those things where I think it For so many people, it is just like a mindset shift of like, okay, well, if I were a man, wouldn't I just be saying this right now? Like, why wouldn't I just send this email? Why wouldn't I just react in this way? Why wouldn't I just also just assume that things are gonna work out for me? Because I, I, you know, do the work. I know I'm good at things. I think it's this inherent like knowing that you're capable of certain things. Right. And I, and just like not questioning that. And I think, I think a lot of women could benefit from like the, hmm, and how would a, how would a man react in this situation? And what would they do? Because It's, it's oftentimes the more uncomfortable thing for women, I think, to do, but it unfortunately does yield results. So on a related note, I got this DM this morning that I think you'll just adore where somebody was like, Hey, I really like your content, but I'm just wondering why do you respond to every single hater comment that you get? As if the person's in the room with you. And I was like, Hey, thanks so much. Glad you love the content. Just a heads up. I don't respond to every single hater comment that would be absolutely. And I wouldn't have time to go to the bathroom if I responded to every single hater comment. So the people that you do respond to, is there a, what is the strategy behind responding? Cause I have a strategy and I would love to know if you do too. I don't think I do, honestly, unless it's like subconscious. I think it's, I go very much on instincts because there's one thing I will say is so many people who don't post frequently or publicly or for their job, they always have a lot to say about how people who have a. platform, you know, reply to certain comments. Like, why don't you just ignore it? Why are you even giving them any attention? And I'm like, you, unless you were in a situation where you are constantly inundated with people sharing their opinions, unsolicited on who you are as a person, on your appearance, on your content, on, then you do not know how you would react to that situation. And it's so much easier said than done. And I like hate this narrative of just like, just rise above it. It's like, you don't understand. What it's like until you're in it, like you really don't, it's easy to think that you would just say, Oh, I am going to ignore this person. And a lot of the times I'm able to, I will say, I can always say that no one leaving a hate comment is a happy, normal, well adjusted human being. That's just like the, the truth of the matter. I'm not talking about people like giving criticism or feedback, but I'm saying like, Hey, like real hate comments. No normal, well adjusted, healthy, happy person is doing that. So it's like, I am able to see that logically, but it's still emotionally, it like can take a toll on you. And like I said, some days are better than others. Some days I'm in a really good fucking mood and I'm like, okay, that was weird and lame and you know, it just is what it is, but I think a lot of the times if there is a. Point to be proven, or if someone is mistaken about something, I will reply. I also think sometimes people leave really funny hate comments that can make a really good comment. Some of them are hilarious. Some of them are hilarious. Like I, I had a video  go viral once where I was replying to a hate comment. I think it was a hate comment. She framed it as if it was a compliment, which is always. So interesting, but she said you have such a big mouth and I'm, I'm so jealous. I have such a small mouth and yours is just so big and like she just kept going.  I guess. Yeah. Cause she compared it to like her mouth. She was like, my mouth is like too small. I'm like, okay. I feel bad for your small and dainty mouth. Like that must be really troubling for you. But it's so sometimes it's just like funny and totally. Yeah. I don't think I don't really think I have a, I think I've, I've gotten better about learning that. You can't change people's minds. And that's what was always the hardest thing for me is when I make a video that is, if I post any video about any quote unquote controversial or political topic, it is based on fact. It's based on experience. It's based on really well thought out, you know, ideals. I don't make these things on whims. I, I make sure that it's like, it has ways to back it up and yeah. And that, and I. And if I'm talking about something like that on the internet, it's something I know a lot about. I'm not talking about political issues that, like, I wouldn't have to do more research on. Like, these are things that, like, I'm, I know what I'm talking about. And so it's I think it's things like that, when it's like, I know what went into that, I know the rationale behind it, I know the statistics behind it, and to be met with some people saying, you know, okay, well, what about, and this is just fake. It's like, I have little tolerance for that. Yeah, you just, you just want to, you want to set the record straight. You want to be like, because I also think on the off chance. that someone sees it and actually has no idea and I'm able to disprove something that someone says, that's a win. Like if it's just some random viewer that sees a comment and it's like, yeah, I actually kind of agree with that guy. And then I'm able to disprove it. It's like, okay, well that's, you know what I mean? And there was, there was actually a time during How hard can it be boys do it? A very common comment that I was getting was men saying women would be so mad if it was the other way around. And if men were saying, how hard can it be women do it? And I got this comment a lot. And I was like, it's funny because I know that they think that they're like eating, like they think that they know it's so funny. Like, it's just like the second that I would even hear that phrase, I would know exactly where we're going to go. And it's going to be like, and I know exactly the profile that's going to leave the comment. And it's like the. The, the profile picture is their truck. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And then the cat, the bio is like proud American father of three, girl, dad, you're like  Bible verse, like the whole nine. Yeah. And so I, I took the time to like actually. Dismantle that one and I said, you know people who say if someone were to say to me How are gonna be women do it like I would just assume that's like the slogan of the patriarchy like it's it's that that is So deeply entrenched in everything that happens in this world. How are gonna be women do it? Like that's so it's just it's so  Textbook, like it's just so running rampant as an ideal everywhere and a lot of people like resonated with it and I was like if I could explain that in a way where one person is like actually she's on to something then like that's a win at the end of the day and I think also I think a lot of times I, I I'm I'm I'm I am able to kind of weave in humor and like silliness into things that are really, really dark and kind of heavy topics in a way that I think is more palatable for people. So it's like, on the one hand, it's like that feels important to make it so that people who maybe aren't as attuned to issues that are happening in the world, if I can portray that information in a way that is more digestible and more tolerable, then like, that's a win. But it is, it's a lot about. picking and choosing and I am not the best at that always. You gotta pick your battles and same here, you probably wouldn't know this, but there is, uh, they're, they're recently deactivated actually, but there is an account that's called Meredith Lynch get braces. Oh my God. Maddie, I had braces.  Wait, that is heinous. I know. That's actually absurd. People are really, yeah, people have a lot to say. It's also this weird justification that I always see of, of people saying the most heinous things about my appearance. And then when I say something back to them, like, Oh, do you tell your four children to speak to people that way? Because I like to call out, especially when they're very publicly parents. I'm like, imagine your child's growing up and seeing this comment. Like that's so embarrassing. Imagine finding out that your parent is like it. Internet troll like that's like so jarring like you would need years and years of therapy to undo that I called out some woman one day who was just saying like sick vile things about my appearance and I was like I said something to the effect of like, okay, I hope your daughter doesn't ever receive comments like this and She was like, well, you're you are an influencer so you should expect this and it's this weird justification that like because you post online and it's your job that like Yeah, you're gonna get, you're gonna get the most ruthless comments ever and like that I agree to some extent that is to be expected when you're posting online, but it's not an excuse to like berate someone's appearance just because they're public facing on the internet like it's such a weird jungle and like a mental gymnastics. You know, I get this a lot. I had someone say this to me the other day, they were like, you really need thicker skin.  And I get that a lot. And I would love to know from your perspective, in order to be on the internet and be an internet personality, because also like, and I say this with like respect to you, and there's nothing wrong with being this like, you're not an influencer. No, you're not your content creator, your  internet personality, you might do brand deals. But I wouldn't, you're not, and neither am I, like, I, I mean, we might get those kind of things, but we're not influencers. And I think the other piece of it too is I have a communications degree. I worked in that field for a long time. You have a background in social media and marketing. We also have the credentials to, to back up like how we've been able to do this. But my question is like, Do you think you have to have a thick skin in order to do this? I think, yeah, I, I, I hate the narrative though that you have to have a thick skin to do this because I think it just normalizes people being, being mean, dickheads on the internet. And like, like, I also think people don't understand, like, it's not, I think there's like a misconception that it's like, Oh, you get like one or two hate comments that are like, you're ugly. And it's like, no, people will pick apart the most obscure things that you would never in a million years notice about yourself. Ever, ever at all, and they will harp on it and they will continuously, like it is psychological torture and to some extent, like, and it's something that, and I'm not to be so clear, I am not saying doing this job is hard, but it's something that you really don't have to deal with in any other line of work is like this expected element that like you will be constantly, I don't even want to say criticized because it's so much worse than that, just like constantly picked apart online. Like it's, it is such a. Interesting side effect to this job, but I do think it definitely, I think if not thick skin, it just, you have to be really sure of yourself. I think that's kind of what it comes down to. Confident in who you are. Exactly. Have people supporting you behind the scenes who know and love you because that's like the most important thing is like these people, even the ones who like, you know, might like your content, like. They can turn on you. I've had this. I'm sure you have to like, yeah, I always say to people, nothing is worse than a person who used to like you. Yep. And I think I'm so glad too, that I, that I gained the platform I did when I was 25 years old, like postfrontal lobe develop developing because. I can imagine it impacting me so much more if I was freshly 20 and I was getting greeted with these kind of hate comments. And it really does make you think about so many people that are younger and get, get bigger platforms. It's like, I can imagine that would be so much more damaging, but obviously as you Grow up and mature. You have a naturally more thick skin because you're just more confident in yourself and like, you know yourself a little bit more, but I think yeah, it's it can be super damaging if it's happening to a person who isn't, you know, equipped to be dealing with it. Yeah. Well, Mads, this has been so much fun. I feel like we've really covered a Such an important part of content creation that doesn't get talked about that much, but you create amazing content and where can people find that content? Is there anything you have coming up that you want to share with us? You can find me on TikTok and on Instagram. I also have a podcast called Parked Car Combos. I think that's something I'm really working on. Growing it's always, my podcast always takes a back burner, not in terms of making content, cause I post a podcast episode every week, but just in terms of shoving it down people's throats, it takes up it, you guys follow, subscribe to park car convos, and then listen to an episode and give it a review because the, you know, what are the hardest you're not with a network. Cardio.  Yeah, one of the hardest things and like little, little plug for our own operation over here. One of the hardest things is like, I was just saying to my husband, the podcast is the thing that I love the most. And it's the thing that bleeds the most money. And so it's like, I want to, I want to keep it going. And you know, I'm sure you do too. And so yeah, it can end up taking the back seat. Seat because it's not always the highest ROI day to day, but I love what you're doing with the podcast. I think it's really fun. I'd love, I'd love to park a car with you when you're in Boston. I think that would be so much fun. Yeah. We'd have a lot of fun. Well, Mads, thank you so much for being here and everyone go follow her and follow Parked Car Convos. Subscribe, all that good stuff. We'd love to have you back.  All right. That's a wrap on another episode of oddly specific. Thanks so much for hanging out with me. Of course. I want to send a special thanks to my lovely guest, Mads Mitch, follow her on social media, listen to parked car combos, she's the best. And as always. I want to send my little shout outs. Firstly, just want to shout out each and every one of you, but there are some of you whose names I actually know because you subscribe to the pod at the podcast pals level. And I'm so grateful for it. You keep this little independent project going. And if you want to hear your name on here, head over to the Patreon and sign up. Not only do you get the shout out, but you also get all the tea. That's just too hot for Tik TOK. So, okay, let me send my little shout outs here. Special shoutouts going out to Annie Schreiber, Bree Prisernik, Caitlin Duffy, Sean Sweet, Cheryl Dunderson, Darcy Ray Johnson, Debbie Perillo, Grogu M, Hayden Young, Jake Jabber, Jennifer Nash, Jennifer Arrington, Jess, Julia Loggins, Catherine D'Amezio, Kim Dunham, Kristen Zanotti, TheLadySwapWhichGivesNoFucks, Lindsay Butler, Lisette Porta Carrero, Macy Malachek, Mark Knudson, MJ Cormier, Raya, Robin Johnson, Tasha L., Tom's Law Firm, because it's certainly about Tom, Tuna Pup, and of course, Stan Fran Gow. Could not do this without you. If you want to hear your name on here, go ahead and subscribe to the Patreon at the Podcast House level, or just subscribe to the Patreon at the regular level. You'll still get a lot of tooth that's too hot for TikTok. A lot of good stuff about sax is on there. There we go. Thank you so much for listening. And as always, don't forget to tell a friend to tell a friend about private equity.     

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 thing you'd watch on Sundays. I remember her as kind of like Paris Hilton's new Nicole Richie. Obviously the Ray J sex tape was going around the early, know, anal's of the internet or anal's of the internet or whatever pun not intended. But like, I think it was interesting. They were a family that seemed to be Meredith Lynch (08:53) This is Blakely Thornton (08:59) that seemed to like, as a consistent storyline, really lack shame. mean, that first episode, Kylie's on a stripper pole and Brody Jenner and Frankie Delgado from the Hills were in that episode, you know? So I remember like, she also went on Cribs on MTV when it was still going on and she like, but it was her parents' house, I remember that. So it was very interesting seeing them as this kind of like innocuous reality family in the vein of like the Osbournes or... Nick and Jessica newlywed. I feel like that's where we thought about them initially because social media had not come on. And I think they were almost like a two headed monster that were born together at the same time to rise up and, know, Seren, you know, Trojan horse, the ruin of society in certain ways, but you know, it's popular. Meredith Lynch (09:47) Yeah, and I mean, I guess I've never really thought about this before, but do you think it's the chicken or the egg in the sense that like, I think a lot of what has happened with the Kardashians has been orchestrated by Kris Jenner. And I don't say that to, even though I have my issues with her, she doesn't know about them. Right, exactly. So I'm kind of like, do you think it's like this was the goal all along and it just, or do you think it's like the show happened? Blakely Thornton (10:00) Mm-hmm. Not in a malevolent sense, just like she's a manager. Meredith Lynch (10:16) and then they realize the opportunities that could come. Blakely Thornton (10:20) I think Kris Jenner is an extremely ambitious woman born in a time before women could be outwardly ambitious. And I think that ambition was held and capped through being through the tools of the day in society, which was being a rich housewife. And I think Bruce now, Caitlin was her first entree into having a little bit control and rebranding someone. And I think by the time they got that show, she was ready to. grab the whole family and make them into juggernauts. I think you do not have those women, those girls who are all now entities of their own in a truly A-list sense in terms of the attention they can all command and the money they can all command without that woman. And I think she poured it into Kim. And I think in a way, they're further than they ever thought they would be. Like, I don't think one ever could imagine amassing this much power as a collective, but they have. Meredith Lynch (11:13) Yeah Yeah, and I guess that's probably like, you know, when people have visions of grandeur, they might think of that, but I think that it's pretty hard to imagine the position that they've gotten into. And it's so interesting that thing you said about Chris is so interesting because I don't know if you know this, you probably do, but before Chris married Robert Kardashian, she was a flight attendant. And I think that's really interesting because at the time where there were really limited careers for women, Blakely Thornton (11:39) Mm-hmm. Meredith Lynch (11:47) Being a flight attendant probably gave you a lot more power than a lot of other careers, right? You got to travel, you got to be on your own, you got a per diem every day, you know? Like, it was kind of like a very sort of forward lifestyle for a career woman at the time. Not saying that it still isn't, but it's just sort of like, when you think about that, she wanted a freedom. Blakely Thornton (12:11) Oh, I think being a flight attendant in the 60s and 70s was how you met wealthy men. You knew they were sitting in first class, you knew they had to afford the ticket. You could look at the washers, you could look at the ties, you could look at the briefcase, look at the shoes. And basically they were stuck in a metal tube to flirt with you. And I think that's how she met Rob Kardashian, I believe, their father. Meredith Lynch (12:15) Great! Yeah, I think that is how they met. And Vianna can fact check us maybe and tell us, but I think, I do think that they met and got married very quickly. Much more, yeah, much more quickly than Kim is finishing her law degree. Blakely Thornton (12:38) Mm-hmm, she was a teenager. I mean, truly, not, I mean, truly, the apprenticeship is difficult regardless of who you are. It was never gonna be a study for her. I think she's also recently said she's pausing that pursuit right now. Meredith Lynch (12:50) So. I mean, and that's, know, what I really wanted to bring you on and talk about because there's so many different ways we can look at the Kardashians, but Kim's interest in criminal justice reform over the last eight years has really evolved. And it started in 2018 and she publicly campaigned for the release of Alice Marie Johnson, which was completely necessary. That was so important. I'm so glad. that Alice Marie Johnson is out of prison. And did you know that Alice has just been named the, she's been named the pardon czar of the Trump administration. So listen, I just want her to get what she needs to get, right? Like, great. But Kim's approach to reform is unique because it does come from a place of privilege. Blakely Thornton (13:40) Sure, Jan. Sure. Meredith Lynch (13:54) And so my question for you is Kim has become this high profile advocate for criminal justice reform. How do you feel about her journey to become a lawyer and her goals to reform the system? And is she really the person to fix this? Blakely Thornton (14:10) Well, short answer, no, she is not, 100%. I do feel that Kim in her core, as someone who only knows her parasocially, is one of the purest human, she's almost late stage capitalism in human form and that you must be expanding always in all ways. And I feel like she's not on hardworking, she's not unintelligent because to even get to the point she got to or has gotten to, as a lawyer requires an incredible amount of work and studying. If you're, she was already on the way to, or shortly thereafter became a billionaire after doing so and a mother of three to now four children. So I think to choose to do it, you have to have almost a sociopathic level of ambition. So in terms of the work that she has done to that point, I respect it, but I almost do feel like the way in which she has gone about it is a way in which like, Meredith Lynch (14:43) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Blakely Thornton (15:08) a very rich white person like discovers racism. Like when you tell like, like when someone is like, my God, people are mean to you because you're black occasionally. And like, yeah, bitch, well, hello. Like she discovered Althea Johnson on Twitter. You know, wasn't like she was like, reading law books or going to the fucking South Side of LA or Chicago or figuring those things out. You know, she discovered it on social media. She's like, that happens, which is like a very Polly and a fucking way to discover it. Meredith Lynch (15:19) It works best. Mm-hmm. Blakely Thornton (15:38) I'm, and I think the road to hell is paved with good intentions. So like, I love that she is trying to help people. think the methodology that she is using is the only way someone in her circumstances could know how to, but I do think the way she is going about it is full of contradictions that is entirely incorrect. Meredith Lynch (15:54) Mm-hmm. Yeah, and that's such a good point because it brings me to my next question to you, which is Kim has stated multiple times that the work that she does in criminal justice is apolitical. So my question for you is, is this even possible? In your view, is it possible to approach prison reform without touching on politics? Blakely Thornton (16:14) Mm-hmm. No, I think one, she's confusing apolitical with bipartisan. think what Kim says when she says it's apolitical, what she is saying in a very dumbed down and slightly incorrect sense is, I want to have an equal amount of power no matter who wins with what I am doing, which I think again, is her prime directive in all things for life. So I think when she says it's apolitical, she means whether it's Kamala, this Meredith Lynch (16:29) Actually, that's a really good point. Blakely Thornton (16:54) living sentient ballsack, whoever else it is, I want to have that person's ear to do what I want to do. Because the most important thing for Kim Kardashian is to meet Kim Kardashian's goals. Sometimes that leads to good, sometimes that leads to bad. But I think to say that prison reform is apolitical is to ignore that the prison system is not broken. It's built as it was meant to. It's the 13th Amendment. The prison system is built to overly hinge towards incarcerating black men, mostly for free slave labor. So like, if you're ignoring the context, you're missing the point. Meredith Lynch (17:30) Yeah, and I think for me, one of the things that I really struggle with is private equity has a huge role in prisons. And there's a lot of people come on and they say to me a lot, Meredith, private prisons, private prisons. Yes, private prisons are a thing, but they actually account for 8 % of prisons in this country. So they're not as widespread as people think. The problem in our prison system, well, there's many problems, but one of the largest problems is that almost all of the services in prisons are outsourced to private equity backed companies. Blakely Thornton (17:48) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Meredith Lynch (17:59) So the medical care, commissary, food service is, and you can all listen to the episode that I did with Bianca Tylek, who talked about this with us. That is a huge issue. And one of the things that I struggle with with Kim's advocacy is she seems to pick and she cherry picks her stories, which I get, that's how you uplift someone, you pick a story, whatever. But she at the same time seems to... not really address those larger issues of our prison system, which are that is inherently racist, that it's rooted in white supremacy, et cetera. And so I really struggle with the fact that she won't say, hey, we need to pass the first step act, but we also need to like divest all these private equity firms from prisons. So when I yell all of that at you, do you have any thoughts? I know that's gonna Blakely Thornton (18:58) No, I mean, it's exactly right. I she was trying to get into private equity until what? Earlier until late last year was Sky Partners, which was what like, you know, Meredith Lynch (19:04) Technically she still is, but she, I think she's, people think she's pulling back and I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard she might be pulling back because she wants to take skims public. Blakely Thornton (19:17) probably true, immigrati, mean, pun intended on that name. but I mean, exactly, exactly. When you're in private equity, you're not going to go and you're trying to raise funds for like, in the hundreds of millions of not billions, you're not going to go and castigate the entire industry, you know, she and I think also, she does things that are built for how it is going to look in terms of public image, you can't Meredith Lynch (19:18) And that's, know, yeah. Blakely Thornton (19:44) Again, that's her core competency. She's built that way. That is the prime directive that she is cellularly built that way. She's built a career off of that. So there's no way to, for better or worse, to expect her brain not to work that way. It's, need to pick the... cases or cherry pick the situations that give me the most juice for the squeeze both in terms of Being able to solve the problem be successful, but also to get the most publicity out of it in some cases whether intentionally or unintentionally to also obscure the other shit I'm doing Meredith Lynch (20:18) Well, and that's a really interesting point because one of the things you'll find about, and I know you've seen this, I see this, but the Chris Jenner of it all is the playbook is distraction. So somebody DM me the other day and they said, do you think that Trump has copied his playbook from Chris Jenner's? And I said, actually, no, because I think that it's just dirty as my, friend Culture Work would say, dirty PR. I don't think that they're, Blakely Thornton (20:27) Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Meredith Lynch (20:47) that strategically linked together, Trump and the Kardashians. But I would love to hear your take on that. Blakely Thornton (20:55) I Kim love is proximity to power. I think when you're someone who was born, you know, kind of like object, like in terms of nineties and eighties culture mixed race or darker than other people living in occasionally the Valley. And I think when you've had people, know, Paris Hilton used to call it. She remember when she was first coming up called Kim Kardashian's ass a bag full of cottage cheese. I think when your surroundings are been very thin, very rich white, probably Republican women. And I think when you entered culture and you had Dolce and Gabbana call you a trashy hooker and all those things, I think her directive is gaining as much power or being instrumental to whoever is the most powerful, whether that is politically, socioeconomically or culturally in any case. I, there's no world in which it makes sense for me for her to be wishing Ivanka Trump a happy birthday four days before the election, and then have a skims launch and have every black bitch in America, like operation chocolate drop in front of her in New York. That's not a core directive of someone who's thinking with any particular guiding light or someone who is aware of as a rule, ideological inconsistencies. It's just what is working for me and what my goal is right now. Like a shark, almost. Meredith Lynch (22:14) Yeah, I mean, it is. And I guess my question to you is, how does that differ when a man does it? And by man, I mean a white man. Blakely Thornton (22:26) think hers is more strategic because you have to be as a woman and as a woman that some people argue you look think looks black or looks like a minority. I think she has to actually be smarter and I think she is infinitely more intelligent than Donald Trump. I don't think you know what I mean? I don't think you can get where she's gotten if you have that man's don't think any woman could. You're probably dead actually. but. Meredith Lynch (22:40) yes. Do you think that people would feel, this is so specific, but the name of podcast is oddly specific. Do you think people would feel different, and this is kind of switching gears, about her law school journey if she had, instead of doing this whole like, hey, I'm gonna do this internship, if she had gone back to college? Blakely Thornton (22:56) Mm-hmm. Meredith Lynch (23:12) Like, and she had been like, I'm going to finish my bachelor's degree. Blakely Thornton (23:13) Ooh, very sliding doors. I don't think she even went to college. don't think she finished or started like Billy Madison. Meredith Lynch (23:18) She went, so here's, she has enough credits from Pierce College, which is a community college, which by the way, shout out to community colleges. I had to take a class at community college that helped me finish my bachelor's degree. They're fucking awesome. And here in California, we have some of the best community colleges in the world. Yeah. Blakely Thornton (23:39) Very true. In-school status in California, go off. Meredith Lynch (23:43) So I just want to say to, know I have a lot of Gen Alpha listeners, just kidding, I don't. But you guys, you'rein college and you don't know what you want to do, or even if you do know what you want to do, go to fucking community college for two years and then transfer to one of the amazing state schools our state has. So anyway. Blakely Thornton (23:57) Sorry, I'm charging my computer really quick to make sure it doesn't die. Meredith Lynch (24:00) No, no, you're good. Take your time. Blakely Thornton (24:05) Got it. Got it. All right. Meredith Lynch (24:07) No, good. And so she went to Pierce College and she's got like, she's got like two years worth of school basically. And so you have to have enough college credits to even do this program. I think, this has my thing, I think she should have said, you know what, fuck it. I'm gonna go, I'm gonna finish my undergraduate degree and then I'm gonna go to law school. And I think she should have made it into a documentary. Blakely Thornton (24:21) I'm low. But that will require focus on a singular thing. And that will require this to be her authentic singular driving force. I think also she is one that understands the power of fame and is probably because her fame was built on what we live in right now, which again is the attention-based economy. If you actually go to college and law school, you do not have the time to maintain the profile of being in Dolce & Gabbana ads, being in scams, doing... Meredith Lynch (24:37) Yeah. Blakely Thornton (25:01) SNL 50 because for fuck's sake, for why the fuck are you there? You're not funny. You're not funny. Meredith Lynch (25:13) Do you think that her and Pete talked? Blakely Thornton (25:16) I'm sure they saw, I mean, I don't know. I feel like that man is like, you know when you see like an abused Rottweiler and they're like just there, like I feel like that is P. Between, not just her, between dating Ariana and Kim, like he is, pop culture has really thrown him in a blender and he's come out with no tattoos and sober for now. And like, that's great. So I don't think he has any ill will to order. I also just don't give a fuck if they talk. Like, don't have any interest. Meredith Lynch (25:47) Do you think that was a real relationship? Blakely Thornton (25:50) I don't know what real is anymore, given what society we live in. Have you seen what Donald Trump posted today about like Dubai, Gaza? He literally posted like an AI video of like Gaza, of like literally Gaza transformed into like Dubai with like Elon Musk eating in front of like a Trump Tower and it's all AI. So I'm like, I really, I'm questioning my own sanity. I'm questioning my own sanity in terms of what is real. But yeah, I do think they liked each other. I don't know. Meredith Lynch (25:57) No! What is real? Blakely Thornton (26:19) Also, any relationship with that much public scrutiny, how much of your inner, what is quote unquote real? Every time you walk outside, there is a negotiation of what the public is going to think what that story is going to be and how you like down to how you touch pinkies. So I don't, I don't, I don't look for logic where there is none. Meredith Lynch (26:26) Right. I think that that sort of reminds me of something you said earlier, which is the Ivanka of it all, which is it was a couple, maybe a week or so before the election and Kim posted a photo wishing Ivanka a happy birthday. And I saw your reaction. I believe I had my own reaction to it. like, you this ever happened to you? Like people will be like, I love the video you did on like XYZ. I'm like, fucking. Blakely Thornton (26:44) Mm-hmm. Meredith Lynch (27:02) And like, I don't drink, so I'm like not like, I'm just like, I don't fucking remember. Like somebody the other day was like, yeah, you like made this video and it was like a reference to my friend. And I was like, I have no idea what you mean. Like, I don't think I did that. And then it's like, fuck, yeah, I did. Like, yeah. Blakely Thornton (27:03) it I mean, I just assume I did it most of the time. Well, I remember that, because that was like my birthday is the 27th. So I know, and also me and Ivanka have close birthdays. were both Scorpios. So I just know I was just like, that is the most subversive bullshit you could do. Like this man is basically a Nazi. She is complicit, if not guilty, in driving policies that have done nothing to do but line her own pockets. Meredith Lynch (27:33) This Blakely Thornton (27:41) And you're like, she's the sweetest. like, even if you did think that you say it privately. If you have, if you align, if you align with democratic values, you text her, this could have been an email, Kimmy, it could have been an email. All right. So to do that on the, on the eve of the election, it's actually like a subversive endorsement of her shitbag father. So I think choices are made. And again, I think all those choices are in service of having access to the most power she can have. Meredith Lynch (27:47) Right. Blakely Thornton (28:11) in aggregate in any given moment. I think that is the only way I can understand her as a living being. Meredith Lynch (28:20) Do you think at that point she felt like Kamala wasn't going to win, so it was best to start aligning with Trump too? Blakely Thornton (28:29) I also think of it, I think once you probably had a feeling of it, but also like she also endorsed Rick Caruso for mayor. So I don't think it's even about winning. It's just not like, it's a weird obstrication of like you grew, you've grown up a wealthy white woman. You're a wealthy white Republican woman who has gained cultural cache and much financial cache off aggregating and miming and menstruating black culture to different effects and degrees, including the, Meredith Lynch (28:39) Don't fucking get me started. Blakely Thornton (28:57) assimilation of men into her family and resulting in black children. So I don't know if it was about thinking Trump was going to win as much as it's like. I don't know. don't, I really don't know. I think she's a Republican. I think it's not cool to say it. And I think she uses, you know, black women who support her, who she does authentic friendships with like a Lala as, look, I have a black friend, I can't be racist, but you can and you are. And even if you have seven good black female friends, they don't cancel out the seven million you betrayed by not using your platform to uphold women's rights and gay rights and just. Meredith Lynch (29:21) Should. Blakely Thornton (29:37) people's rights at this point. know, people's access to Medicare and roads. Meredith Lynch (29:41) Well, there's it. Fucking I know this morning I woke up and I was like, is Medicare gone? Like, do I have to worry about my dad's health insurance more than I do? But like, it's interesting you say that because this was probably like a year and a half ago, I listened to an interview between Van Jones and Brittany Barnett. And it was Van Jones has kind of been Kim's mentor in a lot of her this work. And Blakely Thornton (29:48) Literally. You know? Meredith Lynch (30:10) one of the things that I really had to sit with as a white person was that Brittany Barnett basically said, listen, I know a lot of people criticize Kim Kardashian, but I'm telling you as a black woman, she's the real deal. She is really in this and in this advocacy work. I have to sit like as a white person, I think I have to sit with that. if a black, if I, but I was. I didn't know how to react to it because I feel like there's all of these people who have done the groundwork of criminal justice work. And a lot of them are people of color. And a lot of them like are, you know, we read about what life is like for people who, you know, their partner, their brother, their whatever, goes to prison. And then the women are, a woman is like trying to help support everything, whatever. And then a white woman comes in. and like kind of has to be the face of like fixing our criminal justice system. So to me, it's so layered and complex. And I wondered what your thoughts are on that. Blakely Thornton (31:20) I mean, my thought is like, almost like even a broken clock is right twice a day, but it's still wrong the rest of the day, the time. like, cool, she's in on it, she's doing this. But like, the people that you've helped don't outnumber the people that you have failed by again, endorsing a administration which is going to involve a system in which many more people and many more over-indexed people of color are going to go into that system. But I think her brain is, Meredith Lynch (31:48) Right. Blakely Thornton (31:50) But again, I think her brain even almost at a subconscious level is like, I'll have more people to get out. Like, I really think part of her is like, I'll have more people to get out of prison in next four years with the combination of the access and the amount of people. Because if you really solve the problem, there's no PR for her to get. And I don't know if she even knows it because I feel like she really is just a never ending black hole of need and ambition. I don't so I don't think you would even understand that. I've like, the goal is for you to not to have to do anything, you know, like it's like the charity gala is the goal is for us to not need charity. Yeah. Meredith Lynch (32:19) Right. Right, the goal is to have a prison system. Right. I mean, like, it just, and also too, I'm going to have to look this up and I'll put it in the show notes when I figure it out. But like, I am a huge fan of this guy, Chris Jones. Everybody look him up. He ran for governor in Arkansas, would have been a phenomenal governor. And he has been posting about how basically, Sarah Huckabee Sanders is expanding, is trying to expand and build a huge prison in Arkansas. And it's like, why do you need that? Like there's really no need for it. So it's kind of like, basically it's this idea of like, they're just planning to incarcerate more individuals. And that's so we can get free labor. And that's like, I mean, a lot of people are saying that people who, Blakely Thornton (33:06) That's not surprising. Meredith Lynch (33:26) are being arrested by ICE or just are not going to end up being deported. They're going to be ended up incarcerated here in the United States. So I think these are all things that play into the criminal justice system right now. And I just don't think these are the conversations Kimberly Noel is ready to have. Blakely Thornton (33:43) No. And also, again, you just really can't have them. And I don't really care. I understand that black woman said what she said. I don't give a fuck if you're running skims, being on the cover of Vogue and going to the Met Gala. Like your primary job is being a celebrity. And yes, and like the attention you can bring to something is cool. But I don't give a shit like the hour a day you give to it does not make you a full time activist. And you're not just by nature of like the linear just because the linear nature by which we experience time you could not be. So she does, I don't think she has the time to understand the real problem based on the demographic that she comes from, which is born rich Republican white woman, white passing woman for those of you who are gonna nitpick on this bullshit. she does not, the amount of time it would take to decolonize and deconstruct her preconceived notions about race and criminal justice would require her to quit everything else. for a year, like you said, and go to school and learn it and she simply can't. I don't care or respect it the way I Meredith Lynch (34:44) Mm-hmm. Yeah, there's crypto that she needs to sell. remember she was banned from selling crypto? Isn't she banned from selling crypto? Blakely Thornton (34:55) You know? I think a lot of them are. Her, Tom Brady, Matt Damon. That's something to go back on. That huge Super Bowl commercial with all of them and they all got sued. Like, yeah, you fucking idiots. Meredith Lynch (35:15) Well, Blakely, I never know what will be next for Kimberly Noel, but I would love to know what's gonna be next for you. Blakely Thornton (35:21) No. next for me, I am launching a podcast with Justin Sylvester. It's called Yestergays. It will be coming. It will be talking about seminal queer pop culture moments pre-internet. Like, you know, Britney's 2007 VMA performance or when Diana Ross tapped Little Kim's Titty of 99 VMAs. Those kind of things. Yes, please. Meredith Lynch (35:46) Oh my god, that that was moments. Okay, can I pitch a moment? Okay, this is one of my favorite moments of all time. I think about it weekly. When a flight attendant on the jet blue flight got mad at the whole plane and he opened up the emergency exit and he went Blakely Thornton (35:56) Mm-hmm. and we're down to slide. Meredith Lynch (36:07) He was like, so fucking pissed. Wait, Vienna is telling us in the chat that was my parents' neighbor. Okay? This guy went on the fucking slide. Okay? but first he took two beers. He took two beers out of the thing, went down the slide and was like, fuck it. And then the next day, the press was in front of his door and he was trying to leave. he broke his sobriety. that's kind of sad. But he was trying to leave his house and they're like, Blakely Thornton (36:14) You haha Meredith Lynch (36:36) Do you think you're fired from JetBlue? And he just turns to him and goes, more than likely. Blakely Thornton (36:41) I mean, honestly, I always say I always see the Joker's origin story is like a Southwest flight. He was just like a normal man, two kids with respect to the rules. And he just had one too many like, we'll be taking off short leads and not like when you know, when you're like, what the fuck is short? But by then, right. And I think he just like, put that face paint on and it was just chaos. He was like, you know what chaos is where chaos reigns. Let's do it. Like, I think that's what happened. Meredith Lynch (36:48) Thanks. Blakely Thornton (37:13) But yes, we're that. Yeah, doing a little writing, a little producing, a little this, a little this, a little that. Hopefully I'll be able to host a couple of, I'm actually also, I'll be covering the Met Gala for New York Magazine on the carpet. that this morning. Meredith Lynch (37:13) So you're starting, I love it. Sorry, I got a little, that's a new thing. my God. I mean, I think this Mac gala, like I have to tell you when I saw that theme, I thought of you immediately. And I was like, if they don't fucking have him at that Mac gala also, okay, wait, sorry. Is Kim gonna fucking roll into that Mac gala? Blakely Thornton (37:44) That's what I'm super excited about. was basically talking to the editors and I was like, how far can I go? Because this is going to be a cultural car crash of epic proportions. Meredith Lynch (37:54) I don't know the theme of this year's Met Gala. Blakely Thornton (38:00) It is the Black Dandy. So it's almost like basically the queer Black experience and how like tailoring the Black experience and how tailoring was an armor for Black identity. And I'm pretty sure we're to see like Lucky Blue Smith, Nara, Kim and like Elon Musk. Like I am super excited to see. Maybe I'll talk. Maybe I'll say, Kim, how did the Black Dandy inspire you? How is the Black queer experience inspired? whatever fucking slip dress you're wearing, because you know you only have one silhouette. But like, you know, we'll see what happens. Meredith Lynch (38:34) my god, you guys mark your fucking calendars. This is like my own. Blakely Thornton (38:38) Think go to bio, baby! Meredith Lynch (38:41) Blakely, thank you so much. Remind everybody where they can find you on the internet. Blakely Thornton (38:44) Thank you. You can find me on Blakely Thornton, B-L-A-K-E-L-Y-T-H-O-R-N-T-O-N at both TikTok and Instagram. I was like, which apps am I on? Yes.    

Jo Piazza, a journalist and New York Times bestselling author, dives into the intriguing world of trad wives and mom influencers. She shares her personal experiences as a mom influencer, contrasting the curated online personas with the real challenges of motherhood. The discussion highlights the exploitative nature of the influencer economy, especially for new mothers, and emphasizes the need for media literacy. Jo also reflects on the evolving media landscape and the impact of social media on public perception and misinformation.

Fortesa Latifi, a journalist and author writing about family vloggers, shares her insights on the evolving landscape of personal sharing in the digital age. She discusses the blurred lines of children's privacy and the implications of turning personal milestones into content. The conversation dives into the societal pressures on parents and children in vlogging, the rise of 'anti-fandom', and the challenges of authenticity amid idealized portrayals. Latifi also explores the emotional toll on young influencers growing up under public scrutiny.

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    

It's a two for here at Oddly Specific, first my friend Rob Schulte of Vanderpump Robs joins us to discuss his new podcast about Laguna Beach, a Crocs ban that's SWEEPING the nation (read: 12 schools), and how despite limited internet access Rob and I both knew that weird rumor about Gwen Stefani and Moby in middle school.  Then we welcome on Bianca Tylek, Founder and CEO of Worth Rises a leading organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry. They discuss the $80 billion prison system, the exploitation of incarcerated individuals, and the push and progress for free communication in prison. Bianca shares her insights on how private equity firms profit from incarceration and the innovative strategies Worth Rises employs to challenge these practices.  Follow Rob! Follow Worth Rises  Listen to Rob's pod Check out Worth Rises, https://worthrises.org/