Low Culture Boil

Team LCB takes you on a candy corn journey including its production, the history of trick or treating, candy's role in stranger danger, candy corn innovations (including pizza), and giving Amber lots of shit for genuinely liking this stuff. Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

It's time for another dive into the trash treasures that the LCB gals have been enjoying. Rax and Amber talk haunted hay rides, marsupial tattoos, shitty-but-not-shitty coffee, and, of course, a reading from "Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask". Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Rax and Amber welcome comedian and podcaster Dana Donnelly to talk the selfie, a phenomenon dating back to at least the 1840s. Since the advent of the smart phone, social media users have been practicing this much-maligned form of art. But is that just it— are selfies a return to the self-portrait, a new artistic medium in their own right, or are they a gateway drug to a world of body dysmorphia and plastic surgery obsession? Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Special guest Producer Jake joins Courtney and Amber to muse on the brief moment in the early 70s where a bunch of Brits (and a few Americans) lost their minds and donned a bunch of glitter, boas, and, occasionally, swastikas. That's right, we're talking Glam Rock today, and though it's largely a genre defined by what it was NOT, there's plenty of trash gold to mine in this sprawling conversation. Become a trash patron! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Charles Entertainment Cheese was a legendary figure in the Bay Area animatronic music scene of the late 70s, but children of the 90s worldwide know him best as a purveyor of arcade games, giant playgrounds, and supremely mediocre pizza. Amber and Courtney do a deep (dish) dive into the Pong-based history of Chuck E Cheese, including the controversial reboot wherein his origin story has him change species. Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Multi-level marketing company or pyramid scheme? When your product is moldy and crumbling at the touch, that might be a dead giveaway. LuLaRoe's dog shit leggings have taken over many an Instagram feed, but Rax and Courtney did serious research (read: watched a documentary) and break down what exactly is so alluring about such lifestyle brands. Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Who would've thought turning a depressing croon about drowning your sorrows in margaritas into a resort was a good idea? Jimmy Buffett, that's who. Jaya Saxena took on the mission of a night in Times Square's Margaritaville resort and Rax and Amber are on the low culture mission to dissect the details. Along the way, the gals muse on how Americans engage with leisure time, who exactly this resort is for, and the phenomenon of "conspicuous vibing". Check out Jaya's article: https://bit.ly/3A6STLi

At various points, camp icon Elvira found herself in Vegas with Elvis, Rome with Fellini, LA with the Groundlings, and finally her own TV show. Team LCB talks her persona, the long and winding road to B movie presenter, the trauma she had to overcome, and how she fits into the greater trash universe. Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Wherever you stand on revealing attire, all bets are off on Hallows Eve. The slutty costume is a staple for many an upstanding citizen, but for many years it was an unnamed phenomenon. When and how did costumer become openly self-aware? Was it Halloween parades, ABC parties, the movie Mean Girls? Or maybe the large-scale commodification of the holiday helped usher in the trend? The three Low Culture detectives are on the case. Become a trash patron! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

It's time again for another patented LCB Dumpster Dive, this time hosted by Courtney and Amber. We're talkin' Courtney's Low Rent Chicken Parm for the People, Mr. L. Ron Hubbard, the white women's flavor of the season (pumpkin, in spice and wax form), Ray Romano-esque partners, and more! Check out the video for the episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-5NSbYzIcg&t=1s

Though not actually in reference to one particular breed, the pit bull is easily the most maligned dog in America. Friend of the pod and new pit bull parent Amber A'Lee Frost joins Amber and Courtney to discuss our burly, barking buddies, including their rural origins, period as a national mascot, working class identity, and some overdue myth-busting

Who would've thought turning a depressing croon about drowning your sorrows in margaritas into a resort was a good idea? Jimmy Buffett, that's who. Jaya Saxena took on the mission of a night in Times Square's Margaritaville resort and Rax and Amber are on the low culture mission to dissect the details. Check out Jaya's article here: https://bit.ly/3B34USV Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

The food court isn't quite a regal affair, but you sure can eat like royalty. The three trash queens talk the greatest and worst places to grab a bite between trips to Spencer's and Hot Topic—Auntie Anne's, Mrs. Field's, even Orange Julius. (What the hell is an Orange Julius?) What would Mall Daddy™ Victor Gruen say gazing upon these mastication stations? Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

The biopic is supposed to be a reliable cinematic affair, with a smooth narrative arc showing our subject prevailing through various trials and tribulations. Sure, it has a puritan morality, but that's ol' Hollywood! Rax and Sean KB happened to watch some of the biggest biopics out there— including the disastrous Jobs and enjoyable, but problematic Bohemian Rhapsody— and go in on the formula perhaps most loved by the Hillary Clinton fan. Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

We've all been there— Vats of mayo, jugs of wine, giant trampolines, caskets. That's right, Courtney and Amber take you into the heart of the wholesale behemoth itself: Costco. Learn about the family Price (no, really), Kirkland's TP lab, supposed pro-worker bona fides, and a breakdown of the glorious food court. Check out the episode vid! https://youtu.be/o07N23Gvy8o Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Our first live show in Brooklyn finds the gang asking the big question: Are hot dogs a sandwich? Things get rowdy when the gals are joined by Matt Christman and Josh Gondelman to muse on these treats' classification, their respective histories, and their status regarding Jewish law. Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

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

"Comrade Pamela" might be a newer phenomenon, but that's just us catching up. LCB goes into the background of Pam Anderson, from her humble beginnings, to Baywatch glory, to PETA activism and Wikileaks advocacy. And can we forgive her for her anti-porn essay? Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

At one time it was offering a lock of hair to the goddess Artemis..Now it's penis pasta. That's right, the woman's rite of passage to married life—manifesting these days as the Bachelorette Party— has taken on many forms through the years. But how did we get to phallic hats, pedaling a mobile bar through the streets of Nashville? Team LCB is on the case of the proliferating penisphernalia plaguing our streets!

The gals go into their trash picks of the month, both good and bad. We're talking Real Housewives embezzlement, elusive rice cookers, Mickey Spillane's sex-on-the-page, and of course more sage hygienic advice from Dr. Rubin. Don't forget to get tix ASAP to our first live show August 27th! http://bit.ly/lcb827 Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Comedian/podcaster Remy Kassimir joins the crew to talk one of the most powerful reality shows: Love Island. With a firm allegiance to the original UK version, Remy takes us through the trials and tribulations of various LI characters, her failed venture into internet domain trolling, and why she considers it one of the most interesting anthropological and heteronormative experiments seen on live TV. Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil Grab tix for our first live show, Aug 27! www.bit.ly/lcb827

In our first video-cum-podcast episode, Courtney and Amber take a leap of faith for our coiled comrade: the trampoline. From the mind of an Iowan teen, to military training facilities, and finally to the Olympic games, this bouncy behemoth is a trash game for millions while destroying the collar bones of millions more. Check out the episode video: https://youtu.be/6psrTgugg2o Become a trash patron today! www.patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Though it's become "horny Colonial Williamsburg" in modern times, the Moulin Rouge cabaret is classic late 19th century trash culture. Home to the the absinthe-soaked panels of Toulouse Lautrec, cancan dancers donning crotchless panties, and the eponymous red windmill, this was THE spot for the rich to slum it during La Belle Époque. Don't forget to grab your tickets for the first LIVE LCB show August 27th! bit.ly/lcb827 Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Author Calvin Kasulke temporarily loses his mind beholding the spectacle Moulin Rouge (2001) with Team LCB. The crew struggles to determine whether this qualifies as genuine "camp", muses on Nicole Kidman's comedic chops, seeks justice for John Leguizamo, and almost has a seizure counting the number of cuts in this manic pastiche. Follow Calvin on Twitter @cjkasulke and pre-order his novel "Several People Are Typing" from Bookshop! Grab tix to the first LCB live show! Aug 27! bit.ly/lcb827! Become a trash patron today!

Bask in the glory of a baroque buffet with Team LCB and writer/podcaster Sarah York, who helps the crew reminisce on the 90s spreads found at Golden Corral. From its inception as a rejected North Carolina steakhouse situated in a former library, this chain has been dedicated to helping every American eat like a king. Become a trash patron now! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Writer Jason Diamond joins the crew to talk everyone's favorite coming-of-age dance flick. Is Baby class-conscious, or proto-woke? How open can Patrick Swayze's shirt get? Will there ever be justice for Lisa? All this plus the Gripe Zone and a journey into the dark heart of Magnolia Cupcakes. Check out jasondiamond.net! Grab your tix to the first LCB live show with Josh Gondelman and Matt Christman! https://bit.ly/3kXAWL4

Yes, it's everyone's favorite non-tabloid tabloid. But beyond the "Sexiest Man Alive" shtick and royal baby updates, we find a publication that has, dare we say, some semblance of a moral code? Nahh, but they pay out the ass for content! Poet Melissa Lozada-Oliva joins us to talk coming-of-age with People, the magazine's enduring relevance, and we all say goodbye to a dear friend in a special Gripe Zone. Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowculture boil Our first live show is coming up in a month! If you become a patron and buy tix today, you can get tix at a discount! But you should come no matter what! https://www.ticketweb.com/event/low-culture-boil-live-in-bushwick-public-house-tickets/11225455

Among the most maligned of the cheese food products, American Cheese is like a fine wine to LCB: 49% cheese. From the trenches of Belgium to the suburbs, the girls talk this plastic mass's origins, some of its more inventive uses, and speculate as to why it is so unfairly characterized. Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

The chair: object of architectural experimentation, or just a place to set your royal ass? What if it was a combination of the two? Bienvenue La-Z Boy. From its inception in 1930 to today, this quintessentially American furniture has been a fixture in living rooms nationwide. But what sinister implications lurk beneath this cushy behemoth? Is the La-Z boy just an alienating throne for the Man of the House? Become a trash patron today patreon.com/lowcultureboil

The Antifada's Sean KB joins team LCB to answer: What would you do if you were given a bunch of dogshit ingredients and had to cook with them on national TV? Yes, this week we're talking Chopped, the only place you'll be forced to cook with pickles and the seminal fluid of fish for an 18 hour shoot. Malfunctioning ovens and frowny judges be damned, this show makes us the viewers judgy monsters and we love it.

Writer Jason Diamond joins the crew to talk everyone's favorite coming-of-age dance flick. Is Baby class-conscious, or proto-woke? How open can Patrick Swayze's shirt get? Will there ever be justice for Lisa? All this plus the Gripe Zone and a journey into the dark heart of Magnolia Cupcakes. Check out jasondiamond.net! Become at trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Before the food courts, myriad stalls full of tchotchkes, and labyrinthine department stores, there was...well, much the same thing. The mall is an American invention via an Austrian architect, and it never really progressed past its initial phase of development. Join the LCB crew as they go into its history, its role as the third place, and why Courtney can't handle the onslaught of mall AC.

We're speaking of Casseroles, that is! Yes, the LCB team takes on the One-Dish Wonder, its connection to Thomas Jefferson, its flourishing in the postwar years, and whether it's, well, any good. From tuna to matzoh, the great confluence of Pyrex, canned goods, and an American can-do attitude has brought us this contentious, congealed creature. Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Grab your transgressive Halloween mask, boil a pot of penis pasta, and don your finest nipple rings for team LCB's dive into the world of Spencer Gifts. Learn about its New Jersey origins, dubious claims about product quality, and the myriad ethnic groups this establishment has managed to offend, all while hosting generations of loafing teens.

An hour is hardly sufficient time to sing the praises of the Bloomin Onion itself, but it is long enough for the LCB gals to explore its home: Outback Steakhouse. The crew reviews the decidedly not-Australian-but-Australian-themed fare, its fickle architectural styles, and theorizes as to why America fell into Oz obsession for a brief period in the 1980s. Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

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

The road from Tamagotchi to Animal Crossing is a long, but somewhere along the way we found ourselves in Flash players (RIP) caring for virtual creatures known as Neopets. Join the gals on a trip down memory lane and get the inside scoop on the game's sick features, rad capitalist propaganda, and far out Scientologist infiltration of the company's upper echelon! Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Ramadan is no doubt a holy month for the Muslim world, but to Arabic speakers it means one thing: Solid TV. Summer Nazif, an Egyptian-Algerian living in Paris, joins team LCB to talk the most important time for Arab television and school the girls on the operatic soaps, inventive comedies, and riddle-themed game shows that are the talk of millions of households every year. Follow Summer on Twitter @SummerNazif Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil

Kate WIllett (@katewillett) joins the maidens of low culture to talk "My So-Called Life". The crew finds the show precocious yet dated upon a re-watch, Angela Chase to have some deranged opinions, and reading your teenage diary can be harrowing. Plus ghosts! Become a trash patron today! patreon.com/lowcultureboil Check out Kate's podcast Reply Guys! patreon.com/replyguys

An hour is hardly sufficient time to sing the praises of the Bloomin Onion itself, but it is long enough for the LCB gals to explore its home: Outback Steakhouse. The crew reviews the decidedly not-Australian-but-Australian-themed fare, its fickle architectural styles, and theorizes as to why America fell into Oz obsession for a brief period in the 1980s. Grab a fat Shrimp on the Barbie, crack open an oversized Fosters, and break out the tossin' knives for this one, folks! Become a trash patron today! Patreon.com/lowcultureboil