Binchtopia

BOO! It's time for another binchtacular Halloween episode! Join Julia and Nick in costume as they explore humanity's pettiest tradition: CURSES! From blighted crops and ancient binding spells to Etsy witches who can hex your ex, they unpack the storied history of transforming rage into ritual — while cackling hysterically along the way. Digressions include sad crab facts, the burden of being bald, and a Halloween abortion story with a happy ending. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES 10 Famous Curses from History 11 of the Most Infamous Ancient Curses in History 1973: England's Deadliest Chair? 6 Famous Curses and Their Origins 8 Hilarious Curse Tablets from the Roman World Ancient Christians and the Power of Curses Ancient Greek Curse Tablets Are Curses Real? A Psychological Perspective on a Perennial Belief Curse Tablets: The History Of A Technology How Curses Impact People and Biblical Responses How to Do Things with Words In Blood and Ashes: Curse Tablets and Binding Spells in Ancient Greece The Curse of King Tut's Tomb The Curse Tablets of Carthage The Pharaoh's Curse or the Pharaoh's Cure? Want to get rid of a toxic ex? Or curse someone? Hire an Etsy witch. Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic among the Azande

In a long-awaited episode, Julia is joined by her PhD bestina Jewish Aliza for a multifaceted discussion about mental illness, psychology programs, and the hell of grad school. The girlies differentiate between the many ways to become a therapist, affirm psychodynamic supremacy, navigate how to practice with an online presence, and unpack how they try (and fail) to maintain their sanity. Digressions include the need for bipolar lesbian representation, Aliza’s Catherine Zeta-Jones themed Bat Mitzvah, and the importance of reaching out to randos. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

This week on Binchtopia, Eliza returns from her off-grid era to dive into the history and evolution of body technology, from ancient tracking rituals to Silicon Valley’s quantified self movement. The girlies break down Fitbits, Oura Rings, Prenuvo scans, and sleep apps to examine how our obsession with optimizing the body blurs the line between health, surveillance, and control. Digressions include Taylor Swift’s public clowning, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B beefing with each other’s kids, and the biological necessity of annihilation anxiety. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette. SOURCES A Panopticon on My Wrist: The Biopower of Big Data Visualization for Wearables Beyond Human: Lifelogging and Life Extension Denial of Death by Ernest Becker Effectiveness of wearable activity trackers to increase physical activity and improve health: a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses Exploring the impact of commercial wearable activity trackers on body awareness and body representations: A mixed-methods study on self-tracking Full-body MRIs: Peace of mind for some, "bane of my existence" for others Health Wearables, Gamification, and Healthful Activity I covered my body in health trackers for 6 months. It ruined my life. Interventions Using Wearable Activity Trackers to Improve Patient Physical Activity and Other Outcomes in Adults Who Are Hospitalized Know Thyself: Tracking Every Facet of Life, from Sleep to Mood to Pain, 24/7/365 Memex: A Romantic Theoretical Tool for Thought Orthosomnia: Are Some Patients Taking the Quantified Self Too Far? Perceptions of Wearable Health Tools Post the COVID-19 Emergency in Low-Income Latin Communities: Qualitative Study Prevalence of Orthosomnia in a General Population Sample: A Cross-Sectional Study Ring of power: Oura will soon be worth $11b Self-Tracking by Gina Neff & Dawn Nafus Terror Management Theory The double-edged sword of self-tracking: investigating factors of technostress in performance-oriented cycling and triathlon The Quantified Self by Deborah Lupton The Rise of Wearable Devices during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review Wearable Devices Can Increase Health Anxiety. Could They Adversely Affect Health? Wearable Devices to Improve Physical Activity and Reduce Sedentary Behaviour: An Umbrella Review Wearable systems without experiential disruptions: exploring the impact of device feedback changes on explicit awareness, physiological synchrony, sense of agency, and device-body ownership White Noise by Don Delillo Will a Full-Body MRI Scan Help You or Hurt You?

Venture forth with Julia and beautiful Lady Garros on their noble quest to the Renaissance Faire, where Nick donned a full chest plate and even the turkey legs demanded a tithe. After ranting about ye olde ATM’s and how capitalism ruins everything, the binchies travel back in history to the first Ren Faire of the 1960’s to understand how a radical gathering for communists and hippies turned into the multi-million dollar business of today. Plus, an eye-opening interview with two iconic Ladies of the Faire, Olivia and Lev, who provide the inside scoop on what it’s like to be a Rennie. Digressions include Nick healing his East Coast trauma with DIY, A tragic yet colorful incident at Lowes , and a much-needed bead update. You can find our beautiful braidstresses, Olivia Rose on Instagram @viastvincent and her ceramics Instagram @ohroseceramics and Lev Leveau on Facebook<3 This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

Julia is joined by genius mind P.E. Moskowitz for a conversation about their new memoir Breaking Awake, which chronicles the mental breakdown that drove them to experiment with drugs, reckon with trauma, and draw meaning from suffering. From Klonopin and SSRIs to ketamine and LSD, they consider what our reliance on substances reveals about our modern world. Are drugs soothing us, transforming us, or just reflecting our pain? Digressions include P.E.’s commandment to “go out and get weird with it,” the dark headspace where internet mantras start to feel profound, and the unfortunate but honest truth that the only way out is through. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and edited by Livi Burdette. Check out P.E.’s book Breaking Awake: A Reporter’s Search for a New Life, and a New World, Through Drugs and their Substack Mental Hellth. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

Julia is joined by Binchtopia favorite Allegra Chapman to explore the delightful world of DOLLS! From Sonny Angels to Blythe, Madame Alexander to Barbie, Allegra lends her expertise to tell us what dolls reveal about history, their practical and symbolic purposes, and even the “misdollgyny” behind why haunted dolls always seem to be women. Plus, Allegra’s thoughts on those infamous American Girls, the childhood pastime of torturing your dolls, and the uncanny world of reborns. Digressions include the bonding experience of having curly hair, Allegra’s new Julia-approved boyfriend, and finally addressing tintypegate… To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. Find Allegra at @severedlegs on all socials!

Julia is joined by bestie of the pod Michaela Okland to explore the practice of chosen celibacy, from its ancient history to its resurgence in modern culture. The girlies share their own celibacy journeys, revisit iconic historical figures who opted out of sex and marriage, and discuss the radical 4B movement gaining attention in South Korea, where women are walking away from men entirely. Digressions include the karmic power of The Melting Pot, graduating from Men Are Trash discourse, and dating after grief and loss. This episode was produced and researched by Julia Hava and edited by Livi Burdette. Find Michaela Okland (@michaelaokland) on Twitter and IG! To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES: 4B movement: what is it and how did it start? | The Week After Trump’s win, some women are considering the 4B movement | CNN Are antidepressants making you asexual? | The Spectator Book of the 10th Muse: Love and Marriage Boston Marriages Boston Marriages: Romantic but Asexual Relationships Among Contemporary Lesbians Chaste Marriage In The Middle Ages Going boysober: the women who turned to celibacy in 2024 How Celibate Women Became a Threat | TIME “I Don't Miss It”: Celibacy Is Bringing Some Women Peace Less Is More: Welcome To The Rise Of #Celibacy Neither ‘incel’ nor ‘volcel’: Relational accounts of UK women's sexual abstinence Re-reading (Vestal) virginity Sex-positive feminism had its moment – and now it has been replaced by voluntary celibacy | Arwa Mahdawi | The Guardian SWORN VIRGINS OF THE BALKAN HIGHLANDS The 4B movement: envisioning a feminist future uwith/in a non-reproductive future in Korea The last of Albania's 'sworn virgins' The rise of voluntary celibacy: ‘Most of the sex I’ve had, I wish I hadn’t bothered’ | Sex | The Guardian Women’s Agency Through Spinsterhood and Celibacy – Childfree History Museum. Women's rights and the rise of the 4B movement - University of Birmingham Why Gen Zers Are Choosing Celibacy

Join Julia and beautiful Nick as they recap their arduous journey to Medieval Times, unpacking the show’s unintelligible plot, the vibeless knights of dubious talents and the disgraceful shortage of jesters and wenches. Digressions include Benson Boone’s Gower Gulch, Jane Goodall’s sneaky link in the jungle and the abominable flop of boomers. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

This week, the girlies get nostalgic, looking back on the years of Binchtopia and sharing a few updates. Digressions include the memes that shaped us, our truly out of pocket episode titles, and Ozzy Osbourne’s forgotten impact on our very first live show. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Livi Burdette. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

This week, the girlies slip into the dreamworld to decode the binchie subconscious. Between prophetic triplet births, missing teeth, doomed flights, and Scrappy Doo lurking in the shadows, they ask: what does it all mean? Digressions include our favorite unconventional influencer, AI psychosis, and the girlies’ own cursed dream cycles. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

This week, the girlies log on to discuss the strange and somewhat evil journey of content streaming. They track the rise from radio to Napster to Netflix, expose how labels teamed up with platforms to rob artists blind, and unpack how mood playlists and background noise culture encourage you to passively consume your music, not listen to it. They also hear from binchies who have done away with streaming entirely, and talk about hopeful alternatives for finding and interacting with art you love. Digressions include: Matt Rife’s new haunting business venture, Katy Perry’s stay at the Khia Asylum, and unfortunately, hitting the Sydney Sweeney button. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Livi Burdette. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES A cultural lineage of streaming Adolescent Mental Health in the Digital Age: Facts, Fears and Future Directions be your own algorithm (video) Binge Watching as a Young Adult Linked to Cognitive Impairment: Study Mood Machine by Liz Pelly Netflix Reveals the Shows That You Binge Watched the Fastest Netflix’s 'Skip Intro' Button Makes TV Ever More Like an App Stream a Little Dream: How Netflix Turned Our Culture into Content Streaming Culture by David Arditi Swedish composer becomes Spotify’s most-famous musician you’ve never heard of The Algorithm Killed the Radio Star by Eliza McLamb The Best Streaming Services For 2025 The Death of the Artist by William Deresiewicz The Death of the Artist—and the Birth of the Creative Entrepreneur The Evolution and Impact of Streaming Services: Changing the Media Landscape The Ghosts in the Machine The Oxford Handbook of Radio and Podcasting The Right to Art by Eliza McLamb The Telephonoscope (1879) This ‘secret’ composer is behind 650 fake artists on Spotify. His music has been streamed 15bn times on the platform (report) 83% of U.S. adults use streaming services, far fewer subscribe to cable or satellite TV

This week, the girlies are in a place of tour, reporting live from Binchicago! From the technical difficulties and gonjus gowns of live shows to meeting all the insanely impressive binchies (and their radicalized family members), they reflect on whether or not alcohol is poison, the beauty of Zanies, and the haunting image of a backpack hiked to the TOP! Digressions include: twin ethics, binchie-submitted icks, and the emotional significance of a backyard. We’re on tour!!!! Find tickets at (https://linktr.ee/binchtopia) This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

This episode was originally released on December 31, 2024 as a Patreon exclusive, and we’re unlocking it for you to make the most of the extra week in July. Become a patron today to support the show, keep us ad-free and unlock our backlog of over 50 bonus episodes and mediasodes at patreon.com/binchtopia. We’re on tour!!!! Find tickets at (https://linktr.ee/binchtopia) BOOKS Rouge by Mona Awad Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner The Searcher by Tana French The Hunter by Tana French Existential Kink by Carolyn Elliott Long Bright River by Liz Moore Freedom by Jonathan Franzen TV Say Nothing Monsters: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story The Jinx Breaking Bad MOVIES Subservience Tangerine Sugarcane Hanna My Old Ass Sweethearts How to Survive a Plague ARTICLES The Invisible Man Bad Influence The Despair of the Young JULIA'S BEST OF THE YEAR Book - Rabbit Heart by Kristine S. Ervin Movie - When the Levees Broke TV - Baby Reindeer, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Album - Charm by Clairo ELIZA'S BEST OF THE YEAR Book - The Door by Magda Szabo Movie - Problemista TV - Breaking Bad Album - Manning Fireworks by MJ Lenderman, Power by Illuminati Hotties

This week, the girlies are hairy on main to address the question: why are we so obsessed with being smooth? From ancient sugaring practices to TikTok lasers, they trace the cultural history of body hair and explore how whiteness, misogyny, hygiene myths, and beauty marketing all converged to make your stubble a moral failing. Digressions include Eliza’s ongoing war with air travel, Lena Dunham’s latest press tour, and non-qualified med spas that will definitely leave you botched. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. SOURCES: A full Brazilian or all natural: understanding the influences on young women's decision to remove their pubic hair ASU professor encourages students to defy body hair norms Body Hair Removal: The 'Mundane' Production of Normative Femininity. Caucasian Female Body Hair and American Culture Darker-skinned people urged to take extra precautions as laser hair removal industry booms From flint razors to lasers: a timeline of hair removal methods Hair or Bare?: The History of American Women and Hair Removal, 1914-1934 History of Hair Removal How the beauty industry convinced women to shave their legs How Much A Beauty Editor's Hair Removal Routine Actually Costs Male Stigmatization of Female Body Hair Mapping 'Gross' Bodies: The Regulatory Politics of Disgust Plucked: A History of Hair Removal by Rebecca Herzig ‘Plucked’: Race, gender, science, medicine converge in history of hair removal Pubic Hair Grooming Prevalence and Motivation Among Women in the United States Shaving and fashion: A storied history The Casualties of Women's War on Body Hair The Hair-Raising History of Women's Body Hair The History of Female Hair Removal The Naked Truth: Why Humans Have No Fur The Strange Secret History Of Hair Removal Will Blow Your Mind Trends in body hair removal as depicted through art UNSHAVED resistance & revolution in women’s body hair politics Why women feel pressured to shave

This week, the girlies are joined by writer, cultural critic, and internet princess Rayne Fisher-Quann for a bonus follow-up to our literacy episode. We unpack Rayne’s recent essay on “poser ethics” and ask: is pretending to have read Dostoevsky really that bad? Are there different kinds of reading, and is one better than the other? Have we fully reckoned with the cultural impact of a generation of men raised on Diary of a Wimpy Kid? Digressions include everyday activities that bring us closer to lead poisoning, a crucial Nerds Gummy Cluster taste test, and a deep dive into our personal neuroses. Check out some of Rayne’s work here: https://internetprincess.substack.com/ This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. We’re going on tour!!!! Find tickets at https://linktr.ee/binchtopia

This week, the girlies are armed with their No. 2 pencils to ask: what’s the current state of literacy, how did we get here, and are the kids okay??? They unpack how we went from clay tablets to BookTok fairy smut and trace how phonics, poverty, and the policy failures of the Bush administration shaped how we learn to read. Digressions include Zohran Mamdani socialist prom, the power of drawing portals, and empathy for Travis Kelce. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Allison Hagan. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan. We’re going on tour!!!! Find tickets at https://linktr.ee/binchtopia SOURCES: A Brief History of Summer Reading A Chapter a Day – Association of Book Reading with Longevity A History of Reading by Alberto Manguel American Children’s Reading Skills Reach New Lows America’s literacy crisis isn’t what you think Ancient customer-feedback technology lasts millennia Are men’s reading habits truly a national crisis? BookTok: A new era in the history of reading BookTok Statistics BookTok: The Dark Horse of the Economy Can Reading Make You Happier? Children and young people's reading in 2025 Exploring BookTok’s impact on literature How BookTok is Reviving the Era of Physical Bookselling How is the popularity of BookTok impacting the publishing industry? How Literacy Became a Powerful Weapon in the Fight to End Slavery How One Woman Became the Scapegoat for America’s Reading Crisis How the Second World War Made America Literate How TikTok Became a Best-Seller Machine Introduction to the Original Edition Literacy and History Illiteracy: “Another form of slavery” Literacy Rate in the US 2025: Top Picks National Reading Panel - Teaching Children to Read No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 No Child Left Behind: An Overview Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed at Fifty PEDAGOGY of the OPPRESSED by Paolo Freire Report finds ‘shocking and dispiriting’ fall in children reading for pleasure Share of TikTok users reading more books because of #BookTok in the United States as of May 2023, by state School Summer Reading Lists: A Brief and Nerdy History Sold a Story Soldiers Literacy Training Collection The History of Summer Reading The Influence of BookTok on Literary Criticisms and Diversity The Invention of Summer Reading and the Birth of the Beach Read The Literacy Crisis in the U.S. is Deeply Concerning—and Totally Preventable The Nation's Report Card The Rise and Fall of Vibes-Based Literacy The Subversive Joy of BookTok This is how much the global literacy rate grew over 200 years Why I Won’t Quit BookTok

This week, the girlies are cozied up in their Barbie sleeping bags, reflecting on the innocent beauty, brutal hierarchy, and core memories of sleepovers past in honor of the upcoming Summer Sleepover Tour. From the absolute shame of calling your mom to pick you up early to aspiring to be THAT girl with a basement, they unpack everything that made sleepovers a defining girlhood ritual. Digressions include: nerds rope slander, the power of children writing letters, and an immersive Bat Mitzvah experience. We’re going on tour!!!! Find tickets at https://linktr.ee/binchtopia This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

For pride month, the girlies mount a defense against one of the largest threats to queer people today: transphobia. They trace the long history of trans existence and its erasure, unpack how moral panic is used to justify control, why transphobia exists on both the right and the left, and how the freedom to live outside the binary can liberate us from other systems of oppression. Digressions include: the highs and lows of plant parenthood, our no-phone summer so far, and a new candy shaking up the scene. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Eliza McLamb and edited by Livi Burdette. Research assistance from Kylie Finnigan. To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, zoom hangouts and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. RESOURCES: https://transharmreduction.org/ https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ https://translifeline.org/ https://transequality.org/ https://transgenderlawcenter.org https://pflag.org/get-support/ https://transreads.org/ https://www.elevatedaccess.org/ https://www.pointofpride.org/resource-library SOURCES: 2025 anti-trans bills tracker A History of Transphobia in the Medical Establishment A Lost Piece of Trans History A systematic review of TERF behaviour online in relation to sociopsychological group dynamics Advancing Transgender Justice: Illuminating Trans Lives Behind and Beyond Bars Anti-trans legislation has never been about protecting children’ Anti-Trans Moral Panics Endanger All Young People Better mental health found among transgender people who started hormones as teens Beyond Gender: Indigenous Perspectives, Muxe Beyond moral panic: how governments are ignoring centuries of trans history Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity by C. Riley Snorton Clayman Conversations: Three scholars examine the TERF Industrial Complex Fact Sheet: Transgender Participation in Sports Gender Identity in Weimar Germany Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy and Depressive Symptoms Among Transgender Adults Impact of Ban on Gender-Affirming Care on Transgender Minors India’s Relationship with the Third Gender Introduction: TERFs, Gender-Critical Movements, and Postfascist Feminisms Mental health benefits associated with gender-affirming surgery Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care Marxism, moral panic and the war on trans people “Moving Towards the Ugly” My Words to Victor Frankenstein by Susan Stryker Online Anti-LGBTQ Hate Terms Defined: “Transvestigation” On Liking Women by Andrea Long-Chu Othering, peaking, populism and moral panics: The reactionary strategies of organised transphobia Responses to Janice G. Raymond's The Transsexual Empire The “Empire” Strikes Back: A Posttranssexual Manifesto The Epidemic of Violence Against the Transgender & Gender-Expansive Community in the U.S. The Forgotten History of the World's First Trans Clinic How historians are documenting the lives of transgender people The History of Two-Spirit Folks The Institute of Sexology and the Erasure of Transgender History The semi-sacred ‘third gender’ of South Asia The Supreme Court’s incoherent new attack on trans rights, explained Theorist Susan Stryker on One of Her Most Groundbreaking Essays, 25 Years Later The rise of anti-trans “radical” feminists, explained To protect gender-affirming care, we must learn from trans history Transgender History by Susan Stryker Transgender Lives in the Middle Ages through Art, Literature, and Medicine TV and films have long taught audiences transphobia What science tells us about transgender athletes Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law - More than 40% of transgender adults in the US have attempted suicide Woman says she was brutally attacked in Carpentersville, Illinois because she's a lesbian

The girlies return from their summer break with a chatty episode recapping their travels, including our bodies yet again keeping the score, a shocking Alec Baldwin sighting, and the transcendent beauty of Nerds Gummy Clusters. Digressions include: Aura ring-induced health spirals, the evilness of snoring, and Baskin-Robbins’ haunting Trolli milkshake. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

Eliza welcomes back bestie of the pod and religious scholar Kate Twomey for a tender, sprawling conversation shaped by your questions about religion and spirituality. They discuss the alchemical origins of “soulmates,” the fine line between manifesting and spiritual psychosis, coming back to community, and much more. Check out some of Kate’s work here: https://kyoteworld.substack.com/ This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today. We’re going on tour!!!! Find tickets at https://linktr.ee/binchtopia