Culture Dumps

Following the fall out of 9/11, America turned its guns toward Afghanistan and Iraq. France, a long time ally, did not sanction or support the US’s interest in fighting Iraq and Saddam Hussein. In an effort of Bush era lunacy, Americans started renaming French Fries in “Freedom Fries.” In an act of Patriotic fervor, the trend of Freedom Fries quickly took hold. In true dump fashion, the entire phenomenon seems completely silly in retrospect

On Episode 99 we sit back for a minute and relish in the glory of our near approaching milestone: 100 episodes. We appreciate all of the support that we have received thus far. Keep on dumping folks!

This episode’s guest is Violet Sky. Violet is what we call an “era influencer,” someone who lives their live as though they were in a different decade and gives the public a look into their life via social media. Not only is she a 1980’s historian and revivalist, she is also an amazingly talented artist whose music we cannot get enough of.

“Louie Louie” is an iconic Rock anthem that holds a prominent place in American pop culture. Recognized as one of the most famous rock songs of all time, it has been covered over 2,000 times. The song’s enduring popularity, however, was accompanied by controversy due to its widely misunderstood lyrics, which led to investigations by the FBI in the 1960s. The Kingsmen’s shambolic recording of the song, characterized by its raw and gritty sound, played a significant role in shaping the garage rock genre.

For the final dump of 2023 we are uncovering the story of one of the biggest and worst nerds in history, Ben Stein. Ben cut his teeth as an economist and professor, not to mention presidential speech writer, but what he is best known for is his strange and surprisingly consistent acting career. Through bit parts, spokesperson gigs, and finally, his time as an emmy award winning game show host, Ben Stein became one of the most recognizable character actors of the 80’s and 90’s. However, as of late he is best known for racist rants and more than questionable political opinions as well as some really sketchy personal behavior.