The Snack: RIP Hooters, Meghan Sussex, and Men Ruining Dating Shows

Summary

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Girls Gotta Eat: The Snack — RIP Hooters, Meghan Sussex, and Men Ruining Dating Shows

Date: March 13, 2025
Hosts: Ashley Hesseltine & Rayna Greenberg
Podcast Network: Dear Media

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Episode Overview

In this lighter Thursday "Snack" edition, Ashley and Rayna dish out a comedic take on recent pop culture shake-ups, focusing on the wave of familiar stores and restaurants closing (RIP Hooters, Red Lobster, Joann Fabrics), the online roasting of Meghan Markle’s lifestyle show, millennial chain-restaurant nostalgia, reality TV’s never-ending chaos, and the ongoing issues with dating shows (especially men on them). The episode also critiques the treatment of women in celebrity culture, with shout outs to Millie Bobby Brown, Rihanna, and the shifting standards in pop media. Stick around for quick pop culture headlines, TV recs, and the hosts’ all-time top moments from "Love Is Blind."

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Main Discussion & Topics

1. Retail Nostalgia & Store Closures

[01:39–13:07]

• Mass Retail Shutdowns: The hosts take on the recent Newsweek report about the tidal wave of store closures—over 7,400 in 2024, possibly doubling in 2025.
• Highly Personal Memories:
  • Rayna mourns Joann Fabrics—“I took sewing all four years of high school. I was like a big ass sewer. I learned to knit. I love to knit. I was Joanne a lot.” [04:05]
  • Both reminisce about using stores like Party City and hitting chain restaurants for special events (Ashley: “Red Lobster was next tier up.” [06:08])
• Economic Sadness: They acknowledge that while it’s easy to dismiss big chains, it’s a crisis for workers:
  • Ashley: “You can’t just like go to the other fabric store down the street, that’s closed too...You can’t just go from Red Lobster to Olive Garden.” [04:47]
• Memorable Moments:
  • Family chain-restaurant chaos stories: Ashley’s brother injures himself replicating a joke at Red Lobster [07:11]; Rayna’s brother vomits at Bravo on Father’s Day [08:18].
• List of Losses: Joann Fabrics, 99 Cent Store, Party City, Big Lots, Red Lobster, Forever 21, Express, and Hooters.

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2. RIP: Hooters & Millennial Restaurant Lore

[11:03–13:07]

• Hooters’ Decline: Hooters faces bankruptcy, prompting nostalgia and jokes about its unique pantyhose (Ashley: “You got to go to Hooters and get the... Hooters girls wear the pantyhose.” [12:36]).
• Rayna: “Primarily suggested that I work at Hooters 100 and I... had nothing against it. Maybe we just didn't have one in Bloomington, Indiana in college.” [11:34]
• Discussion on “Hooters to OnlyFans pipeline”:
  • Ashley: “Do you think there’s a pipeline from girls who worked at Hooters and they have OnlyFans now?” [11:43]

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3. Fyre Festival 2: The Non-Existent Sequel

[13:07–15:55]

• Isla Mujeres’ Tourism Board: The town officially denies any involvement with Fyre Festival 2, despite tickets being sold (at $1,400+ each).
• Billy McFarland’s Audacity:
  • Rayna: “He’s out of his mind.” [14:12]
  • Ashley: “Can you imagine if you and I were like, guys, we're doing a show at Madison Square Garden in June and then Madison Square Garden's like, they're not.” [13:23]
• Consumer Caution:
  • Rayna: “If you guys were dumb enough to buy these tickets…” [15:31]

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4. Millie Bobby Brown Calls Out Sexist Criticism

[15:57–21:15]

• Social Media Scrutiny:
  • Millie’s long Instagram post addresses the internet's refusal to let her "grow up."
  • Rayna: “She says… I hate that men are doing this, but why are women taking this and then giving light to it? She uses their names.” [17:32]
• Hosts Applaud the Clapback:
  • Ashley: “Are these writers proud of this? Like, how can you write these headlines or write these articles? ...This is not the 90s... I find it really wild that we're still here in 2025.” [18:12]
• Theme of Evolving Culture: The segment reflects on the improved, but still flawed, state of celebrity coverage, particularly for young women.

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5. Celebrity Clapbacks: Rihanna’s Viral Comment

[21:15–22:39]

• Rihanna on IG:
  • After a user criticized her children’s names, Rihanna replied, “Okay, Tatiana. Cool name.” [21:37]
  • Ashley: “When she gets in those comments, I'm like, oh, we are so back.” [22:06]
• Celeb Commentary: They discuss the culture of public clapbacks, referencing “comments by celebs,” Kardashians, and pop culture memes (“Damn Gina!” “Damn Daniel!”).

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6. Meghan Markle’s Netflix Debut: Unrelatability Dissected

[27:40–35:58]

• With Love, Meghan:
  • The new show is drilled by media outlets (esp. for its inauthentic vibes).
  • Rayna: “Meghan Markle Pioneers New Frontiers on Unrelatability. And the article is scathing.” [28:48]
  • Both critique its “crisis of not knowing what the show is,” and that it's not filmed at her house but a $5M rental.
  • Ashley: “If the recipes are complicated…she's unapproachable... If they're too simple, then it's basic and boring. And why did the show get made?...She can't win.” [29:41]
• Broader Gender Commentary:
  • Ashley: “I always have a problem when people seem so excited to tear down a woman regardless of what they've done.” [30:12]
  • Rayna: “Do ask yourself why you hate her so much and what it's rooted in.” [33:31]

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7. Reality TV — The Baldwins & Love Is Blind

[35:58–52:02]

• The Baldwins on Reality TV:
  • New show (Alec & Hilaria): “It was supposed to be a redemption arc and a look behind the curtain. But, like, they seem pretty contentious with each other… it's a very serious trial that he's going through for killing somebody.” [37:41]
• Love Is Blind Recap & Reunion:
  • Strong, articulate women reject subpar male matches, sometimes over politics: “These men are not up to par. Is it a red flag that a man wants to go on a reality show in the first place? Yeah, kind of...” [38:44]
  • Virginia’s standout moment: “She won the reunion. She wiped the floor with that man. And she did it with so much poise, grace.” [40:54]
• Commentary on Gendered Reality TV Standards:
  • Ashley: “This is not just exclusive to these men on the show. This is how men always act. They think about what they want to accomplish in that moment... they don't think 10 steps down the road like women do.” [44:10]
  • Rayna: “People just don't want to rip men down the way they want to rip women down.” [45:23]

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8. All-Time Love Is Blind Moments

[45:51–52:02]

Ashley & Rayna list their top 15 most iconic moments. Timestamps mark their generation-defining favorites:

• Jet Ski grand exits, Giannina’s epic wedding fall, the infamous Cuties scene, Tiffany snoozing during a proposal, “Kate Spade-gate,” and Lauren & Cameron’s proposal.
• “That moment when Netflix couldn’t run a live finale—group chat chaos!” [48:18]
• “Lauren and Cameron’s proposal...I was like, Rainey, you’re not going to believe this.” [51:02]

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9. Quick TV Recommendations & Pop Culture Headlines

[52:02–57:44]

• TV Picks:
  • “Apple Cider Vinegar” (true-crime/health scam drama, Netflix)
  • “Running Point” (Kate Hudson-led comedy, Apple TV+)
  • Giulio Gallarotti’s standup special “On the Map” (YouTube)
  • “Starting Five” NBA docuseries (Netflix)
• Notables:
  • Olivia Culpo’s baby news, Timberlake’s DUI-cop awarded “officer of the year,” Anna Kendrick’s icy response about working with Blake Lively (“Oh, you know.” [56:26]), and Jax Taylor’s public battle with addiction.

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10. Lightning Round News Bites

[57:44–end]

• Kylie Jenner & Carrie Coon endorse nipple cream for lips.
• Ashley: “If it's good for your cracked nipples, it's good for your cracked lips.” [57:25]
• “Maybe we’ll make a nipple cream slash lip gloss.” [57:48]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Primarily suggested that I work at Hooters 100 and I...had nothing to...nothing against it.” – Rayna [11:34]
• “If you guys were dumb enough to buy these tickets…” – Rayna on Fyre Festival 2 [15:31]
• “You can’t just go from Red Lobster to Olive Garden, you know, like, it’s not going to be so easy.” – Ashley [04:47]
• “Are these writers proud of this? ...This is not the 90s.” – Ashley on media critique of Millie Bobby Brown [18:12]
• “Okay, Tatiana. Cool name.” – Rihanna’s viral clapback [21:37]
• “She can’t win for losing. There’s nothing she could have done…that would have satisfied people.” – Rayna on Meghan Markle [31:03]
• “She wiped the floor with that man...with so much poise, grace.” – Rayna on Virginia from Love Is Blind [40:54]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Retail rant & nostalgia: [01:39–13:07]
• Hooters closing & 2000s culture: [11:03–13:07]
• Fyre Fest 2 “scam” callout: [13:07–15:55]
• Millie Bobby Brown’s statement: [15:57–21:15]
• Rihanna’s IG clapback: [21:15–22:39]
• Meghan Markle’s show & pop feminism: [27:40–35:58]
• Reality TV deep dives (Baldwins & Love Is Blind): [35:58–52:02]
• Favorite Love Is Blind moments: [45:51–52:02]
• TV/pop culture recs: [52:02–55:37]
• Headlines & lightning round: [55:37–end]

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Tone & Style

Light, irreverent, razor-sharp, and gossipy, with affectionate nostalgia and a critical feminist edge.

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Takeaway

Ashley and Rayna offer cathartic commiseration for millennials watching their favorite spots disappear, hilariously unpack the modern minefield of female celebrity, and call out consistent double standards in dating – all with the signature GGE blend of humor and realness.

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Transcript

[Ashley Hess]

Welcome to the snack. A lighter serving of girls gotta eat.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

This is a Dear Media production.

[Ashley Hess]

Enjoy. Hi, guys.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Hi, guys.

[Ashley Hess]

What's been up? I've seen you a lot. Oh, we took a long break when I was sick.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Oh. From each other.

[Ashley Hess]

Straight on a vacation together.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Well, I have not traveled with you in a really long time and I don't like it. That was since December.

[Ashley Hess]

No, that was my first flight of the year. I'm going to talk about on Monday's episode. Okay. We're going to keep the snack to the to the snack. But I have some things to say.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

About traveling with me. We'll just about your first flight.

[Ashley Hess]

My first flight. First flight of 2025, actually. Learn something new about Monday.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Okay.

[Ashley Hess]

Actually, teaser alert here about an airplane.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Oh, Monday. Actually, our giveaway for Vibes Only will close. So just want to mention this again. We have a company, sexual wellness company called Vibes Only. We're doing a great giveaway for you guys. The Poppy Palm vibrator. It's my favorite solo toy partner toy travel to. Along with our juiced up lube. We're doing a giveaway of those two things for three people. All you have to do is leave a review in the app store of our app, the Vibes Only app, and then email us the review@hello vibesonly.com the review and we'll. We'll close the giveaway on. On Monday.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah. And this is on our Instagram Vibes Only. You can check it out. The rules are there if you miss them and yeah, get win something.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Get yourself juiced up.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Okay. Well, we'll thank our partners. We'll jump right in. Thanks to Belly Welly. Get 20% off at Best Belly Welly.com with code GGE20.

[Ashley Hess]

And thank you to Brooklinen. Get 15% off your first order at Brooklinen.com Kai, you want to kick it.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Off with a report?

[Ashley Hess]

We have a closing report. All the stores that are closing. All I'm hearing in my head is we're saying this is closing time. All these stores are closing.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I know what song you're saying. Yeah, of course. Sounds like I don't know what you're doing.

[Ashley Hess]

That's like every bar, every bar plays that. When the lights come on, closing time comes on. You're like, oh, that's what you look like.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

No, we got kicked out of this bar at 11pm on Friday night in Austin. I was like, this is. This is too early for this to be happening time. We've been seeing this all over tons of stores going out of business, big chains. And Newsweek did an article this week just about the amount of closing. So basically Newsweek is saying 2024, approximately almost 7,400 retail stores closed in the US and it's projecting that in 2025 it will double to 15,000. So a lot of stores are just moving to an online model only. And restaurants and. Well, they're not going to move online.

[Ashley Hess]

Sorry, I want to delay. By the way, I'm still recovering, but I also. We're going to talk about some restaurants. Remember that guy that I like sort of dated and he was going to be an online trainer, which that can be a thing. But in the moment, it was just very funny to think about, like, hey, got to go online.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

He was really ahead of his time because. Because, I mean, we knew a lot of people, our friends Bobby and Izzy that started like an online training business during COVID But this guy was like, I'm not going on site. And I don't know what. What was keeping him so busy. He wasn't successful in other areas of his life.

[Ashley Hess]

So. Yeah. So the restaurants are going a long time. No, this is sad. I mean, I, you know, we're going to keep it light. It's the snack. But retail is. I don't want to say retail is over, but some people would say that. I mean, I have a friend who has a small business that she posted something online of like, we're really struggling. Everybody is struggling. And obviously hits different small businesses that can't survive at all in our current climate. And for the past few years or however long that it's been. But even like the big stores. But some of these feel like, oh, I didn't know they were still around.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I didn't even know.

[Ashley Hess]

I did not know Joanne Fabrics was still kicking like that.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Some of these really hurt. Joanne Fabrics. I used to go to a lot growing up. We like knitted and sewed a lot at the house and okay, a Little.

[Ashley Hess]

House on the Prairie. We knitted and sewed a lot.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I did.

[Ashley Hess]

Me and who?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

My mom.

[Ashley Hess]

You and your mom?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

My mom is not together. We didn't do stuff together. But like my. I took sewing all four years of high school. I was like a big ass sewer. I learned to knit. I love to knit. I was Joanne a lot. You were.

[Ashley Hess]

You were the original crank.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I was before Craig. Craig conversed. He reheated my nachos.

[Ashley Hess]

I bet you've made a killer pillow.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

That was actually the only thing I could make because you sew in a square that really hurt Party City.

[Ashley Hess]

Really? Let's go through them. Yeah. So let's talk about them.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And of course, you know, we want to say like that like these big corporations, easy to write it off is like, they have enough money, who cares? But like, it's the people who work there, they are so affected. And I, I just, I hate to see it. And really loss of income and jobs is so, so sad.

[Ashley Hess]

I mean, people who work in retail or restaurants at whatever phase in life, obviously if young people that work there and you have people that work there their whole lives. And it's not going to be so easy to just get another job like that because all these places are closing. You can't just like go to the other fabric store down the street that's closed too, Michael. You can't just go from Red Lobster to Olive Garden, you know, like, it's not going to be so easy. Yeah. So I just, I feel bad.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yeah, I do too.

[Ashley Hess]

So there's the Newsweek article. A list of stores closing after being taken over by private equity. And the list, the main ones are Joann Fabrics, the 99 cent store. Party City. Party City really hurt. But we knew about that before. And then I knew it was closing. And then I went into a party city to get some decor for New Year's, the New Year's show that I hosted. And like everything was on sale. I was like, this is just sad. But I got a lot, big lots.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Which I actually did not even know that still existed.

[Ashley Hess]

And then Red Lobster.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I know Red Lobster hurts it.

[Ashley Hess]

Red Lobster. Like when my high school boyfriend, when he took me to a Red Lobster, I was like, how rich is he?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

No, we never got to go to Red Lobster, Olive Garden for prom and Red Lobster on like really, really nice occasions. I don't even think I made it through the doors of Red Lobster until I was least in high school.

[Ashley Hess]

The way you felt walking into a Red Lobster, like, I. Am I royalty? No, because we were so like TGI Fridays and Applebee's, Olive Garden. We would go as a family. Didn't have to be a super special occasion, but not a lot. We wouldn't go. But like Red Lobster was next tier up.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I mean, I lobster, I was sold this story that like, no one can afford seafood. I told you. We'd get like some cocktail rings and my parents would make me feel like if I ate more than three, that like, we just, we could never afford to eat again.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And Red Lobster, same thing. I was like, who can afford lobster?

[Ashley Hess]

I know.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Who are they this.

[Ashley Hess]

We were going to, like, reminisce on some stories. So this one time we went to Red Lobster as a family. I don't know what the special occasion was. And it Sat on Route 13 in Dover, Delaware. And one time we went to Red Lobster as a family, and Matt kind of tripped. He was always goofing off and being funny. Like, he was very, like, physical comedy. So he tripped and kind of rolled down the hill towards the highway. It wasn't, like, close enough. It wasn't, like, close enough that he was going to roll to the highway, but there was, like, sort of a hill and then there was.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

So he was doing physical comedy. He was.

[Ashley Hess]

I think the first time he did it, he was, like, joking around, and I was like, he just is not funny. He thinks he's so funny. He's not funny. Like, I hated it. Now I think he's obviously so funny. And it was this, like, funny thing. The whole family got a kick out of it. Whatever. I even. I laughed a little bit. And then we went to our lobster. I don't know, months later, a year later, whenever. And he tried to replicate it. And he sliced his leg open and had to go to the hospital. That's what you get for trying to think you're the comedian in the family. He tried to replicate it. His blood's every.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

In the restaurant. Blood is everywhere in the restaurant.

[Ashley Hess]

Leaving the restaurant, like, in the parking lot.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Eaten in the parking lot.

[Ashley Hess]

Thank God I'd already have my 12.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Cheddar bay biscuits because my brother stood up at Bravo Italian eatery. Do you have Bravo growing up?

[Ashley Hess]

No.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Bravo looks sort of like the Cheesecake Factory. It's a chain.

[Ashley Hess]

Was it more elevated, like a macaroni grill?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It was very elevated, yes. Like the macaroni grill. And my brother started taking these, like, supplements. He brought on the black market to, like, look more jacked.

[Ashley Hess]

And that's scary.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

My dad's yelling at him. It's Father's Day. My dad's yelling at him on the way to the restaurant, like. Like, don't ever fucking buy these again. Don't take these. Whatever. My brother's trying to be, like, a juiced up meathead in high school.

[Ashley Hess]

Whatever.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

So we go to Bravo, and my brother is in the middle of a sentence. This is Father's Day. It is packed to the walls. We have all this food on the table. And my brother stands up and he's like, I don't feel so in the middle of sentence, like, Exorcist style. Projectile vomit all over the table. All over the table. It was in all the cups. It was in the bread plates. It was in all the soup and the food. It was crazy.

[Ashley Hess]

No, you're out of this family.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And then I was like, we should leave. We should leave right this second. And my dad was like, we're not leaving. It's Father's Day and we're going to eat. And he calls the staff over and he's like, can you guys clean this up and can we move to another table? And we got up and moved to another table in the middle of the restaurant.

[Ashley Hess]

Your brother's in a coma. Your dad's like, take him to the er. It's Father's Day.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I don't care.

[Ashley Hess]

Get him out of here. He's ruining my special day.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And my brother, he had stood up and he was in the middle of a sentence and puked a little bit. And then he was like, I'm okay.

[Ashley Hess]

And then he puked again. No, that's like out of a movie shit.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It was crazy the way my dad was so adamant that we stay in that restaurant. Like, we weren't in the middle of a strip mall with a hundred other restaurants.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah, you will clean this puke up. And we're staying.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

My dad was like, we are staying. And I was like, you better tip these people $1,000 each. So that's my chain restaurant story. And then Forever 21 is set to close hundreds of stores as well. And I don't know that you have as much of an internal touch point to Forever 21 from growing up as I do. Cause The Union Square Forever 21 was open 24 hours in New York City.

[Ashley Hess]

Oh, well, that's not growing up. That's you as an adult.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

In my 20s, though. And so, like, I would go buy going out tops at that forever 21, like three days a week.

[Ashley Hess]

It's. It makes me sad to hear you say that. I mean, that's such a memory. It's so nostalgic.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

So important to me. And then sometimes you would, like, go out with your girlfriends and, like, not look cute. And then, like, a guy would text you to, like, go to their place and you would, like, stop at forever 21. Getting dick top at like 11 o' clock at night.

[Ashley Hess]

That is so funny. What a party. Those days, just being at forever 21 at 3 in the morning, it was amazing. I got a booty call.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I just. Who even thought to do that? Who was like, people are going to be going out tops at 3 in the morning. Let's stay open 24 hours really is so nuts.

[Ashley Hess]

I mean, yeah, I obviously was a fan of Forever 21, but I didn't. It just. It's all like depends on what you had in your area, what you had in your mall growing up. I mean, number one for me was Express. And Express is still barely around. Like they closed obviously a ton of stores and they have online only. But that was like my heart and soul.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Those button down blouses, just everything. I couldn't get enough of those print blouses.

[Ashley Hess]

Oh my God.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And the editor pants. The editor and the tanks with the built in bras.

[Ashley Hess]

And then lastly is Hooters. So Hooters, this has been talked about for a couple of weeks there. They declared bankruptcy or they're talking about bankruptcy. They're closing a bunch of locations. It's not completely shuttered. And there's just some been some funny articles about it. Like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. These basketball players react. It says, the article says they react to Hooters facing potential bankruptcy. Please don't go. They love it. Did you have a lot of Hooters memories? Like, do people want you to work there because you're big tits? Like where people are. You should work on Hooters. Like, did you get that a lot?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Primarily suggested that I work at Hooters 100 and I. I had nothing to. Nothing against it. Maybe we just didn't have one in like Bloomington, Indiana in college. And I was like, they would. I did Cheesecake Factory instead.

[Ashley Hess]

Right. Do you think there's a pipeline from girls who worked at Hooters and they have only fans now?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

They should.

[Ashley Hess]

That's the direct pipeline.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Only fans actually advertise and go to the lobby. Yeah.

[Ashley Hess]

So Hooters, like we had one in Delaware. It wasn't like right in the town, but like I remember one of our guy friends, 18th birthday, we all went there. You know, they like bang and wings, whatever. But in my 20s, I had heard that you go to Hooters and they have the special pantyhose in the bathroom, like in a vending machine in like the handicap stall. And this was like pre where we had a lot of pantyhose options. Like the really smooth. Like you wear them now where they make your legs look really tan. They like sucked you in, make your legs look really tan. They were great for like Halloween costumes. Like I was like Beyonce one year. I for like single ladies. Like I wore the full leotard. Like my legs were just out. So I was like, what am I going to. What pantyhose am I going to wear? And someone said, like, you got to go to Hooters and get the. You know, the Hooters girls wear the pantyhose.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yeah, they're like a thicker, shinier.

[Ashley Hess]

They make your legs very smooth.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I wear them on stage.

[Ashley Hess]

Yes, you wear them on stage. But, like, back then, it was like, how do you even get those Hooters legs? So I would go to the Hooters in downtown Atlanta and hit that handicap stall, put a couple like, quarters in or I don't remember, cash, and get the Hooters pantyhose. It was like a whole thing.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

What a hack.

[Ashley Hess]

I know. I vlogged it one time. So anyway, I'm sure, obviously they have other places to purchase those these days, but that was my. That was my Hooters.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Well, RIP all these places. We will miss you. All right, Fyre Festival 2 up next. So from People magazine, Fyre Festival 2, quote unquote, does not exist according to Isla Majera's tourism board. According to the tourism board does not exist. Organizers still claim that it is real.

[Ashley Hess]

Well, so I got a DM the day after we talked about Fire 2 a couple weeks ago, and I was trying to find it, to read it word for word, but a follower of mine messaged and was like, I live on Isla Mujeres, and the town is saying, like, we're not doing this here. So I had, like, this early tip, and I was like, oh, that's so interesting. And then the articles started to come out. But I think this is so crazy. Like, can you imagine if you and I were like, guys, we're doing a show, Madison Square Garden in June and then Madison Square Gardens. Like, they're not. This. That's not true. Like, the city of New York has to be like, that's not.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

They're not coming here, man. And this is, like, very official. It's coming to the director of. The Director General of Economic Development. He said, we have no knowledge of this event, no contact with any person or company about this. For us, this is an event that does not exist. I mean, they're like, make no. Make no mistake about it.

[Ashley Hess]

Did they sell tickets to this?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yes, the tickets went on sale.

[Ashley Hess]

They've sold tickets to this. Crazy to me. Billy McFarlane is. Is out of his mind.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

According to the website, Fire Festival 2 is going to be held May 30 to June 2. So it is coming up.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah, I'm sure it is.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Tickets start at fourteen hundred dollars.

[Ashley Hess]

People have spent money on this. Yes, for sure. For sure.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

According to.

[Ashley Hess]

And the town is saying it's not happening. Yes.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Isn't that so?

[Ashley Hess]

I find it so. It's like I feel like I'm missing something. I know.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Me too. I thought it was like a joke or they had. Like, when I first saw it, I was like, is this some just, like, random person on the island?

[Ashley Hess]

No.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It's like the head of the tourism board is like, we don't know what.

[Ashley Hess]

We'Re doing out here. Nope.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

They're just saying it's not happening.

[Ashley Hess]

Okay.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And Billy mcfarlane has already been to prison for wire fraud and making this all up the first time. So I don't really know why he thinks he would be able to get away with this.

[Ashley Hess]

Like, I know.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

That's why I find it so confusing. Like, how is he can't get away with it. It's not even like a maybe I'll get away with it kind of thing. So it's very strange to me to release statements and put this on sale. And the tourism board saying this isn't happening. How is that possible?

[Ashley Hess]

Well, if you guys were planning on going there, I have a great wreck. It's called mango cafe. It truly one of the best meals I've ever had in my life. It's like this famous place. Well, if you booked your travel already to Isla mujeres, hit up mango cafe. It's honestly, like, one of the best places I've ever been.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

All right, well, if you guys were dumb enough to buy these tickets to.

[Ashley Hess]

The special or if you're just going. That's where Lindsay and buck got their little dog.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Oh, wait, really?

[Ashley Hess]

They, like, got a dog from there?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

If you want a dog shop.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah. You will not be going to fire two.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Probably not.

[Ashley Hess]

I feel like two months.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yeah. It seems like in six weeks, we're not gonna build a festival. It's great.

[Ashley Hess]

Okay, next topic.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

So this story really struck me. I really love it. It's about Millie Bobby brown. She's been in the news so much recently. The title of this article is millie bobby brown is calling out disturbing criticism of her appearance. So what had happened was, obviously, we're in awards season. She's on the red carpet a lot. She has done this really platinum long hair, blonde look. And people have had stuff to say about it. Talking about her appearance, talking about how she looks old. She doesn't look like herself. Millie Bobby Brown's 21. Even if she doesn't matter what age she is, it's not nice to call somebody that in a derogatory way. And you don't really see a lot of celebrities come out and hit back against the press. Usually it's just like, keep my head down, ignore it, it will go away.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah. And you gotta wonder, obviously, she's young. You have to wonder what people's strategy is. Some people are like, don't give it your energy. Don't take the bait. You know, like, people certainly know press and otherwise paparazzi, like, who will take the bait and who won't. And I don't know. I can't even decide how I feel about it. You should be able to say this. You should be able to make the statement. I love, I love what she did.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

So she posted like a long form reel on Instagram. And I just, I'll pull a quote from it. She said, I want to take a moment to address something that I think is bigger than me. Something that affects every young woman who grows up with public scrutiny. I started in this industry when I was 10. I grew up in front of the world. And for some reason, people. People can't seem to let me grow up. Instead, they act like I'm supposed to stay frozen in time. Like I should still look the way I did on Stranger Things. And because I don't, I'm now a target. So she said, let's talk about the articles, the headlines, and the people who were so desperate to tear it on young women. And she names them.

[Ashley Hess]

She names them all.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yeah, and she quotes them. She calls out women. Specifically. She says, you know, I hate that men are doing this, but why are women taking this and then giving light to it? She uses their names. And I think it's really powerful. And I think she's so young. And this is so brave to do for younger generations to say, like, don't talk about me like this. And I think everybody that's brave enough to do this helps the next generation. Cause you and I grew up with Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears on television being asked by grown adults about their breasts and their virginities and their sex lives. And it's so insane today, but it's because people spoke out about it over these years.

[Ashley Hess]

That.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

That now is a disgusting, horrible thing to do.

[Ashley Hess]

No, but, like, this is crazy to me. Like, are these writers proud of this? Like, how can you write these headlines or write these articles? This 21 year old is aging poorly. What are you thinking? Are you proud of this or do you get the ick from yourself? This is not the 90s. I really find it so crazy that people are like, yep, that's what I do for a living and I sleep at night. It just tear down people and the way that they look. And I find it really, really wild that we're still here in 2025. Like, it's really giving, like, 90s, early 2000s.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I think that people that have dedicated their lives to just tearing down other people publicly, like, there's something wrong with you. And I know that everybody needs a job and needs to pay the bills, but there's gotta be another way.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And to make money.

[Ashley Hess]

And I always do think. I always like to recognize the period of time that we're in. Like, if you did that in the 90s, that's understandable. We all. It was just, like, normal. And then you're kind of supposed to evolve past it and be like, I mean, I obviously wrote. I used to be a blogger. I've written stuff I would never write today. Like, that I am like, oh, my God. That was like. I can't even believe that was me. You know, we all evolve. We all grow. That's like, the beautiful part of, like, being a human and progressing and all that stuff. So. But you're doing it to today. Like, we know better today. You should. You should. So I like that she. She did that. I mean, you know, I don't know. I have mixed feelings on her. But one thing I will say when I see her interviews and whatnot. But one thing I will say is she just does not hold back. She's a strong personality. She's been famous since she was a kid. Also, when I say things like, I don't know how I, like, feel about her. Like, I always give any celebrity grace that was famous as a kid, she's still a kid, but, you know, like, I don't know. That's a crazy way to grow up.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yeah. I can't imagine it. And I'm also, like, it makes me even more proud of her for doing this. Cause she could very easily just be like, I've been a part of the Hollywood machine for so long. It's easy enough for me to just put my head down and keep going.

[Ashley Hess]

It comes with the territory, right? Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

But I think that you see this more and more. I mean, Chapel Roan this summer was saying, like, I don't want to be approached like this by fans. I don't want to be, like, touched. I don't want people to feel like they're allowed to just do that to me. And it was shocking. But at the same time, I just. I think this is progress and change and Women drawing boundaries about how you're allowed to approach them and speak about them.

[Ashley Hess]

I love it. And calling writers out. Out by name. Calling these people out by name, whatever, women, men, whoever they are. Like, maybe they'll hesitate the next time they try to write a piece like that. Or maybe if they're being forced to write pieces like that, they'll quit their jobs or go work for another outlet. Like, I really like that. I like the holding the actual writers, calling them up by name, holding them accountable to this kind of thing.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It was my favorite thing that she did. I mean, to me, that was the most important thing she did where she was. She didn't just, like, say what the headlines were. She was like, and I'm gonna name them. If you want to write this about me publicly, like, that's why I don't feel bad about dragging people that like. Like, publicly write comments on our Instagram. Not that it almost ever happens, but, like, if you're gonna do that, why should I not drag you publicly?

[Ashley Hess]

Right? Exactly. You're gonna say this with your whole chest. Okay. Since we're kind of talking about clapbacks, one that I didn't know if you saw this, but Rihanna posted on International Women's Day, and it was photos of her after she had had her babies. And she was just like, this is, you know, my greatest accomplishments is becoming a mother. And someone wrote something like, I hate their names or something like, I hate her kids names. Did you see this?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

No.

[Ashley Hess]

Just basically was like, I hate their names. And Rihanna wrote back, okay, Tatiana. Did you not see that? I died. Okay, Tatiana. Cool name.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Which, whatever you think about that name.

[Ashley Hess]

But, like, I was. She's. When she gets in there and claps back, she clapped back a lot of people around the election, how she was saying she wishes she could vote and people had stuff to say and she was clapping back. Like, when she gets in those comments, I'm like, oh, we are so back.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I just. That was the whole beginning of comments by Celeste was Instagram account. And they would, like, basically just, like, look through the Internet for, like, comments that celebrities would leave on, like, everyday posts. And I talked to them this morning. We're working on having them on the show. So I'm excited. Yeah, I love it. Like, you'll see that the Kardashians wanted a blue moon, especially Courtney will get on people's stuff and say something. I just. I think it's so funny.

[Ashley Hess]

It's just she. Rihanna never misses. It's always just like, short cuts deep. Okay, Tatiana.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Tatiana.

[Ashley Hess]

Is gonna hate her name till forever.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I want to meme it. Like, I just. Every time somebody says anything, it's like, okay, Tatiana. It's like, damn Gina.

[Ashley Hess]

That's what deep cut off. Damn Daniel.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Damn Tessa. Do you know Damn Gina? There's no way. It's Martin. Martin from what I was a kid, Right?

[Ashley Hess]

Now that is a really deep cut.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Damn Gina is funny.

[Ashley Hess]

What was Damn Gina? Damn Daniel.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

What's that?

[Ashley Hess]

Back at it again with the white vans. Tessa nailed it. Damn Daniel. Back at it again with the white vans. Yes.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

That's your generation's Damn Gina.

[Ashley Hess]

Okay, let's just take a quick break and then we will get back into it. I am just telling you guys about Brooklyn and oh, my God, I slept so well last night.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Like.

[Ashley Hess]

Like a couple. What's been happening to me lately is I. Which is rare. I don't know if you guys feel this way where you fall asleep and you don't wake up till you get up.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

That's how I sleep in my Brooklyn. It's my favorite.

[Ashley Hess]

No tossing, no turning.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Just the best.

[Ashley Hess]

Like when you wake up at whatever. You wake up like 8am this morning, and I was like, oh, my God. I just. I haven't been up since I went to sleep.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Welcome to my life.

[Ashley Hess]

This is crazy. No, I've been loving my Brooklinen so much. So I have the sheets, obviously, the pillowcases, and I have a duvet cover that's like so soft and silky. I mean, we love everything that they do. They have different materials, so the luxe sateen, that's what I was sleeping on last night. But they have a classic percale, which I have those as well. That's what I use in the summertime. There's a wash linen, organic cotton, heathered cashmere, and just. I love it so much. I mean, we have always, like, been so big on our bedding and what you have on your body, if you sleep naked, it's on your body even more. And so. So this just feels so great. And I'm obsessed with it. I love the packaging. It's so great to gift to yourself or someone else. And we just love the way it fits into our home and our life. These, they obviously hold up. They're such high quality. And you can pick different colors. Raina's been doing some more color cheats lately. I have been too. I've been getting away from white, and I just will do like a more beige color or a cream. The duvet cover I'm using right now is cream. And then the sheets are a beige color. So I'm really into that. Brooklyn and super high quality products have been tested and awarded by experts including Good Housekeeping, GQ Wire Cutter and more 200,000 plus five star reviews. Millions of happy customers. And then they have these great bundles too. So you can customize a bundle. It makes it easy to refresh your bed and bathroom. Putting everything you need in one place. We didn't mention this before but they obviously have bedding. But they have stuff for bath too. There's towels that are wonderful, robes, all kinds of stuff. So you guys can check that out. You can shop award winners and fan faves in store or online at brooklinen.com that's B-R-O-O-K-L-I-N-E-N.com get 15% off your first order today.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Okay. And girls Gotta eat is brought to you by Belly Welly. You've probably seen Belly Welly powders viral on TikTok. They are literally always sold out. BellyWelly is a doctor formulated gut health powder. It's the perfect three in one mix to de bloat with fiber and probiotics, glow with collagen and hydrate with Electrolyx. So since they've been a partner I've been drinking it in the mornings with a glass of water and I'm and gonna use our code to just buy more cause I really like it. Also the packaging is so cute and like it's just important to me to like not feel bloated, to like eat comfortably throughout the day. And I love pooping. Pooping is great. Ballywelly is a doctor formulated and science backed. It took them two years to create this powder and I love it cause unlike others it actually works. Everything is a third party tested and made with premium ingredients. So triple threat for bloating, skin and hydration. So you don't have to figure out how to kind of fit everything in. You can multitask and have it stack all in one pow. Which we love. Easy to throw in your Stanley. They have tons of flavors so you could do watermelon. The peach mango is my favorite. They have strawberry lemonade and they aren't chock full of sugar which is fantastic. And fiber is the base of Belly Welly powder. So really can't get enough fiber in my life.

[Ashley Hess]

Most people don't get enough.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

No. And I'm always looking for new ways to do it. Tastes great, easy to incorporate into your life. I'm obsessed with the Belly Welly Powders, like I said, they tend to sell out and never give discount. So go to bellywelly.com and use our exclusive code GGE20 at checkout for 20 off your order. That's B E L L I W e l l I.com and use code GGE20 for 20 off your entire order.

[Ashley Hess]

I just got an email from someone named Tatiana.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

No, you did not. What's it about?

[Ashley Hess]

It's like a pitch for something. Some like caffeinated gum. What if I just write back, okay, Tatiana. See if she would get it.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I hope that all day she's been getting that. She's having a great day, but I hope that people saying that to her.

[Ashley Hess]

No, it's just one of those things of like, it sucks when your name turns into a thing. I don't think that this is going to take off the way Karen did. But like, brutal.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It won't take off like that. But that's crazy.

[Ashley Hess]

I'm just saying. Yeah, like I feel bad for good Karen's. Okay. Well, we want to talk about some shows, all kinds of stuff. But like what we've been watching. We're going to deep dive on a couple things. Of course we're going to do hit Love is Blind. But should we kick it off with Meghan Markle? With love, Megan.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

With love, Megan. I would say that it has divided the Internet, but it really kind of hasn't. It has been a really polarizing show. So Meghan Markle released her show on Netflix. It's supposed to be like an at home with Meghan. She has friends over, she cooks for people and she shows you how to do stuff like arrange flowers and shit like that. Ashley and I just don't like. It's well intentioned. Right. Like the show at its core is well intentioned. I think that it's modeled after the Ina Gartens and Martha Stewart's of their time. And at a time where those shows really felt authentic. Also, those women were hot. Those women cooked in their homes, filmed in their homes. That really was their whole lives. There's been a lot of pushback about the unrelatability of this show. I mean, New York magazine, the article, Meghan Markle Pioneers New Frontiers on Unrelatability. And the article is scathing. And I. I won't give light to all the terrible things that they wrote because I don't need to. Meghan Markle still seems like a nice person.

[Ashley Hess]

And yeah, I mean, I watched one episode and then I've seen plenty of clips. I mean, we Were joking on Monday's episode. This clip with Mindy Kaling where Mindy Kaling calls her Meghan Markle and she's like, like, you know, I'm Sussex now and it's like, cringe worthy. But, you know, we all have cringeworthy moments. Like, I guess my point is I can't really give a thorough review, but I, you know, people just are chomping at the bit to hate her. Like, I've seen critiques where I'm like, that's a reach. Just say you hate her. You know, like, I don't think she can win. You know, I think that if the recipes are complicated with hard to source ingredients, then she's unapproachable and unrelatable. If they're too simple, then it's basic and boring. And why did the show get made? So I want to start by saying, like, people are going to hate her. I think they should ask themselves why to start. And if it's just that she. You think she's annoying or you think she's not authentic, then that's fine. But, like, I don't know.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I'm like, do I like this show?

[Ashley Hess]

I don't know. I mean, is it boring? Yeah. I don't. I don't even know what to say about it, but I'm just like, let me get have her little show.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I don't know.

[Ashley Hess]

Like, people clearly want to watch her do stuff. So hasn't it been greenlit for a second season? Like, I. I don't know. I think people want to watch her do stuff. I think this is what she wants to do. One of my biggest frustrations with people's critiques of Meghan Markle is, oh, she just wants to be famous and she just wants to be in the spotlight. She was an actress.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Like, people, they didn't want to be.

[Ashley Hess]

In the Royal family, which who would. Seems like a nightmare. But I hate when people act like she was this under the radar nobody and now she wants to be on tv. She's always wanted to be on tv. She was an actress, right? So that's my thing. I'm not like a fan. I don't know. I see the lack of authenticity that people don't like. I certainly find her cringe sometimes. I don't know her personally. I think she's so beautiful. It's, like, hard to look at. I think she's one of the most beautiful women alive. I don't fault her for not wanting to be in that family. I don't know. I just Think you know how I feel. Even when with. Even with Blake Lively. I always have a problem when people seem so excited to tear down a woman regardless of what they've done. Where you can tell it's just like, oh, my God, I've been dying to do this, you know? And I just. That's the energy I don't love.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

So, I mean, I've heard this said over and over. You know, she can't win for losing. There's nothing she could have done, like you said, that would have satisfied people. To me, it reads really unauthentic. There's a couple of categories of shows. I think that they. It's a crisis of not knowing what the show is. So there's. There's just shows where celebrities do stuff and you watch them do stuff. So Paris Hilton had a cooking show. And it's not cause Paris Hilton is, like, a great chef. It's because people want to watch celebrities do stuff. And then there are shows like Ina Garten and Martha Stewart that really are like, these rich housewives. Martha Stewart had her own career as well, but they're actually teaching you, like, hosting tips and tricks, and that felt like that was their corner of the world. This is a production issue. This is not like a Meghan Markle issue. I think she wasn't done any favors in terms of, like, how this was shot scripted. Like, it's like this At Home with Megan show, but it's shot at a $5 million home down the street from her $20 million home. And they take her to this flower shop, and she, like, talks to the guy. She's like, hey, Jose, how's it going? It feels really, like, forced and pretentious. And I don't know that that's really her fault. Cause I think that she's probably just like, what do you want from me? I'm not gonna shoot a show in my house. That's ridiculous. I'm not taking you inside of my home. And, you know, no, probably she does not go down to the flower shop. But if she's like, well, I'm good at arranging flowers. I have to set up something to shoot. Like, I just. I don't think she can win. But the show feels really inauthentic. And that type of show is.

[Ashley Hess]

It's.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It's gone. People don't care about that stuff anymore.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah. So I read this article. This was actually in USA Today. The headline is Duchess Meghan, authenticity, and why she Just can't win with Her New Netflix Show. And I like this Quote, it says with love. Meghan suffers from the same image problem that's plagued Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, since they stepped down as senior royals in 2020, which is that they want to come off as authentic without actually letting their guard down. Which, yes. Not which. Understandably, so that they wouldn't want to let their guard down. It says, for instance, the Duchess acts as hostess to the couple's famous friends. Yet the show isn't even filmed at her Southern California home. It's filmed at a nearby rental property. To your point, yeah, like, she doesn't want him in her home. But, like, this is still a problem. Like, this is still why people don't like it. It says she doesn't help herself. The fact that she's shooting an at home entertaining, lifestyle cooking show in a kitchen that isn't her kitchen is a problem. The fact that they rented basically a set to do a show that's all about the authentic you is a problem. Particularly if the visual is meant to give you at her home. So, yeah, it's just like, I don't. I'm talking about this with, like, kind of a real lack of opinion. It's just kind of like I see all sides of it. I don't like how much people like to hate, but I understand where it comes from. And. And then, you know, at the end of the article, it just kind of says the same thing that I said. Like, do ask yourself why. Why you hate her so much and what it's rooted in. And then I saw another article, this was New York Post, which, you know, they love to drag anybody. And it said how much the crew loved working with her. And they interviewed a bunch of people and they said, like, I expected to kind of come on the show and feel invisible. And I didn't. And she really drew us in. And so, you know, I've. You've heard people say she's what someone called her like a dictator in heels before. But then this was. This. That was years ago, I think. I mean, whatever. Everyone's gonna criticize any sort of powerful woman always. But people said they liked working with her. I mean, who's to say?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I think people are just like, don't sell what you don't sell me this shit. Yeah, like, I think people are this whole, like, at home with Meghan, it's not her home. This is not really like, that authentic. She's a royal. Let's let people know that she's actually a royal. But, like, then you could make a show about how she's all the staff doing all this stuff for her. And people would be like, who's watching this? That I would watch.

[Ashley Hess]

Yes. I mean, what. Yes. Okay, so, like, what show do you want to watch? Like, clearly, Meghan was like, I'm going to have a show. Netflix is like, you're going have a show. She's like, we're not. We're going to do show a show. I mean, I'd like to see Prince Harry, obviously.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

H, yeah. H. Every time she calls him H. I hate, but I've seen her do this for years.

[Ashley Hess]

She is a pick me. That's just. It is what it is. That's not. That's not. That's a fact.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Some names can't be shortened to a letter. And I used. This used to bother me about Gossip Girl because, like, Blair used to call Nate N. N cannot be shortened. Like, R would be really weird.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Like, M. I could do M. Because that actually kind of sounds like a name.

[Ashley Hess]

M. Yeah. H. You start calling me H. T. I could do T. Tatiana. So, yeah. I mean, I don't know. It's just.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

You know, I do think at its core, it's pretty harmless. And it's just a cooking show. And, I mean, people are talking about her.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And it's been renewed for a second season.

[Ashley Hess]

And, like, Meghan Markle, Megan Sussex. Sorry, guys. She's gonna be in the news. She was an actress. She married into this family. They left the family. Like, she's got a wild story. People want to see her do something. Let her have her little show. Let Netflix decide if this is a show that is worthwhile on their network. I don't know.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I. I have not had this much fun just breaking down a show. It's so long, though. Like, it's. I said to you, it's like, almost like. And just like that. I hated it so much. Like, thank God it's renewed for another season. Y. I love the memes. It's light, it's harmless. And I understand, like, why this got made and how this got made juxtaposed to the other reality show that recently came out, the Baldwins, which is about Alec Baldwin and Hilaria. And there are seven kids, eight pets. The article in Vulture, also skating the Baldwins is grimmer than you imagined. And this is another show that has a real crisis of, like, what is this? Cause you hear that many. There's this couple. They have 500 kids and pets, and it's like the chaos of, like, John and Kate plus eight. And you're like, well, is that the route they're gonn. That's just, like, crazy all the time. But then you have this couple that seems to have some real contempt for each other, and it's sort of about that, too. And, I mean, she's talking about their life with that accent. Maybe it's fake. Maybe it's not put on. And he says to her, slower, slower. You're speaking English with a Spanish cadence, which is always perilous for me. And he sounds so annoyed with her. And on top of that, this is a show about manslaughter. I mean, he murdered a woman by accident. But they layer in stuff about the trial as well. And so you're like, I don't really. Why did we make this show?

[Ashley Hess]

Right. Like, was it supposed to be, like, a redemption.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I think it was supposed to be a redemption arc and a look behind the curtain. But, like, they seem pretty contentious with each other, as would any couple that has 15 mouths to feed that one of them is on trial for manslaughter for a very serious case. Like, I just. I don't know why, at this point in time, you chose to put your life on television.

[Ashley Hess]

Is this. Do you think it's just a cash grab?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Probably.

[Ashley Hess]

But, like, it's just. I mean, does any Baldwin ever really need money? I don't know. Who knows what their situation is? But, like, when I see something like that where you're like, how did this get made? It's like someone needed money. I don't know.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yeah, I mean, people are gonna watch it, and it's. It's crazy to watch. It's just. This is not a time in my marriage I would choose to put on television. Right. And.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah, let's deal with this privately.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It's not, like, a fun watch. Cause, like, it's a very serious trial that he's going through for killing somebody. So anyways, I gave it a spin. It's not. It's not, like, fun and giggles for me, so I don't know that I'll continue watching it.

[Ashley Hess]

I might check it out just to see.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yeah, I would like you to listen. You know, what I really like is just being part of pop culture moments, and I like knowing what's going on.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah. Okay, well, let's briefly recap the Love is Blind reunion and also the weddings. I mean, the end of the show, essentially. So they had the wedding episode of the four couples. Daniel and Taylor ended up getting married, and the other three couples, all the women, decided not to, too. Two of the women, for political Reasons.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I love to see it.

[Ashley Hess]

I mean, the theme was just like these women being like, you're not good enough for me, you're not a match. And I think this is the problem overall with reality tv. These men are not up to par. Is it a red flag that a man wants to go on a reality show in the first place? Yeah, kind of, to me doesn't have to be. That's just my personal opinion. I don't feel like that about women. I think these women are like smart and intelligent and, and well spoken and normal and well adjusted and they really don't seem to be finding men across the board on a lot of shows that are on their level. I agree with you.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And I really loved the women on this season. I thought that they like stood on business and really stood up for what they, what their beliefs were while simultaneously not humiliating their partners. I mean, I think a lot of them really approached all these like, we don't have the same values necessarily with a lot of kindness and open mindedness. And you had the, in the show.

[Ashley Hess]

Being like, huh, Minnesota people, they just.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

They were really nice and didn't like want to humiliate them. And I think repeatedly said I didn't want to like put him on blast. And Joey and Monica like, you don't find out until the reunion. They like never had a sexual relationship. And she was like, I was clearly in the friend zone the whole time. But like she didn't make a whole thing about it. Every like, I thought that they just kind of like kept things really classy the whole season.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah, I mean, but I'm, I'm not joking when I say that's like probably because of, that's the vibe in that part of the country. You know what I mean? And it's not that they're like pushovers, it's just, yeah, they like want to keep it respectful, keep it classy. But they're also like, you said like gonna stand on business and you know, make it clear like you had questionable values and you're not intelligent enough for me or curious enough for me or evolved enough for me. And so I really like that overall theme. I mean, I just fell in love with Virginia. Like she started the show just really sweet, kind of ditzy almost. And then she just, as we saw who she really was, I mean she was just like an absolute like class act. I mean I was so impressed with her and just the way she like articulated how she was feeling and about him and still was respectful towards him. And it was so Measured. I mean, she brought the prenup into the mix. We haven't really seen that on this show.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I think she. She won the reunion. She wiped the floor with that man. And she did it with so much poise, grace. She was so measured. She also did it without really throwing him under the bus. I mean, she's just said, like, I need to be with somebody who cares about LGBTQ rights, the rights of women to do what they want with their bodies, people that care about other people's religions. She said it with so much grace, but also like, you weren't left being like, I wonder what happened here? I mean, she just ate so hard.

[Ashley Hess]

She looked so beautiful.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Every one of those women walked out onto the stage. Incredible. And I just. The amount of poise on that stage from every woman just blew me away.

[Ashley Hess]

I totally agree. Sarah and Ben, I mean, we were talking about it, we thought it was a little strange that they dated post show. We thought she was done with him, but apparently they tried to. And they shared a story of pretty much the demise of the relationship. That I was like, what happened here? Like, I wish Sarah would have had receipts in her armpit like Madison did, but because she was, like, talking about them, basically gonna, like, move in together, essentially move to Nashville together in some capacity. And then he just didn't come. And he's like, I thought we broke up. Like, I was like, what happened? Did I miss something?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I know it was not explained. And to Nick and Vanessa, that's the only reason they're there is to facilitate understanding this a little bit better.

[Ashley Hess]

I thought they did a pretty good job.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

They.

[Ashley Hess]

I found them asking questions that I won't wanted to answer. Ask. Yeah. I thought they asked him. He was just like, I don't know. I thought that we were broken up. I mean, like, he just was, like, talking in circles.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I just. I really wish I could have been a fly on the wall for that, because it's very confusing how two people have the most different experiences in that conversation.

[Ashley Hess]

What happened here?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

One person thought they were moving in together, and the other was like, we broke up. What?

[Ashley Hess]

She's like, I thought you were on the way to Nashville. He's like, I stopped sharing location. So I thought that was crazy. I wrote another. I love how Dave had the audacity to say that Lauren was the one that got away. And she was like, respectfully, you're lying.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I love that she said that. And he said a lot of stuff. Being like, after this, I realized what was happening, and it's. And I love how some people want to get on reality tv. And he's, like, blaming that other guy essentially for egging this on. I like how she was just like, no, no, no. Thank you so much. Yeah, I think she just put him in his place while simultaneously also saying, I want to address what everybody is saying about him on the Internet, like, lay off him a little bit.

[Ashley Hess]

So I watched it with my fiance. Like, one of my greatest accomplishments in life is getting him, like, involved in Love is Blind. And so we've watched the whole season together, and I waited till I got home so we could watch this together. And he was like, why do these guys think they can get away with this stuff? Like, why do they think they can, like, say these things? I mean, even, like, Joey, like, saying the thing about Madison wanting to get with him, and they're both like, that's not true. You know, like, he was just like, wait, why do they think they can get away with this? I'm like, why do guys lie or cheat in general? Like, they don't think about the consequences, or they think, what I'll do later is deny it.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yeah. I think that's the thought process. I think that, like, to sparkleize this point, it's. It's a rational person would say, how do you think you're gonna tell these lies and get away with it? But I think these guys are like. Cause I have before.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah, exactly. Like, he's coming at it from a really incredible person with a good heart who's honest. And so he's like, what the f. Why? Why you act like this? It's like, this is not just exclusive to these men on the show. This is how men always act. They think about what they want to accomplish in that moment, whether it's to not all men. Obviously, I'm gonna marry one. Like, just, do I want to fuck this girl or do I want to not upset her? Or do I. Like, whatever they are trying to accomplish in that moment, they don't think 10 steps down the road like women do. And again, if they do have the foresight, they're thinking, like, I, uh, I'll clean it up when it happens. And these women are like, no, I'm gonna hold your feet to the fire.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I just think traditionally celebrity males are the same. Like, they have not been held to the same standard. And we talk about this all the time. Like, the Justin Timberlake example of how he was, like, caught cheating on Jessica Biel and he publicly apologized. And people are like, king, I think that we see this all The Matt James, we saw it with him. You know, he publicly broke up with her and post Rachel Connell. And it doesn't seem to me that his following has taken a hit. I look at his comments. They're all positive. He just took down the post that he had written about. He seems to just be, like, plugging along, business as usual. Like, people just don't want to rip men down the way they want to rip women down.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah, I fucking hate it. But anyway, I just thought that was an interesting observation. And they did this. They did a lot on the show. They shot a music video. They had NFL players on zoom. They were doing the most. But, you know, I enjoyed it. But they did do this countdown of 5 Best Love is Blind most over the whole series. And I agreed with four of their five. But fine. Yeah, but we wanted to do our.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Own, so we wrote a list. We did not do top five. We could not be held to that standard.

[Ashley Hess]

No way. Okay, so in no particular order, these are our top 15 moments in love is Blind history.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I'm gonna kick it off with Jeremy and Sarah Anne on the jet skis. Just riding off into the sunset in front of his former fiance.

[Ashley Hess]

Yes. Okay. Season one, Giannina falling in her wedding dress, running away from the altar. She hit the ground hard.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I mean, I think about it daily. Zenab's cutie gateman Cole. And right. Blaming the producers. And they were like, bitch, we have receipts.

[Ashley Hess]

The cuties. I will never forget the cuties and the whole fat shaming of it all.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Cuties have never had a moment like this before.

[Ashley Hess]

Zena been Cole. Okay. Tiffany falling asleep when Brad Brett. When Brett told her he loved her. Iconic.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Just out cold. Okay. Chelsea's Megan Fox comment. I mean, no one in Love is Blind history has gotten dragged that hard. And I will say I see it. I've always seen it.

[Ashley Hess]

100. Okay. Zach singing to Irina to propose. Oh, you just never want so cringe. And I'm gonna tag on to here. Zach and Irina not working out and him calling Bliss. And now they have a kid.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It is pretty. They were the first Love is blind kid.

[Ashley Hess]

Oh, right.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Crazy.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Season one, Jessica feeding wine to her dog. She couldn't do enough to get Mark to break up with her.

[Ashley Hess]

What was she just like? He loves. He loves wine.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Yes. She just was, like, pulling out all the stops to get him to break up with her. She also was like, you also can't see your family.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah. Okay. Deep Dees iconic speech at the altar.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Deep. Deep.

[Ashley Hess]

Chose Deep day when she was Like, I choose me. And Shake. He was the worst. So we love that.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

That people have tried to recreate that moment, and they can't do it.

[Ashley Hess]

They can't. They'll never.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Carlton throwing his ring in the pool. Season one also. I mean, he is just yelling at Diamond. That's her name, right? And he takes that diamond and tossed it in the pool. Do you think every producer just dove right in after.

[Ashley Hess]

Did he really throw it in the pool?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Picked. He took it off and chucked it.

[Ashley Hess]

Okay.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It was.

[Ashley Hess]

And she was. He was crashing out. She was just like, you didn't he say something about her hair? Like, he was, like, getting really mean.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

He was getting really mean because she didn't. He had admitted that he was bisexual and she was just asking questions.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah. Okay. Probably one of my number one Roman empires. It was when they tried to do a live finale. Netflix could not handle a live stream.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Have you ever been on so many group chats? All of your friends being like, are. Can you guys download? I just remember me, you and, like, four other girls were like, I got it. Wait, No, I didn't. It started. No, it didn't.

[Ashley Hess]

Right? I was like, I'm on my laptop. I'm on my phone phone. I'm on my tv, like, trying to get this to work. And then to tag on to that. Vanessa just being completely unhinged because she was live. She was not made to be live. She was not prepared to be live. That was insane.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Someone had a talk with her after that, and they were like, I love shit together.

[Ashley Hess]

I loved it. I miss it all the time. I wish she would go back.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I love it all the time when somebody's, like, so messy. I'm like, this is terrible. Thank God for them. Jessica talking to Jimmy. Her. You're gonna choke when you see what I look like speech.

[Ashley Hess]

You're gonna need your EpiPen.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And she. And she said. It's in an interview after. She's like, I had no idea this was even gonna be a thing. Yeah, it just. I loved it. I loved the confidence.

[Ashley Hess]

This was their number one moment that they voted on by Love is Blind fans that they said on the reunion was that was the number one. Okay. Izzy not having dishes. Izzy. And what was her name?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Chelsea.

[Ashley Hess]

Stacy. Stacy. Stacy goes to his place. He is red solo cups. Not a dish to be found.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It was like, do you live here? That was a.

[Ashley Hess]

And that was a whole thing. And he. He was just a broke.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Well, there's a second part.

[Ashley Hess]

Okay.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Of this.

[Ashley Hess]

His lost and found drawer that Was nuts.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

His whole apartment tour was nuts.

[Ashley Hess]

Yes, his apartment tour, his home tour.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

You didn't need to show somebody that. Yeah. Okay. Steven in the previous season sexting during a sleep test.

[Ashley Hess]

Steven and Monica. Steven and Monica sexting. What? Like crazy kinky stuff while he was supposed to be. Did we ever realize was he really at the sleep test?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

So she has said, I do actually think he was at the sleep test. I said, as someone who knows people that have gone to sleep tests, it doesn't sound possible to me. But she says he was at one. The other moment between the two of them that was really funny was her with him being like, I know you don't want something super nice. Like what did she say? A Tory Burch bag. Spade cape. Spade bag. And she was like, skirt?

[Ashley Hess]

What?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Broke ass bitch.

[Ashley Hess]

No, it was really snobby.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Super snobby.

[Ashley Hess]

She's doubled down on it even in a same snobby way.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

It's just. It's one of these. It's an example of a time that somebody else is going to out terrible you and so what you do is not going to like get a bunch of huge.

[Ashley Hess]

It just Kate Spade gate. Yeah. Okay. And the number one. This is a sweet one. But this is still my number one moment in Love is Blind history. And it's Lauren and Cameron's proposal.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

First proposal in the history of the show.

[Ashley Hess]

I didn't know that was happening.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I still remember you telling me about it.

[Ashley Hess]

You had fallen asleep. We were in Australia. Meryl and I stayed up to watch this. This was February 2020. And I was like, oh, what is this show? I knew some people on it from Atlanta. Obviously the first season was filmed in Atlanta. I was like, I'll give this a second spin. When he proposed through the wall, I'm like, what?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I still remember the next morning you were like, people are proposing on this show. Like, someone got engaged last night.

[Ashley Hess]

No, I was like. And then I was like sobbing because I love them. And I was like, so now what? And I was like, wait, Rainey, you're not going to believe this. So here's how they get to meet is they get engaged and then they get out of the pods. You were like, what are you saying?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

The way you were like, someone proposed on this show. It's crazy. And it's really pretty amazing. I will say so. This is the five year anniversary of Love is Blind. Five year anniversary of COVID The five year anniversary of Love is Blind. And they did a whole roundup at the end of the finale of all These couples that are still married that have had kids together now. And I just found it really heartwarming and special.

[Ashley Hess]

Yes. So those are our moments. We know we forgot some. This is like our favorite show and we just wanted to kind of talk about what else we've been watching really quickly. I mean, again, I was sick for a week and so watched a ton of tv. I love apple cider vinegar. This is on Netflix. It's a dramatization based on a true story about this woman named Belle Gibson, who was an Australian influencer. I mean, she became an influencer. She lied about having a brain tumor. And just the other storylines surrounding it that were also loosely based on the truth in terms of, like, some women that had cancer. I mean, I was riveted.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

And I watched a documentary about her that I thought actually left some stuff to be desired, I guess. So I loved apple cider vinegar. Just like the power of influence and really making sure that, like, the people you're following are truthful. I thought it was great on Netflix and it's a great watch. And you told me about Running Point, which is the Kate Hudson show. It's basically her family owns the Lakers. They call them the waves. But it's funny, it's sharp, and it's about her and her siblings running this. And it's like, it's almost like a comedy version of Succession.

[Ashley Hess]

I love it so much. And I forgot how funny Kate Hudson is. I've just missed Kate Hudson. Like, Kate Hudson is just like a rom com goat. Like, she's so funny. Or comedic timing. Like, I've just. I'm laughing out loud at the show. I really, really love it. I think Chet Hanks is an insane casting as the point guard and the team. Jay Ellis is so hot. He's the coach. He's definitely a hall pass for me, but just Kate Hudson. I'm like, man, I've really missed her and I'm just loving her in this role. I'm just finding the show to be such a fun watch. And we wanted to recommend our friend Giulio Gallarotti special. He was on the podcast years ago and he put out a special. You can watch it on YouTube. YouTube. It's really so wonderful. I mean, we and other people call him the most interesting man in the world. Like, truly, like, the way that he has traveled. Like, he. He travels to a lot of places that people like would say, like, you shouldn't go there. Like Afghanistan, you know, like, he has these insane travel stories. I love hearing about him and his now Wife. I think they were engaged when he shot the special. And they got married in November. We couldn't go to the wedding. We were devastated. We had a show. But I just, I really love it. I mean, to talks about this story about hanging out with the Taliban. Like, who hangs out with the. Who's hanging out with the Taliban? Lives to tell about it. Like, he, he said this thing. He's like, when you hang out with the Taliban, they, they want to ask you a lot of questions about the Taliban. So they'll be like, what do you think about the Taliban? He has it on his Instagram. It's so, so funny. And he's just so warm and such like a positive energy, you know, like, if you want to watch a comedian that's really been doing it a long time and is, you know, really smooth and polished and also just really warm and funny, obviously, and has stories like you've never heard before, highly recommend the special. It's called on the Map. And like I mentioned, you guys can just watch it on YouTube. He shot it at the Den in Chicago, which is where I'm kicking my tour off. So this is the theater that I performed at before. I love it so much. It's an amazing place to shoot a special. I love the room. You've been to it. So I just, I love that, too. So I'll be at the Den in a few weeks, starting on April 4th.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

So lots of stuff for you guys to watch.

[Ashley Hess]

Oh, I also watched Starting Five, which is a sports series that follows LeBron, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards, Demontis Sabanas, and Jason Tatum, like the stars of the NBA through the 2324 NBA season.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Where is it on?

[Ashley Hess]

On Netflix.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Okay, great.

[Ashley Hess]

It's a good sports show.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

You just love TV game recently.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

All right, well, lots of stuff for you guys to watch. All right. And just to wrap up the episode, here's some other headlines for your week. Just stuff that you should be in the know about. We're not going to dive into them, but just, you know, we want to be your number one news source. So Olivia Culpo is pregnant with her first child. She got married semi recently. She's expecting her first baby with Christian McCaffrey.

[Ashley Hess]

And your next headline is the cop who arrested Justin Timberlake in the Hamptons for a DUI was just named officer of the year.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

All right, great.

[Ashley Hess]

Yeah.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Anna Kendrick. So the Blake Lively's new movie A Simple I think it's called A Simple Favor.

[Ashley Hess]

Another Simple Favor.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Another Simple Favor premiered at south by this week. Actually, her and Blake Lively were on the red carpet to together. Anna Kendrick had only three words to say about working with Blake Lively. I think a reporter asked, how did it go? And she just said, oh, you know.

[Ashley Hess]

Oh, you know. Anna, what does it mean to be working with Blake again? Which was she really responding to that? I mean, whatever. I watched the clip a bunch of times, and basically they're like, what's it like working with Blake Lively again? And she goes, oh, you know, and.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Just like, keeps it moving, Keeps it moving. I have one more to throw in. Okay. Which is Jack's team. Taylor publicly came out as being a cocaine addict. He says he's 100 days sober. And Brittany Cartwright hit back, essentially, with, like, too little, too late.

[Ashley Hess]

Okay.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

You've traumatized me and my child all these years, so we wish him well and a great road to recovery. But big story this week.

[Ashley Hess]

Okay? And on that note, James Kennedy took a picture with the Tate brothers. Said he didn't know about them. What? And he has since apologized. Did you see this?

[Reina Duckrenberg]

What?

[Ashley Hess]

He's like, ah, Tate brothers.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

No.

[Ashley Hess]

I mean, don't get me started. Okay. And lastly, Kylie Jenner and White Lotus star Carrie Coon agree. You should be using nipple cream on your lips.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Stay hydrated. Everywhere.

[Ashley Hess]

Stay hydrated. This makes so much sense. If it's good for your cracked nipples, it's good for your cracked lips.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Absolutely.

[Ashley Hess]

I'm going to be doing this. My lips are always so chapped. Lube it up like I. Whatever women are using on their cracked tits when they're breastfeeding, because I know that that happens. I feel for them. Yes. I'm going to be putting that on my lips.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

I put bio oil still on my scars, too.

[Ashley Hess]

That's a little.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Little tipster for you guys.

[Ashley Hess]

Maybe we'll make a nipple cream slash lip gloss. Yeah. Okay.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

All right, guys. Well, that's your head snack. All right.

[Ashley Hess]

You can find us at Girls Gotta Eat dot com. Girls Gotta Eat podcast on Instagram and TikTok. I am Ash Hess. Reina is reinaduckrenberg vibesonly. Again, we still have that giveaway going on vibesonly.com, vibesonly on Instagram. You can check it out for. For the giveaway rules and subscribe on YouTube. Share this episode with a friend and we will see you Monday.

[Reina Duckrenberg]

Have a good week, guys.

[Ashley Hess]

Bye.