Podcast Summary: I Said No Gifts! – "Pete Zias Disobeys Bridger"

Podcast: I Said No Gifts!
Host: Bridger Winegar
Guest: Pete Zias
Release Date: August 21, 2025
Network: Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of I Said No Gifts! features Bridger welcoming the hilariously sharp Pete Zias, known for his Instagram presence and love of all things kitsch, tabloids, and odd pop culture trends. As per tradition, Pete disregards Bridger’s only request of “no gifts,” leading to delightful banter about gifts, collectibles, and life’s ridiculousness. The episode weaves through the latest personal dramas (including a crime wave concerning collectible toys), nostalgia for tabloid culture, and a mutual appreciation of life’s bizarre moments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Labubu Crime Wave and Collectible Craze

• Theft Story: Pete shares his recent ordeal where his beloved Labubu—a popular collectible toy—was stolen at a grocery store in LA (05:18–07:54).
  • “I was a victim of a Labubu crime, a kidnapping.” – Pete (05:25)
  • He recounts the distraction and probable culprit: “There was a guy that asked me if I could pick a basket up off the ground...They distract you. That’s what I do when I steal.” (06:44)
• Community Reaction: After posting about it, Pete was flooded with support and even received six new Labubus from fitness instructor Isaac Boots. Now he’s “the luckiest girl this summer” (07:54, 52:11).
• Authenticity and Counterfeits: The duo compares Labubu and its knockoff, Lefoufu, including design flaws, value, and status within “the cool crowd” (09:14–12:12).
  • “Now you're counting its teeth...the real Labubu’s teeth are nine...This is not real. This is not real. It’s insulting to both of us.” – Pete (10:44)

2. Tabloid Obsession: National Enquirer & More

• Tabloid Hunting: Pete reveals his dedication to reading tabloids, especially National Enquirer, since childhood (12:12–17:48).
  • “They're harder and harder to find. It's like $300 a year for subscription.” – Pete (12:50)
• Tabloid Quality: The nuanced differences between gossip rags—Enquirer, Globe, Star, Us Weekly—are dissected (14:43–15:15).
• Favorite Storytelling: Bridger admires Pete reading tabloids aloud, considering it a “favorite piece of audio” (17:26).
• Archival Collection: Pete unearthed a trove of old issues from the late 1980s, further displaying his commitment to pop-cultural ephemera (17:35–18:08).
• Enquirer’s Blurred Truths: Both agree many stories mix fiction with “a kernel of truth” (19:03–19:19).

3. TV Habits & Obscure Cultural Consumption

• Viewing Routine: Pete primarily watches Inside Edition and live TV, shunning prestige, buzzier series in favor of kitsch and sensational journalism (20:44–21:38).
• Local Ads, Vivica A. Fox, and Car Shield: Pete is obsessed with a local Vivica A. Fox ad campaign, not caring what Car Shield is—he’s mesmerized by Vivica’s “performance” (22:03–22:47).
• Collectibles & Gifts: A discussion ensues about collectible dolls—Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Meghan Markle—and needing a display case as grand as Sally Struthers’ (24:00–24:37).

4. Mail-Order Disappointments & Scam Products

• Both recount childhood experiences with mail-order items (like Sea Monkeys) that never lived up to their expectations (25:08–26:11).
  • “They just turn into tiny, little algae...My mom flushed them down the toilet.” – Pete (25:19)

5. Gift Reveal: Pete’s Contribution

• Pete brings a gift to Bridger—a pocket magnifying glass—honoring his love of investigation and mystery (32:18–33:02).
  • “I got you a magnifying glass so you can help me find my missing Labubu. I need more detectives on the case.” – Pete (32:18)
• Pete has a collection of four, using them practically in restaurants and, tongue-in-cheek, for Hollywood crimes (32:43–33:30).
• “I went to Chicago with that magnifying glass. That's where it happened, right?” [on Jussie Smollett] – Pete (33:45)

6. Favorite Scams, Frauds, and Notorious Personalities

• The “Big Three” Frauds: Jussie Smollett, Rachel Dolezal, and Sherri Papini are celebrated as icons of elaborate personal mythologies (41:02–41:12).
  • Pete: “I like people that are committed to their character. That's why I wasn't happy with Jussie Smollett. Cause he didn't do a very good job of...making me believe.” (37:53)
• True Crime and Notorious Women: Pete and Bridger delight in discussing recent and historic frauds, dramatizations, and why these figures are compelling (37:36–40:34).
• Pete’s favorite Enquirer story: an otter that repeatedly bit a woman on the butt—illustrating tabloid absurdity (42:00–42:51).

7. Wild Animals and Urban Dangers

• Florida wildlife (“crocodiles ringing doorbells”), LA’s mountain lions and coyotes, and raccoon/human encounters are traded as stories (43:30–47:51).
• “I have relatives in Florida, and I'll never see them ever again.” – Pete (44:49)
• Pete remains cautious around city wildlife, skeptical of those who feed squirrels (48:21–48:34).

8. Unconventional Game of “Gift or a Curse”

• Bridger runs a lightning round judging if modern phenomena are gifts or curses, e.g.:
  • Using wedding photos to celebrate others online (curse/gift debate, 54:55)
  • Name-dropping celebrities by last name (56:00)
  • Uber driver playing games while driving (57:05)
• Pete’s answers are mostly “incorrect” per Bridger’s playful adjudication, leading to comic exchanges about social etiquette.

9. Listener Advice Segment

• Listener Nicole writes in, overwhelmed by her partner’s extravagant gifting habits. Pete’s solution: demand a “black Labubu” or end the relationship (67:23–68:42).
  • “Ask her for a black Labubu. If she can't get you that, end this relationship.” – Pete (67:29)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On LA’s Cultural Decline:
  “Hollywood’s crumbling. My Labubu was stolen at that trash Vons...Magazines, you can’t find. Magazine stands are closing.” – Pete (13:58)
• On Collectibles Hierarchies:
  “We don’t hang out with people that have Lefufus, only people that have Labubus.” – Pete (12:07)
• On Living in Florida:
  “There could be one [crocodile] in your pool...That’s why I have relatives in Florida, and I’ll never see them ever again.” – Pete (44:29, 44:49)
• On Gift Giving Philosophy:
  “When you show up at somebody’s home, you gift them something.” – Pete (28:14)
• On the Magnifying Glass:
  "Just use it to solve the crimes in your life or other crimes in peoples' lives...maybe help me find my green Labubu." – Pete (51:53)
• On Munchausen by Proxy:
  “Munchausen by proxy sounds like a signature scent. By Calvin Klein. Munchausen by proxy.” – Pete (51:31)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:18] – Pete's Labubu theft story
• [09:14–12:12] – Labubu vs. Lefoufu debate
• [12:32–18:08] – National Enquirer obsession, hunting for tabloids
• [20:44–21:38] – Pete's TV watching habits (Inside Edition)
• [22:03–22:47] – Local commercials and Vivica A. Fox
• [25:08–26:11] – Childhood scams: Sea Monkeys
• [32:18–33:02] – Magnifying glass gift reveal
• [37:36–41:12] – Sherri Papini and the Fraud Big Three
• [41:02] – The Big Three frauds
• [42:00–42:51] – Pete’s favorite Enquirer otter story
• [54:55–58:09] – “Gift or a Curse” game
• [67:23–68:42] – Listener advice: Labubu or bust

Tone & Style

The episode crackles with humor, absurdity, and a warm camaraderie. Pete’s self-deprecation and pop-culture fixations blend with Bridger’s dry wit and playful formality. The discussion is rapid, irreverent, and delightfully tangential—much like if a National Enquirer headline came to life in podcast form.

For Those Who Haven't Listened

You’ll leave the episode with a newfound respect for the world of minor collectibles, a nostalgic pang for the heyday of supermarket tabloids, and a strong recommendation to obtain a magnifying glass (for culinary and investigative purposes). Pete Zias brings unfiltered joy, and the uniquely specific world he and Bridger create will stay with you long after you’ve finished listening.

Follow & More:

• See photos of the gifts on Instagram @I Said No Gifts.
• Follow Pete on Instagram for more tabloidy joy and details on Messy White Gays, his upcoming off-Broadway play.