Champagne, Capers, and Cuddle Parties with Se’era Spragley Ricks

Summary

Podcast Summary: Normal Gossip – Episode: "Champagne, Capers, and Cuddle Parties with Se’era Spragley Ricks"

Introduction

In the January 29, 2025 episode of Normal Gossip, host Rachel Hampton welcomes Sierra Spragley Ricks, the show's new lead producer, for a special bonus installment titled "Champagne, Capers, and Cuddle Parties." This episode delves into personal anecdotes, listener questions, amusing gossip bits, and a heartfelt discussion on New Year's resolutions, all delivered with the show's signature blend of humor and relatability.

Sierra’s Ancestral Love for Gossip

Sierra begins by sharing her deep-rooted connection to gossip, tracing it back to her upbringing in Virginia under the watchful eye of her grandmother. She describes a household bustling with ten siblings, where gossip was an intrinsic part of daily life.

Sierra Spragley Ricks [04:06]: "Gossip is, like, ancestral for me. Like, it's in my DNA."

Rachel humorously likens Sierra's large family to a football team, highlighting the chaotic yet engaging environment that fostered her storytelling prowess.

Rachel Hampton [00:07]: "That's a football team right there."

Building a Bond: Rachel and Sierra’s Friendship

The conversation shifts to the relatively recent friendship between Rachel and Sierra, both Pisces born in March. Despite knowing each other for only two years, their chemistry feels timeless and deeply bonded through shared experiences.

Rachel Hampton [06:23]: "We have been through some shit together. That's gossip. That is not for this podcast."

Sierra echoes the sentiment, emphasizing the strength of their "trauma bonding."

Sierra Spragley Ricks [07:33]: "The trauma bonding is real."

Listener Questions and Interactive Fun

The duo tackles several listener-submitted questions, infusing the episode with interactive engagement:

1. Favorite Celebrity Gossip Moment

   Rachel and Sierra reminisce about the iconic moment when Solange canceled a flight and confronted Jay-Z in an elevator, sparking a legendary gossip thread.

   Rachel Hampton [15:54]: "That was one of the most iconic moments."

   Sierra adds humor by highlighting Beyoncé's understated involvement.

   Sierra Spragley Ricks [16:22]: "There's nothing better as a child than being in grown folks business."

2. Running for Political Office Against a Boss’s Best Friend

   Offering practical advice, they agree that revealing such political aspirations to a boss may not be necessary.

   Rachel Hampton [17:25]: "You don't owe that bitch anything."

   Sierra Spragley Ricks [17:59]: "You owe them nothing."

Personal Anecdotes: Champagne and the Coat Caper

A standout segment involves Sierra recounting a humorous mishap during a season finale party where she accidentally swapped coats with a colleague after a night of celebrating with champagne and wine.

Sierra Spragley Ricks [10:49]: "So I look at the coat, and as beautiful as this coat is, it is not my coat."

Rachel's vivid description of her own inebriated state adds depth to the story.

Rachel Hampton [13:02]: "I was the most hungover I've ever been in my entire life."

The resolution comes when Sierra identifies the misplaced coat was that of Israel Daramola, leading to a successful exchange and a lighthearted conclusion to the episode’s caper.

Gossip Segment: Juicy Tidbits from Listeners

The episode features a gossip segment where Rachel and Sierra react to various reader-submitted stories:

1. 8th Graders vs. Dress Code
   An eighth-grade class's collective boycott of a restrictive dress code results in in-school suspensions, prompting admiration for their unity.

   Sierra Spragley Ricks [23:02]: "Damn."

2. Stuffed Toy Swap Gone Wrong
   A tale of a mother discovering her stuffed toy was replaced with a fake, leading to an impassioned investigation.

   Rachel Hampton [23:55]: "Why would you do that? Who would do that? That's so rude."

3. Marriage Name Confusion
   A listener shares a confusing story about discovering her husband's name was misspelled on his birth certificate, questioning the legitimacy of their marriage.

   Rachel Hampton [25:44]: "That's Benjamin. And you know what? It's the same person."

4. Landlord Hosting Cuddle Parties
   A humorous yet concerning post about a landlord hosting frequent cuddle parties at a tenant's residence sparks debate on lease violations and personal boundaries.

   Rachel Hampton [30:03]: "This violates your lease 100%."

5. Situation with Pokemon Go Players
   A listener discusses a person threatening Pokemon Go players on their property, blending modern gaming culture with neighborly conflicts.

   Sierra Spragley Ricks [32:07]: "And then he hears about Pokemon Go, I might get annoyed too."

New Year's Resolutions: Reflecting and Planning Ahead

The episode concludes with a candid discussion on New Year's resolutions. Rachel and Sierra share their personal approaches and encourage listeners to set meaningful, sustainable goals. They reflect on resolutions such as:

• Leaving Current Jobs and Taking Teams Along: Both agree it's a bold and commendable move.

  Rachel Hampton [38:10]: "Fuck, yeah, it's great. 10 out of 10 recommend."

• Watching All Fast and Furious Movies: Highlighted as an achievable and entertaining goal.

  Sierra Spragley Ricks [38:57]: "Escapism at its finest."

• Trying a New Class Every Month: Embracing new skills like pottery, fitness, and knitting to foster personal growth.

  Rachel Hampton [41:07]: "I have been looking for classes to take with my best friend."

• Giving Fewer Fucks in General: Advocating for selective care, focusing on community engagement over sensational gossip.

  Rachel Hampton [44:29]: "It's not activism to care about what celebrities are doing."

Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Rachel and Sierra express gratitude for each other's presence and the enriching conversation. Rachel hints at more frequent appearances by Sierra behind the scenes, strengthening the show's collaborative spirit.

Rachel Hampton [46:39]: "If you don't, I'll come to all of your houses and fight you, ma'am."

The episode seamlessly blends personal stories, humorous anecdotes, and insightful discussions, embodying the essence of Normal Gossip. For listeners seeking a blend of lighthearted gossip and genuine conversation, this episode delivers an engaging and memorable experience.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Sierra on Gossip’s Roots:

  "Gossip is, like, ancestral for me. Like, it's in my DNA." [04:06]

• Rachel on Friendship Dynamics:

  "You were orchestrating. You were hearing the sides. You were putting them together." [05:19]

• Rachel on Name Mix-Up:

  "It's like this Rochelle Danae with an apostrophe in the Danae D." [27:22]

• Sierra on Resolutions:

  "I will set goals for myself. But like, I don't do it around New Year's Day." [36:51]

• Rachel on Letting Go:

  "Give fewer fucks in general. Amen, girl." [44:02]

Final Thoughts

Normal Gossip continues to excel in presenting relatable, entertaining, and thought-provoking content. This episode, featuring Sierra Spragley Ricks, offers listeners a delightful mix of personal insights, comedic moments, and genuine advice, all wrapped in the warm camaraderie that defines the show.

Transcript

[Unknown Speaker]

Foreign.

[Rachel Hampton]

Flock of gossip birds. Welcome to a bonus episode of Normal Gossip. I'm your host, Rachel Hampton. In case you have somehow missed that news, check out the season finale of season seven for updates and a delightful slash stressful tale that takes place on the high seas. We have got a little treat for you today because let's be real here, it's a rough time and you deserve a treat. But before I can serve your little treat, we have got to get down to a little bit of business. Some exciting news. We have officially started production on season eight of Normal Gossip, which will come out this spring. We have picked a lot of the stories, but we still have a few spots left. So if you have gossip for us, now is the time. Send all your your mess to normal gossipefector.com as a reminder of some of the kinds of gossip that I am absolutely desperate for. Real estate gossip. Gossip that is secretly a romance novel fandom gossip, service industry or retail gossip, mega church gossip, Pokemon Go gossip, polycule gossip, road trip gossip, tabletop gaming gossip, and family lore gossip. If all of that sounds amazing and makes you think, wow, I miss Normal Gossip so much, don't forget we have a newsletter. It goes out every two weeks and has blogs and recommendations from me and Kelsey, Alex, Sierra and Jay, and a bunch of our defector buddies. If you'd like to sign up, the link is in the show notes. Okay, last bit of business. I promise. Kelsey's book is coming out soon. Is that even business? That's also a treat if you haven't pre ordered it yet. That link is also in the show notes. There are still tickets to see me and Kelsey gabbing about her book on February 11th in New York at Town Hall. I'm just saying. I'm just saying. Okay, that's it. I promise onto your first of many little treats. I am thrilled to welcome Normal Gossip's new lead producer, Sierra Spragley Ricks to the front of the microphone. As some of you may know, Ciara and I work together on Slate's Internet culture podcast. In case you missed where we found out, we're both March Pisces. It shouldn't then be surprising that we fell in love immediately. Ciara, hello. Welcome to the front of the mic. How are you feeling?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Hi. Oh, I'm feeling vulnerable.

[Rachel Hampton]

That's so real. That's so real. But if there's a space for vulnerability, it's right here with me, with my bestie. So for today's episode, we've got a real buffet of treats. First, we're Going to answer some burning questions that y'all have for me and Ciara. Then later in the episode, we'll be reacting to some delectable morsels of gossip. And finally, New Year's resolutions. Y'all have them, and we'll be giving our thoughts. I'm excited. Are you excited?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Listen, feed it to me.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yes. Just picture me steepling my fingers like a villain. That's what I'm doing right now. But before we get into the morsels of gossip, some questions. So the very first one, and I'm excited to hear this one, is one of our listeners says they need to know Sierra's relationship with gossip immediately.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Gossip is, like, ancestral for me. Like, it's in my DNA. My grandmother raised me. I grew up in the South. I'm from Virginia, and My grandmother had 10 kids. I like to think I'm her honorary 11th child, because I stayed with her during the weekdays. And her having 10 kids, of course there was mess. Of course there was, like, interpersonal messiness.

[Rachel Hampton]

That's a football team right there. I don't know how many players are on a football team, but that's a football team right there.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

It is chaos. So, like, her kids will call her and be like, mom, so and so did this, and she's just like, what? And then they would hang up. And then, like, moments later, the person that they were having a problem with would call my grandmother.

[Rachel Hampton]

That's beautiful.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

They was like, mom, did you hear? Da, da, da, da. She was like, no, baby, what's going on? Even though the other kid literally just called her moments before. So I was sitting there and I was getting the tea. I'll be watching cartoons, and I'll, like, turn it down a little bit. So it was effort. Like, I didn't have a remote, so I had to go to the TV and, like, turn it down. And I would just kind of be listening. And then when they, like, come to the house, my grandmother was, like, big on Sunday dinners. Like, shit like that. They would come in, and I'm like, ooh, I know you said this about this person, and I know this about that person. And I'm, like, trying to, like, decipher who's telling the truth.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

And then sometimes my grandmother, like, when she was making coffee and she was feeling chatty, she would, like, talk to me about the gossip, and I'm like, ooh, grandma, what do you think? Honestly, I was producing then.

[Rachel Hampton]

No, you really were. You were orchestrating. You were hearing the sides. You were putting them together. You were making a Coherent storyline. There's nothing better as a child than being in grown folks business. It feels life giving. You're just like, ooh, I'm at the big kids table.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I felt like a grownup. I don't see gossip as like a negative thing. It is storytelling and it is no surprise that I enjoy it.

[Rachel Hampton]

Of course. How could you not with an introduction like that? But I do think this segues into the next question, which is, how long have Rachel and Sierra been friends? Based on the way we're talking, you would think it's been 20 years at least.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

And it's been like, what?

[Unknown Speaker]

Two.

[Rachel Hampton]

Two? Yeah, we met at the beginning of 2023. So it's been two years as of this January.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

But I mean, we're both, as you said, at the top, March Pisces. So yes, I understand why our connection feels like it's been longer, like a long time in the making.

[Rachel Hampton]

We also come from, I think, pretty similar places in terms of like, region, ethnicity. So I think, especially in journalism, finding someone who understands that background and kind of speaks the same language as you. I remember the first time that I said something and got Sierra to respond with bitch. And we were working, obviously, and she. We didn't know each other that well at that point and maybe been like a month or two. And I was over here just grinning. Cause I was like, got her. And Sierra was like, I'm so sorry, you're my host. And I was like, girl, we're in for a ride. We're locked in now.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I was like, oh, my gosh. Like, I have crossed so many lines and boundaries. But then after that, it was like a wrap. Like, we were already locked in, but we were really locked in.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah. And you know, we've been through some shit together. That's gossip. That is not for this podcast. But we have been through some shit together. And nothing bonds you like going through some shit together and making it out the other end.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

The trauma bonding is real.

[Rachel Hampton]

It's real. I just remember when I would go on vacation, you would do the little, like, situation Celie crap from Color Purple. And I was like, this girl is ridiculous. And she is for me. Like, I'm like, girl, I'm gonna be back next week. And he would just be like, right now.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Don'T leave me, Rachel.

[Rachel Hampton]

And now you're stuck with me forever stuck.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

This is an active choice. Okay. Like, we are locked in, ma'am. We're here.

[Rachel Hampton]

Wow. The next question is, do we have any defector gossip? We had a little party for the Finale of season seven, which was my first episode hosting. I don't know if this is gossip, but when I get nervous, like most people, I'm just like, give me another drink. So that day, everyone came over to my apartment basically to watch the episode published. Let me tell you, there is nothing more anticlimactic than publishing a podcast episode.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Oh, my God.

[Rachel Hampton]

You're over here thinking, this is something I have spent the last many months of my life being nervous about. And then it just goes live and nothing happens. Because obviously nothing happens. You're pressing publish on audio. It's so anticlimactic.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

And we're just waiting for it to hit the airwaves.

[Rachel Hampton]

Exactly. And so someone brought champagne, which was very nice. And everyone, like left my house to go get ready and there was half a bottle of champagne left. And if there's one thing that is true in my household, it's don't waste champagne because you can't save it. I mean, I don't have the means to save it. I know there are means to save it, but I don't got it like that. So I drank half the bottle of champagne and then went to dinner with my friends where they ordered a bottle of wine for the three of us and then went to the party where they had this lovely little menu of special drinks, including one that was a delicious little vodka drink. Had three of those. So the gossip that I have is that I was three sheets to the wind that night. I was just like, I can't feel how bad my feet hurt in these shoes.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

The best part is I couldn't even tell. You just look happy and you always look happy. So I didn't know.

[Rachel Hampton]

That's beautiful. I think I was too nervous to reach the normal Rachel state of drunkenness at that level, which is just me being like, I love you guys so much. I did cry at the bar that we went to afterwards. Oh, you did cry? Yeah. Yeah. So actually I did get there, but I think I would have done that sober. It was an emotional day.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

It was an emotional day. Something did happen. That coat swapped that you did. Yes.

[Rachel Hampton]

Oh, my God, I forgot. Oh, my God.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I.

[Rachel Hampton]

Let me tell you, when you called me at that point in the night, I was definitely three streets to the wind. Cause I had had another beer at that bar. So please tell the story.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

So there's a coat check. It was our Christmas party slash normal gossip, like just celebration. And I had my grandmother's coat that is like an old school wool coat, gray, unassuming, Swedish looking. And it Was in the back, and it was in our coat check. And between my friend palace and my husband Justin, they were like, you know, we were all mingling. We were saying goodbye. I think I was talking to you. When they went to go grab my coat. They grabbed my coat. I put on the coat. We go to eat. Cause I was still hungry when we left.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah, the food was. It was finger food.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

It was finger food, and I needed something hearty, like I was hungry. So we went to sisters.

[Rachel Hampton]

Great choice.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I love sisters. So good. Every time I go to Brooklyn, I make sure I, like, hit up sisters. Yes. So we go, we leave, we say goodbye to my friend Palace. We go back to the hotel. I'm in the elevator, a couple comes in, and then the couple is like, oh, my gosh, I just love your coat. And I was like, yeah, thank you. My grandmother gave it to me. Like, you know, she has since passed, so this is like my coat that I always, always remember her by. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Then I, like, stick my hand in the coat and I fill a set of keys, and I'm like, wait, who keys are these?

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah, Important note. Ciara does not live in Brooklyn, so there's no reason for her to have her house keys in her pocket at a party in Brooklyn. Her house keys were probably in, like, your luggage or some stuff in the hotel.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

And then I look at the coat, and as beautiful as this coat is, it is not my coat. And I'm like, panicked.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah, I remember you calling me in the bar. And again, I was, what? Half a bottle of champagne, half a bottle of wine, three whiskey drinks, and a beer into the night. So I just teeter my way outside, and I'm like, why is Sierra calling me? And you're like, I have the wrong coat. And I immediately, as much as possible, sobered up and was just like, we're gonna get it back. You were.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

You were very encouraging.

[Rachel Hampton]

I was like, don't worry, we're gonna get it back. The thing is, I told you that. Hung up and was just like, I'm too drunk to deal with this. I don't know what to do. And so I went into the party where Kelsey still was, and I was like, my Virgo queen will fix everything. And so I go up to her and one of our staff writers, Gideonathan, and I'm just like, kelsey, I have a problem. And she's like, what? And I'm like, sierra lost her coat. It's a family heirloom. It's been traded with someone else's so she has someone's coat, but we don't know whose coat it is. And I was just like, I don't know what to do. And she just lays out a plan, and she's like, we're gonna do. She's like, we can't do anything tonight. She's like, when does Ciara leave? And I'm like, okay, okay, okay. And then you found out who had your coat?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yes. So I look, I'm like, going through the pockets at this point now. I've already walked to the venue that we were at before, and, like, the coat wasn't there. So then I'm, like, walking back, and I'm like, oh, shit. I haven't looked through the pockets. I looked through the pockets, and there is a piece of paper that was, like, for an event, and it was like, a reserved piece of paper, and it had Israel's.

[Rachel Hampton]

Just incredible, incredible luck that that was in there. And Israel is Israel Daramola, who is a staff writer at Defect, who. I'm not surprised that y'all swapped coats because you're both very fashionable. So once you told me it was Israel's, I was like, oh, okay. Yeah, that's Rex, actually. I understand.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yes. And I, like, emailed him. We were able to swap the coats back. Like, we both, like, took very good care of each other's coats, and it was just a nice little scavenger hunt, if you will.

[Rachel Hampton]

I just remember getting your slack message that you figured out it was Israel and that you were gonna swab, and I was the most hungover I've ever been in my entire life. And I was just like, if I could pull myself up into a vertical position, I would be jumping for joy, but I simply can't do that. I was like, I'm so happy for you. I need to go lay in a dark room somewhere. Oh, I love that.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I was like, ooh, Christ is a burden.

[Rachel Hampton]

I was like, christ is a burden. Okay, great. I can go back to being hungover. So that's the defect of gossip. I got too drunk. Sierra had a caper all on her own.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Listen.

[Rachel Hampton]

Okay, next question. What is your favorite piece of celebrity gossip of all time? Remember when Solange punched Jay Z in the elevator?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

That was one of the most iconic.

[Rachel Hampton]

Moments that, like, TMZ shot of her walking out the elevator, her face just absolutely so angry. Beyonce in the background trying to look serious, but you can see her smiling a little bit because she was like, someone had to do it, and I couldn't do it. And then Jay Z Just in the background, head down.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

And she's kicking Julius. Julius was like, let me just. I'm gonna let you get a lick in. Like, Julius.

[Rachel Hampton]

The way there was a bodyguard in the elevator, and Solange still got her licks in.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

We wouldn't have known if we didn't know who Julius was. Like, my favorite part is when Solange is over there, like, getting her licks in, and Beyonce just takes the train of her gown and just, like, moves it out the way over to the side. Yeah. She's like, oh, yeah. Like, you can. You can tag him a few, but, like, just make sure you don't step on this.

[Rachel Hampton]

No, exactly. She's like, I gotta give this dress back. This was a rental. I don't condone violence publicly. However, that was iconic. I love Solange. The love of a little sister for her big sister. I don't know, because I don't have sisters, but I've seen it play out.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

That is my sister. We grew up in two different households, but my sister is an Aries son. Oh, she don't play about me.

[Rachel Hampton]

So the last question is, I'm running for political office against my boss's best friend. How do I tell my boss?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Like, okay, first off, your boss is probably not going to vote for your ass anyway. So, like, why even tell them?

[Rachel Hampton]

My instinctive reaction, which is maybe not helpful in this situation, is you don't owe that bitch anything. They'll find out when they go vote, or whenever they see the campaigning slogans, they'll figure it out. Why do you have to tell your boss about your political aspirations? Your boss's best friend, who is that to you?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Right. And it's not on company time.

[Rachel Hampton]

So our collective choice is don't tell that person.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yeah. Like, I mean, if they ask you, like, yeah, I'm running.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Can I count on your vote?

[Rachel Hampton]

Do you want to hear my platform?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Here's my website.

[Rachel Hampton]

Remind them when voting day is. Remind them where their local polling station is. Tell them local elections are very important. The most important, very. The most important. Especially in these times.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Become a poll worker.

[Rachel Hampton]

Vote in your local elections. But other than that, don't tell them. You have to tell them shit.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

You owe them nothing. But great.

[Rachel Hampton]

Exactly. Wow.

[Unknown Speaker]

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[Rachel Hampton]

Wow. I really wasn't sure how we would reach a quorum on that last question, but I'm proud of us. We immediately are both just like, you don't owe that bitch shit. But now onto the part that y'all have all been waiting for, which is the gossip. We've got some little tidbits that have been gathered for us and we're both so excited. You might recognize the voices reading these morsels. Thank you so much to jtol Vieira and Alex Sujong Laughlin for lending your incredible voice acting chops to this episode. Let's hear the first one.

[Unknown Speaker]

Our 8th graders tried to collectively boycott the dress code today. And every single one got sent to in school suspension. Fuck around and find out.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Damn.

[Rachel Hampton]

Okay, on one level, I'm proud of your children for collectively organizing.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Me too. Okay. I'm just trying to figure out, like, what was the dress code exactly?

[Rachel Hampton]

As a bitch with long arms relative to her body. That fucking rule that's like, your dress has to reach the bottom of your fingertips. For some people, that's mid thigh. For me, that is knee length because I have a really big wingspan.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Me too. You and I are literally the same height and we have the same wingspan. And seriously, my arms are long.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yes, it makes benching really hard, but yeah. So actually, I think the 8th graders are right. That's how I feel about this. Power to the people.

[Unknown Speaker]

Home for the holidays. And my mom is filled to the brim with petty work gossip. Someone took her stuffed toy off her desk and then tried to replace it, but she knows it's fake.

[Rachel Hampton]

Why would you do that? Who would do that? That's so rude. There's no. There are levels to this shit.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I almost want to see a side by side comparison.

[Rachel Hampton]

No, same actually. So true. I need to know how different the fake is from the real. Cause if it's a pretty close replica, if it's like what, that Walmart Birkin that everyone's talking about? Wait a minute. Then I'm kind of just like, okay, they tried, but if it's just an immediate fake, like the Birkins in Canal street, then perhaps I have questions.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

And have we found out who it was? Like, these are things we need to know.

[Rachel Hampton]

Your mother needs to go investigation mode. She needs to be requesting the tapes. She needs to be running back through that security footage. She needs to be doing fingerprint dusting, because I need to know who took her stuffed toy off her desk and then replaced it with a fake.

[Unknown Speaker]

My husband is about to be 31 years old at the end of the year. For 31 years, he has gone by Benjamin. This is the name on our marriage certificate, our mortgage, all his bank accounts, and even his new license he got two weeks ago. Recently, he was putting together his documents because he was applying for a passport. When he got out his birth certificate, he did a double take on his birth certificate. His name is spelled Benjamin. Why has this never been caught before? Is our marriage even legitimate? The man in my house is a stranger. I don't know this Benjamin. I married Benjamin.

[Rachel Hampton]

There's no way whoever submitted this could have known how hard this would hit for me.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Specifically, you noticed firsthand.

[Rachel Hampton]

So all of you know me as Rachel, spelled with an extra le at the end. It's giving Rachelle. It's giving French. It's special. It's confusing for a lot of people. The people who pronounce my name correctly upon first meeting me. I'm a little bit just like, where'd you come from? My parents spelled my name the normal way, as in R A C H E, L. For most of my life, I thought that was how my name was spelled. And by most of my life, I mean up until I was like, 9 or 10. That's not most of my life at this point. Jesus Christ. Anyway, I found out when my family moved from Chicago to Texas and I started going to Texas public school that my name legally is spelled Rochelle, despite the fact that I grew up with my entire family and my old school spelling it the old way. So it turns out my name is spelled incorrectly on my birth certificate because the nurse just kind of decided to go rogue. My parents were like, we want our child's name to be Rachel Denae, spelled R I C H, E L, Danae, D A N, A, E. And when we got the birth certificate a few months later, I don't know why it was so late. I wasn't conscious. I was A baby. It's spelled Rochelle Danae with an apostrophe in the Danae D. Apostrophe Nae. I was born in Chicago, in case this isn't in the south side of Chicago. Some nurse was like, this girl needs a little space.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I'mma juice up her name a little bit. Little extra, little razzle dazzle going on.

[Rachel Hampton]

So I go to Texas and the public school is like, we call you your legal name. And so I was like, okay, now I have to tell everyone my name is Rachelle Rachel. And my parents are like, don't worry, we'll fix it. We have to go back to the county you were born in to fix it. But then I take like my SATs and it's all under my government name. And then I get my passport and it's all under my government name. And then I was like, you know what? At this point, it's a funny story to tell. In interviews, whenever I walk into a room and they're like, hello, Richard. And it's like, actually, it's facial. It's spelled wrong on my birth certificate. And everyone's like, what? And then it just kind of breaks the tension. And honestly, I've gotten every job that I've ever told that story in so power. To the nurse, I guess. Thank you all. To say Benjamin. Benjamin. I get it. There are a lot of legal implications, which is why I have not changed my name. It's so much paperwork and then it doesn't go through for a long time. Like a lot of people who change their names, understand this. If you get married, if you transition, like forever, whatever reason you're changing your legal name, it's a lot of fucking work. And it gets harder the older you get. So I'm sorry, but you married Benjamin. That's Benjamin right there.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

That's Benjamin. And you know what? It's the same person.

[Rachel Hampton]

That's so true. What is a rose by any other name? That rose's name is Benjamin. And he still smells sweet. I hope.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I would literally call him Benjamin the entire time.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah, this is a perfect opportunity for.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

An extended bit like, Benjamin, come over here.

[Unknown Speaker]

I am on a neighborhood Facebook page and a month or two back, I saw someone asking if it is legal for a landlord to throw a party at your house. Everyone responded that a landlord should not do that and gave varying advice. Fast forward to this week and there is a post titled, There might be a potential parking issue on X Street. My landlord is throwing his first cuddle party tonight and I thought I'd Warn my neighbors. I think he is having 18 to 20 people at the house. He is planning on having these parties every Friday night.

[Rachel Hampton]

Does your landlord live in your house or what is this rental situation?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yeah, like, is it like a basement apartment or is it, like, this is your home that you're renting the entire.

[Rachel Hampton]

This is your home, and your landlord doesn't live there. You're renting it from them, but they just decided to have a cuddle party in your home.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

That violates.

[Rachel Hampton]

Cause that's. That violates your lease 100%. There is 100% a clause in your lease somewhere about, like, warrant of habitability or some shit that will say this is not legal. Are you invited to the cuddle party? Are they allowed in your bedroom?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yeah, like, I mean, it's 18 to 20 people. They're all not fitting in, like, the living room.

[Rachel Hampton]

Or is it just a cuddle puddle on the floor?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

The way my brain is doing mental.

[Rachel Hampton]

Gymnastics, 18 to 20 people feels like a lot of people I like. I'm gonna be honest. I have, like, a pretty decently sized couch, and even cuddling with one other person on the couch gets real crowded really fast. I usually disavow neighborhood Facebook pages because they scare me, but I'm gonna need you to stay in this Facebook page, and I need you to get an invite to the cuddle party. I'm sorry. You need to take one for the team.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I need inside reporting.

[Rachel Hampton]

Please update us because I have many, many questions. I need to know.

[Unknown Speaker]

Found out that my situationship got cited for threatening Pokemon Go players on his property.

[Rachel Hampton]

None of these words are in the Bible. I would like to say that's a b. Why did Pokemon Go put one of their whatever sites on someone's private property?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Residential property?

[Rachel Hampton]

Like, on one hand, I kind of agree with your situation. Chip. If some random. If, like, just a hoard of random people were coming to my home every so often and hanging out in the lawn, I would be a little stressed out by that. On the other hand, why are you threatening them?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I, like, just imagine someone having a ring app, and, like, you get the ring notification and it just keeps going off. Because people are like, on your property, and you're like, what the fuck is happening outside?

[Rachel Hampton]

No, exactly.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

And then he hears about Pokemon Go, I might get annoyed too.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah, no, exactly. I understand why he's annoyed. Is there no way to, like, contact the app and be like, yo, you put one of your little landing sites in my backyard. Did this affect your situationship standing? Finding out that this happened.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Ooh.

[Rachel Hampton]

Cause this gossip is told very neutrally in a way that I appreciate. But I also want to know if you were like, ooh, that's an ick. Which I get.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

And threatening. Like did they go out and like yo, I'm going to do such and such, or were they like passive aggressive and just turn on the sprinkler?

[Rachel Hampton]

Exactly. Because that that's fine.

[Unknown Speaker]

Huge news. I wrote a whole book of beautiful essays about gossip. It's called you'd didn't hear this from me and I'm so, so proud of it. It's about how we use gossip. It's about Britney Spears and West Elm, Caleb and Gilgamesh and Picasso. And it's so, so fun. And I think it's really good. It comes out February 11th in hardback and a sexy audiobook which I read. You can buy it wherever you get books. You can go to Kelsey McKinney book.com to see all the retailers where you could possibly buy a book from and to buy tickets for the upcoming book tour, which will be really fun and really exciting. That's Kelsey McKinney book.com I don't know.

About you, but I always feel my best when I'm eating simple foods with ingredients I can pronounce, especially after the holiday season. We are not into January 1st dieting in this house, but I do feel just generally a little sluggish. You know, things are so chaotic and I'm just eating whatever is available to me and it's nice to slow down once the new year starts and return to a little bit of intention. That's why I love using Thrive Market. Thrive Market takes the guesswork out of finding safe, healthy food. All their products are 100% non GMO and free from over a thousand harmful ingredients and their on site filters make shopping even easier. For example, I have talked about being pre diabetic a lot this past year and Thrive Market has amazing options for people with dietary restrictions of any kind. Another thing I love Thrive Market's smart cart feature. When you create an account, Thrive Market asks the right questions and automatically builds a grocery cart tailored to your needs filled with healthy alternatives to your favorite brands. I recently discovered the lesser evil brand Himalayan Sweetness Popcorn and oh my gosh, it has just a hint of coconut in it. That makes it so much fun to snack on. Ready for a junk free start to 2025. Head to thrivemarket.com gossip and get 30% off your first order plus a free $60 gift. That's T H R-I V E market.com gossip thrivemarket.com gossip where I live it is so cold that it is depressing. And so one of the only ways that I am finding joy right now is in getting dressed every day. With a new year comes a new opportunity to reimagine ourselves and more importantly, our wardrobes. This year I'm resolving to refresh my look with quality pieces and stay on budget. And I can, thanks to Quince. However you choose to refresh your look, all Quince pieces are priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. And they use premium fabrics and finishes for that luxury feel in every piece. One of my favorite items that I own is this cozy cotton cardigan from Quince. It's like this olive green color and it looks great with everything and it's so warm. And I would love to get it in another color because it really adds something to every outfit I pair it with. Upgrade your closet this year without the upgraded price tag. Go to quince.comgossip for 365 day returns plus free shipping on your order. That's Q-U-I-N C E.comgossip to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comgossip.

[Rachel Hampton]

I could spend at least half an hour with that last one. Honestly, yes. But unfortunately it's now time to address the passing of time. It's 2025.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

It is.

[Rachel Hampton]

Ciara. Do you believe in New Year's resolutions?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I will set goals for myself. But like, I don't do it around New Year's Day. Like my, I mean, both of our birthdays are in March, so I like to use like the first three months to kind of like catch up on goals that I didn't like, reach or reflect or things like that. And then for my birthday, I will set goals. So like, I'll set goals ahead and then I'll like official start on my birthday.

[Rachel Hampton]

I like that. Yeah, I might steal that.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

It's pretty cool.

[Rachel Hampton]

Resolutions feel like a lot of pressure and I have never really attached a lot of meaning to New Year's. No, it always feels anticlimactic to me. Every single time. I'm just like, okay, another year has passed. It's now 2025. I'm not gonna internalize that until March. We all know that I'm going to be writing 2024 for at least the next three months. So new Year's resolutions don't really hit for me. But I'm wondering if these next few resolutions that listeners sent us will inspire us. Okay. Okay. The first one is, I resolved to leave my current job and take my crew with me. As someone who did that, I will go ahead and say, fuck, yeah, it's great. 10 out of 10 recommend.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I read that, and I was like, is this about us?

[Rachel Hampton]

Is this play about us?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Why not? Like, literally, it worked for us.

[Rachel Hampton]

That's a great resolution. 10 out of 10 recommend. The next one is, I want to watch all 10 Fast and Furious movies. That's an achievable goal. I just watched Fast 10 for the first time with my family over the holidays. I hadn't seen Fast. No. I have seen Fast 9. I saw Fast 9 in theaters. That's one where they went to space. And then I saw the one where there's, like, the safe being dragged behind them. And then I've seen, like, the original, like, three. Everything else that happens in that universe. This is a good year to watch those movies because they exist in a universe that is not real. Those are superhero movies at this point.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Escapism at its finest. It's a blend of genres. It's actually quite fascinating because you have action, you have Rom com, family drama, sci fi, family drama, family soap opera. Like, it's like. Because the amount of times that a character has died and then came back, it's like, am I watching Jane the Virgin? Am I. Am I watching the telenovela? Like, is this General Hospital when Luke died and came back? Like, because there's so much.

[Rachel Hampton]

I was watching Fasten and someone died, and I was like, they're not dead. And my dad was like, what do you mean? They blew up in an explosion. And I'm like, in this universe that wasn't me anymore, until you see the body, they're not dead. And then someone came back at the end that everyone thought was dead, and I was like, see if that bitch can come back. Why can't this other bitch that just died?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

There's been at least three of them. Three of them who have died and come back. Like, and you mentioned going to space. Like, I laughed. This is Sci Fi Episode.

[Rachel Hampton]

When that happened in the theater, and I was one of the only people who laughed. And I was like, please don't tell me y'all are taking this shit seriously. I cannot look at Tyrese Gibson staring at the screen and saying, we're going to space. Shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up. I.

[Unknown Speaker]

It's.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

It's like, okay, in this universe, I'm trying to figure it out because, like, what is time in this universe? Because you mean to tell me you go to space and come back, like, in a day's time. But it takes me 13 hours to fly to Thailand. And we just went to space.

[Rachel Hampton]

You sent a car to space in 24 hours?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

What fucking car? What in the Elon Musk Space Force shit is happening?

[Rachel Hampton]

All of this to say, this is a wonderful resolution because your mind will be occupied watching these movies because nothing makes sense.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Nothing.

[Rachel Hampton]

And it's very fun to kind of just pick apart in a way that's like, what are we even doing here?

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

The. The perfect escape. The perfect escape for the sign.

[Rachel Hampton]

Next resolution is, I want to try a new class every month. Pottery, fitness, et cetera. Please suggest. I love this.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Absolutely love it.

[Rachel Hampton]

I think this is a really good idea. One of the classes that I would recommend. I have been looking for classes to take with my best friend. We get each other Christmas presents, and the Christmas present that I got her, her sister already got her. So I had to think of the second one.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Okay.

[Rachel Hampton]

Piss me off. But I found some dumpling making classes in New York and some sushi making classes as well. So I think I'm gonna buy her one of those and we're gonna do it together. So that is an option. I think there's a kind of cuisine that seems a little complicated. Having someone take you through is really fun. I've looked into woodworking classes. Those are very expensive. But you do come out with, like, a side table. So I'm gonna be honest. The money feels worth it.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yes.

[Rachel Hampton]

Oh. Aerial yoga. Oh, my gosh. I walked past someone doing it in a building, and I was like, I don't be one of those people who's just, like, looking in on people doing fitness because nothing freaks me out more. But I was like, I wanna do that. I wanna be swinging from the chandelier like, fucking Sia.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yes.

[Rachel Hampton]

Okay.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Like on that track two that I would suggest, one is pole dancing.

[Rachel Hampton]

Oh, yes.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Pole dancing is so much fun. It's literally, like, all levels. And I've been inspired by Alex. So I'm taking a knitting class on the intro to knitting.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yay. I love that.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I can't wait.

[Rachel Hampton]

Wow.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Can't wait to knit me a sweater like Alex.

[Unknown Speaker]

Ooh.

[Rachel Hampton]

Actually, one of my friends took. This is the same friend took a sewing class at the Fashion Institute in New York. But I think there are probably a lot of places that do sewing classes. And that is something that, when I have more free time, I would be very interested in getting into, because I love the idea of being able to, like, make or mend my Own clothes.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yes. I was reading a book recently, I who have never known men, and in that book, the ladies, like, make their own clothes. And I was just like, if I got a hole in a garment, I don't even know how to fix it. So I just want to be, like. I don't know, more at. With my hands and, like, be able to, like, create or fix things. So, like, I love the idea of, like, when you mentioned the woodworking class.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Sewing, knitting. I think these are things that are, like, really cool. And it can cut back on so many.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Being more sustainable and just conscientious of, like, the impact and our imprint on the earth. So I like that.

[Rachel Hampton]

Wow. And then the last one. I like this one. The last resolution is to give fewer fucks in general. Amen, girl.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Whoever turn to your neighbor.

[Rachel Hampton]

Amen. Pop off. Yeah, truly. I mean, I would say the. My addendum to this would be to place my fucks in the correct spaces. There are a lot of things that I think we should all just care less about what celebrities are doing.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yes.

[Rachel Hampton]

It's not activism to care about what celebrities are doing. They're never gonna represent us. I think giving fewer fucks about the just TikTok coverage of the Trump administration. If there's anything I learned from the first Trump administration is that a lot of people will spend a lot of time spinning theories that don't happen, and the things that actually happen will be entirely surprising and devastating in ways that we couldn't have guessed. And I don't really want to listen to pundits or people on Twitter who are just spiraling and scared and trying to control their fear by trying to guess what's coming next. I get it. I also try to control my fear by predicting the future, but unfortunately, I don't have that ability, and neither does Ezra Klein. So, no, I don't want to pay attention to those people. I want to respond to the moment.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

That we're in, I think just being more engaged and embedded in your community, honestly. So, like, if I'm gonna give fucks about anything, I'm gonna give fucks about my community. I'm gonna be engaged in those spaces and in those places, and I think that's where we will find healing.

[Rachel Hampton]

Yeah. Ciara, thank you for coming on the show.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Oh, my gosh, thanks for having me.

[Rachel Hampton]

I mean, technically, you're always here.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

I mean, I am. I'm always behind the mic, which I do love. I love being behind the mic. Um, this was just a rare occurrence, and I did it for our listeners because they were like, who is the Ciara girl? Like, we know Rachel, but who the fuck is Ciara? And hopefully you like me.

[Rachel Hampton]

If you don't, I'll come to all of your houses and fight you, ma'am. No, personally, no, no. I'll be getting in street fights for Ciara's honor. This is my bestie. This is the love of my life. I'm so glad that this happened. I know you said it's a rare occurrence, but we might be making it less rare as time goes on. So this hopefully is not the last time y'all get to hear from Ciara on Mike, but this was so fun.

[Sierra Spragley Ricks]

Yeah, thank you for allowing me to come on mic and be with you.

[Rachel Hampton]

This was fun, girl. Literally anytime. This podcast was produced by Sierra Spragley Ricks and J. Tol Vieira. The co creators and dowager queens of Normal Gossip are Alex Sujon Laughlin and Kelsey McKinney. Justin Ellis is Defectors projects editor. Jasper Wang and Sean Kuhn are Defectors business guys. Alex dujong Laughlin is Defectors supervising producer. Tom Leng is our Editor in chief. Dan McQuaid runs our merch store which you can find at normalgossip store. Tara Jacoby designed our show art thanks to the rest of the Defector staff. Defector Media is a collectively owned subscriber based media company. Normal Gossip is a proud member of Radiotopia. I am your host Rachel Hampton and remember you did not hear this from me.

[Unknown Speaker]

Radiotopia from PRX.