Julia and Eliza are back in the stu for a deep dive into hostile architecture, unpacking the spikes, slopes, bars, and billion-dollar "design choices" that quietly shape our cities and public spaces. In analyzing bisected benches, shadeless streets, and the Evil of Robert Moses, the girlies consider what it means to live in a world built to restrict movement and community. Digressions include the sacred magic of knitting tutorials, NYC's food poisoning themed Erewhon, and Eliza staying bricked up.

This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette.

To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

SOURCES

Behavioral designs defined: how to understand and why it is important to differentiate between "defensive," "hostile," "disciplinary", and other designs in the urban landscape'

Cities Are Spending More to Brutalize Homeless People Than It Would Cost to House Them

City Beautiful Movement

Defending Suburbia

Examining Anti-Homeless Architecture

Fortress LA by Mike Davis (excerpt from City of Quartz)

Hostile Architecture: Behind the Buzzword

Hostile Architecture in the United States: Productive or Harmful?

Hostile urban architecture: A critical discussion of the seemingly offensive art of keeping people away

How Valuable Is Public Space? Priceless, Argues a New Book by Setha Low

Jane Jacobs, a Rebel with a Cause

Setha Low | Why Public Space Matters | Fast Forward 2022

The Economic Value of Health Benefits Associated with Urban Park Investment?

The Highway That Sparked the Demise of an Iconic Black Street in New Orleans

The Inescapable Robert Moses

The Right to the City

The Power Broker by Robert Caro

Understanding Hostile Architecture: The Cause and Effect of Restricting Public Space

Understanding Urban Renewal

Julia cozies up in her childhood bedroom for her first-ever solo episode, providing a little life update from the trenches of her PhD program and giving the binchies some sage advice. Digressions include whatever the hell is going on with the Wicked cast, New York apartment vermin, and the strange comfort of magical thinking.

This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and our monthly news broadcast What the Hell Sure NEWS, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

Julia is joined by artist and candlelight devotee Roxy Jamin for an illuminating episode examining The Big Light. Together, the girlies explore how modern LED lighting and the death of neon have slowly divorced us from nature, mystery, and the romance of the hearth, while keeping us trapped in a world of endless noon. Digressions include the shame of using an Instagram Reel as a flashlight, the false promise of a pink drill, and the occasional need to admire the Amish.

This episode was produced by Julia Hava and edited by Livi Burdette.

To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

You can pre-order Roxy's manifesto AND purchase her stickers here: https://spiralingpress.com/

Roxy's Website: https://rjamin.net/

SOURCES

A Brief History of Lighting

ATTENTION AND DISTRACTION IN THE LIGHTING OF WORK-PLACES

Catching the Light: The Entwined History of Light and Mind

Fading glory: the fight to save Hong Kong's beloved neon signs

Home lighting: In defense of "The Big Light."

Humans perceive flicker artifacts at 500 Hz

Last Call for Neon in New York City

Life before artificial light | Life and style | The Guardian

Lighting - IEA

Psychological processes influencing lighting quality

Psychology of Light: How Light Influences the Health and Psyche

The Difference Between Halogen and LED Lights in Surgical Rooms

The History of Fluorescent Lights

The Social History of Lighting

Thousands of drivers sign petition calling for ban on 'blinding' vehicle headlights.

The potential influence of LED lighting on mental illness

Where Did All the Hong Kong Neon Go? - The New York Times

In this truly chaotic Thanksgiving-themed episode, Julia and Nick celebrate the holiday the only way that makes sense: unpacking the LIES and encasing everything in jello. Course by course, the binchies revisit the original feast of 1621, the one 19th century lady who kept trying to make Thanksgiving happen, and your insane family stories and recipes. Digressions include the French winning the IDGAF war, Kim Kardashian's ChatGPT induced academic failure, and a surprise attack in the stu.

This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and our monthly news broadcast What the Hell Sure NEWS, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

Reporting live from the newly DIY'ed stu, Julia is joined by beautiful Nick, the king of DIY, to chart the chaotic history of "doing it yourself." From ancient Greeks assembling Ikea-style furniture to TikTokers accidentally creating mustard gas in their homes, they uncover how the urge to DIY is fundamentally human. Along the way, they discuss Victorian men who couldn't do shit, 1950s dads working through PTSD by tinkering in their garages, the health benefits of working with your hands, and the scientific proof that gay people are superior at home improvement.

Digressions include Nick's evil brother's latest crimes against humanity, the life-saving potential of eliminating daylight savings times, and a new candy that awakens something ancient within us.

This episode was produced by Julia Hava and edited by Livi Burdette.

To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

SOURCES

A brief history of DIY, from the shed to the maker movement | Science Museum

A New Generation of Influencers Has Discovered DIY on a Tiny Budget

Barry Bucknell | | The Guardian

Despite a Pandemic Remodeling Boom, Aging US Homes Require Additional Investment

Dig for Victory! New histories of wartime gardening in Britain - ScienceDirect

Do It Yourself...and the Movement Beyond Capitalism

Do-It-Yourself: Constructing, Repairing and Maintaining Domestic Masculinity

First episode of Bucknell's House

Homeownership by Selected Demographic and Housing Characteristics

How the lesbian squats of London Fields influenced queer DIY culture

In These D.I.Y. Groups, 'You Don't Have to Prove That You Belong' - The New York Times

Make Do and Mend, 1943

Man makes nuclear reactor in garage

Men change tires: Lesbians unfazed by flat packs

Psychological benefits of the "maker" or do-it-yourself movement in young adults: A pathway towards subjective well-being.

The King of D.I.Y. Dwellings - The New York Times

The new crisis of masculinity

The Strange Allure of Watching Other People Tear Up Their Homes - The New York Times

Think DIY Saves Money? Here's What Really Happened When I Tried It

Understanding the do-it-yourself consumer: DIY motivations and outcomes | AMS Review

Was punk DIY? Is DIY punk? Interrogating the DIY/punk nexus, with particular reference to the early UK punk scene, c. 1976–1984 - George McKay, 2024

What's the Matter with Men?

This week, Julia is joined by internet advicestress Eli Rallo to chart the history of the advice column. From Victorian agony aunts to the iconic twin-sister rivals Ann Landers and Dear Abby, they follow how advice became both moral instruction and mass entertainment. Plus, the girlies weigh in on history's biggest dilemmas, like: is a ginger man doomed to be single forever? Is my dog gay? And is my hot wife allowed to be naked in our own home? Digressions include crowdfunding therapy for trauma candy salad victims, the female urge to visit a psychic, and advice for living your most slayful life.

Check out Eli's new book: Does Anyone Else Feel This Way?

This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and our monthly news broadcast What the Hell Sure NEWS, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

BOO! It's time for another binchtacular Halloween episode! Join Julia and Nick in costume as they explore humanity's pettiest tradition: CURSES! From blighted crops and ancient binding spells to Etsy witches who can hex your ex, they unpack the storied history of transforming rage into ritual — while cackling hysterically along the way. Digressions include sad crab facts, the burden of being bald, and a Halloween abortion story with a happy ending.

This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette.

To support the podcast on Patreon and access 50+ bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more, visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

SOURCES

10 Famous Curses from History

11 of the Most Infamous Ancient Curses in History

1973: England's Deadliest Chair?

6 Famous Curses and Their Origins

8 Hilarious Curse Tablets from the Roman World

Ancient Christians and the Power of Curses

Ancient Greek Curse Tablets

Are Curses Real? A Psychological Perspective on a Perennial Belief

Curse Tablets: The History Of A Technology

How Curses Impact People and Biblical Responses

How to Do Things with Words

In Blood and Ashes: Curse Tablets and Binding Spells in Ancient Greece

The Curse of King Tut's Tomb

The Curse Tablets of Carthage

The Pharaoh's Curse or the Pharaoh's Cure?

Want to get rid of a toxic ex? Or curse someone? Hire an Etsy witch.

Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic among the Azande

In a long-awaited episode, Julia is joined by her PhD bestina Jewish Aliza for a multifaceted discussion about mental illness, psychology programs, and the hell of grad school. The girlies differentiate between the many ways to become a therapist, affirm psychodynamic supremacy, navigate how to practice with an online presence, and unpack how they try (and fail) to maintain their sanity. Digressions include the need for bipolar lesbian representation, Aliza's Catherine Zeta-Jones themed Bat Mitzvah, and the importance of reaching out to randos.

This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and more visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.

This week on Binchtopia, Eliza returns from her off-grid era to dive into the history and evolution of body technology, from ancient tracking rituals to Silicon Valley's quantified self movement. The girlies break down Fitbits, Oura Rings, Prenuvo scans, and sleep apps to examine how our obsession with optimizing the body blurs the line between health, surveillance, and control. Digressions include Taylor Swift's public clowning, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B beefing with each other's kids, and the biological necessity of annihilation anxiety.

This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette.

SOURCES

A Panopticon on My Wrist: The Biopower of Big Data Visualization for Wearables

Beyond Human: Lifelogging and Life Extension

Denial of Death by Ernest Becker

Effectiveness of wearable activity trackers to increase physical activity and improve health: a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Exploring the impact of commercial wearable activity trackers on body awareness and body representations: A mixed-methods study on self-tracking

Full-body MRIs: Peace of mind for some, "bane of my existence" for others

Health Wearables, Gamification, and Healthful Activity

I covered my body in health trackers for 6 months. It ruined my life.

Interventions Using Wearable Activity Trackers to Improve Patient Physical Activity and Other Outcomes in Adults Who Are Hospitalized

Know Thyself: Tracking Every Facet of Life, from Sleep to Mood to Pain, 24/7/365

Memex: A Romantic Theoretical Tool for Thought

Orthosomnia: Are Some Patients Taking the Quantified Self Too Far?

Perceptions of Wearable Health Tools Post the COVID-19 Emergency in Low-Income Latin Communities: Qualitative Study

Prevalence of Orthosomnia in a General Population Sample: A Cross-Sectional Study

Ring of power: Oura will soon be worth $11b

Self-Tracking by Gina Neff & Dawn Nafus

Terror Management Theory

The double-edged sword of self-tracking: investigating factors of technostress in performance-oriented cycling and triathlon

The Quantified Self by Deborah Lupton The Rise of Wearable Devices during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Wearable Devices Can Increase Health Anxiety. Could They Adversely Affect Health?

Wearable Devices to Improve Physical Activity and Reduce Sedentary Behaviour: An Umbrella Review

Wearable systems without experiential disruptions: exploring the impact of device feedback changes on explicit awareness, physiological synchrony, sense of agency, and device-body ownership

White Noise by Don Delillo

Will a Full-Body MRI Scan Help You or Hurt You?

Venture forth with Julia and beautiful Lady Garros on their noble quest to the Renaissance Faire, where Nick donned a full chest plate and even the turkey legs demanded a tithe. After ranting about ye olde ATM's and how capitalism ruins everything, the binchies travel back in history to the first Ren Faire of the 1960's to understand how a radical gathering for communists and hippies turned into the multi-million dollar business of today. Plus, an eye-opening interview with two iconic Ladies of the Faire, Olivia and Lev, who provide the inside scoop on what it's like to be a Rennie.

Digressions include Nick healing his East Coast trauma with DIY, A tragic yet colorful incident at Lowes , and a much-needed bead update. You can find our beautiful braidstresses, Olivia Rose on Instagram @viastvincent and her ceramics Instagram @ohroseceramics and Lev Leveau on Facebook<3

This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus episodes, mediasodes, and monthly zoom hangs visit patreon.com/binchtopia and become a patron today.