This week on Culture Dumps we begin our series on Dr. Jack Kevorkian, aka Dr. Death. While he is best known for his work in the field of physician assisted suicide, this man was truly a jack of all trades and what some might even call a renaissance man. Kevorkian may be one of the most misunderstood public figures of the 1990s, but his story begins long before that so beloved decade. 

As we conclude our coverage of the notorious Dr. Kevorkian we dive into his treatment of over 130 terminally ill patients, his imprisonment, his run for congress, his art, and as always, what it all means. 

This is a special preview of “The Jared Letters.” This is a Patreon-exclusive episode where Ryan reads actual letters from Jared “The Subway Guy” Fogle. How and why he got these letters is something you will have to listen to the episode to find out. To hear the complete episode and watch the video version visit Patreon.com/culturedumps

Ryan is joined by returning guest Adam Papagan to discuss his new book “Behind the Scenes in Los Angeles, A Pop Culture Tour.” This is a guide to some of the most well known Los Angeles landmarks as well as the best and weirdest hidden gems. Come see Ryan and Adam perform live August 24 at the Philosophical Research Center in Los Feliz!

On this episode e conclude the saga of the ill-intentioned and ill-fated television network known as Spike TV. We dive into their selection of programming and find that Spike wasn’t SO bad. But not being so bad is not enough to thrive in the world of television, and we will learn that lesson in this episode.

This is part one of our coverage of the “network for men” Spike TV. From the ashes of The Nashville Network came a new television channel that aimed to cater to the world’s biggest douchebags. With borderline x-rated content a la Maxim magazine, Spike TV gave guys a place to be guys, for better or worse. This episode also marks the return of Freaky P himself, Parks Miller!

It had to happen, we are dumping the most infamous piece of fitness equipment of all time, the Shake Weight. The Shake Weight, like most things we dump, was created with the best of intentions. Its creator wanted to help women sculpt their arms in order to keep up with the fitness trend of the day, but what happened became one of the most viral sensations of the last 15 years. Endlessly parodied but rarely studied, this is the Shake Weight.

Today’s special guest interview is with musician, author, artist, and adult superstar Chad Fjerstad, aka Chad Alva. Chad has released dozens of albums with various projects over the years, he threw the first Nu-Metal club night in Los Angeles, and he has appeared in over 1,300 pornographic films. This interview gives us a rare glimpse into the adult film industry through the eyes of one it’s most humble and multi-faceted stars.

WARNING THIS EPISODE CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT. LISTENER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Ryan sits down with prolific video creator and juggalo icon Sean Barrett aka Uncle Juff. Sean not only is a well of knowledge of internet trends, but has also been brought into the fold of the Dark Carnival. Having MC’d at multiple Gathering of the Juggalos festivals, let’s just say he has seem some things… Oh yeah, ERIC D of Methsyndicate joins us at the dump table.

This episode marks the conclusion of our dump of Gary Coleman. Gary finds himself in court, sitting opposite his parents in an ugly financial dispute. After an attempt at leaving the spotlight, Gary learns that fame is forever, no matter how ugly. Finally, after a highly publicized arrest, he finds love in Utah, and unfortunately, that is where the story ends.