Emily to Gremily

Some weeks I can’t give you the perfectly ordered, neatly segmented show I wish I could. Today is one of those weeks. I’m drinking a Cherry Twist Alani, keeping it non-alcoholic, and getting honest about why the usual routine is on pause: I’ve been struggling, I’ve needed a mental reset, and grief has been creeping in ways I didn’t fully expect, especially with the holidays getting closer and memories feeling louder.

I talk through what it’s like to push forward when your energy is low, why “halfway ready” still counts as a win, and how holiday season stress can sit right next to the cheery stuff people post online. If you’ve been looking for a mental health podcast moment that’s real, human, and not tied up with a bow, this is that. We can love the magic of the season and still admit we’re having a hard day.

Then I flip it outward, because this podcast works best as a community. I’m asking you to send your awkward situation stories for an upcoming listener episode, submit rapid-fire questions for the monthly friend quiz segment with Jay, and share holiday requests, traditions, or even charities and causes you want me to spotlight. If you celebrate something different, or you don’t celebrate at all, I want ideas that help you feel included here.

If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs a gentler listen, and leave a review so more people can find our little corner of the internet. What do you want to hear next?

We start with a choice that felt unavoidable: before the costumes, the cocktails, and the October pop culture fun, we slow down for a serious conversation about sexual assault and the Cornell University allegations that have been circulating across U.S. news and social media. We talk about why silence helps the wrong people, how victim blaming shows up in public commentary, and what it means to use even a small platform to point listeners toward support instead of just outrage. It matters to us that this podcast can be a fun escape while still making room for real life when it shows up. 

Then we finally go full spooky season. Costumes come on, we explain why our Halloween recording needed a take two, and we sprint through October pop culture: a Role Model concert recap, the legendary $63 margarita at the Greek Theatre, a Hinge dating story that turns into Instagram FBI work, and the TikTok AI video trends we can’t stop watching. We also break down the Kelly Clarkson Art of Play animatronic bird drama and get deep into Dancing With the Stars chaos, judging inconsistencies, and that Dedication Night discourse. 

To close it out, we hand the mic to listeners for Dick Pic Diaries and rank the worst submissions, then end on a lighter note with rapid-fire confessions. If you laughed, cringed, or learned something, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a five-star review. What part of October pop culture is living rent-free in your head right now?

Someone you love is grieving and you’re terrified of saying the wrong thing. A guy you actually liked disappears mid-conversation while still posting on Instagram. And then your inbox turns into a museum of unsolicited dick pics. That’s the emotional range we’re dealing with today, with a glass of Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc in hand and a very honest acceptance that the outline is not always going to be perfect.

We start with listener guidance on supporting a best friend after the sudden loss of her mom. I talk through what actually helps when there’s no fixing it: learning their “friendship love language,” offering simple acts of service, showing up without forcing them to perform grief, and making it clear you’re here now and later. If you’ve ever wondered whether you should text, visit, bring food, or just sit quietly, this part will give you practical options that don’t feel fake.

Then we pivot to dating advice and ghosting. If someone goes silent after a month of daily texting, a couple dates, and a few kisses, I explain why the “final message” usually isn’t worth it, how to stop spiraling, and the clean boundary moves that protect your self-respect. After that, we dive into the Dick Pic Diaries: a shocking “go punch yourself in the balls” comeback, a bizarre ball-themed follow-up, a school bully getting a memorable lesson, and a catfish-style photo situation that sparks the most important reminder of all: you never owe access to your body.

If this made you laugh, cringe, or feel seen, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a five-star review so more people can find the show. What boundary are you proud of holding lately?

A podcast schedule slip is easy to explain with “life happened,” but I wanted to be real about what that actually meant this week. I’m sharing why the upload ran late after saying goodbye to my 19-year-old cat, Mickey, and how grief can knock you flat while you’re still trying to show up for the routines you built. There’s sadness, but there’s also a small win: I don’t disappear into old coping habits, and I use this show to pull my brain back into something that feels steady.

Then we get into what you all come here for: straightforward relationship advice and the messy stories that make you yell back at your headphones. First up is a listener update where the “I feel like his mom” problem gets even clearer after watching her boyfriend interact with his actual mom. We talk boundaries, uneven household responsibility, and the hard truth about what happens when someone refuses to act like an adult partner.

We also hit a classic awkward situation story: getting stuck in an elevator with a couple who turns the ride into full-volume marriage counseling, then tries to recruit a stranger to take sides. And if you’ve been dreaming about a big move, I give practical, honest guidance on leaving Ohio for New York City while staying close to a parent emotionally, even when the distance changes.

Finally, the gossip goes nuclear with a long-distance “spicy photo” moment that backfires via live photo and exposes cheating in the worst way. If you’ve got a dick pic horror story, I’m collecting stories for a future ranking segment. Subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and if you like the show, leave a five-star review and tell me what part had you shouting back.

You know that moment when you tell yourself, “I’ll just listen for a second,” and then chaos finds you? We start with a listener who steps onto her balcony to catch every word of an upstairs screaming match, only to realize the door locked behind her. No phone, no heat, and a long, cold wait for rescue. It’s funny in hindsight, but it also nails a real truth about curiosity, safety, and how quickly other people’s drama can become your problem.

From there, I get honest about the kinds of relationships that quietly drain you. One message asks how to deal with a longtime friend who lives in a constant spiral, turns every chat into a complaint session, and downplays your accomplishments. We talk friendship boundaries, emotional vampires, and what a “come to Jesus” conversation can sound like when you’re done being someone’s punching bag or unpaid therapist.

Then we tackle flaky friend behavior when the stakes are not just annoying, they’re expensive. A bride-to-be shares how a last-minute bachelorette cancellation shifted costs onto the group, and she’s worried about a wedding RSVP no-show that could burn $150 per seat. I walk through a loving but firm script that sets expectations clearly, protects your budget, and makes consequences real.

We close with Gremlin Gossip and a reminder about consent in modern dating and workplace life, sparked by an unsolicited “ruler pic” story that somehow got even more unhinged. Listen, laugh, and then send me your Gremlin Stories, Guidance requests, and gossip. If you enjoyed it, subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a five-star review.

A mistrial that leaves the public stuck in question mode, a 60 Minutes interview that feels more like image rehab than journalism, and a pop culture feed that somehow gets even weirder from there. We’re back for our September pop culture roundup, starting with a much-needed good news reset (Wilbur the WeHo pig gets adopted), then diving into the Lindsay Clancy case and the uneasy reaction to Patrick Clancy’s televised sit-down. We talk about what felt off, why internet “sleuthing” keeps filling the gaps, and how a hung jury can amplify confusion instead of delivering closure.

Then we swing hard into internet chaos: an unsolicited Live Photo that turns into a nightmare, plus the fake 49ers romance scam that reportedly pulled in over a million dollars. We share the simplest, most effective safety checks for modern dating and social media, from roster verification to basic “never send money” rules.

From there it’s pure Florida energy. SeaWorld Orlando’s HallowScream adds a dark romance BookTok themed scare zone, and the execution is so awkward it has to be seen to be believed. We also hit concert talk (Role Model hype, and why the Rose Bowl makes us groan), Netflix reality TV with Earle Meets World, and our always-heated Dancing With The Stars debate: dance competition or popularity contest, and why West Coast voting still feels broken.

If you laughed, cringed, or yelled “wait WHAT” at any point, subscribe for more, share this with a friend who lives online, and leave us a five-star review so more gremlins can find us.

Someone else gets engaged and suddenly you’re on trial for being single. I’m kicking things off by circling back to a listener question I didn’t properly answer last time: how to survive a family party where every aunt, uncle, and family friend treats your love life like public entertainment. I share the simplest way to redirect those “when are you getting married” questions without blowing up the mood, while still protecting your peace and keeping the focus where it belongs.

Next, we get real about one of the most common relationship breaking points: the slow slide into unequal chores. If you’re working the same hours but somehow you’re also doing the cleaning, cooking, errands, and planning while your partner relaxes, that’s not “just how it is.” I talk through what it means when someone shows they’re capable at the start, then stops trying, why it feels like parenting, and how to test whether change is real or just a one-week patch. We also get into boundaries, consequences, and what to do if you’re at the point where breaking up feels like the only option.

And then, yes, there’s Gremlin gossip from the dating app trenches: an unsolicited pic that becomes even worse when the Live Photo reveals an unforgettable detail in the background. It’s disgusting, it’s shocking, and it’s also a good reminder that consent and standards matter online.

If you laughed, cringed, or felt seen, subscribe, download the episode, share it with a friend, and leave a five-star review so we can keep making cooler things with this podcast.

A wedding can be the most romantic day of your life or the loudest warning bell you will ever hear. I’m back after a week of being brutally sick, poured a glass of white wine, and we’re going all-in on a wedding and marriage themed set of Gremlin Stories, Gremlin Guidance, and Gremlin Gossip that hits every emotion from hilarious to jaw-dropping.

First up, a stranger comforts a crying woman in a club bathroom and days later learns that quick “you deserve better” pep talk helped end an engagement. We unpack the big question: can one conversation really break up a wedding, or does it just expose cracks that were already there? Then we get real about wedding planning anxiety, cold feet before marriage, and what it means when nerves feel less like butterflies and more like panic. I share my own experience of having wedding plans in motion, money already spent, and the gut-level dread that eventually proved I needed to walk away.

We also talk about the pressure women get at engagement parties and family events: “When are you getting married?” “When are you settling down?” If you’re single and happy, financially independent, and building a life you actually like, you are not doing anything wrong. We close with a last-name debate and a set of wedding drama stories that double as relationship red flags: a best man speech that turns wildly inappropriate, a cake-smash boundary that ends a marriage on the spot, a Vegas bachelorette mystery, and vows that expose cheating at the altar.

If you love cringey stories, dating advice, and honest relationship boundaries, subscribe, share this with your group chat, and leave a review so more gremlins can find us. What’s one wedding moment you still cannot forget?

Chilled tequila shots. A wobbly frat-house table. A secret hookup that turns a chill friend group into a courtroom. If you like your storytelling funny, painful, and way too real, this solo drop delivers the full Gremlin menu: Gremlin Stories, Gremlin Guidance, and Gremlin Gossip, all in one place. 

We start with two listener submissions that are equal parts hilarious and horrifying. One bachelorette trip to Mexico gets wrecked by Montezuma’s Revenge, and the culprit isn’t the food, it’s the ice hiding inside “safe” drinks. Then we relive a college party moment that ends with a front tooth on the floor and a lifetime lesson about tables that look sturdy until they aren’t. 

From there, I dig into relationship advice and friendship boundaries. What happens when someone quietly nurses a crush, never says a word, and then acts betrayed when two friends hook up? I share my take on responsibility, possessiveness, and the only apology that actually helps. We also get into the question people Google nonstop: can you stay friends with an ex without sabotaging future relationships? I talk maturity, jealousy, and the boundary checks that matter. 

Close it out with Gremlin Gossip that goes dark fast, including cheating for “excitement” and the fallout when someone cheats with their boss. If this hit a nerve, subscribe, download the episode, and leave a five-star rating, then share your hot take: where do you draw the line with friends, exes, and loyalty?

August didn’t just feel chaotic online, it felt like every scroll came with a plot twist, so we sat down and did a full August pop culture roundup with Jay back on the mic. We start light with the joys and headaches of remote Zoom recording, Jay’s new rescue puppy Lucky popping in for a cameo, and a birthday check-in to close out our August Leo run.

Then we get into the kind of pop culture details that only real people talk about: how you actually score concert tickets without selling your soul, what it’s like navigating the Rose Bowl for Noah Kahan, and why “no plan, just mission” either sounds freeing or terrifying depending on your brain. From there we pivot to the stories that took over our feeds, including RushTok and the wild production value of sorority rush videos, plus the quiz that somehow put us in the same sorority.

We also talk through two moments where the internet’s obsession turns uncomfortable: the Disneyland “Peter Pan Girl” controversy and what boundaries look like when performers are working, and our House of Stassi review, including the constant fourth-wall breaks and the marriage storyline that becomes the core tension. Finally, we share a heavily caveated, trigger-warning discussion of the Lindsay Clancy trial as presented across TikTok, focusing on timeline questions, postpartum mental health care, and the bigger issue of how easily people can be failed by the system.

We end where August strangely ends best: a pig named Wilbur running through West Hollywood and a reminder that the internet can still deliver pure, harmless weirdness. If you like smart pop culture commentary with room for nuance, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave us a five-star review with what topic you want us to cover next.