There Once Were No Influencers From Nantucket

No, this isn’t the beginning of a dirty limerick—it’s the latest petty gossip the besties are LOVING. In our most random Pop Culture Potluck yet, we unpack influencer Paige Lorenze’s beef with a Nantucket antiques store owner and his possibly sexist new store policy.

Also in this episode: Summer House’s Kyle Cooke and Southern Charm’s Salley Carson’s new romance; the In the City reunion that not even Andy Cohen cares about; and Whitney most definitely coming off as a mom-hater.

In more influencer news, we discuss Jen Hamilton’s messy divorce and very Mrs. Robinson-esque cheating scandal—plus Meghan and Harry actually slaying FOR ONCE. We break down the latest episode of House of the Dragon (Gwayne is our Twink of the Month(™) ) and end with, obviously, a 12-minute discussion of Emily’s recent trip to Michaels and its EXTENSIVE Halloween décor.

Transcript

Welcome and Heat Talk (Obvi)

SPEAKER_02 0:06

I'm Lauren and I'm Emily. And we're Midwest besties.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

How are you? I am good, baby. We are in, we just had like a nasty heat wave. Sorry, we're gonna start every episode talking about the weather because we're Midwestern.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

It's a Midwest podcast. And the weather was insane.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

It was horrific. Like it broke records for humidity. It was like 100% humidity.

SPEAKER_02 0:38

I did not go outside. It was basically like I was Vegas, baby. Like I went straight from the car to like I did not, I did not go outside. I swear. I swear I didn't.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Oh my god, I did. I was waiting for my car at the car wash, and I was like, this is hell. This is horrific. But the heat has broken. We're in the low 80s. It's feeling glorious. I love it. Um, okay, so much to talk about. Uh last night I was like, I don't even know what I want to talk about. And then I started like manically making notes in our document. Of course.

SPEAKER_02 1:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:10

Um, so we have been getting some for a while. There

Kyle Cooke, Salley Carson, and In The City Final Thoughts

SPEAKER_01 1:16

have been rumors about Kyle Cook from Summer House and Sally Carson from Southern Charm hooking up. I mean, since February.

SPEAKER_02 1:26

Yeah, basically, beginning of the Summer House.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

Yeah, basically since the premiere. Yeah, exactly. So then it's so they have been hanging out. Like Kyle posted um that he was with like Craig and Austin, and then like Sally, maybe a month ago, he was like in Charleston. Yeah. And then um he was on, I think it was on the in the city, was it on Watch What Happens or in the City Reunion? It was the In the City Reunion. Where he was like, Yeah, we I was just in Charleston and we hooked up. So like they're not being really coy about it. No. Um, and then Sally was on her Instagram stories and I have them pulled up here and she did an AMA. She was on a flight, and so people were like, Are you seeing anybody? And she has the big emoji eyes and said, Define seeing. And then um, someone also said, 'When are you gonna settle down?' And she said, 'Y'all aren't going to believe this,' but I'm pretty sure it's going to be soon. No. And then someone else asked her. This one's not pulled up, but someone else like asked her, like, with Kyle, or like, is it like love? Is it just hooking up? Is it just having fun? And she was like, Why can't it be all three? So, like, what do you know about Sally from Southern Charm?

SPEAKER_02 2:40

I don't know a lot, and I don't think our listeners know a lot, other than our Bravo girlies. So take us, give us the elevator pitch on Sally.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

I just think Sally is like thirsty as fuck. Yes. She desperately wants to be in a Bravo Leberty like power couple relationship. Like we saw this, like this blueprint created with Paige and Craig, where like they dated, they were cross-franchised, and it was like huge.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

It did shock them to another level.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

It did, it really did. Like it raised both of their profiles.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

And like dollars and cents wise, like the spawn they got.

SPEAKER_01 3:17

Totally. Yeah. So much attention. People loved it. They were eating it up. I'm sure it increased viewership for both of their franchises. And like Paige was on Southern Charm and then Craig would be on Summer House. So it was just like more opportunities, more like exposing each other to different audiences. And word on the street. And I think it's pretty obvious. Like Sally is desperate to be in a relationship like that. So at the beginning of this past season of Southern Charm, she was like going after Craig pretty hard. Like on the heels of his breakup, he would shut her down pretty hard. And then she was immediately going after Austin, who had a girlfriend.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

I this is on my didn't she like make out with both Craig and Austin? I don't know if she made out with Craig. I don't think she made out with Craig. At least it wasn't on the show. Like Craig was very uninterested in her. He was actually interested in her friend Charlie, or at least it was a storyline on the show. And then um she went after Austin and he was still in a relationship. Like it was, and then they broke up and then like immediately started hooking up. And she was like really trying to like date him. And he was basically like, no, you are a rebound. You are yeah, and was just like, I don't take you seriously because like you don't take yourself seriously. Like you're he called her a bar rat, which like I don't, it's a big double standard, and I don't agree with that. Like, I think Austin is gross too. Like I wouldn't want to settle down with him or her. Like, I think they're all like sweaty, gross who like hook up with anyone they can.

SPEAKER_02 4:42

And Austin, like basically Austin and Craig, I like to say like they're they're like cakes, and like Craig is like what the done cake looks like, and Austin is like if you have to leave it in for five more minutes, they look so much alike. Underbaked. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:57

Like Miles Teller.

SPEAKER_02 4:59

Yes, he's very underbaked. Yes. But if you like baked him long enough, like what would pop out was Craig.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

Yeah. So true. So now that Amanda and Kyle are obviously no longer together, now Kyle and Sally are dating, hooking up, hanging out, whatever the kids are calling it these days. They might totally work. I'm just not the biggest Sally fan. Like, in and it's not for these reasons. It's other things. Like, I just don't really like her that much.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

Kyle was never gonna get with another cool girl. From them, just from like, because we have to remember, we did think Amanda was cool before all of this. Oh, I know. We're just watching to think about it.

SPEAKER_01 5:43

I don't know, Kyle. You cheated on me. That's not what I'm experiencing. Um, that's a weird question to answer.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

I shut up. What did you think? Have you watched the final episode of the In the City reunion?

SPEAKER_01 5:59

It'd be so real. I'm like struggling. I did not even finish the reunion.

SPEAKER_02 6:04

There's one more episode left, and I'm I will watch it, but like it is, I am watching it like while like doing other stuff.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Yeah, I probably will do that.

SPEAKER_02 6:12

It was it was rough.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

I've already seen like some clips.

SPEAKER_02 6:17

So like for me, I didn't think in the city was bad. Me either. But like it's it oh my god. And it even in the reunion, it's like they're treating it like a summer house reunion. They are like Andy isn't even interested in and that is bad.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

I know, I know when you have some outside events overshadowing, and I'm sure Lindsay is like seething.

SPEAKER_02 6:42

I'm just also interested in what it's going to be like with three people having newborns. All these women are gonna get rocked by how hard it is to have a baby.

SPEAKER_01 6:50

What did you think of Whitney saying? Like Lindsay pulls the mom card. She's a dumb bitch. Okay in five years when she has a baby. Unfortunately, she is going. I hope to God she is humbled by what she 100% will be. Like, and she goes to Lindsay and apologizes to her. When I think of some of the dumb shit that I said before 100%, that was exactly what I'm about to say. And I'm not on a TV show. Thank God I wasn't on a TV show. Like, I now literally there's been times where I've like apologized to my sister because I'm like, I was just like a fucking dumb bitch. Oh, yeah. I've like a like I went to to Emily after I had my pregnancy or my baby, and I was like, I don't think I was supportive enough.

SPEAKER_02 7:34

I like a hundred percent do. I always like tell her, I'm like, if you were like talking shit about how annoying I was, you did not let that slide, baby. I did not hear how to do it.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

No, I wasn't. I just like I'm like, was I supportive enough? Like it's so hard. Yes, so hard.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

It's so hard.

SPEAKER_01 7:48

Whether you have a nanny, like, so that by the way, you can go work.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

I know it's just all women. I'm not gonna say all women, but a lot of women, especially in their 20s and their late 20s, they do this thing where it's like, I'm not gonna be like that, or oh my God, is this what motherhood is? And I I'm not gonna say I was above it. I'm certainly, I'm certain I did that. I'm certain I listened to like pregnant women are smug by Garfunkel and Oates and thought it was so fucking funny. But like, so I think she just represents that again. I'm glad I didn't have a TV show when I was like 24 and my and I had some friends who were five years older having kids because I would have sounded like an idiot.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Like a fucking idiot.

SPEAKER_02 8:31

Luckily for Whitney, she sounds like an idiot all the time. So there's really no differential. No.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

So we will see what happens with Kyle and Sally, if they're gonna be official, and then we're gonna see that debut on Summerhouse. Or I think Southern Charm is coming up here. Um, okay. Do

Jen Hamilton’s Crazy Divorce Story

SPEAKER_01 8:47

you follow Jen Hamilton? Uh no, I do not. I don't either because I actually find her super annoying. I do too. Um, but this has been like hitting my internet. Yeah. It's on people. It's crazy. So she is um, she's a nurse. She is a content creator. I don't think I would call her lifestyle. I don't really know what I would call her.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

Sarah is this brand of influencer that like Oh, with the bangs? Yes. Yeah. That isn't aesthetic.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:14

That is like, I'm just your best friend. Yeah. Like I'm a plain Jane. I don't wear a lot of makeup. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

I'm and that woman with the curly hair who wears like Moo Moo. They're like real moms and real wives. And like, I just found Jen to be annoying. But one thing I will say that I super respect about her is she has like millions of followers and she still works. Like she's a labor and delivery nurse. So like she hasn't like sold out to just being a content creator, which I respect a lot. So the news, so she posts a video of herself crying. This was a few weeks ago, like sobbing. And it was like very raw. And she was like, there was like, I can't remember if it was a caption or what, but it was just like, I want to be able to see this one day when I I want to look back on this, like as my healed self and like remember, like, you know, and know that like this was where I came. So people were like, people are like, whoa, what's going on? Then she kind of walks it back a little bit. It's clear she's like getting a divorce. Then she so she walks it back a little bit, and then she comes out with it that her husband that they have two kids, they've been married, he was having an affair. Um, he was having an affair with a 56-year-old woman. Yikes. Yeah. Like she called it a double life, and she was basically like, um, I'm not gonna keep other people's secrets. My kids know, like the people around me that need to know. So, like, I'm not gonna protect him.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

Yes, he had a double life with a woman who is 56 years old. Yes, I did leave him. Should have left way earlier, giving my giving myself grace.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Is this someone he like worked with? I have she hasn't said that, but it's like confer, like it's this woman. She was like, she's 26 years older than me. Like I'm 32 or whatever, do the math, or I don't even know.

SPEAKER_02 11:02

She like I watched the video where she like talked about it and she didn't say 56 years old. She just goes, I'm just gonna say she's old enough to know better.

SPEAKER_00 11:10

So the way that I'm dealing with it is by not having any secrets. So and what's crazy is like I have no secrets, like none. I I've never ever ever in my life told this man a lie. Even when I was getting next to no physical affection whatsoever, I would in a million years never look at another guy like that. And although these were all his choices, the other person who gave me that direct quote, um, let's just say old enough to know better.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

Yeah, and then in the comments, like said she's 21, whatever, however many years older than me. And then she's like talking about it in the video, another video where she's like, he was never, I like suppressed a lot of my own needs and he was never interested in me. Like it sounds like their marriage, it's really sad, like was very fraught. They are, they are people who were raised extremely religious and then deconstructed their religion later on. They got married super young, they met at like a weird ass, like youth church Christian camp. And like this is the risk that you run, like when you I feel like in those cultures where it's like you get married young, you don't know yourself, you don't explore, um, you know, you're shamed for a lot of different things. And so they clearly were not like probably never compatible, and then like moved away from that religion, but didn't grow together. And I just think it's like I feel really sad for her and her kids. I know. But I'm also like, book, yes, an influencer who's gonna like spill the tea. Yeah. Instead of like Aspenobard, who just like breadcrumbs people for like years and is just like a fucking freak.

SPEAKER_02 12:54

And that's why I do like that brand of influencer.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Yeah, they are a little, they're more forthcoming, I feel like.

SPEAKER_02 12:58

And they just get it, like they're not trying to be celebrities, like they're they're more like they're just more like ex I would even say they're like essayists, like they just use their own life, yeah, the good, the bad, and the ugly, yeah, for content. Yeah, but in more of like an artistic way.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

Well, and like I feel like there is they're kind of a faction of influencers who use their power for good. Like they speak out about like political issues. Totally. Like she created all of these shirts and like merch and 100% of the proceeds to organizations that help women get out of bad situations and bad marriage.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

Just with this because

Nantucket vs. Influencers

SPEAKER_02 13:35

her her account's getting so much that she's now promoting that.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

Right. So I hope nothing but good things for her in the future.

SPEAKER_02 13:42

Yeah, there we go, baby. Do we want to keep the influencer thing going with the cut article? Did you read it? I did.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

What are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_02 13:49

Okay, so this cut article uh was about Nantucket. So it's like I'm I feel like I heard about Nantucket every once in a while, but then this year it's like all about Nantucket, baby. It's Ellen Hil Hill, Ellen Hildebrand. El Ellen Hildebrand. We just talked, we talked about last week about Five Star Weekend. Um, you know, Nantucket, it's like off the coast. It's near Martha's Vineyard.

SPEAKER_01 14:13

Yes, it's in off the coast of Massachusetts, but it's a lot smaller. It's 14 miles long. And just gets a lot of favorites. It's definitely like a billionaire's playground. Yes. Like people like real estate is insane. It's like a gem, very light. It's like, you know, cedar shake shingles and hydrangea bushes and beach sweaters. Oh my god, I would I definitely know. No, I'm gonna go at some point.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

I mean, I would probably do Martha's Vineyard because I want to do I'm gonna do either. I want like I want I want to Jaws. So basically, uh the cut did this article. They always kind of do like fun lifestyle things like this, where there is this uh Sylvie, Sylvia's antiques, the guy who owns it, John Sylvia, put in on his uh the on his store no influencers a sign like hanging up from the seal. And it seemed to be targeting like this huge bubble of influencers going to Nantucket. And he was sick of people going into his antique store and like with their cameras and their selfie sticks and taking videos. And then one influencer which one paige Lorenz.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Okay, do you are you familiar with Paige Lorenz? I'm not okay. So Paige Lorenz is a lifestyle, like extremely wealthy content creator. She just married Tommy Paul, he's a tennis player. Yeah, I only know about that because of my sister because she's like kind of in like athletics. She created her thing was that she like um always put whole milk in her coffee. She's like, I'm a dairy girl, I'm a dairy girl. And then she created um this line called Dairy Boy. And it's like very of the like park um and dough in like hill house, like aesthetic, like super expensive, like sought after. They have a pop-up shop on Yes, like on Nantucket. She is not from Nantucket, but I believe like grew up going to Nantucket. So she's like very familiar with the culture. So she was uh interviewed for this article. It was written by Steph McNeil, who we've talked about her stuff before. She does, she covers a lot of influencer stuff. So like I've always followed her and been interested in her stuff. So this shop that we're talking about, they sell something called the Nantucket Light Ship Baskets. Are you familiar? No. Okay, this is fucking crazy. I was familiar because I also follow Carly Reardon. She was also interviewed for this article. Okay. Carly has been going to Nantucket every year for like ever. This is waspy white culture. This is where our Venn diagrams separate. This is the one. I can see Emily's like, I mean, it's getting up. And I'm like starting to talk faster. I'm like pushing my sleeves up. I'm like, do you know about this?

SPEAKER_02 16:54

This is when our blonde hair and red hair differences really pull into pollinating. But don't worry, I'm going to be talking about something's wookie next.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

So light chip baskets are like handcrafted. They're like a Nantucket staple. Okay. You cannot just walk into this place and buy one. You have to get on a weight list. Yeah, those are adorable. I'd wear those. I want to get like certain things on them. Like you can have like seashells. You can have like your name, like on the top. Oh, I mean, that's that one's they're really expensive. But women carry them as baggings. That's fabulous. That is whimsy. That's what this shop sells. So this shop is like a big deal. Okay. And so basically the owner was just like all starting to make more sense. Yeah. I feel like they she needed to put that in the article too.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Cause it's like, why do we think I feel like she doesn't like give the whole picture? Because maybe she's writing specifically for you. Maybe. Yeah. That's true. Because people who are going to gravitate what lighthouse baskets. Because I'm like, I don't know what the fuck that is. But now that I do, this is making more sense. Yeah. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:58

So he hangs this no influencer sign in his shop and it goes viral. Viral. Immediately. And at first I was like, that's so funny. Like, because influencers are fucking annoying. Like they aren't. It would be annoying to have somebody walk into your shop and film themselves. Like, I'm imagining like Halle Kate. Do you follow? Like, I don't follow Halle Kate. She's so fucking annoying though. Or like just these like obnoxious younger generation, like going in and talking to their phone. Like, and he even said that. He's like nonstop. Yeah. Like every day. Yeah. Multiple times a day. Yeah. That would drive me crazy. Because Carly even says she's like, Nantucket is like, like influencers are visiting in droves. Um, a lot of brands are doing like launches and brand trips there. Like it is going like Nantucket as a concept is going viral. Like is what she said. Yeah. Um, and you we can totally see that. You know, we have like things like it's in the zeitgeist, like the summer I turned pretty, like this very like coastal sheet, totally like coastal grandma, baby. Quiet luxury, like that whole thing.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Um, but so I own a ton of Hill House dresses.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

This is it's just yes, it's it's absorbed into like weird girl culture. Hill House has a seasonal shop on Neant. I would love to go. Would love it. They're trying to say like what they're doing as sexist. The influencer industry is largely made up of women. And I mean, I do feel like they made really good points. They made such good points. I was like, oh, because like I said, I'm like, oh, at first I thought it was really funny. Because I'm like, yeah, influencers are so fucking annoying. And then I read it and I was like, am I sexist?

SPEAKER_02 19:31

Like, I hundred percent. Because it's like, I feel like I have a really interesting take on this because I am in social media marketing. Like that is my job. I, you know, even with the businesses that I serve, like I love when influencers come in because it's free press, baby. And it's totally and it's important, it's impactful because it's people creating content for you, and that's going to make people listen. Like people don't want businesses to tell them why they're great. People want other people to tell them why businesses are great, those that they trust. Yeah. So, like as a marketer, this is a gold mine. Like, it works, it's powerful, it makes sense. Yes. Now, if I had to do that all the time, if my businesses were getting four five in the middle of people trying to buy things, that would be annoying. So I can see where this is going. Yeah. When the article brought up when Paige was like, this is sexist, like I did, I like rolled my eyes. I'm like, okay. But there were some really good points.

SPEAKER_01 20:32

Points were made. Points were made.

SPEAKER_02 20:34

Because it's like, I think the the the quote she said was like, no one's talking about like the Chads coming in and like getting wasted. No one's complaining about that. There are no signs that are saying no Chads come in. It's no influencers.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

And she said, rude behavior doesn't belong to a profession. Everyone on Main Street is holding a phone these days. The island also fills up every summer with bankers, lawyers, and developers, and nobody has ever cared or has ever carved a sign about any of them. The one sign, the one job that got a sign is the one built almost entirely by young women.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

Both of this constitutes a very important philosophy, and it comes from the big Lebowski, which is you're not wrong, Walter, you're just an asshole.

SPEAKER_01 21:13

Yes. Like there's a lot of bad behavior on the island that isn't getting called out by a sign that like should be called out. Like, why is this what we're going after? And like for better or worse, it is raising Nantucket's profile. So then this other influencer I follow is things I bought and liked. She's like a faceless account and she's great. You should follow her if you don't, except she will make you buy things. Um, and she had a story that I thought was super interesting where she said, she shared a picture of the sign and said, This doesn't bother me at all. I always like when someone has an opinion and they're willing to stand behind with either their name or brand. Obviously, I don't agree, but that's the beauty of the market. I agree it's no coincidence that female industries take the brunt of this kind of criticism, but I think it's also no coincidence that female industries take The bait. A desire to be well liked is exactly the thing standing in our way of being well liked. Influencing is a billion-dollar industry, and I wish more influencers would act like it. And I was like, So it's just like That is my opinion.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

I know. I didn't realize that was my opinion, but that is my opinion.

SPEAKER_01 22:19

So true. Just sparking a lot of super interesting conversation about influencers and influencer culture and women and sexism.

SPEAKER_02 22:28

I mean, it definitely, the the antique owner definitely gave like get off my lawn, like crappy. You know what I mean? Get off my lawn.

SPEAKER_01 22:35

I mean, like I'm sure every I I think it's just this like it is a catch 22 of like the locals on Nantucket probably find all the tourists and summer people fucking annoying, but that's what drives their economy. Correct.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

It's also, I think, like everything else, if you peel back one layer, like very classist, like these. There is an elitism. These places existed primarily in like secrecy where it was like, you know, 25 years ago, 30 years ago, like we wouldn't know about these fucking bags. And now it's like we know about them, we have access to them. And it's like that kind of um diluting of their own.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Well, he specifically was like, you can't buy this on TikTok shop. Like he was quoted in the article as saying that. Totally. So I do think there is this like layer of like coastal elitism on all of this as well. It's this like nouveau reason invading the island kind of thing.

SPEAKER_02 23:32

I guarantee if like it was all like weird incest Rockefellers or whatever going to his shop with cameras, he would be ecstatic.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

I mean, and there's plenty of people who aren't influencers who are rude. Paige is right. Like there that doesn't belong to a profession.

SPEAKER_02 23:47

A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

Maybe they're annoying or it's obnoxious, but like there are plenty of fucking people that like I can think of right now that aren't influencers, and I'm like, they're a nightmare.

SPEAKER_02 23:56

I also think it's just important, like, don't record without asking. Yeah. Like, I am also a journalism major, and like that was like the first thing. Be respectful, be respectful. Yeah, like people have a right to not be filmed. Yeah. Even though we live in this like world where I mean we're literally nobody glasses. We live in a surveillance state, which I don't like. People should be able to opt out of that. Yeah. And I think it's a in a business owner's right to say, like, I don't want cameras in there. But like again, like just say, no filming in my store.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Right, not no influencers.

SPEAKER_02 24:28

That's where the sexism comes in.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

Correct. So super interesting. Um, okay, what what should we get into next?

House of the Dragon - SN 3 Episode 6 “Faceless Men” Recap

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Do, do, do, do, do, do. When I make you add the clip, uh, Kristen Cole, shut through the heart. And you'll love to blame. Shut through the heart!

SPEAKER_00 24:47

And you'll have to blame the love a bad name.

SPEAKER_01 24:58

You give love a bad name. The war is over. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_02 25:06

Ding dong, the bitch is dead.

SPEAKER_01 25:09

And guess what? He didn't go down fighting.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

They gave us, I think.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

There is a so satisfying of House of the Dragon.

SPEAKER_02 25:18

That is fan fiction because it is fanfiction.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

No, literally.

SPEAKER_02 25:21

That is a fan-driven death.

SPEAKER_01 25:24

So at so I wrote in our notes, House of the Dragon is for the girls gays and they're. I mean, it is parentheses complimentary. It is. Like Kristen Cole getting shot down, not raised, not sword, not drawn. He gets shot down by a fucking female baddie. It was so satisfying.

SPEAKER_02 25:46

And just the way he like edged himself for the death that he was going to. Oh my god. And then he didn't get.

SPEAKER_01 25:53

And he knew. And the best part was that he didn't die instantly. Like he got an arrow to the abdomen and was like, oh shit. And then he got another one. And then he got another one. And then he fell.

SPEAKER_02 26:05

And mommy, you have to tell me this. Like, he didn't tell any of those soldiers he was leading them to their death.

SPEAKER_01 26:10

No. I mean, I think at that point they knew. Because like that's why Gwen was like, I'm gonna go to Tumbletown and get a hot bath and eat some like deer meat with my freaky ass cousin. It has been a week since I've had a feather bed. Gwane is a twink.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

I love him. He was such a fucking baddie this episode.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

I he was such a baddie.

SPEAKER_02 26:30

Like, I didn't realize he was that cool. I didn't realize his game was forgive me.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

I did not realize. Wouldn't he kill those stinky assassins? Stinky assassins that made Ormond Barth.

SPEAKER_02 26:40

I am obsessed as someone who is like, I think I also have a sensitivity to smells.

SPEAKER_01 26:46

He was so, it was so funny. I am obsessed. I am obsessed with a silly character.

SPEAKER_02 26:52

What you're silly. I'm not sure. Like even Jake at the end of this episode was like, I like I think I turned around. I'm like, is this stupid? Yes. It's so stupid.

SPEAKER_01 27:07

That's why I'm like, this is not, this is House of the Dragons for us.

SPEAKER_02 27:11

I just also, but it is starting to Rhaenyra is there is like plot holes that are starting to develop where I'm like, you tell the kingdom of Tumbleton to leave, and then you unleash dragons on them.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

Well, they can't. I mean, the high towers aren't gonna let them leave. They're trapped behind the town walls. Okay, then I also think bye guys. I know. I mean, but it's a catch 22 for her because then it's like then she's burning her own citizens. It's what Daenerys did. And then Jon Snow killed her. That was not for the girls. Um, also, we got some more incest in this episode. Some like hot, hot incest between Alan and Bela, which I wasn't expecting. Okay. I thought they were hinting at Adam. They were totally. And then she like got down with Uncle Alan. Were they even in a scene together before that? Yeah, they've been in a few scenes together. She was ready to go. She was like, I haven't slept in days. I've been out on my drug, and I just got a snoo, I just got a power nap in this cave that we're in. Let's fucking go, Unk. Which is funny because I think the other Unk is cuter. I mean, yeah, and he's like younger. But you know what? I do feel like Alan, like he's definitely he deserved it. Like he needed it. He's lit, like he's like the oldest brother. He's the very serious one. Very serious. He's the Conrad, we would say.

SPEAKER_02 28:33

Totally.

SPEAKER_01 28:39

So it's just like, how does this show make incest way more acceptable? I mean, also we're talking about like brother and sister versus uncle and I think so. Listen to me justifying incest. I just don't even think about it.

SPEAKER_02 28:54

Like I'm just like, boop, it's out, it's out now. I know. Even though it is disgusting. It's so disgusting. But it's I mean, blame George R. Martin, he's the fucking freak.

SPEAKER_01 29:04

I know what a fucking freak. Listen is being sent to Heron Hall to entrap uh Amon. Amon. Oh. Who he's like getting down with his like witch girlfriend.

SPEAKER_02 29:16

Is somebody gonna match my brain? Is somebody gonna match my nesting? Okay, so I didn't realize. So I love that. I love the witch girlfriend. Um Helena embroidering, which her embroidery skills, am I getting it? Insane. Insane. That that was Amen. I thought it was her. That is Amon being controlled by a witch. That is what she was embroidering.

SPEAKER_01 29:38

Oh, I couldn't tell.

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Yeah. And we and and Helena's she's not. She she's something that's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

She's not along for this world. I don't I fear. I fear with Alicent leaving, something bad's gonna happen. Something is going to go awry there. Yeah. But no, that's fabulous. Yeah, loving it, locked in. Um, and I think there's only two more episodes left.

SPEAKER_02 30:01

Oh my god, this season flew by.

SPEAKER_01 30:03

I know it really did. And then we're gonna have to wait like five years um to like 2028 or something for the final season. The next season of the final season. I don't even want to think about how old I'm gonna be. Oh my god, we're gonna be so old. I'm sick. Why did you say that? Um, okay, going back to like semi-influencers,

Meghan and Harry at Althorp House

SPEAKER_01 30:26

I guess. Did you see Megan's summer photo?

SPEAKER_02 30:29

Oh, I did, baby.

SPEAKER_01 30:31

So, mystery solved. We know where they stayed when they were in the UK. They stayed at Allthorpe, which is a giant estate and it was Diana's childhood home. Where is that? Like, where is it? I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 30:42

Because it looked like coastal.

SPEAKER_01 30:44

No, I don't maybe. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

She is such a diva. I have never liked the decisions that she has. I haven't liked the decisions she's made this much since she was like in the UK.

SPEAKER_01 30:57

That is such a fucking slay. I think it's so funny. And I think that like I love that she was not photographed publicly at all, and then post this photo dump and breadcrumbs exactly where they were. They were like playing in the fabulous pool. There, she did have beach pictures, but that was I don't think that was like in this is more like a photo like a monthly photo dump.

SPEAKER_02 31:19

So they were at the beach for a little bit at some point.

SPEAKER_01 31:22

In California, okay. I think that it was like clear that they stayed at Althorp. And of course, and so the people were like immediately like, oh my god, they stayed at Diana's. And I'm like, that makes so much sense. It's probably like fabulous, they're like wealthy, they have security, it's like secluded. So like it made so much sense that they were gonna stay there.

SPEAKER_02 31:40

And for our non-royal girlies, okay, so Diana's family, the Spencers, it at least from our knowledge, has always been written about that, like Charles hates how Spencer-like Harry is, even down to his Spencer red hair. So his red hair comes from the Spencers. Um, so I just feel like this is such a great narrative. I would love to see them make these kind of moves all the time. I know they won't. Cheeky, snarky, but then like clever, not like whiny and losery, like look at me. Like losery. This is just like we're creating our own. It's what they want to be, it's how they want to be perceived all the time, and they're actually successfully doing it, which is nice. It's nice to see. Because I know we say, like, we will dog on them, we will make fun of

Michaels Halloween 2026 is A Cultural Moment

SPEAKER_02 32:34

anything they do, but we also root for them.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

Not for this. This was cunti. Like, this was like this was really great. It was great. It was fabulous. Yeah. Um, okay, I feel like I've been talking this whole time. Now it's I'm gonna turn the floor over to you.

SPEAKER_02 32:48

This is a quite um a uh left out of left field subject, but I feel like it's going to be talked about a lot. Probably. Okay, let me set the scene. So I am uh planning my son's birthday party last week, and I need to go to Michael's to get helium for balloons. I walk in, mind you, what is is it is July 29th. I know I'm not gonna be most people who are like, can you believe Halloween decorations are on all the time? I know this. But I was not prepared for the spooky town take the depth over that Michaels has done.

SPEAKER_01 33:24

Not just an end cap.

SPEAKER_02 33:26

Girl, it's 50% of the store.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

It's the entire store.

SPEAKER_02 33:31

Because I am basic, weirdo, I obviously love Halloween. Yeah. Um they have multiple sections. For one thing, I you have to click on their press release. Their press release is hilarious. Like, this is what happens when millennials are in charge of things. Like the level of idiocracy is hilarious. There's six different categories of Halloween of Halloween stuff.

SPEAKER_01 33:55

Oh my god. The fact that they did a press release, bound by magic, they have release dates. These released on June 26th. Yeah, we live in hell.

SPEAKER_02 34:09

So I'm gonna give you my sound, all their titles are stupid. My titles are better. Okay. Okay. Oh, sorry, do you not have okay? So first do they have um a spooky z. Okay. So spooky, like we're thinking like ravens, we're talking like baby skeleton hands that like look like phones. There's like an old timey phone that you pick up and it's like spooky. Okay. Then there's disco girly pop Halloween. Yeah, I know exactly. Yeah, and that's been done before, but it's like bigger.

SPEAKER_01 34:37

Checkered pink ghosts. Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:40

And like disco ball ghosts. Yeah. The disco ball ghosts are four feet tall. Like it's insane. Jesus Christ. It's insane. Then they have old timey paper mache stuff, like paper mache cats and like very old school. How did that look? You're peaking my interest. This is what it's for. Uh Michael, sponsor us, please. Every old timey paper mache is everyone. Every single thing is amazing and freaking cute. Like we're talking like burnt oranges, pale blacks. Okay. Fabulous.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

That is making a trip a lot. That's mine.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

Then we have creepy carnival freak show, where they have all.

SPEAKER_01 35:27

At first it was fun, then scary, then fun again, then spooky, but in a fun way. Okay, okay. Tell me about creepy carnival freak show.

SPEAKER_02 35:37

So that's like like weird, like seven hens and clowns. Yeah, but then like also like um like um what are my words I'm looking for? Like um crystal balls. Okay. Psyche. Oh, like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then we have two categories of witch. We have witch, comma, practical magic. So we're thinking 90s, maybe blues, golden moons. Okay. Like very friendly witch. Sabrina. Neighbor, your neighborhood witch. Crushed Velvet, Stevie Nicks. The Witch Next Door. Yes. Okay. And then we have Witch, Comma, Wuthering Heights, which is like blood.

SPEAKER_01 36:15

Emerald Finel's Wuthering Heights. Yes, or Skin Room. Okay. Like Skin Room.

SPEAKER_02 36:20

Gothic. Yikes. Like blood. Like Heron Hall. Heron witch. Like they have like fake books, like fake Shakespeare books. A lot of fake books and where throw out thou pillow with a with like a rose that's like dripping blood. Yeah. Then we have the spooky town, which is elaborate $200 miniature like Christmas village, but it's Halloween village. But like what it is is like ridiculous. Like there's one that's like a cabin in the woods where it's like this monster like chasing all these kids. I'm guys, the autism in me. The like I was not prepared.

SPEAKER_01 36:58

Like funny thing, I was like, She also like showed all of us a video of this. And I was like, stop. And she's like, I just thought she was like, I just thought it was cool.

SPEAKER_02 37:11

I like, I like just sent a video to Jake and I was like, Jake. And then he was like, oh my God, what is it? And then I like showed him the video, which he watched in entirety. Well, he has to. He's married to your ass. I'm not. There's like a monster rave roller rank. I don't even know. Oh my god. Jake's like, are you trapped there? Is this like a Beetlejuice thing? And then I was like, no, I'm staying there, and you and I could rule. And that is even part of the harvest stuff. So what I'm saying is you have to be prepared when you go to Michael's.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

Did you buy anything?

SPEAKER_02 37:48

No.

SPEAKER_01 37:48

I'm proud of you.

SPEAKER_02 37:49

One thing, because I stayed there for like an hour when I like was so busy, but I had to look at all this shit.

SPEAKER_01 37:55

No, it's insane.

SPEAKER_02 37:56

This is the problem with Halloween decorations early because I have to inventory what I have bought.

SPEAKER_01 38:01

Same.

SPEAKER_02 38:02

And I let myself buy one Halloween thing at Marshall's when I go down.

SPEAKER_01 38:06

It's a great policy. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 38:08

Yeah. Um, but I will be going back. And I, and it nothing was 40% off.

SPEAKER_01 38:12

So I'm gonna wait for the wait for Ashland to do a 40% off. I am not buying full ticket price items at Michael's in this economy. So this is so funny. I have a uh Instagram friend. She was also my Love Island friend. Shout out Sarah, she is a lover of the pod. Um, and she shared to her Instagram story like a Halloween like purchase. And I just responded, I said, Sarah, I can't do this today. I know. And she was like, I'm so sorry. I had to get the Facebook Marketplace purchase. I'm like, I will allow a Facebook Marketplace Halloween purchase. But like it is crazy, and it's crazy. And it's also just like the way that like not every holiday needs a village. No, not every holiday needs a tree. I don't need an Easter tree.

SPEAKER_02 38:55

I do want a spooky village though.

SPEAKER_01 38:57

But you're obviously gonna go to spooky village, but a spooky Christmas tree?

SPEAKER_02 39:01

Get the fuck out of here. That's disgusting.

SPEAKER_01 39:04

A spooky Christmas tree.

SPEAKER_02 39:06

Halloween lends itself to spooky villages because it's spooky, it's supposed to be spooky. But no, the black tree, and there was, oh my god, there were so many Halloween ornaments.

SPEAKER_01 39:17

There's gonna be a Valentine village, there's going to be an Easter village. It's like, can we just chill the fuck out and like dye eggs?

SPEAKER_02 39:26

Capitalism doesn't sleep, baby. I know, but like we're in getting she's getting heated because she's against this. She's getting heated because she only has so much restraint.

SPEAKER_01 39:39

It's too powerful. I'm not like I am powerful, but not this powerful. I'm getting heated because I know what this will do to me.

SPEAKER_02 39:48

That's why you just gotta pick, like for me.

SPEAKER_01 39:50

And my husband gets so mad at seasonal like decor. Oh my god, he gets so mad at seasonal. Like, so mad.

SPEAKER_02 39:56

So I just like pick a lane, and my lane is Halloween. Yeah. Uh I do dabble, I dabble in the cold weather holidays. I don't give a fuck about 4th of July.

SPEAKER_01 40:06

It's a really tough climate to be a 4th of July girly. And here's how I feel about most holidays. Like, there are certain holidays I can't stand. Like I am like a St. Patrick's Day hater, which is get out of here. We are like very divert. But like I love a theme. So um, my son's always gonna be wearing green. Like, we're gonna do the stuff.

SPEAKER_02 40:28

Now I am a St. Patrick's Day girly, but like what has been done to the St. Patrick's Day holiday decorations. Sacrosanct.

SPEAKER_01 40:36

Gnomes are not irony. You don't need the way I was about to bring gnomes up as a whole. Get them banned. Get them fucking banned.

SPEAKER_02 40:44

Get them banned. Get them banned. Get them banned. Put the clip in. Because nothing that we have talked about about getting banned. Get them banned. Get them banned. Is this dire. As important as getting gnomes banned.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

Get gnomes banned. Get them banned. Get them banned. We don't need Christmas gnomes. We don't need Thanksgiving gnomes. We also don't need mushrooms.

SPEAKER_02 41:10

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 41:11

Mushrooms are invading. I did fall for a mushroom. The mushroom propaganda. The mushroom propaganda.

SPEAKER_02 41:16

And I blame World Market. You should. Because it all stemmed from World Market. And you know my little mushrooms outside in my garden.

SPEAKER_01 41:23

Those are like my like I will allow a mushroom in a garden. That's appropriate.

SPEAKER_02 41:26

Like a gnome.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

Like you have a gnome. And you have a garden now. And I have gnomes in my garden. Perfect. I don't need a like a winter gnome garland for Christmas. Horrible. Why are we doing this? Big what is big gnome is behind this. What is this?

SPEAKER_02 41:43

It's like everyone's trying to live in the hundred-acre forest. I will say I saw very little gnomes at very little Halloween gnomes. Well, after five years of torture, I'm glad we're released from the shackles. Halloween gnomes have been replaced by homosexual skeletons. It's all about the homosexual skeletons at Michael's.

SPEAKER_01 42:01

I mean, we haven't even we haven't even broached nutcrackers. I do have a lot of nutcrackers. But like the LGBTQ nutcrackers. There's a nutcracker for everyone. And there were some. And you know what? Nutcrackers, you don't need to put a pride flag on them to know they're gay. You know what I mean? There are. Nutcrackers are all gay. That boy is gay. And I really believe that.

SPEAKER_02 42:25

So I have a nutcracker collection. It's very, it's my husband, his grandma started it. It's very cheap. I love that. I will say 75% of them are homosexual. And I know that in my bones.

SPEAKER_01 42:41

This is my most fun segment we've ever done. This is my my most favorite.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

This episode is so fucked.

SPEAKER_01 42:51

Why don't we have a like podcast deal? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 42:56

So it's influencer culture, deep influencer culture. And then we're just going to talk about a little bit of Bravo.

SPEAKER_01 43:04

A little bit of House of the Dragon. And then Halloween. Also, I know what I was going to say. There was a pooping skeleton that I saw. Did you see it?

SPEAKER_02 43:15

There was an end cap of like bathroom skeletons. What are we doing? Okay. It's called the theme of the bathroom is skeleton. Like some bitch out there, some some Aunt Anya. No, it's psych has a skeleton-themed bathroom and is losing her fucking mind over that collection.

SPEAKER_01 43:32

It's like, but like what psychedelic tea are the Michaels designers drinking before they're like skeleton on a toilet holding a newspaper. Fuck yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:46

Why another skeleton watches in the bathtub?

SPEAKER_01 43:49

There's a skeleton cuck. I didn't know that.

SPEAKER_02 43:54

I think I made that up, but there should be.

SPEAKER_01 43:56

Well, now there's going to be. We put it out, there's definitely a skeleton cuck.

SPEAKER_02 43:59

I will appreciate you going to Michael's and reporting back.

SPEAKER_01 44:03

I feel like we're gonna have to talk about it on the next episode. Um, speaking of next episode, your girls are going on our summer vacation next week. So we will not be dropping a new potluck next week. We will be, however, dropping a uh flyover deep dive on Besties Book Club.

SPEAKER_02 44:23

We are reading or have read Our Perfect Storm by Carly Fortune.

SPEAKER_01 44:28

So watch out for that. Um, I think that's it. We've really covered the gamut today. Um editing girl. I know. Just remember to like and subscribe and uh follow us on Instagram at Midwest Bestnies Pod. Bye bye. Bye. Somebody gonna match my freak. Somebody gonna match my nesting.