Normal Gossip

Radiotopia's Ronald Young Jr. joins Normal Gossip to discuss falling in love with familiar strangers. They share ridiculous tales from gym encounters, crush confessions, and meeting a 'blood celebrity' at a church event. The podcast delves into comical interactions, awkward encounters at a dog park, and lessons on resilience and moving forward.

Hosts investigate the origins of the infamous poop story, discussing its uncertainties, variations as an urban legend, and the blurred line between gossip and urban legends. They also share their personal experiences, the theft and remake of their film, and the beauty of storytelling.

The podcast discusses an upcoming mini tour in the spring, with details on the cities they will be visiting. They also talk about ways to support the podcast and purchase merchandise. The hosts express their excitement for the upcoming live shows and address common questions from listeners. They discuss the logistical challenges of touring and share information on submitting stories for the show. Finally, they provide updates on when the podcast will return with new episodes and offer a chance to get involved in a mysterious new project.

David Roth, Defector editor, and Dan McQuade, runs the merch shop, join for the season finale to delve into the stupidest election drama ever. Topics include the relationship between gossip and sports, a surprising discovery about a pet turtle's eating habits, an eccentric desert town and its pet mayor, and the implications and concerns about a pet mayor page. Drama ensues in the mayoral race with accusations of running a dirty campaign and unexpected endorsements.

Survivor 41 winner Erika Casupanan joins us this week for a story about the perils of gossiping at work. Listen to Erika's podcast, Happy to See Me! Sign up to hear Normal Gossip's next secret here. Support Radiotopia's fall fundraiser! You can support Normal Gossip directly by buying merch or becoming a Friend or a Friend-of-Friend at supportnormalgossip.com. Our merch shop is run by Dan McQuade. You can also find all kinds of info about us and how to submit gossip on our Komi page: https://normalgossip.komi.io/ Episode transcript here. Follow the show on Instagram @normalgossip, and if you have gossip, email us at normalgossip@defector.com or leave us a voicemail at 26-79-GOSSIP. Normal Gossip is hosted by Kelsey McKinney (@mckinneykelsey) and produced by Alex Sujong Laughlin (@alexlaughs). Jae Towle Vieira (@jaetowlevieira) is our associate producer. Abigail Segel (@AbigailSegel) is our intern. Justin Ellis is Defector's projects editor. Credits read by Libby Crowe. Show art by Tara Jacoby. Normal Gossip is a proud member of Radiotopia. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Journalist and podcast host Hayes Brown joins the hosts to discuss shocking scenarios in the world of upscale dog grooming. They explore unexpected revelations, hair salon stories, a twist involving a dog salon, and tensions among the staff. The chapter includes discussions on dog grooming styles, resentment, misunderstandings, and the closure of the salon.

Guest Maitreyi Anantharaman joins the podcast to share a story about private school moms taking theater and urban dance classes too seriously. The hosts discuss gossipiest sports, the importance of a social media grid, and a challenging experience organizing a school performance. They also bring up the controversial portrayal of characters in a book and reflect on reminders from moms.

Zakiya Gibbons, host of Hang Up, joins the podcast to share a horrifying Thanksgiving home rental experience. The speakers discuss authenticity, a traumatic incident with an Airbnb host, meeting significant other's family, and more. They also share their unconventional Thanksgiving plans and an unexpected discovery of a large bag of weed. The episode ends with acknowledgments and credits.

The podcast features Amanda Montell, a writer and podcast host, discussing various interesting topics. They talk about the importance of purposeful gossip, meeting Daniel Radcliffe, dreams of moving to Europe, exploring options for au pairing, Adele's journey as an au pair, living in a house under construction, financial difficulties faced by the au pair, and new ventures after leaving the influencer life.

TV writer and showrunner Sarah-Violet Bliss joins the hosts for an evening of moral quandaries and infinite amounts of ceviche. Topics include gossip about the original ending of Titanic, differing perspectives on food, a surprise involving giant coolers filled with sea bass, and the debate over stealing cilantro from a community garden.