Culture Dumps

This is part one of two of our coverage of the tragic life and times of one Gary Coleman. Gary was beloved around the world for his angelic appearance and impeccable comedic timing, but a lifelong illness would forever plague Gary and keep him from reaching his ultimate potential. After landing a starring role on what … Continue reading "Episode 122: Gary Coleman Part One"

For our third installment of our Banned Toys series Ryan is joined by Eric D of Methsyndicate to discuss some of the most controversial board games of all time. From misunderstood attempts at activism to downright racist jokes in game form, this episode is sure to keep your attention more than, well, playing a board … Continue reading "Episode 121: Banned Toys Vol. 3 – Board Game Edition "

Scoring this interview was MAJOR for us here at Culture Dumps! Roy is a seasoned television producer who worked on such masterpieces as Jersey Shore, Next, Battlebots, Tool Academy, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Date My Mom, and so many more! This episode is really a catchall for so many things we have wanted to cover … Continue reading "Special Episode: Interview with Roy Orecchio "

Waterbeds, a harmless, sleazy thing of the past? Or a pit of danger awaiting their next victim??? YOU BE THE JUDGE! Ryan is joined by Shawn Kohne of KFLX Fiction Radio to dive into the pool of nonsense that is the history of waterbeds. 

This episode is brought to you by Magic Mind, for 45% off of the new 24 Hour Pack, visit magicmind.com/CDJAN. Ryan is joined once again by Museum of Home Video's Bret Berg to discuss the tragic experiment in reality tv known as “Kid Nation.” This ambitious show put 40 children in a western ghost town in attempt … Continue reading "Episode 119: Kid Nation"

This episode of Culture Dumps is brought to you by Magic Mind. For 45% off of your order of the new 24 Hour Pack go to magicmind.com/CDJANThis episode marks the epic conclusion of our coverage of American Gladiators. Johnny Ferraro, the eccentric mind behind the show, takes “his” creation on the road and eventually to a … Continue reading "Episode 118: American Gladiators Part 2"

This is a special preview of our exclusive Patreon side series “Ryan's Report!” This is our current events show where Ryan covers current dumps. On this special edition of Ryan's Report, Ryan is joined by Kyle Rodrick Gridley to recap all of the most dumpable moments of 2024! To listen to the rest of the … Continue reading "PREVIEW Ryan's Report 2024 Year in Dumps"

This episode of Culture Dumps is brought to you by Magic Mind. For 45% off of your order of the new 24 Hour Pack go to magicmind.com/CDJAN We are back with part one of a new double dump! Ryan and Parks dive into the sensation that was American Gladiators. Forged from longstanding down home competition, an … Continue reading "Episode 117: American Gladiators Part One"

Mike Diana is the only artist in the history of the United States to be convicted of artistic obscenity. In the early to mid 1990's Mike's trial was international news. His story was born out of the ashes of the satanic panic and serial killer craze that held the country, particularly the state of Florida, … Continue reading "Special Episode: Interview with Mike Diana "

In our second edition of the banned toys series, Ryan is joined by comedian Liz Hader to reflect on several Barbie mishaps and forgottens. From single mother dolls to NSA threats, this episode has it all. While not all of these dolls were banned, they all call for the proper dump treatment.

On our last dump, we began the saga of Charlie Sheen's Winning Era, a low yet VERY high point in his lengthy career. After becoming the highest paid actor in television history and also one of Hollywood's once again most eligible bachelor's, Charlie found himself drifting back to his old ways, and after a bomb … Continue reading "Episode 115: Charlie Sheen's “Winning Era” Part Two"

Oh to be alive during the great Sheen meltdown of 2011. It was a glorious time for tabloid culture and social media and content hosting platforms. The tale of Charlie Sheen is long and complex with inexplicable ups and downs. Ryan is joined by Eric D of Meth Syndicate to get to the bottom of what was … Continue reading "Episode 114: Charlie Sheen's Winning Era (Pt 1)"

This is the harrowing conclusion of our two part interview with the icon Vanessa “Daisy” de la Hoya. Vanessa explains the origins of Daisy and tells the true story of “Daisy of Love.” Complete with bed bugs, on camera brawls, love, loss, and plenty more that truly makes this series one of our all time … Continue reading "Very Special Episode – Interview with Vanessa “Daisy” de la Hoya Part Two"

The dump gods have smiled upon all of us! This is part one of our interview with the legendary Vanessa “Daisy” de la Hoya, yes, Daisy from DAISY OF LOVE and ROCK OF LOVE. This is a true glimpse into the world of some of the most notorious reality television of all time. As Daisy, … Continue reading "Very Special Episode – Interview with Vanessa “Daisy” de la Hoya Part One"

Our latest special guest is Jeff Uncapher, an accomplished reality tv producer and director with hundreds of episodes worth of credits under his belt. Jeff specializes in home renovation shows which is a realm of reality tv we have yet to dive into on this show. There's a lot more to it than just fixing … Continue reading "Special Episode: Interview with Jeff Uncapher"

The term “found footage” gets thrown around a lot within the world of media nerddom but our pal Bret Berg is definitely an authority on the subject. Bret and Ryan discuss the many facets of the world of found footage and niche media in general.*this was originally a patreon exclusive but we decided to make it available … Continue reading "Special Episode: Interview with Bret Berg of Museum of Home Video"

While the entertainer that came to be known solely as “Gallagher” made his name smashing watermelons, he was actually a fully developed comedic powerhouse, until he wasn't. Gallagher's signature bit overshadowed much of his other work, which was, in reality, about 95% of what he did on stage. On this episode we breakdown how a … Continue reading "Episode 113: Gallagher"

Scot Sothern is a true outlaw artist. Sothern made his name by photographing society's most looked down upon, particularly, street prostitutes. Never exploitative and always humanizing, Scot's work truly shines a light on the dark corners of the city of Los Angeles. His book “Curb Service” is one of Ryan's all time favorites and his … Continue reading "Special Episode: Interview with Scot Sothern"

For this incredibly bleak dump Ryan is joined by comedian and smoker Ian Fidance to discuss the backwards world of anti-smoking ads. Big Tobacco has a long history of questionable advertising but none more questionable than their “youth prevention” programs. How does one advertise how bad a product is while simultaneously advertising how cool that … Continue reading "Episode 112: Anti-Smoking Ads w/ Ian Fidance"

It had to happen, we had to cover one of the most infamous internet figures of all time, Harambe. Join us as we discover how a tragic day at the zoo became the stuff of internet legends for years to come. Ryan is joined by James Ford to discuss the brief, yet impactful history of … Continue reading "Episode 111- Harambe"

Following the fall out of 9/11, America turned its guns toward Afghanistan and Iraq. France, a long time ally, did not sanction or support the US's interest in fighting Iraq and Saddam Hussein. In an effort of Bush era lunacy, Americans started renaming French Fries in “Freedom Fries.” In an act of Patriotic fervor, the … Continue reading "Episode 110: Freedom Fries"

Chyna was and is the most recognizable woman in professional wrestling, but she was so much more than that! Chyna aka Joanie showed us that women can be strong, intimidating, and entertaining, The story of Chyna teaches us many things, things we should have known years ago… Maybe through hearing her story we will finally … Continue reading "Episode 109: Chyna"

Fabio is a manly man! His luscious long hair and Italian accent made him a sex symbol of the 90s. But what did Fabio even do? Handsome as he was, there was something very silly and funny about Fabio's appearance. He was the winking joke for the “bored housewife” who dreamed on a shirtless man … Continue reading "Episode 108: Fabio"

What was initially promoted as a therapeutic device for kids and adults alike quickly became one of the world's biggest distractions. Fidget spinners burst onto the scene in 2017 but the history of the stupid little toy stretches back over 20 years before that. This is a classic story of a small idea being misappropriated … Continue reading "Episode 107: Fidget Spinners"

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On this very special edition of Culture Dumps Ryan sits down with Leroy Patterson aka The Human Tackboard to discuss backyard wrestling, death match wrestling, extreme videos of the late 90's and early 00's, and most importantly, his appearance on the 2000 episode of MTV True Life I am a Backyard Wrestler.

You asked for it, we are dumping it. The McRib is one of the most divisive sandwiches of all time, but why? Furthermore, where did it come from? Why did it come from? And just what in the hell is it made of? Ryan is joined by Eric D of Methsyndicate to find out! 

For the final dump of 2023 we are uncovering the story of one of the biggest and worst nerds in history, Ben Stein. Ben cut his teeth as an economist and professor, not to mention presidential speech writer, but what he is best known for is his strange and surprisingly consistent acting career. Through bit … Continue reading "Episode 105: Ben Stein"

This is somewhat of a classic dump. A simple product, a time gone by, and lots of lawsuits. Bratz hit the scene in 2001 and gave Barbie a run for her money, and then Barbie gave Bratz a run for their money, everyone was running for their money. Get your BFFZ and check out our … Continue reading "Episode 104: BRATZ"

We have made it to the harrowing conclusion of our Anna Nicole Smith series. Through all of the ups and downs in this story we can safely say that this is the saddest chapter by far and easily one of the saddest episodes of Culture Dumps as a whole. Rip Queen.

In the third installment of our Anna Nicole series we discuss her debut as the wild child spokesperson for Trimspa as well as one of the most notorious Anna moments of all time. Unfortunately, this is the part of the story where things get dark, from the ever tightening grip of Howard K Stern to … Continue reading "Episode 102: Anna Nicole Smith Part 3"

As we continue the saga of Anna Nicole Smith we will see her rise to the top of the modeling word and fall to the bottom of the cinema world. There will be a wedding, a death, and a revolutionary television show. There will also be lots of pills.

We made it folks, episode 100 (proper)! For this landmark episode we are beginning to tell the tale of Anna Nicole Smith, a true blonde bombshell and icon of beauty, scandal, and tragedy. Join us as we dive into her early days in Mexia, Texas, her fateful meeting with a billionaire oil tycoon, and her … Continue reading "Episode 100: Anna Nicole Smith part 1"

On Episode 99 we sit back for a minute and relish in the glory of our near approaching milestone: 100 episodes. We appreciate all of the support that we have received thus far. Keep on dumping folks!

This episode's guest is Violet Sky. Violet is what we call an “era influencer,” someone who lives their live as though they were in a different decade and gives the public a look into their life via social media. Not only is she a 1980's historian and revivalist, she is also an amazingly talented artist … Continue reading "Special Episode: Interview with Violet Sky"

“Louie Louie” is an iconic Rock anthem that holds a prominent place in American pop culture. Recognized as one of the most famous rock songs of all time, it has been covered over 2,000 times. The song's enduring popularity, however, was accompanied by controversy due to its widely misunderstood lyrics, which led to investigations by … Continue reading "Episode 98: Louie Louie"

This is the first installment of our new series within the world of dumps. We have covered many toy crazes over the years but this is going to be a bit different. Rather than focusing on toys that were extremely popular and then faded into obscurity, we are going to tell the tales of the … Continue reading "Episode 97: Banned Toys Volume 1"

Dave Sirus is an Emmy nominated, Writers Guild Award winning comedian who has written for comedy giants like SNL and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. His latest project is “Bupkis,” a show he created along with his best friend and writing partner Pete Davidson. Ryan and Dave discuss Dave's career, his new show, what it's like when … Continue reading "Special Episode: Interview with Dave Sirus"

Ryan is joined by Eric D to discuss the infamous Wendy's finger in the chili scandal. When a woman found a piece of a human finger in her chili the whole country cringed, but what started as an unfortunate and disgusting mishap became one of the most bizarre scams in tort law history.

This is a deep cut dump for sure. The Barbarian Brothers were the body building identical twins whose string of late 80s and early 90s b-movies launched them into dump stardom. We know many of you might not have heard of these guys, but sometimes we gotta just dump for us! We also announce the … Continue reading "Episode 95: The Barbarian Brothers"

This week we go back to 1990 to discuss one of the most bizarre trials in music history. After an attempted double suicide by two young friends, metal legends Judas Priest were put on trial for alleged subliminal messages in their music that were believed to have caused the tragedy. The trial was as ridiculous … Continue reading "Episode 94: Judas Priest Trial"

Jeff Nucera is an accomplished television producer and documentarian who came to us by way of past guest Eddie Schmidt. Jeff is in the process of making a new documentary about a Weird Al themed burlesque troupe, a dream considering his life long obsession with Weird Al. Besides his latest endeavor, we discuss his work … Continue reading "Special Guest: Jeff Nucera"

This week Ryan is joined by Eric D of Methsyndicate to discuss the immensely unfortunate early 2000's video series “Bumfights.” What began as a shitty skateboard video quickly turned into a global monster. Worse than what was captured on camera for the videos are the many copycats that followed. File this under, really sad and … Continue reading "Episode 93: Bumfights"

On the harrowing conclusion of our Vanilla Ice series we learn that life on top ain't what it's cracked up to be! We will witness the fall of Vanilla Ice and the eventual rise of Rob Van Winkle. Be prepared for a ton of dump crossovers folks.

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Sup Ninjas, you know we had to do it. Vanilla Ice is a dump like no other. Truly a one hit wonder with his smash hit “Ice Ice Baby,” a song that launch rap music to global ubiquity. The rapper found harsh criticism as quickly as he found mega stardom. Part 1 traces the roots … Continue reading "Episode 91: Vanilla Ice Part 1"

Dominos revolutionized the pizza delivery game with their promise, “Pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less or your meal is free.” Unfortunately this led to some deranged attempts to either exploit the rule for some free ‘za. We also discuss the Noid, a Dominos mascot famously attached to the 30 minutes or less campaign.

While her name might not ring a bell to the current generation, in 1987 “Baby Jessica” was known throughout the world. The then 18-month-old Baby Jessica fell into and became stuck inside of a well. What followed was one of the most captivating live television events of all time.

Sinéad O'Connor is one of the most 90s dumps we have ever covered. Between her massive number 1 hit “Nothing Compares 2 U” and her infamous “pope gate” scandal on SNL, Sinéad has always been a polarizing figure. While to some Sinéad remains firmly in a 90s time capsule. Her life has been marked by … Continue reading "Episode 88: Sinéad O'Connor"

This week on Culture Dumps we cover what is definitely our most modern dump. In 2019 Popeye's released their now infamous sandwich. The sandwich itself was really nothing to write home about, but try telling that to the thousands of people who waited in line, got in fights with staff, and raved about it online. … Continue reading "Episode 87: Popeye's Chicken Sandwich"

Ryan sits down with acclaimed documentary director, producer, and podcaster Celia Aniskovich to discuss her latest film “Call Me Miss Cleo.” Besides her latest film, they discuss beanie babies, Woodstock 99, and more!