Libsyn Directory

Who Up Quantifying the Self?

Release Date: 10/08/2025

Binchtopia

In this truly chaotic Thanksgiving-themed episode, Julia and Nick celebrate the holiday the only way that makes sense: unpacking the LIES and encasing everything in jello. Course by course, the binchies revisit the original feast of 1621, the one 19th century lady who kept trying to make Thanksgiving happen, and your insane family stories and recipes. Digressions include the French winning the IDGAF war, Kim Kardashian’s ChatGPT induced academic failure, and a surprise attack in the stu. This is a teaser for a Patreon-exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and access over 50 bonus...

DIYers Make Do w/ Nick Garros

Binchtopia

Reporting live from the newly DIY’ed stu, Julia is joined by beautiful Nick, the king of DIY, to chart the chaotic history of “doing it yourself.” From ancient Greeks assembling Ikea-style furniture to TikTokers accidentally creating mustard gas in their homes, they uncover how the urge to DIY is fundamentally human. Along the way, they discuss Victorian men who couldn’t do shit, 1950s dads working through PTSD by tinkering in their garages, the health benefits of working with your hands, and the scientific proof that gay people are superior at home improvement. Digressions include...

Dear Binchie w/ Eli Rallo *TEASER*

Binchtopia

This week, Julia is joined by internet advicestress Eli Rallo to chart the history of the advice column. From Victorian agony aunts to the iconic twin-sister rivals Ann Landers and Dear Abby, they follow how advice became both moral instruction and mass entertainment. Plus, the girlies weigh in on history’s biggest dilemmas, like: is a ginger man doomed to be single forever? Is my dog gay? And is my hot wife allowed to be naked in our own home? Digressions include crowdfunding therapy for trauma candy salad victims, the female urge to visit a psychic, and advice for living your most slayful...

So There's This Curse... w/ Nick Garros

Binchtopia

BOO! It’s time for another binchtacular Halloween episode! Join Julia and Nick in costume as they explore humanity’s pettiest tradition: CURSES! From blighted crops and ancient binding spells to Etsy witches who can hex your ex, they unpack the storied history of transforming rage into ritual — while cackling hysterically along the way. Digressions include sad crab facts, the burden of being bald, and a Halloween abortion story with a happy ending. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette. To support the podcast on Patreon and access...

Grad School Is a Masochistic Act w/ Aliza Jay *TEASER*

Binchtopia

In a long-awaited episode, Julia is joined by her PhD bestina Jewish Aliza for a multifaceted discussion about mental illness, psychology programs, and the hell of grad school. The girlies differentiate between the many ways to become a therapist, affirm psychodynamic supremacy, navigate how to practice with an online presence, and unpack how they try (and fail) to maintain their sanity. Digressions include the need for bipolar lesbian representation, Aliza’s Catherine Zeta-Jones themed Bat Mitzvah, and the importance of reaching out to randos. This is a teaser...

Who Up Quantifying the Self?

Binchtopia

This week on Binchtopia, Eliza returns from her off-grid era to dive into the history and evolution of body technology, from ancient tracking rituals to Silicon Valley’s quantified self movement. The girlies break down Fitbits, Oura Rings, Prenuvo scans, and sleep apps to examine how our obsession with optimizing the body blurs the line between health, surveillance, and control. Digressions include Taylor Swift’s public clowning, Nicki Minaj and Cardi B beefing with each other’s kids, and the biological necessity of annihilation anxiety. This episode was produced by Julia Hava and...

Tap to Joust w/ Nick Garros *TEASER*

Binchtopia

Venture forth with Julia and beautiful Lady Garros on their noble quest to the Renaissance Faire, where Nick donned a full chest plate and even the turkey legs demanded a tithe. After ranting about ye olde ATM’s and how capitalism ruins everything, the binchies travel back in history to the first Ren Faire of the 1960’s to understand how a radical gathering for communists and hippies turned into the multi-million dollar business of today. Plus, an eye-opening interview with two iconic Ladies of the Faire, Olivia and Lev, who provide the inside scoop on what it’s like to be a...

The Crisis of Despair w/ P.E. Moskowitz

Binchtopia

Julia is joined by genius mind P.E. Moskowitz for a conversation about their new memoir Breaking Awake, which chronicles the mental breakdown that drove them to experiment with drugs, reckon with trauma, and draw meaning from suffering. From Klonopin and SSRIs to ketamine and LSD, they consider what our reliance on substances reveals about our modern world. Are drugs soothing us, transforming us, or just reflecting our pain? Digressions include P.E.’s commandment to “go out and get weird with it,” the dark headspace where internet mantras start to feel profound, and the unfortunate but...

That's Doll, Folks w/ Allegra Chapman *TEASER*

Binchtopia

Julia is joined by Binchtopia favorite Allegra Chapman to explore the delightful world of DOLLS! From Sonny Angels to Blythe, Madame Alexander to Barbie, Allegra lends her expertise to tell us what dolls reveal about history, their practical and symbolic purposes, and even the “misdollgyny” behind why haunted dolls always seem to be women. Plus, Allegra’s thoughts on those infamous American Girls, the childhood pastime of torturing your dolls, and the uncanny world of reborns. Digressions include the bonding experience of having curly hair, Allegra’s new Julia-approved boyfriend, and...

Cut to the Chaste w/ Michaela Okland

Binchtopia

Julia is joined by bestie of the pod Michaela Okland to explore the practice of chosen celibacy, from its ancient history to its resurgence in modern culture. The girlies share their own celibacy journeys, revisit iconic historical figures who opted out of sex and marriage, and discuss the radical 4B movement gaining attention in South Korea, where women are walking away from men entirely. Digressions include the karmic power of The Melting Pot, graduating from Men Are Trash discourse, and dating after grief and loss. This episode was produced and researched by Julia Hava and edited by...

More Episodes

This episode was produced by Julia Hava and Kylie Finnigan and edited by Livi Burdette.

SOURCES

A Panopticon on My Wrist: The Biopower of Big Data Visualization for Wearables

Beyond Human: Lifelogging and Life Extension

Denial of Death by Ernest Becker

Effectiveness of wearable activity trackers to increase physical activity and improve health: a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Exploring the impact of commercial wearable activity trackers on body awareness and body representations: A mixed-methods study on self-tracking

Full-body MRIs: Peace of mind for some, "bane of my existence" for others

Health Wearables, Gamification, and Healthful Activity

I covered my body in health trackers for 6 months. It ruined my life.

Interventions Using Wearable Activity Trackers to Improve Patient Physical Activity and Other Outcomes in Adults Who Are Hospitalized