Made a decision face sunny sad on I had a desion. So what's up,
everybody? It's our for crying out loud. Bonus Show with our special
guest today, Meredith Lynch. Thank you Meredith for coming in. I'm super
excited about this. I've been asking her for a while. Um, and
then some reason she couldn't do the I don't know, but whatever, it's
probably your fault. It probably was my fault. It's my fault. It's
almost always my fault. Now, UM, I will say how I know
Meredith. But so Meredith took my memoir writing class. Is that how you
met? I think so, But you said you listen to this podcast.
But I just want to say really quick that she's so crazy talented, Like
she's so young and beautiful, and you don't always expect that. I know,
when you're young and beautiful, you don't really need to back it up
with talent, but like, oh my god, her writing is so beautiful
and she tell these stories, you know, which she can kind of tell
you about about her life and just super honest and moving stories. And then
some time went by, I think you were taking writing like you you got
U you were actually taking like real, yeah, I'm getting my MFA now.
So here's a little plug for Stephanie's class. Like, I'm getting a
graduate degree now because I took Stephanie's class. I never would have done wow,
right, yes, I never would have done it. So did you
just take the writing class? Just as a like for frenzies. I was
like, you know what, I just moved to La. It was COVID,
there was like nothing going on. I was like, let me take
this writing class, and you know, just I've got some of these like
weird stories, let me see what happens. And then I loved it so
much. She's an amazing She really is just an amazing there's your plug.
Okay. So then um, some time goes by and then you blew up
on TikTok a little bit, a little bit. How I want to know
how that happened? Yeah, okay, okay, so tell us a little
give us some backstory. So I when I first moved to La again,
no friends, like my husband and I moved here during COVID, so it's
like just us dogs, nothing else. And it's December of twenty twenty.
There's like no vaccines, you can't do anything. So I just started making
TikTok videos and mostly they were like makeup and like skincare and stuff, and
they started kind of taking off, and I was like, Okay, this
is fun. But then I started to realize, like I was like,
I don't really this isn't really my jam, Like I don't really fit in
with like the makeup girlies. I'm never gonna get like invited on the brand
trip, Like no one's flying me to Dubai. So I gotta like figure
something else out. And so then I started making more like pop culture TikTok's
and those really started to take off in like deep diving on stuff and like
you know, looking at like you know, Real Housewives seasons from years ago
or like you know, I was just telling stuff and he like, I'm
really right now into the real world. Miami from nineteen ninety six, like
obsessed with it. I can't stop watching it. It does not age well,
but it's so good. Wow. Okay, yeah, so I'm trying
to even remember who was Okay, Miami Dan, he was like a model
and Flora. Remember they get into a fight over the envelope? Was it?
What season was it? Was it season? Like season six? Ohkah,
I think I had stopped watching it by then. Anyway, it's pretty
okay, so I digress. But anyway, so I started making these videos
and I was having a lot of fun, and then I flew a little
too close to the sun. Like I'll just say that for a hot minute.
Um, I learned about defamation the hard way and um. But since
then, uh, since my incidences with two former I want to say,
former Bravo stars, I have learned a lot. And now I do all
sorts of stuff on TikTok and you know, trying to also like you know,
write a little bit on the side. So even when you started tick,
when you started doing the TikTok, you had any followers. No,
I no followers. Yeah, like when you started doing the TikTok, So
how does like how do you start to build You have to do hashtags?
Yeah, you have to do like hashtags, and like, you know,
I wasn't like an you know, there's like Instagram, bloggers and things like
that. I wasn't any of those things. And so I just made one
video and the algorithm just picked it up. And then like from there,
I started like getting more and more and then people just started following me,
and I will be honest, like you got I'm not doing it as much
as I used to. You gotta be like cranking the content out. Like
there was a time period where I was making like five videos a day and
I was like a day. And I also used to like put on like
a full face of makeup and like have this like totally different voice. And
it was exactly like my husband would be like, um, are we like
gonna go to dinner? You're just gonna like make TikTok's all night? And
I'm like, well, you know what, what's giving us seventy five since
a day? You know? But now I think like you kind of like
probably y'all have been through this with like your own stuff. It's like you
start to be like, Okay, where's the boundary, Like what what is
like actually gonna make me money or you know, be rewarding, and then
also what is just like oh, I'm kind of like right, it's filler,
you know, right right right now I'm more strategic. So are you
making good money off TikTok though? Um, no, no, because I
get no brand deals, Like so that's why people make money off of on
TikTok, Like they make money off the brand deals, so like they just
had this Oh my god, this is so good, so they just do
you know she In, You're oh, yeah, okay, did you see
the brand trip to she In? No, my god, it's like propaganda.
So they bring these influencers to China and they're like, you're gonna tore
she In and you're going to find out that we're really ethical because like it's
fast fashion, right, they're kind of like the worst of the work.
Oh yeah, I completely imagine like seven year olds sewing clothes in a factory.
So they bring them to like the innovation center and they tore it and
they're like then they have them come back and like basically read off a script
and be like we had the most amazing time in Singapore, and we went
to dinner with like the heads of the company and like you know, we
learned all about their ethical practices, and we adopted some kids from the factory,
and like they got paid like six thousand dollars to go on that trip,
plus like the expenses. No one is inviting me to that. I
was uninvited to the Paley Festival. I don't know if You're familiar with the
Paley Festival, so it's like basic. No, So like the Pale Paley
is like some center for the arts or something. So they have like a
festival every year, and they like premiere shows. So they were doing the
premiere of Yellow Jackets, and I'm like, they invite me to go.
I'm like, oh, okay, this is fun, Like this is a
cool thing. And then I get an email like two days later. Um,
the brand is moving in a different direction. You're not gone in now.
This is why someone thinks I was uninvited. Okay, I talk shit
about scientology on podcasts and Juliette Lewis is still a scientologist, so they said,
they think I'm on the watch list, got it. I'm interesting.
I was just at the Scientology Center this weekend. I serviced their turtle pond
and they needed me to come over there, so and I do it,
and I do it with everybody. It's like right outside the cafe, so
they're all walking by me and uh, very chatty. Yeah, yeah,
I'm working here. I lifting rocks, and they're just why do you become
a scientologist? Just do it for us? Hidden Yeah, to an event
once at the Celebrity Center because it was my friend, Well this isn't Patreon,
but um well, Julie Casem's sister is a scientologist. So we were
at an event. This is many years ago, and it was and we
walked around a little bit and it was so wild to see, like,
oh my god, these people are all scientologists just walking among us, right,
regular people like living their lives, you know, trying to blend in
with the rest of us, you know. And then when we were at
the event, it was like people would be talking to each other and then
you know, you'd kind of be eyeing the person with suspicion, and then
eventually the person would just be like, are you scientologists? And then I'd
be like no, and then they'd be like me neither. This is crazy,
and then you'd be like, okay, I can continue talking to Yeah,
right, it's odd. So wait, you you go and you and
you clean their pool. They're pond, they're they're quite fond like the turtle.
They have a turtle pond right outside their cafe. And do you think
the turtles are all scientologists? I was just gonna say, they love those
turtles, so I have to take them out and put them in a separate
container, and they are all very concerned. Where where are the where do
they I'm like their dad at the bottom of the stairs, just go look
at them, and then they go down and yeah, they really love those
turtles. Oh my god, you're not on a watch list, not yet
for this episode. Im my god. I'm sorry. Listen. Yes,
said maybe a bit chatty, but nice. We're all on the watch list
now. Um, okay, do you ever get recruited like either of you?
Well, you're an LA native, right, I'm like kind of a
creep because I've listened to this podcast so much, so you like, no
one would bother you about it. I get no, I've never nobody's ever
approached me. Unfortunately. Stephanie's dad an approach to go join a cult and
shit, you know my Nexium story, right, Yeah, you were like
almost they tried to get you in there, right, yeah, the girl.
Yeah, I know it's because you're a local, like they know that
you're going to smell the bs. When I first moved to LA where I
was nineteen and I would walk I lived in Hollywood, Oh my god,
I got approached to be an a cult like every other day and Scientology is
like their their headquarters. They were on Hollywood Boulevard, So if you were
walking on Hollywood Boulevard, they would constantly be like, hey, do you
want to take a free personality test? And that's where they get yet because
if you don't know, you're like, oh, like I love that kind
of shit. I'll take a kind of quiz. Yeah, like I'll like
you know, I mean this is the precursor to like Facebook, you know,
like which candy bar are you? You know? So it was like,
oh, that's kind of interesting. But then you start to realize that
the pan something looked off about it, and I'm fairly cynical person, so
I kind of caught onto what that was going to be and that I was
then going to have to be a scientologist. But I also got recruited into
the Namyoho renge Ko, like into going to a meeting. It's a Buddhist
cult. Okay, it's not like try to come up to you and hand
you the flowers or whatever. No, that's yeah, yeah, yeah,
this is like George Harrison's song. Yeah, this is a little bit different.
It's um, it's a it's a cult where you chant this, you
go num yoho renge ki num yoho ing anyway. But the whole point is
to like attract material things into your life. It's like it's like before the
Secret, right right, And yeah, so I went to one meeting for
that, but they're very serious. They have a thing called a ghunzen,
which is like an altar and you hang it on your wall, and of
course all these things cost money, right right, But like so I was
supposed to go to this meeting where I was going to buy my ghunzen,
and before that could happen, I, you know, I thought better of
the whole thing and was like I'm not going to be doing that. And
then they started showing up at the apartment where I was staying and calling constantly
and like yeah, I had to threaten to call the police to make them
go away. It's like a car full of these namioho renge KOs in like
a Volkswagen in the driveway, going please come out, please come talk to
us, And I was like, you need to go away. It was
crazy, But like, don't you feel kind of cool that they wanted you
in there? Yeah? Yeah, isn't it? You feel very you know,
feel good about yourself. Once I had a few years of la under
my belt, Like yeah, nobody, nobody was to be in their coals.
See that's what I mean. But did you grow up were you raised
Catholic? Yes? Yeah, well my dad was an atheist, my mom
was Catholic, and so I was like in between. I don't know,
Well you never really went to church or right, but like the same thing
with me, Like we didn't go to church, but I would say I
was raised Catholic. But I think they smell the Catholics from a mile away
and they're like you already have like too much like emotional damage or something like
you were raised by people who probably did grow up very Catholic, Right,
so you're screwed. Yeah, they don't want so okay, wait, so
you got, you got, you got. You didn't get to go to
the Paley. I didn't get to go to Pale Fast so Juliet Yeah maybe,
um possibly possibly allegedly, but anyway, so I'm not getting those kind
of things. But I have a Patreon in a case, like you know,
I got invited to go to Raising Canes the other day, the opening
of a Raising Canes and el Segunda. Oh my god, that's where you
met what's right Arianna from what vander pet Yes, Arianna was at the raising
canes or kidding raising canes at eight thirty in the morning, which I have
to tell you at the time of my life. I was like, this
is like the best time I've had in La eight thirty in the morning with
like a bunch of influencers in Arianna at the raising cane The chicken is good.
Oh, I've been there a million times. Who used to stop there
all the time with Natalian way home from volleyball. She loves it. Yeah,
I loved it. Now, So like, does game recognize game when
you go to these things, like do influencers or they like, I know
you, I know you from the talk and then you go, I know
do you do you see? Yes? And I only get invited to stuff
with like people who are similar to me, you know what I mean,
Like because there's influencers who like I mean, there's some who like have me
blocked, and there's like, oh my god, I blocked by like everybody.
I'm blocked by like everybody, not influencers, but like a lot of
celebrities have me blocked. Witherspoon blocked me in like minutes you why because I
was starting to kind of poke around with her, like reading Initiative Club okay,
and I was like, okay, this is a little interesting. You
know, you guys, you're not a nonprofit, but you say that you're
donating, so like, where's it going? And it was like immediate block.
And I'm not gonna lie, that scared me. Yeah, because of
your Bethany. That was actually before my Bethany stuff. But it did scare
me because I was like, she's I think Greece Witherspoon like would cut a
bitch. I think I feel that way too. Yeah yeah, yeah yeah,
And I almost kind of respected her for right away being like you're done.
So how long did it take you to build a following? To get
over two hundred thousand? Yeah, over two hundred thousand took me like almost
two years. That's not even bad. Yeah, it's not that for like
someone who didn't have a social media presence before. And so you know,
we'll kind of see what happens. It's like one day at a time.
One day you're at the Raising Canes, the next day you're uninvited from the
PaleyFest, right, but like I love meeting, like like I've met the
coolest people from doing this, like being here with you guys, it's like
a dream, Like you don't. I used to listen to this podcast.
I still listen as possible, but I used to listen to it when I
was in my like mid early twenties, and it was like having two big
sisters. It was the first podcast that I ever listened to. Yes,
I always my dream to have a good sister. Um okay, So honestly,
this is why. Okay, I was watching Celebrity it's all because of
Trump. I was watching Celebrity Apprentice and Adam was on it, and I
thought that he was really funny on it. And I was telling my friend,
I was like, oh, you know, watching this and like I
don't really like the show, but I think Adam crole is really funny.
And he was like, oh, you should listen to his podcast, and
so I did and I was like, oh, yeah, it's it's funny.
But then I heard an ad for this and I was like, I'm
gonna listen to that, and so I started listening to this instad. I
mean this was like like you guys like didn't have Patreon, Like wow,
I mean, the kids were so little um and so I became like a
for crying out loud at it. And do you have kids? No,
I don't have kids, Okay, but I have a lot of opinions.
So much for crying out lust but I love hearing about your kids and like
they're just like, honestly, your kids are such nice kids, Like I
can just tell from the way you talk about them, and like it's just
like I think it's really cool how you've shared them growing up. But also
like not overexposed. I don't know. I just thank you. You're great
moms. And I probably would have like not married my husband if it hadn't
been for your podcast, because you give a really good relationship advice too.
We do, yes, Oh my god. I feel like all we did
was complain, yeah, because like it is like they are really fucking annoying
rights and valid made you feel made you feel like, Okay, you're not
the only one annoyed by your husband right at it, and like I feel
like I like I had just started dating him when I think I was really
like really, this was the only podcast that I was listening to, and
I remember feeling like you guys talking about like you know, sometimes just to
like give people a chance and not everything's going to be perfect all the time.
And I didn't, like I don't have a big sister, um,
and it was just like hearing big sisters say that advice. And I was
like, all right, I'll go on another date with him. Ah,
that's so nice. I can remember thinking that. That's so you guys,
anytime you want, Okay, let's take a quick break and we're back.
So I want to hear. So there's so many I have questions. But
um, so you have two sisters, younger sisters the oldest, and you
lost your mom when you were sixteen seventeen. But yes, oh my gosh,
wow. So yeah, so my mom died when I was seventeen.
She had cancer for four years, and we went from being a tight show
up to a cruise ship, That's what I say, but like not a
good cruise ship, not like one that Richard Branson's on, like one where
like everybody comes home and they have diarrhea. I like, is then my
grandma's friend being wheeled off the cruise ship? Like that's what it became.
So anyway, my mom, like you know, so my mom died when
I was seventeen, which was like terrible for the mental health, but like
amazing for the plot because it really did like make me who I am.
Like I was very quiet, very shy, and then my mom gets sick
and died, and I was just like okay, Like even though my dad
is wonderful, Like it was like, you know, my mom was the
one who ran the house, and so it was like you're on your own
kid in a lot of ways, and so it was like I just had
to learn to advocate for myself, which is probably how I end up with
all these you know, cease and assists shutting up. Yeah. I really
think it's the challenges in life that I think, Okay, God forbid that
challenge. But when kids are faced with some kind of adversity, I do
think it turns them into you know, hustlers. Yeah, yeah, hustle
you know, like you have to if you don't get everything handed to you,
like or you just have some things that you have to go through some
difficulties. It makes you realize, oh, like there's steps I can take,
there's things I can do. Like we are forced into it, you
know. I mean, if I hadn't had like a shitty childhood, I
wouldn't have been would I would never have done the things or taking the risks
or taking the chances or gone for things because I would have felt like,
oh, I have too much to lose or that sounds hard or whatever.
But when you don't have anything and you have to it kind of you throw
yourself into stuff right totally. And you also know that like, I mean,
you guys have both seen some shit, right, Like you also know
like, Okay, well, bad things have already happened to me. What
else can I ask? That's that bad? Right? Like you've both been
through things with your family, and once you've been through real hard things,
you kind of realize, like you know who cares right to some degree?
Yeah, are you close to your dad? Yeah? I'm really close to
my dad. He's my best friend and I'm not his because he has good
boundaries, Like I'm obsessed with him, and he like likes like is has
like an appropriate like is like you're you're a great kid, but I don't
need to talk to you every day. I was a daddy's girl too,
Oh my god. I was always like I was always a daddy's girl.
And so you know when my mom died, Like, you know, I
think we got closer in a lot of ways, but became more like brother
and sister in a lot of ways. But my dad is remarried. He
has an amazing I have an amazing stepmom. He like waited a really long
time because like that's the trauma. Like a lot of women that I meet
whose mom's died when they were young, like their dads get married like no
joke, like four months later. Oh yeah, I've seen it. I've
seen it with one of Elbie's friends. Yeah, with a couple of all
these friends. Yeah, it's so hard. I think it's harder than the
actual losing of the mom. Oh I can imagine. Yeah. Yeah.
Now are you close with your sisters? Oh? Super close. It's super
close. I mean, like, you know, they think I'm like a
bossy older sister, but we're really close and I'm so grateful to have them,
and like, you know, we've been through some shit together, so
we we are. We know that we're like all each other has in a
lot of ways. You know. Um, so yeah, I feel really
really blessed in that way. And then you know, I really feel like
it's so cheesy, but I live my life like an honor of my mom.
Like my mom never got to travel like she you know, she gets
she like goes to college, has kids, gets sick and dies like she's
you know, she doesn't get she didn't have a very long life. She
didn't have an easy life. And so everything that I do, like is
an honor of her, Like she never moves, like she never got to
like travel, she never got to move, She never saw the Pacific Ocean,
like, she didn't get to do all these things, So like I
get to do them for her, as she says, that sounds right.
But what I also really liked, what I loved about your writing was that
as much as you know you weren't, your writing isn't like a Hallmark movie
about losing your mom, like you t told a lot of real stories about
Oh yeah, it was a piece of shit. When my mom was sick,
I was so annoying. I was like, such a little asshole.
Actually, it's so funny you told this story the other day, and he
was being so much nicer than I was. Um about Sonny coming home from
Japan right and honestly, like right before my mother died, I came home
from like one of these like big class trips, like one of those ones
where like you have to beg your parents and then finally they'd let you go
and like they write the check and they're like, you know, but you're
gonna have to come back and tell us everything about it. And I remember
her picking me up from the airport and her and first of all, I
remember being like you and you better be on time. When I called her,
like the night before, I was like, you better be on time.
This poor woman is like dying of cancer, by the way, okay,
And so she like picks me up and she's like, how was it,
And I'm like it was fine to talk like I'm like I'm tired.
And I've always had like serious regret about that car ride because I was like
a little a little shit on the car ride home. And then here's my
mom who like she probably only lived for like a few more months. And
I wasn't like you know now looking back right, like if you were an
adult, you'd be like, oh my god, here's my other like dying
mother picking me up. I gotta tell her everything. I got a sharp
photo whatever. But like when you and Sonny was so nice because then he
comes home and he eventually tells you everything right. Yeah, But like I
was just like, oh, I was like when I heard that story,
I was like, oh I was I was being like sixteen, I was
being seventeen. I was being a teenager. So yeah, I mean like
I could be a little But your mom was sick for a long time,
and you can't live every day like your mom's dying, because that would be
really weird. Yeah, And I think if every day you were like mom,
I so appreciate you, it's gonna be really sad when you're gone,
Like, I mean, that would be how who could maintain that attitude?
I don't. I don't think anyone can. I think maybe if you're an
adult and you don't live with your parent and they're terminally ill, maybe you
can have more of that sort of relationship. But I actually look back on
it now and I'm like, I think I kind of gave her a gift
because like she got to have like a like a regular teenager, and you
know, she got to have the kid that was like being like I don't
want to do this. I want to go with my friends drive me here,
Like I want my take me to get my permit and then like you
know, like all those kind of things, which actually, like if you
want to be a parent, those are like some of the things that you
expect. So like, I think it's probably good because it let her not
think about her cancer all the time. But yeah, like I used to,
I would talk about this in class. I'd be like, if you're
coming to pick me up, you better And people are gonna think I'm such
a jerk, but can we just say, like I was like at this
time, I was like, thirteen, you better have your wayne if you're
coming down to the school today, because like who wants to be different at
that age? Oh? Yeah, yeah, Like absolutely. Do you think
it's easier now for kids to be, like to have differences and stuff like
that. I mean I do, but I don't I which is a great
answer. I think in some ways it's easier. I think there's more LGBT
kids, and there's more kids are more accepting of like gender creativity. But
at the core of it, I do think kids still want to blend.
And I think there's still tribal mentality with kids. So if you're too different,
like or if you or if you're not confident, they still sense weakness.
And there's still the attitude of like, we want people some people to
be othered, do you know what I mean? Right, So it just
they might be othered for different reasons than they used to. But yes,
I think kids are still worried about being on the outside of right, and
more so sometimes it's probably even them. It's like the kid who's experiencing it
than the other kids too, right, Like I didn't want to be different,
Like I didn't want to be the kid at school whose mom had cancer.
Like that's just no, you don't want to be that. So I
see what you mean. And I remember a story that you told about being
in middle school. I believe because that's when your mom first got right and
the kids being mean to you and saying you were just trying to get attention.
What, oh my god. Yes, So when my mom I remember,
oh, you're so sweet. When my mom first got cancer, like
the very first, like weekend, you know, like they tell us and
like, of course, it's like everything's gonna be fine, Everything's gonna be
okay. And so I was like, I don't know about that. That
phone's ringing an offul But anyway, I went to school and I told my
friends, and this one girl was like, you know, that's a family
matter. You really shouldn't be telling kids at school. I kind of feel
like you want attention. And after that moment, I was like, I
was like, I don't want to tell peop. Also, she was like
the cool girl in the group, you know what I mean, Like she
hadn't you only told one like person? Yeah, and then she'd kind of
like told a few others. So I was just like, you know,
let it spread, like and I'm sure you've seen your kids go through this,
right, Like there's a friend who's like the ringleader. Oh yeah,
right yeah, And you're like, screw them. But I can't say screw
them, right, like so and I think, you know, looking back
on it, I you know, I could have stood up for myself or
whatever. And I but you're thirteen, right, you know, what do
you know? But also the funniest part is that I ran into her years
later and she was very nice and very kind, and she is also an
oncology nurse, so she's working with the cancer patients. And I remember just
being like, oh, I wonder if you tell them it's a family matter,
and right, right, But anyway, so I told I wrote that
story somewhere recently. I told that story somewhere recently, and I had multiple
people contact me and be like, was that about me? Oh, were
any of the people the person it was about? No, none of the
people were. And I didn't say it, but I said, but I
get I bet you can guess who it is. And that's all I said.
I left it at that interest. Oh my god, that's hilarious.
Wow, that's so funny. Do you guys ever, Like, how do
you deal with that when you talk about people on here? Like, have
you ever had some they say to you like you were talking about me?
Well? Yes, well, I mean unfortunately none of my friends, I
mean fortunately none of my friends listen to the show. Well, it's unfortunate,
and fortunately none of my friends support me and listen to my what I
do. We can talk about them and they don't. Really, Yeah,
your friends like don't subscribe to the Patreon No, no, well a couple
of my friends, but they were already patron subscribe. Well, my friend
Julie does from old days, and I never It was funny because years later
she was like, oh, yeah, I listened. She would tell me
about listening to the Patreon. I'd be like, you're still subscribing and she's
like, oh, I love it. And then another couple of people,
but they were already listening before we became friends. Okay, I consider all
of our Patreon people, yeah, they're yeah, your friends. But I
but I have had that happened many times in books. And one of the
times, like when I wrote my first book, I was writing about people
like pretty specifically. Now I changed their names, but like, I didn't
change very many things about Like, so I wrote this one story I know
I've told you this before, about about going to a mommy and me,
and I just was like, I'd never written a book before. I didn't
think I wasn't worried about it. I didn't even think honestly, I didn't
think anybody would read it. I was like, I thought it was such
a fluke that I even got a book deal that I just I, as
they say, like wrote like nobody was going to read it, you know
I did so what apparently though, you know, of course they all read
the book. Like then I was on the Today Show and the book got
kind of big, and then every single person that knew me or had been
what they were all couldn't I guess, couldn't wait to read it. So
one of my friends, who I wrote about in a very nice way,
well like called me and she was like, oh God, like these women
all know that you're talking about them, and one of them, one of
them I made this joke about where I said, Okay. The story was
that she tried to get all the She tried to get all the other moms
at Mommy and Me to come with her to have her car seat installed.
And I didn't even have enough etiquette to be like, oh no, thanks,
I'm busy that day. I was just like, why would I want
to do that? But why would someone want to or because new moms are
like, oh my god, they're so nervous and they're like, okay,
yeah this thing and all we all care about is getting our car seats installed.
Do you guys want to watch? Like? No, who worrying?
I never was in a car seat exactly exactly, so no. But I
was like, well, when I'm ready to put a make elby, get
in the big girl car seat, I have somebody install it, like we
all do. Like you buy it and you have the guy at babytown.
You pay him forty and he puts the car seat in. I don't need
to go to the fire station with you and watch no. So I was
like, no, thank you. I think she emailed us and I think
I wrote her back and I was like no, and I think she said
why, and I said, it just doesn't sound that exciting. So then
I when I wrote the story, I made a joke and I was like,
I thought about inviting everybody to my next to my next pap smere but
I was scared i'd get some takers. Oh, because all the other moms
were all excited about it. So you're kind of like, okay, I'm
not like fitting into that. That's more like right right. But that woman
took it very personally and because that was an actual thing that happened, like
she actually did. So now I've got I've gotten better at changing circumstances.
But like my new book that's coming out, I was just having to do.
I was just looking it over today for my final final rewrites, and
there's a story in there about somebody who is a hundred percent going to recognize
herself and I'm scared because and you didn't reach out there and tell her no?
Because okay, because here's the story is that she called me men years
ago and she was gossiping about another mom that we both that we both know,
and I was friends with this other mom. She was basically gossiping about
the other mom's husband, right and saying something that was pure gossip and could
be kind of dangerous gossip, and I said, I was really mad.
I was also in a very self righteous, fairly newly sober so this is
many years ago, and I was like, I can't believe you're saying that,
Like that's fucked up, like you could you could ruin somebody's life over
and she was like so she got really defensive and then said it was all
based on a feeling. So then I hung up on her, and then
I was very proud of myself. I was like, yeah, fuck that
bit, you know. And I called my sponsor and she was like mmm
like and I said, I told her the story, and she's like,
yeah, but you need to like kind of own your own behavior. So
I had to text her and I was like, hey, I'm sorry I
hung up on you, and she was like, yeah, well, I'm
glad you're apologizing because that was, you know, kind of rude, like
and then I was like, this bitch for me, like what I called
my sponsors. Yeah, but I couldn't. I was like, oh,
okay, so I was kind of mad. So anyway, I was writing
this story really about about dealing with yourself. It was kind of but I
had to completely change the situation. So it sounded very different right because I
could. I didn't want to get her in trouble, even though the only
people that knew about that situation were the two of us. But I still
had to totally change the situation. I gave her a different name. I
called her Rumor, and then I said, not rumor, willis a totally
different Rumor. Yeah. So anyway, but like I was thinking about it,
I even talked it over with my husband because I was like, she's
gonna know, she's gonna know it's her, and she's gonna be mad.
And the only plausible deniability I have is that, like, well it's well,
So I was thinking, well, maybe she'll think that I get in
arguments and hang up on lots of people, like you know, maybe she'll
go like it kind of like what you're saying though about like oh I think
you know who we're talking about. I mean I could be like, right,
I could be like, you know me, I'm just a I'm just
an overreactive bitch and I just hang up on people. It was totally not
you. I think you're fine because I think right, right, right,
So she doesn't remember it, because we only remember like when we've been really
wronged, right, correct? Yeah? Correct? Would you write a book,
Linette, I don't know. I thought about it, but I don't
know what I would really write about. You have good stories, I guess.
I don't know. I mean maybe when everything the dust settles of everything,
maybe, but I don't know. I thought about it. I don't
working in TV. Your family. Yeah, then again then I'm like,
who who would be interested in reading my book? I would, okay,
I read your book? And like, you know what if I was like,
I wouldn't, I would thank you. I would read your book.
I mean, I don't think we get to hear like the perspective of like
you know women enough right and like a mom of multiples. I think you
have good stories. And I remember you used to tell not to be like
a devil, but you used to talk about your friend who passed away.
Yes, you honestly like you have beautiful stories about that than you and I
think's illness yeah, like and your brother's mental Yeah, yeah, I think
those are really I don't know. Well I should look into it. Well,
you got a good take my class. I know I should take Stephanie's
class. I definitely will need Stephanie if I write a book. Okay,
So I want to hear should we take another break? Yeah, let's take
a break at more. Okay, Okay, so I'm I'm leading up to
I've heard this story is so good. Um about a special housewife. Oh
my god, I can't wait to hear this. Yeah, saving the best
story for last that that's the best story. Honestly, your mom dying that
was the best story. My mom died was really like the primer for me
to deal with Bethany Frankel. Like, I've only had three panic attacks in
my life, and one of them was from Bethany Frankel, the other one
from my mom dying, and then the other one was when my boss grabbed
me physically. I did tell that story on TikTok recently, and I changed,
like, I changed some of the details, but people messaged me They're
like, I know who it was, where were you working. Um,
I was like, no, I can say I was working prior to this,
Like I was in nonprofit fundraising. I was working for a nonprofit,
a very very reputable nonprofit. My boss was mad at me, and um,
she came to talk to me and she grabbed me by my blazer.
Oh my god, And what was that your last day? There? No,
it wasn't, I say for two more years she wasn't. She ended
up knobbing my boss again like a couple of months later, but she was.
She's still around. Wow. Wow, anyway, crazy, you can
totally sue for that now, I think you could. I was like,
please don't touch me. God, did you say that? No? I
didn't, because I was It makes for a great story, right exactly.
Yeah. So anyway, uh set the scene for you. Okay, I'm
an unhinged TikToker with like you know, I don't have kids, so I
got a lot of time on my hands. Uh, And so I started
watching Bethany Frankel do tiktoks? Have you seen her do TikTok's? No?
I only watch a couple tiktoks. No, but I've seen her do cameo
videos. They're basically cameos, okay, and those are kind of unhinged.
Yeah. Basically it's her in her Hampton's closet with like crap lighting, and
she'll like be like this is a loyal lip gloss and it's better than this,
like you know, do your lip gloss and you're like, oh,
okay, well that's nice. And so I was watching all these like makeup
videos that she was doing. Well, I did see a makeup video,
yeah, like a mineral thing. Yeah. So she does these makeup videos
in her like you know, bougie yeah, beautiful closet, which is like
it is a little odd that the lighting is so bad. I'm like,
you gotta work on the lighting. But anyway, and the reason you're watching
Bethany Tiktoks is because I kind of liked her, right, like all them
all right, Yes, she relatable queen on Housewives right, like came on.
She like had the small apartment, she didn't have a husband, she
was scrappy and a hustler. I loved her. I totally related to her.
Yeah, she was like some reason on the show. Right now,
I kind of see things differently, of course, because now I realized that
there was a lot of editing going on to kind of make her the Greek
chorus of the show, right, Like lou Anne would do something kind of
like wild, and then you know, Bethany would be able to be like,
oh, don't you don't have to ask the driver to call you,
you know, missus dayless SEPs or something. You'd be like, yeah,
that's how I would be, right, countess. Right, yeah remember that
fight? Oh yeah, it was great where Blue was like, no,
but I am a countess. Yeah that fight? Yeah, Now, I
would be down for Luanne any day of the week. Right, So I
missed that. At those Housewives, what the hell? I know, I
don't want to Are you watching the new one? Are you going to watch
the new one? I'm not, I know, I don't know all the
brand new house was. Yeah, no, they're like too close an age
to me. What does your husband do? So anyway, um, you
know, I thought she was like this relatable queen and no, she wasn't
on TV anymore, but like I read all her books and I had the
Margarita's and you know, like she had built this empire and I thought good
for her. Right in the ex husband kind of seemed like a jerk,
right, yeah, yeah, so Jason happy. Yes he she gets on
TikTok, and I'm like, this is kind of fun, this is sort
of interesting. And then I started to feel like, wait a minute,
something's not like fully adding up here. I feel like she knows more about
makeup than she's saying, because she'd be like, I know nothing about makeup.
I know nothing about it. I'm in it with you, guys.
I'm just doing it with you guys. I was like, wait a minute,
it's quick to the archives, because listen, I never did algebra,
but I know my fucking housewives, okay. And I was like, she
had a beauty line, and so I found it. She had a makeup
line. And she used to make these YouTube videos that I don't know if
they're still up, but they were all still up by the way of like
her in her apartment doing her makeup and being like, I love doing my
makeup I think I do it better than a makeup artist some days. And
I was like, wait a minute, this does not a line with you
in your Cloudy Hampton's cloth in these videos. This is not like So I
started kind of saying, hey, what's the deal here, And then I
just started like double clicking more and more, and I started finding like she
has said some pretty bad things, like racist things about Kmartin employees. She's
made some like really not great statements. And then I started reading more about
her skinny girl line. And this is how unhinged I am. I work
at a university, and I went and I typed Bethany Frankel into scholarly journal
articles and I found so many like like, there are academics who do research
on Bethany Frankel. Really why I don't know, because they also didn't do
algebra. I don't know. I was like, my people, like who
knew you could do this? Right? So I'm all about i'lbe, you
know, psychology, sociology, whatever she wants to do, Like that's what
she would do in sociology. Yeah, yeah, psycho analyze Bethany Frankel.
Yeah, that kind that kind of thing understanding. Like yeah, So I
find these articles that I'm like fascinated by because skinny girl is like I guess,
skinny skinny girl branding is not good, especially for like the people who
are struggling with disordered eating, and the National Eating Disorder Association has specifically called
out Bethany and said please change the name of your brand. Oh interesting,
right, and and she won't do it. And so I was like,
you're like not so real. You're not this relatable housewife, You're not this
like relatable queen. So I just started making tiktoks and then I made another
one and another one. And what were you saying in the TikTok's? Were
you like, well, like I would show like here, like you know,
here's a video where she says, I don't have a I don't know
anything about makeup, And now here's an article from twenty twelve where she's like,
I created a beauty line and I was involved with every facet of it
from people mat inturiesting. Just let make your narratives match up. I get
that celebrities have to start brands. I get that they but like you need
to and I mean, you've worked so much on stuff like this. You
have to have consistency in your marketing, consistency in your image. Right,
Like if you say in twenty twelve, I was in depth in this makeup
line, and now you sit in twenty twenty two, twenty twent and you
say I know nothing about makeup, it just who wants the truth, right,
that's the truth about the name, and especially when you were showing videos
from then and now, right Okay, So I started doing that fascinating.
Then um, I did what I really love to do, which is like
go on the US Trademarks website. It's like my favorite website, and I
look up what celebrities are trademarking, and I know all their little code names,
like if I want to look up like Kim Kardashian, Kim's a princess.
That's her name on the US Trademarks. Oh wow, And like Chloe's
is like bad girl Chloe. Oh god, because they made them back like
in the Rayja days. Right, Okay, So I find that Bethany has
trademarked it's a scam, and I'm like, but that's what she keeps yelling
in the closet. She keeps being like, don't buy this makeup. It's
a scam. I know nothing about makeup. It's a scam. She had
trademarked it's a scam long before she got on TikTok, And I was like,
this was ow of the plan, right, Like she was like,
I'm going to come up with an organic phrase I'm gonna start saying it all
the time and then I'm going to develop a whole line based around it.
Because she had trademarked it in like podcasts and T shirts and all this kind
of stuff. Whatever, that's fine, Like, honestly, that's fine.
So I showed it and she didn't take well to that one. So it
got back to her. That one got back to her, and someone contacted
me and they said, listen, I want to let you know that I
think she's going to send you a season desist. And I was like for
what, and they were like, it's the trademark video. And I was
like okay, and I have just started revealing that piece of the story because
people are always like, how do you know the trademark videos? Like,
oh, I just knew. I just knew. Someone told me like,
we're like, you're probably gonna get one, and it's about the trademark video.
So sure enough, I get the season to desist on like Friday at
two pm, because that's when they always send them. They send them at
Friday at two o'clock and it says you're not allowed to say her name,
you're not allowed to talk about her, you're not allowed to show photo of
her. You don't have permission to talk about Bethany Frankel. And if you
tell anyone that we sent you a season desist, you will be breaking confidentiality
with Bethany Frankel and you will be subject to further legal damages. Now listen,
what the I didn't take algebra too, but I so, I know
my shit. I was like, I don't have an NDA with Bethany len
right, that's crazy saying that I can't tell anyone about this, It said
unless it's your paid legal counsel. Like, how am I going to go
up against Bethany Frankel and her lawyers? So I was like, I have
two options here. I can, like, you know, try to figure
this out with an attorney, or I can just make a TikTok video down
up, here's what's up. So yeah, I doubled down. Wow,
I was like, guess what, just got a cease and desist. And
she didn't like that either, and she proceeded to film a series of videos
in her bathrobe in a hotel that were like, if you want to take
a shot at me, you better be ready. I was like, whoa,
whoa, Okay, that's what's going on here? Maybe I should have
called the lawyer. But eventually she ended up taking those videos down. Yeah,
I was able to swallow again. Um, and things kind of worked
out. I ended up. I did end up contacting a lawyer and he
was like, well, what's the deal, Like, do you care about
taking down this video? I was like not really, And so I took
down that one video and I never heard from her again. Wow, interesting
shit, and yeah, that's crazy. All I'm gonna say is I don't
know the validity of them, but I've gotten lots of d ms about what
it's like to know her and work with her, and it's not good.
Yeah, I figured that. That's wow. Her cameos are like, yeah,
tell us about her kids. So when cameo first kind of started and
uh. And I went on cameo like on a whim, you know.
I was like looking at other I was kind of studying other people's cameo videos,
like what are they doing? Are they are they putting on all their
makeup? Are they like, you know, are they setting this up?
And I came across Bethany's and oh my god, this is the most low
effort cameos you've ever seen. She literally like rolls over. She's in bed,
like she's just woke up in the morning, right, so she's fairly
seeing up. She's like like kind of laying in bed, and it's like
with her raccoon eyes, Oh my god, with no makeup because she just
in the morning, and she just she looks. I mean, I'm just
sorry, but I'm gonna say she looks horrible, like you know, just
and I mean I would look horrible too. First thing, I look horrible
now, but I'm just saying she she you know, her hair, like
she hasn't even like combed her hair. And then the videos are all about
like how much the person loves her, right, Like it's it's not even
it's like, oh, um, so this is a video for Meredith.
So Meredith, I hear you love me so much. I hear you love
skinny girl. I got um your friends said that you are just like the
biggest fan of mine and you have been watching You've watched every season of housewives
because you love me so much. And I'm just like, that's so great,
how much you love me? Like that's so sweet, Like, wow,
you just really love me, And um, I guess you also love
like just my lifestyle brand stuff and like, um, some of the videos
I do. I guess you follow my videos. I guess you love my
Hampton, my closet and the Hamptons. So anyway, thank you. Next
and then the next one is just the same. Oh hi, Like she
barely even gets to like that it's the person's birthday or what, or she'll
just be like, anyway, happy birthday. Oh my gosh, I'm so
glad you love me so much, and it's it's the most pretty good are
like, hey, my friend loves you, and people people love earth.
They think she's like the real deal. And it's cameo jes for because I
just went on it too. I was just looking through it. And is
it for just for people to give shout out? People pay you to give
a shout out? Yeah, okay, so they don't do like make up
to dorioles or other things. No, no, no, it's just it's
supposed to be you pay, you buy somebody a cameo, and that you
tell the person what message you want. So like, I mean, I
try to do it. If somebody's like a fan of for crying out loud,
I try to go like, let's say it's somebody's birthday, they'll give
you information. They'll be like, uh, this person's husband, you know,
Um, you know Jack is buying a cameo for his wife, Jill.
I want you to tell her like, Jill, she's been a fan
of your show forever and she's turning forty and like she's just yeah, I
guess I just I just went on there looking for Sonny's birthday. I wanted
to see if Steven A. Smith, he's a sports guy comment or commentary,
he's not on there but for his birthday. So then I took a
deep dive and I was like, oh, I should be on cameo.
He should. Yeah you should do them together too. You guys could just
like bang them out here. Yeah we should. Okay, we could totally
do it together. But so you're supposed to incorporate the information that you get
because it's for another person. They're paying you to go like, Hey,
your husband just wants you to know, like what an awesome mom you are
and he said that, like you know, you are the one that gets
up with the kids at six am. Like you can say a lot of
things about the person, and then I might be like, you know,
what you know, who else wants to say hi to you? Peepo or
whatever you can take incorporate. You know who goes get really personal? Cody
Brown. Do you guys watch Sister Wives? No? God, that guy
from Sister Wives? Okay? Oh him, Yeah, if he put that
amount of time into like any of those marriages, he's legit. Like in
the shower, he's like you want um, you said you like my hair,
so I just wanted to show you like my routine, Like yeah,
this man is putting in the like it's like fifty bucks. I bought one
once from do you remember David and Annie from Day I bought one that those
two delivered like I bet like they were like recreating scenes about the water buffalo,
Like, oh that's hilarious. So that's the thing you have to order
from the people who have like a sense of humor about right, right right?
Yeah, well you would think Bethany would have a sense of humor.
I want the fact that she just makes it all about herself, which doesn't
really surprise me. I mean, she's a huge narcissist, but I love
that you called her out. That's the best I'm going to try to put
on a on a Bethany cameo if I could fight it really quick, I'm
literally on mys She has an opinion about everyone, and she always has and
so it's like, you know, not to be like one of those people.
But it's like freedom of speech. Man, Oh yeah, definitely.
Well, if I want to talk shit about Bethany Frankel, I should be
able to talk to you about Bethanny Frankel. Yes, yeah, wow,
that's amazing. What about any other Have you didn't tiktoks about other people and
they've come after you? Or or well I did, haven't. I did
have a little incident with Yneth Paltrow? You did little incident? What happened?
Okay? So basically I made a video making fun of Gwyneth Paltrow and
I wasn't even good for that bad yeah, right, Like basically what I
was saying is like she goes on things and basically she's plugging goop right on
web site or whatever. And so I made a video and it ended up
on Entertainment Tonight where they said they were going to say my name, but
they just call me a TikTok girl. But since like I'm firmly in my
thirties, I was like, you know what, I'll take it. I
did look like shit, though, so I really shouldn't make fun of the
cameos. They didn't say your name, they didn't say my name they said
they would. But anyway, I'll just say this because it's still it's still
out there. After that happened, somebody who does business with her sent me
messages on Instagram like just ripping me to shreds. Oh god, I can
tell you're intelligent, and that's why I find it like so shocking that you're
such a pos you you know, sit around and talk shit about people all
day. I mean, I put up videos about it. It's still out
there. So they sent me this and then I found out that they were
funded by Bethidy what sorry sorry. I was like, this is a major
that they were found funded partially by Gwyneth's Yeah wow, Oh my god.
So she has like attack dogs. So I made a video and I was
like, hey, I'm not going to reveal who you are just yet,
but if you don't issue me an apology in the next day or so,
I will be sharing oh wow. And let's just say that the apology didn't
come in fast enough. But now this person has apologized, accept their apology.
So you did a video, you did release a video about them?
Yeah, Oh my god, what am I gonna do? Listen, I
didn't speak up for myself in the eighth grade, so I'm speaking up now
TikTok like Meredith m Lynch Meredith. But like, here's the thing that's not
fair, right, you know what I mean? Like Gwyneth Paltrow's huge,
and she's famous, and she has like more money than anyone can ever imagine.
So part of the deal of being that rich and famous is that you
gotta put up with like people making funny yes, of course, have a
sense of humor about yourself. And I don't even think she cares. I
think it was more just like somebody felt defensive of her. But it's like
if you want to take money from that, then you're just going to have
to deal with like exactly someone might make a funny of TikTok video about your
friend. Yea, all right, so go follow Meredith on TikTok. And
also Meredith is going to stay and do Patreons another story that can't be on
the Regular Show that she told us ahead of time about what it's about,
and It's gonna be good. Yes yeah. Check us out on paonith.
This has been awesome. I love you, Come anytime yep. All right,
Go back to yesterday's Patreon and check it out. Yes I and letting Go hm