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Episode Summary



This week, Ross Benes joins us to talk about his book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times. From Limp Bizkit and Jerry Springer to reality TV and pro wrestling, Benes reveals how the trashy entertainment of the late ’90s not only shaped pop culture but redefined politics, media, and technology.




“The trashy entertainment people scorn often ends up shaping our world in ways they don’t appreciate.” — Ross Benes




Then we re-air an excerpt from our April interview with Sophie Gilbert, author of Girl On Girl. She talks about how reality television, celebrity culture, and the rise of branding turned a generation of women against themselves—and what it means for gender and power today.




“Culture moves all the time. The pattern of progress and backlash is eternal, but that also means change is inevitable.” — Sophie Gilbert




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Key Words: Ross Benes, 1999, pop culture, low culture, reality TV, Sophie Gilbert, backlash to feminism, Girl On Girl,



You Might Also Like: Sophie Gilbert, GIRL ON GIRL











Segment 1: Ross Benes



We dive into the cultural revolution of the late ’90s with Ross Benes, author of 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times.



Benes explains how deregulation, technological disruption, and a youth-driven market elevated reality TV, pro wrestling, and pop ephemera from “trash” to dominant cultural forces—and why their influence still defines politics and media today.



Key Topics




Why 1999 marked a tipping point for low culture becoming mainstream



Media deregulation and the Telecommunications Act of 1996



Limp Bizkit, Jerry Springer, and the rise of reality TV



How pro wrestling’s “kayfabe” became a model for modern politics



From Beanie Babies to NFTs: The roots of speculative mania



Porn as a driver of internet innovation—and what that means for tech giants



Lessons for understanding our chaotic media landscape today




Read an excerpt from 1999







Segment Two: Sophie Gilbert



Sophie Gilbert joins us to discuss how reality TV and tabloid culture branded femininity for the male gaze—and how those narratives set the stage for today’s backlash against women.



Key Topics




Reality TV’s early promise and its transformation into spectacle



How gossip blogs and paparazzi culture changed celebrity and femininity



Branding for the male gaze and the rise of “DIY celebrity”



Links between reality TV, social media, and rape culture



Why rewriting narratives for women is essential—and what gives Gilbert hope

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