BANTER BLENDER #109: Emmys Noms, Caitlyn Jenner’s Speech, LA Complex, and Fiasco

New episode is up! Finally!! Angie Thomas and I chat about Emmy nominations, Caitlyn Jenner’s ESPY speech, transgender stuff, and the overlooked series, “LA Complex.” There’s also chatter about the games Fiasco and Viticulture as well as the cinematic experience known as The DUFF. Come listen!

BANTER BLENDER #104: Measles, Bruce Jenner, ‘American Sniper,’ and Bagels

This week on “The Banter Blender,” Angie Thomas (“All the Way”) joins Ben to chat about the usual grab bag of topics: the measles outbreak in CA, Bruce Jenner’s possibly trans journey, the controversy surrounding American Sniper, and, of course, the best bagels in Los Angeles. Come listen! And remember to like the podcast on …

BANTER BLENDER #99: Ray Rice, Taylor Swift, Joan Rivers, and ‘Utopia’

Writer Jessica Ogilvie (Playboy) returns to the Banter Blender podcast to discuss the latest events in a summer of craziness. We start with Ray Rice and the larger question of can bad behavior ever be forgiven? This leads to discussion of Chris Brown and Michael Vick before eventually landing on the most pressing debate of …

BANTER BLENDER #92: Discussing Bieber’s Racism, the Kimye Wedding, and Hot Actors

On this very special episode of “The Banter Blender,” Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) is joined by three of his high school friends: Michelle, Lauren, and Caty. The three immediately launch into a variety of topics, including Justin Bieber’s racist rant, the Kim Kardashian/Kanye West wedding, and, of course, ranking hot actors and athletes. Plus, no high …

BANTER BLENDER #86: Conscious Uncoupling, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Maple Syrup

It’s time to fire up “The Banter Blender!” Joining Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) this week is journalist Jessica Ogilvie (twitter.com/jessicapauline) to discuss the most pressing topic of the week: Gwyneth Paltrow’s divorce from Chris Martin. We delve into it hardcore, and along the way, we take on Tinder, real maple syrup, and all sorts of other …

BANTER #82: A New Banter Era; Special Guest Ronnie Karam

“Banter” is back, but it’s a little different. After three amazing years, the irreplaceable Lisa Timmons has moved on, but fear not, the podcast will continue with guests every week. In the hot seat this time around is Ronnie Karam (@watch-what-crappens, trashtalktv.com) to help talk about all sorts of fun topics like… anti-gay laws in …

BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA #78: How Beyoncé Changed The Universe; Also, Gaga, GTA V, and German Lessons

This week on “Banter with Ben and Lisa,” Ben Mandelker (twitter.com/bsideblog) and Lisa Timmons (twitter.com/timmonslisa) bow down to Beyoncé. Pretty hurts, but this podcast doesn’t. We discuss Queen B’s amazing album stunt and contrast it with similar efforts by the likes of Lady Gaga. We also talk about Gaga’s recent duet with Christina Aguilera on …

BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA #76: Revisiting Thanksgiving, The Sound of Music, Meeting Jason Collins (Again)

We are back! This week on “Banter with Ben and Lisa,” Ben Mandelker (twitter.com/bsideblog) and Lisa Timmons (twitter.com/timmonslisa) trade stories about Thanksgiving and discuss their epic road trip to Las Vegas. Then it’s another major Operation Seduction development as Ben discusses his latest encounter with openly gay NBA player Jason Collins. Finally, things wrap up …

BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA #75: Close Encounters with the Jonas Brothers; Also, R. Kelly, Sean Penn, and Bootie LA

It’s another week of extreme banter as Lisa Timmons (idolator.com) and Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) tackle all sorts of random pop culture topics. This time around, Ben talks about his close encounters with two-thirds of the Jonas Brothers and Steven Tyler. Then Lisa shares her experiences at the super fun dance party, Bootie LA. The two …

BANTER WITH BEN AND LISA #59: Lindsay Lohan, Tara Reid, Hoku, and Other Failures

This week on “Banter with Ben and Lisa,” Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) and Lisa Timmons (@timmonslisa) talk extensively about such pop culture failures as Lindsay Lohan, Tara Reid, and Hoku. Who’s Hoku? Exactly. Along the way, we naturally tackle racist controversies from Paula Deen and Big Brother 15, and revisit one of our favorite movies, “Jurassic …