TV. Food. Pop Culture.
Last week, my friend Jessica Ogilvie (twitter.com/jessicapauline) joined me on The Banter Blender for some good old fashioned banter. As usual, the topics spanned a large variety of topics, starting with another lengthy dissertation on bagels: how we like our cream cheese, how we feel about the word “shmear,” and other important observations from our …
Continue reading “BANTER BLENDER #111: Bagels, Hollywood, and The Game of Fiasco”
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 …
Continue reading “BANTER BLENDER #104: Measles, Bruce Jenner, ‘American Sniper,’ and Bagels”
“The Banter Blender” is back! Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) and guests Jessica Ogilvie and Drew Staten kick off the new year by diving into the world of modern board games: Settlers of Catan, Dominion, and others. The group discusses what makes these games fun, how they got hooked, and what makes for a great tabletop experience. …
Continue reading “Banter Blender #103: Settlers of Catan, Dominion, and Modern Board Game Culture”
This week on “The Banter Blender,” Angie Thomas (“All The Way” podcast) and David Clark join Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) to rehash the Halloween weekend that was. This means bantering extensively about candy and costumes (and a little Annie Lennox, for some reason). Then it’s on to more pressing topics: should “the Ebola nurse” quarantine herself? …
This week, we’re joined by Damian Holbrook (TV Guide Magazine) who recently gained notoriety after his snarky Twitter dig at the new iPhone wound up in a Samsung commercial. We talk about how that happened, what the response has been, and how Damian is dealing with the onslaught of iPhone fanboys. Then it’s on to …
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 …
Continue reading “BANTER BLENDER #99: Ray Rice, Taylor Swift, Joan Rivers, and ‘Utopia’”
Calling all “Barefoot Contessa” fans. This week’s “Banter Blender” is devoted 100% to Ina Garten — from her recipes to her friends and everything in between. Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) and Andrea Nawalanic hash it all out as they share their favorite meals, their fondest memories, and some of their most honest criticisms about the Food …
Continue reading “BANTER BLENDER #98: Forty-Five Minutes of “Barefoot Contessa” Chat”
‘The Banter Blender’ is working at full speed. This week, Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) is joined by his friend David Clark to discuss a wide array of topics, including their reactions to both “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Lucy.” Plus, the two wax poetically about the oft overlooked sitcom “Gimme a Break.” This somehow leads to …
This week on “The Banter Blender,” Kyle Buchanan (senior editor, “Vulture”) returns to talk movies. First, Kyle takes us inside last week’s annual San Diego Comic-Con to describe what the experience is actually like. Kyle then shares some of the best things he saw, including an extended preview of the new “Avengers” sequel. Then it’s …
Lisa Timmons joins Ben Mandelker (bsideblog.com) again for a rousing go at the Banter Blender. The two manage to broach all sorts of topics: the World Cup, personal training, Special K cereal, “Orange is the New Black,” “Game of Thrones,” “Romancing the Stone,” and Billy Ocean. It’s a classic Banter with Ben and Lisa situation. …
Continue reading “BANTER BLENDER #95: World Cup, TV, and “Romancing The Stone””
