Jess is joined by Andy Bellatti (aka Astrology with Andy), who in addition to our astrologer to the Housewives and pop queens, is also our resident Drag Race expert. Andy provides guidance on how to begin one’s Drag Race Journey before going deep with trivia and history surrounding the show’s evolution, behind the scenes tea, Untucked, RuPaul controversy, Michelle Visage, why the tide turned in season 7, All Stars, Reddit and a lot more! * cheapcaribbean.com/hot-takes-deep-dives for $100 off * F...
Jul 06, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Jess is joined by Real Housewives of Beverly Hills OG Taylor Armstrong for a deep dive into one of the darkest Housewives storylines to play out on the show. Taylor describes the initial casting for RHOBH, with thousands of Hollywood types trying out for the “part” (including Lisa Rinna). We dissect the infamous “But Now We Said It” scene and the new context that was brought to light re: Camille Grammar/LVP several seasons back. Taylor describes the narcissism of Russell Armstrong, the day she d...
Jun 21, 2021•46 min
Jess is joined by comedian Gina Yashere, star of three Netflix stand-up specials and the co-creator and star of the CBS sitcom “Bob Hearts Abishola.” Gina discusses her experience working as the first female Otis elevator engineer before pursuing comedy and shares how she was eventually discovered by Chuck Lorre (Roseanne, Cybill, Big Bang Theory) to co-create a show about a Nigerian family based on her life. Gina discusses why MTV's Downtown Julie Brown was her idol, her first trip to New York ...
Jun 14, 2021•44 min
Jess is joined by television writer, producer and director Page Hurwitz, exec. producer of Emmy-nominated Netflix comedy specials starring Tiffany Haddish, Fortune Feimster and Michelle Buteau. Hurwitz discusses discovering and casting those women (plus Amy Schumer) on Last Comic Standing. Hurwitz also chats about her experience as the EP and showrunner for Rosie O’Donnell’s Oprah OWN talk show and shares her thoughts on why the show ultimately did not live up to expectations. Finally, we go dee...
Jun 07, 2021•1 hr
Jess is joined by contrarian king Jacques Peterson (live from Sydney, Australia) to finally let loose on our Big Shot with Bethenny journeys. We discuss behind the scenes of casting & production, the winner and which network would have made more sense. We also touch on Ellen DeGeneres and The View before moving on to RHOBH & RHONY. [ 2:30 - Big Shot w/ Bethenny ] [ 32:25 - Ellen & The View ] [ 38:30 - RHOBH premiere ] [ 46:25 - RHONY ] [ 51:45 - Bravo internet culture ] Follow @jessx...
May 25, 2021•57 min
Jess is joined by the man who has written more words about the Housewives than anyone — Vulture’s Brian Moylan — now publishing a book on how the sausage gets made (to quote Bethenny). We break the sh*t down, including: the “call to end all calls” that happened after RHONY’s Cartagena Boat Ride From Hell, why Andy Cohen is the RuPaul of Housewives, the difference between each production company’s willingness to intervene in scenes, the idea of writing a sequel to Erika Jayne’s memoir, his review...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Jess is joined by Sexy Unique Podcast’s Lara Marie Schoenhals (@larzmarie) to unpack our feelings re: the forthcoming Sex and the City revival titled “And Just Like That.” Lara Marie Schoenhals also hosts the podcast “Saving SATC 3,” in which she improvs a final installment of the franchise in each episode. Together, Jess and Lara share their SATC origin stories, process Kim Cattrall, compare to RHONY & brainstorm storylines for the new show and more! Jess is later joined by friend of the sh...
May 17, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Jess is joined by Ben Rimalower, career theatre writer/director known to RHONY fans as Countess Luann’s long-suffering cabaret director. Ben shares stories of producing audiobooks for both Bethenny AND Teresa Giudice, filming RHONJ/RHONY, Halloween afterparties with Bethenny & Luann and his reaction to Bethenny’s “Life is Not a Cabaret” monologue. Ben also discusses his one man shows: “Patti Issues” (about his obsession with Patti LuPone) and “Bad With Money” (about his spending addiction). ...
May 10, 2021•57 min
Jess is joined by fashion designer, performer and quintessential New Yorker — Isaac Mizrahi! Jess and Isaac break the sh*t down, including: Isaac’s wild nights with Madonna and Sandra Bernhard, his talk show which featured Rosie O’Donnell getting that infamous haircut, how fashion shows and red carpets have changed, how he secured his West Village combination apartment without going broke, ‘90s dial-a-date phone sex lines, Housewives fashion, the Sex and the City revival, Drag Race + a hot take ...
May 03, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Jess welcomes the one true queen of Summer House — Lindsay Hubbard! We go deep on everything, including Summer House’s entry into the canon via Vanderpump Rules, a listening tour of the Hamptons, Lindsay’s family history, and whether she identifies more as a PR publicist guru vs. reality star these days. We also discuss Lindsay’s Sun/Moon/Rising signs, an off-camera crazy dating story, fans (including Jess) ‘shipping’ Lindsay & Carl Radke, the “psychic” who started the Luke/Linds rumor, and ...
Apr 19, 2021•1 hr
Jess is joined by friend of the show and our hometown hero in Beverly Hills, host of #NoFilter, Zack Peter! Together, Zack and Jess react to the freshly dropped Real Housewives of Beverly Hills trailer and compare our expectations to the upcoming RHONY season. We also discuss how Zack became an actual plot point on the season premiere of Summer House and we rank which recent Housewives arrest/investigation has been most exciting: Luann, the Girardis or Jen Shah. Follow @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdi...
Apr 14, 2021•40 min
Wow, NYC Prep, wow! We are joined by husband to the pod, Ryan Bailey, for Jess’ virgin viewing (and Ryan’s hundredth) of Bravo’s one-season wonder, NYC Prep. Together, we explore the psychological depths of our fave Manhattan wannabe socialites: PC, Sebastian, Jessie, Camille, Kelli & Taylor. We catch up with where are they now, why NYC Prep was canceled and declare this the very best of the one-season wonders! Jess and Ryan also give some hot takes on recent Bravo headlines, PLUS announce o...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Jess welcomes Mohammed Bilal — the musician, poet and voice of reason on the groundbreaking third season of The Real World: San Francisco. Back in 1994, while Friends and Reality Bites were depicting Gen X as lazy slackers, The Real World: San Francisco cast its most racially diverse group of housemates who were trying to change the world (well, except Puck). Mohammed describes the cultural impact of Pedro Zamora, Pam Ling, Judd Winick and Rachel Campos, and chats about his friendship with Real ...
Apr 05, 2021•55 min
Jess welcomes back former LA prosecutor Emily D. Baker, Esq to understand the parallels between the Britney Spears and Tom Girardi conservatorships. We dig into: recent Britney court hearings & documents, risks of ending her conservatorship and a lot more. We then explore updates in the Tom Girardi / Erika Jayne forced bankruptcy/criminal investigation, specifically a close look at Tom Girardi’s recent Alzheimer’s + dementia diagnosis medical records. Finally, we dip our toe into why Bethenn...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr 5 min
Jess is joined by fellow Long Islander ROSIE O’DONNELL for the kiki of our dreams. Rosie discusses the inception of The Rosie O’Donnell Show, the infamous episode where Whitney Houston no-showed, her experiences with Britney and reaction to the Framing Britney documentary, being in the studio as Madonna recorded “This Used to Be My Playground” for A League of Their Own, why Barbara Walters disappointed her on The View, Kathy Griffin and Roseanne not taking her advice, Woody Allen offering her a ...
Mar 22, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Jess is joined by iconic Survivor castaway Jerri Manthey, known for her three season arc (spanning 15 years) appearing on The Australian Outback (season 2), All Stars and Heroes vs. Villains. Dubbed “The Black Widow” due to her love-hate relationship with Colby Donaldson, Jerri goes deep about the publicity surrounding The Australian Outback which turned the cast into overnight celebrities (Letterman / Rosie appearances). Jerri discusses fellow season 2 castaway Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Survivor’s ...
Mar 15, 2021•1 hr 6 min
Jess welcomes Housewives Empath Jamie Stein back to the pod, this time to dissect the unconscious fears and desires of the Summer House cast. Jamie goes deep on the personal journeys and interpersonal relationships of Carl Radke, Kyle Cooke, Lindsay Hubbard and Hannah Berner. We then transition to The Real World: New York and review the landmark reunion series. Jess previously interviewed Jamie about his career as an Associate Editor on four RW seasons, so we have a true RW aficionado on our han...
Mar 09, 2021•1 hr 15 min
Jess is joined by friend of the show Kate Casey for some predictions on Housewives All Stars (aka Mash-Up) and what to watch this week (Real World New York) + (It's a Sin, HBOMax). Kate also shares a story about the Housewife interview she never aired and why she no longer cares to interview Bethenny or Andy Cohen. Finally, Kate explains why we should get into the new Clubhouse app. Follow @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdives, @katecasey
Mar 04, 2021•32 min
We finally get to bask in the glory of a deep dive on Logo’s gay bachelor show, Finding Prince Charming. We are joined by TWO of our fave suitors: Brandon Kneefel and Justin Roisom. We go behind the scenes of casting and production, Brandon and Justin’s reaction to the rentboy controversy surrounding their “prince” Robert Sepulveda, Jr., before we blow the lid off the damn thing half way through. We also discuss which Bravolebrity had a recent medium reading with Brandon + Justin gives his Bravo...
Mar 01, 2021•54 min
Jess is joined by the one... the only... Gina Gershon!! Gina Gershon is a legitimate gay icon for her back-to-back iconic roles as Cristal Connors in Showgirls and Corky in Bound. We chat about everything --- Bound, Showgirls, NYC vs. LA in the 90s, high school w/ Lenny Kravitz, appearances on Curb Your Enthusiasm as the Hassidic dry cleaner + her impressions of Sarah Palin and Melania Trump. Follow @ginagershon, @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdives
Feb 22, 2021•50 min
Jess is joined by Tony Trius and Stefan Mreczko, hosts of MLVC - The Madonna Podcast - for the deep dive of your dreams. Together, we pour through each of Madonna’s albums and reveal our fave “deep cuts” from each. We also discuss our favorite live tour performances and which “single” is criminally under-appreciated. The taste WILL. JUMP. OUT. Follow @mlvcpodcast , @jessxnyc , @hottakesdeepdives...
Feb 15, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Jess welcomes back PetShopBoy, aka “B,” to review the four-hour Wendy Williams extravaganza on Lifetime. We also discuss Ramona Singer’s jaunts to St. Barth and Mar-a-lago while Sonja Morgan is home recovering from COVID. Finally, we put PetShopBoy to the test with “But Now We Said It: Unpopular Opinions” where he gives his unpopular takes on each Housewives franchise. Follow @petshopboy , @jessxnyc , @hottakesdeepdives...
Feb 08, 2021•45 min
Jess is joined by her high school classmate: actress, singer, performer Jackie Tohn! Jackie Tohn moved to LA at 18 to pursue her Hollywood dreams after growing up on Long Island and appearing on “The Sopranos” and "The Nanny” (as a young Fran Drescher). Jackie reminisces about her experiences on those shows, plus her stints on "American Idol,” Bravo’s "Platinum Hit" and her big break as “Melrose" on Netflix’s “GLOW" for three seasons. We also chat about dating Jason Mraz and hosting the new Netf...
Feb 01, 2021•51 min
Jess is joined by stand-up comedian and winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8, Bob the Drag Queen! Bob tells stories about actress Kathy Najimy calling RuPaul directly to recommend him, why Whoopi Goldberg is his #1 influence, the story behind the “Bob” drag name and his reign in New York City nightlife headlining at Barracuda. We also discuss why he won’t appear on “Watch What Happens Live” as a drag diva impersonator ever again. Follow @bobthedragqueen, @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdives * hellofre...
Jan 25, 2021•45 min
Jess is joined by friend of the pod and The People’s Couch fave Emerson Collins for an epic re-watch of Bravo's one-season wonder Princesses: Long Island. We discuss: cast favorites and most hated, show highlights, why the show was canceled and where they are now. Jess also sheds light on the truths displayed in the series, having grown up a fellow Long Island Jew. Follow @emersoncollins, @jessxnyc, @hottakesdeepdives
Jan 19, 2021•55 min
Jess is joined by New Jersey’s own Anthony Lario to gauge our reactions to the RHONJ trailer which dropped today. We also discuss the psychology surrounding the whistleblower Instagram account @GaysOverCovid, what Anthony has learned from working for Housewives like Dorinda, Braunwyn and Margaret Josephs + Anthony’s new podcast “Sh*tShow.” Follow @anthonylario , @jessxnyc , @hottakesdeepdives...
Jan 14, 2021•43 min
Let the ranting begin… Jess is joined by veteran Housewives podcaster Grant Rutter of "Grants Rants" to go deep on his recent move from West Hollywood to the West Village. We then move onto the current State of Housewives, weighing in on SLC, RHOA & RHOD and take a temperature check on what's in the oven for RHONY & RHOBH. We also dip into the latest development in Bethenny vs. Carole. Finally, we touch down on The View and Wendy Williams. Follow @itsgrantsrants , @jessxnyc , @hottakesde...
Jan 11, 2021•1 hr 1 min
Bravo's "Work Out" star Jackie Warner returns to the pod! In her second appearance, Jackie chats about training A-listers including Alanis Morissette and Pink at her iconic Beverly Hills gym “Sky Sport & Spa.” Jackie shares her life-long passion for Stevie Nicks as her #1 influence and we go deep on the female-centric ‘90s music scene that shaped us (Ani DiFranco, Sarah McLachlan, etc). We also discuss Jackie’s encounters with The L Word’s Kate Moennig (Shane), how SoulCycle was built on hou...
Jan 04, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Jess is joined by Emily D. Baker, Esq, former LA prosecutor and current Housewives fan to help us understand the specifics of the federal lawsuit and criminal investigation currently underway regarding Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi. We dig into: the frozen assets, Judge Tricia Bigalow, the lien and judgments on the law firm building Tom owns, the forced bankruptcy and a lot more. Emily also compares the crimes here to Teresa/Joe Giudice and gives a best vs. worse case scenario for Tom and Erika. F...
Dec 28, 2020•57 min
Jess welcomes Housewives Empath Jamie Stein back to the pod for a deep dive into the subconscious psychology surrounding the Erika Jayne / Tom Girardi divorce and RHOC Baunwyn’s alcoholism & coming out. We then move on to the star shows of the hour: Real Housewives of Potomac & Salt Lake City. Jamie channels Ashley & Michael Darby, Monique & Candiase, T’Challa, Meredith Marks and of course, Mary Cosby. PS: Jamie is watching Bethenny Ever After for the first time (!) so we dip int...
Dec 15, 2020•1 hr 15 min
