It is with heavy heart that I announce the end of the Payne in the Pod era. I'd like to thank each and every single listener and follower from the bottom of my heart for being so loyal. Thank you to each of my podcast guests who allowed me to ask my burning questions, and even get a little personal. Thanks for my friends and family who have supported this journey wholeheartedly. And finally, thank you to the podcast community for welcome this loud southern belle with open arms! While this is the end of Payne in the Pod, don't you worry - I'm not leaving completely. You can still find my reality-tv-loving southern charm on Pink Shade with Erin Martin and the Patroon-only podcast Hey Bunkie. And you know I'm always listening to podcasts so let me know what you're listening to or if you need recommendations. Love y'all - and I'll be in your ears again soon! PS. Stay tuned to my announcement in July about my next venture! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mary Payne and her friend Doug Budin thought they were going to spend today’s episode recapping the hit podcast, Mob Queens. Instead, they got something better: a surprise entrance by Mob Queens co-host Michael Seligman. Mary Payne and Doug asked Michael their burning questions about the fascinating and mysterious Anna Genovese, a 20th-century New York mob wife and drag club maven. The Hidden Story of a Mob Wife Michael and his co-host, Jessica Bendinger, began researching Anna Genovese several years ago when they stumbled upon Anna’s name in numerous places across New York City. They began to research who she was--leading years of public records searches, followed by interviews with her surviving grandchildren and former mobsters. Anna was the wife of Vito Genovese, a major player of the Genovese crime family in the 20th century. She also operated a speakeasy drag club in downtown New York, helping to solidify long-running ties between the drag community and mobsters. Anna eventu...
Sheila Wysocki is a private investigator who uses her podcast, Without Warning, to crowdsource true crime cases in real-time. The third season of the Without Warning podcast digs into the mysterious 2008 deaths of Kadie Major, her baby River, and her unborn child, Aidan, in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. The Beginnings of Without Warning Sheila became a private investigator in 2004 to discover what happened to her college roommate who was raped and murdered in the 1980s. After six years of work, in 2010, she helped to convict a man for this crime. Since then, Sheila has expanded her case portfolio across the US. Sheila began the Without Warning podcast as a real-time investigative tool for some of her cases. She uses her podcast platform to receive feedback, assistance, and tips from listeners. In her first two seasons, she covered two separate cases on the deaths of Lauren Agee and Christian Andreacchio. The Case of Kadie Major Now in Season 3, Sheila is investigating the bizarre d...
Nikki Boyer returns to Payne in the Pod to speak with Mary Payne about her new podcast, The Daily Smile. Best known for her work on the Dying For Sex and Straight Talk with Ross podcasts, Nikki’s latest podcast brings listeners new episodes every weekday morning highlighting uplifting stories from quarentine. A Must-Listen During Quarantine Nikki and her colleagues at Wondery were already in discussions for creating The Daily Smile podcast when the coronavirus pandemic struck in March. As the world entered quarantine, Nikki and her colleagues believed it was the right time to bring people uplifting stories amid the pandemic. Launched in May, The Daily Smile features daily episodes that tell feel-good and family-friendly stories to brighten your day. In each episode, Nikki tells stories of how people have turned pain, sadness, and grief into optimistic experiences. Mary Payne notes that this podcast isn’t all about sugar-coated happiness, but instead tells real stories that balance...
Kristen Meinzer is an overachiever. She currently hosts three podcasts, has authored three books (including a book on podcasting), and regularly delivers lectures and keynote addresses. In this episode, Kristen speaks with Mary Payne about her podcast, By The Book, in which she and her co-host, Jolenta Greenberg, experiment with different self-help books. By The Book Kristen and Jolenta are former co-workers living in New York City. Kristen is a culture critic and Jolenta is a comedian. In 2017, they decided to combine their talents and perspectives to create the By The Book podcast. Over the course of six seasons, Kristen and Jolenta have read and completed two-week trials on over 50 self-help books. Kristen notes that some of the most helpful themes distilled from their self-help trials have included gratitude, living in the moment, and self-love. She notes, however, that many books are unhelpful, especially those written by upper-class white males who are disconnected from the la...
The Murderous Minors podcast occupies a unique niche in the podcasting world. It tells the complex, heartbreaking stories of children who commit terrible crimes. Mary Payne speaks with Simone (AKA Warbaby), the host of Murderous Minors, about her experience telling these stories and how she thinks our society can help children before they commit crimes. A Warbaby Turned Podcast Host The daughter of two Vietnam vets, Simone was born into a military world (thus, the “Warbaby” nickname). For over a decade, she followed the “military/defense” path by working in the aerospace industry before becoming a pastry chef. Over the course of her diverse career, she always had a love for writing. And as a mother, she is fascinated with true crime stories from a parent’s perspective. In 2017, Simone brought together these interests and talents to create the Murderous Minors podcast, which has released over 60 scripted episodes that tell the stories (and backstories) of kids who kill. These ep...
Joe Nocera’s move to The Hamptons a decade ago had a most unexpected twist. The New York journalist’s quiet Long Island neighborhood became the center of one of the most bizarre and jaw-dropping stories in the podcast world. In this episode, Mary Payne speaks with Joe about his experience creating The Shrink Next Door, which follows the doctor-patient relationship of Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf and Martin “Marty” Markowitz. Something Strange in The Hamptons Joe is a long-time journalist who has worked for several esteemed publications, including Esquire, GQ, Newsweek, Fortune Magazine, The New York Times, and now Bloomberg News. In 2010, while Joe was working for The New York Times, he bought a summer home in The Hamptons. In a strange series of events, Joe met his next-door neighbor’s groundskeeper, named Marty. Soon after, however, Joe learned that Marty actually owned the house, but had his life taken over by Dr. Ike Herschkopf, his therapist of 30 years. Joe later learned ...
Mary Payne speaks with Ryan Bailey about his hysterical new podcast, So Bad It’s Good. Mary Payne admires Ryan’s ability to dive deeply (and humorously) into Reality TV shows and other areas of pop culture--but tries to get him to cut back on his 4-5 hour episodes! Ryan’s Journey to the Podcasting World Ryan has always loved pop culture. He was obsessed with movies and TV as a kid, and later moved to LA to pursue a career in acting. He still lives in LA today as an actor (including appearances in past hit shows The Office and How I Met Your Mother) and an acting coach. Ryan made his debut in the podcast world with Realizing Stuff with Kara and Ryan, a show in which he and his friend Kara would recap Keeping Up With The Kardashians (which, Ryan notes is a terribly produced and boring show). He then created his own podcast, So Bad It’s Good, in late 2019 that looks at all things pop culture. The Making of So Bad It’s Good So Bad It’s Good episodes are well-produced, detailed, an...
Mandy Slutsker is a Reality TV enthusiast and host of the Is This Real Life? podcast where she focuses not only on reality TV, but the “why” of the things they do. Mandy joins Mary Payne to offer her thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic and to discuss her favorite reality TV shows. A Deep Dive into Reality TV Personalities Mandy started the Is This Real Life? podcast over two years ago as a way to connect with other fans about her favorite reality TV and Bravo shows. In her episodes, Mandy and her guests look deeply into the characters’ personalities to find out more about what makes them tick. While many aspects of reality TV are ridiculous, she thinks that some of the shows’ situations and characters are relatable. Mandy and Mary Payne are both huge fans of Bravo TV’s Vanderpump Rules. They enjoy watching the characters grow up over the seasons. Mandy also loves Real Housewives of New York. She finds the women on this show to be fun, humorous, and resilient. Mary Payne’s loyalt...
Mary Payne sits down with Jake (aka Poodle) and Matt (aka Mattie) from the Sissy That Talk podcast network for some much-needed laughs for all of our quarantined listeners. Jake and Matt talk about their long journey to develop Sissy That Talk and discuss their new show, 90 Day Gays, which recaps TLC’s hit show, 90 Day Fiancé. Natural Entertainers 90 Day Gays hosts Jake and Matt first met while studying music at the University of North Texas. They later bonded while teaching summer camp theater classes in Massachusetts and then became roommates in LA. Always the natural entertainers, Jake and Matt began small shows to entertain their LA friends, including an annual “CabarGay” show. Thus, the first seed for a podcast network was planted. About five years ago, Matt started a therapy podcast called Dear Mattie, which included Jake as an occasional guest. During this time, a friend approached them about creating a reality TV show. Though this idea ultimately died, Jake and Matt were...