Stories, opinions and interviews for a fresh take on music, pop culture and life.
The Tinder Experiment with Bella and Melissa Part 1: Bios are a MUST
Melissa and I discuss a selection of Tinder profiles and bust some myths on the quality of the bios. Yes, we read the bios. Tinder verification: real or fake? Constructive criticism of selected profiles Suggestions for edits to improve guys profiles Common themes across men's profiles Random tangent: Zombie Squad role in a post-apocalyptic worldSee the video version
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41:11 | 3/27/23 | |
Chris Rock - "Selective Outrage" and the Woke Society
Chris Rock made Netflix history with his highly anticipated stand-up special, "Selective Outrage", as the first comedy special to be streamed live on the platform. "Selective Outrage" was also highly anticipated for another reason - revisiting the infamous Oscar moment where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock. It had everything to be expected from a Chris Rock stand-up special - good, bad and ugly. JP joins me for a conversation about the topics covered through the jokes, as well as the role of "woke" in today's world. Apologies for the terrible mic! I'm getting a new one for the next episode.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at @bigtimefresh !
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46:43 | 3/10/23 | |
TikToker Phillip Good and Rockstar John Stella Make the List
Call it fate, a coincidence or pure luck, the collaboration between Phillip Good and John Stella on their new track "Simon Says" was the driving force that landed the track on #88 on the top #100 new releases on Apple Music. Understanding the importance of how to promote their music, networking and their consistency creating content is what will be what takes them to the top. Check out the track here!Listen to "Simon Says"Read the featured article here Phillip GoodTikTok: Phillip Good has over 715K followers on TikTok, making his way into music with his daughter featured in many of his most viral videos.Phillipgood.com for merch, show dates and morePhillip Good: FacebookPhillip Good: Instagram John StellaJohn Stella - FacebookJohn Stella: InstagramTikTok: @_johnstella ---------Check out my blog and other podcast episodes!bigtimefresh.comhttps://www.facebook.com/BigTimeFresh/@BigTimeFresh on InstagramListen to my Podcast Big Time Fresh on all streaming platforms
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38:36 | 2/28/23 | |
Bella Reads Her Tinder Profile
It's been a little over a year since Bella had an active Tinder profile, so she downloads the app to see what she's been missing. Melissa enters the chat and gives the feedback she needs to hear.Other topics:Who is invited to the stalker tailgate party?Reviewing random guys' profilesReading profiles with weird fetishesWhat kind of guy is most likely to swipe right on Bella's profileMost popular types of pics guys use"Tinder keeps deleting my fart videos" - a readthrough of a real profileFollow @bigtimefresh on Instagram and stay tuned for some bonus video clips from this episode!
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49:24 | 2/22/23 | |
Advice from our parents that we won't be passing down
New parents often reflect on their own childhoods when laying the foundation for what they want for their first born, taking the good and bad experiences to create a roadmap that leads to an emotionally stable and happy life. JP and I discuss what life advice we will pass down to the kids.
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66:47 | 2/15/23 | |
BONUS EPISODE: Wix and Vibes Luxury Candles Brings Some New Valentine's Day Ideas
Melvin Johnson, CEO Candle Maker at Wix and Vibes joins me to talk about how to level up your Valentine’s Day with the limited edition box set perfect for a romantic experience like no other. It has been less than two years since the inception of Wix and Vibes, and they have already established partnerships with Nordstrom, relationships with non-profit organizations in the Houston area, and found a niche market of celebrities and athletes including James Harden who can’t get enough of the Wix and Vibes luxury candles. Visit their website to order the Valentine's Day box: https://wixandvibes.com/Visit Wix and Vibes on Instagram
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38:27 | 2/7/23 | |
Melissa and I think we are hilarious
"Did we just become best friends?!"I've known Tony for 20 years but his wife is my new favorite gal pal. We talk about:Us being banned a bunch of times for Facebook commentsMeeting mom friends but then things get weirdWe create a new character that is a real estate agent that thinks he can win fights, isn't afraid of blood but is afraid of the dark and a bunch of cool thingsTexas vs. FloridaRobotsDay Drinking with Seth and LizzoNew careers: Ancient Alien Theorist and Paranormal Sketch ArtistRoasting Tony because Melissa forgot that he was at her parent's house for 40 minutesIts one of those conversations where we go back and forth to make each other laugh. So there's a bunch of laughing.
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43:22 | 1/17/23 | |
Mental Health with JP part 2 - 2023's Self-Improvement resolutions
Mental Health with JP part 2 - 2023's New Year's Self-Improvement resolutionsThe part 2 of 2 episode revisiting last year's observations of what needs improvement in our lives so we have the goals to keep each other accountable for, We touch on:Damar Hamlin - The wake up call we all neededMoments in pop culture that were a big dealPersonal wins and losses in 2022Which areas in your life we will focus on next yearPersonal developmentParenting flawsBig Time Fresh, Bella Mars and JP are not professional mental health professionals, so the suggestions are based on personal experience. To the listeners: a certified mental health counselor/therapist etc. is where you should start.For more information on Mental Health, here are a list of resources:https://mhanational.org/https://www.mentalhealth.gov/MentalHealth.Gov - Get Help NowCall or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.orgVeterans Crisis LineDial 988 then press 1Text 838255
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60:14 | 1/10/23 | |
Mental Health, Imposter Syndrome and Words that Destroy Families
With the most drastic changes to lives in recent years - lockdowns, job loss, school shootings and other topics - taking care of your mental health is more important than ever.JP and I talk about our individual lives and the dark days that brought us to the breaking point where mental health became a priority. Divorce, foreclosure, job loss, death of family members and a bunch of life events can be easier to deal with when spaced out, but when compacted back to back, we talk about how it changed the way we looked at the world.I wish everyone a very happy new year! 2023 is here.Big Time Fresh, Bella Mars and JP are not professional mental health professionals, so the suggestions are based on personal experience. To the listeners: a certified mental health counselor/therapist etc. is where you should start.For more information on Mental Health, here are a list of resources:https://mhanational.org/https://www.mentalhealth.gov/MentalHealth.Gov - Get Help NowCall or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.orgVeterans Crisis LineDial 988 then press 1Text 838255
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30:37 | 1/1/23 | |
Blue State, Red State, My Take, Your Take
As two former Californians, JP and I discuss our stance on guns now that we live in deep red states. After 25 years of friendship, we talk about a subject that we probably wouldn't even consider relevant if we stayed in California. Unchecked mental health undoubtedly plays a part in how young people decide to use their firearm, so we also talk about the ways we are raising our kids so that mental health is a key component of their development.Quick caveat: Neither of us are fully educated on the specific details of what we talk about so if it sounds wrong, you are probably right :)
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36:26 | 12/2/22 | |
JP IZ my abandonment therapist
What happens when the ones you count on to be there for you decide to leave the decades of good times, memories and promises of best friends forever without warning or reason? My friend of over 20 years joins me as we talk about the paths we embarked upon after high school and the lows, highs, achievements, loss, love and the reality of expectations. More importantly, we get into how what we separately thought what was rock bottom actually was the step that changed life for the better.Thanks JP for being my (unofficial) therapist for the episode!
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35:37 | 11/16/22 | |
Abuse, Trafficking, Assault and Neglect in Texas Foster Care Will Only Get Worse After Abortion Bans
The subject matter that is referenced in this article may cause distress or discomfort to some sensitive topics around child trauma, abuse, neglect, assault and other potentially triggering information. Reader discretion advised.With the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the implications are catastrophic on so many levels. If the baby is born to a mother under the age of 13, how will she legally work? Does this mean the grandmother is given custody? What if the grandmother is unstable? If a 15 year old can't work, doesn't have a place to live, can't pay for diapers, electricity, water or food then where does that life that began at conception go?Read the related article written by Bella Mars (contains links to references)A breakdown of Texas’ broken foster care system and the fines it’s facingCPS employee tells 14-year-old to become prostituteFederal judge blasts Texas DFPS for poor handling of children in foster carePower to the Public: Tackling Child Welfare and Foster CareFoster ShockBastrop foster care facility under investigation for reportedly trafficking children I FOX 7 AustinTexas foster care organizations prepare for increased demandJudge loses trust in Texas’ child abuse investigation of foster care facility and calls for federal inquiryTexas Trends in Foster Care and Adoption.
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26:32 | 11/16/22 | |
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads.
Ricky joins me to talk about my strategies on how I help musicians and artists get out of the negative self-doubt and celebrate their progress. But for the two of us....Are we successful or are we just adequate at checking off the boxes on the to-do list that we think makes us successful? For both of us, it took our rock bottom experiences to realize that there may not be a definition or end game. For the ambitious or the serial lifestyle changers who don't see success in their life it might be time to think again.Also we talk about how comedians are supposed to be offensive, why I am scared to do live streams and my story of the string of bad life choices that everyone supported at the time. And general banter that gets outta hand as per usual.
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72:11 | 11/16/22 | |
Life is Grape...Soda Henderson
Rapper/singer/songwriter GrapeSoda Henderson talk hustle, drive and hip-hop trivia. I've been working as his manager/publicist for a few years now so we take a look back at the past, present and future of his career and the skills that can make or break an artist's success in the industry.Check him out on:Instagram: @thtgrapesodaboyFacebook: /LifeIsGRAPEsodaMerch: lifeisgrapeclothingcompany.comYouTube: Villa VibezAnd all music streaming platforms!
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41:40 | 11/16/22 | |
The 27 Club
On this episode, Bella and Ricky run through the list of the infamous 27 Club members and talk about how fentanyl, heroin, and weed affect substance abuse. Then we watch the Stanger Things Master of Puppets scene right after a heated discussion about why I get scared at the movies which then evolves into an argument about the definition of danger. This episode is dedicated to the late legendary musician and drummer, Taylor Hawkins. "Foo Fighters together with the Hawkins family have teamed up with Paramount to take their all-star celebration of the memory and music of a rock legend worldwide: Paramount will present the September 3rd Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert live to the world from Wembley Stadium in its entirety". -Foofighters.comIf you need help with addiction or substance abuse, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
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50:44 | 11/16/22 | |
Stop Pushing My Buttons
My friend of 18 years Ricky Vorias joins me to discuss music, politics and other things as we go from deep conversations to debates with the goal of annoying me. He succeeds so I annoy him with random facts about the band Queen. Here is a breakdown of the conversations:Pick up the conversation in progress - startFriends with benefits in your 30s - 5m10sNoise Complaints past midnight 10m30sComplaining about the process of making music - 13m50sMusic is business, not for the love of music - 18m20sRequirements for holding political office - 22m25sCivil War - 25m20sFailed attempt to play a music game - 27m30sStranger Things (minor spoiler alert) - 29m00sShows to watch, Things to Listen to - 31m04s
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34:49 | 11/16/22 | |
She Get it From Her Mama
On this very first episode of BTF, I ask my mom all the questions I've never asked about her time as a lead singer in a classic rock cover band with my dad. From touring across the country to making $1,500 a weekend, we talk about how the early 80s were part of the good ol days where musicians actually got paid.
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36:30 | 11/16/22 |