Some things are just timeless. Gossip, for instance, has likely been around as long as humans have been able to communicate with one another, and then share someone else’s business. Ötzi, the 5,000-year-old ice man? Probably a gossiper and definitely a messy guy. Something else just as timeless? Pranks!
Normal Gossip is back for its 10th season! Who could have guessed that so many friends had silly, outrageous and harrowing stories they wanted to share with the world. We’re grateful to every listener and everyone who keeps sending us their gossip. To celebrate season 10 we’re bringing back some of your favorite guests and sharing some of the most chaotic gossip ever to grace our inbox! And as you may have heard, Defector is swiveling to video! (We will not use the word “pivot” here.)
Gossip and pranks go together like PB&J and potato chips, which is to say that one person’s orchestra of perfect harmonies is another person’s tasteless nightmare. But we’ve all got to live in the same world, breathe the same air, and send our kids to the same schools. Today’s story is about a mom who just can’t seem to quit running pranks on her old school, and an administration that cannot figure out how to make her grow up.
This is the first time we’ve had married guests on the show! Jenée Desmond-Harris is a Slate staff writer and editor. She writes the Dear Prudence advice column and previously worked at The New York Times. Joel Anderson is a senior staff writer at The Ringer and a cohost of The Press Box and Ringer Tailgate. He most recently worked at Slate, where he hosted Seasons 3, 6, and 8 of the award-winning Slow Burn narrative podcast series.
Jenée and Joel brought Rachelle some gossip about the eccentricities of their doula, and then Rachelle welcomed Jenée and Joel to the front lines of a decades-long prank war.
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Send your gossip to normalgossip@defector.com, or leave a voice message at 26-79-GOSSIP.
