What a Creep Season 26, Episode 5: Sun City and Apartheid in South Africa

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 5
Sun City and Apartheid in South Africa

 Sun City is a luxury resort and casino complex in South Africa. During the apartheid era (1948-1990s), it became infamous for hosting international artists despite the global cultural boycott of South Africa. The South African government promoted Sun City as a major entertainment destination, but for many, it symbolized the oppression and exploitation of apartheid. Artists United Against Apartheid was a collective of musicians who came together in 1985 to raise awareness and protest apartheid, mainly targeting the Sun City resort. Steven Van Zandt, a musician and member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, and record producer Arthur Baker spearheaded the group. They were outraged by the continued performances of international artists at Sun City despite the call for a cultural boycott of South Africa.
Trigger warning: Racism
Sources for this episode

Not a Creep
There needs to be a ceasefire in Gaza. We can’t make those decisions, but we can call our representatives and let them know how we feel. We can also donate money to help the people in Gaza.
If you’re unsure about an organization, you can run a search on CharityWatch and Charity Navigator, which review charities’ track records.

What a Creep Season 26, Episode 4: President Ronald Reagan and the AIDS crisis

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 4
President Ronald Reagan and the AIDS crisis

When the AIDS epidemic started in the early ’80s, the Reagan administration’s response mainly involved making jokes in the daily press briefings. Throughout his two terms as president, Reagan and his administration didn’t even do the bare minimum to help. According to The Atlantic, almost 83,000 cases of AIDS were confirmed while Reagan was in the White House, and nearly 50,000 people died of the disease.  Reagan, what a creep.
Trigger warning: Homophobia

Sources for this episode

What a Creep Season 26, Episode 3: Ronald Reagan & The Mental Health Systems Act 1980”

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 3
Ronald Reagan “The Mental Health Systems Act 1980” 

The Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 was a significant legislation to improve mental health care in the United States. It was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on October 7, 1980. The act was intended to restructure the federal approach to mental health services, emphasizing community-based care and providing grants to community mental health centers to improve their services.

When Ronald Reagan assumed the presidency in January 1981, his administration’s policies marked a drastic shift from those of his predecessor, Jimmy Carter, particularly in social services and mental health care.

Trigger warning: Discussions of previous treatments for mental illness, suicide, sexual assault,  and general assholery.
Sources:

What a Creep Season 26, Episode 2: Phyllis Schlafly

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 2
Phyllis Schlafly

But before we had those weird losers like Lauren Bobert, Majorie Taylor Greene, and Laura Loomer, we had Phyllis Schlafly. Schlafly was a conservative activist who successfully campaigned against the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because she thought women should stay home, and we were lucky to do so. Her work in the conservative movement paved the way for so much of what we see now in the GOP platform, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the constant sexism and transphobia. She was a garbage person with a lot of crappy takes. What a creep.

Trigger warning: Sexism, homophobia, the c-word, and we don’t mean “creep”
Sources for this episode

What a Creep Season 26, Episode 1: Fatty Arbuckle – The First Movie Star Scandal

What a Creep
Season 26, Episode 1
Fatty Arbuckle: The First Movie Star Scandal

The Fatty Arbuckle scandal in the 1920s significantly impacted Hollywood and the career of comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. He was accused of raping and accidentally killing an aspiring actress named Virginia Rappe during a party he hosted. After three trials, Arbuckle was acquitted, but his career suffered, and he was blacklisted in Hollywood. Rappe’s cause of death was never properly explored, and her legacy is that of a victim who was devoured by her craving for adulation and fame.

Trigger warnings: Sexual assault
Sources:

What a Creep Season 25, Episode 10: Toxic Fandom

What a Creep
Season 25, Episode 10
Toxic Fandom
In this week’s episode, we’re talking about toxic fandom. From “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” to the MCU and “Lord of the Rings,” these so-called fans resort to bullying, racism, misogyny, and even death threats—all in the name of a movie, TV show, or video game that they claim to love.
Sources for this episode
Sticker Mule controversy, and alternate sticker companies:

What a Creep Season 25, Episode 9: Anthony Kiedis

What a Creep
Season 25, Episode 9
Anthony Kiedis 

Anthony Kiedis is the lead vocalist of the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, a position he has held since the band’s formation in 1983. The band is known for its energetic performances and eclectic style, blending rock, funk, and punk influences. The band’s notable albums include “Blood Sugar Sex Magik,” “Californication,” “By the Way,” and “Stadium Arcadium.” Kiedis has also written an autobiography titled “Scar Tissue,” which delves into his life and career.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault & Addiction
Sources for this episode:

(Replay) What a Creep Season 25, Episode 8: George Washington and the Tale of Ona Judge

What a Creep (Replay!)
George Washington and the Tale of Ona Judge

George Washington is the “Father of Our Country” and one of American history’s most revered Founding Fathers. We heard tales of how brave he was and that he could not tell a lie. He also famously refused to create a fiefdom with the office of President, which means we are not stuck with someone in office unless they are duly elected.
Like many white people of his time, he enslaved people. This is a fact, and though not unusual in his peer group–it’s not a great look for a person who is enshrined all across the United States.

People want to downplay his racism and evil acts. Listening to Bill Maher and Elon Musk minimize his actions made us realize we need to dive into one of the first President’s most heinous acts by talking about badass Ona Judge. An enslaved woman who escaped from the President’s home and remained free despite his relentless pursuit of her.

This woman is an American hero whom everyone who truly believes in liberty and freedom needs to learn about and memorialize her contribution to history.

Trigger Warning: Racism and slavery

Sources for this episode:

What a Creep Season 25, Episode 8: Movie Character Creeps

What a Creep
Season 25, Episode 8
Movie Character Creeps

We’re doing a different kind of episode this week. We’re talking about movie character creeps. More specifically, fictional characters who we don’t think of as creeps at first, but then maybe you see the movie again and think, “Huh. That person sucks.”

This is a list of movie characters who we are supposed to like, but, in fact, they’re a real asshole, or even worse, a real fuckin’ creep.

Movie sources (all of these are available for rent or streaming): Grease, St. Elmo’s Fire, Notting Hill, Purple Rain, Revenge of the Nerds, The Devil Wears Prada, Love Actually, Sixteen Candles, Willy Wonka, and The Chocolate Factory, and The Birdcage.

What a Creep Season 25, Episode 7: The Murder of Dominique Dunne by John Thomas Sweeney

What a Creep
Season 25, Episode 7
The Murder of Dominique Dunne by John Thomas Sweeney

Dominique Dunne, known for her role in the 1982 film “Poltergeist,” had a bright future. Tragically, her life was cut short on October 30, 1982, when her ex-boyfriend strangled her, John Thomas Sweeney, outside her West Hollywood home. She never regained consciousness and died on November 4, 1982, at just 22 years old.The trial that followed sparked outrage. Sweeney was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, not murder, and served only three years of a six-and-a-half-year sentence. This lenient sentence highlighted severe flaws in the justice system’s handling of domestic violence cases. Dominique’s death brought attention to domestic abuse, prompting her family, especially her father, Dominick Dunne, to advocate for victims’ rights and legal reforms. Her legacy endures through these efforts and her memorable work in film.

Trigger warning: Domestic/Partner Violence 

Sources for this episode