The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Dirty Rush: What it really means if you aren’t in a TOP HOUSE?

Episode Date: August 29, 2026

Things get spicy as Salley and Hunter get SERIOUSLY REAL about Sorority Rush, the whole TOP house thing, and the drawbacks of “sisterhood”!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human. There's no shortcut for saving time, but saving money is simple. Just combine your car and home insurance with Bel Air Direct and save. Get a quote at bellair direct.com. I survived nine months in captivity, and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart, and these are the Survivor Files.

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and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us. Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your for you page are equally important to your personality, welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks pride and prejudice and love island to serve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture, with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions.

Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to pro society on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Dirty Rush, the truth about sorority life. With your host, me, Gia Judice, Daisy Kent, and Jennifer Fessler. All right, guys. we're back. Sally Carson here with Hunter Hay. Let's Talk Rush Talk. When did celebrities start making appearances at sorority houses? Okay, Kada from Love Island surprised ASU's Delta Zeta during work week.

And last year, I remember when Alex Earl did this, visited UT Austin, which is awesome. Would you pop up at a house? Abso freaking looting, I would thrive there. I would get all those girls just drunk with me if they're of age. Now I'd be front and center. Yeah, I really would. And I saw Caleb, he also did one. And all the girls were like, I wonder if they pay him. I wonder if the girls, the sorority is paying for appearances.

Probably. Oh, a thousand percent. A thousand percent. Well, I want to do it. Like, I feel like Alex Earle, like she might have, because she was in a sorority, right? So Alex Earl was a Zeta. And then she dropped before she got, like, involved, I guess. I would love to know more about that.

Maybe if there was like some type of connection, then you'd be like, okay, like more inclined to like just go. Oh, hell no, she did not just go to that for free. Yeah, I feel like those are like the only type of celebs that, like Alex Earle going is iconic. Like I would love for her. I would be just on the floor. Also, Caleb.

He's so hot. I don't know this Caleb guy. Yeah, like we, we don't. We don't care about a lot of, like, there's like some people that would come in and I'd be like, who are you? I feel like regardless though, anybody like showing up to a house. Like, it's kind of, okay, do you know who this is like the equivalent of actually during our era? Who? Waka flaka.

That is like the last person I thought you were going to say. Waka flaka. No, Waka flaka was like notoriously at fraternity parties. Really? Like notoriously. Oh my God. everywhere. It was at Bama. But yeah, I guess we did have

we did have people come. We had like random, but it was more of the fraternities, less of the sororities. Yeah, and they would pay for performances. Not just for you to come up and be like, what's up girls? No. That's crazy to me. Like, if we're going to pay you, like sing or something. Sing. Okay. Literally do something.

Okay. Our sorority recruitment videos basically commercials now. Texas A&M's Alpha Chi Omega reportedly brought in a full camera crew for workweek content instead of just filming on phones. I mean, if they're getting paid for it, I understand paying a camera crew. So, no, I do too. I do too. Because like why, I don't know, like if you're trying to get like a really quality video, like obviously, I mean like an iPhone 17, like it kind of does the job, but like at the same time. So whenever I was in a story, we did hire. Oh, you did. Not a camera crew, but like a cameraman. I feel like we would just set up a tripod or something. But we also

have like an iPhone too. So it was like, like taking a video on a potato. The iPhones have come a long way. I guess I can, if they're making a lot of money making these videos, I can understand the camera crew. If they're not, then I'm like, okay, iPhones work just as good. Truly. No, I agree. Honestly, and it's the user, maybe they just need better people to, like, use the iPhone. Yeah. Do you think southern sororities have more budget for social media and recruitment? The South has always dominated Greek life, and now it's dominating Rush Talk, too. And we both went to South Carolina schools. So, I mean, I think that's a given. Like, a lot of people, especially the Northeast, they don't care about sorority life or fraternity. My sorority fees were bigger than my tuition at fucking Alabama. I was there the week or the year before they rebuilt all the houses and now they're like insane. So we were paying basically for the renovation of the house.

Yep. And they were, I mean, my sorority fees, I remember my dad not being happy because they were a lot of money. On top of out of state tuition, it was insane. But they had a lot. I mean, they had a lot of money. It's actually crazy to me. that they like, I don't know, but like to your point of like, Southern.

Like, why do we think it's Southern schools? I don't know, but my parents are both from the Northeast and they would, they like, honestly, they told me they were like, you want to be in a sorority? Like, that's kind of paying for your friends, isn't it? But like, they just didn't know. Yeah. And I was like, no, no, no, like, it's a really big thing. Like, believe me.

I was the first person in my, like, family lineage to ever go Greek, ever. Really? Yeah. I feel like it's just... Yeah, she was Kayo. My sisters were Kayo, too, at South Carolina. No way. So you were a legacy.

I broke the legacy. Yeah. Sorry, Mom. Sorry sisters. I love Kyle. I like Kayo, too. I like their colors. Red and yellow.

I think... Red and yellow? You like redding. I don't... I think it's freaking cute. It reminds me of Winnie the Pooh. Oh, yeah. Okay, true.

You said McDonald's. I like McDonald's too. And Winnie the Pooh. What's wrong with freaking yellow and red? You know what? You change my mind. Also, I think it's relatable to football, too. Like, football's huge in the South.

Yeah. And not as big, yeah, other places. And then it just bleeds over into places like College of Charleston that don't have football teams. Yeah. Well, that's why I didn't even look at College of Charleston to go there because of no football. Like that just is like such a turn off to me. And also at Alabama, I was also turned off there.

by their football because it was the year we were winning all the time. And it was actually the year that Sabin got mad at the students for not showing up to the football games because we just knew we were going to win. So that was annoying. And then also the girls would dress in high heels and like the color of the sorority.

No, stop it. And I was like, I need to be in the frat lots with jean shorts, cowboy boots, a four logo in my freaking hand and a cigarette. like I don't want to participate in this anymore. So I transferred to South Carolina. And that's what I do every football game. And she learned how to be a loser.

And then I was just, you know, slamming twisted teas in the frat lots. No, honestly, one of my best memories was partying in the frat lots. I almost went there. I put down my deposit. Do you know that? No, I didn't. It was so fine. I was like fully, fully equipped to go to USC.

And then I didn't end up. All right. Yeah. Carolina. Carolina. Yeah. Wait, we can't say that either because that's like UNC. South Carolina.

South Carolina. So I almost went to South Carolina. The frat lots are still fun. Like I went this past football season. I was with West. Why were you in the frat loss? Because West had a deal with Captain Morgan. Okay.

And the Captain Morgan boat ship thing was in the frat lots. So we went over there and he was like working it. So we went over there. Oh, fun. But it was a damn good time. Do you think active members feel pressured to post PR halls and daily outfit of the days during recruitment? And would you hate this? I mean, you would definitely feel some sort of pressure to post for,

your PR. I mean, that's kind of expected. Yeah. I feel like I don't like to be. Not required, but expected. I feel, I feel even pressured now a little bit. Yeah.

Like sometimes. That's what I'm saying. But I feel like it's fun too. Yeah. I mean, if you're, if you're dressing up. If you like the product. Yeah. Or like whatever it is, it's like you want to be like,

no, like I really like, you want to endorse it. Yeah. And if it's easy. like you're dressing up anyways. You have to go to rush. Like you're doing it. Just put your camera up and film. I don't think it's that much of a issue. But I also feel like it's fine to be like one day, I don't want to do this. And you don't do it. Like I don't feel like anyone should feel pressured. Just don't take a brand deal if you don't want to do it. You know? Yeah. Well, because it's also different. Like if you're doing a brand deal, then like you have to like your PR that you get, which like I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. It's like, like, you're like, it's fun. It's fun. Like, like, I don't. I don't. It's like, I don't. It's like, I don't. I I don't post all my PR that I get. No, I don't, like, and it's genuinely, it's not even like the fact of like, oh, like, I don't endorse this brand. It's just like I genuinely forget or just like shove it away in my closet or whatever. Now, I do feel like as a whole sorority, I feel like there's more pressure in a whole like house to post because they're competing with the other houses.

Okay, but I do have like this is not, I'm not asking the questions, but I, I do have a question for you, though. Do you think that people are rushing or going through recruitment just to become influencers, like as an opportunity? Yeah, maybe. Because I definitely think so. Yeah. I think people are taking this as an opportunity to be like, oh, well, I have, you know,

this content to post. And then either, like, they don't have to, like, even, you know, bid a house or whatever. Yeah. But they gain all the followers. I think it only works if you're like front and center like these girl. Because when I go to, when I see TikToks like that, I'm like, damn, she's really pretty and she's really good at dancing. And then I'll try to find her to see her like style and stuff, you know?

So I feel like it only works. Like if you're the girl that's snapping in the back, I don't think you have much potential to rise, you know? But what if the girl snapping in the back is the one that's like, this is my prefront outfit. This is my philanthropy outfit. You know, you don't know. You never know. Because I would be in the back, and I love making content.

But whatever. Okay. Do you think a chapter that isn't traditionally a top house actually rebrands itself just by winning on Rush Talk? Like, do you think that the TikToks, if they're going viral on TikTok, is that helping the like not the top houses of that campus? You know, like if you're not a top house and you post a video and it goes viral and your videos are freaking awesome.

Do you think that helps? Oh, a thousand percent. Yeah, I do too. A million percent. Because I'm sitting here watching great videos and I'm like, I want to rush this. That literally is marketing. Can I go back to school? Hmm.

Anyone can go to college, right? I'll go get a different degree. Is there an age limit on rush? Is there actually? I don't know. I need to know that. I actually... Wait, but once you pledge or whatever,

you're a KD for life, I'm pretty sure. I can be a house mom. I got excited. The hard rock bet casino app is here, Ontario. It's safe, secure, and crystal clear with fast payouts and 24-7 local support. You can play over 3,000 games right here, including Hard Rock Bet Casino exclusives.

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The weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for thought daughters, pop culture obsessives, and anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level. of discourse. I'm Eli Rallo, and every week we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and the conversations everyone can't stop having. I'm going to have to look up this story. I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. From bestselling authors and your favorite book talk creators to the latest pop culture moments, nothing is off the table. It's like if you can hide some real messages inside compelling characters, then that is a Trojan horse. Whether you're looking for literary deep dives, smart pop culture conversations,

or a community of readers who love to think a little too much, you're in the right place. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. See you between the pages. On the new podcast, Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where you're a random space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first.

I'm on a mission to reclaim the word solita, trading the pity for possibility. Every time I tried to be alone, I kept meeting people, and they were like, you smiled at us. Not a lot of people smile around here. It's when you're alone that you're most receptive to the world as it is and not the lies you're sold about it. It can be a time where you push your limits, change your mind, or wake up to a new version of yourself. So whether you're a solo travel veteran or you're too nervous to book your first trip,

I hope you listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When I was 14 years old, I was kidnapped and held captive for nine months. I survived and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart and these are the Survivor Files. I just remember this low. taunting voice next to my ear saying shut up, don't say anything. Every week, I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable. I knew if he woke up, without a doubt, he was going to hurt me.

I started feeling that there was someone at the end of my bed, and I just started screaming. They are abducted, stalked, controlled, and nearly silenced. But these aren't stories about what's taken from them. There's stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast Hollywood Handbook on the Big Money Players Network.

Our show is extremely accessible to first-time listeners. Each week, we talk to someone in show business, aka the biz, and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, not that great. Actually, can you help me shape this? How about we flip it on his head, right? How about we flip this script? What is the surprise woman?

Actually, you think is the straight man is actually the one who's acting weird. Adam Scott. This entire time, you've been expecting Adam Sandler to come to the, visit the show. I would never expect. I would never set expectations for something like that to happen. If the universe allows for something like that

to happen, I'm open to it. I'm always going to accept. You know, Danny McBride, fine. Yeah, it's all this fragile masculinity exuding. I could smell it walking down the hallway, to be honest with you. I was like, is that weed? Nope. It's fragile masculinity.

Ben Stiller, no. Because a lot times out of context people don't get it or even know what a circle is you know what I mean like they're like oh what's a state everyone's so dumb except for you right fake and and also not interested or just like oh I've got my life I don't care about your life and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us oh and by the way will feral told us personally he loves the show and he wants to be a guest on every episode but he's just so busy listen to hollywood handbook on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Okay, work week used to mean practicing conversations, getting ready for rush.

Now it's coordinated outfits, themes, photoshoots, TikToks, and sponsored events. If you were rushing today, would you quit your house for this reason? Because it seems like a lot. I think it seems more fun than when we were. I agree. Yeah. I think I would eat that up. I think I would eat it up too.

Because not. We still, they still are in coordinating outfits. and that's what we did. Yeah. You know, there's still themes. We did that. We did like Candy Land, I remember. And then there's still photo shoots.

There's no TikToks and no sponsored events. But that's really the only change. Just add a camera to what we're already doing. I think it's more planned out, I think. But I think I would thrive. But that's more fun, in my opinion. I agree. I'm like, I don't know.

Like, I would much prefer that. Yeah. And it's like... And honestly, that would have maybe maybe not like maybe skip. my recruitment for my wisdom teeth removal that I said was an emergency removal. Oh my God. Yeah. But I did it. No, there would be no skipping. Especially like if you're making videos that are going viral, that's fun. That's fun. Yeah. Like if people are like loving it and like, I don't know. It's fun. Yeah. I agree. Okay. We've already got major brands in like celebrity appearances and full

blown professional productions on TikTok, what's left? Would you want your future daughter to rush? Oh, that's a good question. Would you want your future daughter to rush with a sorority rush culture like this? Yeah. Why not? I mean, if it makes her happy. Yeah. I want to go with her. I'm going to be like, you know, filming her. You got it. Yeah. I'm like, I'm your content manager, actually. Yeah, yeah. I would live vicariously through my daughter. No, I agree with you though. Like, if that's like what she wanted, like, I wouldn't be like, oh, you have to do it. It would be like a stage mom and be like... Yeah. And if it was like affecting her once she's like going through it, because Rush does have a big effect on some people like mental health-wise.

Because I can't imagine getting, you know, the rejection. The rejection is terrible. And there's some people that get dropped by everything. My mom cried when I went to Alabama because rush is so intense there. And I, unfortunately, was a very bad student in high school. And my grades were not super great, aka why did not go to South Carolina? Very easy school to get into. Did not get in. I got into Alabama because anyone with the pulse gets in there. And my mom was like, you're a grade risk.

You're not. They're going to, they only accept one grade risk in these shorties. But I actually had a really good rush. I was a great. I was accepted as a grade risk. They didn't care. That's the thing is like, but you're like a very personal person and you're also like outgoing and fun and cute and all these things.

And it's like. But it is intense. You're going to do fine. Yeah. But it is intense, but it's like imagine somebody who maybe not like isn't as like outgoing or, you know, all of these things like that could be detrimental to your mental health. Detrimal. Yeah.

So if I noticed my daughter like, you know, going through, I would pull her out. out and be like, okay, let's have a little break. Let's take a breather. Let's take a breather from all these sorty girls. I'd be the same. That's it for this episode of Dirty Rush Hunter. Thank you so much. I enjoyed catching up with you.

We need to hang out soon. This was so much fun. I know. I need to come to Charlotte. I was just there, but I didn't tell you. I'm sorry. That's really rude. I love you.

If I would have been like, I know. I turned my location off. I was. hiding. But I love you. Thank you for joining us. Thank you guys. I survived nine months in captivity and I've spent my life exploring how other people survive what should have destroyed them. I'm Elizabeth Smart and these are the Survivor Files. Every week I'm with survivors who live through the unthinkable, abducted, stalked, controlled and nearly silenced. These are stories about what it takes to make it out alive. Listen to the Survivor

Fyver Files with Elizabeth Smart on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Hayes Davenport. And Sean Clements. We host the podcast, Hollywood Handbook. Each week, we talk to someone in show business and try to help them with their careers and see what they have to offer us. Everyone has a good time, and no one gets mad at their publicists for letting them do our show. We've had a lot of great guests like Sarah Sherman, Adam Scott, Danny McBride, Ben Stillard, and a lot of other big shots that wouldn't be where they are without us.

Listen to Hollywood Handbook on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the new podcast Solita, we share the messy reality of traveling alone as a woman. I can wait four hours for the next bus or this random dude is offering me a ride on his motorcycle. I chose option B. I'm Julie Pinero, and I travel by myself because it's a rare space where I can say yes without asking anyone else first. I'm on a mission to reclaim the word Solita, trading the pitiful. for possibility. Listen to Solita on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If your bookshelf and your For You page are equally important to your personality,

welcome home. Pro Society is a weekly podcast that's part book club, part group chat for anyone who thinks Pride and Prejudice and Love Island deserve the same level of discourse. Each week, we're connecting the dots between books, the internet, and pop culture with your favorite writers, book talk creators, and plenty of overthought opinions. Yeah, I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. Listen to Pro Society on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Our hometown is not a test tube. 90 miles northeast of Nashville, a battle for the future of America plays out in one small town.

Developers with right-wing ties have purchased hundreds of acres of land. We need cities on a shining hill. This is our town, a podcast about what happens when a small town. town becomes the site of a social experiment and fights back. Guess you didn't move in on a bunch of dumb hillbillies now, did you? Listen to Our Town on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.