Imperfect Strangers

Imperfect Strangers

Amanda, a graphic designer from OH, invited Melissa, a NY stay-at-home mom on her podcast. Melissa, who has been hunkered down for decades after a cool but soul-crushing brush with fame on MTV’s Real World New Orleans, didn’t really do this sort of thing but Amanda seemed nice. They recorded twice due to technical difficulties, but ended up chatting for hours. Who the fuck talks on the actual phone? They do! Two strangers getting to know each other the old-fashioned way. Get to know Melissa all over again as she gets to know Amanda for the first time. Bonus! One’s white and one ain’t.

Episodes

Bed Rotting

February 3, 2024 • 44 mins
You’re not bed rotting. You’re doing great, sweetie. Amanda and Melissa discuss the social media phenomenon of naming everything to be a negative mental health issue when really bitches just tired.
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She Met Tori

January 14, 2024 • 50 mins
We REVIVE Season 7 with a conversation ripe for eavesdropping. Amanda met [italics, bold, underline] Tori Amos. You already know. She was tripping! And Melissa was like YOU DID THAT, FRIEND! LMAO. *heart emojis*
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Paired

November 27, 2023 • 60 mins
…and we’re back! Welcome to season 7 of your favorite podcast you almost forgot about because these MFs were gone so long we bet you thought there were Problems In The Relationship. See what we did there? Fear not, stranger-friends! The brand is strong! (This was our crap attempt at clickbait. Literally no one thought there were problems, LOL). On this episode of Imperfect Strangers, Melissa and Justin explore a new app to bring th...
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Reflections

August 14, 2023 • 76 mins
Amanda and Melissa reflect on the making of this podcast and their subsequent warm and fuzzy friendship as they hit their sixth season finale and 120th episode. This has been a really great run-on sentence. Melissa and Amanda also answer listeners’ unresolved questions from previous episodes. *CONFETTI* A little post-script to say rest in power to the legend DJ Casper, creator of the iconic Cha Cha Slide. He passed this week and w...
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Come on Barbie

August 3, 2023 • 67 mins
Man, we feel like women! Don’t listen to this episode if you haven’t seen Barbie yet. Amanda and Melissa unpack this pretty pink masterpiece. Spoilers ahead. Highly recommend. Also, Melissa here with a NY Times Correction: Justin Beck would kill me if I didn’t correct the official record to say that he never wore a puka shell necklace while singing at me with an acoustic guitar between any college years 1995 through 2000.
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The Lorax

July 7, 2023 • 53 mins
Melissa tells Amanda about how she and Justin attended a town meeting to make a noise complaint and as it turns out, it was the perfect date night. Something something something about trees, hence Lorax.
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Bat Mitzvah

June 25, 2023 • 65 mins
The ladies recap their weekend spent together as Melissa became bat mitzvah, including their quick trip to the gorgeous TWA.Warm fuzzies and too-long hugs all around. Ewwww. *hearts emojis*
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Chaverut

June 11, 2023 • 57 mins
Melisser is busy busy busy with her upcoming bat mitzvah service and guess who’s coming? Amander! Melissa is verklempt, actual and genuinely honored. The Hebrew word for friendship is chaverut and wow, what a beautiful and long way these two have come. Elsewhere in this episode, Amanda explains All Duggar Everything to Melissa. Basically, the girls are saying do religion this way. Not that way. Yeah, it’s not lost on them how the t...
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This Podcast Is A Toddler

May 28, 2023 • 44 mins
To celebrate the third birthday (WOW) of Imperfect Strangers, we invited Andy Bellatti of Astrology With Andy to read the birth chart of this show. This podcast is a hardcore Gemini, a sign known for communication and curiosity — a perfect for a show about two strangers getting to know each other. If you want to find out more about astrology or learn more about yourself by getting your or your business’s birth chart ready, look up ...
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Romantic Depot

May 12, 2023 • 75 mins
On the eve of Mother’s Day, Melissa implores you to get a Cadbury egg-shaped vibrator with arms for that special lady in your life. Amanda urges you to protect ya neck with wasp spray, but also swords, machetes and motion sensor lights. If the previous paragraph wasn’t weird enough, this episode takes a weirder, XXX rated turn when these two, always late to a viral moment, discover passages from 50 Shades Of Grey.
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Xennials

May 2, 2023 • 59 mins
Melissa and Amanda discover the subreddit called Xennials. Hypercolor. Cabbage Patch Kids. Serendipity books! Also, Melissa blames everything bad that happens on perimenopause. Also, men are Mars; women are superior.
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Xylazine

April 23, 2023 • 61 mins
…and they’re back after scrapping multiple bummer recording sessions before finally arriving at this new episode. Melissa is still on the mend from an actual fortnight of sickness, laryngitis and everything. Amanda performed a MAJOR solid by editing out at least 12 minutes’ worth of Melissa’s wretched coughing. If only there was a way for Amanda to edit out the start of her entire 2023 because so far, this hasn’t been her year. Als...
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Ambien Y Tu?

April 1, 2023 • 42 mins
Ever the studious ones fearful of disappointing others, the ladies sit down to record while Amanda is sick with a sore throat. Amanda discusses her hesitation in taking any kind of medication which makes Melissa crazy — just do the drugs! That said, Melissa is an insomniac who 100% cannot be trusted with Ambien.
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One Long Cornrow

March 26, 2023 • 57 mins
Shabbat Shalom! This episode is out of control. The friendship has reached a dangerous level of familiarity. We’re talking imaginary prison barbers, shitty legs, suppositories. And half of that is just Melissa telling Amanda about very awkward times where she was recognized from that reality show. Then! Be prepared to feel seen, foggy-headed people out there! The ADHD IS ADHD’ing.
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Closed Doors Open Windows

March 17, 2023 • 53 mins
Amanda’s 16-year-old dog Cocoa died. Thug down. Melissa’s husband sold his 22-year-old business. Thug down. Might need Kleenex for this one but not for long. After the musical break in the middle, join Melissa for a night out at a 90s R&B dance party, Covid be damned. #PMA #SF
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Modern Etiquette

March 4, 2023 • 56 mins
Melissa and Amanda respond to The Cut’s article on etiquette for the modern world for what they call “life after Covid.” After? OK, but we get the gist. It’s arguing time (in the most loving way). Do you cancel plans willy nilly? Do you trip when you see a famous person? Do you pretend you’re not impressed by someone’s accomplishments? Apparently there are new rules for these things. Find out where these ladies (not allowed to say ...
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When In Vermont

February 24, 2023 • 59 mins
Melissa is about to take a road trip to Vermont to visit Danny. We all know she is not a nature lady, hence why she prepared for the visit with a trip to the beauty supply. Amanda regales us with her expertise in a new segment called Old Lady Gym where Melissa gets to ask questions about health and fitness now that she’s an athlete. The two get serious and down deep about tackling negative self-talk too. [positivity overload] Let’s...
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Tattoos And The Internet Are Forever

February 17, 2023 • 59 mins
On this episode, Amanda and Melissa chat about the permanence of both tattoos and sharing yourself on the Internet. Wanna know what’s not permanent? Melissa’s eyelash extensions and Amanda’s Botox. Very exciting discourse on youth maintenance.
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Fraught

February 10, 2023 • 62 mins
Amanda had a tough week with her sick dog Louis. Melissa, now an athlete, is having a harder time getting her heart rate up because she might be fit! Elsewhere in the episode, Beyoncé (always the winner), MGK and Jonah Hill. Plus, a little chat about the monetization of vulnerability. It’s like this is a real talk show or something!

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Roses and Thorns

February 3, 2023 • 57 mins
Every rose has its thorn. On this episode, Melissa and Amanda share the highlights of their weeks. For Amanda, her son earned his black belt. For Melissa, she’s closer to becoming bat mitzvah. Then, in a dreadful turn of events, the ladies overshare about the stuff that gets on their nerves on social media. The algorithm doesn’t care that they’re not interested. It just keeps serving them slop!
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