About the Show
Red State Reboot is what happens when two friends read way too much news and realize that podcasts are way too easy to make.
Every Monday, Ben & Abby take you on a guided tour through the headlines of the day. You’ll come for the digestible political analysis, stay for the cultural critique and unhinged group chat energy, and become a true Rebooty because of a shared empathy for real people trying to make sense of modern times.
It’s political comedy for folks who are tired of feeling hopeless, are allergic to hypocrisy, and who still believe the group project known as “America” is worth saving.
About the hosts
BEN BROOKS is a lawyer at heart but not by trade - meaning that he has a law degree but used it open a restaurant and Fried Green Tomato Media. When not fighting the power or researching/tracking neo-Nazis in the Carolinas, Ben is creating new menu items, finding the next musical pulse, and curating exquisite vibes in the least likely places. Ben is fluent in Spanish and earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law, concentrating on constitutional, asylum, and nationality law. Before that he earned his M.A. from Boston University in Latin American Studies; he earned his B.A. in History and Spanish from Wake Forest University (Go Deacs!). Ben is based in the Foothills of North Carolina and continues to use life as an excuse to document dying Foothills/ Appalachian culture.
ABBY VIRGIL September Virgo. Elder Gen Z. Culture vulture. Wannabe pop star. Actual podcaster. Abby is passionate about partnerships, storytelling, and not taking things so seriously; all of which led her to leave the Washington, DC corporate grind and co-found Fried Green Tomato Media in 2024. Her DC experience can be found on LinkedIn, or you can just trust her. She speaks Spanish, has professional and educational experience across the Western Hemisphere, and earned her M.A. in Latin American Studies / Political Economy from Georgetown University, and her B.A. in Philosophy and Spanish from Wake Forest University. Abby is based in Raleigh, NC, and can most often be found absorbing culture through travel, live music, and podcasts, and/or spending time with her husband James and their two miniature pinschers who think they’re Dobermans..