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Sunday, June 19
· Recap of the Week – Peru corruption inquiry, January 6th committee, midterms
o Loved this comment about Trump lawyer John Eastman – “Quick side note: if you’re ever accused of a crime and your lawyer shows up to court dressed like this, you are going to jail.”
o John agreed with another lawyer who testified about his appalled reaction to Eastman’s plan to overturn the election, but he quibbled with the lawyer’s use of, ‘Are you out of your effing mind?’” – “I will say, at this point, you can just say ‘fuck.’ Democracy is hanging by a thread, and you had a front-row seat. You can say ‘fuck.’ You said it then and you should say it now.”
o This tied directly into the piece about the midterms, where over 100 candidates who “back Trump’s false claims of election fraud” have already won their primaries.
o We looked at some of the most worrying among Secretary of State candidates, like conspiracy theorist Jim Marchant from Nevada – I did like John’s description of Marchant as “[someone] who looks like what a child would produce if you simply asked them to ‘draw business.’”
o Then there’s Audrey Trujllo from New Mexico, who’s wholeheartedly convinced of election fraud and won’t be swayed – “Wait, wait, wait. ‘Whether we can prove it or not’? But that’s a pretty big loophole, isn’t it, Audrey? We all believe plenty of things that we can’t prove, but we shouldn’t base major life decisions on them.”
o There was also Kristina Karamo from Michigan who, in addition to denying the legitimacy of the 2020 election, said Democrats have a “Satanic agenda” and allowing premarital sex is a slippery slope to pedophilia – “Okay. First of all, Democrats don’t have a Satanic agenda, mainly because that would require having an agenda in the first place.”
o It all came down to this – “The January 6th committee is reminding everyone just how close we came to democracy basically collapsing. It was a handful of people in the right position choosing to do the right thing that saved us from a constitutional crisis. But there are multiple candidates running for consequential positions right now running on the platform of basically, ‘Let's do the coup again, but better next time.’”
· And Now This – Zaddies
o Lotta local news anchors apparently out just calling any older man a zaddy – In the montage, we got claims of Jeff Bezos, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Vladimir Putin(?)
o There were also more than a few male anchors either claiming the title for themselves or asking their female co-anchors if they were zaddies.
· Main Story – Housing
o Depressing but true intro – “Our main story tonight concerns housing, that thing that 16-year-old TikTok millionaires can afford and you can't.”
o Last month, the median monthly asking price for rent exceeded $2,000 for the first time, but John noted that the rental crisis in the U.S. is hardly new – in some major cities, the average housing cost has exceeded 30% of residents’ income for 10 years or more.
o In other words, “It’s a problem we’ve know about for decades and is only getting worse, which, I believe was also a working title for this show. It was either that or America’s Saddest Home Videos with Adult McLovin.”
o John had no patience for one landlord wringing his hands over “market price” and how he “had to” evict low-income residents – “Of course kicking someone out of your house doesn't make you a bad Christian. It's in the beatitudes. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fucked are the poor in money: for theirs is the kingdom of landlords. Wazzaaaaaaaaaaaaa!’”
o While new apartment construction has increased in recent years, the availability of affordable-housing units has decreased – “That might be why, if you've ever tried to search for affordable apartments in your area, Google just says, ‘Nope!’”
o John had an appropriately-disgusted response to another landlord getting his Ebenezer Scrooge on – “Wow. ‘They can't go anywhere and for us that's an unprecedented opportunity to press them.’ That is a terrible way to talk about people. Honestly, it's a barely acceptable way to talk about paninis.”
o We looked at federal assistance through Section 8 vouchers, but naturally, it’s woefully underfunded and isn’t available to nearly enough of the people who qualify for it – One Chicago alderwoman recently made news for getting a Section 8 approval letter 29 years after she applied.
o Then we’ve got housing court, where it’s almost impossible for renters to fight unjust evictions – One study found that “nearly 90% of landlords were represented by a lawyer compared to less than 1% of tenants.”
o John laid out the crux of the matter – “That is the core issue with rental housing in this country, though: people who think that investments deserve more respect than basic human needs.”
o In looking at solutions, John pointed out that we could easily increase Section 8 funding and affordable-housing availability with the money that the government is currently spending on tax deductions for mortgage owners, with around 2/3 of the benefits going to people who earn over $200,000 a year – “We are clearly willing to prioritize housing in the budget, just not for the people who it the most.”
· And Now This – Happy Hour on QVC
o Just a montage of QVC announcers enthusiastically day-drinking while they hawk products – I chuckled at the woman who, mid-anecdote, explained, “And they said, ‘Wine?’, and I said, ‘Uh, yeah!’”
Tuesday, June 21
· Headlines – China may be spying on TikTok data, January 6th hearings, police response to Uvalde school shooting, Biden falls off his bike
o I chuckled at Trevor’s defense of TikTok – “What else are you gonna do when you’re pooping, right?”
o This is hardly a new idea, but it’s still valid – “It's a little crazy how we're so hooked on social media that governments don't even need to steal our data anymore, right? We’ll just give it to them. Like back in the day, they'd have to hack into a database or break into the Social Security building. Now we're just giving it to them for free.”
o Ouch – Trevor described the January 6th hearings as “the investigation that will somehow result in less punishment than the Oscars slap.”
o This was a good line, in reaction to White House officials coming to dread calls from Rudy Giuliani in the weeks after the election – “This man went from being an American hero to sounding like a telemarketer selling a coup.”
o Sound advice – “Not that I’m encouraging it, ‘cause I’m not, but if you are gonna try to overturn an election, maybe don’t leave voice mails?”
o Trevor had a relatable reaction to the new revelation that the police officers in Uvalde were equipped with rifles and ballistic shields but still didn’t even attempt to confront the shooter for over an hour – “You know, what’s insane about this story is how the one time— the one time it would have been appropriate to go in guns blazing, the cops decide to have a picnic outside. Yeah. But if you’re Black or you have a broken taillight—oh, then, all of a sudden, they go all Rambo on your ass.”
o In light of the Uvalde Police Department’s continually-changing story, this was an applause moment, and well deserved – “Journalists shouldn’t be reporting what the police said. They should be investigating what actually happened.”
o It’s no surprise that Trump was at a rally concerned-trolling Biden falling off his bike, but I laughed out loud when Trump told his followers, “I make this pledge to you today: I will never, ever ride a bicycle.”
· Correspondent Piece (Dulcé) – Corporate history with Pride
o Awesome line – “June is Pride Month, or as it’s called in the state of Florida, ‘Shhhh.’”
o After modest in-roads into LGBTQ-focused advertising in the late ‘70s, most corporations backed off when the AIDS epidemic hit – According to Dulcé, the corporate reaction was, “Oh no! What if the gays look at our ads? Wait. Is that how you get AIDS?”
o Visibility increased in the ‘90s, though that led to backlash – “One Ikea even got a bomb threat. What is wrong with these religious fanatics? They know the furniture isn’t gay, right?”
o Of course, we didn’t ignore the fact that a lot of the same corporations that rainbow-ify their logos every June also donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to anti-LGBTQ politicians.
o Nice closer – “The point is, enjoy all those gay Whoppers and pink Toyotas, but don’t forget what this month is about. Pride is a time to celebrate the right to love who you want and to honor the people who fought to give us that right back when no brand was on their side.”
· Interview – Journalist/anchor Katy Tur
o Tur was there to talk about her new memoir, which deals heavily with her upbringing under her helicopter-news parents – She recalled how her parents captured the footage of the O.J. police chase, saying, “My mom is hanging out of the helicopter with a camera on her shoulder, quite literally, just strapped in with a belt, looking down at the ground, which is 1,500 feet below her.”
o She stated that her parents really pioneered that style of capturing breaking-news footage – “They were the ones that changed the way news was covered in Los Angeles, and then, the country, and then, you could argue, the world. It was breaking, in the moment, and it was now, now, now. It was no context needed, blow out everything, and cover this for as long as we can.”
o While she recognized some benefits to this, she also acknowledged the corrosive effect this has had on the news, with its 24-hour-cycle frenzy – “I do think you could draw a straight line from the way we covered pursuits back then to the way we covered Donald Trump in 2016, and the way we cover politics now.”
Wednesday, June 22
· Headlines – Biden pushes for gas-tax holiday, gun reform bill, NYC mayor has confiscated dirt bikes crushed, FDA may ban Juul e-cigarettes
o I loved Trevor’s take on the way Biden will sometimes lean forward and start whispering during a speech – “Joe Biden is the only president whose vibe shifts in the middle of a sentence.”
o A sadly apt summary – “There have been many mass shootings in America over the past couple of decades, and, after each one, people have always said, ‘Maybe this time will be different. Maybe Congress will do something about this.’ And, every time, Congress was like, ‘…No.’”
o The new bill is incredibly modest, but at least it seems it will pass. Trevor had a wonderful, withering response to Mitch McConnell’s contentment that it “fully protects” the Second Amendment – “Oh, I agree with Senator Mitch McConnell. Thank God the precious Second Amendment has been preserved. Oh, yes. I mean, I’m all for protecting kids, but the Second Amendment, oh, have you seen that little face? Have you seen it?”
o So well said – “Sometimes I feel like Americans want to protect the Constitution more than they want to protect the Americans the Constitution is supposed to protect.”
o Loved this line – “I’ll tell you now, if the Second Amendment was in that classroom in Uvalde, the cops would’ve bust the door down with Mitch McConnell right behind them.”
o I laughed at Trevor’s enthused reaction to New York City’s mayor ordering that confiscated dirt bikes be crushed under a bulldozer – “That’s what I want from my city government! I don’t even care about the underfunded schools anymore ‘cause this shit rocks!”
o With the biggest maker of e-cigarettes poised to get banned by the FDA, “your days of going around looking like you’re blowing R2-D2 are over.”
· Correspondent Piece (Lewis) – Weddings in 2022
o Due to pandemic issues, 20% of weddings last year were rescheduled for this year, meaning everything is in high demand – “Planning to marry? Then get ready to rumble!”
o Because of this, and ongoing supply chain issues, the average wedding is far more expensive this year – “I guess that’s America for you. It’s easier to get a shotgun than it is to get a shotgun wedding.”
o Looking at a viral video of a bride who brought a cardboard cutout of her groom to the reception when he tested positive for COVID a few days before the wedding, Lewis mused, “What does it say about the groom that he can be replaced by a cardboard cutout and nobody seems to care?” – Meanwhile, I was just wondering how on earth the bride wasn’t considered a close contact.
· Interview – Author Angela Garbes
o Garbes and Trevor had a great discussion about her book Essential Labor, about how mothering and caretaking keeps America running – “Without care work and domestic labor—you know, this is the work that makes all the other work possible. The idea that domestic work is somehow less valuable than ‘professional work,’ I just think it’s a myth.”
o According to one study, “if women in America were paid minimums wage for the amount of domestic labor that they do unpaid right now, it would be worth $1.9 trillion per year.”
o Garbes pointed out how so many of society’s issues can be prevented through giving children stable, nurturing environments – “When we invest in children, in families, in mothers, it’s investing in public health. It’s investing in the very future and health of our society.”
o She also talked specifically about Filipina women in care industries, like her mother – While Filipino nurses make up 4% of the profession as a whole, they’ve made up 34% of the COVID-related deaths.
o She was hopeful that lessons learned during the pandemic, about reaching out in our communities and supporting one another, will carry through in society after it’s over – “We are surviving this not because the government sent us eight tests. We’re surviving this because we took care of each other.”
Thursday, June 23
· Headlines – Supreme Court strikes down concealed-carry restrictions, new Chicago Police Department regulations over foot chases, U.K. rail strike
o Trevor calling the Supreme Court “the only government department where the dress code is retired Jedi” made me laugh.
o Trevor was on fire throughout the Supreme Court piece – “You can see where this is going. This Supreme Court is feeling themselves, huh? ‘Cause you realize they finally have all the justices they need to do anything they want. It’s like Amy Coney Barrett was the last Infinity Stone they needed. Yeah, they put it in, and now they’re just snapping away at all the laws.”
o Savage – “The Supreme Court has struck down restrictions on who can carry guns outside of the home, saying that you can’t require people to meet certain standards in order to get a license. Which makes complete sense, because that would be making the militia well-regulated. I mean, you can’t do that, you know? It’s not like it’s written anywhere.”
o Good line – “And, I mean, it will switch things up, you know? Now, when you’re on the subway and you see a guy reaching into his pants, you’ll be like, ‘Aah! Please let it be a dick.’”
o Trevor thought New York should do a Texas-abortion-ban-style limit on concealed carry, getting around the Constitution with a different law that accomplishes the same goal – “They should say, okay, anyone can buy a gun if they want, but the gun stores are only open on the nights that the Knicks win.”
o I loved Trevor’s response to the new list of reasons why a Chicago police officer won’t be allowed to pursue a suspect on foot – “Well, yeah. I mean, if you’re a cop who’s lost your radio and gun and you don’t know where you are…you are in no position to be chasing anyone. Yeah, maybe just throw in the towel, my man. Today’s not your day.”
o Valid – “Even if that person is a legitimate suspect, you want to make sure that the crime is worth the chase, right? Because when the police chase a suspect, it is way more likely to end in violence. Think about it: once someone makes you sprint across half the city, you’re way more likely to want to beat their ass when you catch them.”
o As has been pointed out for months now, rising inflation is a global issue – “It turns out it’s not just America. This is happening all over the world. Which is weird, because Fox News told me that Joe Biden is the only reason we have inflation. So that means he’s also causing it in Denmark? Damn you, Joe!”
o I loved Trevor’s impression of Boris Johnson getting all huffy about the rail strike – “Yes, it’s preposterous. I… I mean, I need those trains to get to my illegal work parties. How else am I supposed to spread COVID?”
o This made me smile – “I know you guys think British people get around on flying umbrellas, but that’s just the nannies. The people need the trains.”
o At the same time, Trevor understood where the striking rail workers were coming from – “It’s not fair for somebody to work a full-time job but not be able to make ends meet, especially when your bosses make millions in profits.”
o This was a great line – “If you can’t afford to live, then what’s even the point of working? You only work so you can live. That’s why it’s called ‘making a living,’ right?”
· Correspondent Piece (Jordan) – MAGA reactions to the January 6th hearings
o On his latest trip to a Trump rally, Jordan summed up the attendees’ response to the January 6th hearings thusly – “Most were paying no attention. And yet there were some who were paying even less attention.” This segued into him talking to two women who didn’t know what January 6th was, with one asking if that was Election Day.
o I loved Jordan’s response to one man declaring the hearings a witch hunt – “It’s a witch hunt. It’s a mob of people coming together with pitchforks. Saying… And we can’t have that.”
o Also great? His response to a woman claiming Nancy Pelosi planned the insurrection – “She planned it? Why did she plan to get attacked by a mob of Trump supporters?”
o Jordan wondered if actually showing the people footage from the hearings might help…and then a guy watched a clip of Ivanka Trump saying the election wasn’t stolen and argued, “It don’t even look like her,” speculating that it might have been a clone – “It might be an Ivanka clone. Hot take, my friend. It’s almost like you’re confronted with it, and your brain just does somersaults to figure out there must be some other… some other reason.”
· Interview – Actor Elliot Page
o In talking about the new season of The Umbrella Academy, Page talked about collaborating with the showrunner to incorporate elements of his own transition story into his character’s plot for this season.
o After complimenting Page’s physique for an Esquire cover shoot, Trevor asked about his fitness routine, which led to Page rather bashfully describing the ins and outs of the VR fitness app he uses
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