.jpg)
Sunday, February 25
· Recap of the Week – Book bans, Alabama Supreme Court decision on frozen embryos
o After listening to a woman read sexual material aloud at a public hearing on an “obscene materials” ban in West Virginia, we checked in with a Missouri Secretary of State candidate, who burned books with a flamethrower in a campaign ad.
o John pointed out just how disruptive it is that Alabama IVF clinics have “paused” treatments in light of the Supreme Court ruling – “IVF cycles take weeks of careful monitoring and expensive treatments. You can’t just hit pause and wait out a court case.”
o We watched a clip of Sen. Tommy Tuberville telling reporters that the ruling was a good thing because “we need more kids,” then saw him short-circuit when asked to respond to women who are now prevented from having kids through IVF in Alabama – John responded, “Well, guess what, Tommy? I’ve got great news! Since your philosophy seems to begin and end with ‘we need more kids,’ you’ll be thrilled to know that thanks to a judge in Alabama, there’s now whole freezers full of them! Go play with all those frosty kids, senator! Or maybe that’s not what you had in mind when you think of children, which is exactly the fucking point here!”
o We looked at Trump loudly touting IVF in public as he considers a national 16-week abortion ban in private – “I will say, starting any sentence with, ‘You know what I like about 16?’ should be off-limits for anyone who has this many photos with Jeffrey Epstein.”
o John tied both headline stories together by looking at how the GOP is now trying to distance themselves from the deeply unpopular consequences of their own policies – “Burning books and ending IVF are the natural endpoints of the extreme policies that they’ve held hands with.”
· And Now This – More Explicit Readings from Concerned Citizens at Public Meetings
o One man read an excerpt that included the line, “While Billy was making love to her, Billy made a noise like a small rusty hinge.”
o After another woman read an explicit passage, she added, “I just wanna mention, I’ve never said the F-word in my life before until just now.”
· Main Story – Pig butcherings
o This is the name of a relatively new scam in which a mistaken “wrong text” blossoms into supposed romance before the target is lured into investing in fake crypto – The way one expert described it, the scammer “fattens up” their target like a pig for market.
o John traced the origins of the scam back to the early days of COVID – “You remember COVID! It’s the Stephen Miller of disease, in that we were all very worried about it a few years ago and have since moved on, even though it’s still extremely dangerous.”
o This was a fair point, in response to one woman explaining how she fell in love with someone who ended up being a scammer – “I’ve gotta say, it says something about men on dating apps that they connected so well simply because he did things like ask her questions about herself and listen to her responses. I don’t want to say the bar for men is low, but that story started with him asking her questions about her life and ended with her giving him all of her money!”
o John noted that part of what helps this scam flourish is that it involves fake crypto in what’s supposed to be the target’s own account instead of sending money directly to the scammer – “Who really knows how crypto works? I know your friend’s weird husband claims that he does, but he sucks to talk to, so sadly, it must remain a mystery.”
o While it was mentioned that some people have fun messing with the scammers when they get these texts, John explained that those carrying out the scams have often been scammed themselves – They’re lured to another country with promises of a job, then trafficked and forced by gangs into running these scams.
o Good line – “It sucks that the Internet, which should be a way to alleviate loneliness, can be turned into a tool to exploit it.”
· And Now This – Local News Loses it Over Major League Baseball’s New Pants
o Okay, so evidently the pants on the new MLB uniforms are made of a material that looks slightly see-through when worn – Basically, this was a montage of local news anchors looking at pictures of baseball players and making objectifying comments.
o It was kind of gross – We got, “You’ve got my attention, I’m listening,” “I don’t think girls are saying there’s a problem [with the pants],” and, “Can we zoom into these photos a little bit more?”
Monday, February 26
· Headlines – Benjamin Netanyahu calls for demilitarization of Gaza
o Jon announced that, after two controversial first shows, he was going to focus this time on a more easygoing topic. Unfortunately for him, it “turned out” that the episode was mainly about Israel’s war on Gaza – With a tight grin, he said, “Well, I legally have to read what’s in the prompter, so…here we go?”
o After watching a clip of Netanyahu outlining his endgame plan for the war, Jon asked, “So your peace plan is…a siege?”
o He took it a step further, saying, “Okay, but your plan to eliminate Hamas by destroying all of Gaza, doesn’t that just make…more Hamases? Is that the plural of ‘Hamas’? Hamasi?”
o We watched a montage of Biden administration officials full-throatedly condemning war crimes, but then Jon clarified that they were talking about Russia’s war in Ukraine – We then heard some of the more tepid statements about Israel, which Jon summed up as, “Hey, Israel! Take it down a notch.”
o Good line – “‘Could you please be more careful with your bombing?’ It’s good advice, but really, couldn’t the United States have told Israel that when we gave them all the bombs?”
o Jon came to his main point of the night – “I think we have to get real here. The status quo cycle of provocation and retribution is predicated on some idea that one of these groups is going to go away, and they are not. If we want a safe and free Israel, and a safe and free Palestine, we have to recognize that reality.”
· Interview – Journalists Murtaza Hussain & Yair Rosenberg
o Jon asked Hussain & Rosenberg, “Doesn’t it appear that no party is incentivized to fix this, at the peril and detriment to the Palestinian people?”
o Rosenberg talked about the friendship he and Hussain have forged – “We refuse to allow ourselves and our communities to be held hostage to a ruinous conflict thousands of miles away that we may never be able to fully resolve or fix. But we can have an impact about how we treat each other here.”
o This was another point that Jon made – “One of the biggest issues I have with American foreign policy is how cavalier it is about the destruction that so many of our policies have had internationally.”
o When Jon talked about America touting its reputation for singlehandedly fixing things around the world, Rosenberg had this to say – “I’d also say from reporting around the world myself, that when we talk to people, this can have the wrong impact. If you have a great mythology about yourself and how you fix all the world’s problems, then some people will say, ‘How can the Americans not fix this problem?’”
o Jon gave a lovely tribute to his three-legged pitbull Dipper, who passed away on Sunday.
o He’d barely begun the opening to his speech when his voice got husky and he reached for the tissue box under the box – I admitted, “I thought I’d get further!”
o I loved this – “In a world of good boys, he was the best.”
o Jon told the audience, “My wish for you is that one day you find that dog, that one dog that just…is the best.”
o For the Moment of Zen, we watched a home video of Dipper happily playing in the snow.
Tuesday, February 27
· Headlines – Biden asked about Israel-Gaza war, CPAC, Wendy’s plans to introduce surge pricing
o Michael Kosta was our Tuesday-Thursday host this week.
o Much has been made about Biden commenting on a potential Israel-Hamas ceasefire while holding an ice cream cone – Michael pointed out, “In Biden’s defense, he had the ice cream first. It’s not like they asked him about Gaza and then he said, ‘Hold on, if we’re gonna talk about war, I’m gonna get a mint chip.’”
o This made me smile – “I’ll tell you what. If I was a politician, I would always have an ice cream with me, just to cram in my mouth if I got asked about Israel-Palestine.”
o What Michael did have a problem with was Biden leaning over the sneeze guard in the footage of him initially ordering his ice cream – “Dude, the sneeze guard is there for a reason! Republicans are right, Biden doesn’t really respect borders.”
o Great summation of CPAC – “It’s like Woodstock for people who hate anybody who went to Woodstock.”
o We got a montage of CPAC panel titles, including “Does Congress Even Matter?”, “Would Moses Go to Harvard?”, and “Putting Our Heads in the Gas Stove” – Michael remarked, “It’s always good to have categories that sound like Jeopardy had a mental breakdown.”
o Michael’s biggest issue with Wendy’s surge pricing was the restaurant’s claim that it would benefit consumers – “Just tell me you want all my money, dude. Don’t take my wallet and be like, ‘This is good for both of us.’”
o Ronny, meanwhile, was all about making surge pricing work for him – “I buy 1,000 burgers at 4 a.m. when the price is low, and then I sell them high at lunchtime! That’s right, I’m flipping burgers—but in a rich way!”
· Daily Showography – Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
o After a brief highlights reel of John and Bobby Kennedy, the narrator intoned, “In 2024, our abnormal times called for an abnormal Kennedy.”
o Apparently, RFK Jr.’s antivaxx reputation got off to an illustrious start – “After doing his own research [about vaccines “causing” autism], he published his findings in the acclaimed medical journal Rolling Stone, where it was the first most important article of the month.” The cover story? “Jessica Alba: The Booty & Soul of America’s Hottest Starlet.”
o We got a quick rundown of just some of the conspiracy theories RFK Jr. touts – “That’s why nine out of ten alternative thinkers recommend RFK Jr. for president of the United States.”
· Interview – Poet Kwame Alexander
o Alexander was promoting his new poetry anthology, This is Honey.
o When asked why poetry, Alexander noted that many of us learn to read through things like nursery rhymes – “We don’t remember that we love poetry, and I think I’m trying to remind us of that.”
o He assured Michael that the book, a collection of work from contemporary Black poets, was for everyone, explaining, “Poetry is a way to open a door to possibility, regards of who’s writing” – He went on, “Poetry is a way to allow us to connect with each other, to feel more empathetic, and ultimately to become better human beings.”
o He noted how Black History month often prioritizes Black struggle and suffering – “That’s all valuable, but I wanted to create a book that reminded us of all the beautiful things, of the regular normal things. And remind not only Black people but Americans in general that Black people live, love, hope, dream, dance, smile, eat, just like everybody else.”
o At the end of the interview, Michael asked Alexander to read a poem that mean a lot to him (Michael) – It was called “Ten Reasons Why Fathers Cry at Night,” from Alexander’s memoir of the same name.
Wednesday, February 28
· Headlines – Supreme Court hears bump stock arguments, scam Willy Wonka event in Scotland, Michigan primary
o As the Supreme Court questioned whether a bump stock technically makes a non-automatic gun into a machine gun, Michael proposed a new legal framework he called “look with your f**king eyes” – “Are the shells flying out of the gun at a machine gun rate? Look with your f**king eyes, it’s a machine gun.”
o The benefit of his system was that he could apply it to all sorts of things – “Like IVF. You could debate viability or conception, or you could just look with your f**king eyes and see: if this is a cluster of cells in a petri dish, it’s not a person, okay? Do I have to take this petri dish to the playground and give it snacks all day? No? Then it’s not a person!
o Michael didn’t have much sympathy for kids who were promised a fantastical Willy Wonka event in ads and got a crappy, cheap-looking sham instead – “Oh, I’m sorry, you had to drink a plastic cup of lemonade? Violet Beauregarde has to buy three airplane seats from now on!”
o The big news out of the Michigan primary was the number of people voted “uncommitted” to protest Biden’s handling of Israel’s war against Gaza – “Wow. 100,000 people went outside, in Michigan, in February, to say they don’t like you. That is a lot of commitment to uncommitment.”
o Michael pointed out that Trump’s stance on Israel and Gaza would be much, much worse – “It’s like convincing your sister to break up with that guy who’s no good for her, and then next Christmas, she shows up with Pennywise.”
o Jordan came on to discuss the primary, looking at how much people cast their votes to express their dissatisfaction with Biden – “That embodies the beauty of our democracy. No matter who you are or where you come from, in our country you will be heard, as long as you live in a swing state.”
o We also got a little rivalry between Michael and Jordan as guys from different parts of Michigan – When Michael touted Lake Huron over Lake Michigan, Jordan said, “I wouldn’t be caught dead in that pill-infested sludge pool you call a lake. Lake Michigan is clearly superior.” To which, naturally, Michael replied, “Lake Superior is superior.”
· Mitch McConnell announces his retirement as Senate Leader
o Michael had questions about McConnell’s speech – “‘Next chapter’? I don’t think there’s that much left in the book, my friend. I think you’re looking at the acknowledgements page right now.”
o Oof, great line – “Yes, this is the end of Mitch’s reign in the Senate. And in honor of all he’s done to stop mass shootings, there will be a 21-gun salute at an elementary school later this month.”
o Troy did a quick skit as “the U.S. government’s chief neurologist,” the man who decides whether politicians are fit to serve in office.
o Looking at a clip of Biden, Troy said, “That’s amazing, his brain is switching languages mid-sentence! That’s muy bueno. Or should I say, ‘Muy braino’?”
o This made me smile – “I haven’t personally met all my patients, but you don’t have to. Neurology is something you can just kinda eyeball.”
· Interview – Author Sloane Crosley
o Crosley was there to talk about her book Grief is for People, about a dear friend of hers who died by suicide – She explained, “It’s a suspenseful story about grief, and it’s a funny story about grief, and I don’t think you get a lot of those.”
o This was an interesting observation – “We don’t necessarily say ‘your cancer’ or ‘a cancer.’ We do say ‘a suicide’ or ‘your suicide,’ ‘his suicide.’ It’s like hot coals, and we give it back to the dead person as fast as we possibly can. Because I think we’re frightened for ourselves, as we well should be. But I think the only way around that is to discuss it more.”
o I liked Crosley’s description of how she reacted in the days after her friend’s death – “I turned into what I call in the book a Funeral-zilla. Where I was just like, ‘Is it hard to shut down Fifth Ave. for an hour? Maybe we should— Why are these programs not bound with ribbon?’”
Thursday, February 29
· Headlines – GOP reaction to Alabama Supreme Court backlash, FDA to roll out new “healthy” logo, Supreme Court agrees to hear Trump immunity case
o Michael had more opinions about the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling that frozen embryos are children – “I’m sorry, but if you can pass through a spaghetti strainer, you’re not human.”
o The GOP has been touting that life begins at conception, but because IVF is so popular, they’re trying to pivot now that it’s threatened. It’s not going great – “Did this guy [Rep. Byron Donalds] just say ‘breed great families’? Are you trying to run a country or get us into the Westminster Dog Show?”
o Meanwhile, a federal bill to protect IVF was blocked by a Republican congresswoman who falsely claimed that the bill made way for everything from human cloning to “human/animal chimeras” – “First of all, ‘chim-mer-uhs’? I don’t know how to pronounce that word, but I know it’s not that.”
o Currently, only 3% of food on the market would qualify for the FDA’s “healthy” logo – yikes!
o I liked this bit – “I believe we do need a logo identifying healthy foods. I just don’t think it should be one of these boring-ass options. Am I trying to have breakfast cereal or do tax prep?”
o This line about Trump made me smile – “He’s on trial right now for trying to overthrow the government—pretty big faux pas.”
o Michael expressed a lot of frustration about the present state of Trump’s court cases – “He started his campaign with four different cases against him, he’s gonna run out the clock on all of them.”
o Oof – “Now the January 6th case is getting delayed due to a legal theory that nobody thinks is legit except maybe the judges he hired.”
o Desi came on to further discuss the Supreme Court taking up this case, and Michael asked her, “So this is purely political?” – She replied, “No, it only looks entirely that way.”
o She highlighted just how bizarre the whole thing is – “You have to remember how complicated this issue is. The justices have a very difficult legal question to answer: can the president break the law any time he wants? Hard to say!”
o Michael pressed, “There has to be some way to get this decided before the election. Can’t they work around the clock? Democracy is hanging in the balance!” – Desi countered, “Okay, but what about the other balance? The work-life balance?”
· Correspondent Piece (Dulcé) – Black Women’s History Day
o Dulcé came to the desk declaring February 29th to be Black Women’s History Day – “Why only one day every four years? Because to account for the wage gap and your mama and them—you know, the math works out, okay? Trust me, I carried the four and everything!”
o She spent the piece celebrating important Black women from history, like Shirley Chisholm – “She spent 14 years in Congress representing Brooklyn. And I mean Brooklyn-Brooklyn. Spike Lee Brooklyn, not Lena Dunham Brooklyn.”
o Dr. Shirley Jackson developed many innovations for phone technology – “So every time you use your phone, pour a little Wi-Fi out for your girl Shirley.”
o I loved this bit about Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to go to space – “And that makes sense, ‘cause in the ‘90s Black people were doing whatever they could to get the farthest away from the LAPD.”
o The last Black woman Dulcé highlighted was her mom, which was sweet – “And, you know, she made me, so you’re welcome!”
· Interview – Former NBA player Rex Chapman
o In discussing his new memoir, which details his journey in recovery, Chapman looked back at his college years, where he was constantly anxious to get out of the classroom and onto the court – He said he’d wake up early thinking that players on the west coast were already practicing, summing up his mindset as, “Somebody’s working harder, and I can’t stand for this!”
o In addition to his issues with addition, Chapman also talked about having dyslexia and depression, not getting support for either when he really needed it.
o He said his best advice for someone dealing with addiction was to find someone to talk to – “I had so much pride, that I was this ‘King Rex,’ this image, and I had so much pride about not living up to anything. I had all these secret insecurities, and you know, your pride can get in the way a lot. And once you let that move a little bit, then you can start to see a light at the end of the tunnel.”
No comments:
Post a Comment