After Party with Emily Jashinsky – Episode Summary

Podcast: After Party with Emily Jashinsky
Host: Emily Jashinsky (MK Media)
Guest: Maureen Callahan (The Nerve)
Date: December 11, 2025
Episode Title: Golden Globes Snub Lie, Meghan Markle’s PR Move, with Maureen Callahan, PLUS 'Narcissistic' Crockett Campaign

Overview

In this lively episode, Emily Jashinsky hosts columnist and podcaster Maureen Callahan for a fast-paced, no-holds-barred discussion spanning the worlds of media, celebrity culture, politics, and technology. The pair dissect the controversy over Megyn Kelly’s alleged Golden Globes “snub,” the PR machinations behind Sydney Sweeney and Meghan Markle’s recent headlines, the simmering Diddy documentary feud, and Texas’s wild Democratic Senate primary. Towards the end, Jashinsky delves into the United Kingdom’s plan to “ramp up” biometric surveillance and the expanding push for Digital ID, warning of “Brave New World”-style government power.

Key Discussion Points and Segments

[06:46] The “Golden Globes Snub Lie” – Megyn Kelly, Conservative Media, and Hollywood’s Declining Relevance

- Media Narrative vs. Reality:

• Emily clarifies confusion: Media outlets reported that Megyn Kelly was “snubbed” by the Golden Globes, but in truth, Kelly’s team withdrew her show from consideration.
• Key Quote:
  • Megyn Kelly (as paraphrased by Emily):
    “No mystery to us that we would not actually be nominated, because we told them thanks, but no thanks. Now all the headlines… Snubbed! No, no.” [08:23]

- Hollywood’s Award System Insight:

• Maureen critiques the insider culture of Hollywood award campaigning — from billboards (e.g., Ben Shapiro’s campaign) to “pay-to-play” tactics.
• She recalls the days when awards “mattered” culturally, but notes today “I haven’t heard of 90% of these movies, and I consume an enormous amount of culture.” [09:54]
• “You have to act like you want it. Before you know it, you probably really do want it… you’ve convinced yourself it actually matters. All that matters is cultural relevancy, which is something Megyn Kelly has, and the Golden Globes do not.” — Maureen [13:48]

- Prestigious Gatekeeping and Power Shift:

• Both critique whether outsiders should validate themselves by seeking legacy media/establishment awards.
• Discussion of the performative, politicized nature of award “chasing”—and growing irrelevance to the actual power structures of culture.

[14:02] Sydney Sweeney’s PR Statement: “I’m Against Hate” – Celebrity Image Management in 2025

- Scripted Apologia:

• Sydney Sweeney issues a heavily lawyered statement after social media backlash over jeans ad, declaring: “I’m against hate. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.”
• Maureen is skeptical:
  • “Her statement is, 'I'm against hate.' Who isn't?” [15:52]
  • Points out the lack of an actual apology, suggesting Sweeney’s team walks a fine line—signaling to Hollywood while trolling cancel culture.

- Modern Celebrity Playbook:

• Celebrities, especially younger ones like Sweeney, are forced into PR-driven rituals when accused of “problematic” affiliations or insufficient progressive politics.
• Speculation that Sweeney’s team (led by Scooter Braun) is reading the “weather veins” after career setbacks:
  • “Her career, which really has yet to fully get aloft, ... they had to do something.” — Maureen [20:20]
• The rare, carefully non-political A-lister (e.g., Tom Cruise, Sandra Bullock) is lauded as smart.

- Entertainment Press Complicity:

• Discussion of how People Magazine and mainstream outlets operate as outlets for celebrity press releases, with entertainment journalism losing adversarial edge:
  • “How do entertainment journalists maintain a distance? They don't. Right. Like the mainstream ones don’t.” — Emily [17:11]

[23:20] Rolling Stone’s Taylor Swift “Astroturfing” Report & Viral Social Media Attacks

- Study Overview:

• Rolling Stone cites a report where a tiny group of social media accounts generated a bulk of inflammatory anti-Taylor Swift discussion, with accusations of “MAGA,” “trad wife,” and “white supremacist” alignment—allegedly coordinated.
• Both guests treat the findings skeptically, wryly speculating about industry rivals (e.g., Blake Lively) possibly benefiting.

- The Media Cycle of Manufactured Outrage:

• “If everybody’s a white supremacist, then nobody is a white supremacist.” — Maureen [24:10]
• Double standards noted in how magazines cover "favored" vs. "disfavored" stars:
  • “They believe Sidney is MAGA, so she's got it coming. They know that Taylor is a dyed in the wool Dem.” — Maureen [24:28]

[25:03] Meghan Markle’s “Sad, Sad Story”—Father’s Amputation and the Royal PR Machine

- The Letter and the Optics:

• Emily details the bizarre People Magazine headline: “Letter Arrives Safely in His Hands” (after her father’s leg amputation).
  • “So he didn’t have his hands amputated. It was a leg, number one. ... How else would it arrive unsafely?” — Maureen [26:16]
• Criticism of Meghan’s delayed note, lack of direct contact, and elaborate storytelling for basic familial decency.

- Speculating the Next PR Move:

• Maureen advances a controversial theory, discussed "quietly in media circles," that Markle may someday make retroactive, public claims about her father to justify her estrangement:
  • “I think Meghan’s game plan all along has been to wait until her father dies and then come out and say, guess what? He sexually abused me and that’s why I can never speak to him.” — Maureen [28:34]
• References to Lady Colin Campbell’s claim she was approached by “emissaries” peddling that very narrative during her book research [30:19]
• Pattern of “telling whoppers” in Markle’s public narrative history is noted.

[31:30] Diddy Documentary, Hip-Hop Feuds, and Conspiracy

- 50 Cent’s Crusade:

• Discussion of 50 Cent’s production of a Diddy documentary, and his long-standing animosity.
  • “He was basically like, we all know Sean Combs loves gay sex. ... Beat the shit out of Cassie all the time. ... It’s been conventional wisdom ... that Sean Combs was behind the killing of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.” — Maureen [32:01]
• Documentary explores these conspiracy-laden accusations. Emily finds the documentary’s opening—Diddy berating lawyers for “bad PR”—fascinating; Maureen is intrigued.

- The “Smoking Gun” Question:

• Maureen says it’s unlikely a smoking gun will emerge; notes Biggie’s mother’s suspicions (“I think Sean Combs had something to do with it.”) [33:10]

- Meta Note:

• Brief, humorous asides on Scooter Braun, Justin Bieber, and “celebrity breakdowns” in the wake of scandals.

[42:47] Jasmine Crockett’s “Narcissistic” Senate Campaign: A Case Study in Political Self-Sabotage

- Crockett’s Rhetoric:

• Emily reviews the Texas Senate Democratic primary, highlighting Jasmine Crockett’s CNN appearance:
  • Crockett’s past “slave mentality” comment about Latino Trump voters resurfaces, and her subsequent awkward attempts at explanation are derided:
    • “She doesn’t believe[s] the people who voted for Trump believe in what they’re actually getting. So what she’s saying is that you Latinos are too dumb to know that Trump is playing you.” — Emily [45:15]
  • Maureen concurs that this will be a political “albatross.”

- Republican “Astroturf” Operation:

• Reports (confirmed by Emily) that GOP operatives proactively boosted Crockett in polling to goad her into running, betting on her self-obsession (“as a narcissist, Jasmine Crockett is going to be very persuaded, very persuaded by these numbers. Indeed, Crockett… said she was persuaded by these numbers.”) [46:30]
  • Notable Crockett quote:
    • “There was a reason that I entered the race, and it wasn’t because of James Talarico. It was because of Jasmine Crockett.” [47:53]

- Populism vs. Corporate Alignment:

• Jashinsky and guest note that Crockett’s “populist” tone masks standard-issue Democratic positions:
  • “When it comes to corporate power, crypto, Israel—she’s a very standard Democrat.” — quoting Ryan Grimm

- Prognosis:

• The host expects a chaotic, media-saturated campaign cycle in Texas, with Crockett’s “rhetorical norm breaking” simultaneously damning and attention-grabbing for Democrats.

[56:15] UK Biometrics and Digital ID – “Brave New World” Warnings

- UK Government Plans:

• Emily highlights a UK Home Office press release openly promising to “ramp up facial recognition and biometrics,” with potential applications from tracking migrants to policing errors.
  • “The Government of the United Kingdom is pledging to ramp up recognition and biometrics. That is a headline right out of Brave New World.” — Emily [56:15]
• She notes the chilling language and the speed at which this normalized state surveillance is “bragged about,” not hidden.

- Digital ID as Control:

• The push for an encrypted Digital ID (endorsed by Keir Starmer’s Labour) is framed as dangerous “mission creep,” and parallels with E-Verify in the US are drawn.

- The Trap:

• Emily warns that waves of migration crises could be used to justify permanent biometric tracking and digital ID, shifting consent through fear:
  • “Let as many people as possible into the country… then demand access to Digital IDs and Biometrics. In fact brag about it because you have scared the population into sacrificing their freedom for the sake of convenience or safety.” [60:25]
• Calls attention to public-private partnerships, unregulated corporate data troves, and “boiling frog” risk of passive, population-level acquiescence.
  • “At some point, we’re going to be asked even more forcefully than we already have been to sacrifice our freedom for the sake of security. And some of it will be because elites already made us less safe and then tried to force us at the metaphorical barrel of a gun.” — Emily [60:25]
• Asserts the US’s unique legal and political tradition may slow, but not stop, such incursions.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hollywood & Awards:

  • Maureen: “All that matters is cultural relevancy, which is something Megyn Kelly has, and the Golden Globes do not.” [13:48]

• Sydney Sweeney’s Statement:

  • Maureen: “Her statement is, ‘I'm against hate.’ Who isn't?” [15:52]

• PR, Press, and Entertainment Media:

  • Emily: “How do entertainment journalists maintain a distance? They don't. Right. Like the mainstream ones don’t.” [17:11]

• Taylor Swift ‘Astroturfing’

  • Maureen: “If everybody’s a white supremacist, then nobody is a white supremacist.” [24:10]

• Meghan Markle’s PR Strategy:

  • Maureen: “I think Meghan’s game plan all along has been to wait until her father dies and then come out and say, guess what? He sexually abused me and that’s why I can never speak to him.” [28:34]

• Diddy Documentary:

  • Maureen: “We all know Sean Combs loves gay sex. Beat the shit out of Cassie all the time… it’s been conventional wisdom ...that Sean Combs was behind the killing of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.” [32:01]

• Jasmine Crockett’s Narcissism:

  • Jasmine Crockett (clip): “There was a reason that I entered the race, and it wasn’t because of James Talarico. It was because of Jasmine Crockett.” [47:53]
  • Emily: “She’s so transparently narcissistic that Republicans can play her like a fiddle to the detriment of Democrats.” [50:15]

• UK Biometrics:

  • Emily: “The Government of the United Kingdom is pledging to ramp up recognition and biometrics. That is a headline right out of Brave New World.” [56:15]
  • “Let as many people as possible into the country… then demand access to Digital IDs and Biometrics.” [60:25]

Episode Timeline Guide

| Segment / Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------|---------------| | Intro, Banter, Show Topics Preview | 01:08 | | Golden Globes “Snub” (Megyn Kelly) | 06:46–14:02 | | Sydney Sweeney PR Statement & Media | 14:02–22:00 | | Rolling Stone/Taylor Swift “Astroturf” | 23:20–25:03 | | Meghan Markle & Thomas Markle Story | 25:03–31:30 | | Diddy Documentary / 50 Cent Feud | 31:30–39:45 | | Jasmine Crockett Senate Run | 42:47–52:00 | | UK Biometric Surveillance (& US Parallels)| 56:15–65:30 | | Closing Thoughts | ~65:30–End |

Tone & Takeaways

• The episode is witty, combative, and often sardonic. Both Jashinsky and Callahan delight in skewering self-serious celebrities, political narcissists, and “Brave New World”-style technocrats alike.
• Celebrity culture is painted as more image-managed and less relevant than ever, with PR-driven non-apologies and legacy awards ceremonies losing cultural power.
• Populist posturing in politics—on both right and left—is scrutinized for performative shallowness, with specific critique of progressive candidates easily manipulated by their own egos.
• The rise of biometric state surveillance in the UK is treated as a dire harbinger for the US, with urgent warnings about passive societal consent and rapid, uncritical technological adoption.

For listeners interested in behind-the-scenes celebrity PR, the politics of media gatekeeping, or the encroachment of digital surveillance, this episode is a bracing, quotable deep dive.