After Party with Emily Jashinsky: Media's False Minneapolis Spin, and Hollywood Vibe Shift, with Blake Neff, Plus Podcasters Apologize to Crockett

Host: Emily Jashinsky
Guest: Blake Neff (Producer, Charlie Kirk Show)
Released: January 13, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode spans current news and cultural shifts, focusing on the media spin around the recent ICE-related shooting in Minneapolis, the evolving narrative in Hollywood and at major award shows, high-profile political and social debates, and a dissection of how new media personalities navigate the minefield of online blowback. Emily Jashinsky and guest Blake Neff deliver a big-picture, cross-section conversation, combining skeptical media analysis, pop culture commentary, and realpolitik—all with a sardonic tone and freewheeling banter.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. The Minneapolis Shooting and Media Coverage

Timestamps: 06:28–23:19

• Media Narratives and Omissions:
  • Emily and Blake discuss how outlets like CNN and The View have covered the fallout from the ICE shooting, focusing on incomplete or misleading narratives about the victims and law enforcement.
  • Blake Neff: “[Minneapolis]… has that kind of perfect collision of the impacts of immigration, the decline of the blue state model… and it's going to cause it to constantly be generating these stories that we’ve gotten used to seeing.” (08:13)
• Radicalization and Protest Dynamics:
  • Blake distinguishes between the scale and ideology of 2020’s BLM protests and the current anti-ICE activism—predicting a possible shift towards more isolated, violent acts and less mass mobilization.
  • Blake Neff: “It’s much more ideologically radicalized people who are open to much more violent action.” (10:15)
• Victimhood and Narrative Context:
  • Emily brings in Tom Holland’s “Dominion” to explore the religious roots and distortions fueling leftist empathy politics.
  • They criticize the mainstream coverage for ignoring the role of convicted criminal immigrants and focusing solely on protester casualties.
  • Emily: “It is maddening how none of that kind of big picture framing ever gets considered in the conversation.” (20:44)

2. Hollywood Culture Wars and the Golden Globes

Timestamps: 23:19–43:14

• Celebrity Activism:
  • Mark Ruffalo’s political Golden Globes speech is both ridiculed and connected to ongoing populist themes.
  • Mark Ruffalo (clip): “The billionaires got us at each other’s throats… It’s doing something for the working people.” (24:45)
  • Blake jokes about the ancient Roman view of actors, mocking the modern impulse to treat celebrity opinions as authoritative.
• Award Shows as Cultural Barometers:
  • They play a Billy Bob Thornton clip (via Joe Rogan) denouncing politically charged acceptance speeches and reflecting on Ricky Gervais’s legendary Golden Globes monologue.
  • Billy Bob Thornton (clip): “Unless you have really studied stuff and really know about a subject fully, who the hell would want to listen to an actor or a musician talk about politics?” (32:09)
• Vibe Shift & Industry Decline:
  • Emily and Blake describe how Hollywood’s ideological “vibe” is uncertain; stars seem unsure how to handle a possible second Trump administration and the legacy of the post-2016 era.
  • Emily: “Hollywood is deeply confused about how to handle the second time around.” (34:17)

3. Polymarket Controversy at the Golden Globes

Timestamps: 41:31–47:08

• Prediction Markets Go Mainstream:
  • PolyMarket’s Oscar and Golden Globes betting integration is discussed, raising concerns about predictability and insider trading.
  • Emily: “It’s not just that we’re betting on reality. It’s that the bets are changing reality itself. And that feels very sick.” (46:00)
• Potential for Abuse:
  • Blake warns that if prediction markets interlock with real-world influence, it could incentivize undesirable manipulation (e.g., lobbying for Supreme Court picks for profit).
  • Blake Neff: “The prediction markets and your ability to profit on them are deciding what the future actually becomes.” (45:37)

4. The Washington Post’s “Cultural Revolution” Turn

Timestamps: 48:55–56:08

• Shifting Editorial Lines:
  • The Washington Post editorializes against trans women in women’s sports, using “cultural revolution” rhetoric.
  • Emily: “It is quite interesting to see the editorial board… doing what most of the people who work at the Washington Post would have pissed their pants over if it had happened in 2020.” (50:38)
• Left-wing Inability to Moderate:
  • Blake comments on left-leaning outlets’ struggles to cut “unpopular” issues loose and refocus on broadly appealing causes.
  • Blake Neff: “They’re screaming, guys, please let us moderate on this issue… and they’re not letting them.” (53:22)

5. Amherst College “Doxing” Incident

Timestamps: 56:23–61:55

• Campus Double Standards:
  • Emily and Blake dissect Amherst College’s request to blur the faces of students participating in a controversial chapel event—a level of institutional protection they claim conservative students never receive.
  • Blake Neff: “There’s always been a double standard on campuses… We could radically expand the number of lawyers that we have doing that. Put the fear of God into the left.” (61:09)

6. Populism and Political Identity Trends

Timestamps: 65:44–70:36

• Gallup Poll: Rise of Political Independents:
  • New numbers show 45% of U.S. adults now identify as independents, especially among younger generations.
  • Emily: “What felt like… the amplification of tribalism… people don’t want to be in political tribes anymore.”
  • Blake Neff: “They’re less attached to being a part of a larger organism… even people who have political takes online… are just more likely to say they’re independent.” (68:18)
• Social Sorting vs. Declining Party Labels:
  • Despite fewer party affiliations, “tribalism” of beliefs and lifestyle (where people live, who they marry) is increasing.

7. Podcaster Apologies: The Jasmine Crockett Segment

Timestamps: 74:05–80:00

• Podcasters Under Fire:
  • Emily covers podcasters Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers issuing heartfelt apologies for “cursorily” criticizing Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Senate chances.
  • Emily: “Those are genuinely funny, engaging remarks… but the last thing you should ever do is issue an apology like that, for making comments that will resonate with everyone except for a very, very, very tiny, tiny section…” (76:48)
• The Trap of Apology Culture:
  • She critiques the pressure leading even off-the-cuff, new media personalities to self-censor and appease loud progressive segments—despite their authenticity being their main asset.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “It could be John Cusack. Or maybe it would just be Mark Ruffalo. Because it’s the 90s.” – Emily, skewering Hollywood’s stuck-in-time political rhetoric (25:26)
• “I think the Romans considered actors on par with prostitutes. I think that was a good system.” – Blake Neff, on celebrity activism (27:51)
• “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech… come up, accept your little award, thank your agent and your God, and f* off.”** – Billy Bob Thornton, quoting Ricky Gervais (32:05)
• “There is this desire, if something exists, people want to gamble on it.” – Blake, on the explosion of prediction markets (44:00)
• “America seems to go through waves with these cultural revolutions. It might be 20 years before they can really pull it off the same way again…” – Blake, on generational cycles (55:31)
• “You can make it so that Minneapolis is the thing people think of for why Democrat governance, why the left’s governance is a disaster.” – Blake, on exploiting media focus (65:05)
• “People want to feel like they’re part of the process. It’s more trustworthy when you can see someone’s thought process working out in real time. And this idea that you can’t… It’s just a good example of not getting it.” – Emily, on why podcasting works and why performative apologies undermine it (80:00)

Structure & Flow

• Opening: Quick acknowledgment of the topics—Minneapolis shooting, Golden Globes, SCOTUS transgender sports case, and Amherst College.
• Media Critique: First half focuses on the security situation in Minneapolis, media bias, and the dynamics of protest and victimhood politics.
• Pop Culture Turn: An extended riff on Hollywood, award show politics, prediction markets, and celebrity irrelevance.
• Policy & Institutions: Back to hard news with Supreme Court, campus, and demographic shifts.
• Meta-Media Commentary: End segment examines podcasting culture and the paradox of new media authenticity under progressive pressure.
• Tone: Sardonic, irreverent, fast-paced; both hosts poke fun and dive deep, while consciously avoiding sanitized mainstream takes.

For Further Listening/Viewing

• Clips featured from The View, Billy Bob Thornton & Whitney Cummings on Joe Rogan, Mark Ruffalo at the Golden Globes, and Las Culturistas.
• Key moments: Minneapolis ICE shooting discussion (06:28–21:17), Golden Globes/celebrity sections (23:19–37:52), prediction market conversation (41:31–47:08), Jasmine Crockett apology (74:05–80:00).

Final Takeaway

This episode encapsulates “the vibe shift” of the 2020s: legacy media’s unraveling narratives, the confusion and irrelevance of celebrity culture, political establishments clashing with emergent trends, and new media torn between authenticity and ideological policing. It’s a rapid tour through culture-war America as seen through two sharply skeptical, right-leaning millennial media voices.