America Joined a War and VidCon Was Hell

Summary

American Fever Dream: America Joined a War and VidCon Was Hell

Episode Release Date: June 24, 2025
Hosts: V. Spehar and Sami Sage
Presented by: Betches Media

---

I. Introduction: Navigating Turbulent Times

The episode kicks off with hosts V. Spehar and Sami Sage setting the stage amidst a tumultuous political climate and an impending heatwave across the United States. V. Spehar humorously reflects on longing for "precedented times," drawing parallels to reliving the year 2003.

Vsphere [01:36]: "Things are as fever dreamy as they get. We have been yearning for precedented times, which is why I guess it's not so bad that we're reliving 2003 right now."

Sami Sage concurs, highlighting the chaotic blend of political unrest and environmental challenges that define the current moment.

---

II. VidCon 2025: A Disappointing Turn

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around VidCon 2025, which this year was under new management by Informa, a private equity firm known for organizing fan conventions like those for anime. The hosts express disappointment over the drastic changes that altered the atmosphere of the event.

Changes in Management

Vsphere [03:55]: "Informa, which is a private equity company, purchased VidCon. And I think that they do a lot of, like, fan conventions for like, anime and stuff. And so I don't think they fully understood, like, what VidCon is, or at least was."

The shift in management led to a predominantly younger audience, primarily children aged 8 to 14, which clashed with VidCon's traditional demographic of young internet influencers and content creators.

Venue and Amenities

The choice of venue, the Anaheim Hotel (formerly a Hyatt), was criticized for lacking the aesthetic and functionality suitable for VidCon's usual high-profile attendees.

Vsphere [05:33]: "The hotel we were at, which used to be like the Hyatt, was called the Anaheim Hotel. It was basically like a travel lodge with a paint job. There was not air conditioning in a lot of the rooms."

Additionally, the absence of typical amenities like iced coffee bars disappointed attendees accustomed to modern conveniences tailored to younger crowds.

Vsphere [07:34]: "Normally there's iced coffee bars everywhere... So stuff like that was like, the most obvious example to me."

Impact on Panels and Events

The quality and relevance of the panels suffered, with discussions tailored to an immature audience that often missed the depth intended by the hosts.

Vsphere [08:03]: "One of the panels I did was about being non-binary and discovering yourself... it was talking to 8 to 14-year-olds and their parents."

Performance segments, such as VidCon After Dark, were underwhelming due to limited support and resources, resulting in awkward and less engaging presentations.

Vsphere [10:50]: "But it was a really professional and put on such a great show for essentially like no support. No support. And it was really awkward."

---

III. Meta AI Glasses: The Intersection of Technology and Privacy

During the episode, an unexpected advertisement disrupts the conversation about Meta's AI glasses, leading to a humorous but critical exchange about the implications of such technology.

Giveaway and First Impressions

V. Spehar shares personal experiences with receiving and attempting to use the AI glasses at an AI conference in San Francisco.

Vsphere [15:17]: "I wanted these glasses so bad. I've tried..."

However, the glasses trigger a malfunction that momentarily halts the recording, symbolizing the intrusive nature of such technologies.

Vsphere [16:31]: "Okay, Sammy, I'm sorry. That was scary. They're back in their case. They're like the Annabelle of the Internet right now."

Privacy Concerns

Sami Sage raises critical points about the potential privacy invasions and the commodification of personal data inherent in "free" technologies.

Sammy Sage [17:13]: "You don't have to scroll the whole time. It's not going to help it change what happens, right?"

The hosts discuss the broader implications of AI and smart devices, emphasizing the necessity of understanding who controls these technologies and their consequences.

Sammy Sage [18:47]: "The problem is not AI. The problem is never the thing itself. It is the way that people... use them and then for what."

---

IV. Geopolitical Tensions: US, Israel, and Iran

A heated segment delves into the recent escalation between the United States, Israel, and Iran, critiquing the impulsive decisions made by political leaders and the lack of diplomatic engagement.

Critique of Leadership Decisions

V. Spehar expresses frustration with the hurried military actions against Iran's nuclear program, highlighting the absence of consultative processes and international collaboration.

Vsphere [24:07]: "He has to do it. And now everyone's talking about this and no one's talking about the fact that there's a lawsuit in Rockland county to recount the election results."

Long-term Implications

The hosts ponder the long-term consequences of these actions, questioning the efficacy and strategic value of behaving like rogue states.

Sammy Sage [28:29]: "What does this actually achieve other than just like a very impulsive move that long term, I don't see how any of it benefits you from any angle."

Broader Regional Impact

The discussion extends to the strained relationships with EU partners and the broader international community, emphasizing the isolationist stance of the US and Israel.

Vsphere [29:22]: "Italy is scared of what the US is doing, that France and Europe are like, you know, you didn't even give us a heads up, man."

---

V. Media and Politics: Tucker Carlson vs. Ted Cruz

The episode features an analysis of a recent confrontation between Tucker Carlson and Senator Ted Cruz, shedding light on the dynamics within conservative media and its influence on political discourse.

Breakdown of the Interaction

V. Spehar critiques Tucker Carlson's role as both a propagandist and an entertainer, particularly in how he manages confrontations with political figures.

Vsphere [34:16]: "He knows that he is a propagandist mouthpiece for his channel. And that the fact... he exposed Ted Cruz for not knowing how many people live in Iran."

Impact on Fox News and Conservative Media

The hosts discuss the potential decline of Fox News' influence and the rise of new media personalities, illustrating the shifting landscape of conservative media.

Vsphere [35:12]: "I like to see the downfall of Fox News. I mean, I don't know how many hosts they have left."

Personal Reactions and Entertainment Value

Despite the critical analysis, V. Spehar acknowledges the entertainment value of the confrontation, balancing critique with personal amusement.

Sammy Sage [34:19]: "Honestly, I found it incredibly entertaining."

---

VI. Coping with Chaos: Resilience and Self-Care

Concluding the episode, V. Spehar and Sami Sage offer practical advice for listeners to maintain mental and emotional well-being amidst ongoing chaos and uncertainty.

Practical Strategies

The hosts recommend engaging in activities that promote relaxation and mental clarity, such as spending time outdoors, playing games, or visiting places like Topgolf or rage rooms.

Sammy Sage [38:27]: "Go outside, look at a tree, talk to your friends and neighbors, and just stay steady."

Emphasizing Resilience

They emphasize the importance of resilience and staying grounded to navigate the challenges ahead, encouraging listeners to take breaks from the incessant flow of information.

Vsphere [37:49]: "Try to keep your shoulders loose. Try to take some deep breaths, take breaks from the Internet... do something whimsical and just sort of like fun and nostalgic for an hour."

---

Notable Quotes

• V. Spehar on VidCon's New Management [03:55]: "Informa... do a lot of fan conventions for like, anime and stuff. And so I don't think they fully understood, like, what VidCon is, or at least was."

• Sami Sage on AI and Privacy [18:47]: "The problem is not AI. The problem is never the thing itself. It is the way that people... use them and then for what."

• V. Spehar on Geopolitical Implications [24:07]: "He has to do it. And now everyone's talking about this and no one's talking about the fact that there's a lawsuit in Rockland county to recount the election results."

• V. Spehar on Media Influence [34:16]: "He knows that he is a propagandist mouthpiece for his channel."

---

Conclusion

In this episode of American Fever Dream, V. Spehar and Sami Sage navigate through a spectrum of pressing issues—from the disappointing overhaul of VidCon 2025 to the alarming geopolitical tensions involving the US, Israel, and Iran. They critically examine the evolving landscape of media influence through the lens of the Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz exchange and address the pervasive concerns surrounding emerging technologies like Meta's AI glasses. Throughout, the hosts offer insightful commentary interspersed with humor, culminating in heartfelt advice on maintaining resilience in chaotic times. This comprehensive discussion ensures that listeners are both informed and empowered without being overwhelmed by despair.

---

Stay Connected:
For constant news updates, sign up for the Sup email newsletter and follow @betches_news on Instagram. Follow V. Spehar on TikTok and Instagram.

Watch on YouTube: American Fever Dream

Transcript

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[Vsphere]

Rise and Shine, fever dreamers. Look alive, my friends. I'm Vsphere.

[Sammy Sage]

And I'm Sammy Sage.

[Vsphere]

And this is American Fever Dream, presented by Duchess News, a show that does.

[Sammy Sage]

Not have an intro joke to make today because we literally just joined a war.

[Vsphere]

We did. And it's. It's 6am here in LA.

[Sammy Sage]

It's also the start of a heat wave for most of the United States.

[Vsphere]

So yes, it's very fever dreamy.

[Sammy Sage]

Things are as fever dreamy as they get. We have been yearning for precedented times, which is why I guess it's not so bad that we're reliving 2003 right now.

[Vsphere]

I mean, 2003 was a good year for me. I was in college. I was ignorant to the ways of the world. My biggest concern was like, is there buffalo chicken in the dining room today? My biggest concern is still, are we having buffalo chicken today? So yeah, same.

[Sammy Sage]

That's why you don't get into the news business.

[Vsphere]

No, I was in theater school. We were doing Evita. Which speaking of is that Rachel Ziegler is doing Evita right now and she is killing it. She is outstanding.

[Sammy Sage]

I heard it's really amazing. And that also for the iconic don't cry for me Argentina, she goes out onto the balcony and Sings to the outside, which I think is really cool.

[Vsphere]

That is cool.

[Sammy Sage]

Genius.

[Vsphere]

That's very cool. I would love to see her. So, yeah, 2003 is fully back for me. Although the Rachel Ziggler version of Evita is probably better than the one we did in college.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, because.

[Vsphere]

Not just because of her, but also because of her Danny who accompanies her on that balcony. Her bodyguard for when she sings that song. And to. Did you see this thing about her Danny? It's trending on TikTok right now.

[Sammy Sage]

No.

[Vsphere]

So Rachel Ziegler has this. He's like tattooed all over his neck, but he's really clean cut looking. Bodyguard named Danny. And he accompanies her to her meet and greets at the stage door. And I guess people were upset because they're like, who's that guy? He's going to be in the background of all our pictures with you. And she was like, don't. That's my Danny. Don't disrespect my Danny.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, it's like my cat.

[Vsphere]

He's here to protect me. He's here to protect me. And he is in costume on the balcony with her when she sings.

[Sammy Sage]

That's really wild. She has this bodyguard, like during her performance.

[Vsphere]

I want to know more. Yeah. Why on stage, what happened?

[Sammy Sage]

Did you have a bodyguard? Bodyguard at VidCon?

[Vsphere]

I did. I did in fact have a bodyguard at vidcon. The thing that's weird about Vidcon is in years past, it was like, you know, 70,000 screaming fans, lots of TikTokers, tons of YouTubers, super, super fun. This year, that was not the experience.

[Sammy Sage]

What was it?

[Vsphere]

It was tricky. So this year, Informa, which is a private equity company, purchased Vidcon. And I think that they do a lot of, like, fan conventions for like, anime and stuff. And so I don't think they fully understood, like, what VidCon is, or at least was. And so I don't know if it's the way it was marketed. I don't know if it was the folks that they picked, but the audience was predominantly children, genuine children. Like people who were maybe like 8 to 14.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, like middle school.

[Vsphere]

Yes.

[Sammy Sage]

Or younger. Question, the company that acquired them. Is Vidcon not still running VidCon or is it like they cleaned out the management?

[Vsphere]

No, that was the hard part. The Vidcon team, who I have not one bad word to say about these, are the hardest working, most wonderful, thoughtful people. They get it, were all there and they were sort of struggling to put on what they know is Vidcon, because they're sort of dealing with this new management structure. And Informa, I guess, only bought it, like, maybe this year or something. So it just. It was.

[Sammy Sage]

Because last year it was run by.

[Vsphere]

Vidcon and Paramount was the presenting sponsor.

[Sammy Sage]

Right, right.

[Vsphere]

And the year before that it was YouTube and the year before that it was TikTok. So it just. It was entertain, payment people. And now it's whatever.

[Sammy Sage]

This is money.

[Vsphere]

So let me. Let me give you the highs and lows. Yes, the. The highs were this jacket. Okay?

[Sammy Sage]

Gorgeous.

[Vsphere]

This is maybe. Let me give you a full. A little 360.

[Sammy Sage]

Okay, look, private equity. They're going to spring for the merch. If there's going to do one thing. You're going to spring for the merch.

[Vsphere]

This is the best thing I've ever gotten from VidCon. Well, this was a really cool jacket. But the hotel we were at, which used to be like the Hyatt, which is super nice, it was. It was called the Anaheim Hotel. Now that nobody's there, I'll tell you. And we will never go back there because it was basically like a travel lodge with a paint job. There was not air conditioning in a lot of the rooms. It was extremely old. There was a lot of. I mean, it would, like, break. And then like in my friend Shannon, who was with me's room, they were like, well, the air conditioning doesn't really work, but we brought you, like an industrial fan. Okay? So stuff like that, okay.

[Sammy Sage]

Kathy Hilton.

[Vsphere]

They could. They could not deal with. They could. They did not. I don't think this hotel knew, like, what was going on. Now, here's the thing. The Anaheim Hotel is perfect if you are a family with three children on a budget going to Walt Disneyland, because it's right across the street from Disneyland. And I was like, if I had kids, this would be great because there's just like a pool and it's like. It's whatever. But not necessarily for, I don't know, a conference. A conference. And not necessarily for the people with the largest Internet followings on the planet Earth where you want to, like, show off your hotel kind of, because you know that they're going to be making videos and trying to make content there. You really couldn't because it was like. Like the aesthetic wasn't there. The vibes were off.

[Sammy Sage]

Okay?

[Vsphere]

So that was the thing with the hotel also. There were not as many presenting sponsors as there typically are. So, like, Tic Tac only had a small booth. There were not creator loungers. The way that you're typical to see, it was really difficult to find food anywhere. And my key thing that I was like, oh, private equity took over is normally there's iced coffee bars everywhere. Because it's young people. I mean, the. The goal audience for TikTok is like people in their 20s pretty much, and they drink iced coffee and energy drinks. So, you know, you have Celsius and all these different people who are typically there, they were not there. There was no iced coffee. So there was just like conference rooms of like, hot coffee. But they didn't have oat milk this year. They only had soy milk or half and half. And I was like, these people do not know.

[Sammy Sage]

Wow.

[Vsphere]

So that was like. I mean, that's like a stupid thing to complain about, but it was really like the most obvious example to me.

[Sammy Sage]

That's how, you know, private equity was here. Only hot coffee.

[Vsphere]

And they were like. I was like, do you have bottled water? And they were like, we have cups of water. And it was like, okay. So stuff like that where. Okay again. And it sounds stupid to complain about, but it. It was stuff that. It was like, oh, this is really. They really just don't know what's going on.

[Sammy Sage]

But it changes the vibe. But tell us about the actual people there and the conference.

[Vsphere]

What was up with that? So I. I did about five panels, and they, of course, because I did them, they were very thoughtfully put together and moderated panels. But when your audience is eight years old and their parents, it's a little bit difficult. So one of the panels I did was a digital. Was getting social justice digitally. Right. So folks who had been previously incarcerated and now they're big TikTok stars and how they're using their platform to change the system. I had. The founder of Death Row Records was one of the guests for this panel. Well, that's fantastic. Except the people in the audience don't know who that is. Right. They don't really get it.

[Sammy Sage]

The parents of the kids would be your fans.

[Vsphere]

Okay. Some of the parents of the kids did know who I was, so. And they kind of got it. But they're. They're. It's not like for them, but luckily that streamed. It's a wonderful panel. I'll try to get the video for you guys because it's a really thoughtful conversation. Next example is they invited the Hawk to a girl.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh. Oh, I saw there was something with Whitney Cummings and people were yelling at Hawk Tua.

[Vsphere]

Well, because Hawk Tua and Whitney Cummings are decidedly adult people. Yeah.

[Sammy Sage]

They're like they talk about sex and.

[Vsphere]

They'Re pretty vulgar, even for women in their 40s. Okay. They're. They're pretty on the edge.

[Sammy Sage]

Top two is on her 40s.

[Vsphere]

But no, but I'm saying like Whitney Cummings comedy, like people who will know her in their 30s and 40s. And she's, she's really, you know, she.

[Sammy Sage]

Has a particular tone.

[Vsphere]

She does.

[Sammy Sage]

And she's very funny.

[Vsphere]

But she's also like super maga, I believe now she's a little bit maga ish, which is. Okay.

[Sammy Sage]

She's not honestly, like, I don't think she's maga. I think what she actually is is that she's aligned with sort of the Joe Rogan Bros, like the Andrew Schultzes in the way that they think about things where it's like they're sort of naturally leaning more progressive, but they really over index or just emphasize the. Like there's something they're not telling us. Do you remember for New Year's Eve she did that whole thing where she's like, I bet you're not going to air these things. I think it's more like the distrust of the system and the Democrats really overwhelms rather than she like wants to be on the MAGA agenda. It's more like that kind of thing. And then everyone gets canceled.

[Vsphere]

Yeah, she wanted to tell blowjob jokes to 8 year olds. So that's how that went. So, you know, and it's not her fault because she was on one of the main stages. You can't see necessarily when you're on stage with all those lights. Who exactly is in your audience? You could probably see the first couple rows, but people were leaving. They were very upset. And it wasn't just, you know, middle schoolers and their parents that were there. It was middle schoolers dressed in anime cosplay.

[Sammy Sage]

Listening to Hawk Tua. What did, what were they talking about? What were they talking about?

[Vsphere]

Because I had one at the same time upstairs. And this is where I. I was like, you know what? We're going to do our absolute best. I hosted what's called Vidcon After Dark, which is like kind of like a talent show where you have like a bunch of different acts, so singers, dancers, actors, all these different things, skits. And normally that's a main stage show. And this time it was in like a conference room in the Anaheim Convention center upstairs. So no lighting, no real.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, it's after dark, so you.

[Vsphere]

No microphones to speak of, whatever. But they had really huge performers like Enola Bedard who was like a Gen Z, Britney Spears type person, full dancers, really talented girl. CG5 huge, huge. Pete Monzingo. Huge, huge. But it was, it was, these kids were so professional and put on such a great show for essentially like no support. No support. And it was really awkward. So you know, stuff like that sucked. But the hawk to a thing, I, I could not believe that that had happened because like you have to know who you sold tickets to. And I don't know why these kids would have gone to that except they came to a lot of my stuff and they were like, I don't know, we're just kind of walking around and stopping by anything that's on the big stages. And I was like, okay, well what.

[Sammy Sage]

Happened with Hoktua exactly?

[Vsphere]

She started trying to do her podcast with Whitney Cummings and of course they were being hawked to and Whitney Cummings and telling their jokes and doing stuff and the parents were walking out and they were getting upset because they were talking about very adult things and they're, you know, here's okay. And I only know because who came to my stuff and I'm a very wholesome education adjacent creator. So I had a panel that morning and I just kept picturing my kids at this panel and I was like, I can't imagine. But that was what I could picture. So the panel I had in the morning was about being non binary and discovering yourself and your and your so sort of how to be yourself right online. And the kids in this audience with their parents, really meaningful conversation. Very sweet kids. Extremely young though. And so I kept saying like, you know your parents. And I was talking to the parents and the other people on the panel were more realistically talking to the kids. These are bright eyed middle schoolers, okay? Like I cannot imagine them in a hawk to a podcast. So. And some of them dressed in anime. There was so much cosplay at Big Con this year, which also makes it kind of fever dreamy because I was like, this is crazy. I've never seen this much anime.

[Sammy Sage]

Can I ask, is it that different than us seeing rent at age 9?

[Vsphere]

No, no. Except we knew we were going to see Rent and I think they thought they were just going to see like. Because the parents don't know necessarily, but they don't know who she is. Right. All they saw was Comedy Night comedy podcast on the Spotify stage. And it may have said Haley Welch. It doesn't say Hawk to it. It says Haley Welch and Whitney Cummings. And so when you're walking around the convention floor, you Stop over there. You're watching the show, it's on the big stage, and you're like, oh, this is going to be like a comedy podcast. But because most of the programming for VidCon can be adjusted for young people or is sort of wholesome.

[Sammy Sage]

Right?

[Vsphere]

This was not that.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, that's what happens when you let private equity take over.

[Vsphere]

So that's a lesson, I guess they wanted her to talk about crypto and how to do a rug pull and teach 8 year olds dressed as vampires how to do that.

[Sammy Sage]

You know, it was a good question, like, why are we listening to her? But that's the fever dream.

[Vsphere]

I guess that's a fever dream. Then the. The other thing that happened was I don't really go to a lot of the after parties, and this was a great year for me because nobody hosted any, so I didn't have anything to say no to.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, what are they going to do? It's bedtime for everyone who is attending, it sounds like.

[Vsphere]

But the thing I did go to was Meta hosted Disney Creator Night. And I had never been to Disneyland, so I was like, well, I'm going to go because I want to go to Disneyland, right? And the buses took forever. We didn't get there till late. And then I get there and they. I will say Meta's party was good. They didn't have like, hamburgers. They had like filet mignon sliders. They didn't have, like, you know, everything was like, very top shelf. So I was like, oh, they're really trying. What are they trying to sell me? Then I thought I was going to get to go to Disney. I did not. I got to sit through like an hour long presentation. It was like a timeshare presentation on Meta AI. And then they gave me the. The glasses.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, my God.

[Vsphere]

I wanted these glasses so bad. I've tried. Yeah, hold on, I'll show you what they have.

[Sammy Sage]

Like, do you have to log into your Facebook? Oh, my God. What?

[Vsphere]

What?

[Sammy Sage]

That's not good. They were free.

[Vsphere]

Yeah, nothing's free, Sammy.

[Sammy Sage]

There's no such thing as a free Meta.

[Vsphere]

Okay? Nothing's free. But look how cool they look. Look, they do look like my regular glasses.

[Sammy Sage]

But you could just have them in your glasses. Why do you need them?

[Vsphere]

Okay, well, look, I'm gonna tell you right now. I wanted them so bad. They're not. Oh.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh. Something just happened.

[Vsphere]

It stopped the recording. See?

[Sammy Sage]

See, I told you. When you hear Lululemon, you probably think of aligned yoga pants. Weightlessly soft, like you're wearing next to nothing. That's why you see see them in class, at the grocery store and in the park. But did you know about skirts with built in liner shorts so you can still jump for the Frisbee and tanks and bodysuits with Align's iconic stretch, you won't want to take it off. And with endless style options, you don't have to shop in store or [e-mail].

[Vsphere]

Okay, Sammy, I'm sorry. That was scary. They're back in their case. They're like the Annabelle of the Internet right now. Okay, we were just possessed by the glasses that stopped the recording. That was not cute.

[Sammy Sage]

Look, I told you. I told you. It's like, okay, look, they're not giving you anything for free. Especially not a glasses that are very high tech. Nothing is free that. I think we've learned that from joining several social media sites. If something's free, you are the product. And I correct. Look, they already have the product in my hand. They already know everything about me. I don't need them to be on my face. But I bet at some point I'll wear them. You know, I don't like it. I don't want it.

[Vsphere]

I think they're cool. My wife told me I'm not allowed to open the case in the house. She doesn't like that. She's like, you keep that at your office. She's like, that's a little toy for your. For your office. And I was like, okay. And I do. I am treating them like a little toy for my office. There are people who were wearing them the entire time. It's cool in the way that like, you could do fun, content things. Like when I was doing my Hanging Green interview, which we will, I believe, be able to drop here at some point or we'll put it somewhere for you guys to listen to. I was like, oh, I could have POV interviewed Hank Green, right? And you can live stream on Instagram. So like, sometimes that's fun.

[Sammy Sage]

Of course it's cool. Of course it's cool. It's not not. It's obviously, it's amazing. It's more to me about this feeling of like, what am I selling of myself by. By engaging in this cool thing that it's not like I miss it. It's not like I feel like, wow, I wish I could make my eyes stream the person I'm looking at. No, I don't want that.

[Vsphere]

So I'm gonna tell you, yeah, I'm going somewhere where I think they're gonna help me fit In. I got invited to like an AI conference in San Francisco, and they were like, do you want to tack on a couple days to your California trip to go to this AI conference in San Francisco? And I'm very AI skeptical. So I actually thought maybe it would be good for me to go so that I could like, be in the room with people that I'm kind of afraid of right now and see. Yeah. What it's about and maybe learn more and then I'll either be more scared or less scared. But the glasses are absolutely coming to the AI conference because I want to fit in. You know, let me. I got to. If I'm going to be an interloper, I got to like, wear the costume.

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah. No, I agree with you. Let me just say two things. The problem is not AI. The problem is never the thing itself. It is the way that people. Humans and their bad intentions in some cases, many cases, and bad incentives from bad toxic systems basically create negative externalities and negative effects from things that could be really helpful. It's not that there are great noble uses of AI. I feel like we already have been using them.

[Vsphere]

It's.

[Sammy Sage]

It's about who uses them and then for what and who controls the consequences of those things. But there is one thing that I think might end up happening here. Remember how when imessage, you know, synced to multiple people's devices and then people discover that there were like a. Affairs because they didn't.

[Vsphere]

I got caught at that. I got caught at that.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, look at that.

[Vsphere]

I was young, I was talking to two girls and it showed up on my iPad that she was using all the texts from the other one. I was young. I was awful.

[Sammy Sage]

My. My theory, my prediction is that these glasses are going to show things and show blow up people's own spots that are Ray bans might be free, but privacy is priceless.

[Vsphere]

Mm. Yeah. She was like, I'm not ending up on one of your live streams and I don't know it or something. So, yeah, like I said, they're the Annabelle. They're the Annabelle of my tech accessories. They have to stay in their case.

[Sammy Sage]

I'm with Natalie. Natalie and I tend to agree on some of these things.

[Vsphere]

Okay. So the other thing that happened while I was at vidcon is we. We like, you know, bombed the shit out of on without telling Congress. And people were genuinely actually quite scared. And so I spent a good amount of time trying to focus on that and make videos about that and, you know, talk to 8 to 14 year olds and their parents about what was happening. But I knew that he was going to pull the shit for weeks. Not that I knew. It's just like the way that he was moving is very much like, obviously he's going to do this even though he says he's not going to. And I, I don't know that I expected. He, he. No, I did. I guess I did expect that he was going to do something that nobody wanted done. And then he was going to be like, well, I can't suffer any consequences for it. It's over. Why are you bitching about it? This is how he treats women. This is how he treats business partners. This is how he treats the contractors. He doesn't pay. This is not a person who cares about consent.

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah, of course not. And it's, I think that that wasn't even a major part of the conversation amongst the general public because it's become expected. It's become expected that he just does whatever he wants. So there's that on normalization. But for me, what was more concerning is that. Okay, so let's, let's take the one, the one key issue that people would argue with the question of the nuclear program. Okay, let's say it's as bad as they say. Let's just assume for the sake of this conversation, they're about to get nukes. They're not in on that quick of a timeline. Let's say that they could really set it back through this, through this operation. Sure. The fact is that regardless of whether all of that is true, assuming let's even pretend that they state the Islamic Republican presents a, an immediate risk in the next two weeks what to use Donald Trump's favorite, even a week, there was no discussion with a single, you know, consulting consultative party. There wasn't even an info informing anyone other than Benjamin Netanyahu. And the problem is not just the doing of it, because I do think that there are parties, especially in the eu, that would say that aren't unhappy with the idea of getting rid of Iran's nuclear program. I do think that is something that is widely sort of desired. But the US and Israel are behaving like rogue states and further isolating themselves on the world stage. And, and Israel, you know the line that Iran and Russia and everyone really is pushing that Bibi push Trump into do that, into doing his dirty work. Yes. This all comes very anti. It all feels very anti Semitic, but it also feels true. That's the thing. It's like he is confirming these things. And if Israel wants to get rid of this, this nuclear program. They're not considering the fact that if America just acts as its muscle and has no allies, no one else is going to be an ally of Israel, nor will this create a long enough term solution to get rid of the nuclear program. So what does this actually achieve other than just like a very impulsive move that long term, I don't see how any of it benefits you from any angle. And that's what I just can't get my mind around. Like the idea that when you act like a rogue state, you're actually just screwing yourself more. And they, and they could have done the legitimate performance, but they didn't.

[Vsphere]

They don't know how to. And also, like I said on threads, Pete Higseth has a war boner. They cannot wait. These are impulsive people who are short term decision makers who, who just have to do it right now because they want to do it right now because they really want to do it.

[Sammy Sage]

But a lot of them didn't want to do it. J.D. vance, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, even they were all saying, no, don't do it. The reasons that they're saying no, don't do it are themselves questionable. But I, I think it's more, you know how we've talked about how Donald Trump has to like test something out. He has to throw it out. Oh, maybe I'll do the instruction act, maybe I won't. I won't affirm the, I won't accept the election results. He always has to throw stuff out there. And at some point he has to touch the stove. It's like there's this piece inside him that's like, you're, you're gonna do it eventually, so just do it now. And he, it's like a very, an addict.

[Vsphere]

He has no discipline. No discipline, please.

[Sammy Sage]

And discipline is like just so even far, far from what it even close what it even is. But he, and I think that like, some of it is so momentary for him where he needed to have the show of strength, the military parade didn't work out. He doesn't have the 90 deals in 90 days people are talking about. What a joke. His, some of the people in his administration are. He has to do it. And now everyone's talking about this and no one's talking about the fact that there's a lawsuit in Rockland county to recount the election results.

[Vsphere]

Fourth of July savings are here at the Home Depot. So it's time to get your grilling on. Pick up the traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet Grill and Smoker now on special buy for $389 was $5.49. Smoke a rack of ribs or bake an apple pie. This grill is versatile enough to do it all. This summer, no matter how you like your steaks, your barbecues are guaranteed to be well done. Celebrate 4th of July with fast free delivery on select grills right now at the Home Depot, subject to availability. The other thing that's coming out today is that it wasn't that big a success. The bombings doesn't seem it. You know, the. And we spent so each One of those B2 bombers, stealthy B2 bombers, which are not supposed to take out are $2 billion each. He put $4 billion worth of assets on the line and I had said $100 million worth of bombs wasted. He dropped a lot more bombs than he originally reported. He said that they dropped six bunker busters. It was 14. And those are 4 million each. Not counting parts and labor. Right. Not counting all the people to do it. Just the physical bomb to make is $4 million. And the reason why you have to drop multiples because like this one blows up this much under there. This one blows up this much under there.

[Sammy Sage]

But I've seen Armageddon didn't work like.

[Vsphere]

The way that he wanted to claim it did.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, I think the jury is still out on what worked. What didn't work were they able to get the, the enriched uranium to a safe location. They say that they did. But the thing is both parties are going to posture is going to say that they saved all their uranium. And Bibi, the last thing he had said was we have some intelligence on that which I can only wonder did they like we'll see, let's see what happened to it. But either way, Max, they at the best case scenario they've set it back a few years. But had we just stayed in the jcpoa, we might have still been at that at that point because I've actually also read that this may have strengthened their resolve. And they're also, my guess is they're going to put it underground. I don't mean physically underground, which it already is. I mean they're not going to talk about it to anyone in the international community, let alone the United States.

[Vsphere]

Right.

[Sammy Sage]

At least there was like some access before and they're obviously going to clean out the Mossad from their whole air. You know, I don't see how anyone is safer is ultimately and people in Israel like Bibi because he quote Unquote, keeps them safe. Okay, how safe are you on October 7th? It's like, they like that he'll be tough and he'll do the scary thing and he'll go after the nuclear program. And yeah, of course, when all your news is feeding you this and it's a very traumatized, insular society that feels like we need to be tough, but I don't see how ultimately in the long term this is good to behave like a rogue state. When the state of Israel was created via international recognition largely, and the United States now just alone. What's the plan?

[Vsphere]

Who by this Our EU partners are pissed, right? Because they couldn't get their people out of the embassies fast enough. Like the United States is not supposed to act. So road that rogue that Italy is scared of what the US is doing, that France and Europe are like, you know, you didn't even give us a heads up, man.

[Sammy Sage]

Of course. Well, the thing is the EU had tried to have a negotiation basically last week on Friday, and the Islamic regime was like, no, we're not going to even start negotiations until Israel stops hitting. So it's not like the EU wasn't involved in trying to de escalate the situation. They were. I don't think that the US and Israel want to or the leadership want to de escalate the situation because it gives them power.

[Vsphere]

Their obsession with Israel. This administration is also really weird, Sammy. Like it's, it's so much to the point that even people in the Trump administration are like, for being all America first, that one lady was like, oh, the United States, America's country. Tammy Bruce is us. Is the greatest country in America. Well, second to Israel.

[Sammy Sage]

She said that out loud, which is just insane. You are a United States official.

[Vsphere]

Doesn't matter.

[Sammy Sage]

What are you saying?

[Vsphere]

They are Christians first and they are waiting for this rapture apocalypse friggin thing to happen so that this is. This is. I wish if there was one thing I could get to the apocalypse, Doomsday Christians. It's like you could be living heaven on earth if you stopped trying to fuck with everybody so that the apocalypse would come so you could go to some paradise that you believe exists only for you. Like maybe make this world a little bit more tolerable and nice and stop trying to blow it up so you can get to some paradise. Paradise that like, I really don't know.

[Sammy Sage]

That's what I think God wants. But since much of organized religion was created by man as a means of control, that's why they have these Distorted beliefs which seem just even on their face, very ungodly to me. Like, isn't that kind of the basis of all the religions, of all spirituality treating people on Earth well the way.

[Vsphere]

You want to be treated?

[Sammy Sage]

I'm pretty sure that's the one thing that, that works across all of the religions and faiths.

[Vsphere]

And isn't it kind of cheating to try and rush the Rapture? I mean, God knows when he wants to do the Rapture. You doing all this bombing and starting holy wars does not to me seem like Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane accepting the fact that it was time to go.

[Sammy Sage]

Last I checked, they're supposed to bring the Rapture by being like, really good. Like, you're supposed to bring the Rapture by being Godlike, not by being an asshole. But they think they can just strong arm everyone into being their version of Godlike. Then the Rapture will come. And yeah, I'm just gonna say, as a Joe, it is really annoying to be so focused on in such a negative way from both sides. And anyone who does like you is really just exploiting you so that they can convert you eventually.

[Vsphere]

Well, now we've. We've met our quota for talking about religion today. What's our next topic, Sammy? War Religion VidCon.

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah, well, you know, growing up, I was told not to speak about religion, politics, or money.

[Vsphere]

Yeah.

[Sammy Sage]

And that's all I like to talk about now.

[Vsphere]

So we made a career out of it. Here we are. Look.

[Sammy Sage]

What else is there? There's a reason they don't want you to talk about those things. It's because you can figure out all their inconsistencies and inequalities and all their dumb rules. Gotta keep sweet system.

[Vsphere]

Keep sweet, Sammy. Keep sweet. Welcome back, friends. You may notice I had to change my shirt because during the break I stress sweat through the other one. And I just. I can't be uncomfortable as we enter into whatever the fuck is going on with the United States and Iran. Iran now firing missiles at our military bases in the Middle East. Not great stuff.

[Sammy Sage]

Lots happening. V. Just speaking on the question of will we or won't we go to war with Iran? I think we know the question, the answer now. Did you see that? Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz, whatever that was. It was. What did you think? What was your favorite part?

[Vsphere]

I thought it was really good. Now remember, I often think that Tucker Carlson's purpose is not journalism, but his kink is politics and embarrassing people. And I think there was probably no greater high than the way he was able to turn on Ted Cruz and get Ted Cruz so worked up for so long and then double down on his pleasure by posting all of that on the Internet and having people on the left who he has destroyed the lives of in many ways rooting for him. So I think this was probably peak climax for old Tucky.

[Sammy Sage]

Honestly, I found it incredibly entertaining.

[Vsphere]

It was fun.

[Sammy Sage]

It was fun. But it also proves a few things. One is that he knows what he's doing the whole time. He knows that he is a propagandist mouthpiece for his channel. And that the fact. Okay, the fact that he exposed Ted Cruz for not knowing how many people live in Iran, a country which Ted Cruz has opined on many times in his career. How do you not know that sort of fundamental fact? How do you not know these things? It's not like we're asking you to talk about Burundi.

[Vsphere]

We're.

[Sammy Sage]

We're asking you to talk about Iran.

[Vsphere]

Yeah.

[Sammy Sage]

And Tucker knows this. He knows this all the time. And what now they're all talking about how Fox is propaganda because they're pro war and Tucker and company are isolationists. Ish. So I don't know, but yet it was so entertaining.

[Vsphere]

It was very entertaining. I like to see the downfall of Fox News. I mean, I don't know how many hosts they have left. All the hosts from Fox News are now in the cabinet at the Trump administration. So maybe they're down talent, easy target. The old man Murdoch is not doing well. Right. And his son isn't the powerhouse that he was. So Tucker probably thinks this is a good time to strike, to pull back that right wing audience that he really built over there on Fox. Like, why should Jesse Waters be the heir to the empire built by Tucker Carlson? I think this was a big power grab for media back to him and the Tucker Carlson Network. But at least he was open about it being propaganda and entertainment and not true. But I hope that this is the end of some Fox News ish stuff.

[Sammy Sage]

My favorite part, I think, was that was when he. Ted Cruz is like, don't be so snarky. He was like, I know, you're right. I'm sorry.

[Vsphere]

He's an expert. Like, gaslighter. He's an expert at this. Like, he knew that the Ted was giving him the chance there to be like, this is spiraling out of control. And then Tucker got to like, reset the temperature so that he could continue to hammer him. I mean, it was. It was pretty smart.

[Sammy Sage]

Here's the thing about Tucker Carlson. He's a coastal elite who couldn't hack it. And so he became that. But he knows how to play the game because that's really his origin.

[Vsphere]

He is. He's one of those, like, Ivy League debate bro type people. Not like a Dean Withers is now, but I think he thinks that he's much more intelligent and, like, able to, like, control a conversation and whatnot.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, apparently you don't have to be that intelligent to outwit Ted Cruz, which means you don't have to be that intelligent. You know, Princeton standards for just not.

[Vsphere]

I know. If Princeton's going through it right now. Yeah. With Hegseth being alumni over there too. And then saying that college is for indoctrination and nothing else. That's the thing. They all want to go to school. They don't want you to go to school. But this is gonna be a tough week. There's gonna be a lot of crazy news coming out. I appreciate you guys being here with us. We'll continue to do Updates on our TikToks and Instagrams and threads and whatnot. The thing you need to know is, as dumb as Donald Trump is, the military is an institution with layers and layers and layers of discipline and training. And so even though Trump is stupid, there will be things done that protect our forces, and there will be things done that make sure that our assets aren't captured or destroyed. So there's stuff happening behind the scenes with the actual rank and file folks in the military that gives me hope that we don't see a massive loss of life or asset even at the hands of people as fucking stupid as Hagset and Trump.

[Sammy Sage]

Hear, hear.

[Vsphere]

But we'll see. It's going to be a weird week. Try to keep. Try to keep your shoulders loose. Try to take some deep breaths, take breaks from the Internet, because people are going to be doing breaking news who don't know how to do breaking news. There's going to be people telling you they have special information that they don't understand. This is not something that you can. That we're fast is best. This is something where you need to take some time, because if you get yourself all spun up into a place of chaos, then you can't make good decisions. And. And we do. We are going to have to survive some difficult stuff in the coming days. So we need that resilience to actually survive the bad stuff that happens instead of wasting it on worrying about what bad stuff is going to happen.

[Sammy Sage]

Also, you don't have to scroll the whole time.

[Vsphere]

Right?

[Sammy Sage]

It's not going to help it change what happens, right?

[Vsphere]

Go outside, look at a tree, talk to your friends and neighbors, and just stay steady. Steady.

[Sammy Sage]

Literally put your feet in the grass.

[Vsphere]

If you do something. For whimsy. I also went to Dave and Buster's last night. You could do a little thing. Go ax throwing, Go, like, to the batting cages. Go play mini golf. Like, do something whimsical and just sort of like fun and nostalgic for an hour. Take your mind off it.

[Sammy Sage]

You know what I recommend? Topgolf. You just whack it. If you can whack at balls, you don't need to, like, know how to. You don't need to hit anything particular. You just.

[Vsphere]

Just for rage rooms. Me and Natalie do the rage room all the time. We could just break the glass and stuff. Just do something. Blow off some steam. Just an hour or so. It's going to be okay. It's really going to help you to keep a calm head and get through this.

[Sammy Sage]

It will be okay. This is what I try to remind myself. It's not necessarily that positive in general, but most people, for most of history, live through much worse conditions than we are in now.

[Vsphere]

All right, until next time, I'm vSphere. I'm Sammy Sage, and this is American Fever Dream.

[Sammy Sage]

Good night, batches.