Hunter Biden: Rizzler In Chief, Eggnog Hangovers & The Ghost of Christmases Past?

Summary

American Fever Dream: Hunter Biden: Rizzler In Chief, Eggnog Hangovers & The Ghost of Christmases Past?

Released on December 24, 2024, American Fever Dream, hosted by Bea Spear and Sammy Sage of Betches Media, dives deep into the intertwining worlds of politics and pop culture with humor and insightful commentary. In this holiday special episode, the hosts recount their experiences at a White House holiday event during the final days of the Biden administration, explore Hunter Biden’s influence in the digital realm, discuss Joe Biden’s legacy, and share personal holiday anecdotes.

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1. Setting the Scene: Holiday at the White House (00:37 - 02:23)

Bea Spear and Sammy Sage open the episode by describing their attendance at a White House holiday party, marking the final events of the Biden administration. Bea mentions the bustling preparations and the arrival of her family, highlighting the busy yet festive atmosphere.

Bea Spear:
"We're coming off of a double decker holiday event at the White House… we're between a rock and a hard place right now when it comes to energy." (01:13)

2. The Star of the Party: Hunter Biden (02:23 - 10:56)

The conversation shifts to Hunter Biden’s prominent presence at the event. Bea reflects on Hunter's charisma and charm, while Sammy shares his frustration at not being able to secure a photo with him.

Sammy Sage:
"I think the highlight of the event was the fact that every single person got to meet Hunter Biden and take a photo with him. Except for me." (01:58)

Bea praises Hunter’s ability to connect with people, describing him as "the Jack Schlossberg of his time" and notes his potential influence in the digital space had platforms like TikTok existed during his rise.

Bea Spear:
"Hunter Biden was the belle of the ball. He is very charming. He reflects exactly back to you, who you are." (03:13)

3. Hunter Biden on the Podcast and Media Strategies (10:56 - 17:20)

The hosts entertain the idea of featuring Hunter Biden on their podcast, envisioning him as a dynamic addition to their content lineup. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of political media, referencing their own experiences and the broader media landscape.

Sammy Sage:
"Hunter Biden should be the Joe Rogan of the left. Give that man a microphone." (10:56)

4. Joe Biden’s Legacy and Oval Office Encounter (10:56 - 17:20)

Bea shares a heartfelt account of her meeting with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office. She expresses gratitude for Biden’s mentorship and acknowledges his impact on her career, highlighting a personal and emotional interaction.

Bea Spear:
"I think history will remember you more kindly than the press ever treated you. You changed my life." (14:53)

Sammy echoes Bea’s sentiments, emphasizing Biden’s role in legitimizing digital creators and opening doors for influencers.

5. Tackling the TikTok Ban and Political Maneuvering (17:20 - 20:36)

The hosts delve into the contentious topic of the TikTok ban, exploring legal avenues to challenge its constitutionality. They discuss the concept of a "bill of attainder" and the potential for the Supreme Court to overturn the ban, highlighting the complex interplay between politics and digital media.

Bea Spear:
"They're gonna say maybe… [it] could be deemed a bill of attainder… Congress needs to take the bill back and rework it or give TikTok a trial." (20:14)

Sammy Sage:
"Think about content like a port stock portfolio. Diversification is key." (21:32)

6. Media Critique: Pod Save America vs. Betches Media (25:04 - 31:32)

Bea and Sammy critique the media strategies of progressive outlets like Pod Save America, comparing them to their own approach at Betches Media. They discuss the challenges of sustaining progressive media initiatives and the importance of building independent ecosystems for content creators.

Bea Spear:
"When times feel scarce and resources feel scarce, you're gonna run into more hypercritical and emotional based criticism." (28:48)

Sammy Sage:
"Betches has always thought about content as its own thing, independent of any single platform." (22:45)

7. Holiday Traditions and Political Lore (31:32 - 43:22)

The episode takes a festive turn as the hosts delve into American Christmas lore intertwined with political history. They recount stories such as George Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas Day and share amusing and personal holiday traditions.

Bea Spear:
"George Washington gets in his finest little outfit with his little boat… very responsible for how America got to be the way it is." (32:22)

Sammy Sage:
"Imagine if now, people would have, like, switched exchange numbers… war is so stupid." (36:27)

8. Personal Holiday Stories and Anecdotes (43:22 - 49:58)

Bea and Sammy share personal and humorous holiday mishaps, including Bea’s wild Christmas memory in New York and Sammy’s own incident involving a midnight stumble leading to a lasting scar.

Bea Spear:
"I still haven't seen her again after that," referring to a chaotic Christmas party guest. (45:54)

Sammy Sage:
"I have a giant gash in my head. … I still have a Harry Potter scar from getting very drunk and falling on my stone steps." (47:55)

Conclusion: Wrapping Up the Holiday Special (49:58 - End)

As the episode concludes, Bea and Sammy reflect on their collaborations over the past months, express gratitude to their listeners, and sign off with festive wishes.

Bea Spear:
"It has been the joy of my life to do this podcast with you, Sammy… fuck Nancy Pelosi." (49:57)

Sammy Sage:
"Good night. American Fever Dream is produced and edited by Samantha Gatzick…" (50:01)

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Notable Quotes:

• Bea Spear (01:13):
  "We're between a rock and a hard place right now when it comes to energy."

• Sammy Sage (02:23):
  "I think the highlight of the event was the fact that every single person got to meet Hunter Biden and take a photo with him. Except for me."

• Bea Spear (14:53):
  "I think history will remember you more kindly than the press ever treated you. You changed my life."

• Sammy Sage (10:56):
  "Hunter Biden should be the Joe Rogan of the left. Give that man a microphone."

• Bea Spear (31:32):
  "George Washington gets in his finest little outfit with his little boat… very responsible for how America got to be the way it is."

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Final Thoughts:

In this holiday episode of American Fever Dream, Bea Spear and Sammy Sage offer a blend of political insight, personal storytelling, and festive cheer. Their candid recounting of experiences at the White House, coupled with their critiques of the media landscape and discussions on pressing political issues like the TikTok ban, provide listeners with a comprehensive and entertaining overview of the intersection between politics and pop culture. Personal holiday anecdotes add a relatable and humanizing touch, making this episode a memorable addition to the American Fever Dream series.

Transcript

[Sammy Sage]

I can say to my new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, hey, find a keto.

[Bea Speer]

Friendly restaurant nearby and text it to Beth and Steve. And it does without me lifting a.

[Sammy Sage]

Finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can.

[Bea Speer]

1, 2, 3.

[Sammy Sage]

Will that be cash or credit?

[Bea Speer]

Credit. 4 Galaxy S25 Ultra. The AI companion that does the heavy lifting. So you can do you get [e-mail] compatible with select apps. Requires Google Gemini account. Results may vary based on input. Check responses for accuracy. Rise and shine, Fever dreamers. Look alive, my friends. I'm Bea Speer.

[Sammy Sage]

And I'm Sammy Sage.

[Bea Speer]

And this is American Fever Dream, presented by Betches News. The holiday episode.

[Sammy Sage]

Let me just tell you how many times we have recorded that intro because it is 8:30 in the morning on December 19th. We know this is very far in advance, so apologies in advance if anything we say is outdated. We're gonna try to make it as. As relevant as possible. But we are about. We are right before the holidays. We are in the center of circle back season. But here we are. We are here for you. V is wearing a banana hat.

[Bea Speer]

Barely here. We're coming off of a double decker holiday event at the White House. I'm getting ready for my mother to come with my sister and my niece and everybody tomorrow. So yeah, we're between a rock and a hard place right now when it comes to energy.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, we're gonna. We're gonna do it. Okay. So we're gonna tell you about our experience at the White House.

[Bea Speer]

Yeah.

[Sammy Sage]

For the final time of the Biden administration. Okay. There's a lot to. There's a lot to. To talk about. Let's go, let's go.

[Bea Speer]

So first off, the star of the holiday season was Sammy's bow. Sammy had a bow in her hair. Everybody loved it. It was wild. We took the beau's picture in front of the St. Regis Hotel. I would say that this was the highlight of the event for me.

[Sammy Sage]

I think the highlight of the event was the fact that every single person got to meet Hunter Biden and take a photo with him. Except for me.

[Bea Speer]

You should have stuck with me. See, you don't dance with the one that brung you. And you didn't get your picture with Hunter Biden.

[Sammy Sage]

I don't know where I got Bella.

[Bea Speer]

The ball at the holiday party. She was all over the place. But you missed the ball.

[Sammy Sage]

You are the bell of the ball. You are the one who got Hunter Biden.

[Bea Speer]

Hunter Biden was the belle of the ball.

[Sammy Sage]

He really was such to the Point that he ended. I got a newsletter yesterday from my one real conservative source, the Washington Spectator. Meghan McCain's husband writes for it. And I consider that to be a good litmus test of. Of normal Republican thinking, not fringe, loud Republican thinking. And there's a full newsletter devoted to Hunter Biden's rehab at the influencer holiday party.

[Bea Speer]

Oh, yeah.

[Sammy Sage]

And I think that that was actually a pretty good strategy for him. Like he was thriving.

[Bea Speer]

If.

[Sammy Sage]

If TikTok and or influencing in general had existed when Hunter Biden was coming up, he wouldn't have had to deal with this Burisma thing. Who needed to be a lobbyist for Burisma when you could hawk, like whatever Tom Sandoval is doing?

[Bea Speer]

He. He would be the Jack Schlossberg of his time.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, yeah.

[Bea Speer]

First of all, like we talked about in the last episode, so silly. I could wish for nothing more than to have met Hunter Biden as the senator's son at a party in New York City. I mean, he fulfills. If there ever was a political Nepo baby that's a joy to meet, it's Hunter Biden. I could see why all these women ran away with him. I almost ran away with him. He's very charming. He is very charming.

[Sammy Sage]

I didn't see him up close, but I did see him from several feet away. And I was even, oh, he's magic.

[Bea Speer]

He's like an imp or something. He's like a little. Like a little Christmas elf. He has like.

[Sammy Sage]

He has a childish energy. Yeah, it's adorable. It's so playful. Lovely. You do see why, you know, it's like that article we reviewed a few days ago about the New York story. And we will be returning to some New York stories later in the sod. But she. Yeah, it was. You see why he is gotten into the trouble he has. You can just picture him sitting in the bathroom at the Chateau Marmont on his phone, video chatting people with the toilet. With his computer on the toilet.

[Bea Speer]

Well, here's the thing. We were at the Hanukkah party the night before the White House creator party. Now, Hanukkah party was like decidedly for adults. I felt like. I felt like that was more adult y. And it was a lot more. Maybe donors and staff and more serious people. Hunty came down, it was just Jews.

[Sammy Sage]

In general, so all blanket Jews.

[Bea Speer]

Yes. Hunty came down towards the end and he got like a. He got a little rizzed up. And I was like, I bet we see him tomorrow for the creator's party. Cause he's like, ooh, there's energy in the house. Right?

[Sammy Sage]

I forgot we saw him twice. That was two separate nights. I only saw him physically on the Hanukkah night. I didn't see him on Creator night. Cause it was so. I mean they were both incredibly crowded.

[Bea Speer]

There were so many celebrities there. I mean Flava Flav was there at the creator's party, so I mean Stiller.

[Sammy Sage]

Was at the Jews party, so don't underestimate the party.

[Bea Speer]

But he was also like heavily behind Locke and Key. They had like Marines locking arms so that Ben Stiller could take his picture with the Obama portrait. Do you remember that?

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah.

[Bea Speer]

Ben Stiller was. He was heavily protected.

[Sammy Sage]

Everything's all just flashes in my mind. I will say I drank more in, in those two days then I've drank in a long time and I have a two day. I had a two day headache like.

[Bea Speer]

Extended from that was the eggnog hit me. Okay.

[Sammy Sage]

It didn't feel like it hit when.

[Bea Speer]

I was drinking it because we were basically drinking a boozy ice cream. If you are having a holiday party, may I suggest the White House eggnog? It is a punch bowl full of eggnog spiked obviously heavily. They got a heavy pour at the White House, I'll tell you that. And then they put like a little cinnamon, but right in the middle of it they put like a brick of vanilla ice cream. So as. Instead of ice.

[Sammy Sage]

Is that what that was?

[Bea Speer]

Yes. So as the, as the ice cream is melting, it's just making it. That's what's keeping it all cold. But it was very delicious.

[Sammy Sage]

But yeah, I was so confused why it was so good. I was like, something about this is.

[Bea Speer]

Not full fat cream, baby. Full fat ice cream.

[Sammy Sage]

It was a. And I saw them, they had the ice cream, the giant. I thought that was a big block of ice, but now I know. Okay.

[Bea Speer]

It was delicious cream.

[Sammy Sage]

By the way, I got really hungry last night because of my two day headache. I couldn't eat dinner last night. So I'm all like weird. And I woke up so hungry at 4:45 this morning and there's nothing in my house. So I went for the chocolates that were from the White House and I had three of them.

[Bea Speer]

They were good. They were like a Cadbury chocolate, like a dairy milk.

[Sammy Sage]

I will say they were very good chocolate. Okay, tell us, what did Hunter Biden say to you?

[Bea Speer]

So here's the thing. This is when I was like, I get why people would run away with Hunter Biden. First of all, earlier in the day he had asked to see Aaron Parnas, who is another big creator. Apparently he watches him. He watches under the desk. He watches Alex Perlman. He watches like a lot of TikTok, which is very on brand for Hunter, I would think.

[Sammy Sage]

Also, Alex Perlman makes so much sense as the exact person who Hunter Biden would watch. And also maybe Hunter Biden can lobby his dad about the TikTok ban, since he successfully did that for the pardon.

[Bea Speer]

He was talking to a bunch of people. I had seen him the night before, right? When I was like. When he shook my hand. So at the Hanukkah party, I saw him in passing and I was staring at him obviously, and. And he caught eyes with me, walked over, shook my hand very quickly and went, I'm Hunter Biden. And I was like, I know. And that was it. That was our. And I thought that was gonna be my last encounter with him until I saw him the next day. But the way he recognized me the next day at the creator party, he was like, hey, buddy, what's going on? Like, I had known this man my whole life. And so then he starts with me because I had talked about AOC on TikTok and how she was running for this oversight committee position and how Nancy Pelosi was kind of like messing with AOC and backing the 74 year old throat cancer patient Jerry Con from Northern Virginia. And so Hunter says, hey, did AOC end up getting that spot? And I'm like, no, she didn't. And he goes, fuck Nancy Pelosi, huh? And I was like, yeah. So now my reaction is to like Riz him up and get him going. Because I'm like, this is excellent. Yeah, I can't film any of this or whatever. And he's like, man, fuck her, right? And I'm like, yeah, man. Because Hunter is a person who is so charming in the way that he reflects exactly back to you, who you are. Because I watched him with other people and he would reflect back to them how they are. Like, this is. This is how the best Rizzlers do it.

[Sammy Sage]

And I wish I got to see myself reflected back by Hunter Biden. We gotta get him on the show. Although you just told. Whatever. Who cares? Come here, Hunter. I don't. It's gonna be mad.

[Bea Speer]

He didn't sound like.

[Sammy Sage]

He said it was his whole chest.

[Bea Speer]

He sure did. And then he was like, this party is going to die because they don't pass power. They don't understand the import. Which I was like, like your dad. But. But honestly, Joe Biden has mentored an awful lot of people, and he does make space for folks. And I wouldn't have the career I have without Joe Biden. So. I love Joe.

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah.

[Bea Speer]

Not with no. Joe Biden. Truly legitimized digital creators, especially over the last four years as it comes to, like, having access to briefings and being invited to the like. That was huge for legitimizing under the desk and whatnot. So I'm very grateful to him for that. But I was like, yeah, man. And he's like, I'm just sick of this. I'm just so sick of all of this. AOC deserved that spot. How do we go from Jamie Raskin to an older guy? And I was like, this man knows politics, okay. Then Daniel, who's my manager, was like, let me make sure I get the picture of you guys. And he's, like, snapping pictures of me talking to Hunter this whole time. You can see on my face when he said fuck Nancy Pelosi to me. Cause I was like, but thrilled. But thrilled. And so then he's like, can I stay in touch with you? And I was like, do you want to, like, give me your phone number? And at that exact minute, people were like, no, no, no, no. You're not getting Hunter Biden's phone number.

[Sammy Sage]

My God.

[Bea Speer]

Patrick from the White House was right there, too. And he was like, I will. I will make sure that you stay in touch with Hunter. So I think that we could probably get Hunter on the podcast.

[Sammy Sage]

Hunter should have his own podcast. Hunter Biden should be the Joe Rogan of the left.

[Bea Speer]

I was like, hunter, what are you going to do after? And he's like, you know, he's like, I spent some time with my dad and whatnot. I was like, you gonna run for office? And he's like, they would fucking love that. They would eat that up. No, they've had enough of me. They've had enough of me. But he is so funny and delightful, and I'm.

[Sammy Sage]

What does he want with being in office? Give that man a microphone. If there's one white man who should have a microphone, it's Hunter Biden. Hunter, call me.

[Bea Speer]

Yeah, I will. Let's get him on the Betches sports.

[Sammy Sage]

We have a media company.

[Bea Speer]

Let's get him on the Betches. He does. Let's get him on the Betches sports show.

[Sammy Sage]

Hunter Biden.

[Bea Speer]

Congratulation. We should tell people about that, because as a Bills fan, I'm so excited. Betches just inked a deal with the NFL to do some pretty Incredible content. Tell us about it.

[Sammy Sage]

So the NFL, as you know, you can't use like any of their images or their footage or their logos or anything. So they want to expand into women fan bases, obviously, and give women more access. So we have launched a becha sports vertical. Everyone should follow it. Etchesport Sports.

[Bea Speer]

It's really good.

[Sammy Sage]

Thank you.

[Bea Speer]

And.

[Sammy Sage]

And we've launched an incredible new show called Locker Room Talk. So check that out. But basically, the NFL is going to let us use their IP and athletes and access to their events so that we can make content, which is really difficult if you don't have access to any of that. So we are extremely excited and everyone check it out, especially if you're a sports fan. But Hunter Biden would make such a wonderful sports commentator on the Duchess Sports Network.

[Bea Speer]

He could be like your Eagles chor. That's what that family is. They love the Eagles. Yeah, well, they jilted, so. Yeah.

[Sammy Sage]

Okay.

[Bea Speer]

Well, yeah, that was my encounter with Hunter Biden.

[Sammy Sage]

Call me. I won't tell anyone anything that you don't want told, but everything that you do want told.

[Bea Speer]

Yeah. Look, I could talk about Hunter Biden all day forever. He's a prince. But we should also talk about the fact that the Christmas decorations, if you haven't looked them up from the White House yet, they are magical. They are beautiful. There was a carousel. There was a room with a moving carousel. I was like, we can't get student loan forgiveness, but we've got a carousel. But love it. Magic.

[Sammy Sage]

Look, the violins. It's hard to resist a Titanic analogy.

[Bea Speer]

Just.

[Sammy Sage]

Sorry. It just is.

[Bea Speer]

But it was. I had spent the earlier part of the day in the west wing of the White House, which was my last time in the west Wing. Also not my first time. Not my first time. Oh, so I've been to the West Wing a couple times. It was my second time in the Oval Office, which I think just as a person really will bring you all the way to your knees, because just the vibes of that room are so outrageously off the charts incredible. And like, I'm such an American history nerd. I like. I'm looking at everything in the whole room. And he had, like, lit a fire. Cause there's a fireplace in there and it was like, beautiful and warm. And I got to speak to Joe Biden one last time. And I spoke to his senior digital communications officers, Tom Perez. There was just a meeting in the morning to essentially talk about Biden's legacy and what comes next and answer questions from. There was nine of us that got this particular access. And I'll have content under the dust news about what they said, because that's all kind of business. But I got to take a picture with Joe Biden and I'm afraid I'm gonna be ugly crying in it because one I'm like, in my. Feels right. The last four years have been really hard. I've held my breath the whole time. And now we are getting these moments of relief where it's like, okay, today is the last podcast we're doing for the year, and I'm gonna relax and be with my family. And there's something about when you stop work, even for two weeks, that moment of relief you get. And so Joe Biden came in and he is older. He does look, these four years have really aged him. And so partly you're looking at him as like, wow, this. This man who really did legitimize my career in many ways. And he's so old now and he gave so much. Whether you agree with everything he did or not, we're talking about just Joe as a person right now. And they were like, well, this is your last chance to kind of. He talked about legacy, he talked about what comes next. He said some very nice things to me, which.

[Sammy Sage]

What did he say? Tell us what he said. He said, break the news here.

[Bea Speer]

He said, you have a special and unique ability to talk to a 4th grader and a PhD in the same way without making the 4th grader feel talked over, without making the PhD ADHD feel dumbed down.

[Sammy Sage]

Do you think Joe Biden watches your TikTok? Like, do you think they show him.

[Bea Speer]

I think, like, videos, yes.

[Sammy Sage]

Okay.

[Bea Speer]

Yeah, they show him videos. Especially because I've been critical of Joe Biden several times as well. And they didn't show them. They did because I was in my critical era of him when we went to the White House correspondence. And he was. He was a little stern faced with me during that time. But during this time, we were. We were. And this is of course, me, like, in my own experience, feeling, like, away. So anyway, he said very nice things and then they were like, okay, you're gonna take your picture now so you can say whatever you wanna say to him. Cause it'll be like the last time you speak to him. And I'm like, getting choked up now because, like, who the fuck speak to him? But who talks to the president in the Oval Office? Like, I'm. That's crazy. And so I was like, president Biden, I think history will remember you more kindly than the press ever treated you. I think the things that you were able to accomplish through the Inflation Reduction act and the chip and even the things you did for reversing the dishonorable discharges for LGBTQ soldiers will have a lasting impact beyond the praise that you got for it in the time that it happened. And he kind of nodded and patted me on the shoulder, and he was, like, happy to hear that. And I was like. And on a personal level. And then I, like, fucking lost it. I was like, you changed my life. The way that you legitimized my career is something that I could have never imagined. I was able to buy a house. Like, I'm starting a family, and I wouldn't have been able to do that without you and the legitimacy that this office gave me. And he. Now I'm like, really crying. They're like, oh, my God, are you crying? Are you crying? There's no crying in the Oval Office. So this man, he's such a grandpa. He's so cute. And he goes, wait, you're from Rochester, right? And I'm like, yes. And he's like, that he remembers. Well, yeah, he only. Cause he's from Scranton. There's some Syracuse thing that he has going on. So he. He goes, you better quit the waterworks or it'll start to snowstorm in here. Like a grandpa, like. And so then, of course, I start laughing. And then we took the picture, and that was the end. And that was my end with Joe Biden. But, like, how crazy? Like, that's crazy.

[Sammy Sage]

That is crazy. I would. We should get a post. A post. We should do a Biden family therapy interview. How's that for an idea? We can go down to Delaware.

[Bea Speer]

Yeah, well, we'll see. I really do think that Joe Biden's plan for retirement is to. He really wants a presidential library. He'll have to fundraise for that. If that's how it's gonna go. I don't see why the state of Delaware wouldn't just give him one for all the things that he's done for that state. In fact, like, most people only know Delaware is a state because of Joe Biden and because they all put their shell corporations there.

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah, I think that's really actually why.

[Bea Speer]

Many people know about it. I think he is gonna go into a reflective space. One of the other people asked if he'll do a book. He said he always wanted to write a book about how one decision today could impact the next 50 years. And, like. But he didn't seem like he was gonna do a book. I think he really is just gonna chill with Jill. Chill with Jill. Yeah.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, I heard he has reached another milestone, but I'm not gonna be the one to out it on this podcast. Maybe it'll get announced one of these days and we'll let you know when it does that. Let's discuss what I was talking about.

[Bea Speer]

Remember today is December 19th. When we were in the room talking about legacy and different things. It was. I did not get good vibes about the TikTok ban. There are only a certain very specific escape hatches. We talk the desk that could save TikTok genuinely. And there is not like a presidential interference. Joe can't stop the ban. He can direct the Department of Justice to not do a great job defending the ban.

[Sammy Sage]

In can he pardon the ban?

[Bea Speer]

He should pardon the ban. Pardon hunter were president. But one thing they said in passing that caught my ear was they were like, you know, and like the ERA stuff. Just like that. And I was like, what about the like. But I didn't get to say it. And then I was like the ERA stuff. Is he gonna sign the era? Like is that gonna happen? I didn't get to ask that. I did. No one told me he's going to do that. There is no confirmation of that. Except the next day Midas Touch got a. They had that same day that we were there. Midas Touch got a one hour sit down interview. The exit interview with the president. He gave it to a digital journalist. He's not giving it to dread media. So the last time good for him, hear from him, it'll be on Midas Touch because like trad Media I like that has been terrible to him. So.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, they did hide him from them a bit. So come on. I know he's not coming here. I know he's not coming here. You want to know why? Because they're going to have to tell him that this place is called Betches Media and he's going to be like bitches, bitches. And they can't. They won't let him do that. He's too conservative for that. So it's not happening. But that's fine.

[Bea Speer]

And in the Midas Touch they ask him what is. What are the things you're going to try to get done in your last 30 days? And he said his. His biggest focus is women's issues. Women's issues. You know, like we need to get that. It's something like we need to get the ERA done. And even Brett from Midas Touch was like Are you gonna sign the. Are you going to direct the National Archivist who put the ERA through and it. Like, he didn't. Again, he didn't confirm it, but they're saying it in a way that's like, is it gonna happen? I don't know. It's. At least he's cooking. He's working on it.

[Sammy Sage]

The National Archivist said that they won't. Also, the TikTok.

[Bea Speer]

Not without a direction. Not without a direction from the President.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, we shall see. Right now. It's December 19th. By the time this is. It could be signed by the time you hear this. Also, the Supreme Court is hearing TikTok's case about whether the ban is constitutional. So that could be the escape hatch.

[Bea Speer]

What they're gonna try to do. Ed Markey is helping us with that to try and have the law that Congress passed deemed a bill of attainer. But I'm gonna go to law school. I'm like a fucking lawyer now. I know so much about this goddamn ban and constitutional politics. A bills of attainer is something that the Supreme Court can overturn. When Congress passes a law that is called a bill of attainer means that Congress passed a law that punishes a company or a person before they had a trial or committed a crime. And obviously a ban on TikTok is a punishment, and the crime is that they say TikTok did was, like, affecting national security, which they've not been able to prove and there was no trial for. So they're gonna say maybe. And this is where Joe could kind of like be like, let them have it. That this is a bill of attainer and Congress needs to take the bill back and rework it or give TikTok a trial. So that would stop the ban, at least for now. I don't know that they'll ever stop going after it, but we'll see.

[Sammy Sage]

I could see it just keep getting kicked down and down forever and ever.

[Bea Speer]

And that's why I've always said TikTok.

[Sammy Sage]

Will become no fun until Elon Musk.

[Bea Speer]

Buys it before they ever ban it. Because already right now, I mean, I'm fully moving my stuff to other platforms because I'm sick of doing this dance every couple months, too.

[Sammy Sage]

But I think that's smart. Not just because of the ban, but because diversification. Think about content like a port stock portfolio. Everyone tells you you have to diversify it. That's honestly, if you want to know from batches, we've always thought about our content in that way. We've always thought about if any platform went away, would people know consciously what betches is and think to seek it out or find it on another platform, or would they accept it in another form? That is literally from day one been our North Star. It's like this cannot exist because of a platform. It has to exist as its own thing. And then the platforms are how we can reach people. So that's one of the hardest things about how the platforms have kind of become like mini monopolies or just very few of them is that people are relying on them. They force you to kind of work in that way and but what you really need is kind of like across the board brand built and that's that on branding from me today.

[Bea Speer]

The other thing about Biden, you know, he's very worried about his legacy. They're trying to get money out the door for all the projects that were authorized during the Inflation Reduction act and all these different things to make sure that the red states don't pull it back. Although they told us a lot of the money is going to red states and Trump will just take credit for those projects. In particular, Trump will take credit for the bridge between Cincinnati and Kentucky being built. Cuz that's gonna open in like four months and that'll be like, look at what I did, I built a bridge in four months. Or what? So you know, that's that cool.

[Sammy Sage]

Amazing. Can't wait to see it.

[Bea Speer]

Hello oversharing Listeners, it's Dr. Naomi Bernstein with some exciting news. Starting January 13th, our Oversharing Calm the Fuck down subscription is getting even better. Subscribers will get oversharing episodes a day early, plus additional exclusive bonus content on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. Here's what's new. One bonus episode with even more emails and advice, and another where we follow up with past email writers who could be you. While we won't be releasing new meditations in the new year, don't worry, all of our past meditations will stay available on the feed for you to enjoy anytime. Plus we'll have a new Meditations playlist for our Spotify listeners. To sign up now, head to subscribe.basches.com and select Oversharing. Calm the Fuck down. We're so excited about creating this new bonus content, talking to more of you, hearing your stories, sharing some of our own, and reminding us all to calm the fuck down.

[Sammy Sage]

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[Bea Speer]

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[Sammy Sage]

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[Bea Speer]

Bottom up, bottom.

[Sammy Sage]

Speaking of digital media, while I was in dc, a little birdie told me that the Pod Save America people are unhappy with our episode about that.

[Bea Speer]

Grow up, fellas. Come on. You know, I think it was a fair episode. I think it was a fair episode, too, as people. I think Jon Favreau is an incredible person. He is undeniably one of the best orator, speechwriter people of our generation. Like, there are talented fellas, which is why the criticism was so strong. You gotta be able to kind of take that, right?

[Sammy Sage]

I mean. Well, one thing, I do think it is pronounced Favreau. Just as a general.

[Bea Speer]

That's the New England in me. Okay, I'm gonna.

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah, he's from New England, famously.

[Bea Speer]

Well, fuck me. I'm apparently not so good a friend.

[Sammy Sage]

Well, evidently, I think he might agree. But, I mean, here's the thing. Why don't we do what Jon Favreau did, and if he wants to come on the podcast to discuss it, we'd.

[Bea Speer]

Love to have you. We'd love to have you.

[Sammy Sage]

We'd love to have him. And there's much to discuss because ultimately, I think our interests are more aligned than they're not. And that's how I feel about that. I do. I still stand by it was a fair episode.

[Bea Speer]

I mean, our feedback was it was a fair episode. It also occurred.

[Sammy Sage]

Yes, of course. We think it was a fair episode.

[Bea Speer]

Well, our listeners thought it was fair, too. But I'm like, listen, that episode came out at a particular time. That was a true to the emotions of that time. I think what we said was fair. I stand by what we said. And like, yeah, if you want to come on and talk about it, let's talk about it.

[Sammy Sage]

The only thing. And I think this actually is a very interesting piece of the conversation when you speak about digital media, because I was also told by someone else who had a. Was part of a meeting at the White House this past week that they had sort of been suggesting with the former Biden. Sorry, Harris staff again that they had been suggesting that progressive and liberal influencers and content creators have to build their own ecosystem because they have to be profitable on their own. And what I think they fail to understand is that that is very difficult because advertisers want to stay away from news, mostly for the greater part. That's number one. And number two is that there's nothing in it for billionaires on this side. So, like, where there is on the Republican side to just sort of subsidize people. And what creators really need is just the idea knowledge that they can sustain their life and pay for their production for like a certain amount of time, that they can actually give this a try. And that's not a ton of money. But I think, okay, so back to the crooked people to their point is that they are running a business, you know, and that was what they're. They tried to expand and then things maybe weren't as successful as they could have been. And I get that because Betches has also tried to launch shows. They don't do as well as you want. But they had said that their mission was to grow progressive media, not to run a business. Not to. Or, you know, obviously everyone needs to stay in business. I get that. But like, for example, Betches news is one of the biggest parts of Betches, but it is, and I'll give you some inside info, it is not the most lucrative part of Betches relative to its size, because it's not as attractive to advertisers, but the rest of the business helps subsidize it. Because this is something we. I care about having. And it takes money to make impact. And this isn't really just about them. It's about, you know, the donors and the way that Democrats have gone about communicating. And there's so many strings attached to what, Again, this has nothing to do with crooked. I'm speaking more about the broader media sphere.

[Bea Speer]

Yeah, in the world.

[Sammy Sage]

The broader media sphere and the money. And it's. It's not easy. And what they had set out to do was not easy. It was an ambitious goal. And I think that not reaching it is worthy of analysis. So I think there's so. Honestly, I could never stop dissecting the media environment and everything that's happening with it. And the way people.

[Bea Speer]

Everybody does that, football does that. Josh Allen watches the tapes, right? And he goes, yo, Shakir, you fucked up today. Okay, brother, don't do that again. You let me down. And Shakir doesn't say, oh, you hurt my feelings. He's like, yeah, I watched that tape too. Didn't work out how we wanted. Let's try again. That's all that it is.

[Sammy Sage]

Right. But also I do think this is an important conversation because of the way people are getting information and analyzing. The best way for people to get that information is important. And that's all anyone's been talking about. So.

[Bea Speer]

Well, and anytime any of us on the left are going for money, pod save is the thing that they put us up against. They're like, well, we tried that with crooked or we tried that with it. There is a standard within the people who give money on the Democratic side to judge what they're willing to invest in based on what they've already invested in. And if they feel like they already have that thing. So if pod save as they were first, there are times where I will be in a meeting and they're like, oh, we tried that and it didn't work. Or oh, we feel like we already have that. And I'm like, okay, so that's, you know what I mean? So then you're critical because you're like, the mistakes that other people in our industry make have an impact on everyone. And let's take it away from new and digital media. Look what's going on with trad media. I mean, you look at what's going on with MSNBC and right now they're looking at layoffs, they're looking at restructuring, they've changed. You know what's going on over there. People are, they're having a tough time. They're having to justify their salaries and all kinds of things over there. You know, and that's just the world we're in right now. CNN, you know, did CNN plus their digital attempts for like 13 seconds before they shut down that $300 million production, that didn't work. There's just a lot going on in the world right now. And when times feel scarce and resources feel scarce, you're gonna run into more hypercritical and emotional based criticism. And that's just where we're at right now. It doesn't have to like be a big deal, like grow up.

[Sammy Sage]

One thing I did see is that they want to make sure that the spinco is more palatable to Republicans. So that'll be fun.

[Bea Speer]

I'm sure. You know, that's a whole other episode that we'll do maybe when we get back. Because it's Christmas Eve, Sammy, and we should talk about my favorite holidays, the birth of Jesus Christ.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, wonderful. You know, my grandmother's birthday was Christmas. And so I consider her to be my Jesus.

[Bea Speer]

She could be your Jesus. Look, I wanna give a shout out to all the Jewish kids in the world right now and through the history of the world for keeping Santa Claus alive for all the Christian kids. Because, like, I, not until adulthood really realized what a sacrifice and what maturity it took for the Jewish kids at my school to be like, yep, Santa's, yes, sure. Uh huh.

[Sammy Sage]

Do you think anyone told me that Santa wasn't real? Like, no, no one sat me down and was like, you know, Santa's fake bee's. These kids are delusional. No one told me that. It was like, how long did you believe in Santa for?

[Bea Speer]

I still do. If you do not believe, you will not receive. That's what my mom says. No, we keep it alive, baby, we keep it alive.

[Sammy Sage]

Okay, kid, this is American fever dream.

[Bea Speer]

But I just shout out to all the Jewish kids who don't ruin Santa Claus for their Christian schoolmates. And this is why the Jews are the chosen ones, right? Because they are just the best of us.

[Sammy Sage]

I was about to say, we have morals.

[Bea Speer]

We have morals. Well, and I wanted to. So we were gonna do country Christmas history as it relates to politics. And one of the first things that I found in American politics related to Christmas had to do with George Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas day. Now when we hear about this, we think, well, yeah, George Washington crossing the Delaware. This is how we won the war. Ceasefires used to mean something back in the day.

[Sammy Sage]

And even though, oh, that's why he broke a ceasefire.

[Bea Speer]

Yes, he broke a ceasefire.

[Sammy Sage]

You know, you do what you gotta do.

[Bea Speer]

But this is cunty Christmas lore. So George Washington gets in his finest little outfit with his little boat. The deal was like, you know, we're supposed to wait until Christmas is over. They used to do like a two week hold, kind of like how corporate does now. And so all day on Christmas, the soldiers, the British soldiers were getting drunk and celebrating Christmas and playing soccer, which will. Because soccer's very important to the Brits on Christmas Day, apparently. And then they went to sleep Christmas night. Now, when does Christmas end? You know, we're cease firing for Christmas. When does Christmas end? To George Washington. No, to George Washington, it ends after Christmas dinner. So that's when he was like, okay, Christmas is over. Gathers up all his troops, gets his shit together. He knows that they're piss drunk on the other side of the river. He crosses the river and he invaded. It was because, you know, slow moving. We're not, you know, slow Moving. It was like 4 in the morning on the 26th that he invaded. And this is like, you know, very responsible for how America got to be the way it is. But that's a little cunty Christmas lore in the politics world for us.

[Sammy Sage]

That seems like fair game to me. These Europeans gotta move faster.

[Bea Speer]

Going back even further than that, I was like, has Christmas always been such a big deal for everyone? Is this just, like, how it is? And I was able to find a piece of news from 1642. Okay, so, like, quite a while ago, well before America, in Canterbury, England, this is like the first hot off the presses Christmas scandal that I could find. The mayor of Canterbury was like a super Scrooge curmudgeon. And he was like, no, we're keeping the shops open, we're keeping the banks open. We are not having Christmas. I'm sick of this. You people are trying to get off all the time. And like, no, Christmas is just another day. Celebrate Jesus on your own time. I don't care. So the people of Canterbury went to the mayor's house on Christmas morning, drug him out in the street and beat the shit out of him. Closed their shops and were like, get fucked. We are not doing. It's Christmas. So there was a Christmas beat down. And then they played soccer in the streets, which apparently people in England play soccer on Christmas. It's very important to them. The other fun thing that I learned about Christmas is During World War I, there was a ceasefire between Britain and Germany. And the ceasefire was so strong that the British and the Germans started by singing competitive Christmas carols at each other to, like, sort of joke about the ceasefire. And then they started, like, just getting closer and closer. And then they started, like, throwing food at each other, like, to be like, hey, here's our Christmas rations. And they were like, here's our Christmas rations. And then they got closer and closer. And then they started sharing rations of the whiskey.

[Sammy Sage]

You're going to throw rations like, that.

[Bea Speer]

They were yet at each other, like, to share. And then they were sharing their whiskey rations because, like, I don't know, maybe the British had gin and the Germans had something else. And so they were. So then they ended up just like, partying and again playing soccer in the trenches during World War I until they were like, okay, that's enough Christmas time to get back to killing each other.

[Sammy Sage]

Why don't they just stop? Be like, why are we doing this again? Forgot.

[Bea Speer]

They should have. I know. Friends, like, quitted.

[Sammy Sage]

Imagine if. Imagine, okay, if it been now, people would have, like, Switched exchange numbers. And like, yeah, you know, be like, here's your itinerary for when you're traveling.

[Bea Speer]

That's what I'm saying. The war is so stupid. And it's so just like scheduled because they stopped and they had all the fun. So I love that There would be.

[Sammy Sage]

No war if it were women.

[Bea Speer]

I have a little bit of lore on my grandpa and Christmas.

[Sammy Sage]

Ooh, okay.

[Bea Speer]

So my grandpa says that his biggest contribution to the war was getting Budweiser on the ship for Christmas. So I don't know how he did it, but he used to talk about it a lot and I thought that was pretty cool. Also, there is a story that I know is not true, but I want it to be true about how my grandma had met my gramps, like around fleet week type time. Oh. And said, if you come back for Christmas, like, I'll marry ya, basically. And so there was like a mess up with the paperwork and you could like look this up, but a bunch of sailors jumped into the harbor in New York to like get off the ship for Christmas. And the story is like, there comes Charlie icicles on his uniform. And so I married him. Now were there eyes?

[Sammy Sage]

Dietrich.

[Bea Speer]

This is not true. This is a absolute romantic exaggeration that my family has told. But I think it's like the Notebook. It's just the cutest thing in the world. And so that's my Christmas lore for you guys for now. And then I have a sloppy Christmas story once we get through the political lore.

[Sammy Sage]

I do. You know, your grandfather made sure there was Budweiser on the ship for Christmas. I wanna tell you something about my grandfather and what his job was. My grandfather was a president of sales. It's Seagram, you know, the alcohol company.

[Bea Speer]

Like that was my grandma's drinks. Seven and seven, baby. That was hot stuff.

[Sammy Sage]

So grandpa Psy was responsible for bringing Glen Levitt and Tanqueray and Crown Royal into the United States because they were originally not American, American made beverages. So that was his. That was his impact. He made sure that everyone has Tanqueray crown broil and Glen Levette.

[Bea Speer]

I'm telling you, when we are drinking those this weekend, raise a little glass to sigh. Thank you for that.

[Sammy Sage]

Technically, see more.

[Bea Speer]

And I did look up, to be fair, Jewish political, cool stuff that happened.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, please tell me.

[Bea Speer]

I will. Let me tell you about your faith. So in 1862, on the first night of Hanukkah was the worst act of anti Jewish discrimination by the government in American history. To that time, aiming to suppress cotton speculation during the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant ordered Jews as a class to leave the area that was under his jurisdiction, which included many parts of Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. And they had to leave within 24 hours. So a holiday meant to commemorate a fight for religious freedom now saw Jews experiencing expulsion and discrimination here in the United States on their own land.

[Sammy Sage]

We're used to it. We're used to it. But it didn't work.

[Bea Speer]

It didn't work because during the Civil War, predominantly most Jewish people were on the side of the north and abolitionists, because slavery's bad. They were like, you know what? We are not for this. This is not for us.

[Sammy Sage]

So for the second time during this episode, we've established that we are quite a moral people.

[Bea Speer]

Yes. But the good news about Hanukkah was that Hanukkah was not actually celebrating.

[Sammy Sage]

The oil lasted for eight days. Is that the good news about Hanukkah?

[Bea Speer]

Yes, it is. And the first Hanukkah at the White House was not actually until 1989, my birth year. Yes. They were like, sammy is here. She has arrived. We have to start to prepare the celebrations. George H.W. bush put a menorah in the White House, but he wouldn't light it. Cause he's. He was like, I don't know. I feel weird about it. I'm not Jewish.

[Sammy Sage]

And then I respect that.

[Bea Speer]

But, no, the next president. And William Clinton was like, I'll fucking light it.

[Sammy Sage]

I'll fucking light whatever I want.

[Bea Speer]

Let's light this candle, baby.

[Sammy Sage]

And so I didn't inhale.

[Bea Speer]

No. So Clinton was like, I'm ready to light up. And so he was the first president to light the menorah. And the very first time that Hasidic Jews attended the Hanukkah party at the White House, which became like, a thing after the clintons, wasn't until 2005, when the president agreed to make it a kosher affair, which is why there was shrimp and crab claws at the Christmas party, but not at the Hanukkah party.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, yes, there were latkes. That was. That was lovely. I did love that, and I appreciate that. I think that that's the right thing to do. You can't have a party and have the people who the party's for can't eat. That's not right.

[Bea Speer]

Also, I noticed there was no tomato on a lot of the things, and I think they did that for me. So. Thank you.

[Sammy Sage]

I'm sure.

[Bea Speer]

Both nights.

[Sammy Sage]

Both nights for me. For me, tomato doesn't sit well as a catering Device. No, it's mealy.

[Bea Speer]

People are in fancy dresses. It could be sloppy. Yeah. I do have a question I'm hoping you can clarify. Why are there ways to spell Hanukkah?

[Sammy Sage]

So that's just how the English spelling. The real way you spell Hanukkah is in Hebrew. So it's. And it's the. The letter is in Hebrew is the. Which is the sound. That lovely, beautiful sound, like right from the bottom of your throat, you know, right where it gets all mucusy. So that would technically be the ch. But I think maybe because they don't. They don't want reader. Casual readers to pronounce it. Shanika. I imagine it's been spelled both ways, but neither of those are the official spelling. Because those are English. They're just English words for. That's in Hebrew, which has a letter that doesn't exist in English.

[Bea Speer]

Got it. That's why I panic every time. No, no, no. Is it C, C, H?

[Sammy Sage]

I go with H, H, A, N, U, K, K A h. Remember, it's 1N and 2K's. I like it because the Chanaka reason. Yeah, got it. You never know who you're gonna encounter.

[Bea Speer]

Well, I'm here for it. When we were growing up, me and my brother, all we wanted to be in the world was Jewish. Cause we thought it was just the coolest thing. And then he insisted. Tell me if this is real or not. My brother insisted that if you leave your shoes outside, like, the Hanukkah fairy will fill them with candy.

[Sammy Sage]

No, that's not. There is no fairy.

[Bea Speer]

Well, then we looked it up and it's like, apparently a Dutch tradition. But he insisted that it was a Jewish thing. And so he would. My mom would, like, put candy in there for him. I guess my mom's in.

[Sammy Sage]

There is nothing with candy.

[Bea Speer]

Nothing with candy and shoes.

[Sammy Sage]

No, there's dreidel with the gelt, which has no shoes involved.

[Bea Speer]

We like the gelt. That was very fun.

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah. There's nothing with that. And then on Passover, there's Elijah. There's. Which. You just open the door. You leave him a seat at the table and a glass of wine. But you open the door just briefly. But there's no shoes involved in that either. But there is lamb's blood. No, don't ask.

[Bea Speer]

Because Moses. Remember you taught me about Moses just last week.

[Sammy Sage]

Oh, yeah. Moses is wonderful. Moses. Oh, we have some information from Samantha about. This is the. The shoe tradition on Christmas Eve. Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas might be Santa Claus. In Dutch, before going to bed in the evening, children put their shoes next to the fireplace or outside the front door in hopes that Sinterklaas will leave a sweet treat in their shoe. It seems like Americans got it backwards, because now we leave cookies for Santa.

[Bea Speer]

Well, we have the stocking.

[Sammy Sage]

Ah, the stocking. So that's, like, our version. That's where that came from. Okay, got it, got it, got it. It all is making sense now.

[Bea Speer]

But, you know, Christmas is a time of great fun, but it is also a time of some of the weirdest memories I have in New York City. And we told you that we would tell you. The craziest thing that ever happened to me on Christmas in New York was. And my wife can stop listening to the show right now, because this obviously never happened. My friend Andrea Saltino has been my friend forever and ever. Truly one of my best friends.

[Sammy Sage]

Enough to cite her name on the podcast.

[Bea Speer]

Yeah, she said she's given a release. She was visiting me for Christmas, and I lived in New York City, and I was working at restaurants, so I had to work. And so she came to the restaurant, came, whatever. And then we went out afterwards, and I had been dating this woman who I had broken up with. And then the girl was, like, kind of stalking me. And then I was like, well, that makes me feel loved, so I guess you can hang out again. And so this girl goes out with me and Andrea on Christmas, gets absolutely bombed off. Her face follows me home to. Then we're like, okay, well, we have to. We can't. What are we gonna do? We have to, like, take care of her. So we, like. We bring her in the house. Andrea's like, you're ruining my. I'm visiting you. You're ruining Christmas. You date the craziest women on the planet. She proceeds to, like, projectile vomit all over my bathroom. So then Andrea's trying to fix that. Then she starts, like, I don't know what happened, but she just. I'm obviously such a catch that she snapped her carrot that we would not get back together. Then she insists that I'm, like, having an affair with my friend Andrea, who I'm not. So now Andrea's trying to get her to leave. We're like, you have to leave. I'm calling you a cab. Like, this is crazy. Like, I cannot deal with this. Andrea's standing on the stairs because we're trying to literally help her, like, down the stairs, and I'm gonna, like, help get her home. And she kicked Andrea full in the chest, like, held both Sides of the railing. And, like. And she was a tap dancer. She was a good kicker, this woman. And she kicked her square in the chest, Knocks Andrea down the stairs. Now this ruckus has erupted. So the roommates in this building I live in call the police. The police come. They think that I'm the abuser, because obviously, like, I'm much bigger than this woman. And they're like, okay, obviously, like, this is a domestic violence thing. I'm like, oh, my God. I just want this to be over. She starts grabbing onto me in a way. And so I don't know how this happened, but Andrea tried to grab her T shirt to, like, pull her off of me, but her clothes just, like, ripped. So now this woman is standing there in her bra in the snow with the police. Now the police are hysterical, laughing because they could see that this is just like. I'm like, guys, I'm sorry.

[Sammy Sage]

A drunk situation.

[Bea Speer]

It's just a drunk, like, absolute lunatic lady situation. And so then I was like, first of all, I can't send her any. I can't do anything. Like, this is dangerous now. So then she passed out. I had to, like, carry her up the stairs. And Andrea, every single Christmas reminds me of this horrible Christmas Day that is wild. But that is my most dangerous Christmas memory. And then I never saw that girl again after that. So it worked.

[Sammy Sage]

You should look up the lyrics to the song by Taylor Swift hits different because it sounds like it's about what just happened.

[Bea Speer]

Picture how nervous a person I am in general and how much of a people pleaser I am. And the second Andrea pulls her T shirt, and now she's standing there in a bra in the snow. And I was like, oh, my God.

[Sammy Sage]

Good thing there were no cell phones. Cause that would have ended up.

[Bea Speer]

There were no cell phones. And this was on Dittmars Boulevard in Astoria. So, like, you know, the bar is across the street. And I'm like. Like, I've never been more embarrassed, truly, in my life, ever, ever, ever.

[Sammy Sage]

That's amazing.

[Bea Speer]

And that's why you shouldn't hit the eggnog so hard.

[Sammy Sage]

Do you want to hear my holiday story? I do.

[Bea Speer]

Please.

[Sammy Sage]

So it's the story of how I got this Harry Potter scar.

[Bea Speer]

Yes.

[Sammy Sage]

Okay. So, you know, it's a Christmas story in the way that Top Gun is a Christmas movie in that it occurred around the holidays but was really nothing to do with the holidays. So. So whatever. I guess I was, like, home for Christmas break. It must have been, you know, like, the 27th, 2029 kind of days. And I went out. It was 2012. It was 2012. And I lived at my parents house on Long island and had graduated college. So I was working. Whatever went out, got very, very drunk. Don't remember one single thing that happened that night. But got home, my friend dropped me off. I remember. I know that much. And I don't know what happened, but I have deduced since that I fell on the stone steps leading up to my home and cracked my head open. But I didn't know that happened because the next morning I woke up and there was blood everywhere on the walls.

[Bea Speer]

Like Moses had visited.

[Sammy Sage]

Yeah, like Moses had visited outside. And I had a giant gash in my head. My mom thought that I had, like, that there was something really had happened. And because it was that period between Christmas and New Year's, there were no plastic surgeons around to stitch it up, so we had to go to urgent care and glue it.

[Bea Speer]

No.

[Sammy Sage]

And to this day, I still have.

[Bea Speer]

A scar, the Harry Potter scar, from.

[Sammy Sage]

Getting very drunk and falling on my stone steps. And I didn't even remember it happened.

[Bea Speer]

Let this be a warning I'm lucky.

[Sammy Sage]

I still haven't seen.

[Bea Speer]

Let this be a warning to you fever dreamers. Lay off the eggnog. Go easy.

[Sammy Sage]

I'll be honest, that was like a. That was one of those things where I was like, damn, I gotta get my shit together. Like the fact that you're like, yeah, you do.

[Bea Speer]

No, this was me with this girl too. I was like, this is. There are moments in your youth, especially in New York, I think, where you have that one night out where you're like, all right, well, that was the end of my youth. I am done with my life.

[Sammy Sage]

It was like, you can't do that again.

[Bea Speer]

No, no. Nope. So be careful, have fun. And, you know, I hope that if you have a messy Christmas, you let us know about it. There was the Christmas that my grandma told us we weren't allowed to drink because she thought that that would help. And then we were all sitting there and she's like, this is the most boring Christmas I've ever had. And all my brother could find was a bunch of Baileys. And so then. Yeah, that didn't go well.

[Sammy Sage]

Delicious.

[Bea Speer]

Delicious. It was delicious, but not in mass. Okay. Go easy on the cream based beverages.

[Sammy Sage]

Anyway, ice cream in your eggnog. That's the tip from the White House.

[Bea Speer]

Yep.

[Sammy Sage]

Shall we?

[Bea Speer]

We shall. It has been the joy of my life to do this podcast with you, Sammy, for the last several months. And I'm so grateful to the Fever Dreamers. I hope we made you laugh, cry, and as, as me and Hunter Biden always say, fuck Nancy Pelosi. Until next time, I'm Vitus Spear.

[Sammy Sage]

And I'm Sammy Sage.

[Bea Speer]

And this. This is American Fever Dream.

[Sammy Sage]

Good night. American Fever Dream is produced and edited by Samantha Gatzick Social media by Candice Menega and Bridget Schwartz. Be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok etchesnews and follow me, Sammy Sage at Sammy and the Desk News. And of course, send us your emails to American Fever Dreamtches.com batches.