Bulwark Takes: "A Story So Bizarre That No Podcast Title Can Possibly Do It Justice"

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Tim Miller, Will Sommer, Sam Stein

Overview

This episode dives into an almost surreal investigative story, uncovered by Will Sommer, involving an obscure right-wing influencer, new age pseudoscience, “healing” recliner chairs, and a bizarre cast orbiting around a company called Unified TV. What begins as a look into a pro-Russia media figure's sudden interview with Tucker Carlson rapidly spirals into a tale of cult-like conspiracy theories, big money scams, influence-peddling, and the strangest wellness fads on offer today. The conversation veers from incredulity to dark comedy, exposing the odd interplay between fringe right-wing circles, profit-driven spirituality, and high-profile media personalities.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Mystery of Elizabeth Lane and Unified TV (02:14)

• Origin Story:
  A previously unknown right-wing media personality, Elizabeth Lane (from the Republic of Georgia), surfaces online touting an interview with Tucker Carlson. Her connections prompt questions: Who is she? Who backs her?
• Unified TV:
  Lane is affiliated with Unified TV (spelled with a Y—"Unifyd"), a site boasting guests like former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink and James O’Keefe, but attracting minimal viewership, sparking Will Sommer’s curiosity (02:41).

Will Sommer (02:41):
"She's very pro Putin. So, you know, it was a weird situation. So I looked into it, and she works for a website called Unified tv. That's Unified with a Y."

2. The Rise of Jason Shurka and "The Light System" (03:56)

• Who is Jason Shurka?
  A young, new-age conspiracy promoter who claims contact with a “benevolent cabal” called The Light System devoted to spiritual ascension and veganism, with undertones of QAnon-adjacent narrative.
• Financial Stakes:
  Despite the fringe ideology, there’s real money involved—tens of millions implicated.
• The “Elders” and Their Practices:
  The group supposedly communicates with a shadowy elder named “Ray,” appearing in disguise on YouTube (05:20).

Will Sommer (04:18):
"His claim to fame is that he claims he's in contact with a benevolent cabal known as the Light System...their whole goal is to ascend humanity. By the way, folks, this is...tens of millions of dollars at stake here."

3. Enter Dr. Sandra Rose Michael and the EE System (05:58)

• The Healing Device:
  Dr. Sandra Rose Michael (credentials dubious) created the “EE System,” purportedly a healing device inspired by aliens, which is basically a stacked array of televisions displaying colorful graphics.
• Schurka's Role:
  After his sister’s dog is “healed” by the device, Shurka joins forces with Michael, seeing a lucrative opportunity (06:56).

Sam Stein (07:32):
"[Shurka] finds a potential cash cow in this company called EE Systems, which is selling recliners where you can basically sit back and watch a TV screen. And that supposedly is going to heal you."

4. The Light System vs. EE System: A Pseudoscience Rivalry (08:03–11:00)

• Business Merger and Schism:
  EE Systems makes millions selling healing chair sessions and devices ($30–40M annually during the pandemic). Shurka tries to sell his device-making company to EE, but negotiations collapse—sparking competing products and bitter infighting.
• Legal Battle:
  Threats and lawsuits fly between the cabal-light-chair factions, with details spilling out via court documents.

Will Sommer (10:18):
"[Now] there's this big rivalry now in the light system EE System community. And the other thing I would say is the people who—"
Sam Stein (10:19):
"My brain is breaking."
Tim Miller (10:19):
"Oh my God. There's enough demand for this to create multiple competitors. Coke and Pepsi. This is Coke and Pepsi."

5. Mainstream Influencers Get Pulled In (13:59)

• Unified TV’s Strategy:
  Shurka uses Unified (and its platform Unified TV) to attract prominent right-wing media figures and influencers, e.g., Tucker Carlson, RFK Jr., James O’Keefe, and Jocko Willink.
• Incentivizing Participation:
  There’s evidence of large sums devoted to booking these personalities, though direct payments—with the exception of O'Keefe—aren't confirmed.

Will Sommer (14:41):
"James O' Keefe had this incredible moment...he goes in and he goes, whoa, I'm energized. And he comes out and he says, I'm so much anxious, I have to go back as a real customer this time."

Tim Miller (16:23):
"The woman's hot and she's pro Russia. So it's possible that, like, I guess I'm just saying, like, there's another rationale for Tucker doing this interview besides taking some cash from the...But it feels like Russia hotness or taking money from the lightsaber chairs. Could be both theories here, I think."

6. Field Trip: Will Sommer Visits an EE Center (17:17–22:44)

• On the Ground at an EE System Center:
  In Vienna, VA, Sommer books a $60 session at a strip mall “vitality” center. The experience includes a recliner, earplugs, an eye mask, bath salts (to be used within 24 hours to “absorb” energy), and instructions to hydrate.
• What It Really Looks Like:
  Despite healing claims, the room is full of ordinary flat-screen TVs “bought from Costco,” stacked in corners with wires everywhere.
• Clientele and Experience:
  Other clients—largely older—appear invested in the ritual. Sommer mostly takes a nap, leaves unimpressed, and hasn’t yet used the bath salts.

Will Sommer (18:40):
"They give you a gift bag. So it's earplugs in case the other people in the room with you are snoring. It's an eye mask and bath salts...And they said also, by the way, you better drink a ton of water because it gets pretty crazy in there."

Will Sommer (19:08):
"In one of the related to this, someone says, like, yeah, they're just TVs we got from Costco. Like they. They claim there's some other aspect, but they said, yeah, we just buy the monitors at Costco."

7. The Media Grift: Business or Belief? (23:14–24:25)

• MAGA as Revenue Engine:
  Is Shurka a true believer or just leveraging conspiracy culture for profit? The hosts see him as both a conspiracy-theory entrepreneur and an opportunist exploiting MAGA circles and alternative health seekers for massive profits.

Will Sommer (23:54):
"I think Jason Schurka is a kind of like a right wing conspiracy theorist guy. A lot of his stuff does echo QAnon...But I also think, you know, he's seen what a fabulous money making opportunity this could be."

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On the scope of the scam:

• "This is like the Coke and Pepsi of woo woo light system. Sit in a chair and your dog will no longer have rabies or whatever.”
  — Tim Miller (13:29)

On the clientele:

• "I went in the middle of the day on a Friday and there were three...It was 10am yeah. There were three other people just chilling in there with me and they were there when I left. So I was there for two hours."
  — Will Sommer (20:29)

On the “science”:

• "What colors Tim would press...Did you feel, did you feel any additional sexual energy?"
  — Sam Stein & Tim Miller (22:35–22:44)

On grifts and ideology:

• "Is the goal...to give platforms to crazy right wing people? Or do you think that he's using the maga people as a business opportunity to get more money for the light, the cabal of the light people?"
  — Tim Miller (23:16)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Elizabeth Lane and Unified TV explained: 02:14–03:56
• Jason Shurka and The Light System: 03:56–05:20
• Introduction to Dr. Sandra Rose Michael and EE System: 05:58–07:32
• Financial boom and rivalry with Shurka: 08:03–11:00
• Media influencer recruitment, Tucker & O’Keefe: 13:59–15:56
• Sommer’s field visit to an EE System center: 17:17–22:44
• Discussion on grift vs. ideology: 23:14–24:25

Tone & Style

The hosts blend incredulity and journalistic curiosity with sharp, often sardonic wit. They are openly skeptical and sometimes laughingly exasperated, emphasizing how truly outlandish—yet lucrative—these fringe enterprises have become. Their back-and-forth makes the subject accessible and entertaining, even as it uncovers genuinely troubling intersections of disinformation, grift, and media manipulation.

Conclusion

This episode exposes the strange reality behind new-age wellness scams and their connection to right-wing media ecosystems. Through humor, skepticism, and real reporting—including an undercover field visit—the Bulwark crew illustrates just how lucrative and convoluted conspiracy-driven businesses can become and how high-profile figures can be drawn into their orbit, intentionally or not. For listeners seeking to understand the bizarre underbelly of the influencer-pseudoscience complex, this episode is enlightening, hilarious, and more than a little disturbing.