Podcast Summary: Diabolical Lies – "The Texasification of America"

Podcast: Diabolical Lies
Hosts: Katie Gatti Tassin & Caro Claire Burke
Episode: The Texasification of America
Date: December 28, 2025

Episode Overview

In this sharp, irreverent episode, Katie and Caro tackle the concept of "The Texasification of America," exploring how the cultural, political, and economic ethos of Texas is spreading across the U.S. What begins as an intention to gently mock Texas stereotypes quickly evolves into a much deeper exploration of Texas exceptionalism, state pride, political influence, and the alarming consequences of deregulation and "big money lawlessness." Both hosts draw on personal experiences and observations, contrasting regional identities and reflecting on how Texas projects its attitudes onto the rest of the country.

Key Discussion Points

1. Introduction and Satirical Sponsorships

• The episode opens with a tongue-in-cheek list of sponsors referencing Texas politics and culture.
  • "This episode was brought to you by Highways. Tim Dunn, Ferris Wilkes. Texas SB3, Texas SB6, Texas SB8, Texas SB10 and Texas SB12..." [00:00]
• Caro jokes about highway sponsorships and the “meta” concept of highways sponsoring themselves as “deeply American.”
• Both hosts riff on the symbolism and performative patriotism tied to Texas infrastructure. [00:24]

2. Thesis: Texas is the "America of America"

• Katie introduces the episode’s central thesis:
  • "My thesis today for today's episode is that Texas is the America of America." [00:50]
• Caro facetiously compares New York City to various world cities, highlighting how each region sees itself as central to American identity.
• Katie pivots, sharing that researching Texas revealed disturbing truths beneath the state’s flamboyant veneer.
  • "We were like, oh, the ‘Texasification of America’...this will be a fun little holiday bonus episode...then I started looking into it and I was like, oh, this is real. So unfucking. Fortunately, now we have to have a serious conversation about this." [01:16]

3. The Trapdoor of Epiphany

• The hosts discuss how their satirical approach to these topics often uncovers deeper, more troubling realities.
• Caro: "The outcome is that you and I perpetually feel like we're falling through a trapdoor of epiphany. And it is really overwhelming." [01:45]
• Katie describes the stress of researching the episode, reflecting on her own experiences living in Texas.

4. Personal Experiences: "Big Money Lawlessness"

• Katie recounts her five years living in Dallas (2016–2021), drawing on the notion of “big money lawlessness” from writer Gia Tolentino.
• She shares two unsettling incidents involving active shooters at both her apartment complexes:
  • "Both of them had active shooter debacles…in five years." [02:44]
  • The first was an immediate threat—an on-site shooting that resulted in lockdown. [02:51]
  • The second coincided with the February 2021 Texas deep freeze, emphasizing the fragility of state infrastructure due to deregulation.
    • "People were freezing to death in their homes...I was working on a PowerPoint...then a shooting down the street. So we got an emergency alert..." [03:44]

5. Ted Cruz, Cancun, and the Breaking Point

• During the deep freeze, Katie recalls seeing Ted Cruz fleeing to Cancun:
  • "That's when I saw it on my Twitter feed. A picture of Ted Cruz on a flight to Cancun, escaping to Mexico for a better life. And I snapped. That was the last straw..." [04:16]
  • "I vowed right then and there that I would ruin Ted Cruz's life somehow, some way. And that is why we were having this conversation today..." [04:37]
• Caro jokes about Katie’s lifelong vendetta.

6. Contagious Texas Pride and State Identity

• Katie observes the extraordinary enthusiasm Texans have for their state—a fervor unlike any she grew up with in Kentucky or saw in Alabama.
  • "Much like many Americans have a lot of pride and fervor...Texans are sort of the same way, but for Texas. I had never experienced anything like this..." [04:48]
  • Her college friends’ pride convinced her to move to Texas after graduation.
• She reminisces about road trips, margaritas, and the distinctive fun culture in Texas:
  • "It's like Louisiana, but richer, if that makes sense." [05:50]

7. Caro's Outsider Perspective

• Caro reflects on her perception of Texas as a New Englander:
  • Austin was portrayed as unique—“Austin isn’t like the rest of Texas.” [06:18]
  • She associated Texas with “redneck” culture and an oppositional stance to mainstream America.
    • "I feel like I thought of Texas as those are the secessionists. Those are the ones who are always fighting America..." [07:28]
• Katie and Caro debate whether Texas is southern, western, or something else, highlighting the complexities of U.S. regional identity.

8. Framing Texas: The Myth and the Brand

• The conversation pivots to how Texas’s image has been constructed and exported. Katie hints they will soon dig deeper into the political strategies behind Texas's national influence.
  • "We're going to kind of get into like how that branding exercise played out. But the portal to this rabbit hole for me was a press release..." [07:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Katie: "Texas is to the United States as the United States is to the rest of the world." [01:16]
• Caro: "The outcome is that you and I perpetually feel like we're falling through a trapdoor of epiphany." [01:45]
• Katie: "That is when this vendetta was born. And I vowed right then and there that I would ruin Ted Cruz's life somehow, some way." [04:31]
• Caro: "I feel like I thought of Texas as those are the secessionists...who are always fighting America." [07:28]
• Katie: "Texans are...obsessed with Texas to the point that...the pride that they had in their state was just completely singular." [04:48]

Key Timestamps

• 00:50 – Katie’s "Texas is the America of America" thesis
• 01:45 – The “trapdoor of epiphany” in researching Texas
• 02:44–03:59 – Katie’s active shooter stories and Texas’s deregulated failures
• 04:16–04:37 – The Ted Cruz/Cancun moment and Katie’s vow
• 04:48–05:50 – The contagious pride and culture of Texas
• 06:18–07:38 – Caro’s outsider/New England perspective
• 07:55 – Lead-in to political branding and influence

Tone & Style

The episode is a mix of biting satire, personal storytelling, and sobering analysis. There’s a sense of dark humor (“unfucking. Fortunately, now we have to have a serious conversation about this…”) paired with genuine alarm about the consequences of Texas’s cultural and policy exports. Both hosts bounce between wry asides and heartfelt confessions, making the episode engaging, witty, and thought-provoking—never losing sight of the real stakes beneath the jokes.

Conclusion

This first part of "The Texasification of America" serves as a setup for a deeper dive into the mythmaking, exceptionalism, and exportation of Texas culture and politics. Katie and Caro’s personal experiences, regional contrasts, and sharp commentary create a vivid portrait of why Texas holds such outsize sway in the national imagination—and why that influence is both “smart, sane, unbearable,” and increasingly consequential.