The Snack: Punch the Monkey, Love is Blind, and Hockey Winners and Losers

Summary

Girls Gotta Eat – The Snack: Punch the Monkey, Love is Blind, and Hockey Winners and Losers

Episode Date: Feb 26, 2026 | Hosts: Ashley Hesseltine (A) & Rayna Greenberg (B)

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Main Theme and Purpose

In this lively Snack episode, Ashley and Rayna dive into the biggest stories across pop culture, sports, and reality TV of the week—with a comedic lens and strong female perspective. Their episode opens with heartfelt discussion about viral animal tales (Punch the Monkey), segues into Olympic drama, deep-dives into the current season of Love is Blind, and critically unpacks Netflix’s new America’s Next Top Model documentary. Throughout, they offer their candid opinions, personal anecdotes, and signature one-liners, always centering women’s experiences, resilience, and the wildest moments online.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Weather Chat & Friendship Dynamics

• [00:14–02:21]
  • Rayna shares seeing “Weathering Heights” (jokingly pronounced, confusion with “Wuthering Heights”).
  • Both hosts laugh about crying in theaters and drinking wine, juxtaposed with their other “friendship lanes” (workouts at Barry’s Bootcamp, etc.).
  • Commentary on the brutal east coast blizzard while enjoying LA’s sunshine.

2. Viral Animal Phenomenon: Punch the Monkey

• [04:42–12:22]
  • The hosts detail the internet’s obsession with Punch, a baby monkey at Ichikawa Zoo in Japan, rejected by his mother and later embraced by other monkeys.
  • Ashley reads a DM from a primate behavior specialist explaining animal hierarchy and reassuring listeners about Punch’s well-being.
    • Quote: “There’s a very strict hierarchy with primates... Human-reared primates act very differently than primates raised by other primates.” (Ashley reads DM, [06:28])
  • Emotional, hilarious take on how the world roots for viral animals (“I haven’t seen an animal steal our hearts like this since Harambe. R.I.P.” — Ashley [05:51])
  • They riff on animal “clout” and contemplate “animal tourism” honeymoons.

3. Olympic Joy, Triumph, and Cringe: Figure Skating, Eileen Gu, and Men’s Hockey

• [12:22–20:45]
  • Alyssa Liu’s comeback narrative: From prodigy, to burnout, to Olympic gold, now skating with personal happiness and fulfillment.
  • Praise for Eileen Gu’s assertive, self-assured response to a sexist reporter:
    • Quote: “I’m the most decorated person in this sport. That’s a ridiculous question to ask me. Every medal is hard fought.” (recounted by Rayna [16:17])
  • Commentary on shifting standards for women’s confidence and emotionality in elite sports.
• US Men’s Hockey Win and Political Hijack:
  • The U.S. finally beats Canada for gold after 46 years, a win marred by political posturing:
    • Cash Patel’s cringey locker room presence:
      • Quote: “Biggest loser alive, Cash Patel is there on the company dime. First party he’s ever been invited to.” (Ashley [18:01])
    • Trump’s FaceTime call and demeaning dig at U.S. women’s hockey:
      • Quote: “He makes a dig at the women’s hockey team…I guess I gotta invite them to.” (Ashley [20:28])
    • The hosts express both empathy for stunned athletes and anger at the overshadowing of women’s achievements.

4. Flavor Flav: Unsung Ally of Women’s Sports

• [23:43–25:22]
  • Flavor Flav publicly offers support to U.S. women's hockey after Trump’s snub and is revealed as the underappreciated financial sponsor (and “hype man”) for USA women’s water polo—praised as “always on the right side of history.” (Ashley [25:03])
  • The hosts riff on the logistics of athlete sponsorship and their own fantasy to sponsor curling.

5. Love Is Blind – Recap & Reality TV Relationship Forensics

• [29:41–42:07]
  • Rayna and Ashley deliver a passionate deep-dive into the week’s most explosive episodes:
    • Chris’s villain arc and betrayal of Jessica (“He needs to get knocked the fuck out…someone has got to punch him in the face! This is insane.” — Ashley [32:26])
    • Bri’s place in the drama, debate over reality TV editing and “let him cook” theory [33:52].
    • Prenups, Brittany and Devonte, and the “logic” of marrying a stranger (Ashley: “If you’re not getting a prenup with someone you met on a TV show three weeks ago, it’s so crazy.” [38:46])
    • Analysis of Alex, the season’s most audacious liar, with “Dirty John” realness and “trust in Dubai” delusions:
      • Quote: “I just want to have a house in Florida, a trust in Dubai, and a safe house in New Zealand.” (Ashley [44:32])
    • Personal storytelling about dating compulsive liars and the signature joy of exposing them.

6. America’s Next Top Model: Documentary & Cultural Reckoning

• [49:33–61:39]
  • Reaction to the new Netflix documentary: nostalgia, “wild” storylines (Shandy’s assault, Tyra’s on-air re-traumatization), and Tyra Banks’ “masterclass in deflection.”
  • Outrage over the models’ lack of compensation and lack of support post-show.
  • Razor-sharp critique of Tyra Banks’ refusal to accept nuanced responsibility:
    • Quote: “It's a masterclass in deflection. I've never seen someone just deflect in such a strategic—or so she thought—way.” (Ashley [53:34])
    • “People’s relationship to apologizing is so interesting … it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. … I would be kinder, more open-minded. … But I’m not going to respond, I’m not going to apologize for all this, so I will apologize for none of this.” (Rayna [56:49])
  • Discussion of the viral “Tyra challenge” memes (“Told Tyra my dog died, this was my shoot the next day…” [60:16])
  • Criticism of race-swapping and other now-universally-deemed-problematic model assignments.

7. Quick Pop Culture Headlines

• [61:46–64:03]
  • Eric Dane (Grey’s Anatomy; Euphoria) passes away from ALS; his posthumous interview airs on Netflix, focusing on life, love, and fighting with dignity.
  • Mormon Wives Season 4 announced; speculation over Demi’s participation and shout-out to Harry Jowsey.
  • Kat Missal (Tell Me Lies) comes out as gay in a post-show interview:
    • Quote: “Well, I am gay, so thank God.” ([63:43])
    • “It does hit different.” — Ashley [64:15]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Weather/Bonding & Blizzards: 00:14–04:42
• Punch the Monkey: 04:42–12:22
• Olympic Joy & Drama (Liu, Gu, Hockey): 12:22–20:45
• Trump's Hockey Call & Backlash: 20:29–23:43
• Flavor Flav in Women’s Sports: 23:43–25:22
• Love Is Blind Analysis: 29:41–42:07
• America’s Next Top Model Doc Review: 49:33–61:39
• Quick Headlines: 61:46–64:03

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the world's love for Punch:

  • “I care more about this animal than I've ever cared about any animal in my life. I lay on the couch just crying watching videos of this animal.” — Rayna [06:06]

• On Eileen Gu’s clapback:

  • “I'm the most decorated person in this sport. That’s a ridiculous question to ask me. Every medal is hard fought.” — (retold by Rayna [16:17])

• About Chris from Love is Blind:

  • “He needs to get knocked the fuck out. … Someone has got to punch him in the face. This is insane.” — Ashley [32:26]

• On Alex’s ridiculous claims:

  • “I just want to have a house in Florida, a trust in Dubai, and a safe house in New Zealand…” — Ashley [44:32]

• On Tyra Banks' documentary behavior:

  • “It's a masterclass in deflection. … She oscillates between, ‘I paved the way’ … and ‘it had nothing to do with me.’” — Rayna [53:34]

• Kat Missal (Tell Me Lies) comes out:

  • “Well, I am gay, so thank God.” — Kat Missal [63:43]

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Tone and Style

True to their brand, Ashley and Rayna keep the tone sharp, witty, and deeply personal: humor in the face of pop culture absurdity; emotional resonance when it’s warranted (Punch, Olympic joy and injustice, reality TV harms); fiery takedowns of public figures, and open celebration of women’s victories of all kinds. There’s an emphasis on authentic reactions and “calling it as they see it,” often with profanity, irreverence, and feminist undertones.

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Suggested Listen For...

This summary is ideal for listeners wanting an informed, unfiltered take on viral news, Olympics, and the best (and worst) of reality TV—without having to wade through ads, small talk, or catch-up segments. You’ll feel caught up, amused, and armed with both the context and the best punchlines for your next group chat.

Transcript

[A]

This week on the Snack Punch the monkey. Love is blind. Top Model and Olympic hockey drama.

[B]

This is a Dear Media production.

[A]

Enjoy.

[B]

Hi, guys.

[A]

Raina, you saw Withering Heights for the second time.

[B]

Weathering, actually.

[A]

Weathering.

[B]

It's.

[A]

Guys, leave a comment. Do you prefer withering weathering or weathering? You saw it again.

[B]

Yeah, Taylor and I both saw it again. So I have to say, okay, two things. I promised you guys I would read the book. I got through one page. I have to be honest. I don't think I'm smart enough to read Wuthering Heights. It is old timey English. Well, I felt like I was having a stroke.

[A]

It's funny that you call it old timey English. It just specifically written in that style. It was just the time. It's like it's 1847 English.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

No, I knew you were going to hit it, but yeah, I had a feeling it was not going to be like. So you can't. You can't push through. Like, there's no.

[B]

I want to try to push through because I. I'm actually obsessed with the story. The movie is only half of the book and there's all these different themes that they never touched on in the movie at all. They've totally pivoted the characters. And I would love to just get more the way that I was. Like, I missed Tell Me Lies. So I read the book, you know, I just. I missed the movie already. I would go see a third time. Taylor and I cried so much last night. I cried way more than the first time. But I also had a lot more wine than the first time.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[B]

White. Please say white wine.

[A]

You gotta get the white at the Marina. Dine in. Don't do the Pino.

[B]

We had Sauvignon Blanc and the Marina died.

[A]

Okay, so you guys got drunk and cried.

[B]

I love that we cried. The theater was crying loudly. Like you could hear like, snotty cries in the theater. We were holding each other. It was, I mean, just amazing. Just as good the first. The second time.

[A]

It's really funny. Your relationship with Taylor is that you would go drink wine and cry in the movies and her and I go to Barry's. And you are not a part of our Barry's life.

[B]

Not at all.

[A]

We have a separate friendship where we go to Barry's once a week.

[B]

It's crazy that so much can exist in one person. Like. Cause you know, you have like, your party friend and like your I'm having an emergency friend. And then like your friend, you go into business with like, you have your friends for different. Taylor is just so many things.

[A]

She's a multi hyphenate.

[B]

I'll let you guys know if I push past. Push past page two. There we go.

[A]

I got it. That's a tongue twister.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay, let's just thank our partners.

[B]

Okay. Thanks to Rocket Money. Reach your financial goals [e-mail] GGE and

[A]

thank you to hers. Get the support that actually reflects your needs. Start your free intake at 4 hers. Okay, so we're going to get into the report, but I just want to speak of crime. A quick weather report. Like, just thoughts and prayers to everyone on the East Coast. This is insane. Like, my brother has not had power for three days. Like, it's like 30 inches of snow. He said it snowed for like 26 hours straight. So thoughts and prayers. I mean, New York again. Boston, like, the holy coast. But like, my family in Delaware specifically, like, at the beach. Like, he doesn't. They were having to stay at a friend's.

[B]

Well, I was so confused because I was like, they kept saying, this is the first blizzard in, like, however many years. And I was like, I was in New York three weeks ago. We had a blizzard. What are you saying? But this is, I guess, so much worse.

[A]

This is like 96. I don't know if you guys remember 96. We had family stranded at our house for, like, weeks. I cut my brother's hair. Like, things were getting, like, Covid. Really scary in our house.

[B]

We took a sled down to Wendy's.

[A]

I remember that. Well.

[B]

You were in 96? Yeah, I was like, 10.

[A]

Oh, you were 10. Sorry. Shashank was 6,

[B]

remember?

[A]

Okay, so anyway, it's sunny and 75 here.

[B]

Yeah, I went to the pool yesterday. I laid out on the roof, went to the pool.

[A]

I was talking to my mom and she was telling me how bad it was. It's actually the one a few weeks ago was worse for them, but this one's worse for my brother. They only live an hour apart. And she was saying, like, we're fine. You know, last time was worse because it was icy. We couldn't get out of the house. And I was like, raina's at the pool. Pool.

[B]

Yeah. I had a great day yesterday. Yeah.

[A]

So anyway, but no, this is. This is rough out there. I don't envy the east Coast. This winter is, like, completely out of pocket.

[B]

Okay, so I'm going to New York on Monday. And I don't know why, like, I thought, like, he egg on my face. It Was going to be warm, warmer. I thought, like, we would at least break into the mid-40s. And I just, like, hot take. I forgot March and also April are freezing in New York. Like, it doesn't just, like, become 50s. I thought, Jan, fab. We were done.

[A]

No way. But one time we went, april, I had a sunburn. You did? Yes. Remember the time we went, april, it was crazy. I got my haircut. I. I do remember your haircut. And then everyone's like, you're glowing from living in la. And I was like, I got sunburned today in New York.

[B]

I'm gonna bring you.

[A]

April.

[B]

I'm gonna bring you back there this April. Hopefully we break into the 50s.

[A]

We'll be there in April.

[B]

Okay. Speaking of crying, we're gonna kick it

[A]

off with a Punch report.

[B]

I'll tell you if you guys somehow have avoided this on the Internet. I asked one person yesterday if they knew what this was. So Punch is a monkey at the Ichikawa Zoo in Japan, and it's a baby monkey that basically was rejected by its mom. And there's all these videos of the mom, like, shoving it off. And then he.

[A]

Wait, I didn't see those. Oh, my God. I thought. Thought Punch was just, like, abandoned. Like, they found him. He was literally rejected from his family.

[B]

You see these videos of, like, the monkeys, like, pushing him, shoving him.

[A]

That was when he got jumped.

[B]

I thought that was.

[A]

I thought you were gonna. I had.

[B]

I said to Chicago. And you got a little too confident and made it.

[A]

I did.

[B]

I thought you had this one.

[A]

Your face.

[B]

You were like, look at her go.

[A]

So my understanding was he was, like, an abandoned baby and he was raised by humans.

[B]

Well, the humans at the zoo, yes.

[A]

But he wasn't abandoned. And so they put him in with these other monkeys, and he had the stuffed animal, his emotional support. Stuffed animal. And then that's when he gained popularity. It was like, this abandoned monkey with a stuffed animal. And then he did get, like, kind of jumped by the other monkeys, and then the world lost their mind, and now they have embraced him. But I, like, haven't seen an animal steal our hearts like this since Harambe. R.I.P. like, I've never. This is worldwide phenomenon. Everyone is talking about it, and I couldn't. People were sending it to me because they're like, you love animals and mu dang and all this stuff. And I couldn't fully even, like, read the story. I would just start crying.

[B]

I care more about this animal than I've ever cared about any animal in my life. I lay on the couch just crying watching videos of this animal. Like when I saw the other animals like beating him up, I was like, is this, is this normal in the animal kingdom? And does this happen a lot to a lot of animals? Because like, is this just how they all treat each other? I don't know. But he was raised by humans essentially. So does he smell like humans or something?

[A]

So let me read you a dm. I got this. Really I wish I should have put this on the grid because people really like people needed this information. This was a follower of mine that DM me. She said, hi, Ashley. Just to inform you about primate behavior. The way Punch is being treated by his fellow troop mates is completely normal. There's a very strict hierarchy with primates and the high ranking animals are just showing him where he stands. It looks like he was raised by humans and introduced to the troop at a later date, which explains why they are a little harsh to him. Human reared primates act very differently than primates raised by other primates. Japanese macaque, macaque are extremely sidestep that are extremely intelligent animals and very accepting to newly introduced members. Punch just needs to find his place within the troop, but he'll be okay. I am a primate behavior scientist so if you have any other questions, just let me know.

[B]

Thank you. And I love our audience.

[A]

So many people were like, thank God. We just need to know he was going to be okay. Can I tell you a funny thing? Yeah. What if she wasn't?

[B]

She's made it up. She's chatty about.

[A]

No, like of course she is. We have like the best audience and they're always so smart. But I got this funny thought of like this is her king just making shit up and be like, I'm a scientist.

[B]

Like Alex, Alex is about to love his blind is about to join the chat. He's like, as a former scientist actually this, this animals like captured my heart. I watch videos on a loop of him walking around with a stuffed animal. He just like wants love so bad and like I love these found friends and I like cry watching with friends. And I just want to say though this, this zoo has gone so viral and people are waiting in line for hours to get into the zoo and all the videos of Punch have like millions and millions of views and like of course the other animals are coming around now that he's famous, famous, it's

[A]

giving L a clout chasing 100% these

[B]

animals are suddenly they want to be his friend.

[A]

So I am going to Singapore in a Few days and I'm going to have to reroute to Japan.

[B]

If you go to Chicago, I'll be so jealous.

[A]

I'm going to Asia. I can't not go see Punch.

[B]

I'll cancel my trip to New York. Come with you.

[A]

So I don't know if I told you those are.

[B]

No, they're not near each other, though.

[A]

It's close enough that I can't be that close to him and not go. Say hello, show my respects. I'll hit Moodang too, while I'm over there. What if that was my honeymoon? I was like, actually, what we're gonna do is go see these animals. You know, I love animal tourism.

[B]

I have to tell you something. I don't know if I ever told you.

[A]

What?

[B]

Well, my mom got married. My stepdad. It was a few months after I met you. Did I ever tell you about this?

[A]

Your mom.

[B]

So my mom and my stepdad have been together for, like, 30 years, but they didn't actually get married until after I met you. Until after my brother got married, actually. She was like, well, now that my. Now that my brother did it, she's like, we can do it.

[A]

Also marry his third wife while we were friends. Wasn't it because you didn't. You weren't able to go?

[B]

Well, I opted in Vegas. I opted to not go to Vegas, but yeah, because I hate her. They're separated. My mom, my stepdad get married, and for their honeymoon.

[A]

What they went. It's hard to even get the words out.

[B]

They went to concentration camps in Europe.

[A]

What does this have to do with Punch?

[B]

You said, wouldn't this be crazy if I did this thing on my honeymoon? And I was like, I have a crazy thing people did on that honeymoon.

[A]

The connections you've been making lately are crazy. Like last week, how you were like, so anyway, babies on dating apps or kids on dating apps, but then also

[B]

funerals, like you, I always will land the plane. You just.

[A]

Beautiful mind.

[B]

That's the same thing.

[A]

Unconventional, conventional tourism, unconventional honeymoons, but that's a downer.

[B]

Yeah, well, doesn't that seem like my mom and, like, something she would do?

[A]

I appreciate you wanting to. History. History. So I don't think I told you this. Last Friday, I had a show at the Comedy Store, and it was like the main day when I feel like punch was everywhere. And it was like when they were showing the older monkey in the troupe, finally embrace him. And I get on stage and I'm like, have you guys seen this monkey? Like, most of the room did Like, I would say two thirds, because not everybody lives on the Internet like we do. Like, remember I broke the news of Pete Davidson breaking up with Kim Kardashian at two separate shows at the stand. It was such a rush, and I thought everybody would have seen it, but whatever. So most of the audience is like, yes. And then in that moment, I was like, I'm holding so much power. So then the rest of the audience was like, what is it? And I was like, okay, so this. This monkey named Punch in Japan, he's been abandoned by his family. The audience gasps. I'm like, oh, my God. And then I was like. And then. So we had this emotional support stuff. Animal. He was dragging around. All the audience was like, oh, my God. Hanging on every word. And I was like. And then he got jumped. And they were like, oh, my God. The audience is immediately like. I was like, I have to tell them. If he wasn't accepted, I would have to lie because the way the audience right now. This. My set will not go well if this is how I start.

[B]

You can't, like, bring the room down like that.

[A]

I was like, but it's okay because he's, like, been accepted. I mean, I was like, should I have done this? But I couldn't help myself. And it went over really well. It actually transitioned into my opening joke. Like, it was fine, but I couldn't not tell a room of strangers. Like, I needed to gauge the room.

[B]

When something happens that day, you got to talk about it. Also, there were. You could have just made it up because there. There were, like, these videos of him being accepted. People were like, that's AI. That's a. Can I just tell you? Like, I would see videos of him getting accepted by the other monkeys, and I'd go to the comments immediately, and people were like, please, God, let this not be AI. Like, don't tease us like this.

[A]

I need to just believe it is and go to bed. That's how I can sleep easy. So it sounds like he's obviously gonna be fine. So thank you to the listener in my DMs that the primate behavior specialist. And I just haven't seen, like, an animal capture people's hearts like this. And people were saying, like, we just want to save Punch because we couldn't save Harambe. And I've seen people compare Punch to Mu Dang. We don't need to do that. Like, we don't. These are different. Like, I feel he's siloed. Like, Punch is like, we want to rescue Punch. Like, mudang was like a spicy little diva. She was fine.

[B]

Totally.

[A]

These don't need to be. We don't need to compare in the first place. Like, they're two very different camps. I think of why they even stole our hearts in the first place.

[B]

I mean, if you forced me to rank animals I care about, punch is my number one. And it's not even close, but, like, I'm siloed on mu dang.

[A]

Mu dang.

[B]

Different type of category.

[A]

Good.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, the thing is, like, we want to save Punch. Like, doesn't need anybody. Yeah.

[B]

Mude's just an influencer.

[A]

She's biting everybody that even tries to help her. She's an influencer. Girly. Okay, so I feel like, equally as beloved last week into this week is Alyssa Liu, who is a US Figure skater. In the Olympics, she won the gold, and she has a really fascinating story, which I'll tell you a little bit about. But just watching her performance, like, you don't always see Olympic athletes perform with so much joy. Like, smiling, laughing, and she gets off the ice and is like, that's what I'm fucking talking about. Like, just to see a woman be so happy in this sport and then be so in her power and not care about what, you know, cursing or whatever it may be, it brought me to. I mean, the performance was incredible. That won her the gold, but just that alone. And then I dove into her story. And so she's 20, and she previously had made history as the youngest ever Women's national champion at 13 in 2019. And then she was also the youngest member of the Team USA at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at 16. And then she retired, basically, or she quit. I mean, retiring is weird. At that age, you quit. And she came back. And I just think the story is really fascinating. So her first father, he is a former Chinese pro democracy activist who fled to the US as a political refugee in 1989. So he was born in China. He came to California. He is a lawyer, and he wanted a family, and he had five children via surrogacy. Did you see this? Oh, my God. He's a single father of five. Alyssa, her sister, triplets. Oh, my God. I don't want to judge. You know, this man wanted a family, and he raised an Olympian. And I don't know if he just kept having kids till he found the Olympian in the group or what he wanted to do. So he, like, saw her talent as a young age, and it sounds like he was her manager, and he really pushed her, and it Sounds like made her not love the sport as much. And so it's just this tale as old as time where someone is doing something that they did love and they stopped loving it as much. And her dad was like, super involved. I saw this thing that it says, he even admitting to sneaking into some of her practices in full disguise just to see what they were doing in the practice, like to spy on her. And he said, I didn't like what I saw. Standing around for 20 minutes. Skating around the rink a few times. That's where my money was going. We stopped working with that coach that actually you would be. That.

[B]

That would be you as a parent. Like, when you said snuck into the. I was like, this is actually.

[A]

I don't think this is overstepping at all. I'm. I'm paying you. Let me come see what's going on in here. My kid comes home. I don't really think I'm getting what I need from this coach. I'll show up.

[B]

That's why you like the story. You relate to the dad.

[A]

So people are kind of criticizing it, but bottom line, this is a supportive father. The whole family's in the stands, whatever. But she basically decided to start back up skating and was like, he's not gonna be as involved. And she's working with a different team. And now she's found this love for the sport. And I love this story because you really don't see. I haven't seen a figure skater perform with that much joy and happiness and like, don't give a fuck, but I'm gonna slay attitude.

[B]

It's just not an attitude you see with people at that level. Cause they take it so seriously. Of course they do, you know, so to just like have a moment of joy.

[A]

I like, I don't know, it's like this reminder that we should be having fun. And of course, you just have to also work. Like, not everyone gets to love what they do for. For work. But, you know, I read an article that she was like, during COVID I started to think about my life without skating. And it felt like a relief. And she. And then she was like, you know what? I fucking love that shit. I'm gonna go back and do it on my own terms. And I just love that. And I just felt like it was such a reminder that we should have fun.

[B]

I just love the energy of women in the Olympics. Overall. We're gonna talk about the hockey team as well, but I just love what I'm seeing. So five time Olympic medalist Eileen Gu. She Was in an interview and basically this reporter said to her, you won two silvers. Do you see this as two silvers won or two golds lost? And she, with a big smile on her face, a little bit of attitude, she was just like, I'm the most decorated person in this sport. That's a ridicul to ask me. Yes. And every medal is hard fought. And she just kind of like laughed with this big smile on her face. And I love the energy. And people are really hyping her because they're saying like, women don't speak like this. You would hear men speak like this. Men. Men would never be asked a question like that. But men would not think twice before clapping back at that. But she just like, was like, I am amazing. I don't think this a lot.

[A]

Yes. Like, I love seeing women act like this and I love that people. It feels like people are criticizing them less. And there was a tennis player a few months ago that like went off the court and smashed her racket. And it, she went kind of in private and did it. And I was like, how is this even a fucking story? I know she's angry. And she went around, she went like around into like a private area. She was just caught on a camera. And even if she. How many men have smashed their racket? Like, I was like, I can't even believe this is a story.

[B]

It's just a person.

[A]

Yeah, like a person. So, yeah, I just. Women in men's field. No, but it's just the women in this Olympics have been so inspiring. So onto that, onto the men in these Olympics. So the US Men's hockey team won the gold and beat Canada After 46 years, I believe they haven't won a gold in that long. And they played in honor of. They had lost a teammate. These. I believe it was two. These, these brothers were killed in a car accident. So they were kind of playing in honor of him. And there were these like, epic win, the way they went. Like there were all these really special things about it. And they get into the locker room and fucking biggest loser alive, Cash Patel is there on the company dime. First party he's ever been invited to. Cash Patel in that locker room was someone who's never been welcome at a party.

[B]

I mean, just. Did they dump the Gatorade on him?

[A]

They put like a metal on him.

[B]

He was shaking up beer.

[A]

The way he was acting like, I was like, he is the biggest fucking loser of all. He truly. I can't even watch him speak, Randy, because he's not even a good villain. He is so incompetent. He is such a joke. He's really such a joke.

[B]

So I think it's nice sometimes to see politicians or people in high power acting like they're having fun. Barack Obama, no one had more swag and acted like he was having a good time, enjoying himself, but he still acted as though he had that position in office. I don't need Cash Patel acting like this. You need to act like you have the job, that you. You go there, you laugh, you can shake hands with people. What the fuck was that?

[A]

In this state of the world, while you're covering up the Epstein files, while Nancy Guthrie is still missing, like, what a slap in the face of the American public. If James Comey would have been in the fucking locker room and he took a company jet there, he would have been impeached immediately, and Fox News would still be talking about it, like, for decades. Like, it's just. I mean, but whatever. The hypocrisy is astounding. But so Cash Patel, that's just, like, one gross part of it. Like, it was hard for me to

[B]

even watch the video, watching him have fun. I don't. Listen. I think that people should, like, break from how serious they are, but not him. Not somebody in that position.

[A]

But you're also. You're making it political. Like, you know, the way things are heightened again. Yes. All of this is a distraction from the Epstein files. We got to stay focused. Okay, of course. But, like, you're politicizing this now. So he's in the locker room acting like the biggest fucking dork on the planet. His first party. And then Donald Trump FaceTimes. And what happened next is just so disheartening. It's really hard to stomach, and my heart sunk watching this. And I was like, of course. I don't think I'm overreacting. But I was like, how big is this gonna get? How upset are people gonna be? And people are so upset because he calls the hockey team. They're all excited to talk to him. And he makes a dig at the women's hockey team, who also just won gold. They've won, like, as many medals as the men over the years. I mean, it doesn't even need to be said. It doesn't even matter if they just won gold or not, but they did. And he's like, I guess I gotta invite them to.

[B]

They're not.

[A]

Are they going to the White House? They're going to, like, the State of the Union address.

[B]

So they politely declined of course they did.

[A]

The women did. To the State of the Union address, which I think is interesting. Like, you invite the super bowl winning team to the White House, but, like. Like the State of the Union, you get to go to the seminar about the crumbling country. Yeah. Like, you get to.

[B]

So I get to go to a meeting.

[A]

But bottom line, it's. That's kind of, like, irrelevant. But on the call, he's like, I guess I gotta invite the women too, or I'll be impeached. And the whole team laughs Like, I was like, is this a hedge fund in the 80s? Like, the energy was like, I guess we have to bring the women and to hear it from the president. And then the men. Men's team. Laughs Like, I mean, already there's. Women aren't given as much respect in sports as men. Like, I could cry just even thinking about. I felt sick about it. And, like, everything he does is sick. But this took away the moment immediately. I mean, it's just. It's so discouraging.

[B]

I don't know. I mean, I just. He won't ever do one kind thing, one right thing, ever. I don't know why I ever. I certainly don't expect it. Yeah. It's just every opportunity to be terrible, he takes it. He can't just congratulate these people. It's really upsetting to watch. I feel like I'm constantly in a state of, like, can you believe this? And I try to not be, but, like, we can't have anything nice. And I don't want to hate on the US Men's hockey team. Like, I think that these athletes that worked really hard, their whole lives are in the locker room with the FBI director, and they've just won and they're happy and these smiles on their faces and, like, somebody says something so out of pocket and you're on television, and I think you don't know how your body probably goes into, like, fight or flight. You don't know how to respond. Like, I don't. I don't know how I wanted them to react either. They're going to start, like, yelling at Donald Trump. I don't know. I actually don't know.

[A]

So, yes, I think there's this, like, I don't know. Actually. I think people, of course, have seen discourse of, like, fuck the hockey team. They should kill themselves. Like, that's extreme and crazy, and people ruin everything on the far end of both sides. But, you know, you want to say you're caught up in the moment. It's this huge Win. It's this huge accomplishment. The president calls. You know, you're celebratory. If I'm in the locker room and the president calls, that's ruining my celebration. Hang the fuck up. This is a pedophile, criminal, rapist, dictator. I don't want him on the phone. Like, it's weird to think about it that way. Like, it wouldn't be just a present. I don't really, like. Like, George Bush calls. It's the president. All right, let's get.

[B]

So cute.

[A]

George Bush is on the line. You know? But it's like, that would ruin my time. Like, it's hard for me in this state of the country to give anyone a pass to yuck it up with this guy. He's a monster. He's ruining the country. If you love America, he's our op. And, yes, the women's team has declined the invitation. And, like, the women's team is incredible. And this just undid all the work heated rivalry has done. You know, like, take me back.

[B]

At least start making out in the locker room. Can one of y' all be like, I don't wanna listen to the president on the phone. We're gonna just be jerking it in the. In the showers together.

[A]

Isn't it crazy how all these women all of a sudden started loving men's hockey?

[B]

One foul swoop.

[A]

So the Obamas should invite the women's team to hang out. But who did invite the women's team to hang out with was Flavor Flav.

[B]

So, like, literally, he posted on Twitter, just typos galore, eight commas with every sentence. It was so sweet. He said, I want to celebrate them. I'll get them to Vegas, however we have to do it. And I want to celebrate them. Who knew that Flavor Flav was just going to.

[A]

I did. Do you not know? Do you not know Flavor Flav's involvement in women's Olympic sports? What are you saying to me? I only know I've only known this for, like, a week.

[B]

So Ashley's like, as someone who's known this for a week, so I just

[A]

want to be honest. Flavor Flav is the sponsor and official hype man for the USA Water polo, women's and men's national teams.

[B]

So he's a sponsor. What does that have?

[A]

He's, like, sponsors a team. He signed an unprecedented sponsorship deal. Money that. A financial contribution to the 2024 USA Women's Water Polo Olympic team. Obviously, it's a summer sport, so he basically supports the women's water polo team when they Go to the Olympics for the next Olympics as well. So 2024. So what? In 2028, he will also. Flavor Flav will be the one making sure the women's water polo team is financially able to make it to the Olympics and whatever else they need money for.

[B]

I don't know. It was always on the right side of history.

[A]

This year, he's like it says. Though the financial details are not disclosed, this contribution underscores Flav's dedication to fostering excellence in women's sport.

[B]

I have a serious question. Does his money come from music now or, like, royalties from VH1 Girl?

[A]

I have no idea.

[B]

How does Flava have his cat? Could we sponsor a sport?

[A]

Should we have him on?

[B]

I want to sponsor. What's the push? What's the more they push the little curling around? Can we sponsor a curling team? I loved the.

[A]

I think curling always goes viral in some way, but I saw a lot of, like, parents and grandparents, like, prepping to do, like, with the brooms and the vacuums around the house. So that was, like, a very funny trend.

[B]

We could sponsor the double luge.

[A]

Oh, thank you so much. Did you see Shaq? What?

[B]

Did you send this to me? No Shaq on the bottom, though.

[A]

So. So many people. Because, you guys, I don't know if you're new here. I love Shaq. I always have. He's, like, one of my favorite celebrities. Yeah. So here's Shaq. Tried the double luge on Inside the NBA. Yeah. He was on the bottom. We'll play this if you guys are watching on YouTube. Look at him.

[B]

I mean, what I would give to be on top of Shaq.

[A]

So. Right. We'll also post this on YouTube. But you and I have that video where we slid down that thing. We were in Seattle, I think, and Ryan was filming it. Yeah. It was the drunkest I've ever been on at a show.

[B]

I was drunk before we got on stage.

[A]

You drank a little too much. We had this whole dance party on stage, whatever. And we're leaving, and there was this, like. I don't know, this slide.

[B]

It's how they receive stuff into, like, the underground area of the venue. Like, it's a slide. So when, like, trucks pull up.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That they can, like, slide, like, crates down the ramp. And you and I are outfits.

[A]

We were in Halloween costumes, and we slid down it. We'll play it on screen, but that's the closest we've gotten to the tumble dish.

[B]

Oh, I thought you're gonna see the touching each other just full Blast of that. It was so wholesome.

[A]

Yeah. So really a bummer about the USA Hockey team, but congrats to the women's USA Hockey team and all of the athletes that have been representing us. So great. And deflave a flav and we'll take a quick break and then get back into it.

[B]

Then we have Love is Blind for you guys and America's Next Top Model. We're just foaming at the mouth. Okay. If one of your goals this year was to get your finances in order, figure out what you're spending, what you can cut down on, I truly cannot recommend anything more than Rocket Money. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. So when you go in, it has this amazing user interface. It's really easy to see, like, what your upcoming bills are, your balances. It'll help you to up set at budgets and goals. It'll show you how to consolidate your checking, savings, loans, investments into a single dashboard so you really have like a clear view of your whole financial picture. And it can help you find and cancel unwanted subscriptions. So we're all paying for a ton of stuff we probably don't know that we're paying for. And so they're going to identify those things for you, they're going to help you cancel them. There's customizable categories and tags to reveal spending and patterns and add context to all that. Anything that you have coming up, if you want to plan for, say like a vacation, if you are planning to get married, anything fun coming up you want to save for or truly just if your goal is to figure out your financial picture and to make smarter, better decisions, this is the one tool you can really depend on. So let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. [e-mail] GGE that's RocketMoney.com GGE RocketMoney.com GGE and hers.

[A]

You know, we love hers and their dedication to women's health. So for the ladies, if you have ever felt like something was off in your body but you couldn't quite explain what, or maybe you've even gone to the doctor and you couldn't get the answers you needed, or you were told everything is fine, but you are thinking that it's not fine, something is wrong here. You need to figure out what it is. So whatever your concern is, from unexplained weight gain to anxiety, to perimenopause or menopause symptoms. Acne. This is where HERS can help. They are flipping the script and rethinking our outdated healthcare system to finally give women what they deserve. Care that's accessible, convenient, built around our real needs, and backed by experts in women's health. It is so easy to start. You just complete a free online medical intake form that goes beyond the basics so you can explain what you're experiencing and if something feels off but you aren't sure what. HERS also offers access to in depth lab testing to give you real clarity and then if you're eligible, a licensed medical provider will determine right for you. Treatment plan options. HERS offers comprehensive care entirely online. Super easy for the health concerns women don't want to navigate alone. You can reach out 247 with any questions or help adjusting your plan. It's care that helps you move forward instead of staying stuck so feeling like yourself again doesn't feel so far away. So you can get the support that actually reflects your needs and start your free [e-mail] that's F O R H E-R-S.com forhers.com all right, we are down

[B]

to one episode left of this season of Love is Blind. I mean, people are saying it's the best season in so many years. I mean, these women, what a crop of women. Beautiful, successful, wonderful. Just like, really hold themselves in high regard. And what a trash crop of men.

[A]

No, I mean, not every, I don't know, like every man.

[B]

No, but Alex and Chris are really

[A]

like a male apologist.

[B]

They're holding up the. They're holding up the whole season. The other guys aren't problematic.

[A]

I don't even know, like, I did not see this coming. Ohio. It is definitely the most talked about season in so many years.

[B]

I'm gonna take my shoes off for this.

[A]

I'm like, I'm getting comfortable. Can I just say, I. I don't think I have ever been so wrong about anything in the history of this podcast that I was about Chris. I cannot believe it. Like, last week I was like, if there's one couple that's gonna make it outside of Vic St. John and Christine or like, whatever, it's Chris and Jessica. I love them together. I've never seen a 180 like this. We should have known. We've been saying trust no Chris for eight years. This is crazy. But even the beginning of the second batch of episodes, I still liked him. And then he did a complete 180. I've never seen this. They're calling him the biggest Villain of the franchise. He's dethroned Shake.

[B]

It's so shocking. This is the 180 to end all 180s. And I even like have. I think Alex is a liar and we will get to him. But I do have a bit of a sympathetic take on why somebody lives like that so much.

[A]

Chris.

[B]

I mean, I've never seen him. He just seemed nice into her, proud of her, excited. And by the way, I mean, this is not a hot take. You've seen it over and over on TikTok if you guys have not seen this. He basically sits down with his fiance after being great on the honeymoon and saying, you are not my physical type. I'm usually with women that do Pilates and Crossfit. Mind you, by the way, she's a

[A]

doctor, but she's so beautiful. She did have a spray tan wrist.

[B]

She did. I know. I'm a self tanner. I'm gonna bring that to light now.

[A]

I hate the Jessica. Love her. Such a queen. Had to sit there for that shit with self tanner wrists. And we have all been there.

[B]

I think I was in such shock I didn't even notice it. So that's the silver lining.

[A]

It's fine. We've all been there. She's a relatable queen.

[B]

I just, I want to say, like, I think you see this on the show a lot. It is perfectly fine to have a physical type. I have a physical type. You have a physical type. There are certain people that I am not attracted to and it would be a non starter for me to spend the rest of my life with them. I think we all deserve to be with somebody that we're attracted to. That is fine. I do not understand, number one, expressing it in that way and number two, being so cruel and public about it and then shopping this idea around to the rest of the cast. Somebody who seemingly did nothing to him and he was like, I'm going to try to bury her.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But it's insane.

[A]

Yes. Like, what he said in his conversation, like, is terrible. Okay. Like saying you don't work out enough. Like really just making her feel bad about her herself. But he doubled down. With what? Going to the strip club, posting photos with the stripper on his lap, and then messaging Brie. It's like he's actively trying to be the villain and then he goes to the cocktail party and he's just like being the worst. Like he needs to get knocked the fuck out. Like this little guy. I can't. Like, I don't want to condone violence, but Someone has got to punch him in the face. Like, this is insane.

[B]

I don't actually understand where this comes from on, like just a baseline level. Like, yes, he clearly has problems with alcohol. His ex has released some videos also of the way he spoke to her and voicemails that he had left on to her. Also very drunk. He seems like somebody who has clearly has a problem with alcohol. But even with the alcohol to totally dehumanize a person. Again, I don't have a problem with somebody saying, like, this person is not my physical type. I don't. What was the point of this? And also, like, it was only going to go poorly for you. Nobody was going to have a sympathetic take on this. What was the point of this?

[A]

I don't get it. And he's standing there with Bri, talking about, I want to be with you, my Charles Schwab account, whatever you talking about.

[B]

And so people sort of said, like, she just sort of seems to stand there and tolerate this for a very long period of time. And people have floated that that's not really what the conversation was, that maybe they kind of jump cut because it was shocking to watch.

[A]

So here's my thing. We will get to Bri. Not really a fan, but again, I'm certainly not going to drag her. I'm actually going to defend her in those moments. I think that it was like, why are you standing here? Why would you entertain this? You're not a girl's girl. This and that. I will say she's given us good tv. I am assuming the producers were like, let him cook. Yes. Like, if she was standing there, she had a smirk on her face. She's like, I'm with Connor. What the fuck? Like, I actually think we have to remember these people are trying to make a TV show. And I will give her credit for like letting him, like, dragging more out of him. She's standing there with this smirk. Like you can look at it and say she's getting off on it and she's enjoying the. The ego boost. But I'm also like, if I'm the producers, I'm like, please indulge him.

[B]

Okay, I like your take. My theory was that this, that we were watching two different conversations. My theory was that he was just doing this and they were jump cutting to her. We've seen this on Love is Blind a lot where they make you look a certain way and that's actually not the conversation you were having. So I actually like hold a lot of space with Love is Blind to be like, they Just found enough clips of her sitting there quietly.

[A]

Yeah. To me, it was more just like, she knows what she's doing. You know, she's the hero we need right now. Let him cook. Let him dig his grave and stand there with a smirk and let him. You know.

[B]

So this is, like, a rhetorical question, but, like, what. What was the point of this from him to get so drunk to say all these horrible things to tell everybody in the room. I mean, he acted so terrible. And then when he finally has the conversation with her.

[A]

Yes. And he goes up, he puts his arm around her. I was screamed.

[B]

I really was so amazed by her. Her poise, her grace, her class, to just be like, yes, I am heartbroken that this happened. I'm also proud of her that she acknowledged that. Like, this is deeply devastating. But I'm not putting up with this.

[A]

Like, she's. I love.

[B]

I loved her whole response.

[A]

I really do love her.

[B]

But I guess I'm looking for, like, a psychologist to explain to me, like, how all of this happened.

[A]

Yeah. I think it's so crazy. I mean, you know, you don't. How much is the production, like, seeing an opening to encourage him to go completely off the rails? Or is this who he is? So he's off the rails so we can move on from Chris. But, like, what a villain. And I've never been so wrong.

[B]

Like.

[A]

Like, when those episodes start. And by the way, we got the screeners in advance, so we are up to date. We're gonna talk. Like, we're talking as if the ones that just aired yesterday, which typically we, you know, was thank you to them for giving that to us so we could be current. So that was nice because we were dated last week, because then the episodes came out, and people were like, ashley, I can't wait for you to see this shit.

[B]

Yeah. So next week, we'll cover the weddings.

[A]

So there's just a few things. I had made some notes. Like, Connor grew on me.

[B]

Me, too.

[A]

And I was sad for him. And when Bri was doing her monologue, I could not understand what was happening. I was like, is this. Is she breaking up with him? Like, she's like, you just love me so much, but you're such a Beta. And I don't know. Like, I've never been loved like this, and I'm such a.

[B]

But I want to be with you,

[A]

but I'm not going to say yes at the altar. Like, I think Connor was like, wait, am I getting. Am I getting broken up with right now? And then to see him say. Like, I would have said yes. I was neutral on him until that moment. And I was like, oh, I actually was kind of rooting for them. And I was bummed he grew on me. Yeah. And then we'll get to. We'll end with Alex, but I want

[B]

to talk about Brittany and devonte.

[A]

Yes. And they're not making it to the altar. So. So did you notice that? So they. They preview.

[B]

Oh, the altar. You don't see that.

[A]

You don't see them. So it's down to three, obviously. Christine and Vic and Amber. And Amber. And Amber. Amber, Queen Amber, mother. Truly mother Amber.

[B]

Is Amber on the show? Post show, people. People said she's not 33 and she just Clapbeck. I don't fuck here. I guess I look old.

[A]

Tell you, Amber is giving selling Sunset Ohio. Like, when Amber walked walks in the room. Like last night, Shashanko's. What does Amber do for a living? I was like, she's a fucking nurse dressed like she's gonna go to a showing on selling Sunset Cincinnati. Like, she is always to the nines. Her one liners. Like, she is a mother and she is mother. I love her so much. Like, she had like, five one liners at the party. Yeah. It was just, like, narcissistic. He's not tall enough to act like this. Like, she went all the way. Like, you gotta listen for Amber's take.

[B]

I also, she. She surprised me too. I just thought she was just gonna be like, just a contestant. I didn't think that much about, you know. But she is so funny. She's been so funny since then. Okay. Brittany and devonte. He floats the idea of a prenup to her. She is just like, I don't know why you'd go into a marriage thinking that it's gonna end the same type of stuff you hear people say that have been in a relationship for like, three, four, five years, not three weeks. I mean, I don't know why this actually does not come up more on Love is Blind. I'm surprised by it. If you're not getting a prenup with somebody you met on a TV show three weeks ago.

[A]

It's so crazy. And then, you know, I'm just like a prenup expert. So I was like, they actually couldn't legally do a prenup right now.

[B]

That's what I was thinking. They have a week. They don't have time.

[A]

And they don't. They don't even actually legally have time, but you also have to get all your assets and shit. Like, you need so much more time to do a prenup. And then she needs to send this. Is this. It's a TV show. It's irrelevant. But it's like, no, it's not.

[B]

I don't know why all these people, they go get a marriage license and they don't have a prenup. And I guess a lot of people are like, I don't have any money. I don't need to protect. But, like, why? I think I've seen one other person on the show bring this up.

[A]

It is so nuts, because you do not know this person.

[B]

She looks so sad.

[A]

She did. I mean, it's just like. But she had something in her head already. Like, you know, and, like, if you sat down with her, you could probably explain to her why she would want this. It doesn't matter. They both have doubts, and they're not going to make it to the Ultra. Like. Like, they are. This isn't a spoiler. They're not in the finale preview. They don't make it, and they shouldn't make it. They suck as a couple. They. They shouldn't get married. That's all I'm saying.

[B]

I mean, honestly, the way I was watching her, I was like, she's so sad. It was as though they had been together for years. And I was just, like, yelling through the tv like, girl, girl, get out of here.

[A]

She is way too hot for him. Shashank said he looks like a ninja turtle.

[B]

He does look like somebody just put their hand on his head and smushed

[A]

him a little bit. Like Erica Kirk. You guys, someone said Erica Kirk looks like when your Barbie doll's head would pop off and you would push it back down. There's no. She doesn't have a neck. No neck. How do you.

[B]

Her chin just goes.

[A]

You can't unsee it. When you. You remember that, like, you couldn't get your Barbie's head back on the.

[B]

Yeah, you just smush.

[A]

What is it called? The little.

[B]

The swivel.

[A]

Yeah, the little ball. Yeah, like the socket until you just smush it down. And she would have. No. Like, I can't. I can never not see it.

[B]

Do you have anybody else before we get to Alex?

[A]

I think Mike is gonna say yes to Emma. You think they end up together? I think he's gonna say yes. Do you think he's gonna say no?

[B]

Well, they end the episode, obviously, with her saying that she says yes.

[A]

And then. You don't think.

[B]

I'm not sure. I think she. I think she doesn't want kids. I think he wants kids.

[A]

But she said yes.

[B]

She said, I will have kids.

[A]

He said them at the altar was a mind. I mean, even their families. By the way, I'm obsessed with his family, his mob family. Like they.

[B]

His mom mansplaining with Sunday sauces.

[A]

I thought his whole thing was like, I'm not gonna make you make this decision. And then I think she was saying yes. And so that's him. Here's my thing. I think Emma should have kids and have a family. I think she is scared because of what she's been through. I understand her stuff about her family history and her birthmark. I don't say that's not valid. I think she is maybe coming up with some reasons because I think she's scared to have kids. And being adopted, that comes with a lot of different things for a lot of different people. I obviously cannot relate on a personal level. I would never tell women they should have children. I don't want children. I think Emma should have a family of her own, whether it's with Mike or not. I feel it so deeply. I think she, deep down wants a family, and I think she should have one. And that's my final take.

[B]

Okay. All right. I'm curious what happens next week. They're just a nice couple. I really like her.

[A]

I really root for her.

[B]

I think she's pushed through a lot in her life, and she just seems sweet and wonderful and kind, and I want her to have a good life no matter what she chooses.

[A]

I think having children would be very healing for her. I think she would make an amazing mom. And this is, again, coming from somebody that's child free for life. Like, I just. I hope I want the best for them.

[B]

Okay, well, we'll tune in next week.

[A]

I want the best for them and nothing but the worst for Alex.

[B]

Now we've made it to Alex, My Roman Empire. I was texting the publicist for Love is Blind yesterday. I was like, can you tell me anything about Alex? And she was like, hehehe, girl.

[A]

No, I can't.

[B]

I know he is my current Roman Empire. And she's like, yeah, I get it.

[A]

We were also on a group chat, me and Raina and KFC Kevin Clancy, about specifically Alex. And he has theories that he says he can't put on the Internet, but we support and whatever.

[B]

Okay, so just to catch you guys up, I didn't catch this to begin with. Alex is this, like, soccer guy who had played in college and he was gonna be drafted.

[A]

He was this.

[B]

I Guess. Soccer goalie star in college, he got injured and was not able to be drafted. This is his whole personality. His whole self worth is tied to the soccer career. But he's 35 now, so this was a long time ago. 15 years ago. And on the show, he has expressed a lot of lies. So let me tell you what some of the lies are.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Okay. The first few that have been debunked, people did say that that was not his mother that came on the show.

[A]

What?

[B]

So she didn't seem like the person that he was on the phone with. And I agree. Yeah, the person he was on the phone with was. The vibe was sort of like, why are you calling me? The vibe was not, let me hop on a plane today and fly to Ohio.

[A]

It was. You're so. Thank you for saying that. Like, it felt so strange that they did seem like they didn't have much of a relationship. And then she was just there.

[B]

And when Ashley was talking to her, she was like, the timeline of his life feels hard to follow. And the mom's like, totally. A lot of people would say that. Yes, it does seem. And I was like, so I will get into this in a minute. I dated somebody like this. And the timelines are purposely hard to follow because they're trying to, like, misdirect you. So that, I guess, was his mom. Actually his mom. And then he says the grandparents were together for 50 years and they died in their 60s on TikTok. This sleuth dug up the obituaries. I guess he was wrong about, like, his grandparents died. They did die in their 70s. And so these two things were probably

[A]

the truth, though that could have just been a math error. I'm not an apologist, but, like, people really dug into this, like, math of it all. And like, oh, your grandparents met at 14. They actually could have met at, like, 18 back and then whatever. So. But regardless, it's so much about the Austin and the exact other. And he doesn't have a home.

[B]

Okay. So Covid ended his career. He said 2020. His financial services career. I'm pretty sure that Covid did not end your financial services. His career five years ago. Six years ago. Says he's a dual citizen with New Zealand. Based on what you're.

[A]

Can I jump in with my favorite Alex quote? I just want to have a house in Florida, a trust in Dubai, and a safe house in New Zealand. The trust.

[B]

You don't have a job.

[A]

What trust?

[B]

He moved to Ohio to be on this show.

[A]

You don't have a Job or a home. But all of a sudden there's three homes and there's a trust. Sir. This is the typical l. A guy. No job, no home. And he's like, y' all have no hope to speak. I'll have a safe house. House. A trust in Dubai.

[B]

A safe house from what? All the lies you've told?

[A]

I was like a scrolling, obviously, like I do when I watch Love is My trust in Dubai. My neck snapped up. I said, shashank, he didn't say trust in Dubai. With what?

[B]

Also, he's talking about being this world traveler. He's lived in Florida and Ohio and he's been to Australia and allegedly is a New Zealand citizen.

[A]

Also. If you live that nomadic lifestyle, that's fine. Like it's. That's what I think she thought. And now she's like, seen all the holes. Like, there's nothing wrong with that. People, like, live that life. But that doesn't appear to be.

[B]

That doesn't appear to be what it is. Like a travel nomad.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

He's a financial advisor, which the father grilling him about. What are your licenses? What do you trade? I mean, it was very strange, his Austin travel story, when that started to unwind with the girl, with the other girl from Chicago. And he was like, it's two on one. It's like it takes an army of people to just like unwind this spider web.

[A]

Two women.

[B]

Two women.

[A]

By an army, you mean two women. His name.

[B]

He changed his name multiple times. So I actually have never seen somebody with this much audacity to go on a national television show and lie this much. I've never seen anything like it. I mean, it is so bold to do something like this because the Internet is undefeated and every one of these things has been debunked.

[A]

It's so crazy. Like, yes, you could have done this. In the 90s, people did that game show Serial Killer. Sometimes people have this level of audacity.

[B]

It's Dirty John. I mean, may I suggest Dirty John to you?

[A]

But with social media, you're so right. Like, it's another level of delusion. We were saying, I dated one guy. Dated. I say loosely, but we had like a. Like whatever, but intimate. We had. We had a hookup. Yeah. But we kept in touch more. It wasn't just a one night stand, whatever. And something about them reminds me of each other. Their same demeanor. And that guy did lie in such a big way. He told me his mom was basically dying. She was really sick. And I kind. I. I debunked it like, a year later with someone that knew him. And I was like, that's so sick. And then I checked in on the mom a couple times. That's so sick. So I don't know. There was something that reminded me about the way he always is quick with an answer. He's really sharp. It's interesting. Like, he's not stupid.

[B]

No, these are rehearsed lies.

[A]

I mean, but he's quick with them.

[B]

He's quick with them. I had a very similar situation like this with somebody where you couldn't get. Get the timelines right because they are trying to misdirect you. I had the exact same situation. This guy that played hockey, he told me that he played for West Point. He said he was injured right after he got traded to some team in Seattle to play professional hockey. And his timelines were. I couldn't figure out. He said he lived in, like, four different places after West Point. He had gone into the army for a little while. He lived in Chicago. And one night, I had gone out with his girlfriends, two of his girlfriends. And he was, like, being weird and cagey about it. He was out of town, so he couldn't come. And he was like, fuck them. Don't go out with them. And I was like, I thought these were your best girlfriends. Like, why don't you want me to go out with them? And he was weird about it. And I asked them, like, one question, and this one girl was like, wait, he never lived in Chicago. And I was like, that's all it

[A]

takes to pull the thread.

[B]

If that wasn't true, five other things weren't true. And I sat there and realized every single thing this man had told me was untrue. And I had this feeling in my body of, like, none of this is true. These timelines don't add up. He can't explain where he was in any amount of times. And if you, like, feel it in your body, you're just probably right.

[A]

Yeah. And I really hope Ashley brings him to the altar and breaks up with him. They get to the altar, they show them in the preview for next week. But if she decides to be with this guy, she can only blame herself. She knows he's lying. If I'm Ashley, I am indulging this as long as it'll go. Cause this is my kink, figuring out these lies. If I'm Ashley, her and her dad, this is a dream for me,

[B]

literally, like.

[A]

Like, I would be getting off on, like, calling him on these lies so much. But she can't fucking marry this guy. I just, like, they're clearly not gonna make it. But, like, she knows. I hope she's just leading us on to break up with him in the final hour. But she cannot. I will blame her because she does know. She made that clear.

[B]

Her family knows. She seems to come from, like, a stable background. I actually really like her. I think, you know, she has fallen victim to the reason somebody like this goes on a show like this, which is that you meet them in these pods and they prey on your emotional kindness and getting to know them. So that once you meet them and obviously see how attractive he is, you're like, I don't care about the other stuff. So she unfortunately fell victim to, like, knowing other stuff about him and feeling safe. And I guess they had a little bit of sex in the beginning before he decided to stop having sex with her and period stop. And continuously saying also on camera, that's not his physical type, which is insane. I don't know. The whole thing is crazy.

[A]

We'll discuss the finale next week. Can I just say that we are going to talk about America's next time model documentary today. If Love is Blind took place in the early 2000s. It would be 10 hot singles, 10 hideous trolls. Can they find love behind a wall without seeing each other? Can you picture it? If Love is Blind would have been in the early 2000s.

[B]

They would only talk about people's love.

[A]

No, but it would have been. The hook would have been shallow, Hal. It would have been like, here are these disgusting people. The ugliest people we could find. And here are the hottest people we could find. Let's put them behind a wall.

[B]

Scoured America, ugliest people on earth.

[A]

See if these models will fall in love with these trolls on the next Love is Bind. Like I know it in my soul. And they would have ate down that show. It would have been the number one show on upn. It would have like, literally, like every

[B]

person would have looked like the married at first sight guy. That his head goes into his shoulders too.

[A]

Yes. Like, it really would have. Wait, you mean I know you 90 day fiance. They would have literally found the worst looking people in America and the best looking people. And that would have been the hook.

[B]

100%. You're so right.

[A]

I'm so glad we don't. I mean, I'd watch it, but so glad we don't have to live like that anymore. But, like, it just kind of reminds you the TV that we used to consume back then that we didn't think in that time was problematic. And I just wanna start with saying this isn't a defense of like Tyra, we'll get into it. But it's like we just have to, we have to remember that was a different time and like we weren't clocking stuff as problematic in the 90s, early 2000s.

[B]

I mean, the number one example of that for me is Girls Next Door with the Playmates and Hugh Hefner. And like, it just. Playboy was the coolest thing back then. And I don't think a lot of people stopped to be like, these are 18 year old girls with this 80 year old man that is filming them have sex with each other. Like, this is so sick and abusive. It was just Playboy was so cool. Everybody seemed like they were having fun. So I guess you have to evaluate everything through the lens of the time. Yeah, we watched the whole documentary. I mean, it was nice to remember some of these journeys. I really was invested in the show. I mean, did you watch. Yeah. All these seasons?

[A]

I did. So if you guys don't know, I mean, there's a. Is it called Reality Check and it's America's Next Top Model documentary is on Netflix and Tyra Banks is a part of it. And they have a lot of the former models. Not, not, not all of them. Some declined to participate and they have the former judges as well. And it swept the nation. And yeah, I mean, I think I watched the first few seasons, like totally in full. I remembered all these stories and then I fell off. I didn't realize it went on that long. You know, it fell off for me personally and I just stopped watching it. But to watch you kind of. It brings you back to that time. There's some nostalgia. But also some of these storylines now are really disturbing. I mean, specifically Shandy, there's, there's, it's really tough. It's like she, it appears that she was pretty much assaulted when she was really drunk and they filmed it all and then she had to call her boyfriend and tell him. And I think the sickest part was then they made her relive that years later on the Tyra show. And I couldn't believe what I was watching. Like, she didn't want to relive this and they forced it on her and that's like really vile.

[B]

This is a person that is begging to not have to relive this. She says, I can't watch this. And Tyra was like, well, we have a surprise for all of you. We're gonna play it right now. And the biggest thing out of this documentary is obviously Tyra Banks behavior in the documentary and the inability to vocally take any responsibility or self reflect or take any responsibility for the experiences of these women. And it's sort of interesting how she oscillates between, you know, if something went well, she opened the door and she paved the way. And if something went poorly, she wasn't part of a production. It had nothing to do with her. And she oscillates between those two things, back and forth, back and forth. And, you know, I'm sure Tyra Banks went through a lot being a young African American model at that time. I'm sure that no one has any idea what she experienced and went through. And I think that she has become hardened through those experiences. But watching her talk, I was like, this isn't even like a person. I feel like I'm not watching a person that's having, like a normal response to things that are being asked of her. I mean, it was just a character.

[A]

Yeah. Like, it was a masterclass in deflection. I mean, I've never seen someone just deflect in such a strategic or so she thought way. But, yeah, a lot of the commentary is like, is she acting like she feels like she's hosting Top Model right now? Like, this is not. She's not being authentic. And, you know, there's a lot, you know, she had a few sort of apologetic moments. I think she was apologizing for her. I think she thought she ate down with this. And then the question of, were the other producers accountable to. And I think a lot of them have spoken out. I even just saw Jay on Lady Gang talking about it. And, you know, it's interesting because it's like, even if they thought stuff was wrong in the moment, you couldn't tell Tyra, you know, like. Like she was in charge. Like, that much was clear. And I haven't watched every single interview with them now, but everyone was accountable. But she was still very much in charge with the people at the top of the network who didn't give a either, like, they're still the villains or the people that are, like, we don't care. Exploit everyone. And I think she set out to do right by these women and there was some harm done. And she could be a narcissist. I think you could look at her and be like, this is a narcissist in action. But some people are saying she doesn't have anything to apologize for, and that's fine. But to me, like, it is her life's. Work. And I'm sure she's like, I don't want to come in here and say, I fucked up. I regret it. We damaged people. Like, that's probably. Don't you feel like that's what's on her mind? She's like, how dare you demand an apology from me? I did all this good in the world. And I think what people would want is her saying, obviously the show was a hit. It opened doors for a lot of people. It redefined beauty standards. If I could do it today, I would do it differently. I've grown, the times have changed. And you know, I did my best at the time. And I never, of course, wanted to hurt anybody, but I don't regret it. Like, can't two things be true? Like, we had the best intentions. Like, I don't regret anything. We made great TV and we did do a lot of good, but there was harm done. And of course, I don't know, like, she could have rode the fence a little instead of this, like, deflection.

[B]

I mean, I totally agree with everything you said. I think that wanting her to apologize is very loaded because, like, was she in a room by herself making all these decisions? No, there was a lot of people in these rooms making these decisions, decisions and producing this and putting money into this. She wasn't alone in these decisions. And I don't think should be blamed for all these things. And yes, a lot of good came from this and really uplifted people with different body types and different races and different backgrounds. And that's really important. And they took these women and gave them experiences. They're really important. She did open doors. But to me, people's relationship to apologizing is so interesting because, like, there would be nothing wrong with saying, like, seeing it through the lens of today. We made some mistakes and I would be kinder today and I would be more open minded. And things that didn't seem like that big of a deal back then, now I do see that they were and I see that things were being filmed that I didn't know about and people were really hurt. And like, if I could do it all over again, I'd make different decisions. And it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Like, just because you say that doesn't mean you're accepting responsibility for 25 seasons of mistakes. Yeah, like, I think some people are just like, I'm not gonna respond, I'm not gonna apologize for all this. So I will apologize for none of this.

[A]

Yeah, I totally agree with you too. I mean, there were a lot of other things that really have bothered me and that they're saying the models didn't get paid for this. And I read about it and they said that they didn't pay the models because they didn't want them to be biased or something. Like, I did. I tried to do as much research as I could. And like, apparently they were not paid. Like, the J's were paid. Like, everybody else was paid, but the models weren't. Which I think is crazy because it's like, shouldn't it be that you're being compensated for this? We're making a ton of money off of this. You were being compensated to tell your story. The production company, Netflix, whatever it may be, they are unbiased. It's not Tyra producing it. Like, I can see one thing. If it was like, we're going to pay you, just FYI, it's coming from Tyra. So keep that in mind when you're telling your story. Like, isn't this just a documentary that's being produced? That's like, we're paying you for your time now tell your story. And it seems exploitative too.

[B]

I think it's really important to compensate people for their time.

[A]

Even.

[B]

Even $250 to just take the cab there, get dressed, do hair and hair.

[A]

I think it should be way more. I mean, I'm making tons of money.

[B]

Way more, of course, but, like, you need to compensate people for their time. They're showing up on set, they're doing hair and makeup. They're spending their time mic'd up, answering questions, thinking about things. Those girls were probably on set for days on end. Like, I just think it's unconscionable to not just. Cause people will do it for free doesn't mean that they should.

[A]

I just don't. I don't get it. If the reason is cause we don't want them to be biased, that's not gonna happen. They're gonna share their story. That's what you're telling them to do. It's not coming from Tyra's pocket or something. I don't know if I'm even phrasing this right, but that's. I couldn't get that out of my head. And then just overall not setting these models up for success in the real world and the fact that Tyra kind of knew that and, like, they kind of had a target on their back and they put them out in the world and they couldn't use their photos and, you know, American Idol was At the exact same time. And people became superstars out of that. Like, they were able to figure it out. I know that we're talking about ABC versus UPN and we're talking about two different industries, but, like, it really made me sad to bring people on, to try to achieve their dreams and exploit them for it and then kind of kick them to the. The curb. And at the exact same time, in tandem, we saw another show be able to, like, not have fall into that camp. And that was the hardest part for me. Like, today, these people could build a career in social media. But back then, it's like a. If you won, you didn't really get what you thought you were promised. And if you didn't really, then you go back to work at Walgreens. Like, it's sad. It's not a dating show where you might go on and you might find love. It's like, this is someone's dream and it's being exploited for tv and you're actually not getting what was promised, which is. I think that was the thing that sat with me the most. That was tough.

[B]

It was tough to watch. I wish these people, these women who had, like, worked so hard would have had better experiences. I think Tyra could argue that, like, this was out of her hands. The one thing I will get, I will say that it's just not arguable at all, is that when they fired the whole cast, the rest of the men that all seemed to, like, go on and have relationships. Jay Manuel, Ms. J. And Nigel Barker. That Tyra did know about this and did not give them any warning. And it did sound like they had, like, a familial type of relationship. And I don't really understand not giving people a warning shot after a decade of working together. I mean, you can't actually argue the other side of that at all. And these people are somebody that you worked with for many years through your family to not have any communication with them. I mean, that to me is sick. That to me is like, I care about nobody but me. And she tried to.

[A]

To spin it.

[B]

Is that, like, no one is a sacred. Shut up, Tyra. She said it like that because she eventually got fired.

[A]

But the trend right now is so hilarious. So there's this trend going around on tick tock and reels, of course, that is basically, like, I told Tyra, this traumatic thing happened, and this was my shoot the next day. So the first person I saw do this, it was like, told Tyra my dog died. And then the next day, and she Was like posing with a dog. One of it was like, I told Tyra my. My grandma fell in. In the shower. And this was my shoot the next day. And it was like, in the shower. Like, I told Tyra that my, like, something about the blizzard and this was my shoot the next day. It's the funniest trend to me. The dog one really got me. I mean, it's so dark, but, like, that was the vibe of just, like, taking people's weaknesses.

[B]

Like the.

[A]

The woman that had to do the gluttony shoot and then be an elephant.

[B]

The next woman who was shot in the head wasn't like, her mom, a victim. Victim of a shooting.

[A]

And then the Bolivia one, the race swapping.

[B]

Like, I was like, Ashley, when I saw that, I was just like, what are we doing?

[A]

Then I remembered it. Did you remember it?

[B]

Yeah, I remember it. But I'm pretty sure that was problematic back then, too. We're going to swap races. They made J Manual stand in front of all these people and he's like, today on Top Model, guess what, bitches? We're swapping races.

[A]

Like, he. You're right.

[B]

Like, it's.

[A]

It still was early 2000.

[B]

Like, we knew that blackface was not okay then. I'm pretty sure that we all were on board. Like, that's crazy.

[A]

Okay, well, we need to wrap this up. We have watched Love Story. We'll hold it till next week, but we just have a few quick headlines.

[B]

So Eric Dane passed away. He lost his battle with als. He obviously is beloved from Grey's Anatomy and not really from Euphoria.

[A]

Not so much from Euphoria.

[B]

Honestly, I really can only. I. I recently watched Euphoria, so it's hard for me. But, you know, our condolences go out to his family.

[A]

And then this is what I thought was really interesting. He put out a interview that he wanted to air after his death, so this is on Netflix. And he leaves behind his final words and talks about his children and his wife. And the takeaways are live now in the present. Fall in love. Choose your friends wisely. Finally, fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight. Never give up. Fight into your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit. So that was just really emotional. But, I mean, I don't know, I find that to be a really impactful thing to do. You know, like, after I. This is what I want my legacy to be. So that's. That's on Netflix if you guys want to check that out.

[B]

And then the Mormon Wives Season 4 is coming out in March. The trailer was released. My boyfriend Harry Jowsey's in it. Sexiest man.

[A]

Love him.

[B]

Demi is in the trailer. She is not in the photo for season four. So people are not sure how much she's going to participate in it.

[A]

It's.

[B]

It's interesting. I mean, she also was not going to participate in season three and she was just walled.

[A]

She can't help herself.

[B]

Yeah, but she's not in the photos for season four. And then finally in an interview, the actress who plays Brie on Tell Me Lies, Kat Missal. Basically the interview was saying was discussing the show series finale after three seasons. It's dramatic storylines that are never short of toxic relationships with men. And she said, well, I am gay, so thank God. What a mic drop go off, girl.

[A]

Yeah, so I guess, I don't know, like. And her partner was. Was present and said, you're safe with me.

[B]

Just like men.

[A]

I don't even have anything. Well, I'm gay, so thank God. Record screech.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

She'd never come out about her sexuality and like, what an iconic way to drop it after these, like the show with these toxic men.

[B]

All these terrible men. Well, I'm gay.

[A]

Yeah, I don't worry about that. It's so.

[B]

We love you.

[A]

It's like such a dagger when lesbian is like, yeah, rough for you and

[B]

you're like, yeah, yeah.

[A]

I mean, I have a good one, but it's just like. It does hit different. Yeah, it does. Okay, well, that is your snack. Thank you guys for listening. Girls gotta eat.com get tickets to our Netflix is a joke festival show which is going to be May 7th here in LA at the Palace Theater. We are so excited. We cannot wait to see you guys there. Girls gotta podcast on Instagram and TikTok. I am Ash Hess on Instagram and TikTok. Raina is raina.greenberg and raina greenberg.com for her tour tickets and subscribe on YouTube. Share this episode with a friend and we will see you Monday.

[B]

Have a great weekend, guys.