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Christina Finch Bloom
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Host
Oh hey, you're here. Welcome back to Intentionally Disturbing. This week I get to talk with Christina Finch Bloom. Christina is a fellow Canadian. Yes I'm Canadian guys and she is married to the president of TikTok Canada. Christina and I have quite a funny conversation where we go through how Canada views America. Right now we talk a little bit about Trump and we talk about those infamous TikTok comments on my viral don't return your shopping cart video. I hope you enjoy it. Oh hey.
Christina Finch Bloom
You'Re here.
Host
Today I get to talk to Christina. I'm very excited. So we're calling it what follower turned friend Christina is Canadian. And I don't know if anyone knows this, but so am I. Christina is married to somebody pretty high up in the TikTok world. The president of TikTok.
Christina Finch Bloom
TikTok Canada.
Host
More specifically, how are you feeling about your recent election and our recent election?
Christina Finch Bloom
So, I mean, I think I've got a lot of pretty mixed feelings. It was really interesting, I would say, to see Canada go from such a anti liberal sentiment. I mean, our Prime Minister was in power for a decade, which is very long time, no matter what country you're from, because you have millions of listeners. But the way the Canadian politics, tenure and timeline works is much different than the U.S. it's not four years, eight years. A prime minister can actually run indefinitely. And Trudeau was a sign of that. And by the end, Canadians were really, really pissed off with him and the liberal leadership in general. And we swung largely Conservative, which happens every about decade or so. Canadians go Liberal, Liberal, Liberal, and then we're like, ah, the world is crumbling. Let's go Conservative. We stay Conservative for about a year and then we go back to Liberal. And I think we saw that trend happening. And then your president got elected and started shit with Canada for absolutely no reason. And so far as any of us can tell, and Canada went Conservative and we thought that Poliev was a shoo in. And frankly, as a liberal person myself, I was looking forward to some transformative change. And then Poliev was seen seeming to be aligned with Trump, and then we went right back to Liberals. So I would say it was a bit of a confusing time for all Canadians in politics. I thought that Trudeau delivered an amazing speech in opposition to Trump, and I think that sort of started swinging the pendulum back to liberal. Anyway. I could talk politics all day, but all that to say I'm conflicted by it. I think that Carney is a strong leader. I think Poliev would have been some really good change for Canada for a little bit. And the one thing I can say for sure is that Canada is fed up with the whole thing. I mean, our grocery shelves are stockpiled with Made in Canada, Made in Canada, Made in Canada. And they're empty. And all the ones that say made in the US Full, no one's buying us. I went into the grocery store to buy whiskey for my husband because he happens to be a connoisseur. And stupidly, you know, I'm still breastfeeding, I'm not sleeping, I am blonde by. By birth. So I've got all these things working against me. And I'm like, oh my God, where did the whiskey section go? And I got blasted by an employee. She's like, how dare you support the U.S. i was like, oh yeah, I forgot. So there's no bourbon on any of our shelves, no American wine, no nothing. And so Canada's really, really looking inward at making sure we're supporting our own economy, which I would say was well timed. We needed to lean into Canadian made things anyway. Like, I believe in a global economy, but you also have to support what's at home. So that was a very long winded answer. Sorry.
Host
No, it's good. Sorry. The Canadian. Sorry, sorry, sorry. I'll say that I didn't, I did not know that. I did not know that it was to that extent.
Christina Finch Bloom
Oh yeah. I mean, restaurants are taking out Canadian made or American made beefs. It's pervasive. It's everywhere from the convenience store all the way to the fanciest of restaurants, to all of our alcohols, to even our candy, you know, candy. You know, I've got an 11 year old daughter who's obsessed and she can't get certain candies and oh my gosh, I ordered. So my daughter's having a 3 Rex birthday party. Very exciting. So I ordered from Etsy, this really beautiful little tutu, T. Rex girly costume because even though she likes dinosaurs, she's a true little girl. And I. So I already was paying an absorbing amount of money in shipping, which I didn't mind because I like supporting small business, even if it is from the U.S. it's not a small business owner's problem that these tariffs exist. And so I was paying double the cost of the item to have it shipped. It showed up in my door and there was a $65American tariff on top of it. And I emailed the woman and I said, hey, listen, I just want to let you know, as a Canadian, I now got charged another, almost one third of the total cost for these tariffs. She ended up paying for it and apologizing profusely and reading, you know, the very long list of her products getting increased. And she's like, she's like, I can't sell the Canadians anymore and this is half of my base. Crazy, crazy.
Host
Wow. I didn't know that. Maybe that's why no one's buying my sweatshirts that say I'm not your fucking therapist.
Christina Finch Bloom
I want one.
Host
How do I send it? How do I send it to Canada?
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, no, very, very, not easily.
Host
I mean, at Niagara Falls we'll throw it over.
Christina Finch Bloom
Who is going to cross the border because at this point, people are getting their cities or their passports taken away. And people, if you have any anti sentiment anything on your phone for Trump, they are, they can look through and penalize you for it. It's crazy. Crazy.
Host
So there was this one weird thing that happened with TikTok where like I started following J.D. vance and Trump. My account did, but I didn't do it.
Christina Finch Bloom
So I can't speak to the algorithms for TikTok or anything else, but I actually noticed that it happened for me on Instagram and Facebook and I'm a Canadian. Why would I follow JD Vance of all people?
Host
Right. Well, I mean, his wife, like, I really liked her dress, you know, during the inauguration and I loved that her daughter had band aids on every finger. And they were like, they were like unashamed about how like this is what our children really are. They're just hot messes, you know, but that's about it. That's about it. So. But yeah, I had to go unfollow a bunch of politicians that I never followed.
Christina Finch Bloom
Same.
Host
That's weird. Do you and Josh like sit at home and. Well, you don't drink whiskey and drink something and like, we still have some left.
Christina Finch Bloom
We still have.
Host
Okay. Do you talk about like just the weird shit like that?
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, I would say we used to a lot more when we were in Covid and all the rest, but, you know, and I obviously can't disclose anything because there's a lot going on in the walls of every social media company, but we've talked a lot less because there's just so much. I know there's a lot happening in the US with TikTok, but there's a lot going on in Canada with TikTok as well. The government's involved and we don't get to quite chat as openly as we once did. And also because it's kind of sad that there's a lot of governing of free speech in Canada specifically. I don't know if you know, but the Canadian government two years ago shut down the ability to broadcast news on social media. Any news from cbc, cnn, anything. And that felt like a pretty large smack in the face to freedom of speech. Especially since social media isn't the problem. Right. All it is is a platform to spread information. So the information and the people are the problem. Social media is merely a tool to disseminate and to distribute the content. And when the government gets involved and says, you're not allowed to distribute this content anymore, kind of things start to Go a little bit dark and weird. And so unfortunately, we don't sit around and, you know, we share TikTok videos all the time, all day, every day, but we don't talk about it a whole lot because there's just. It's just. It's a very complicated web right now.
Host
It is like one of the most. I don't know if you'd call it trending, but I don't really use Twitter or X, but we just call it Twitter. It's the. But the racism that has been kind of going viral on those apps and people just openly using the N word, just openly saying that they are a part of these horrible organizations. And it's just up there for the world to see, for our kids to see. Like, can I share with you?
Christina Finch Bloom
Can I share with you an unpopular opinion?
Host
Yes.
Christina Finch Bloom
And it has been my opinion for a very long time, and I largely have spoken about all of my opinions. I actually think it's wonderful that they have this platform that they can share their speech on. And you want to know why? Now we know who they are. Now we know what they think. It's no longer your neighbor next door who is a covert narcissist. Now we know that he's singing, you know, the N word and Ye's new HH song and whatever else I would almost rather know. Do I like that it maybe could influence younger children? No. But I do also want to stop pretending that this doesn't exist. And when we suppress freedom of speech and when we don't know who our enemies are, then we don't know. And so the influence of younger people bothers me because it makes them think that this is okay. But I would. I want to know. I want to know who these assholes are, frankly.
Host
Yeah, no, I know. And I love that they are literally stupid enough to post this stuff with their fucking names, their faces, their full names. Like, I. You know, as we'll talk about my shopping cart situation, like, the FBI picked up numerous of those threats made against me because they could find the people very easily. Like, someone in, like, the living in the sticks in Oregon is on their watch list now because of what? Of the death threats that they were sending me?
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, it's just like, maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that's a good thing.
Host
It's a good thing that. That one. I'm thinking of one individual and that he's so fucking stupid, I always say.
Christina Finch Bloom
I'm not saying we should, like, allow people to hurt themselves, but maybe we just, like, remove warning labels and let things figure themselves out on their own.
Host
Yeah, well, I mean, like working in prisons, it was always, you know, is it a cold threat or is it a hot threat? And so the cold was like a kind of a mild threat, but we couldn't act on it, we couldn't give them consequences. And we were always told, take a cold threat and make it hot. You want the hot threat, you want to be able to offer consequences. And so if we don't know, like if I didn't know people wanted to kill me, then, you know, I'm going to be a lot more scared. But if you're just going to come out, right, and say, hey, I'm going to kill you and it's going to be Tuesday at 3, then that's cool. I'd prefer to know that.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, I would like to call law enforcement and say, hey, here's something interesting for you.
Host
Well, unlike you, I get to carry a gun everywhere I go.
Christina Finch Bloom
That was something I wanted to talk to you about too because it's that, you know, I don't think about anyone ever having a gun in their, in on their person ever. Like, I can't say that it's ever crossed my mind except maybe walking home alone, you know, after clubbing at 3am and being in a dark alley with someone where you think, oh no, maybe. But it's just not something as Canadians we think about like ever.
Host
Well, you know, being from Canada, you know, I was raised very anti gun and then it carried over to when we moved to America and my father was, he's so anti gun. He's very much, you know, guns are only made to kill people. And, and I tend to agree, although the defensive side of me is like, you know, it is a nice last piece to keep yourself safe in situations when a knife or your body is not gonna do it. Right.
Christina Finch Bloom
But also it depends on your environment. If everybody else is carrying a gun around, then yeah, I mean it makes sense to bring a gun to a gunfight.
Host
Yeah. But it's like, I mean I still, I still look at it and I feel uncomfortable. I mean I, I've gone through extensive training on using guns and I think anyone who takes on. And it depends on the state, right. Like California is different. People in Walmart and like the Deep south are just like, just got guns strapped all over their body. Oh my God.
Christina Finch Bloom
I mean that, that's one thing that we joke about in Canada too is that like guns have more rights than women's uteruses in the U.S. it's true. Sorry again. Sorry. Americans.
Host
No, it's really. It is really true. So I mean, if. Well, if I. I'm not gonna have any more babies, I might as well just have guns.
Christina Finch Bloom
Then you'll know it'll be protected.
Host
It's horrifying.
Christina Finch Bloom
It is.
Host
Okay, so. Okay, so you sent me a video. Truth or trolling?
Christina Finch Bloom
Yes.
Host
Which. When I opened it, I really 100% thought it was an SNL skip.
Christina Finch Bloom
Right.
Host
And it was mostly because of that blonde guy in the back with like the slicked back hair.
Christina Finch Bloom
Voldemort maybe?
Host
Yeah, it looked like a wig. And I was like, this can't be real. It was real.
Christina Finch Bloom
They can't even make an SNL skit out of it because it already is one.
Host
Oops. Commercial time.
Jenny Garth
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Host
I'm the founder of Meaningful Beauty. Well, I don't know about you, but, like, I never liked being told, oh, wow, you look so for your age. Like, why even bother saying that? Why don't you just say you look great at any age, every age. That's what Meaningful Beauty is all about. We create products that make you feel confident in your skin at the age you are now. Meaningful Beauty, Beautiful skin at every age. Learn more@meaningful beauty.com so, in the same vein, we're going to do truth or trolling? I'm going to read you some comments on my viral shopping cart video and then we'll just have a little discussion about it.
Christina Finch Bloom
Okay, so I have to. I have to guess whether this was actually said or whether this is you trolling.
Host
That. And then like, maybe, like we talk about the weight of it.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, definitely.
Host
Okay, so to orient people who don't have social media, I did a video where I just, very quickly, I think it was like 17 seconds, said, I'm not going to return my shopping cart if my kids are in the car. And what else did I say? If my kids were in the car and I just don't want to. And I told everyone to fuck off, basically.
Christina Finch Bloom
And that's what made me follow you.
Host
Perfect. So the larger purpose of the video, which nobody really cared to look at the rest of my page or understand, the Daily show all the way up to it was on Fox News. They kept calling me single mom who refuses to return her shopping cart all over the American news. I was like, okay, the larger point of the video was that if you don't feel safe, you should be paying attention to your gut and your intuition. And when you're returning your shopping cart, you should think about, you know, Is there potential danger? Let me look around a little bit. And if there is, fuck the judgment. Leave the cart somewhere safe. Obviously, like, one of the comments was just because of you, the cart rolled into the highway. Like, I mean, the projections onto me also. Me being like a white woman with a vocal fry, like a Kardashian. I mean, the projections were just. I don't know, I had, like clean hair and an aloe yoga sweater on. So all of this shame. So that's. So that video went viral and, like, has like a hundred million shares. I actually, I think I wrote down the statistics of the video. I don't know where it is, but if you look it up, it's. I pinned it to the top of my TikTok just for the world to enjoy.
Christina Finch Bloom
Can I say something about that, by the way, that I use quite a few of your sound bites often, and not necessarily even where just shopping carts are concerned, but you gave us that. Or you linked out to some stat about the danger of parking lots in general. The fact that, you know, of course, especially as a Canadian, we always want to do, you know, the kind or the gracious thing. Of course, returning your shopping cart is like a normal thing to do, but not at the danger of your very innocent children. And there was another stat, too, about carjackings and children being in the car by accident and it's just not worth it. And there's quite a few soundbites and I wish my brain worked well enough to list them off for you, the sound bite creator. But I talk about them often with people, and it's not necessarily about shopping gardens. It could be. It dovetails into so many other subjects. It's like spatial awareness, taking a look around. You don't want to be worried all the time that your children are going to get kidnapped or the worst of the worst. But if you're not aware and we don't know that a parking lot is a dangerous spot, and if you've never thought, hey, it's actually not worth the risk to not return my card, then you don't know what you don't know.
Host
Right, Exactly. And having worked with so many predators, you are vulnerable when you come out of the store. So they've watched you pull in, they've watched how you do it, they've watched you put your kids in the cart, you go into the store, and now they're waiting for a vulnerable moment to target you. And this may not be all the time, but predators are watching and they're waiting for patterns and especially pedophiles especially child predators, they're going to set the scene up. They're going to watch you for weeks going to the grocery store and they're gonna watch your patterns. I mean, sure, return your cart and zigzag and run like crazy and scream in the parking lot and look like a fucking crazy lunatic. Maybe they won't harm you. But it was the bigger point, right? It was the situational awareness.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah.
Host
And then other people, like, did the video who were men and they got no hate. They, they got no comments. Yeah. I mean, there was one like, I think we call them small people now. There was like a small person who did, who stitched the video and said, look, I can return my cart. And I'm a. I was like, that's not the point.
Christina Finch Bloom
But do you have small children in your car as well? That's not the point.
Host
That's not the point. Are you in downtown Los Angeles, you know, where you can't park? You're a mile from the store and your kids are like, ugh. Okay, so. Okay, so what I noticed was that I am officially added to Wikipedia under the shopping cart theory.
Christina Finch Bloom
I love this for you.
Host
So I will read the little blurb about the theory. It says the shopping cart theory is an Internet meme, which is apparently me, which judges a person's ethics by whether they return a shopping cart to its designated cart, corral or deposit area. So in simple terms, people refer to it as the ultimate litmus. Litmus test. Can't say the word for whether a person is capable of self governing or the apex example of whether a person will do what is right without being forced to do it. So if you do it, you're good, if you don't, you're bad. And we don't care about the situation.
Christina Finch Bloom
Or the context or.
Host
Yes, exactly. Okay, so that's kind of the context of the shopping cart. Okay, so here's our first comment. This is from Casey. I love how people's pictures are up. And now I have, I have, I saved all of them in case we get banned again. You know, it's like a 350 page Word document.
Christina Finch Bloom
Oh my gosh, the hate.
Host
Okay. Casey said, as a dad, I try setting a good example by putting it away. And my late father once taught me, if you're. Oh, there's a lot of typos. If you're too big to do something small, you're. He's not putting in apostrophes, you're too small to do something big. And that really stuck with Me.
Christina Finch Bloom
I think that this person actually said it. Truth but correct. But isn't that beautiful that it's a man? That's. I'm sure he's white by the name Casey. And his kids are probably not in the car. So I'm gonna say that his late pops gave a beautiful sound bite and that it does not apply. So go pounce out.
Host
Exactly. Okay, we have NV music videos. There's someone we could look up. You're good because you have a reason. The shopping cart test is for men. A mother doesn't need to risk her or child safety. Nobody should judge you unless they are just shit.
Christina Finch Bloom
I think they also said that. And I approve. Check. I agree.
Host
So clearly we have, like, the not so horrible comments. Okay, let's jump to. Oh, this is from a Leslie. Okay.
Christina Finch Bloom
All right.
Host
People who don't return their carts are those who only care about themselves. Don't worry about other people's cars or the employees who have to chase the cart down because you left it. It's all about you, after all.
Christina Finch Bloom
Oh, my God. What a troll. Great name. Terrible comment.
Host
So they are telling. So that's a true comment, but they are just, like, trolling me. Yeah. Okay, we've got Jose saying, you must be a bit slow for somebody who has Dr. In their username.
Christina Finch Bloom
That's funny, that. That's another true comment.
Host
Yep. Yep. And there's so many typos. There's no period. There's no grammar.
Christina Finch Bloom
Oh, my gosh. By the way, how much did you enjoy the. Your education minister sending trolling messages to Harvard and the Harvard University professor just marking it up and sending it on the Internet for all to see died? Hilarious.
Host
That's how I respond to these comments. Yeah. All I do is I rewrite their hate speech and I correct them. And what am I supposed to do? Be like, yeah, thank you.
Christina Finch Bloom
I will go die in a shopping cart. Wonderful.
Host
Okay. Savvy with a smiley face says, as a worker at a small retail store, I don't feel safe either. In my dark, large parking lot where I have to walk around collecting carts with no cameras and men drinking beer.
Christina Finch Bloom
I'm gonna say that's also truth. But you choose to work there, and maybe you should have different roles and responsibilities. You don't feel the same.
Host
I mean, so there. She's got a point, right? Like, if you don't return your cart, who's going to return it? But people have jobs that do that. And also, it's usually during the daylight. The manager of the store should be Responsible for sending out a young woman in the middle of the night to get the cart.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, no, absolutely. But that's also like. And not again, not very Canadian of me, but that's not your problem. Like, that is literally her job. She literally gets paid to do that job. You know, it's kind of what bothers me about self checkout. This is not my job. I do not work at your grocery store.
Host
Yeah.
Christina Finch Bloom
I do not want to check out my own groceries. I want to put my shopping cart back. And I always will when I can, but when I cannot, I won't. And I will feel no shame thanks to you.
Host
Yeah. And also self checkout. And then they ask for a tip. Like, no. And. But yet still I have this gut reaction of like, oh my God, I feel guilty if I don't just give them the 10%. What is that? Like, what is $2 to me? But who am I giving it to? The giant corporation?
Christina Finch Bloom
The AI? The robots.
Host
I know. Okay. Oh, here's one from a nice man named John Paul White. Fuck off yourself. Have you ever tried having a brain before? That was misspelled B R A N E. It would tell you to fuck off and bring your cart back. Wow.
Christina Finch Bloom
I. I think that's also truth. I think there are people this dumb.
Host
Yes, all of these are true. I pull. Okay. I just literally copied them from. And then one more neutral one. Now this is from an orthodontist. So this is like a licensed doctor. I looked up his webpage. He's a human being again. All the comments are still up on TikTok if anyone wants to look. So this doctor says it's pretty easy. Get groceries in the car again. He's. This is full of typos. Get groceries in the car, have kids, help. Space, space, comma, space, space. Then have a fun time showing your kids how to return a cart and be a good person. Then put your K in the car. LOL.
Christina Finch Bloom
Wow. My 8 month old loves helping me return the cart.
Host
Exactly. Yeah. The narrow mindset of the comments and the inability for people to think bigger than the 17 second video and then this, their justification of just throwing out such strong hate comments that are full of projection and judgment. It's amazing.
Christina Finch Bloom
It is amazing. It's like you've left your dog in the car for an hour in the heat. Like. Yeah, these two things are not the same. No.
Host
What did you think when you first saw the video before? Before we started talking?
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah. Actually, to tell you, and I'm sure maybe you've seen it written in your comments. Maybe you haven't. I admittedly have read through some of your comments when I needed a good chuckle because listening to stupid people is quite funny. It. Honestly, I. I felt like it set me free from an obligation that I had been conflicted over and putting my children in, you know, a moment's danger. And then some other people too, saying, hey, you know, actually if you park right beside the shopping cart that you could do to. Great suggestion. One that I hadn't thought about before. Usually I want to park as close to the door as I physically can because I'm carrying, you know, the baby bucket in one arm and I'm trying to. To make things quick when actually if I just park a little bit closer to the actual car itself, you know, bingo, bingo. All done. But honestly, it was. It was pretty liberating for me to feel like, hey, there's actually like, reasonable people out there. That it's so bizarre because it is a litmus test. You're like, oh, my God, if I leave my card here, am I being an. You have to think about who being an too is the most important. If I'm being an asshole to that woman who has got to collect the carts at the end of the night, I'm sorry, but my children. I would like to be an less to than you. Sorry about your inconvenience. You're being paid. My children are innocent sitting in a car.
Host
Right. And who are all of these people when every time you go to a parking lot, there are carts everywhere? Who are all the people saying that they return their carts? Because nobody seems to.
Christina Finch Bloom
I would say that I very rarely see a shopping cart left out, especially in the suburbs. More down, more than. Yeah, the big cities. But I don't feel guilty now. If I'm in a suburban and I've even left it there and someone looked at me, I'm like, sorry, my kids are in the car. Do you want to move it for me? Oh, you don't? Okay, bye. Bye. Thank you. For me, I found it very liberating. And that's what drew me to your content was like, hey, we can have these conversations about safety. And you've experienced so much in your life, none of which I've experienced. I've never worked in a jail. I've never. I wanted to be a forensic psychologist in university, but I certainly never got to even the studying portion of it. I love true crime, so I don't know if that makes me A doctor maybe.
Host
Yeah, a TikTok doctor.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, exactly. But it was it was very liberating to me to see a, you know, a movement where it's like, hey, let's be aware, let's look at our surroundings and let's not feel guilty about stupid shit because inconsequential at the end of the day.
Host
And taking it to even a larger place. The fact that this was like world news shows you the state of our world. People needed to retreat from the heavy stuff and they had to. Or maybe people only had the capacity to comment on something like this because they don't have the capacity to comprehend what's happening in the actual world.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, yeah, maybe to pan out a little farther, a little, a little frightening. But this, this tends to be something too that like, you know, it's. You live in such a population dense country with so many different types of people across the U.S. right. Canada's population wise is very, very small. We're a very large physical mass. But there's only the same amount of population is in California. And you know, I would argue that the French Canadians are different than the people from Vancouver, but not by such an overwhelming degree. You know, in the US you guys have just so very, very diverse types of people and thoughts and feelings and politics and all the rest. Very, very. And also very divisive. Like Americans argue more. Canadians are just like, meh. You don't agree? I know. Okay, bye.
Host
What do you think that's about? Why is it? I mean it is like it is so incredibly divisive here on about everything.
Christina Finch Bloom
I, I don't really know. I don't know if it's cultural where Canadians have just been raised to have conversations and sure, I mean we fight as much as Americans do, but it's just not, we don't seem to hold on to our opinions with such conviction. I don't know, like I'm happy to be wrong. Prove it to me and most of the people that I know. But, but, but, but maybe that's my circle of influence and I, you know, I don't know enough people. I don't know. I can't answer that.
Host
We'll be right back after this break.
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Christina Finch Bloom
Gets a little more connected, but a little further apart.
Host
But then there are moments that remind.
Christina Finch Bloom
Us to be more human.
Host
Thank you for calling Amica Insurance.
Lowes Advertiser
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Host
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Christina Finch Bloom
We understand that looking out for Each other isn't new or groundbreaking.
Host
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Host
So as we wrap up, I would love to hear, you know, oh, and I didn't read the one. There was one comment that I didn't read because it was so bad, but it was like, get ready, I'm gonna put a bullet in your head, in your kids heads.
Christina Finch Bloom
That's scary. Yeah, that's scary.
Host
That was a really bad one.
Christina Finch Bloom
You know, like, how do you. How do you not be afraid to put out content? How do you not be afraid to say something that people are not going to agree with, especially when you have such a huge platform and not be afraid?
Host
But again, I think a lot of these people are, you know, they're just, they're miserable and they're just finding the keyboard warriors, finding a place to, to place their hate. And it's really sad. Yeah, I can't live my life without morals and mission and know that, you know, for some fucking reason I can talk about gruesome shit and people will listen. And if I was like some old fucking fat white dude, I don't think people would listen in the same way. And that's why I think, like, juries listen to me because they're like, whoa, what'd you say? Wait, she just talked about a rectum. Hold on. I'm just like giggling and like. But okay, so with all that said, how do you. What is your overall view on being. I mean, you're in the TikTok family, so what is your overall view on that? Comments can get so bad and can get so dark and can stay up there and be allowed to kind of bully people in that way.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, I did. It kind of goes back to what I said before. I'm almost more for it than against it. And I don't know if that sounds callous or I would just rather know where the death threats are coming from and have that account linked and be able to go to the police and say, here's this person who is, you know, giving me death threats. To your point about those, like the cold threats, those are almost a little bit more frightening because, you know, they, maybe they pose a threat. They're not outright saying, okay, I'm going to come shoot you and your kids in the head, but I would rather know who my enemies are. But that leads more to my point about people being more strategic about when you let your children use social media. I very much am of the mindset that no social media until maybe your prefrontal cortex is Closed. I don't know. Is it reasonable to think your child's never going to go on social media before 18 to 21? Probably not, but there's a reason that TikTok's age is 13 as a minimum, and there's a reason that they're working more and more, and I don't mean to sound like an advocate for TikTok, but they're working on making sure that the comment sections are being monitored. Children should have monitoring, and the apps that are coming out to monitor your children's phones and the negative and positive sentiment controls that exist when your child's texting another human to alert the parents, hey, your child's being bullied. You know, it's happening online more and more and more and offline less and less, because, like you said, people are, you know, keyboard warriors. But I think the comment section should exist for adults. And I think that we just need to be more responsible with how our children use social media so that the true form of freedom of speech isn't influencing their very influenceable brains. And I know it's a very unpopular opinion.
Host
No, I think it's an amazing perspective. It's an amazing perspective. And again, people, especially in America, are fed fed ideologies, are fed propaganda, fed news, whatever you want to call it, and they just believe it. They don't question it.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah.
Host
So, I mean, it's refreshing to hear your perspective. I mean, we literally are told that TikTok is going to steal all of our information. I mean, I still can't believe the day TikTok got closed in America, but all of you guys, everywhere else in the world, everyone could see us here accounts.
Christina Finch Bloom
Well, the more embarrassing thing was all these admissions that these TikTok influencers were giving as they thought their worlds were collapsing. To me, honestly, I think that I don't think I can get in any trouble for this. I think it was a bit of a stunt, to be honest. I think it was meant to make Trump look like he could come in and save the day. I'm not saying that TikTok colluded with Trump to make that. So. That's not what I'm saying at all. I think companies were just like, okay, well, if you're gonna shut us down, then shut us down. It's a lot of posturing. And then it allowed Trump to come and save the day. Ultimately, you and I talked about this before. The whole thing about it being a Chinese company and all the rest of it, I mean, technically, it's a Singaporean company. And yes, it's owned by a Chinese Holdco, but so are microchips, so are the SIM cards in your phone, so are the batteries in your Tesla. I mean, it's a little bit asinine in my opinion, than we're worried that China is going to steal our brains from the TikTok apps where 90% of people are just dancing and having fun and spreading joy and creativity. It's not, it's, you know, TikTok was always meant to be a happy platform and a dancing platform and, you know, again, inspiring creativity and imagination and all these really wonderful things. China's not stealing that. And maybe I'm naive, you know, I leave room for that. I'm not in the tech industry anymore. But it just, it doesn't, doesn't make sense. And also look what's happening with Meta. They're on trial again right now. Look what's happening with Google. If you think our data is being collected by China, maybe we should be worried about what data is being collected by all of your apps. I mean, you and I talk on the phone and then all of a sudden I'm getting an ad the next day with literal physical verbiage that we didn't type, that we only talked about. That's not from China.
Host
No, TikTok. Exactly. But it's so great to have a conversation about it and like just put the different perspectives out there. And I think America, Americans are, well, one, we don't get news about the rest of the world. Right. We just hear about it.
Christina Finch Bloom
Right.
Host
You know, like we, we, I think we're just gonna buy Canada. You guys have a price.
Christina Finch Bloom
Never. That will never happen. Never.
Host
Never. But we don't hear about other countries and we sure as don't hear about other countries perspectives of us.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah. And I think, you know, one thing that, that Carney's speech really did a good job of, I thought was him saying like, listen, we love Americans, we just don't love American politics and we don't like what the politicians are doing to the relationship between Canadian politics and U.S. politics. I still love all my Canadian or American friends just as much as before. And to your point, my friends are calling me in the US and saying like, hey, are we the laughingstock of the universe? I'm like, I mean, it's not great. It's not a good luck what Trump is doing to. And it's not the Americans that are the laughingstock, it's American politics that is the laughing stock. I mean, this guy is accepting a 400 million dollar plane. Billion dollar plane. Okay, great. Yeah. You heard of the Trojan horse? No one? Anyone? Okay.
Host
What he said was he would be stupid not to.
Christina Finch Bloom
Stupid. That's. Yeah.
Host
I think we became the laughingstock, you know, when Arnold came into office, because I was in England at the time and everybody was like, is this a stunt? I was like, no, no, no, it's not. No.
Christina Finch Bloom
But you know what? I would.
Host
We like actors running our government.
Christina Finch Bloom
I would take Schwarzenegger for, for president over your current administration. But that's just me.
Host
Maybe we could change the rule and I could be the president even though I wasn't born there. But we've changed that rule.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah.
Host
Okay, final thoughts. Give us a call to action.
Christina Finch Bloom
Oh, well, actually I wanted to ask you about AI because you're kind of the specialist and like what do we need to work like look out for in terms of keeping our families safe with all this craziness? Because very soon the videos are going to be very believable, whether it's given from any social media app or the news or I mean like how are you dealing with that in your practice? How do we deal with that as, as mothers and parents and you know, give me the shopping cart spin on this. What do we do?
Host
I mean, I think there's a lot of. We need to keep things old school in a way. Like we should keep printed photos. We should keep our identification in a, in a non burn bag. Right. An antifier bag. Like we really should go back to the 1950s and make sure that we have everything, a foundation laid out in that way and be able to prove when, like when there are deep fakes or when our images are used and it can be anyone. Right. They're gonna, it, it will be everyone soon. It won't just be people putting themselves out there. Right. That you, you can take a 4 year old's picture and mor to an 18 year old and then use that for somebody's fake ID. So keeping records and documentation is a safety and security measure and keeping it offline. And there are some really good apps that are encrypted where you can start to keep things secure and private. I know that.
Christina Finch Bloom
Multiple headsets to try that.
Host
Yeah. Signal is a great app if you don't show the whole world the government secrets. But I think realizing that even if you think you're just putting up one picture and it was one time, you're giving the Internet access to your child and those images can be stored and morphed and they can track the growth of your child over time and use it to then eventually become whatever child they want to be, whatever adult they want to be. Right. The capacity is amazing. I mean, you sent me a video of you, of your wedding photo, and you were dancing and it was like, AI generated, right? Yeah, it's incredible, but it's also really, really scary. And we have to be able to prepare for the worst, but we don't want to live in fear at the same time. So if we can prepare in a way that makes us comfortable and grounded and limit our online exposure, like these celebrities who are showing their homes, there's just so much where you can find them.
Christina Finch Bloom
The other trend, if you recall, was, like, children holding that really cute poster board with the child's school name and their teacher's name and their favorite color and what they want to be when they grow up. And basically voiding any safe word that a stranger may use. Like, oh, your mom told me that your favorite color is green and that you're. Or your. Your teacher, Mrs. Babik, said it's okay for me to pick you up. I thought that was, again, one of those moments where you just don't think about it. And you're posting this really innocent, really wonderful moment that really is not Internet shareable. And that's a lesson for me.
Host
Yeah. I mean, AI in itself is a predator, right?
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah.
Host
And it gives predators more ways to leverage predatory things. And most crimes are impulsive, but many are very instrumental, and they play out for a long time. And criminals build on things that they like. I mean, look at Sean Combs and the trial. You know, he definitely grew into himself, himself over the years, and he started to have a taste and a style and an enterprise. And everybody was coming on to. Not to say come, but everybody was, like, joining.
Christina Finch Bloom
Pardon the pun, not pardon.
Host
But it's so awesome. I mean, just, you know, talk to your family, talk to your friends. Check yourself. Just check yourself, see where you're at. And also hire one of those companies, Reputation Defender. There's all these companies, Delete me. That's what the FBI uses, I think. And they'll just scan the Internet. They'll just make sure your address isn't out there. And they'll just keep checking to see that you're not on the dark web. And they can even check for photos, photos of you and your kids.
Christina Finch Bloom
So then that's my actionable takeaway, is to do what I'm going to do and what I'm committed to doing, which is taking my kids down from social media and the other thing too is I saw a photo that I posted again, super innocently of my family standing in front of my home. And my. Not my name of my. My street, but my street number was on our home in the background. And it was another one of those moments that was like, oh, my gosh. And it's completely accidental. So, you know, you asked me what my action item is being to do what I'm doing and, you know, realize the harm that's out there and protect your children, not just in your shopping carts, but online.
Host
Yeah.
Christina Finch Bloom
So, yeah.
Host
And it's amazing to hear you say that. You know, married to the president of TikTok Canada. I mean, even with his job, we all have to be equally aware and the CEOs of our own lives and families.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah, yeah. And if anything, we should actually be more vigilant about it because we understand the inherent risk. But I think we just convince ourselves that, oh, if I keep my account private and I only have these people following me, that that's safe and that they're safe and that we're safe. But that's not the truth, unfortunately.
Host
Sadly, no. Hackers are really, really good. And there will be a time in your life where you are the target of hacking. I mean, all of us experienced following accounts we didn't choose to follow after the election, even private accounts. So.
Christina Finch Bloom
Yeah.
Host
Well, I'm so glad that you took this time to go into the TikTok studio, have an amazing setup and background, and then have it epically fail. Nothing worked, and now you're in, like, a closet.
Christina Finch Bloom
I am in a closet.
Host
On your cell phone.
Christina Finch Bloom
On my cell phone. But here we are. We made it happen.
Host
See, technology takes us so far.
Christina Finch Bloom
That's true. Yeah, that's very true. Well, thank you for having me. It's so fun to chat with you always. And like you said, from being just a follower to a friend has been a fun journey. So thank you for your advice along the way and I look forward to lots more laughing at your president.
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Christina Finch Bloom
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Podcast Summary: Intentionally Disturbing – Episode with Kristina Finch Bloom: Follower Turned Friend
Release Date: June 5, 2025 | Host: iHeartPodcasts | Guest: Christina Finch Bloom
In this engaging episode of "Intentionally Disturbing," host iHeartPodcasts welcomes Christina Finch Bloom, a fellow Canadian and the wife of the President of TikTok Canada. With a background as a forensic and clinical psychologist, Christina brings a unique perspective to the conversation, delving into topics ranging from international politics to the psychological impacts of social media.
Christina opens the discussion by reflecting on the recent shifts in Canadian politics, particularly the public's changing sentiments towards the Liberal Party and the unexpected swing back to conservative leadership. She states:
"Canada go Liberal, Liberal, Liberal, and then we're like, ah, the world is crumbling. Let's go Conservative... [and] then we went right back to Liberals."
(03:27)
Christina expresses confusion and mixed feelings about the election outcomes, especially in light of U.S. political dynamics influencing Canadian perspectives. She highlights how Canadian grocery shelves have increasingly prioritized "Made in Canada" products, a shift driven by national sentiment and economic considerations:
"Canada's really looking inward at making sure we're supporting our own economy... It's well timed."
(05:12)
A significant portion of the episode centers around the host's viral video about not returning shopping carts when children are in the car. Christina provides insightful commentary on the backlash and support the video received:
"It was pretty liberating for me to feel like, hey, there are actually like, reasonable people out there... You're being paid. My children are innocent sitting in a car."
(35:37)
The host explains the intention behind the video, emphasizing situational awareness and parental intuition over societal judgment. They dissect various comments, distinguishing between constructive feedback and baseless trolling, illuminating the polarized nature of online interactions.
Christina and the host delve into the complexities of social media platforms, particularly TikTok, discussing the fine line between free speech and the propagation of harmful content. Christina shares her unconventional view on the visibility of negative speech:
"I actually think it's wonderful that they have this platform that they can share their speech on... I would rather know who my enemies are."
(12:05)
They explore the psychological effects of online harassment and the challenges of moderating content without infringing on free expression. Christina advocates for more responsible usage, especially concerning children’s access to these platforms.
The conversation shifts to safeguarding children in the digital age. Christina emphasizes the importance of limiting children's exposure to social media and being vigilant about their online interactions:
"Children should have monitoring, and the apps that are coming out to monitor your children's phones... give the parents, hey, your child's being bullied."
(43:44)
Both Christina and the host discuss practical steps for parents to protect their children, such as restricting access, using monitoring apps, and fostering open communication about online safety.
A candid discussion arises about the contrasting gun cultures in Canada and the United States. Christina points out:
"Guns have more rights than women's uteruses in the U.S. it's true. Sorry again. Sorry. Americans."
(16:33)
The host reflects on personal discomfort with firearm prevalence in the U.S., contrasting it with Canada's more regulated approach. They explore how cultural attitudes towards guns influence personal safety and societal norms.
Towards the end of the episode, Christina and the host tackle the looming threats posed by artificial intelligence and digital security. They discuss the potential misuse of AI in creating deepfakes and the importance of maintaining offline records to safeguard personal information:
"AI in itself is a predator... It gives predators more ways to leverage predatory things."
(54:29)
Christina advocates for proactive measures such as using encrypted apps, keeping physical copies of important documents, and being cautious about online exposure to mitigate AI-related risks.
As the conversation wraps up, Christina shares actionable advice for listeners to enhance their digital security and protect their families:
"Taking my kids down from social media... protect your children, not just in your shopping carts, but online."
(56:24)
The host echoes the sentiment, emphasizing the necessity of vigilance in both the physical and digital realms to navigate the complexities of modern life safely.
Christina Finch Bloom:
"I think Canada is fed up with the whole thing... supporting our own economy, which I would say was well timed."
[05:12]
Host:
"If I was like some old fucking fat white dude, I don't think people would listen in the same way."
[42:11]
Christina Finch Bloom:
"Children should have monitoring, and the apps that are coming out to monitor your children's phones..."
[43:44]
This episode of "Intentionally Disturbing" offers a thought-provoking exploration of how geopolitical shifts, social media dynamics, and cultural differences shape our daily lives and perceptions. Christina Finch Bloom's insights, combined with the host’s candid discussions, provide listeners with a nuanced understanding of navigating modern societal challenges.
For more episodes and insightful discussions, subscribe to "Intentionally Disturbing" on your preferred podcast platform.