Kennedy's Best Conversations of 2025

Summary

Kennedy Saves the World – “Kennedy’s Best Conversations of 2025”

FOX News Podcasts | Hosted by Kennedy | December 26, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this special “Best Conversations of 2025” episode, Kennedy revisits her favorite interviews from the past year, bringing together conversations with comedian Jeff Dye, NASCAR driver Natalie Decker, and MTV legend Tom Freston. The episode taps into personal stories, career reflections, and candid moments—threaded with Kennedy’s trademark humor and probing curiosity. The theme throughout is a celebration of freedom—personal, creative, and professional, as told through unscripted and memorable exchanges.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Comic Jeff Dye: Comedy, Origins & Observations

Timestamps [00:30] – [08:46]

• Childhood & Roots:

  • Jeff Dye discusses growing up in Kent, Washington, describing the Seattle area’s tech-driven economy and changing cultural vibe.
  • Both Kennedy and Jeff lament how cities like Seattle and Portland have changed, recalling their happier, more free-spirited pasts.
    • “Seattle used to be phenomenal. It used to be pro arts. It used to be happy. The hippies were happy…” (Jeff Dye, [03:43])
    • “It is a hole now and I don’t care who knows it.” (Kennedy, [02:36])

• Stereotypes & Survival:

  • They riff on city stereotypes, highlighting how places like Detroit have transformed, countering old reputations.
  • Kennedy notes the resilience and humor of people from cities with tough reputations:
    • “They have a high tolerance for pain…they’re great survivors, probably with a good sense of humor…” (Kennedy, [03:03])

• Comedy Process & Relatability:

  • Jeff explains crafting material from mild annoyances rather than actual rage; much of his “grumpiness” is tongue-in-cheek.
    • “My rage or annoyance or irritability or grumpiness is almost not real. It’s kind of contrived because I’m a very happy guy.” (Jeff Dye, [05:58])
  • To make pointed jokes, he often frames bits as if they happened to him personally, softening the audience’s defensiveness—especially around sensitive topics.
    • “If I’m annoyed with something about women...I’ll say it happened to me...Then that gives them the out of being like, ‘Oh, he’s not talking about me.’” (Jeff Dye, [06:49])
  • Both discuss how stand-up blurs fiction and reality for comic effect, and the phenomena of comedians fabricating stories for laughs.
    • “There’s a lot of Jussie Smolletts in the standup comedy world...” (Jeff Dye, [07:02])

• Tribalism & Belonging:

  • Jeff posits that most people join groups—not for ideology—but to find community and acceptance.
    • “For in my brain, we’re all just like little children…We want friends, we want a group…it’s very simple.” (Jeff Dye, [07:59])
    • Uses KKK as an example of people seeking belonging, not necessarily deep-seated enmity.

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2. Natalie Decker: Racing, Growing Up, and Female Grit

Timestamps [09:01] – [13:49]

• Early Racing Days:

  • Natalie started racing stock cars at 12, learning stick shift the night before her first race.
    • “The night before my race, my dad is teaching me in this jeep in the campground parking lot…stalled it…it’s embarrassing.” (Natalie Decker, [09:31])

• Racing Challenges & Mindset:

  • As a petite child, her team had to modify pedals with bricks.
    • “They literally would build bricks onto the pedals so I could reach them.” (Natalie Decker, [09:20])
  • First win: She achieved victory later in her first season racing full-size stock cars, after strong go-karting success.
    • “I won later that season at the first track that I ever raced.” (Natalie Decker, [10:08])
  • Known for her “silent but deadly” racing style—slow and steady at first, surging to speed late in races.
    • “At the beginning, you know, I’m like slow and steady...and then at the end I was always really fast.” (Natalie Decker, [10:29])
  • On the psychology of racing: Drivers cycle through patience, aggression and anger in one race.
    • “Every driver is different…sometimes you cycle through all of those emotions through one race.” ([11:09])

• Favorite NASCAR Drivers & Inside Stories:

  • Her favorites: former driver Kurt Busch (retired), now Denny Hamlin, whom she’s met several times.
    • “He’s amazing.” (Natalie, [11:21])
  • Kennedy shares the story of meeting Hamlin and her growing NASCAR fandom via her “sexy teenage boyfriend.”
  • Natalie treasures practical advice from veteran racers (e.g., Jeff Gordon suggested tape techniques for bruised hands).
    • “Like, tape your hand this way, and like, you won’t get it bruised…something so simple that’s gonna change my race so tremendously.” (Natalie, [12:26])

• Diversity & Versatility in Racing:

  • Discussion of why F1 stars rarely try NASCAR, contrasting with cross-disciplinary racers like Kyle Larson.
    • “Anyone in the NASCAR industry that’s driving, they’ll race anything if they’re given the opportunity to do it.” (Natalie, [13:40])

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3. Tom Freston: Behind the Scenes at MTV—Legends, Saunas & Scandal

Timestamps [14:18] – [22:39]

• Chasing David Bowie for MTV:

  • Tom recounts the “mission impossible” to get Bowie to record “I want my MTV” while he was in Switzerland.
    • “We went to Staad, Switzerland, train and a plane...David came out...He was in the Let’s Dance phase, looked really sleek and gritty...” (Tom Freston, [14:48])
  • After filming, Freston gets invited to a sauna with Bowie—and unexpectedly, Paul McCartney is in the steam room.
    • “I’m in a sauna now with David Bowie and Paul McCartney just wearing a towel…” (Tom Freston, [15:54])
    • They discussed MTV, asked thoughtful questions, and showed genuine interest.

• The Birth of “I Want My MTV”:

  • Freston explains MTV’s marketing struggles and the campaign’s origin.
    • The campaign drew from George Lois’ “I want my Mapo” cereal ads, targeting children to influence parents.
    • “We’d go out and get rock stars…to say ‘I want my MTV’...Call your cable company and say ‘I want my MTV.’ They’d all call, and the cable operators would collapse.” (Tom Freston, [18:27])
  • MTV’s early days: Many staffers couldn’t even get the channel, but visiting Tulsa showed MTV’s cult-like following.
    • “No one who worked there had ever seen it.” (Tom Freston, [17:32])
    • “We go to this bar, and everyone’s sitting around like they’re watching the Super Bowl…MTV’s on, people are transfixed…” (Tom Freston, [17:45])

• Legacy & The Future:

  • Kennedy asks about the future of “the remnants of MTV.”
    • Freston: Massive archives and a legendary brand could be reimagined for digital—but fresh thinking is needed.
    • “Get someone like John Mayer or Rick Rubin and put them in a room with 25 year olds for a couple weeks and they’ll come up with some great ideas.” (Tom, [19:38])

• Personal MTV History—Scandals & Outrage:

  • Kennedy revisits the wild 1994 VMA night where Roseanne made a scandalous joke about her and Rush Limbaugh, and afterward, Kennedy embarrassed Rudy Giuliani onstage by licking a microphone.
    • “So I start licking the microphone like a crazy person. Rudy Giuliani has no idea what’s going on.” (Kennedy, [21:19])
    • Tom describes thinking, “He’s the new mayor, he’s gonna give us a good talking to. I admired your, your carelessness and spirit of the moment.” (Tom Freston, [21:19])
  • She jokes about nearly being fired, but Tom reflects on the (lack of) consequences: “You survived, you know.” ([22:21])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Changing Cities:

  • “It is a hole now and I don’t care who knows it.” — Kennedy ([02:36])

• On Creative Honesty in Comedy:

  • “I do lie a lot in my act, but…it's mostly because...if I’m annoyed…I'll make up some scenario…” — Jeff Dye ([06:49])

• On Fitting In:

  • “We’re all just like little children…We want friends, we want a group. It’s very simple.” — Jeff Dye ([07:59])

• On Racing Grit:

  • “Necessity and fear just work together and you’re like, I have no choice.” — Natalie Decker ([09:42])

• On Iconic MTV Moments:

  • “I’m in a sauna now with David Bowie and Paul McCartney...It was a steam. No, it was a sauna, excuse me…” — Tom Freston ([15:54])
  • “We’d go out and get rock stars, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and so forth to say ‘I want my MTV’…and the cable operators would collapse.” — Tom Freston ([18:27])

• On the 1994 MTV VMAs:

  • “I start licking the microphone like a crazy person. Rudy Giuliani has no idea what’s going on…Was it Andy who lobbied you to keep me...Sumner and Doug said, ‘Oh, you know what? It was kind of funny. Let’s go light on the young lady.’” — Kennedy & Tom Freston ([21:19] – [22:26])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:30] – Kennedy intros show highlights and guests
• [01:36] – [08:46] – Interview with Jeff Dye: Home, comedy, writing, and performing
• [09:01] – [13:49] – Interview with Natalie Decker: Childhood racing, style, NASCAR tales
• [14:18] – [22:39] – Interview with Tom Freston: MTV legends, the Bowie/McCartney sauna story, MTV’s birth, the infamous 1994 VMA Kennedy incident

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Tone and Style

As always, Kennedy’s tone is irreverent, quick-witted, and self-deprecating, mixing sharp cultural observations with personal anecdotes. The interviews flow naturally and reveal both the humor and sincerity of the guests. There’s a nostalgic camaraderie and a celebration of iconoclastic, free-thinking personalities.

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Conclusion

This “Best Conversations” episode acts as a vibrant time capsule—fueled by Kennedy’s edgy, playful style, and the authenticity of her guests. The conversations span pop culture, comedy, sports, and history, always circling back to the importance and joy of personal freedom and finding your tribe—even if it means licking a mic in front of the mayor.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hello and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. Happy holidays. Merry Christmas. We are winding down the year. I do love this time of year. I love being with my family and my friends and my colleagues. And I love taking a little look back at all the fun conversations that we've had throughout the year. And we're going to play you some of the highlights, including Tom Freston, my old boss at mtv, Natalie Decker, a NASCAR driver and and comedian Jeff Dye. So let's start and dive in. You might have seen comic Jeff Dye on Gutfeld. He's been on a lot. He is a worldwide phenom. He tours the country relentlessly and then every once in a while stops into New York City to do dates and Gutfeld and. And even performed some comedy. Jeff Dye, welcome to Kennedy.

[C]

Thanks for having me.

[B]

Where are you from? For people who don't know you, I.

[C]

Also should push back a little on worldwide phenom.

[D]

Why would you.

[C]

Very nice.

[B]

Well, no, I mean, it's like humility is so.

[C]

It's very sweet of you.

[B]

2017.

[C]

Yeah, it's true.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

We both started at MTV.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

We're both MTV people.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And then here we are on.

[B]

So where did you start as a child?

[C]

I'm from Kent, Washington.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Which is south of Seattle.

[B]

Yes, it is.

[C]

Yeah. But we always said Boeing plant there. Yep. Boeing, Nintendo, Microsoft. That's all that area.

[E]

Wow.

[B]

Why did I think so Microsoft and Microscope. Microsoft is. It's centered in Kent.

[C]

Well, not Kent, but I just met the Pacific Northwest.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

So like all the. All the families who live up there either work for one of those big three companies or you serve food to those people. Yes, those families.

[B]

Big service industry. I lived in Seattle for a while and I really loved it.

[C]

I used to love it. Yeah.

[B]

But it was very different from Portland.

[C]

It's different than what it is now.

[B]

It is a hole now and I.

[C]

Don'T care who knows it No, I, that's why. So I used to. My whole life I said, Seattle. Yeah, I'm from Seattle. I'm from Seattle. I'm from Seattle. People go, you're from Kent? And then now I go, they go, aren't you from Seattle? And I go, no, no, no, I'm from Kent. Like, I don't want to claim what.

[B]

Is the Space Needle.

[C]

I don't even know Seattle or. Sorry. Every city does kind of live in a 30 year stereotype though.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Like people like, you're going to Detroit. Oh, be careful. And then I like just shot a movie in Detroit. It was a delight.

[B]

The funnest place ever.

[C]

It's super nice.

[B]

Like Detroit. The people who stayed in Detroit, they're like it. And you know, it's like they, they love their family. Like they can weather the storm. They have a high tolerance for pain, 100%. So it. Which means that they naturally are like great survivors, probably with a good sense of humor and nothing really phases them. And then Detroit has gotten so much federal money that there are all these public spaces that are just pristine and amazing.

[C]

It's amazing. I don't know if this is true, but I've even heard 8 mile is fine now. Like it's a different mile that is the, the ghetto or whatever you would call it. Like it's not even 8 mile. Even 8 mile is cleaned up. And that movie came out what, 15, 20 years ago.

[B]

They call it 12 kilometer.

[C]

Oh, is that what it is? That'd be amazing. But like, everything lives in some weird stereotypes. Seattle used to be phenomenal. It used to be pro arts. It used to be happy. The hippies were happy. The hippies were anti Big Pharma. The hippies were. Or anti Big pharma, they were anti war. And now it's all a mess.

[B]

Yeah, it is. And, and all Those cities, their DAs are on the wrong side of the issue.

[C]

I know.

[B]

And they let the bad people do whatever they want. And they're like, no, people need to rest. And it's like they're not resting. I know, they're, they're taking a tinkle.

[C]

I don't even go back to Seattle very often. My family lives in Kent still. So I'll stay like in the Kents.

[B]

It's totally different than when you get outside of Portland and Seattle.

[C]

Right.

[B]

Like, my mom and stepdad are still in the suburbs and I love going to see them because it's like adorable and quaint and, you know, you can go to little artsy shops and still have A really good cup of coffee without fearing for your life. From the homeless, mentally ill, drug addicted, psycho.

[C]

Whenever I play Portland, people are like, you're going to play Portland? Oh my God, what are you going to talk about in Portland? I'm like, dude, no one from Portland is going to come to that show. It's the surrounding cities. Into Portland, Beaverton. To watch me talk trash about Portland.

[B]

Exactly.

[C]

And they go, yeah, he's making fun of Portland in Portland. I'm like, it's not really that brave. But we do all agree there's so.

[B]

Many people who are being bullied. Yeah. They hate outside of these liberal cities and they are the most down to party of anyone in the country.

[C]

I know. They're like, we'll travel in and listen to this.

[B]

I realized that I went to one of Kat Timp's shows in Portland and I'm from Portland and some of my friends from high school went. But that crowd was just like, I know, it was like Ed Sullivan.

[C]

Yeah, the Beatles. Fun. Yeah. Well, they feel like they haven't been heard and so it's nice to feel like someone agrees with them.

[B]

How do you, how do you write your material? Like, is it. Do you craft things out of fantasy? Do you document human behavior? Is it, you know, writing stuff from past relationships? A lot of battle of the sexes.

[C]

It's hard to explain. Yeah, it's hard. I gu. I. It all starts from something that bothers me.

[B]

Okay?

[C]

Something that's annoying me is what I will do.

[B]

Are you secretly a curmudgeonly old man?

[C]

No, I'm actually very happy. In fact, my rage or annoyance or irritability or grumpiness is almost not real. It's almost kind of contrived because I'm a very happy guy. I'm a very calm guy. I'm very. Love all the people, you know, I can dunk on any group for a while. But I actually, if you met me in real life, I'd love that group and I'd hang out with them. I just want to get this off my chest, you know, like. And I do lie a lot in my act, but it's mostly because if I'm annoyed, like, like, I'll give you an example of a lie. If I'm annoyed with something about women, I can't just go up there and be like, women are like this, you know, Then that makes you have the guard up. We're not like that. That's sexist. So what I'll do is I'll say it happened to me. From one woman on a date. And then that gives them the. Out of being like, oh, he's not talking about me. He's talking about a woman that he.

[B]

Wanted to date with that one crazy person. Yeah.

[C]

But then hopefully then they think, I hope I never do that. You know, Like, I. Like, then it kind of. Now you've gotten into the. Maybe.

[B]

I don't think people have enough self awareness to really go, yeah, yeah, that's me too.

[C]

I hope. I hope that they would. Yeah, that's the. That's the hope. But, yeah, like, I'll make fun of, like, you know, if I want. If I'm irritated about the homeless, I'll make up some scenario like this homeless guy, but it's not real. Like, all the black comedians will always make up some fake racist thing that happened to them. It didn't happen. We know it didn't. There's a lot of Jussie Smolletts in the standup comedy world. Like, I was at the grocery store and I was like, damn, that's racist. It's like, that didn't happen. But I get your point. You've made up a thing the way I'll make up a thing to do a funny joke.

[B]

And that's people in Chicago with bleach and nooses.

[C]

Yeah. Oh, tons. I don't know where they are. Evidently, they're in the act of the artist.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. And it's like, oh, you're gay and creative and black.

[C]

It's very fascinating. I have a interesting theory on all that. It's not. None of it's real. None of it's real. It's all fake.

[B]

So if we're in the Matrix, is everyone just trying to perform their way to a higher level?

[C]

I don't know. So this will be hard to articulate, but for in my brain, we're all just like little children. And we're looking for. We want people to like us, we want friends, we want a group. It's very simple. And what's the easiest way to find a group is you group up into whatever is the simplest of whatever. And so that. So that's kind of what people do. Like, if you go to, like, a KK meeting, most of them are a bunch of dummies who just needed a dad, just needed a group. And they go, I don't even know any black people are Jews. But I can say that if they're gonna give me a place to eat and a place to hang out, I'm gonna have some friendship. They don't really think it.

[B]

It's almost like what the village people promised in ymca.

[C]

I don't know the young man. Oh, yeah, yeah.

[B]

There's a place you can go, but that's every group.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

This is Ainsley Earhart. Thank you for joining me for the 52 episode podcast series the Life of.

[E]

Jesus A listening experience that will provide.

[D]

Hope comfor the greatest story ever told. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[F]

I started racing full size stock cars at age 12. And the night before my race, I didn't know how to drive stick shift.

[B]

You're not a tall person, so when you were 12, were you like short round where you were, you were taping bricks to your feet to reach the pedals. Did you have to have modified pedals with like everything? Racing platforms?

[F]

Yeah. Like they literally would build bricks onto the pedals so I could reach them. And I did not know how to drive stick shift. So the night before my race, my.

[B]

Dad know a lot of 12 year olds that do, right.

[F]

My dad is teaching me in this jeep in the campground parking lot. And I'm like stalling it. It's like moving like this. I'm like, this is embarrassing. I don't know what I'm doing. And he's like, you'll figure it out. Once you get on the track, you'll be just fine.

[B]

So did you figure it out? I did. I figured something like necessity and fear just work together. And you're like, I have no choice.

[F]

The adrenaline kicked in. I'm like, I got this.

[B]

That's amazing. So when was your first win that.

[F]

Year in that car? In that full size stock car? I won many go kart races and championships, but when I moved into the full size stock car, I raced like a four cylinder. We still have it. And I won later that season at the first track that I ever raced.

[B]

What makes you a dangerous racer from your competitors perspective? When they're like, oh, here she is.

[C]

Oh, no.

[F]

You know, I feel like growing up in the sport, I was always like the silent one where they were like you never knew. And when I was coming, they were like, oh, she's late in the race, she's gonna be fast. So I'm like, at the beginning, you know, I'm like slow and steady.

[B]

Just you're like seated.

[F]

I'm just gonna wait it out. And then at the end I was always really fast. So then I would get them right at the end.

[B]

And what's the key? Patience. Is it Is it your core? Like, is it hydration? Is it electrical?

[F]

All of it. Everything you're saying and more so I would say to make sure you're, like, physically ready for the race.

[B]

Yeah.

[F]

Working out. Hydration, like, what you put in your body is very important.

[E]

Okay.

[F]

But, you know. Cheers. This also. Yeah, you need it. But when you're on the track, every driver is different mentally. Some have patience, some are aggressive, some are angry. And sometimes you cycle through all of those emotions through one race.

[B]

Who's your favorite NASCAR driver?

[F]

My favorite NASCAR driver was Kurt Busch. He no longer races. So right now I've been rooting for Denny Hamlin.

[B]

I love Denny Hamlin. I love it. And I met him once, and he was so cool.

[F]

He's amazing.

[B]

And then I started watching because my sexy teenage boyfriend is a NASCAR fanatic. Like, he loves NASCAR so much. So for his. For his birthday this year, I got him, like, 40 laps on whichever track he wants. Fun. Yeah. So he's. So he loves driving. He loves nascar. He loves. So we met Denny Hamlin at the first F1 Las Vegas race, and no one knew the NASCAR drivers. So we talked to Kyle Busch and, I want to say Dale Jarrett, and just met all these people, and none of the F1 fans knew who they were. So all these NASCAR guys would walk around. No one was bothering them. So we got to talk to Denny for a little while, and after watching the NASCAR series on Netflix, I'm like, I love Denny Hamlin. And whenever he's like, I beat your favorite driver, I want to see him again and be like, you never beat my favorite driver because you are my favorite driver. That's awesome. And does he give you tips?

[F]

I've only talked to him a few times, but anytime that I get to talk with someone that I really look up to, they always have the best advice.

[B]

Yeah. What do they say they give you?

[F]

Like, I was talking to Jeff Gordon once, and I was, like, road racing a lot, and my arm was getting bruised, and I'm like, what can I do to help that? Because, like, he has millions of laps and so many different things, and, like, simple things like that. Oh, like, tape your hand this way, and, like, you won't get it bruised. And I'm like, this is crazy. Like, that. I'm, like, talking to him, and he's just, like, helping me. Something so simple that's gonna change my race so tremendously.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah.

[B]

And it's interesting because I feel like. And having this explained to me by my delightful partner NASCAR racers and I would obviously include you in that because you've grown up around snowmobiles and around trucks and carts.

[C]

All of it.

[B]

And all of it. Like, F1 drivers would never race on another circuit.

[F]

I know, and I want them to so bad. Wouldn't that be so fun?

[D]

Yes.

[B]

Wouldn't it be amazing to see, like, them come into Fernando Alonso, come and race NASCAR for a little while?

[F]

They need to make that happen because so many people want to see that.

[B]

Like, Kyle Larson will race the Indy 500.

[F]

He'll race anything.

[B]

Try and fly to a NASCAR race, you know, and try and win both races. He'll race trucks. Like, he. He's like, I just, you know, it's like, what does he do in the grocery store? Is he racing shopping carts?

[F]

I guarantee it. And I say all the time, like anyone in the NASCAR industry that's driving, they'll race anything if they're given the opportunity to do it. They're saying, yes.

[E]

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[B]

You ended up in a sauna with David Bowie.

[D]

I did. That was one of my great stories. So one guy, Les Garland, he was told to get Mick Jagger. John Sykes was told to get Pete Townsend. I was told, you go get David Bowie. And I called David Bowie's manager and she said, yeah, he can't do it. He's skiing in Staad, Switzerland. And he said, but, you know, if you want to go to Staad, Switzerland, he might want to do it. He was, you know, David was the first guy to ever give us permission to use his photo.

[B]

Awesome.

[D]

So I said, we'll go anywhere. We're like, mission impossible. So we went to Staad on a train and a plane and all this equipment. We went to a little some side hill and David came out. He was really looking. He was in the let's dance phase. Look really sleek and gritty. He had it all in his head. He was going to ski down and swish and say, I want my mtv. Then he. We'd hold up and that. We'd animate a logo in afterwards. And we did that. And he said, hey, when we're finished, it didn't take long. Anyone want to go skiing? You know, want to hang out? And he was like, yeah. And then he says at the end of the day, well, what are you doing later? You want to take a sauna at the Palace Hotel, which is like the Grand Dom Hotel.

[B]

Wow.

[D]

So I, like, went back to our youth hostel where we were sort of staying and said, I'll see you losers later. I'm going to take a sauna with David. Boy, I can't believe this is happening to me. So I go there. I go down into the spa. He's waiting, you know, get undressed, put towels around us, and we go into the steam room. It was a steam. No, it was a sauna. Excuse me. And there's only one other person in there, and he's up on a back bench. You know, it's a ski resort. And I look, I squint through the steam and it's Paul McCartney.

[B]

Oh, my gosh, I'm in.

[D]

I'm in a sauna now with David bowie and Paul McCartney just wearing a towel, throwing water on the rocks. And it was. They just were shooting the. They wanted to know what MTV was about, what we were doing.

[B]

Were they skeptical?

[D]

No, they were. They wanted to hear. They wanted to get information. I was telling them how we were doing, why we were doing this campaign, how great this was going to help us, you know, in the end. We had a good relationship with Paul McCartney, too. He made the first unplugged record that came out years later.

[B]

Yeah.

[D]

So, yeah, that was. That's maybe, you know, that's top five story.

[B]

That was incredible that all of those artists were on board because that was what really created this critical mass that forced the cable operators to take it because they were inundated with these calls. Like, it was that. That sort of brilliant guerrilla marketing. I never knew how the I want my MTV campaign started. And I was delighted that it started from a. Best practices of a children's cereal campaign. So explain how that came to be.

[D]

Well, there was a we when we started mtv. Nobody wanted to take it. Cable systems then, like, were monopolists in a certain geography. And they didn't like the idea of MTV because it was going to cost them 10 cents a home a month. We're going to cut into their profit margins. They didn't think anyone was going to watch music on television. And I would know because I was like the marketing guy. I would go out to Tulsa and places actually had cable.

[B]

I love that story. And the Girl at the car rental place sees John Sykes MTV pin. She's like, can I get one of those? And you finally, like, you couldn't get MTV on the coasts. Like, it was only in the middle of the coast.

[D]

No one who worked there had ever seen it.

[B]

That was wild.

[D]

So we go out to a place that had had it for, like, two and a half months, and she says, oh, how do you know about mtv? Everybody knows about mtv. And you go to a bar, and they'd have it up on the screen like it was a sport.

[B]

What was that feeling like?

[D]

It was like I was shivering. I was like, couldn't believe. They took me to this bar, this radio station guy who's telling me MTV's really affected their playlists. And we go to this bar, and everyone's sitting around like they're watching this super bowl standing around and their music. MTV's on, and people are transfixed just like those afghans were way back, you know, in 1976. And that was like, okay, I know we're working. If we could connect with the customer, the ultimate customer. We got a business here, but no one would carry us anyway. So we decided we had. We were running out of money, and we needed to go for broke. So the Hail Mary pass was we hired this guy, George. Lois and Dale Pond, they had an ad agency, and George had done the I want my Mapo campaign.

[B]

And for people who don't know what.

[D]

Maple is, maple was like an oatmeal cereal you had to cook. And they realized they couldn't sell it to. They couldn't sell it to parents. So they would go directly to kids and say, I want my Maple. Some brats would do it. But then they had Mickey Mantle, Wynt Chamberlain, all these people. And he says, we're gonna do that. Like, he's a. Those cable operators. Let's go right to the fans. And they would all. We would go out and get rock stars, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and so forth to say, I want my mtv, hold the logo, legitimize us. Call your cable company and say, I want my mtv. They'd all call, and the cable operators would collapse.

[B]

What do you think will happen to the remnants of mtv?

[D]

The remnants would be they have an amazing library, Music news going back to 1980. They've got all these specials and, you know, the Unplugs and all these video music awards. They have a huge library, and they've got a logo that. And they got a brand that's worth something. And they could reimagine how to do it in a digital world, you know, and I'd say we'll get a. Get someone like John Mayer or Rick Rubin and put them in a room with 25 year olds for a couple weeks and they'll come up with some great ideas. You know, don't ask some old people to do it.

[B]

So. Do you remember the night you almost fired me?

[D]

Yes.

[B]

I. I realized it wasn't in the book.

[D]

No, I. I didn't want. It was a little profane. I didn't want to include that from.

[B]

The guy who visited sex communes and was, I know. Smoking hash on Camelback.

[D]

I know. It was you and your buddy Rudy Juliet. Oh, yeah. He was then the mayor of New York and you insulted him.

[B]

He was the new mayor of New York.

[D]

Right. He just started cleaning up.

[B]

So he just started. The year before you were at Pauley Pavilion and there's a really funny picture of you and Sumner, like with an MTV scum repent. MTV scum at the 93 Video Music Awards. So 94. Rudy Giuliani, brand new mayor of New York, lobbies MTV to come back to New York City, rolls out the red carpet right here at Radio City. And so we go there. It's the first time they let VJs be a part of the show. And so Bill Bellamy and I get to be presenters. That means, like, our name is in the opening credits. That had never happened. I couldn't believe it. And then, so we're up on the balcony, you know, with the pov, looking down into the packed house to the beautiful stage. And Roseanne comes out and says, I just saw Kennedy backstage blowing Rush Limbaugh. And I was like, no. And then the three of us, Bill Bellamy, Rudy Giuliani and me, like, we go up on the big screen and everyone starts booing. And I don't know if they're booing me or Giuliani. So I think it's because of Roseanne's joke. So I start licking the microphone like a crazy person. Rudy Giuliani has no idea what's going on. What is going through your mind when you're seeing that?

[D]

I said, oh, my, my. He's the new mayor. He's gonna have. He's gonna give us a good talking to. I admired your, your carelessness and spirit of the moment.

[B]

That was my 22nd birthday.

[D]

I don't know what the proper use word to use is here on the air, but. Fellating.

[B]

Yes, I was fellating a microphone.

[D]

Fellating a microphone in front of the new mayor.

[B]

Mm. In front of the world.

[D]

But he's thinking, what a classy operation this is. I'm sure glad I came to this show.

[B]

Yeah. Thank God I lobbied them to New York City. That was also the show where Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson opened the show and said. They said it wouldn't last and they kissed and that, like, set the stage for the whole thing.

[D]

Yeah, those are the days. The 90s were wild. Yes.

[B]

I remember seeing you afterward and I was like, good working with you, Tom.

[D]

Haha.

[B]

And you're like, you said to Andrew, there's that disgusting lady we saw earlier.

[D]

Where did you find her? Yeah, but.

[B]

But somehow I kept my job.

[D]

You survived, you know.

[B]

Was it Andy who lobbied you to keep me, Andy? Well, because I know Sumner wanted me.

[D]

Gone, and Sumner and Doug said, oh, you know what? It was kind of funny. Let's. Let's go light on the young lady. Yeah. Didn't mean any harm. She was just thinking out loud with her hands and her mouth.

[B]

And mouth.

[D]

Listen.

[B]

Ad free. With a Fox News Podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcast and Amazon prime, members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon Music app. Oh, go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.