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Love it.
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Believe it, it's Love it. Believe it. Street shoe
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Love it or leave it.
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It's love it or leave it. Welcome to Love it or Leave It. Live from Hollywood, I'm Jon Lovett, and like every water main in Los Angeles, I'm cracking at the seams. We've got a great show for you tonight, but first, let's get into it. What a week. On Tuesday, Defense Secretary and guy who didn't wipe off the bench press when he was done using it. Pete Hegseth appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee demanding $70 billion in additional funding for the Pentagon to replenish stocks depleted in the war with Iran. I don't see why this man has to beg when we can more than pay for it with the money we saved by cutting food stamps, said a mother splitting a sandwich in half for her two kids. And yet, when questioned by Senator Dick Durbin, Hegseth claimed that the war in Iran cost a fraction of that amount.
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Do you have a new estimate about what the war has cost us so far in this, the fifth month of
A
the first year of this war in Iran? Senator, the estimate we have as of today is 37.5 billion. Senator Durbin shot back, and am I reading this right? It says all we got is this lousy T shirt? And the defense secretary dodged questions about $75 billion in defense funding that remains unspent. Here's Durbin again.
B
We are told the Department of defense still has 75 billion in unobligated funding from last year's reconciliation package. Is that true?
A
Roughly correct numbers, yes.
B
So you left some change on the dresser before you prepared to come for this hearing. What's going to happen to that 75 billion?
A
Well, that 75 is. There's plans and designs on that part of the rebuild of our military which had to be undertaken. This is from 2026. One big beautiful bill which helped move the president's priorities like golden dome for America, move away from all the woke priorities of what the Biden administration was pursuing. So he has 75 billion, but he needs that for signs that say welcome to the Pentagon, no queers, fatties. For the record, the Pentagon's budget increased every year that Joe Biden was president, though God knows how much money we blew on woke priorities. Like choosing pronouns for all the drones, an all drag queen combat unit called Delta Fierce, the office of tactical poetry and women lawyers. During the hearing, Georgia senator John Ossoff questioned Hegseth on his rosy statements about the war, including his claim that Iran's military had been destroyed.
B
Had Iran's military been rendered, quote, combat
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ineffective for years to come. That was a statement that you made four months ago. They had 160 naval vessels. You need to answer their air force. You said four months. And they don't have a defense industrial base. So describe to me a country that doesn't have an air force, a navy, or a defense industrial base, and I
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will describe to you.
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You a company that country that does not have an effective secretary, you can lob missiles. Mr. Secretary, you stated four months ago
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that Iran's military had been rendered, quote,
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combat ineffective for years to come. Has Iran's military been, for the last four months, combat ineffective? It's been set back not just years, but likely decades. Kiss, kiss, kiss. Let's break down why Jon Ossoff is so good at this. He's under 70 and he can talk. Now we turn to someone over 70 who can't. On Wednesday, Trump ratcheted up his threats, writing on Truth Social. Quote, anytime the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by missile, rocket, drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant. Trump still hasn't formally said the war is even back on. By the way. It's like a horrible situation ship. He says he doesn't like labels, but he's bombing my power plants like, three nights a week, and I don't think he's at war with anyone else. So when asked about Trump's comments, here's what Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
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I saw Arachi, their foreign minister, who
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the other day, say or something about their policies.
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An eye for an eye. The president's policy is a head for an eye.
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I mean, honestly, that's what it's going to be. I mean, they will pay a very heavy price for the things they're doing. They're already paying a very heavy price. Ah, yes, a head for an eye. Because nothing says we're the good guys. Like thinking Hammurabi was a soft little bitch boy. Don't say what I say. I trained a long time to talk this way, and I actually got approval from many layers of government to be allowed to say this. So I'm saying these words, but you can't say these words. It's terrible if you do it. I trained to do this. I prepared for years to get to the point where I'm allowed to say these words. Okay, okay, okay. There are children here. The reason Trump's threats are escalating is because, as Ossoff noted, for all of the administration's bluster, we have not destroyed Iran militarily. The actual cost of the war is, by some estimates, over $100 billion. And despite all of our might, the regime in Iran remains in power and in control of the Strait. And so on Thursday, Trump told Axios that he is considering launching major strikes against Iran, saying, quote, I am considering a massive attack bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We're all set for it. Which is still only the second worst situation in which to hear Trump say I'm close. Speaking of things Trump can't do, the Department of Justice has withdrawn its subpoena aimed at journalists who reported on the security vulnerabilities of Trump's new Qatari plane. A great victory for journalism, said the AI being trained to replace those journalists. DOJ's capitulation came after a hearing in which a federal judge berated Trump's lawyers for errors in their filings and for their decision to hastily issue the subpoenas in the first place. It was a tough blow to the last lawyers willing to work for the Trump administration. A recent graduate of Huntington Beach Law School and a mop propped up against a briefcase Speaking of mopping up, last week Zoran Mamdani, the mayor of New York, told the New York Times that his office was exploring whether or not New York City had the authority to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu if he attends the UN General assembly in September, which is a weird thing to reveal publicly. You'd think as a Hamas supporter, Mamdani would value the element of surprise. Then, in a video released Tuesday, Mamdani officially concluded that New York City cannot legally arrest Benjamin Netanyahu. And if I know anything about the nypd, they're real sticklers for the rules, said the mayor. As human beings, we have spent generations building a shared understanding that there are crimes so grave they offend all of humanity.
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Anyone with their eyes, with their heart, with their conscience should recognize the devastation
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he has wrought and understand that he
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belongs before a court of law.
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Isn't it interesting that he doesn't suggest arresting the leaders of Hamas, or that the only person he wants arrested just happens to be Jewish? No, that's actually not interesting at all. Netanyahu is the only person with an active arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court planning a trip to New York. Unless Joseph Kony has some unannounced travel plans. Remember Kony 2012, when people thought a hashtag could stop a war crime and then the guy who started it had some kind of psychotic break? Remember that? Remember Obama? The only other alleged war criminal with an active arrest warrant by the ICC who has visited the United States in many years is Russian president and horse girl Vladimir Putin. When Trump rolled out the red carpet for him in Alaska, why didn't that state's governor try to arrest Putin? I don't know. Alaska, of course, it is absurd to suggest that New York could arrest Benjamin Netanyahu, when the US hasn't even signed on to the international tribunal. The ICC is like Tinkerbell. It only works when you believe in it. And it's a European fantasy for children. And finally, Hunter Biden has made a couple appearances lately where he's said a version of this.
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I believe that the biggest problem in America, in Washington, D.C. with the Federal government, is not the oligarchy closet cases,
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it's the closetocracy, as I call it.
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It is, and I'm being totally serious. Everybody knows there is like this closeted gay mafia, largely Republican. The only reason that that is relevant is because I believe that internal conflict creates so much vitriol inside a person that they take it out on the
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rest of the world.
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And they do.
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In the regular Mafia, guys sleep with the fishes, but in the gay mafia, they're sleeping with the mitches. In the gay mafia, you belong to a crime chosen family. And get this, in the gay mafia, everybody wants to get whacked. Not looking over there. But Biden went further with Don Lemon. Who else?
B
No, I'm not gonna like who else? I'm already in enough lawsuits, Don.
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Allegedly. Allegedly.
B
Allegedly. Allegedly. I mean, are you asking me if Josh Hawley's gay?
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Yes.
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Are you asking me if Stephen Miller's gay?
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Yes. Yeah. I don't know. First of all, Stephen Miller does not have a sexuality. He produces and releases spores after emerging from the ground on a 13 year cycle. I have no doubt that there are a bunch of Republic who are secretly fabulous, but this old kind of fake, sophisticated idea that the closet cases hate gay people the most is just bullshit. It's not about being gay. It's that having a selfish, small minded worldview requires all kinds of hypocrisies and contradictions, some of which may relate to who you find attractive. Passing a bill that cuts a trillion dollars from health care and food stamps in order to lower the top marginal tax rate and increase the exemption for the estate tax to $15 million, while claiming you uphold Christian values is no less of a conflict than opposing gay marriage while soliciting gay prostitutes. It wasn't a secret cabal of gay Republicans that led us here. It was a Republican Party that embraced Trump and all of his corruption and cruelty right out in the open. And it was a Democratic Party that was unable to convince enough Americans to side with us because too many saw Democrats as no better. In part because Hunter Biden's corruption made us look like hypocrites. And it is obviously a hard thing for me to say it brings me no pleasure to say this because Hunter Biden is one of my favorite artists. Look at this beautiful tree. Magnificent. And we've got a magnificent show for you tonight. And we'll be right back. Hey, don't go anywhere.
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There's more of Love it or Leave it coming up.
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Love it or Leave it is brought to you by Quint. Summer days are always a little more relaxed. So when I open my closet, I find myself reaching for the same comfortable go anywhere close again and again. That's why I keep coming back to Quints. They focus on well made essentials that naturally become those everyday staples you live in all season long. Quince is 100% European. Linen pants and shirts are breathable, easy to throw on, and the summer upgrade your rotation needs starting at just $34. Their tees are so soft you'll never want to take them off, and the lightweight cotton sweaters are exactly what you'd want when summer nights cool down. Everything at quince is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for exceptional quality, not brand new markup. I've gotten great sheets from Quints. I've gotten great sweats from Quints. I even got a rug from Quince. It should just be a place you go and check when you're shopping for something online because you'll find like a high quality but affordable version at Quints. And great designs and sort of great taste make your summer wardrobe easier. Go to quince.com Love it. For free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com Love it. For free Shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com Love it. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. It's finally socially acceptable to talk about mental health, but actually reaching out for help when you need it is a different story. New data from BetterHelp confirms why Better Help's 2026 State of Stigma report surveyed 2,000Americans and revealed that 85% of Americans believe getting support is wise, yet 74% say society discourages people from doing so. With over 30,000 therapists, Better Help is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 6 million people globally. And it works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews. BetterHelp therapists work according to a strict Code of conduct and are fully licensed in the US BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences in their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading. Match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time. If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recs. Everybody needs therapy. You need therapy. I need therapy, but I don't have it right now because I'm so busy. But I think I should get it. I need to go back into a therapy. I think we all do. Don't let stigma stand in the way of support. Start therapy with BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off@betterhelp.com love it. That's betterhelp.com loveit. And we're back. Ted Lasso's Brendan Hunt will join me in just a moment. But first, Crooked has a new show with the producers of the Circus and Left Right TV that you'll definitely want to check out before the midterms. It's called Long Play, the six episode series hosted by Jen Palmari, Aaron Haynes and Mitch Landrieu. It's all about the south as the new epicenter of American politics. Each episode will focus on a different state and the first two are out now at YouTube.comlongplayseries and on the Long Play feed. Wherever you get your podcast and if you are in la, come grab your tickets for Love it or leave it@crooked.com events to check out our new studio and upcoming guests, including Hamilton's Daveed Diggs, Anthony Michael hall from the Breakfast Club, and new girl writer and comedian Elliot Glaser. All right, please welcome to the stage from Ted Lasso and the World cup halftime show, it's Brendan Hunt. Hi.
B
Thanks for being here. Welcome. Thanks for having me.
A
Nice to see you. Ted Lasso. Ted Lasso. We were done. It was over three seasons.
C
Yeah.
A
And then like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
B
Yep.
A
Like Jeffrey Epstein showing up on a boat.
B
Yes. In the Atlantic comparison, we've all been using. Yes.
A
Ted Lasso back. Yes.
B
Yes.
A
For another season.
B
Wow. Agree.
A
What did it take? Like, what was the thing that had to happen to go from it's not happening to it is happening.
B
Basically, it took Jason Sudeikis waking up one morning and, you know, looking bleary eyed at his image in the mirror and going, eh, fuck it. And that's about what it was. Because we knew what we needed. We needed time off at the very least after three. And we literally. We just did not know if it was gonna come back or not. And, like, it's a full on gig, especially for Jason, so, you know, give the man his space and he can decide. But eventually, yeah, he came around to it. And I think particularly because it's a women's team now, that just made it more interesting to, like, not come back and be doing the exact same thing. So, I mean, it raises the level of difficulty a little bit to be like.
A
Because women are worse actors.
B
That's the main thing I was thinking. Yes, thank you, God. I was finally trying to find. What's the nice way to say this? No, because it's like, welcome. Well, you know, welcome to. It's the show you loved before with. This is about 30% of the characters that you loved. So, like, just stick with us.
A
It's kind of on its way to a spinoff, but it's not a spinoff.
B
It's not a spin off. No.
A
Was there talk of a spinoff?
B
I guess there was, yeah. I was not privy to these conversations, but apparently a few of my fellow cast mates have taken their swing in one way or another. But, no, we have no Seattle setting here. There's nobody fraziering out so far. We're back in the same old place. We also talked about maybe it comes back and it's a women's team, but it's in Kansas City. We were thinking about that for a while, but then we're like, Richmond's too important and too lovely, and it's got to be Richmond. So that's where we are now.
A
You've talked about Boom Chicago, which is in Amsterdam, though it's called Boom Chicago.
B
It's very confusing, which is a trick
A
as a formative experience as an improv theater. How did doing that, doing improv in Amsterdam, in sort of in Europe in front of a non American audience, how did that get you ready for Ted
B
Lasso in two ways offstage and am. The main offstage thing was, before I moved to Amsterdam, I could not have given one, much less two shits about soccer. But I was open to many more experiences in Amsterdam. And then one of them was having pints at three o' clock in the afternoon every Saturday and Sunday to watch a bunch of English people, you know, kick each other and becoming very, very into that. And if I had not gotten into football. And then, you know, when. When Jason came out to work at Boom Chicago and Joe Kelly came out to work at Boom Chicago, if I had not, like transmuted to them. Like, guys, we were lied to. Soccer doesn't suck. Then. Then that might not have. Then. Yeah. Todd Lasso maybe never happens. But the other thing is like that theater. Boom. Chicago. It's just the best. It's the best fucking gig. Like you're. It's the first time for those of us who went out there. And like a bunch of people you've heard of have gone to this weird ass random theater in Amster. Seth Meyers, his last show was my first show. Jordan Peele was there, Jason was there for a while, et cetera. A bunch of folks. Amber Ruffin. And it's your first like professional acting job and you're performing constantly, like at least five shows a week in a 300 seat house. And it was charitably described by a guest director as being like the Beatles in Hamburg, because you're getting your 10,000 hours, but you're performing for people who have English as a second language and they're drunk and you need to really, really give it your all if you're going to reach them. And that's just a certain kind of muscle that you're not really, you know, flexing anywhere else.
A
When did the Beatles go to Hamburg? Oh, oh, this is great. I didn't know about that.
B
I got 10 minutes on that. Roughly 1962. George was too young when they first went. He got turned back at the airport.
A
Wow. Wasn't old enough for George to go to Hamburg.
B
No, no. But that's where they discovered leather jackets.
A
Oh, hey. You were part of the World cup halftime show.
B
Yeah. Yes. The unanimously beloved halftime show.
A
Was there people not like, what happened?
B
Oh, a lot of people were like, there shouldn't be a halftime show at the World cup final. And they're.
A
Yeah, well, a lot of those people said there shouldn't be liberty. But we had another thing to say about that, didn't we?
B
That's right.
A
Didn't we?
B
The Venn diagram is 2/4 resting on each other. Yeah, it just. It was bonkers. It was bonkers. And you know, I don't think there should be a halftime show either. If there is gonna be one, it shouldn't be 25 minutes, but it should be for a charity, which is Global Citizen, which is a charity. Very worth having 2 million pairs of eyes on. And I was delighted to be part of it. Like, it's just a fucking ridiculous thing.
A
So people are mad about the Americanization of the World cup and that included having halftime shows. Yes, but it's like.
B
And commercials in the Middle of a half. And, yeah, the halftime show was rather
A
over the top, which is, you know, it's like, all right, at a certain point, look, I know our president. He's terrible. And America, we make a lot of mistakes, but there are certain things where I wish the Europeans would give us a little bit of trust. Like, you're afraid we're gonna take something and make it less entertaining. That's not what we do. Like, that's not what we do. Like, let us do the thing we're good at. Take something that you did and that was small, boring, and a little gay. And, like, let us do our thing with it, you know, and we'll make it more fun. Halftime show. Damn right there should be a halftime show. I go to soccer games all the time now because I have season tickets to Angel City, the team here in Los Angeles, because my husband used to be a lesbian. And they kept that.
B
That's beautiful. That's beautiful.
A
That part did not change. No, that's great. They kept that. Any highlights when you were rehearsing with Shakira, Dudamel, and Justin Bieber? Wait, hey, how did Dudamel. How does Gustavo Dudamel and Shakira get on?
B
Apparently great. As far as I can tell, Gustavo Dudamel, among other people there, call her Shaq, which is great. She's like, four' eleven. But because there's so much other insanity at this halftime show. Like, when I heard people being like, and Shaq's next, I thought they were actually talking about Shaquille o'. Neal. Like, I thought Shaquille was actually part of the show and. Because, like, of course it is. You know, Coldplay, Dudamel, the Muppets, Shaquille o'. Neal.
A
It's possible.
B
Turns out it's just Shakir. It's Shakir the whole time. And that's probably better in the long run.
A
Was it, like. Was being there with Dudamel with all those people throwing their underwear at him? Did that make it challenging to be in character because people were losing their minds and ripping their clothes off for the great Dudamel?
B
Hey, man, some of that underwear was mine.
A
But back to FIFA. Was it strange being there amongst the FIFA?
B
Yes and no. I mean, I focused on pretty hard on it being a global citizen joint, you know, which. Which it was FIFA, like, hired them to do this thing. And the problem is, like, FIFA, who are, like, nakedly corrupt and will stay that way until the Swiss government for the first time decides they don't want corrupt organizations in their country. So Never. And unfortunately, they're good at one thing, which is throwing the World cup, at which they do an admirable job of something that is, like, logistically insane. Insane. Like it's. It's. It's as insane as. I don't. I can't even think of anything as big as doing it. Like, outside of I being a cavalier, but I think accurate, like a war. Like, it's fucking huge. And. And then football rises above, you know, the players and the excellence and the. And the community that. That rises up around a World cup all supersede what a fucking shit show FIFA is. But. But make no mistake, despite them being good as one thing, they are 100% corrupt and they don't care who knows.
A
Do you ever think about how right now, in different Swiss mountains, there's just bombs that are set up that they can blow at any time to cut off the country and protect themselves from attack?
B
I would say I never think about it, but that's because I didn't know.
A
Oh, yeah.
B
Now that I know, that's a heck of a defense system.
A
Yeah, it's sort of an emergency, like in case of a real emergency. But they haven't had to use it because it's so high. If you ask me, Ted Lasso hit so hard at a show because at the end of the day, all we want is for a nice guy with a mustache to give us a pep talk. You hear that, dad? No. All right. He doesn't. Listen, Brendan, our next segment is called Love it or Believe It. I will give you a person, place, or thing, and you're gonna have to give them a Ted Lasso style pep talk.
B
Okay.
A
Then we'll switch off.
B
Sure. And just. Just so we're clear, we know. We know that I. I don't. I don't play Ted Lasso.
A
No, no, but it's Ted Lasso the vibe of the show. Sorry. Yes. Ted Lasso style in the optimistic vibe of the show.
B
Okay, okay, okay.
A
Because you're not also your character on the show. You're Brendan Hunt.
B
Yeah, he doesn't talk very much.
A
Right. So you're talking this whole time.
B
So I don't have to do a draw or anything?
A
No, you have to be you. But because I'm gonna do it. You could, because we're both doing it. So I'm not asking you to be Ted Lasso any more than I'm asking myself to be Ted Lasso in the style of Ted Lasso, the inspirational show with a believe sign that people hit with their hand. That anybody can hit on the show.
B
Okay.
A
You know, when I think about it, because I know you're not Ted Lasso, that's.
B
That's clearer to me now than ever, and I appreciate it.
A
All right, Brendan, you're up first. Jimothy, the Seattle raccoon with a short spine who went viral. What am I looking at? That's it. That's Jimothy. In any other era, he would have been like a cryptid that people thought was a monster. But now we know because of footage. So he needs a little pep talk.
B
Hey there, Jimothy buddy. I know it feels like people are making fun of you or trying to bring you down, but that's just because you're special. And people don't like seeing special things. It makes them feel unspecial. So speaking for all the other people who have metaphorically grown up as short spined raccoons at their elementary schools, it gets better.
A
Gets better. Jimothy, that was beautiful. That was beautiful. All right, I'm up next. I have a pep talk for the guy in charge of making Elon Musk's AI Odyssey. Hey, guy. That Elon Musk is having make through Grok, an AI adaptation of Homer's Odyssey. No one is going to blame you. We might blame you for being the person that Elon asked, but when this turns out to be nothing, or worse than nothing, just a bunch of absolute fucking slop. No one's gonna say who did this to Elon. So it's kinda. You're kinda in the money. You're playing with the house's money, which is Elon's money, which is being used again, not to build a hospital or a museum. Right, which he could certainly do, but in fact, to pay for a couple everywhere. Give everyone one instead. He's gonna make an AI version of an all white AI Odyssey. That is what the richest human being in the history of our fucking species is spending his time on. That is amazing. That is amazing also, because it just
B
shows a basic misunderstanding of, like, what people look like in the Mediterranean. Like, it's not that white. Never really has been.
A
I would say that being obviously white would be a surprise to the Greek immigrants who first arrived at this country and did not receive a. I would say a white welcome. The ancestors of the English and Scottish did not roll out the red welcome whites carpet for the Greeks. The next person who needs a pep talk from you, Brendan, is the little girl from the other mommy trailer, which is a new horror movie that just dropped for many fans who were shocked and fucking had their stomachs dropped when they're about to see the Odyssey and they see this fella you need a
B
grown up to help keep.
A
So mommy's a spider under the table now. It's super scary. It's super scary in the theater. Oh, my gosh. They got me with that. They got me. Brendan Hunt. They got me. Pep talk for this little girl. What do you think?
B
Hey, little girl. You know when you're a kid, you think love's forever, but the older you get, the more you realize it's not. And your dad might have a bunch of wives by the time it's all said and done. And if this one's not so great, you know, it'll be like a funny thing you laugh about. Unfortunately, it might be over his grave. But, yeah, this is just a blip. A blip in time. Don't you worry about nothing. Can I say it gets better again? It gets better.
A
It gets better. That was beautiful.
C
Thank you.
A
And it says here, one final pep talk for ICE agents. According to the Washington examiner, morale amongst ICE agents is currently lower than it was during the Biden administration, with officers themselves describing the agency as a powder keg ready to blow. Sounds like they need a pep talk. Hey, guys. Kill yourselves. Stop it.
B
Classic lasso.
A
That was one of them. I don't. You know, Looks like it wasn't, like, explicit, but that's what I took away from season two. Hey, guys.
B
Quit.
A
That's it. That's better. All right, Brendan Hunt, everybody. Ted Lasso, season four. Hey, don't go anywhere.
B
There's more of Love it or Leave it coming up.
A
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B
Hi.
A
Welcome. Thanks for being here. Come on through. Hey, it's good to meet you again.
B
How are you?
A
Hi.
C
Hello. Hey, everybody.
A
You did an interview recently where you said, and I quote, america has so much unhappiness. People are old and miserable, hate their fucking lives. So therefore, they have to lash out at immigrants or trans people. A lot of them are sexually repressed
C
and start wars and bomb people.
A
Not the Americans I've met. What are you talking about?
C
Yeah, I mean, it is kind of like that old cliche of, like, make love, not war. I think that just in general, you know, we're living in such a hellish kind of nightmare time that, you know, sexual repression. I think I'm a child, the generation of, like, sexual liberation, you know, and just, like, coming out and gay rights and all of that. So I feel like the. All the progress that has been made, you know, through all these ages, a lot of it's being sort of pushed back. You know, like, there's that feeling of, like, going backwards. I mean, it's kind of what MAGA is, is like, going back to the bad old days. So I feel like a lot of that oppression is sort of playing out in, like, this violence and this kind of terrible shit going on.
A
So I feel like there's a tension which is like.
C
But isn't this a comedy show?
A
Yeah, yeah, we'll laugh when the time comes.
C
I just feel like everyone's like, oh, fuck, it's so depressing.
A
No, no, I'm interested. It's a comedy show where we can also just have, like, an interesting moment and they'll. And they'll.
B
Can we start to cry, though?
A
If you want. You can do whatever you want. They're laughing right now, but now they're gonna stop. No, but I was thinking about it, because the movie you have coming out is a little bit about this tension between, like, Gen Z and Millennials and Gen X in, like, the kind of Gen Z kind of moving away from being. Being, like, sex negative, not having as much sex. But it's this strange thing where, okay, the older generations are repressed despite having part of the sexual sort of liberation you're talking about. The younger generations, more than any, have been encouraged to try to be in touch with their feelings, be okay with their feelings, and yet the end result seems to be moving away from sex. Like, how do you think about that?
C
Yeah, I also. It's interesting because the film, it's kind of a major theme of the movie, the Olivia Wilde character plays what I describe as a sort of cross between Madonna and Robert Mapplethorpe. Like, she's this kind of superstar artist, and her work is about sex and sexuality. And so she's sort of a child of the sexual revolution and her work and her whole life trajectory, very much like my life trajectory, is all based on sex and sexuality and these sort of sexual adventures. And she talks about it in the movie, where her sexual experiences are her whole journey. You know what I mean? Like, she would not be the person she is. She would not have made the art she makes without sex and without these experiences, which sometimes in the moment are confusing, fucked up, traumatic, or what, you know, I mean, but at the end of the day, that kind of confusion, those moments of uncomfortableness or conflict, or when you have your heart broken when you're with the wrong person, you know, all of that is part of your life journey and really your evolution as a person. I know. Personally, I feel that way. And so her character, that's where she's coming from. And then the Cooper hoffman character is 23 in the movie, and he sort of is the Gen Z representative, and he very eloquently talks about the predicament. Sort of a Gen Z in terms of. They, you know, were raised during COVID They've been so, you know, their technology has been part of their lives from the time they were babies. And so communication in person contact is difficult, you know, from the start. So it's a really interesting debate and something that I personally, as a. As a filmmaker, I don't mean to lecture anybody, but I really want to just open a conversation, and I want people. The movie's 90 minutes. It's fun, it's sexy, it's a comedy. It's meant to be enjoyed. But there are a lot of kind of themes and topics and ideas in it. And I really want people to be engaged in conversations and argue about it and pick a side and, you know, and really get into what is, you know, again, this sort of debate between this sort of asexual generation versus the, you know, promiscuous, like, 70s or whatever, and just sort of talk about that, because I think it is something very important. And it's one thing that the Olivia Wilde character says in the movie that is kind of. She's a little bit of a mouthpiece for me in the sense that she's like, your whole generation is about fomo, but you're literally missing out on the sexual prime of your life. Is that. Okay, you know what I mean, like, are you gonna be 45, 50 years old one day and go, what the fuck was I thinking? Like, you know, I was 25 years old and beautiful, and I just, like, hid away, like, all these years. And, you know, I'm in my 60s and life is fucking. It goes by pretty fast, you know what I mean? And you really. I live a life, my life, personally, I have no regrets. Like, you know, I mean, I've. I've literally had such an amazing life and career and got to make all around 12 movies, and I've done so many cool things that I never could have imagined doing as a young person. But a lot of it was because, you know, I went out into the world and had these adventures and took these risks, you know, And I feel like that's so much of what life is. But again, I don't want to preach to anybody. Like, everybody should have, you know, be on their own path, but I just would like to bring up that idea of don't miss out.
A
Brennan, are you filled with sexual regrets about your youth?
B
I might have been had I not moved to Amsterdam. But five years in Amsterdam, I saw some things, John. Yeah, I saw some things, and I can feel pretty happy with. With what happened.
C
Did you participate, though, is my question.
B
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, no spectators allowed in these situations.
A
So what I also was thinking about is, like, all right, I feel like Gen X was considered kind of like a nihilistic generation. Gen Z has a little bit about that, too. And I often think that one reason there's like a tension between the boomers and the millennials is like, we're kind of similar, right? There's a narcissism of small difference. Like, the boomers and the millennials, they're a little narcissistic, demanding. We're kind of a generic. We're complainers. The Gen X and Gen Z. You kind of hang at the back of the room a little bit in a similar way, you know what I'm saying? That there is something in common between the two. And I'm wondering, are you yelling a little bit at. Is Gen Z kind of a stand in for young Gen X to you?
C
I mean, I don't feel like. Again, I don't feel like I'm yelling at anybody. I really just want.
A
It is a sub dom thing. Like, she dominates Cooper Hoff.
C
Olivia literally plays the dom and Cooper's the sub, and they have a very kind of charged but also unhealthy relationship. The way I describe the movie is that it's like this crazy sex comedy, and it's like this adventure that he has that there's a point in the movie where he's all, you destroyed my fucking life. Like, you destroyed me, you know, And. And in that moment, he feels like my life is ruined because I had this affair with my boss. But I like to. But I like to think that when the Cooper's character is 45 years old, he's going to look back on that experience and go, that was fucking so crazy and insane. I can't believe that happened. But I'm so glad it happened. Do you know what I mean? Like, it was such a valuable and important experience in my life. Even things in your life, as I said, that are confusing at the time, they're somewhat, you know, upsetting, or they throw you off track, or you just. A lot of times when you're young and you're, you know, your heart gets broken, right? You're devastated. I can remember as a young person, like, breaking up with somebody and just being, like, destroyed. You know what I mean? But that's life. You know what I mean? It's something that I feel like. And I think it's important. I mean, for me, just again, as someone in my 60s looking back, yeah, those moments were formative, and I wouldn't trade them for anything, even if at the time they were very painful.
A
Thank you, Greg. The movie I Want yout Sex hits theaters on Friday, July 31 against Spider Man. So against Spider Man, I feel like it's a different audience.
B
What?
A
And we'll be right back. Hey, don't go anywhere.
B
There's more of Love it or Leave it coming up.
A
Love it or Leave it is brought to you by Helix Sleep. God is important. A good night's rest sets you up for a great day. I didn't sleep that great last night, honestly. I got back from Love it or Leave It. I had a little willies from a different ad, but that I also really like. But then I ended up watching Olive Slow Horses. So I didn't go to bed till late. But that's not the bed's fault. I have a very comfortable Helix mattress that I genuinely love. I love sinking in, watching an episode of Slow Horses in my dawnlux Helix mattress. And then I go to sleep and then wake up a little before I should. And then I go to my fitness class, and then I come to Crooked and I record these ads. Helix delivers your mattress right to your door with free shipping in the U.S. how do you know which mattress is right for you? You take the quiz. You get a perfect mattress based on your sleep preferences. They have over 20 mattress models. You can find the perfect one for you. You get the Happy with Helix guarantee. It's a risk free customer first experience designed to ensure you're completely satisfied with your new mattress so you can rest easy with seamless returns and exchanges. Plus, helix offers a 120 night sleep trial and limited lifetime warranty. I have a dawnlock because I sleep on it every goddamn night and it's great. Helixsleep.com Love it. For 27% off sitewide. This offer is exclusive to love it or leave it listeners. That's helixsleep.com loveit for 27% off sitewide. Helixsleep.com love it. And we're back. Wow. Greg and Brennan, it's time to pay homage to your two respective loves, sex and sports, by bringing back a beloved love it or leave it game. In a segment we're calling how gay is this beloved sports Monster? Here's how it works. I'm gonna ask you to rank the following mascots on the Kinsey scale. As a reminder, in case you aren't doing any dated sociological research, on The Kinsey scale, zero is absolutely straight, while six is 100% gay. Are you ready? First up, Violet the Raven for the Golden State Valkyries. This is the wnba. Meet Violet the Raven, the mascot for the Golden State Valkyries. Is she a straight lady? Raven, are we looking at a femme lesbian? What do we think?
C
Do we just yell out the answer?
A
Whatever you think you can.
C
My answers are they're all fucking gay, super gay. So I'm just gonna say gay, gay, gay. And I'm just gonna say top or bottom. And this is bottom completely.
A
Okay. Okay. We're saying this is a six and a bottom.
B
Okay. I can only come from myself and my culture and.
C
Wait, straight culture? Wait, there's straight people on this show.
A
Sometimes they get through the filter.
B
But to be perfectly honest, my first reaction to her, just the pose alone, I was like, oh, well, that's pretty straight. But then I started looking at the accessories and the glasses and the hair, and I'm going five.
A
Okay. Okay. Wow. All right, all right.
C
Wow.
A
Great. Done.
C
Wait, do you. Don't put the answer up so we know who was wrong and who was right.
B
We are the answer.
A
Yeah, here's the cool thing. There's actually no. We asked Raven and she's not doing interviews right now.
B
Violet.
A
Raven wouldn't give us the answer, so we can just decide for her, which is usually not Acceptable on sexual orientation, but with the mascots, we'll allow it. All right, next up, Freddy Fever for the Indiana Fever. This is for Indiana. This is the mascot for a team named after something that, you know, can either be no big deal or can kill you. I mean, that is definitely not a. That is not a straight outfit for sure. I would. I don't know. I'm thinking three or four at least. Right. What do you think?
B
I mean, I'm just being affected by the energy here, but I go, six
A
bottom, six bottom, six bottom that. Next up, Japanese mascot, Kaparu. This is, according to the Japanese Foundation Toronto website. This is the official mascot of Shiki Saitama Prefecture. He's a Kappa monster carrying a messenger bag. Recently, he won a best performance award at a mascot contest in Taiwan for playing bass guitar. So what do we think about Kaparu? I mean, that's, again, pretty fucking gay.
B
I don't know. Does the bass player part change anything?
A
Yeah, that is. Right. It'd be sort of a lesbian thing to do. We don't really know the gender either. I mean, I don't know.
B
I don't think Caparu knows either.
A
Yeah.
B
Which is fine.
A
I don't think Caparu believes in gender as a construct. Like that time when someone asks Joe Biden, he's like, that's a trick question. Seven, which is so funny. I'm gonna say asexual can't be charted. I think this is an ace situation. That's what I think.
B
Off the charts.
A
Off the charts.
C
I'm gonna mix it up a bit. Say six top. Wow.
A
Wow. Surprising. Surprising. Next up, we have the sentient Pop Tart mascot. The mascots of the Pop Tart bowl are giant Pop Tarts who are sacrificed to a giant toaster and emerge toasted to be eaten by the winning college football team. Follow your dreams. That is being lowered into a toaster.
C
That's very symbolic. I think,
A
actually. Chilling free. The Pop Tarts. I think they're all straight.
B
I don't know. I feel like this was Greg's student film. It was 10 minutes long, but it was very powerful.
A
Very powerful. A lot of very important themes. Very.
C
The question is on this game, right? Does anybody ever say, oh, yeah, that looks really straight? Like all these sports things are so gay. Right.
A
How often do you think we're playing mascot Kinsey scale rating. It's not like there's, you know, we don't come back to it that often. I thought it was like every week. It's not every once. We don't go once a month. Like, it's not a once a month. It's a rare and special treat just for us. It's just for you.
B
So, Greg, Greg, you're, like, concerned like that. Sometimes there's, like, a bad batch, and at the end we go like, oh, well, we had 10 straight ones. That's another Kinsey Report mascot situation. Bad luck.
A
Yeah. Like Mr. Met. Straight married to Mrs. Met. Next up. Or at least. Or maybe bi. Or maybe closeted. Next up. And finally, Earl Greyhound from Ted Lasso, the original AFC Richmond mascot. Rip.
C
Oh, Rip.
A
Yeah.
C
Talk about a bummer. Like, everybody's so quiet.
A
Yeah.
B
Is this the first Earl or is this Earl the second?
A
I don't know which Earl it is.
B
Well, Earl II was wearing a helmet, I think. So.
A
Yeah. I think it would be the first one.
B
Yeah.
A
Also a guy in a mascot during the show's first season. But was there, there that. There we go. Greyhound.
B
Nice pull.
A
I think that is. That mascot, I think is pretty gay. I'm gonna say three. I think that now the dog.
B
I'm going six in the mascot.
A
Six on the mascot.
B
Bottom and down the middle. Three on Earl.
C
I'm gonna give Earl a six. Cause he's a cutie.
A
And that's correct. And that's ranking mascots on the Kinsey scale. And we'll be right back. And we're back. And we've come to the end of yet another perfect episode, if you ask me. However, if you ask our producers, they will say it was not perfect. In fact, they have given me a list of things that I could have done better for a segment we call Second Thoughts. And I know you said, greg, you live a life with no regrets, but if you have any regrets or second thoughts from just the last hour of your life, this is the point. Brendan as well. If there's anything you wish we'd done differently, said differently, this is a space where we learn and grow, even about the things we did wrong while on the program. Let's see what we've learned tonight. Now, I will note that I have yet again failed to earn a kudos, which I can occasionally earn. Occasionally, on a second thoughts, they will say, kudos. Not today.
B
Shame.
A
Not today. Let's see. I opened the monologue by making us all imagine a mother who can only afford one sandwich for her two children. I said, hammurabi is a soft little bitch boy in front of kids, and then drew attention to it. You guys didn't like the joke about Mamdani being a Hamas supporter, but the joke is that he's not a Hamas supporter. Grow up. I don't regret that. I'm sorry for making fun of Hunter Biden's art. I actually think he's good. My producers and I disagree about this, but I actually think he is a good artist. That's sincere, Brendan. I immediately compared Ted Lasso to Jeffrey Epstein and I'm sorry about that. I should have perhaps explained who Gustavo Dudamel is. And the answer is he's a conductor from signs around Los Angeles. And that is all I know. He is often at the LA Philharmonic and you're often kind of enticed.
C
Wait, does the audience always fill in the answers for you, Greg?
A
You're very interested in how this normally goes and that says something about you. For a guy that's so subversive, you're like, is this the normal way? Is this the normal way?
B
Are we doing it right?
A
Who cares? Who cares, Greg? That's the whole fucking point. We're figuring it out as we go. We're trying things. Does it all work? No. Brendan, do you have any regrets?
B
I guess I should have anticipated that. You didn't know the Beatles were in Hamburg. Pretty. Pretty fundamental part of their history. But that's on me.
A
Yep. Nope, I didn't know about that time.
B
I'll be clear next time.
A
I thought they started on the rooftop of that barbershop.
B
Oh, that's the opposite. The exact opposite. Oh boy. That's where they end.
A
One suggested second thought is we shouldn't tell Jimothy that it gets better. He's a raccoon with a spinal deformity. That's it. That's how it is. It's not getting better. It's as good as it gets for Jimothy. Let's see. I played the other mommy trailer in front of the 12 year olds. I said when Greg said I thought this was a comedy show, I responded, we'll laugh sometimes. Yes. Also, perhaps I should regret that I explained what a fever is in the strange. In the strangest way possible. And I'll remember what I said. Ah, yes, a fever. A thing that could be not so bad or could kill you.
B
Technically accurate.
A
And that's our show. Thank you so much to Brendan Huff and Greg araki. There are 102 days until the midterms. We'll be back next week with Guy Branham and Missy Pyle. Have a great weekend. Love it or Leave it is a Crooked Media production. Our show is produced by Kendra James, Bill McGrath, Kelsey Gante and me, John Lovett. Our production team includes Hallie Kiefer, Sarah Lazarus, Raman Borsalino, Peter Miller, David Towles, Claudia Shang, Jay Banks, Gavin Purcell and Matt De Gro. And our staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East.
Date: July 24, 2026
Host: Jon Lovett
Guests: Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso), Greg Araki (Filmmaker)
This week’s Lovett or Leave It is a quintessential blend of irreverent political satire and pop-culture conversation. Jon Lovett launches into a piercing, joke-laden monologue on the war in Iran, US defense spending, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) controversy over possible attempts to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu during a UN trip to New York. Later, Lovett sits down with Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso) to talk soccer, television comebacks, and the World Cup halftime show, before shifting to a thoughtful and funny exchange with filmmaker Greg Araki about America’s evolving sexual attitudes across generations. The episode wraps up with trademark games, “Second Thoughts,” and a spirited Kinsey-scale mascot ranking.
[01:56–13:00]
Pentagon Funding and the War in Iran
Senator Jon Ossoff Grills Hegseth
Trump’s Escalating Rhetoric Toward Iran
The ICC & Calls to Arrest Netanyahu
Hunter Biden’s “Closetocracy” Comments
[16:07–30:42]
Ted Lasso’s Return and Evolution
Boom Chicago and Improv Roots
World Cup Halftime Show Experience
Segment: “Love it or Believe It” (Pep Talks)
[33:35–43:08]
Culture Wars, Unhappiness, and Sexual Anxiety
Sexual Generational Divide (Gen X vs. Gen Z)
Regret and Lessons in Sex
[45:16–51:06]
[51:06–end]
“...Signs that say ‘Welcome to the Pentagon, no queers, fatties.’ For the record, the Pentagon’s budget increased every year that Joe Biden was president, though God knows how much money we blew on woke priorities. Like choosing pronouns for all the drones...”
—Lovett [03:30]
“The ICC is like Tinkerbell. It only works when you believe in it, and it’s a European fantasy for children.”
—Lovett [09:45]
“It wasn’t a secret cabal of gay Republicans that led us here. It was a Republican Party that embraced Trump and all of his corruption and cruelty… and it was a Democratic Party that was unable to convince enough Americans… In part because Hunter Biden’s corruption made us look like hypocrites.”
—Lovett [11:33]
“...Jason Sudeikis waking up one morning and, you know, looking bleary eyed at his image in the mirror and going, ‘Eh, fuck it.’”
—Brendan Hunt [16:46]
“Your whole generation is about fomo, but you’re literally missing out on the sexual prime of your life. Is that okay? ...I have no regrets.”
—Greg Araki [39:00]
Playful, acerbic, self-aware, Lovett blends sharp political critique with punchlines, running gags, and confessional asides. The interviews are loose, funny, and occasionally earnest—encouraging both levity and deeper reflection from guests.
You’ll come away with biting commentary on the U.S. war machine, satirical perspectives on the ICC and international justice, a revealing peek behind the scenes at Ted Lasso’s return, and a thoughtful (but never too serious) exchange on how Americans relate to sex and repression , all capped with signature games and meta-commentary. The episode exemplifies what Lovett or Leave It does best: mixing the dumb with the deeply real, leaving you both laughing and (begrudgingly) reflecting.