New Rory & MAL – Episode 447 | "Day and Night" (January 27, 2026)

Host: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Summary by [Podcast Summarizer AI]

Episode Overview

This episode marks New Rory & Mal's debut of a new episode on Netflix, with hosts Rory, Maul, and Damaris celebrating the milestone, reflecting on their journey, and seamlessly diving into their signature blend of hilarious banter, candid hot takes, and insightful cultural commentary. Key topics include the "intimacy coordinator" trend in TV/film, mental health days for students and adults, Kanye West's public apology and mental health discourse, the Kid Cudi & Jim Jones "Day and Night" debate, and thoughts on the business of music publishing. The trio’s chemistry delivers both laughs and real talk, making for a memorable episode.

1. Launching on Netflix & "Intimacy Coordinators" in Entertainment

[03:07–09:01] New Era with Netflix & Champagne in the Snowstorm

The team jokes and celebrates their first new episode dropped directly on Netflix.
Maul and Rory poke fun at Netflix promo clichés and display their usual “culture will shift” mockery.
Damaris shares her new reluctance to speak freely now that older family members can access the show more easily via Netflix.

[04:52–08:14] The "Intimacy Coordinator" Debate

Damaris explains what an intimacy coordinator does on set (implements guidelines for actors in sex scenes, provides physical barriers for comfort).
Hilarious discussion ensues about on-set logistics and misunderstandings (“Why would you cover my nipples?”—Maul [06:03]).

“I don’t want to see a sex scene with the erogenous zone blockers.” – Maul [07:14]

The group jokes about the blurred lines between acting and real affection, admitting they’d rather film with someone they’re not attracted to.

Takeaway: The show’s tone is loose, playful, and self-aware—making light of cultural shifts while acknowledging the newly expanded audience via Netflix.

2. Family, Work, and Oversharing in the Digital Age

[09:01–12:03] Work Boundaries & TMI

Damaris and Maul riff about tracking menstrual cycles for work—joking about push notifications (“Baby D’s at it again!” [11:11]).
The group transitions to a story about Dame Dash’s unique approach to sex scenes as a director, arguing the importance (or irrelevance) of intimacy coordinators.

3. Mental Health Days: Parental Guilt, School Attendance, and Workplace Culture

[17:00–22:44] Personal Days and ‘Calling Out’

Debate on whether employees (and kids) should give reasons for taking personal days.
Damaris stresses the right to claim a “personal day” without elaborate excuses, while Rory asserts the “real world doesn’t care about your personal shit.”
The team considers the value of letting children take the occasional mental health day, with Maul and Rory warning against setting a precedent for quitting “when things are rough.”

"If you quit during double sessions, it'll make the next thing easier to quit.” – Rory [21:05]

[24:03–27:57] School Stress, Social Anxiety, and Skipping Class

Damaris recalls skipping class for mental health (“I would skip two classes and put my headphones on with all the Drake rares from YouTube” [25:24]).
The hosts agree childhood stressors often mirror adulthood; what’s inside the school often exists later in the office.

4. Social Media, High School Pressures & Shopping for the Snowstorm

[28:36–32:58] Life with Smartphones in School

Maul jokes about how he wishes he had a smartphone in high school for content creation.
Damaris observes that today’s teens face immense pressure to keep up appearances online—luxury brands, fashion trends, unrealistic standards.
A New York vs. Upstate NY banter, as Damaris describes “old schools” (Air Force Ones) and school footwear culture.

[33:07–36:41] The Great Snowstorm Grocery Scramble

All three swap stories about panic-buying food before the snowstorm, dealing with empty shelves and Instacart mishaps.
Maul advises prepping early and "not being a rookie" about weather logistics (“Saturday morning is the apocalypse!” [33:54]).

5. Kanye West, Apology Rollouts, and the 'Mental Health' Conversation

[41:32–62:06] Kanye’s Wall Street Journal Apology – Real Growth or Performative PR?

Main Discussion Points:

Kanye West published a lengthy Wall Street Journal letter apologizing for past hurtful actions, citing undiagnosed bipolar disorder and frontal lobe damage from a car accident as root causes. The letter coincided with his new album release.
Key Quotes:

“He went into a long, long description of what bipolar is and... how it led him to loving the swastika.” – Rory [42:42] “I don’t think he wrote a word.” – Rory [53:49] “This is performative to me... We all know in this room, Kanye did not write none of this.” – Maul [49:47]

Debate:

Maul: Views the apology as calculated PR and album rollout, not genuine introspection (“Just too performative for me” [61:41]).
Damaris: Points out that public apologies, even if polished, may be the only way some artists know how to be vulnerable. She argues that even ghostwritten apologies can come from a place of truth.
Rory: Suggests artists like Kanye adopt ‘corporation mindsets’—selling themselves with every move, and thus naturally blend PR with art.
Larger Question: Is it wrong for artists to blend personal revelations (apologies, “coming out,” etc.) with album rollouts? Do all major artists have to do promo, or could Kanye simply “drop” music with no buildup?

“Even when Frank Ocean came out and said he was gay right before Channel Orange… a lot of artists only want to speak when they're putting out their music.” – Rory [62:05]

Consensus:
The table remains split—Maul is cynical, Damaris empathizes, Rory lands in between, highlighting the complexity and hypocrisy of music industry PR vs. “authenticity.”

6. Kid Cudi vs. Jim Jones: Who "Made" Day and Night a Hit?

[91:57–99:41] Barbershop Debate: Origins of “Day and Night”

Jim Jones publicly claims people only heard of Kid Cudi’s “Day and Night” because of his (Jones’) remix, which dominated Hot 97 and NYC clubs in 2008. Kid Cudi responds, arguing the song was already a smash.
Rory details his “insider” experience: Jim Jones’ remix was indeed huge in NYC, and Hot 97’s power in that era was immense, but Cudi’s original was already “moving.”

“But to say that Hot 97 in 2008 didn’t determine the hip hop market of all 50 states… you’re bugging.” – Rory [94:05]

The hosts agree:
- Jim’s version “went platinum in the hood,” but “Day and Night” was destined to be a hit regardless (placement on Entourage was another major milestone).
- Two things are true—a local co-sign helps, but star talent and song quality transcend.

7. Versus Preview: Hit-Boy vs. Mike WiLL Made-It, Producer Culture, & R&B Shoutouts

[103:50–107:56] The Next Epic Beat Battle

The crew debates who would win in a Hit-Boy vs. Mike WiLL Made-It “versus.” They praise both for massive versatility and catalog depth.
- Maul: “Hit-Boy’s range is undeniable—Nas, Beyoncè, Nipsey… just undeniable.” [104:12]
- But Damaris counters that Mike WiLL's mainstream “hits” are hard to top, citing “Pour It Up” and “Formation.”

[110:24–111:57] R&B Highlight: Ari Lennox’s ‘Vacancy’

Special mention: Ari Lennox’s new album is praised as "more comfortable and less anxious" than her last, with JD and Bryan Michael Cox as executive producers.

8. Music Publishing, Royalties, and Business Disputes

[115:25–126:56] Pharrell, Chad Hugo Lawsuit & How Publishing Gets Messy

Rory expresses hope that Pharrell and Chad Hugo (The Neptunes) can resolve Chad’s lawsuit for missed royalties on major tracks (“Drop It Like It’s Hot”, “Hollaback Girl”, “Moneymaker”).
They dissect the endless gray area in music publishing—splits, writing credits, and how collaboration value is determined, using both modern and Sinatra/Quincy Jones-era analogies.
Key Quotes:

“If I make a T-shirt, the T-shirt's $10... That’s an easy business. I don’t know what a baseline costs, or what it’s going to affect, how many points. I don’t know what that is.” – Rory [119:51]

Consensus:
The music business is confusing and often unfair, and even the greatest hits are surrounded by complex deals and “bullshit in the mix.”

Notable & Memorable Moments

New Era on Netflix:

“We are here. We have arrived.” – Rory [03:53]
On the True Purpose of Cancel Culture:

“Whenever you see somebody being canceled or people calling for somebody to be canceled, nine times out of ten, it's somebody that never even supported them.” – Maul [47:50]
Laugh-Out-Loud: Period Tracking for Work

“Yo, imagine I had push notifications—oh, Baby D was having sex.” – Maul [11:13]
On the Modern ‘Rollout’ Game:

“Now everything has to be negative. I'm curious to see, with him going with a positive rollout, what happens… Is positivity even going to work?” – Rory [74:42]

Key Discussion Timestamps

[03:07] – Official Netflix episode start, celebratory banter
[04:52] – Intimacy coordinators on TV sets explained
[09:01] – Older family now can watch the podcast: generational media habits
[17:00] – Calling out of work, personal days, “mental health day” debate
[41:32] – Kanye’s mental health apology, promo or personal growth?
[61:33] – Is it wrong for artists to blend rollouts with personal revelations?
[91:57] – Kid Cudi/Day and Night debate: who made it a hit?
[103:50] – Producer versus talk: Hit-Boy vs. Mike WiLL Made-It
[110:24] – Ari Lennox’s new album review
[115:25] – Pharrell, Chad Hugo, and the murky world of music publishing

Closing Thoughts

Rory, Maul, and Damaris deliver a rich, winding episode weaving pop culture, knockabout humor, and smart industry talk. The team constantly balances deeply unserious clowning with moments of surprising insight, making even well-worn takes (e.g., mental health day discourse, “cancel culture,” artist authenticity) feel fresh.

Episode Theme:
Celebrating new beginnings, questioning authenticity in a PR-driven culture, and—most of all—showing that even as the show expands, New Rory & MAL’s signature style stays intact: unfiltered, laugh-out-loud, and unafraid to tackle the hot-button debates that keep the podcast world spinning.

For full context and more hot takes, listen to "New Rory & MAL | Episode 447 | Day and Night" on your favorite streaming service or now, on Netflix.

New Rory & MAL – Episode 447 | "Day and Night" (January 27, 2026)

Host: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Summary by [Podcast Summarizer AI]

Episode Overview

1. Launching on Netflix & "Intimacy Coordinators" in Entertainment

[03:07–09:01] New Era with Netflix & Champagne in the Snowstorm

The team jokes and celebrates their first new episode dropped directly on Netflix.
Maul and Rory poke fun at Netflix promo clichés and display their usual “culture will shift” mockery.
Damaris shares her new reluctance to speak freely now that older family members can access the show more easily via Netflix.

[04:52–08:14] The "Intimacy Coordinator" Debate

Damaris explains what an intimacy coordinator does on set (implements guidelines for actors in sex scenes, provides physical barriers for comfort).
Hilarious discussion ensues about on-set logistics and misunderstandings (“Why would you cover my nipples?”—Maul [06:03]).

“I don’t want to see a sex scene with the erogenous zone blockers.” – Maul [07:14]

The group jokes about the blurred lines between acting and real affection, admitting they’d rather film with someone they’re not attracted to.

Takeaway: The show’s tone is loose, playful, and self-aware—making light of cultural shifts while acknowledging the newly expanded audience via Netflix.

2. Family, Work, and Oversharing in the Digital Age

[09:01–12:03] Work Boundaries & TMI

Damaris and Maul riff about tracking menstrual cycles for work—joking about push notifications (“Baby D’s at it again!” [11:11]).
The group transitions to a story about Dame Dash’s unique approach to sex scenes as a director, arguing the importance (or irrelevance) of intimacy coordinators.

3. Mental Health Days: Parental Guilt, School Attendance, and Workplace Culture

[17:00–22:44] Personal Days and ‘Calling Out’

Debate on whether employees (and kids) should give reasons for taking personal days.
Damaris stresses the right to claim a “personal day” without elaborate excuses, while Rory asserts the “real world doesn’t care about your personal shit.”
The team considers the value of letting children take the occasional mental health day, with Maul and Rory warning against setting a precedent for quitting “when things are rough.”

"If you quit during double sessions, it'll make the next thing easier to quit.” – Rory [21:05]

[24:03–27:57] School Stress, Social Anxiety, and Skipping Class

Damaris recalls skipping class for mental health (“I would skip two classes and put my headphones on with all the Drake rares from YouTube” [25:24]).
The hosts agree childhood stressors often mirror adulthood; what’s inside the school often exists later in the office.

4. Social Media, High School Pressures & Shopping for the Snowstorm

[28:36–32:58] Life with Smartphones in School

Maul jokes about how he wishes he had a smartphone in high school for content creation.
Damaris observes that today’s teens face immense pressure to keep up appearances online—luxury brands, fashion trends, unrealistic standards.
A New York vs. Upstate NY banter, as Damaris describes “old schools” (Air Force Ones) and school footwear culture.

[33:07–36:41] The Great Snowstorm Grocery Scramble

All three swap stories about panic-buying food before the snowstorm, dealing with empty shelves and Instacart mishaps.
Maul advises prepping early and "not being a rookie" about weather logistics (“Saturday morning is the apocalypse!” [33:54]).

5. Kanye West, Apology Rollouts, and the 'Mental Health' Conversation

[41:32–62:06] Kanye’s Wall Street Journal Apology – Real Growth or Performative PR?

Main Discussion Points:

Kanye West published a lengthy Wall Street Journal letter apologizing for past hurtful actions, citing undiagnosed bipolar disorder and frontal lobe damage from a car accident as root causes. The letter coincided with his new album release.
Key Quotes:

“He went into a long, long description of what bipolar is and... how it led him to loving the swastika.” – Rory [42:42] “I don’t think he wrote a word.” – Rory [53:49] “This is performative to me... We all know in this room, Kanye did not write none of this.” – Maul [49:47]

Debate:

Maul: Views the apology as calculated PR and album rollout, not genuine introspection (“Just too performative for me” [61:41]).
Damaris: Points out that public apologies, even if polished, may be the only way some artists know how to be vulnerable. She argues that even ghostwritten apologies can come from a place of truth.
Rory: Suggests artists like Kanye adopt ‘corporation mindsets’—selling themselves with every move, and thus naturally blend PR with art.
Larger Question: Is it wrong for artists to blend personal revelations (apologies, “coming out,” etc.) with album rollouts? Do all major artists have to do promo, or could Kanye simply “drop” music with no buildup?

“Even when Frank Ocean came out and said he was gay right before Channel Orange… a lot of artists only want to speak when they're putting out their music.” – Rory [62:05]

Consensus:
The table remains split—Maul is cynical, Damaris empathizes, Rory lands in between, highlighting the complexity and hypocrisy of music industry PR vs. “authenticity.”

6. Kid Cudi vs. Jim Jones: Who "Made" Day and Night a Hit?

[91:57–99:41] Barbershop Debate: Origins of “Day and Night”

Jim Jones publicly claims people only heard of Kid Cudi’s “Day and Night” because of his (Jones’) remix, which dominated Hot 97 and NYC clubs in 2008. Kid Cudi responds, arguing the song was already a smash.
Rory details his “insider” experience: Jim Jones’ remix was indeed huge in NYC, and Hot 97’s power in that era was immense, but Cudi’s original was already “moving.”

“But to say that Hot 97 in 2008 didn’t determine the hip hop market of all 50 states… you’re bugging.” – Rory [94:05]

The hosts agree:
- Jim’s version “went platinum in the hood,” but “Day and Night” was destined to be a hit regardless (placement on Entourage was another major milestone).
- Two things are true—a local co-sign helps, but star talent and song quality transcend.

7. Versus Preview: Hit-Boy vs. Mike WiLL Made-It, Producer Culture, & R&B Shoutouts

[103:50–107:56] The Next Epic Beat Battle

The crew debates who would win in a Hit-Boy vs. Mike WiLL Made-It “versus.” They praise both for massive versatility and catalog depth.
- Maul: “Hit-Boy’s range is undeniable—Nas, Beyoncè, Nipsey… just undeniable.” [104:12]
- But Damaris counters that Mike WiLL's mainstream “hits” are hard to top, citing “Pour It Up” and “Formation.”

[110:24–111:57] R&B Highlight: Ari Lennox’s ‘Vacancy’

Special mention: Ari Lennox’s new album is praised as "more comfortable and less anxious" than her last, with JD and Bryan Michael Cox as executive producers.

8. Music Publishing, Royalties, and Business Disputes

[115:25–126:56] Pharrell, Chad Hugo Lawsuit & How Publishing Gets Messy

Rory expresses hope that Pharrell and Chad Hugo (The Neptunes) can resolve Chad’s lawsuit for missed royalties on major tracks (“Drop It Like It’s Hot”, “Hollaback Girl”, “Moneymaker”).
They dissect the endless gray area in music publishing—splits, writing credits, and how collaboration value is determined, using both modern and Sinatra/Quincy Jones-era analogies.
Key Quotes:

“If I make a T-shirt, the T-shirt's $10... That’s an easy business. I don’t know what a baseline costs, or what it’s going to affect, how many points. I don’t know what that is.” – Rory [119:51]

Consensus:
The music business is confusing and often unfair, and even the greatest hits are surrounded by complex deals and “bullshit in the mix.”

Notable & Memorable Moments

New Era on Netflix:

“We are here. We have arrived.” – Rory [03:53]
On the True Purpose of Cancel Culture:

“Whenever you see somebody being canceled or people calling for somebody to be canceled, nine times out of ten, it's somebody that never even supported them.” – Maul [47:50]
Laugh-Out-Loud: Period Tracking for Work

“Yo, imagine I had push notifications—oh, Baby D was having sex.” – Maul [11:13]
On the Modern ‘Rollout’ Game:

“Now everything has to be negative. I'm curious to see, with him going with a positive rollout, what happens… Is positivity even going to work?” – Rory [74:42]

Key Discussion Timestamps

[03:07] – Official Netflix episode start, celebratory banter
[04:52] – Intimacy coordinators on TV sets explained
[09:01] – Older family now can watch the podcast: generational media habits
[17:00] – Calling out of work, personal days, “mental health day” debate
[41:32] – Kanye’s mental health apology, promo or personal growth?
[61:33] – Is it wrong for artists to blend rollouts with personal revelations?
[91:57] – Kid Cudi/Day and Night debate: who made it a hit?
[103:50] – Producer versus talk: Hit-Boy vs. Mike WiLL Made-It
[110:24] – Ari Lennox’s new album review
[115:25] – Pharrell, Chad Hugo, and the murky world of music publishing

Closing Thoughts

For full context and more hot takes, listen to "New Rory & MAL | Episode 447 | Day and Night" on your favorite streaming service or now, on Netflix.

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Summary

New Rory & MAL – Episode 447 | "Day and Night" (January 27, 2026)

Episode Overview

1. Launching on Netflix & "Intimacy Coordinators" in Entertainment

2. Family, Work, and Oversharing in the Digital Age

3. Mental Health Days: Parental Guilt, School Attendance, and Workplace Culture

4. Social Media, High School Pressures & Shopping for the Snowstorm

5. Kanye West, Apology Rollouts, and the 'Mental Health' Conversation

6. Kid Cudi vs. Jim Jones: Who "Made" Day and Night a Hit?

7. Versus Preview: Hit-Boy vs. Mike WiLL Made-It, Producer Culture, & R&B Shoutouts

8. Music Publishing, Royalties, and Business Disputes

Notable & Memorable Moments

Key Discussion Timestamps

Closing Thoughts

Summary

New Rory & MAL – Episode 447 | "Day and Night" (January 27, 2026)

Episode Overview

1. Launching on Netflix & "Intimacy Coordinators" in Entertainment

2. Family, Work, and Oversharing in the Digital Age

3. Mental Health Days: Parental Guilt, School Attendance, and Workplace Culture

4. Social Media, High School Pressures & Shopping for the Snowstorm

5. Kanye West, Apology Rollouts, and the 'Mental Health' Conversation

6. Kid Cudi vs. Jim Jones: Who "Made" Day and Night a Hit?

7. Versus Preview: Hit-Boy vs. Mike WiLL Made-It, Producer Culture, & R&B Shoutouts

8. Music Publishing, Royalties, and Business Disputes

Notable & Memorable Moments

Key Discussion Timestamps

Closing Thoughts