No Agenda Show – Episode 1838: “Coup Afoot”
January 29, 2026 – Hosted by Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak
Episode Overview
In this densely packed episode, Adam and John deconstruct the week’s media, exploring manipulations within TV news, the Minneapolis unrest, the political heat around ICE, and the ongoing cultural, geopolitical, and technological shenanigans shaping public perception. They touch on persistent themes: fear-mongering in mainstream news, the humor and perils of AI tools, influencer economics, political polarization, and wry insights about America’s social, tech, and political climate.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Production & AI Tool Struggles
- John laments his near-migration to Linux for production, explaining pitfalls with Audacity and Hindenburg Pro’s recent “deterioration.”
- “I want to be free, Man Libre. I want to be free of the corporate overlords.” (John, 03:18)
- Talk of open-source AI voice tools versus paid services like 11labs:
- “Once you get your five voices and try to swap one of them out is like pulling teeth.” (Adam, 05:43)
- The duo jests about the endless stream of well-meant but convoluted tech answers from their circles.
2. Media Deconstruction: The “Three By Three” Network News Openers
- John revives his classic comparison of TV news “teasers” from NBC, CBS, and ABC, focusing on production tone, melodramatic delivery, and what’s chosen versus what’s omitted.
- NBC “wins” for suspenseful vibrance; CBS is “sabotaging” itself with lackluster presentation; ABC is forgettable middle-ground.
- Memorable quote:
- “We're all gonna die. Airplanes are crashing. Your pipes are bursting. Pretty was a horrible man 11 days before. But puppies got saved. I'm telling you, in America, puppies rule the roost.” (John, 17:29)
- The hosts highlight how fear—storms, violence, disease—is the daily emotional hook of mainstream news.
3. Minneapolis Unrest & “Color Revolution” Rhetoric
- Adam pushes back on claims that it’s a “color revolution,” arguing the unrest is a localized, well-funded agitation drawing on the same networks as BLM.
- Skepticism towards crisis actor narratives and the recycling of protest tactics.
- “It's not a color revolution. You can't do a color revolution in America that easily. Minneapolis has... activated people.” (Adam, 26:50)
- Discussion of public being “spun up” by both disinformation and fear, and how that’s rapidly becoming the official explanation for every event.
4. ICE, Congress, and the Language of Incitement
- Deep dives into semantics in news reporting—how verb choice (“blasting,” “fixated on”) shapes narratives around figures like Trump and Ilhan Omar.
- Adam and John notice overt insinuations:
- “So he said something just hours before the assault, which to me is insinuating Trump motivated someone to do something.” (Adam, 43:08)
- Clips of escalating political rhetoric (Nuremberg trials, threats against Trump) and Democrats’ performative outrage.
- Political gameplay with ICE budget and shutdown: the narrative is less about immigration than using ICE as a proxy for “Trump hate.”
5. Influencers, Audience Capture, and Agency
- The phenomenon of social media followers demanding their influencers take political positions; “audience capture” and its effect on creators’ mental health.
- Adam playfully ponders a new business: becoming the government’s middlemen for distributing influencer dollars.
- “We take the money from the government and dole it out... We could be the middlemen. We take a normal 20% cut.” (Adam, 59:02)
6. Media Fear-Mongering: The New Virus Teaser
- NBC’s exaggerated “Nipah virus” coverage (“two cases in India”) treated as pandemic-level news, revealing the endless cycle of fear-mongering.
- Memorable quote:
- “It’s spreading fear. It is spreading fear through your news media. That’s what they do.” (Adam, 68:25)
7. Tech & Social Media Lawsuits: “Cigarettes For The Eyes”
- Coverage of lawsuits against social media platforms for alleged addictiveness and mental health harms, compared to past tobacco litigation.
- John and Adam mock the claim:
- “Cigarettes for the eyes!” (77:08)
8. Geopolitics: Iran, Iraq, China, Ukraine
- Quick hits on U.S.–Iran tension, anti-U.S. billboards in Tehran, skepticism of war hype, and U.S. election meddling accusations in Iraq.
- John's theory: the recent Chinese military reshuffle might have been “coup prevention.”
- “I think there was a coup afoot.” (John, 99:09)
9. Cultural & Social Observations
- Jokes about crisis actors, influencer burnout, and audience capture.
- Candace Owens’ malapropisms and the viral clip of an Arizona GOP figure connecting “the Jews” to everything.
- Nicki Minaj’s public support for Trump and Kanye’s staged apology.
- The “Doomsday Clock” and the cyclical nature of cultural and advertising fads.
10. Listener Support & Community
- Extended segment thanking donors and new knights/dames.
- Meetup announcements and banter about social meetups’ importance in maintaining the No Agenda “nation.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Mainstream News Teasers:
“If you’re not glued to the set after that, you don’t know what you’re doing.” (Adam, 17:48) - On Media Fear-Mongering:
“This is what they do. That’s all that they have. Fear. Fear. Fear. Yes. Make it all fear. That’s the whole idea.” (Adam, 69:25) - On Political Rhetoric:
“[They say] There should be something equivalent to the Nuremberg Trial when this is all over. Once we’re back in power—which we will be—we’re going to hang you.” (Scott Galloway clip, 39:15) - On Social Media Lawsuits:
“The company recognized that, in a sense, they were cigarettes for the eyes.” (Lawyer on CBS report, 77:03) - On Conspiracies:
“I can’t get into the conspiracies like I used to. I’m just like, no.” (Adam, 29:55)
Important Timestamps & Segments
- Linux/Production woes – 00:39–03:40
- AI voices/tools rant – 04:28–06:45
- “Three by Three” News Teasers Breakdown – 12:01–24:00
- Minneapolis/Color Revolution Discussion – 25:57–34:58
- Crisis actor skepticism – 31:17–32:40
- Incitement in media coverage of Omar/Trump – 41:51–44:40
- Influencers, audience capture, government ad dollars – 55:07–62:02
- NBC’s virus fear-mongering – 66:02–69:25
- Tech lawsuits and “cigarettes for the eyes” – 76:06–78:03
- Iran, geopolitics, military armada talk – 92:15–97:31
- China “coup afoot” theory – 99:00–101:04
- Listener/Donor segment (including birthdays, new knights) – 131:13–169:32
- Meetup Announcements – 170:01–172:35
- End-of-show mix and tips – 173:12–177:06
Tone and Style
- Witty, sardonic, and sarcastic: The exchanges are laced with jabs at media, tech, government, and even themselves.
- Language: Retains the original’s blend of irreverence with bursts of insight.
- Attribution: Adam and John maintain distinct voices: Adam as the Texas-based ex-MTV “Podfather,” John as the “old curmudgeon” from Silicon Valley.
Final Note
This episode offers a rich, sprawling take on the week’s narratives, revealing how media and power broker stories are manufactured, how conspiracy and cynicism have saturated modern discourse, and how real connections (e.g., No Agenda meetups) counteract propaganda and divisiveness.
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“…But puppies got saved. I’m telling you, in America, puppies rule the roost! …” (John, 17:29)
(End of summary. Ads, intros, and outros omitted.)