253: Blind Items, Hollywood Breakups, and PR Relationships ft. Beyond the Blinds

Summary

Pop Apologists Episode 253 Summary: Blind Items, Hollywood Breakups, and PR Relationships ft. Beyond the Blinds

In Episode 253 of Pop Apologists, released on December 18, 2024, the hosts delve deep into the murky waters of Hollywood's most tantalizing blind items, high-profile breakups, and the intricate web of PR-managed relationships. Joined by special guests Troy and Kelly from the popular celebrity gossip podcast Beyond the Blinds, the discussion unpacks scandals, rumors, and the evolving nature of celebrity culture.

---

1. Predicted Hollywood Breakups

The episode kicks off with a bold prediction from Kelly regarding the marriage of Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake. Kelly asserts that their relationship is "incredibly thin" and foresees a forthcoming divorce in the next year.

Kelly [02:34]: "All blinds are alleged. We don't know if they're true or false. I have it tattooed on me so I don't forget."

Kelly [02:30]: "I do think next year they're gonna get divorced. That's a prediction of mine."

Chandler probes deeper into the dynamics of their marriage, suggesting that Justin Timberlake's narcissistic tendencies and past infidelities have worn down the initial allure Jessica found in him.

Kelly [03:08]: "Justin's just, like, a narcissist. Yeah. That man is the worst."

The hosts discuss how a star's dominant presence can initially attract but eventually lead to relational strain, especially when public controversies surface.

---

2. Scientology, Danny Masterson, and Hollywood's Dark Side

Transitioning to more serious territory, Troy introduces a blind item involving Riley Keough, Alana Masterson, and Danny Masterson. The rumor suggests strained relationships affected by their ties to Scientology, highlighting Danny Masterson's legal troubles.

Troy [05:08]: "It's Riley Keough, Alana Masterson, and Danny Masterson. And Danny is like one of our white whales."

Kelly expresses admiration for Riley Keough, contrasting it with her disdain for Danny Masterson, emphasizing the toxic environment they foster.

Kelly [05:12]: "He's like, we hate him so much."

The discussion extends to Ashton Kutcher's involvement with figures like Danny Masterson and Wilmer Valderrama, portraying a network of celebrities intertwined with controversial practices.

Kelly [06:00]: "He tried to make, like, a modern day Rat Pack with Danny Masterson, Wilmer Valderrama, Ashton and Diddy."

The conversation underscores the challenges actors face within Hollywood's influential circles, often leading to public fallout and personal turmoil.

---

3. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce: Super Bowl Romance

A lighter yet highly discussed topic is Taylor Swift's involvement in the Super Bowl, where she flew from Tokyo to Las Vegas to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. The hosts highlight the spectacle of her presence, noting the public fascination with their relationship.

Chandler [18:24]: "Taylor Swift, as we all know, has been on the ERAS tour, but she took a little break from Tokyo when she took her private jet all the way to Las Vegas to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce play in the Super Bowl."

Kelly reminisces about watching the Super Bowl specifically for Taylor and Travis, reflecting on the cultural impact of their union.

Kelly [19:40]: "And that was the only Super Bowl that I've ever watched and actually planned to watch, like, in perpetuity."

The discussion touches on the potential PR maneuvering behind high-profile celebrity relationships, questioning the authenticity versus strategic alliance.

---

4. PR Relationships and Authenticity in Celebrity Culture

Kelly and Troy from Beyond the Blinds dissect the concept of PR relationships, using Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as a primary example. They explore whether such relationships are genuine or meticulously crafted for mutual benefit.

Kelly [25:06]: "I do believe their love is real as of today. But I think the thirstiness surrounding it... gives me the ick."

The hosts debate the nature of these alliances, pondering if celebrities can genuinely love while engaging in mutually advantageous PR strategies.

Troy [25:37]: "Like you can be in a PR relationship that was set up by people that is mutually beneficial financially and be like, oh, I also really like you."

The conversation extends to other celebrity couples, such as Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, labeling some relationships as purely strategic.

Kelly [28:15]: "I think all of Bradley Cooper's relationships are for Bradley Cooper. They're not real."

This segment delves into the blurred lines between personal relationships and public personas, questioning the sustainability and authenticity of such unions.

---

5. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez: An Exhausting Dynamic

The episode returns to high-profile relationships with a critical analysis of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's partnership. Kelly voices her frustrations with Ben Affleck's reputation and their tumultuous relationship dynamics.

Kelly [32:03]: "I am a certified Ben Affleck hater. And I hate that he, like, gets away with all this stuff."

Troy supports Kelly's stance, highlighting Ben Affleck's recurring infidelities and the superficial nature of their relationship as perceived by the public.

Troy [33:14]: "It's alleged that he's cheated on every relationship that he's been in with Jennifer."

The hosts speculate on the impact of external scandals on their relationship and the possibility of future fallout.

---

6. Vanderpump Rules Reboot: Expectations and Concerns

Shifting focus to reality TV, the hosts discuss the anticipated reboot of Vanderpump Rules. They express mixed feelings about the show's direction, fearing it may lack the original's "messiness" that made it compelling.

Chandler [51:39]: "How much of a factor you think the DIDD situation played into their dissolution?"

Kelly and Troy express concerns that the new cast might be more curated and less authentic, undermining the show's essence.

Kelly [52:04]: "But I just think people know better now, so I don't know that they'd be able to just find people who..."

The conversation critiques the production's approach to revamping the show, fearing it may dilute the original appeal that drew audiences.

---

7. The Evolution of Celebrity Culture Post-COVID

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to analyzing how the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed celebrity culture. The hosts argue that the pandemic forced celebrities to reveal more authentic aspects of their lives, diminishing the previously curated and glossy public personas.

Kelly [46:36]: "Covid, like leveled the playing field. Everyone had to be in their house. Everyone had to. And it didn't matter if you made millions in a movie or if you didn't have any money."

Chandler and Kelly discuss the shift from controlled media interactions to real-time, unfiltered content demanded by the internet age, fostering a desire for authenticity among audiences.

Chandler [43:38]: "With people now entering the conversation with the Internet and the way that we kind of discuss celebrity being more real time, being more of a 24-hour news cycle and really, honestly, people probably demanding more authenticity..."

The hosts reflect on how traditional platforms like People magazine have given way to social media's relentless scrutiny, altering how celebrities manage their image and relationships.

---

8. Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

As the episode wraps up, Kelly and Troy share their perspectives on the sustainability of current celebrity relationships and the ongoing evolution of celebrity media.

Kelly [60:31]: "I have to tell you that when I was in London, I asked Ben if he could bring a bigger suitcase because I wanted to, you know, bring home some goodies with me."

The hosts express optimism about future episodes and the continuous unraveling of Hollywood's intricate relationships, promising to keep their audience informed and entertained.

---

Notable Quotes

• Kelly [02:34]: "All blinds are alleged. We don't know if they're true or false. I have it tattooed on me so I don't forget."
• Kelly [03:08]: "Justin's just, like, a narcissist. Yeah. That man is the worst."
• Troy [05:08]: "It's Riley Keough, Alana Masterson, and Danny Masterson. And Danny is like one of our white whales."
• Kelly [25:06]: "I do believe their love is real as of today. But I think the thirstiness surrounding it... gives me the ick."
• Kelly [32:03]: "I am a certified Ben Affleck hater. And I hate that he, like, gets away with all this stuff."

---

Conclusion

Episode 253 of Pop Apologists offers a comprehensive and unfiltered exploration of Hollywood's most controversial and intriguing aspects. With insightful commentary from Troy and Kelly of Beyond the Blinds, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the complexities behind celebrity relationships, the impact of PR strategies, and the shifting landscape of fame in the digital era. This episode is a must-listen for anyone fascinated by the behind-the-scenes drama of Tinseltown.

Transcript

[Intuit TurboTax Ad]

This is a message from sponsor Intuit. TurboTax NowTaxes is 100% free when you file in the TurboTax app. If you're a first time filer or didn't file with TurboTax last year.

[Kelly]

That's right.

[Intuit TurboTax Ad]

Just do your own taxes in the TurboTax app by February 18th. Had a few jobs last year. It's free. Have a lot of forms. Yep. Still free. Have a bunch of new invisible crypto coins. Heads up, it's still free. Convinced you saw Bigfoot. Even if your friends don't believe you, that has absolutely nothing to do with taxes. But you better believe it's still absolutely free. Just download and do your own taxes in the TurboTax app by February 18th. All tax forms, all 100% free. Now this is taxes. See if you qualify in the TurboTax app. Excludes TurboTax Live. Must start and file in app by February 18th.

[Kelly]

I think he's the type of husband who sucks all the oxygen out of the room because he is the star. And maybe at first in their marriage that was attractive to her. Maybe she like loved that energy. But then once that man cheats on you. Yeah, very publicly. Yeah, maybe it just gets kind of old.

[Chandler]

Well, well, well. We are gathered here today with Chandler and two guests, Troy and Kelly from beyond the Blinds, a hit celebrity gossip podcast where they take you beyond the blinds and dive deeper into the dark side of Hollywood. Their podcast is full of scandal, intrigue and gossip surrounding your favorite celebs. Troy and Kelly, thank you so much for joining us.

[Troy]

What an intro.

[Kelly]

I know. Thank you for having us.

[Troy]

Yeah, thank you guys.

[Chandler]

Of course. Well, we just feel like you, you know, as the year comes to a close, it's really important that we sit together and we gaze back upon the year and share our favorite celebrity moments, scandals and blind items from the year. So as they say, if we don't learn from the past, it will repeat itself.

[Kelly]

Doomed to repeat it.

[Chandler]

Yeah, like that.

[Troy]

Or whatever.

[Chandler]

Or whatever. Precisely. Okay, so, yes, we've all brought our favorite moments from 2024. Be be it blinds or scandals. Who wants to go first? Chandler or Kelly?

[Kelly]

Kelly. Kelly should go first.

Should we do blinds?

Let's do a blind.

Ok. And just remember, all blinds are alleged. We don't know if they're true or false. I have it tattooed on me so I don't forget.

All alleged.

Yep.

[Chandler]

This podcast is for entertainment purposes only.

[Troy]

Yes.

[Kelly]

So this is a rumor that's been going around for the year. This a minus list. Actress, producer, often Failed business person can talk all she wants about her higher on the list husband, but their met is incredibly thin, and that's Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake. And I do think next year they're gonna get divorced. That's a prediction of mine.

[Chandler]

Really?

[Troy]

She's good at predictions.

[Kelly]

Okay.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

Wait. Oh, well, I have so many questions about this one. What other predictions you've gotten correct. But maybe before we go there.

[Troy]

Sorry.

[Chandler]

I'm curious if you think that, like, what you think is the real problem in the marriage.

[Kelly]

I think the real problem is Justin's just, like, a narcissist. Yeah.

That man is the worst.

Yeah. He's just terrible.

[Chandler]

Wasn't it the People magazine cover where he was jumping above her? Yeah.

[Troy]

And it was, like, around the same time as the red carpet where he was, like, doing, like, cartwheels behind her. So it's like. Yeah, he's such a narcissist and, like, a child star, like.

[Kelly]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chandler]

He's still giving, like, Disney child star energy, you know?

[Troy]

Yeah. I always say he's always gonna be Justin Randall. To me from Star Search with his little suspenders and his cowboy boots and spurs.

[Kelly]

I think he's the type of husband who sucks all the oxygen out of the. Because he is the star. And maybe at first in their marriage, that was attractive to her. Maybe she, like, loved that energy. But then once that man cheats on you.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Very publicly.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Maybe it just gets kind of old. Maybe you're just kind of over the Justin show.

[Troy]

Yeah. And she's so pro. That's my man. You know what I mean? Like, no matter how much people are, like, talking crap about him publicly, she's like, that is my man.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

Yeah. And it's. Yeah, it has to. At a certain point, you're like, all.

[Kelly]

Right, this might be over.

[Troy]

Okay, Perm. Calm down.

[Chandler]

Okay, Kelly, what other lines have you gotten? Or, like, predictions have you gotten?

[Kelly]

I got the Justin and Haley baby. I predicted it at the end of the year last year. That was a big one.

[Chandler]

Was it an energy picked up on.

[Kelly]

Yeah, it was just. I had a feeling. I had a feeling and went with it. I'm a cancer.

[Chandler]

I love it.

[Kelly]

Wow.

[Troy]

Ms. Khalil. Okay, should I do mine?

[Chandler]

Yes, please.

[Troy]

This is, to be specific, a Mr. X blind. He's like a. It doesn't even matter what actress celeb offspring sent an actressformer friend who has a sibling in jail some anti Scientology literature, and it was mailed back a day later with an SP suppressive person for Those of you who are not in the church, declared attached. What a way to end a friendship. And that's Riley Keough, Alana Masterson, and Danny Masterson. And Danny is like one of our white whales.

[Kelly]

He's like, we hate him so much.

[Troy]

We hate Danny, obviously, and love Riley.

[Kelly]

Yeah, Riley is my number one girl crush. Also, I just finished reading From Here to the Great Unknown. Like the book that her. Yeah. Anyway, wait, I need to unpack this blind, though, a little bit, because I'm a little bit lost. Whose sibling is in prison? Oh, Danny Masterson is in prison.

Alana Masterson.

So she sent Riley, then theoretically sent allegedly a letter to Alana. And then she responded with like, you're a suppressive person.

Yeah, yeah.

She's the hottest suppressive person I've ever met.

There's a lot of weirdness between, like, Riley and Lisa Marie and Scientology. Like, a lot of weirdness.

[Troy]

Cause like, she's. Lisa Marie was so tied to it, but then also so publicly known to have left it. And like, when her book was gonna, like, allegedly come out and people were speculating about what would be in it, then everybody was like, is she gonna talk about the church? You know, so. And then, I mean, Dani, it's just. It's a slippery slope. Cause then it turns into Ashton and Wilmer and.

[Kelly]

Yeah, Wilmer, Wilmer.

[Troy]

Yeah. The whole cesspool.

[Kelly]

The whole 70s show cast.

[Troy]

Yeah, pretty much.

[Kelly]

Pretty much all of them. Lock em up. Lock em up. In my opinion.

[Troy]

Yes.

[Chandler]

Wait, okay. This is not going to one of our favorites of the year, or it kind of is. But I'm just curious. You guys are experts on the Diddy case. You've been deep diving it, unpacking it all year. Right on the pod.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

Okay, so where do you think Ashton Kutcher falls in this story?

[Kelly]

Allegedly.

[Troy]

We're both like.

[Kelly]

I mean, just the fact that on Hot Ones, Ashton Kutcher was like, the Diddy parties. I can't even talk about some of the stuff we did at them. I'm like, really? There it is.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

Wow.

[Kelly]

And he tried to make, like, a modern day Rat Pack with Danny Masterson, Wilmer Valderrama, Ashton and Diddy.

Ooh.

[Troy]

Yeah. Yeah. I think that at one point he was like, the life of those parties. Cause I think people forget, like, being associated with Diddy for a long time was like a flex. Like, I get invited to the white parties, me and Kelly Osbourne or whatever, you know, and he was one of those people where it was like, oh, Ashton is so cool. Cause he's always at Diddy's white party and whatever. And now, of course, it's all come back to bite him in the ass, which is great. But, yeah, I think he was a very important member of that group.

[Chandler]

Yeah. And I think we'd be remiss not to remember when he was up to no good with other women when he was with Demi Moore.

[Kelly]

You know, I literally just finished her book to Inside out, and that's the movie. What is that? Is her book Inside Out? Her book inside somewhere?

[Troy]

No, I'm laughing because it's all I ever talk about.

[Kelly]

I don't read her book.

[Troy]

Like, I'm obsessed.

[Kelly]

I literally finished it, like, a couple weeks ago. And the Ashton Kutcher stuff, and it was. I mean, I did not like him before, but, I mean, that man.

[Chandler]

Care to share?

[Troy]

Wait, can I ask you just really quickly, did you listen or read?

[Kelly]

Listened.

[Troy]

Good. Right answer. Yeah, keep going.

[Kelly]

Demi Moore, before, was a person I was apathetic about. After this ride for her, and I haven't even seen the substance. I feel like I probably should. But ride for her.

[Troy]

It's a fine time to go see it.

[Kelly]

Yeah. I mean, actually, do you wanna speak to Ashton, maybe in the book?

[Troy]

Sure. So, first of all, I think that that book is one of the greatest memoirs of all time, if not the best celebrity book ever written. But you do have to listen to it.

[Chandler]

You do.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

Cause she narrates it. Yeah.

[Troy]

And her voice. And it's Demi. And, you know.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

I'm, like, obsessed with her. Like, she probably has a restraining order against me, but he made her feel so insecure. And so it's, like, insane because she's Demi Moore and she's, like, coming off of this marriage with Bruce Willis, right?

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Troy]

You know, she's royalty. She was a Rat Pack member. Like, she's everything. And then she has this kid who's, like, not done much. Like, stumbled upon Twitter or whatever. That's, like, his big claim and makes her feel like nothing. Like he made her relapse.

[Kelly]

I mean, like, there's a moment in the book where she talks about how they were, like, on vacation together. She had been sober for, I want to say, like, over five years or something. She had a large chunk of sobriety under her belt. And he said to her, they're, like, sitting across from each other at dinner, and he's like, yeah, I just think, like, alcoholism doesn't really exist. Like, it's just kind of like state of mind thing. And she said in that moment, she Was like, I wanted to be the cool girlfriend who could have a drink with her boyfriend and be on vacation. And she, like, ended up starting to drink again on that trip. And anyway, just, like, he clearly just had no clue about alcoholism at all and just. Yeah. And he also cheated on her.

[Troy]

And then when he got her to start drinking again, he was like, you're annoying when you drink. No, he made her lapse and then said, it's annoying when you're drunk.

[Kelly]

Such a dick.

[Chandler]

I think I want to start an Ashton Kutcher hate podcast. After three minutes, we're in.

[Troy]

I slide. You had already written contract. I'm like, sure, let's do it.

[Kelly]

Do you see a divorce for him and Mila in the future, or do you think they're gonna, like, ride for each other?

I think they have to ride for each other because what do they. Not to be rude, but what do they have outside of, like, their relationship?

I. I don't know. I'd like anything.

[Troy]

Well, I. I mean, I agree. And they've also. I mean, they've invested so much into, like, each other being right. And her defending him, you know, the whole thing, and then writing those letters for Danny. Like, they're kind of in it together now.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

You know?

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

I mean, I know Ashton did not grow up in a very privileged environment, to say the least. Right. I think he really struggled as a child, so I feel like I've listened to some sort of TED Talk thing he did, and I've always had a sympathetic part of me for him, but now my entire viewpoint on him has changed. Do you think that Mila is, like, nefarious by association, or do you think that, like, she has just been hoodwinked like me, you know, a few minutes ago?

[Kelly]

I don't know. I mean, she started in Hollywood so young.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

That I don't even know if stuff, like, bothers her the same way that would bother, like, someone who hasn't been in Hollywood that long, you know, that's how I feel. And, like, he was her first kiss.

Yeah. Wasn't there that weirdness with, like, how old she was when they started dating and, like, when they had, like, when their. Their character's relationship began? Yeah. She was really young.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

So she was 14. And Ashton, I think, was 18 or 19, and he made, like, bets on who would kiss her. And I think at first everyone was like, aw. And now it's like, oh, yeah, yeah.

[Troy]

Like, she was a little girl on that set surrounded by him. Dani and Wilmer during their, like, let's start a pussy posse era. You know what I mean?

[Chandler]

Wow.

[Troy]

So I can't even imagine what she's experienced, and I just feel like it's one of those. I almost feel like she's a good representation of the culture of Hollywood. Like, you experience all this darkness and then you become the darkness.

[Kelly]

Right, right. Well, and also, are you as keen into the. The Wilmer stuff?

[Chandler]

No.

[Kelly]

So, Wilmer. What's his last name?

Valderrama.

[Troy]

Valderrama.

[Kelly]

Oh, sounds like a villain. It's perfect. Wilmer Valderrama. He dated Demi Lovato and she was 19 and he was 29. Right.

He started dating on her the day she turned 18.

Yes, yes. And she's like. She has this song that's called 29. It slaps, but it's like this very cathartic song about when she turns 29 and she's realizing how gross it was that he was dating her when she was so young. Yeah. And so anyway, I mean, you got Danny Masterson, you have Wilmer, and then you have Ashton, who's maybe a little bit more in the gray area, but it's just like the proof is in the pudding with that group.

Right. And Wilmer, I mean, he's had a pattern. Like, before, it was Mandy Moore when she was 16, and then Lindsay Lohan when she was 17.

[Troy]

Yeah. I'm trying to think of who else. Ashley Simpson.

[Kelly]

Ashley Simpson.

Anyone post Demi.

I think he ended up marrying someone kind of age appropriate.

Yeah.

[Troy]

But he did have a history of his girlfriends being like, well, we didn't fall in love until her 18th birthday. He Literally, like, I think there were four different relationships where that was like the thing where it was like, I knew her, but I said stay away or whatever. And then, like Lindsay Lohan, he was like, we fell in love on the night of her 18th birthday.

[Kelly]

Even then, the night of your 18th birthday, you are still 17 for all the intents and purposes.

[Troy]

So for that couple years before, you were just hanging out, playing video games.

[Kelly]

Wait, I actually want to get into a 2024 moment that has to do with younger men, not younger women. A little bit lighter subject matter. I'll say. Let's talk about Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes.

Oh, yeah.

The relationship that took 2024 by storm. My Roman Empire, if you will. The two of them who have. Who got together this year and then broke up. Sadly.

Shocking.

No one saw that coming at all. I guess I'll take you back to a little bit of backstory on the two of them. So in February, she hard launched her relationship with Mark estes with the TikTok video, if you guys remember, of them dancing together poolside. And people had a lot to say about this relationship. They were not happy with it, but she was like, I'm living my truth, and my truth is dating a 24 year old.

[Chandler]

I mean, I remember watching her in that little teal bikini do the toddler jump into his arms, and I don't know, I. I felt the spark. I could feel the. The chemistry and the magnetism. And now that this relationship has, I think that will never be the same, you know?

[Kelly]

Yeah. I think Mark Este should thank Kristin Cavallari every single day of his life. Because why is he in People magazine? Why was he on Sexiest man alive? Like TikTok? No, he's the sexiest TikTok, I take it, very. As a lesbian, I take it, like, more serious than most people. But he was sexiest Tiktoker. And I was like, he should kiss her feet.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Literally everyone was making fun of them, and they still were making fun of him while he was dating Kristen, but it was like less. And then he got TMZ excited because Kristin has her, you know, speed dial on who she wants to call.

Right.

Allegedly. Get her story.

[Chandler]

Oh, really? To tmz.

[Kelly]

Yeah. And People. Any, like, exclusive that you see on People magazine is from Kristen.

Well, we got into hot water with her.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Because we.

Oh, oh, no.

Let's go back to another cancellation from our year. We commented on their TikTok videos because if you remember, there wasn't just the poolside hard launch video. There were several videos of her and him and his Montana boy boys friends, you know, make. There were several videos of them doing TikTok dances together. Like a cozy Saturday night in at Kristen's house where the boys come over and they all, like, do dances. Anyway, we commented on this and we said it was cringe. And she and her podcast co hosts then fired back at us. Yes, at us. At us. Nobodies. Truly, we are nobodies. But, yeah, I would just like to once again say deepest apologies to Kristen. If you're listening, Kristen, we are so sorry.

[Chandler]

And you know, you know what she said on her podcast, though, recently I did tune in. She said that she is looking for a guy who is now older, doesn't have social media. Okay. Is financially doing well, and is not from her DMs. So maybe she's like, learned from the past. Maybe we were ultimately proven, right, that it was a little cringe I don't know.

[Kelly]

I think that would be bad for her business. I think she like. I think she likes to date people. That will get her attention.

[Chandler]

More clicks.

[Kelly]

She's like, no, Jeff died. That was a bad person to date.

I'm just gonna say, I don't think a guy who's maybe, like, living off the grid is gonna be into Kristen Cavallari. With all due respect. Love you, Casey.

[Chandler]

The social media grid, not like off the.

[Kelly]

But still, even someone off the social media grid. I don't know. Anyway, maybe good luck. Good luck to her. I wish her nothing but love and happiness and TikTok dances with whoever she finds.

[Troy]

I live in constant fear and admiration of her.

[Kelly]

I really speak more to that.

[Troy]

If I was yelled at by Kristin, it would literally age me years. I would look down at my hands and they'd be old witch hands. Like, I'd be like, wait a minute, what happened?

[Kelly]

I will say I met her. I was invited to her store opening in Nashville to interview her and stuff. And she was very nice to me. So I will. But now she's probably gonna hate me.

We love you. We love you. Kristen.

[Troy]

When something happens to your kitchen, you.

[Kelly]

Might say, this is Ludacris.

[Troy]

But that won't fix your home.

[Kelly]

That will only get you the rapper Ludacris.

[Chandler]

Having trouble?

[Troy]

Don't panic. Don't be alarmed. You need to file a claim. Holla at State Farm. Like a good neighbor.

[Chandler]

State Farm is dead.

[Troy]

That's right. You can file a claim on the app or call us.

[Kelly]

Thanks, Mr. Criss.

[Troy]

No matter how ludicrous the situation. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. State Farm, Bloomington, Illinois.

[Intuit TurboTax Ad]

This is a message from sponsor Intuit TurboTax. Now, taxes is 100% free when you file in the Turbo TurboTax app. If you're a first time filer or didn't file with TurboTax last year.

[Kelly]

That's right.

[Intuit TurboTax Ad]

Just do your own taxes in the TurboTax app by February 18th. Had a few jobs last year. It's free. Have a lot of forms. Yup, still free. Have a bunch of new invisible crypto coins. Heads up. It's still free. Convinced you saw Bigfoot. Even if your friends don't believe you, that has absolutely nothing to do with taxes. But you better believe it's still absolutely free. Just download and do your own taxes in the TurboTax app by February 18th. All tax forms, all 100% free. Now this is taxes. See if you qualify in the TurboTax app. Excludes TurboTax Live must start and file in app by February 18th.

[Chandler]

Another moment from 2024 that I would say is heartwarming in nature. So Taylor Swift, as we all know, has been on the ERAS tour, but she took a little break from Tokyo when she took her private jet all the way to Las Vegas to watch her boyfriend Travis Kelce play in the Super Bowl. All right. Rumor has it that she had a spare jet in Tokyo waiting on the Runway in case something was wrong with her plane because she could not miss this football game no matter what. She fortunately landed with her primary jet in Vegas. Got there on time. She was in the box with Ice Spice. Some people say that Ice Spice was performing spells. There was some interesting hand movements and lip movements happening. And perhaps her handiwork worked because Travis Kelce did emerge triumphant. We saw Taylor on the field with Travis, we heard her say, which was unfortunately kind of a pick me, girl thing to say, that jet lag is a choice. When he asked her how she wasn't so exhausted. And fans were delighted that evening with gorgeous TikTok videos of Travis and Taylor ensconced in each other's arms to a remix of Love Story. I mean, I don't even think I need my marriage. Like, that was. That was good enough for me. Like, that's all the love this world needs.

[Kelly]

And that was the only super bowl that I've ever watched and actually planned to watch, like, in perpetuity.

[Chandler]

We can't go up from here.

[Kelly]

It's true.

Interesting.

Are we. I'm feeling the wind change in the room.

[Troy]

We're both like. You can, like, hear our blinks. Like, well, she's this Taylor girl.

[Chandler]

You're sweet. Okay, good.

[Kelly]

We have an ally in the room.

[Troy]

There are some ally.

[Kelly]

Not exactly. I don't know if I'm an ally, so I think I need to do, like, a tinfoil hat moment. Okay, so get him on. I have a theory about Taylor and the Chiefs in everything. Okay, I'm sorry.

[Troy]

Deep breath. Yeah. Yeah.

[Kelly]

And it's all.

[Troy]

Get out your stress ball.

[Kelly]

It's all just me. It's all just in my head. But I'm a Patriots fan. I grew up as a Patriots fan. And the Chiefs are the new Patriots. The Chiefs not as marketable as the Patriots. The Patriots, you know, they have Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski. They had Randy Moss for a while, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola. Like, Drew Bledsoe. Well, not Drew Bledsoe.

Wasn't he on the Patriots?

Yeah, he was, but not during.

Like, okay, our last name Is Bledsoe.

That's the only reason why we Andrew Bledsoe. Respect to him and his wine. But they basically had all these people like Bronc, larger than life. Same number as Travis. Travis will never be Rob Gronkowski. I'll look directly in the camera and say that.

Wow.

But if you think about it, the Chiefs, you have Patrick Mahomes. Not the best looking, crazy voice, horrible brother, annoying wife, a dad who has five DUIs.

Shit.

Hard to market that Kelly did.

[Chandler]

Kelly came in.

[Kelly]

You know, I've said this many times.

[Troy]

Why it's nice to have a lesbian around. I'm like, yeah, go off about the Chiefs also.

[Kelly]

I've never heard his voice, but now I need to hear his voice.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Sounds like Kermit the Frog. So then you have Travis Kelce, who is been thirsty for years and years and years, who has a reality show on E. Krysten Cavallari. I'm sorry. A dating show on E. Especially.

Yeah.

And while this is happening, Gronk is doing his thing. And then, like, who else is on that team you can really talk about? Tyreek Hill went to the Dolphins. He also has, like, 10 kids with, like, seven different women and has been allegedly abusive to women and their children. You have Harrison Butker, who.

[Chandler]

Oof.

[Kelly]

You know, you don't really have people you can market.

Yeah, yeah. No star.

No star.

Yeah.

How do you get a star? Have Taylor Swift date Travis Kelce, who uses NFL stadiums when football doesn't use them. Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift.

[Chandler]

True.

[Kelly]

So I really think that, like, submerging it all together made it even bigger. And are they in love? Maybe. But I don't think it started as some natural thing. And I'll never believe it.

Okay. Okay. I mean, I could see them being set up by these forces, you know, set up in terms of you should go on a date with this guy. Maybe it would be great for, you know, all entities involved. I do believe their love is real as of today. Do you believe their love is real?

It's hard because Travis's manager is Kristen's manager. And I know how they work. I know how Jack works.

Wow.

So I guess I struggle with someone who wrote a book that talks about blind items and how he has PR relationships set up.

Yeah.

To see, like, any relationship he puts together is, like, a real thing.

We also struggle with Travis's thirstiness, for the record. And also, like, extension Donna Kelce's the whole Kelsey family. She's in two Hallmark movies this year.

You should look up her Ziploc Bag, Pap walks.

[Troy]

Excuse me.

[Kelly]

Wait. One more time.

Ziploc bag, Pap walks. It's her walking around with, like, Ziploc bags in front of her, like, just for product placement.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Because she was in a Ziploc commercial.

[Troy]

I'm obsessed. That's the exact kind of celebrity that I want. I'm like, I endorse these.

[Kelly]

I'm like, why is Donna Kelce on this Today show talking about kind bars?

Why?

[Troy]

That's why I think that this relationship is, like, in a weird way, the perfect storm. Because I think that he's one of the first men that has been so willing to do the thing, and he's really good at it. And they're like this match made in hell, in a way. And I just feel like she's found her one in a sense where he's willing to do all of these things.

[Kelly]

If we're being honest with. We are swifties, but if we're being honest with ourselves. Taylor's thirsty.

Yeah.

So it's like, why would we fault her for wanting to date someone who's not gonna make her feel lame for being thirsty.

[Troy]

Exactly.

[Kelly]

You know, and she's only gotten to where she's gotten by being really driven and obviously mega talented. So, yeah, I do think. I do believe their love is real. Let me just state that for the camera. But I think the thirstiness surrounding it and by members of the family and even by, like, Travis himself. With, what is he, like, supposed to be on? Like, are you smarter than a fifth grader or something? Isn't he, like, he's always, like, there's always some new C list show that he's about to host. I do think that that does give me the ick.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Chandler]

It seems like with this theory, it could, you know, fall along a spectrum where some people think that all her relationships have been fake and they've all been premeditated and they've all, like, the albums have been premeditated around the specific relationships, and that she's really just had one relationship with Carly and has been mourning that ever since. You know, that's the full tinfoil hat theory. Then I think we come to a much more reasonable theory that, Kelly, you have, which is this relationship potentially began not with a friend setting them up, but professional contact setting them up. And it's very mutually beneficial. And, I mean, who can fault Taylor for saying, like, I want to support you, but I also want more money.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

So, you know, my business entity is going to do a contract with NFL if I'M going to show up. I might as well get a check out of it. I mean, do we think that, like, invalidates their love at all, or do we think that's just her being.

[Troy]

See, we talk about PR relationships, like, pretty much every week on our show. And our sort of take on it is like, you can be in a fake relationship and still be in love.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

Like you can be in a PR relationship that was set up by people that is mutually beneficial financially and be like, oh, I also really like you.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Troy]

You know, like, I think there's something really interest. It's like layered. There's an A and a B plot to celebrity relationships.

[Kelly]

You know, Also this relationship. Nobody talks about her and Matty Healy anymore.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Chandler]

And you think that was maybe to divert attention.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

Because they knew Tortured Poets Department was coming out.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

Okay, well, and I think another reason why they work. And then we can move on from the subject. Cause we can often fatigue our listeners with our Taylor Travis talk, which is annoying. That's all I want to talk about. But I think the reason why it does work for them is that they understand each other's worlds very well. Which, like. Yeah. Which is maybe why they were set up, but also could be a reason why they work very well.

They have the same love language which is. Become more famous.

[Troy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I also think too, like, we've talked about this, I think that Taylor Swift is a modern day Elizabeth Taylor in a sense where, like, I think she, at the very beginning of her career especially was used to launch moments for men. Whether it be Taylor Lautner trying to be an action star or Harry Styles.

[Kelly]

Doing, like, whatever, like, with her dating them.

[Troy]

Yeah. Like, okay, it's like Taylor Swift is used as a launching pad for this next of this guy's like, whatever, you know, and you can kind of see it in the pattern, especially in the relationships that just feel absurd.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Like the Tom Hiddleston. He was up for Bond, like, was in the running for James Bond and they had that insane summer.

[Troy]

And who better than this girl who's gonna write an entire fairy tale album around your relationship and have people obsess, like Jake Gyllenhaal.

[Kelly]

So. But what do you say to the people who are like, what about Joe Allen? It didn't work. The launch pad did not work.

[Troy]

It doesn't always work. Taylor Lautner isn't an action star.

[Kelly]

Yeah, that's true.

[Troy]

You know.

[Chandler]

You know, no offense, everyone but Podcaster.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

I mean, she can't stop him.

Doesn't make Any sense.

[Chandler]

Okay, well, I actually have a question. Double tapping on PR relationships. Do you think it's because I think when most people think PR Relationship, they think everything about it is fake. But do you think it's more like, instead of going on Raya or. None of these celebs would ever be on Tinder. These celebs just literally have PR people, like, just. They're introducing you, and if you do like each other, it's gonna be mutually beneficial. Do you think it's. That's more the conceit going in, or do you think it's mainly actually contrived? Like, this is purely for business? When we're not in front of the cameras, we're not hooking up?

[Kelly]

I think it probably depends. Like, I don't know. I'm trying to think, like, Gigi and Bradley. Yeah, they're a really good couple. Like, they do so many pap walks right near you. You see em all the time. And, like, to me, they're just, like, as fake as can be.

[Chandler]

They're as fake as can be.

[Kelly]

Y.

Okay.

[Chandler]

Thank you for saying that. Because that relationship makes no sense to me.

[Troy]

None of his do.

[Chandler]

Gigi Hadid is in the prime of her life. He is not. He's much older. And I'm just. I was so confused by her making that choice. So you saying that it's a PR relationship. I would love to hear more about what you think, like, the strategy is there.

[Kelly]

I wish I had an answer for that.

[Chandler]

Okay.

[Kelly]

I think all of, like, Bradley Cooper's relationships are for Bradley Cooper.

They're not real.

She's a girl.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

They're like, for his career and for his general just Persona.

Yeah.

Yeah. Interesting.

[Troy]

Yeah. And I also think, too, like, I think there's a world where these two people. It's like we are walking businesses. Right. Whether we want to be or not. So us combining our public Persona, it is a business whether we like it or not. There has to be an acknowledgement of this multi million dollar thing that we're sitting on that could be, you know, a Kristen Bell and Dax commercial for laundry detergent or whatever. You know, like, you have to kind of acknowledge it and figure out what to do with it.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Chandler]

It's almost like the way Bachelor stars tend to try to date each other after. Cause they're like, we know we'll be more valuable. My relationship will be much more valuable with another bachelor star than with a normie.

[Troy]

Totally.

[Chandler]

It's very interesting.

[Troy]

I can hook up with you, and it'll be Fine. And we'll have fun and we'll get a Lipton ad or something, you know.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Lauren, I have to tell you that when I was in London, I asked Ben if he could bring a bigger suitcase because I wanted to, you know, bring home some goodies with me. But when he got to London, he opened up his suitcase and you know what he'd stuffed it with?

[Chandler]

Illegal items.

[Kelly]

No. Clean Simple Eats travel packs. Like he must have brought. At least he's gonna be here for five days. He must have brought 20 of them.

[Chandler]

You know, when this man's packing, he has the right priorities.

[Kelly]

Protein. No, absolutely. I was really impressed. I was actually kind of grateful because I have not been eating well and I was very happy to get my hands on some of that delicious protein. The travel packs are amazing, everyone. Clean Simple Eats. We love it. Eating it, drinking it, imbibing it any way we can for years.

[Chandler]

I am personally obsessed with both their protein powders and their clear protein. We all know we're supposed to get 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight and it's very difficult to do if you're not being focused and you're not actually intentionally trying to get in more protein. That's where Clean Simple Eats steps in. Highly recommend. It's clean, grass fed protein. Your body needs it.

[Kelly]

I would never even come close to hitting my protein goals if it weren't for Clean Simple Eats. Let me just say that they are single handedly helping me reach those goals. One scoop of the powder has 20 grams of protein. One can of the clear protein has 20 grams. It's perfect.

[Chandler]

Everyone go to cleansombels.com use code pop apologist for 10% off. Cleansimpleats.com code popapologist for 10% off.

[Intuit TurboTax Ad]

This is a message from sponsor Intuit TurboTax now taxes is 100% free when you file in the TurboTax app. If you're a first time filer or didn't file with TurboTax last year.

[Kelly]

That's right.

[Intuit TurboTax Ad]

Just do your own taxes in the TurboTax app by February 18th. Had a few jobs last year. It's free. Have a lot of forms. Yep, still free. Have a bunch of new invisible crypto coins. Heads up. It's still free. Convinced you saw Bigfoot. Even if your friends don't believe you, that has absolutely nothing to do with taxes. But you better believe it's still absolutely free. Just download and do your own taxes in the TurboTax app by February 18th. All tax forms all 100% free. Now this is taxes. See if you qualify in the TurboTax app excludes TurboTax Live. Must start and file in app by February 18th.

[Kelly]

I do have a PR relationship or alleged PR relationship that I want to get into that had a big 2024 moment, and I want both of your takes on it. Ben and JLo, where do we even. I know. There's so much to begin. So much. I don't even know where to begin. There's so much to get into.

So, like, Ben's blind item life is that he's allegedly always been in contact with JLo. Yeah. And he always kind of falls back to one of the gens, it seems. At this point. I don't like Ben Affleck at all. I am a certified Ben Affleck hater. And I hate that he, like, gets away with all this stuff. Like, is J. Lo a great celebrity to love? No. But also, like, Ben Affleck isn't much better. You know, he's calling the paparazzi to have him pick up and drop his Dunkin Donuts. You know, like, he was best friends with Harvey Weinstein and was able to kind of get away with that. I don't know. They're an exhausting couple. Like, that's how I feel about them. And I actually thought they'd last this time, so I was pretty, like, surprised.

[Troy]

I thought that they would stick it out just for the sheer embarrassment of it all, you know? I mean, it's like, my God, like, first of all, you've done this 80 times. And like Kelly said, it's alleged that he's cheated on every relationship that he's been in with Jennifer.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Troy]

So I really thought that they were the perfect example of. It's both. They are truly obsessed with each other. And also, it's a PR couple where those two things can be true at once, you know? And I still believe that.

[Kelly]

And they're obsessed with themselves, I would say, and their own image and how being together makes their individual image so much better, you know, and more likable. Yeah.

[Chandler]

I mean, he's definitely one to love a PR relationship. If we. You know, if Covid taught us anything. With those hat blocks with Ana de Armas every day up and down the drive.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

It's like, you guys are. You got dressed to get the mail.

[Kelly]

Even when they broke up and Casey Affleck brought out, like, the cardboard cutout, threw her in the trash, I was like, what's going on here?

I don't really understand who his agent or PR person is. Who says we need to get these photos of you looking disgruntled with Dunkin Donuts? I just don't get the strategy. Like, I'm genuinely baffled by it.

But there are memes made out.

Right, Right. It's relevant, see? Yeah.

And I'm sure he gets paid by Duncan.

Right.

[Troy]

And he only got that commercial because of the meme.

[Kelly]

Yeah, yeah.

[Troy]

See, I think that Ben is one of those Hollywood men that he believes that his wife or girlfriend knows better.

[Kelly]

Okay.

[Troy]

Which is why, like, I did a lot of Ben relationship stuff from my old podcast, and I was like, it was this reoccurring thing of, like, oh, like, Gwyneth thinks that I'm good at these kind of movies, and she thinks I look better with this hair and when I dress this way. And he, like, lets them take over.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Troy]

And he definitely let. You can tell when he's in his JLo era and he's like, oh, I gotta start tanning again and I gotta start wearing clean clothes.

[Kelly]

Going to church.

[Troy]

Going to church and, like, getting my teeth whitened.

[Chandler]

And, like, you know, question about, you know, The Ben and JLo of it all, because obviously there are no more. I'm personally gunning for a third marriage.

[Kelly]

I'm sure a third wedding in our lifetime. We can only be so lucky.

[Chandler]

Exactly. But my question is, is how much of a factor you think the DIDD situation played into their dissolution?

[Troy]

I don't think it helped.

[Chandler]

You don't think it helped?

[Troy]

I don't think it helped at all. I think that J. Lo was freaking out.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

But I also don't think that's fair when Ben's, like, tongue kissing Harvey on the red carpet.

[Troy]

I know it's true. It was a shaky house of cards to begin with, you know, but I do think that she low key behind the scenes is probably, like, knows some stuff. This is gonna come back and bite me. And I just know it, you know? Cause she knows everything.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Troy]

And it's like slowly trickling out more stuff that she knows. And her name is constantly being brought up with this. Like, I'm sure her team is just on edge every day.

[Kelly]

Like, she's too close to have known nothing or to have been completely in the dark. I just also have to say, how happy are we if we're Jennifer Garner right now? Life has never been simpler. It's just kind of like you just. You let the mess pass you by and you're just watching it burn.

[Troy]

Yeah, she's just gardening, texting Ina garden.

[Kelly]

I write for her Like, I just. Yeah, I am obsessed with her.

[Chandler]

Okay, let's do another blind, perhaps.

[Kelly]

Yeah, this is actually a blind about one of the couples we just talked about.

[Troy]

Ooh.

[Kelly]

You know, a couple is thirsty when they call paps. Such is the case with the A list actor and the barely there celebrity offspring of barely there celebrities. And that's Bradley Cooper and Gigi calling the paparazzi on themselves.

[Chandler]

Interesting.

[Kelly]

And we follow Bradley's personal paparazzi.

[Troy]

Yeah. So.

[Chandler]

Okay, wait, wait, I'm sorry, what?

[Kelly]

Like on Instagram?

Yeah.

[Troy]

So. So for whatever reason, the street, I don't wanna, like, give my address.

[Kelly]

You don't wanna dox anyone?

[Troy]

I don't wanna dox myself.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

But in the neighborhood that I live in, for whatever reason, I think that's where the paparazzi guy. That's his area. It's like his jurisdiction is there or something. So that's where he does his pap walks. And I just so happen to sometimes see them.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Troy]

So Bradley, I see, do his pap walks on a kind of regular basis.

[Kelly]

Stop.

[Troy]

And he always starts at the same place and he just kinda stands there and he waits.

[Chandler]

Wait, for real?

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

Wait, wait, I'm.

[Troy]

I'll show. I'll send it to you.

[Chandler]

We have always said that pop walks exist and like, that it's on purpose, but we have never heard someone say they've actually witnessed, like, waiting to do.

[Kelly]

The walk and, like, worst person to witness it.

He's gonna tell everyone the choreography of it. Like, I'm. Walk me through, like, my head. A pap walk is. Okay, I'm gonna go get my coffee and I'm gonna try to have, like, a pleasant look on my face the whole time. Is that what it is?

[Troy]

Well, it's different for everyone. Right. His style is that he starts at this, like, workout place near me and then he. He stands there for a minute and he gets his picture taken and, like, blah, blah, blah, and, like, puts his hand in his pocket and, like, takes it out on the walk and then he walks across the street and they. It's always the same exact shot. Like, he just kind of walks up the street and then he walks down and then he turns the corner and he goes back home. And it's the same pictures every day.

[Intuit TurboTax Ad]

Wow.

[Troy]

So I follow the guy, the paparazzi guy on Instagram. So I'm always, like, in tandem watching him do it. And then I watch him post. Like, I post like I'm a psychopath, but I can tell who he has relationships with and who he Like, Blake, he has a really good relationship with. And she calls him weekly, and they do the same walk all the time.

[Kelly]

Like, Blake Lively.

You know, I have noticed this because I've noticed Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds. Cause I feel like they always are, like, spotted hand in hand walking. And I do always feel like it's.

[Troy]

In the same spot on the same street. Wow.

[Chandler]

And it's. Is it just a pure relevancy play? Like, I just want my name, like.

[Kelly]

Just staying in the cycle in a headline.

I would say that. Or like, products, like, even going back to, like, the Laguna days, Elsie used to always walk with her Red Bull facing out because Red Bull sponsored her.

[Chandler]

Wow.

[Kelly]

So it's been going on forever. I mean, I don't know about, like, Britney with the Cheetos, but I'm sure there was something scare you.

[Troy]

I took offense to that just now, by the way.

[Kelly]

I took it on camera so he wouldn't fight me immediately after. But, you know, like, Chase Crawford does a ton of pap walks where he's, like, just walking through the Whole Foods grocery parking lot. Yeah.

[Troy]

Well, then there's the fashion girlies, where, like, a giant part of their career is, like, being photographed in clothes.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Troy]

And that's, like, also such a huge business of just being outside in clothes. Like, Katie Holmes hailing that cab and that cardigan. Like, it's a moment, you know?

[Kelly]

Right, right. I want to ask actually about Blake and Ryan Reynolds because we touched on them, but I want to double tap, because obviously we had, like, the. It ends with us drama of this year and that press tour debacle.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

And somehow she was just at, like, some wicked thing. I don't know.

[Troy]

She was just ruby slippers.

[Kelly]

I'm like, why is she. What is their PR strategy? Because it's not working and I hate it.

I have no idea. But when I saw those pictures, I was like, why are they, like, acting like they're a part of the cast? Like, what's.

What is going on? I'm sure I. I will not be surprised if those two grifters. Yeah. I'll go on the record, actually. Don't come after me. Like we're somehow a part of production. Like, I feel like they're. I don't know. Aren't they trying to. Wasn't she, like, a co producer on It Ends with Us or something? Her and Ryan are.

Yeah. And allegedly Ryan, like, did rewrites, and Blake said she was, like, ad libbing, like, it's all just a mess. And Troy and I have said this Like, I feel like the mask of Hollywood is slipping, and I think next year, like, celebrity's gonna look so different.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

Because it is true. Like Andy Warhol said, like, everyone is getting their 15 minutes of fame. And I think, like, the way that Blake played with the media and, like, Ryan with their jokes at each other and all, it's not funny anymore. And I think people are just kind of, like, sick of them. And Ryan specifically, my God, if you have Martha Stewart going on record being like, he's not very funny.

It's tired. It's time to find a new. Yeah. Avenue. Find a new lane.

[Chandler]

Well, I have a question. Is it possible that anyone in this room is just a little bitter because they did don their florals and go with the girls? Go to the theater expecting a rom com. Okay.

[Troy]

I lift up my hoodie. I'm wearing a floral gown. Like, hello. No. But I have gotten to the point now. Cause we talk about them so much. I'm on the other end of it where I'm like, she's so insane. It's just pure camp now. And I'm obsessed now. She's my favorite celebrity.

[Kelly]

My favorite was when she was, like, doing her hair tutorial on that inter and just made her hair look so frizzy and bad. She's like, and you're done.

[Chandler]

I know. That girl was like, this is Blake's doing.

[Kelly]

Yeah. When she was. When her co star was wearing, like, she was like, blake dressed me, and she had no less than 50 bangles on each arm.

[Chandler]

What do you think is the problem there? Like, just when it comes to Blake Lively and visual aesthetics. Do you think that, honestly, there's no one on this planet who seems to have as terrible of taste. Do you think it's on purpose? She's just playing fun or, like, what is the issue?

[Kelly]

I think Gossip Girl's been off the air long enough that people are like, oh, she's not Serena anymore.

[Troy]

Yeah, I have theories about this. This is my tinfoil thing. Of course, the teeny homosexuals. Okay. My tinfoil hat moment about this. Is that so? She was so praised as a fashion girl for so long, and, like, her association with fashion leveled her up. Like, I think that the fashion girls have a sub career where it's like, you could not work for 10 years, but if you're a fashion girl, you can still go to red carpets and stuff and just be seen. You can be Sienna Miller or something, and it's like, nobody's really checking for what you're starring in, but they Wanna see what you're wearing, you know? And she rode that train for a long time. And then the whole thing of her, like, not having a stylist and like, oh, my God, can you believe that Blake goes to the Met gal and she does it all herself. Oh, my God. And, like, she rode that. And now her celebrity has changed so much. And like Kelly said, celebrity in general has changed so much in the time that she was, like, an it girl. And it's almost like she can't let go of that old school version, that, like, Us Weekly version of being a famous person.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Troy]

She can't adapt to, like, modern times.

[Chandler]

And do you think the modern times celebrity is more understated or, like, less?

[Kelly]

I think trying to be, like, a regular person.

[Troy]

Gotcha.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

And not being so curated. And I think a lot with Justin Timber, all of his songs are like, I love you because of this. I love you, I love you. And we love each other. And I'm like, but what about you? Do some inflection. You see Noah Khan and unfortunately, Zach Bryan. They sing songs about their insecurities and what's wrong with them. And it's a different look at, say, a musician. I think even actors can do the same thing.

Like, she's missing some vulnerability maybe. Yeah.

There's the one word.

Thank you.

[Chandler]

Hi, I'm Stassi Schroeder. On my podcast, I share candid updates from my personal life, chat with some of my best friends about what's going on in our lives, give commentary on the latest pop culture headlines, and sometimes deep dive into random topics. I'm obsessed with, like, human design. It's a bit all over the place.

[Intuit TurboTax Ad]

But that's how I like it. And you will take listen to my.

[Chandler]

Podcast, Dassi, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Troy]

So I have another show where we talk about magazines. We did a Blake episode, and it was like a 2009 Nylon magazine interview, and it was the height of, like, everybody hates Blake. Like, the shampoo had just come out, people's hair were falling out in clumps. It was like, the height.

[Kelly]

Like, this year.

[Troy]

Yeah. And so we went back and read this old magazine, and her interview was literally insane. Like, when I tell you that it was mind bending, that we thought this was charming, and I was like, it's true. We've just changed. Like, in the interview, she's like. She's like, Penn and I just went to India and we bathed with elephants. And it was so amazing, and it was just so out of touch. But the magazine was like, wow, she's so cool. Even a girl as pretty as her to get in a muddy water with an elephant, it was like, oh my God. She was like, I didn't even care that I was stepping in poop. It was just like, I was like, yeah, she's just like. We used to think this stuff was cute.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Well, I feel like she's kind of a pick me girl.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

And we used to kind of eat that up. Maybe now we have the vernacular and like the like self awareness to be like, oh, wait, actually you're like the worst.

[Troy]

She's just doing what she's always done, basically, is what I'm trying to say.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

And I do think when you're a celebrity, whether it comes to your, like, fashion or like your personality that's maybe annoying, you are surrounded by yes men all the time and people who just are like into it. People who are also surrounded by yes men. And so you just stop kind of evolving or you can't. It's very easy to stop evolving.

[Chandler]

I wonder if this new representation of celebrity and the way it's evolved, I wonder if it's a basically a response to the Internet because I think that celebrity used to be like these very glossy editorials where you would get these pictures in US Weekly or People are Teen Vogue. And it was always the same article about every celebrity. It was always like the interviewer would always say that she arrived right on time. She was in, in a white T shirt and jeans and Chanel flats. You know, she can eat whatever she wants. She was so nice to the server. It's always these like very glowing, very generic, you know, very perfect pictures of these people. And I wonder if with people now entering the conversation with the Internet and the way that we kind of discuss celebrity being more real time, being more of a 24 hour news cycle and really, honestly, people probably demanding more authenticity, I wonder if that's kind of what's shaped this new environment.

[Kelly]

So we say that, but also Covid.

Oh, interesting.

Covid, like leveled the playing field.

[Chandler]

What do you mean?

[Kelly]

Everyone had to be in their house. Everyone had to. And it didn't matter if you made millions in a movie or if you didn't have any money.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

We all were in the same thing. And I think like, watching them still go with award shows and still like kind of push the celebrity during that time was the worst thing Hollywood could have done.

[Troy]

And like, we had to view them differently for the first time.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Troy]

Like Ellen was just like in her living room all day. Yeah, in her. In her. Yeah. Just being people. It was like weird. It was like, oh, whoa. Like I feel like I shouldn't be seeing this, but now. And I also agree with what you said. Like, I think what was given to us as far as celebrity was so curated and fake. And you know, we used to really create like these lore around famous people.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Troy]

And we don't really do that anymore. We just want like authenticity. We want people on Instagram live all day, Right. We wanna see inside their bedrooms and stuff. Like.

[Kelly]

And I think that you didn't have this 24, 7 real time feedback from the whole Internet. You know, you maybe had. I mean people were still critical of celebrities, but it was like, I don't know, like the dated, like someone's put on the pounds or whatever. You know, like it was like a People magazine gross cover versus like loud Twitter or just like the masses chastising you for being cringe.

[Troy]

Right.

[Kelly]

And also celebrities don't really have a place to go anymore to like. Like they used to have interviews with Oprah at 8pm for Rihanna to talk about what happened with Chris Brown. Now they have like caller daddy. Yeah, no offense to Alex Cooper, but they don't have like God bless. They don't have like a spot that whole country is gonna watch no more like sit down, time to watch, you know, Tom Cruise on the Today show.

Right. I mean, what about Amazon Live?

I have never watched an Amazon Live.

I don't even know how do you even watch an Amazon Live. But I feel like they're like a cat cash cow for celebrities.

[Troy]

Yeah, you can do it on like streaming. If you have like Roku or whatever.

[Kelly]

That'S on the Roku channel.

[Chandler]

It's like you can make a lot of money on Amazon, Amazon. That's why Kyle Richards, who is already extremely rich is constantly on Amazon Live.

[Troy]

All they're all, all the housewives are doing it now. Teresa's on there stuttering through selling trinkets.

[Kelly]

Amazon, if you're listening, I would love to do a live. I would happily go on the Roku channel.

[Troy]

We can sell bangles and candles.

[Kelly]

I'll sell anything.

[Chandler]

I will say also it's kind of funny that the Internet has also like just flattened celebrity where like now it's Gwyneth Paltrow hawking wares on Instagram. Like use like, like all these celebrities selling trinkets. Basically they have, they're doing QVC for their living room. It is kind of funny how it's basically democratized, like all this content and A lot of us are kind of doing the same thing as these very esteemed people.

[Kelly]

Right. That we, like, put on this pedestal.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Troy]

Yeah. And I honestly think a lot of the people that we get mad at. You could even say the comparison with Blake, like, JLo is the same way where I feel like she's like, I'm doing the same thing I've always done. Like, I don't know why you guys.

[Kelly]

Are so mad at me right now.

[Troy]

I have been doing this for 30 years.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

And we're like, we don't like it now. You know, like, we've changed. Really.

[Chandler]

I wonder if, honestly. And this might be a very polarizing thing to say.

[Kelly]

Ooh, let's hear it.

[Chandler]

But I wonder if Taylor Swift is the only celebrity that can actually pull this off anymore where they just don't have that organic 247 material to stay relevant. She has the star power that she doesn't need to do that. She won't do it. She doesn't even do interviews with media outlets most of the time unless she's time person of the year. I wonder if she's the only one who can kind of get away with not doing ask me anythings on Instagram.

[Kelly]

Her and Beyonce. Beyonce doesn't even speak. That's true.

Yeah. I think you have to be that level of critical, like, acclaim.

[Chandler]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

And untouchable.

[Troy]

You need to be wired a certain way. And there are some celebrities that I think are just. I keep using JLO as the example. I'm sorry, but. But Jennifer was wired for, like, a tabloid era of famous people. She was masterful at that, like, tap walk pictures of me and Ben on the dock with the, like, that whole thing. Whereas now that doesn't matter anymore. Cause we can look at pictures of you all day. Like, it's not a big deal to, like, go to the grocery store and see that picture of you with Ben on a beach. Like, we don't care. But I do think there are some people that are just wired different. Like, Taylor's wired different. Beyonce, like you said. I think Charli has proven this year to be wired so insanely perfectly for this era of celebrity.

[Chandler]

Okay.

[Troy]

She gets it in a different way that people wish they could get it, you know?

[Kelly]

Yeah, totally. And I think I will say with Charli, like, she was in an H and M campaign. Like, she will do some influencer type stuff.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Kelly]

But she still. I will say, like, she obviously had a very organic explosion this summer with Brat Summer. But yeah, I do think Beyonce and Taylor Swift are Maybe the only people that are just fully untouchable and don't need to hawk anything.

[Chandler]

I'm curious for your guys thoughts a little bit. Switching gears because honestly, Troy and Kelly, I'm just love chatting with you.

[Kelly]

This is great.

[Chandler]

So fun, truly. So I'm dying for your thoughts on the VPR reboot. How you guys feel about it being announced that they are firing everyone essentially and starting with a whole new cast?

[Troy]

You wanna go for it?

[Kelly]

Yeah, I'm excited. You are? I honestly am. I feel like even the last two seasons, like, Scandival pumped, maybe a little life back. I don't know how this is gonna sound, but, like, I'm excited to watch, like, fight for their place again.

Yes.

[Chandler]

Right.

[Kelly]

Sounds like gladiators, like, gonna sit there, like.

[Troy]

But it's. That's what we loved about the show. Like, they were like broke servers that actually lived off of tip money and had air conditioners in their windows.

[Chandler]

They're gonna share how they betrayed the most important person in their life for $5,000 an episode. Like, that's what we're tuning in for, folks.

[Kelly]

I disagree. Oh, I disagree because I just don't have high hopes for that level of messiness to happen again. With a 2024 cast, I think they'll be two away. Well, I think, like, you look at Ally, right, Who's a new cast member, but now. But she's more savvy, she's more smart. She's not messy. She tries her best with her birth chart readings, but she's not messy enough to make for great tv.

[Troy]

Right.

[Kelly]

And so I worry that these people will be like, influencer lights who are also, like, gonna be cast on the show. And they're not going to want to be that messy. And they're not gonna be, you know, having these, like, junkie fights in the back of the parking lot with overturned crates. It was just a golden era. And that's what makes, I think, early VPR so special, is that it was like. Like they didn't know better. And that's okay. And, you know, but I just think people know better now, so. I don't know. I almost kind of wish that they would do a show about the Vegas cast or the Vegas restaurant. I just feel like that's kind of.

[Troy]

Like a. Lisa just woke up in cold sweat. She literally don't wake daddy out of bed.

[Kelly]

Ken's next to her.

[Troy]

Yeah, she's like Ken.

[Kelly]

But I just. I guess I feel like that is fertile. So that's.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

See, I feel like the Problem would be anywhere. Because now, even if the cast is nascent, it'll grow. Like, with Love is Blind, for example, a cast member will go from their normal followers of a thousand people to, at the end, a million followers. So these people really become stars and get huge deals and become, like, these celebrities. It doesn't take them eight seasons of, you know, sharing their life's worst secrets. It literally happens in the span of six months. And so I guess I feel like. Like, I just don't know that it would happen in Vegas, that they'd be able to just, like, find people who.

[Kelly]

You know, I guess I feel like when you're in. And I. I'm not saying that that would be for sure a perfect cast, but I do think in West Hollywood, you are finding people who just want to be famous no matter what, and who want to, like, be famous in a perfect way. Like, I don't. I don't think the people who signed up for VPR knew what could happen to them. But now I feel like if you sign up for a reality TV show, you know what could happen to you? What you don't wanna show on camera because it could be dug up later. You know, there's just, like, way more curation. And I think if you look at Roni, new Roni, I was just thinking that, you know, like, that's a cast from the ground up. And me as an audience member, I struggle because I do think that they save a ton of stuff for off camera. And what they do choose to show on camera, a lot of times just reads as fake drama.

You didn't like three episodes of them just saying, leaky pigeon. You didn't love that?

[Chandler]

I didn't.

[Kelly]

I loved the first. The second two. No, it's just, you know, and I'll keep watching it because I'm just a Bravo whore, but yeah.

[Troy]

The thing that sucks with Vanderpump Rules, though, is that. I mean, I say this like, ad nauseam, but, like, I just feel like those producers fumbled the bag. Like, they ruined what could have been another five years for that show.

[Kelly]

Wait, why?

[Troy]

Because I think that when the show came back with Scandoval, I feel like they should have, for one thing, broken the fourth wall at this point. It is, like, spitting in our faces to, like, still be setting up scenes for this show. Sitting down with lunch with she, like, just. You're on a show.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

You guys are stars. Ariana is literally a star.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Troy]

We're not like, the illusion of you guys being servers or whatever is done you're not even friends. And we know. So it's just insulting to the audience to treat us like kids and be like, just talk about being on Vanderpump Rules.

[Chandler]

Right.

[Troy]

If they had gone full docuseries for the return of that show, we could have, like, listened to Ariana talk about, like, her life changing and getting these crazy opportunities because of what happened on the show.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Troy]

But instead, they tried to control it too much. And I just feel like it ruined the momentum. Cause we were all so excited.

[Kelly]

And you didn't love the water tasting party.

[Troy]

Yeah. Like, is that not insulting?

[Kelly]

It wasn't. Water tasting party was insulting to my time. My time is worth more than a water tasting party.

I don't even drink anymore. And I was like, this is fucking lame.

[Troy]

That's, like, crazy to be like, we are the most talked about thing in the. They're talking about us on the View. Whoopi Goldberg is talking about us.

[Chandler]

Right.

[Troy]

And you're water tasting.

[Chandler]

Pretty sure Barack Obama tweeted about. No, I'm just kidding. But no, I agree with you. And I think that this actually gets at, like, a central problem that they have. Cause I read Andy Cohen's statement. I actually think I have it here. So Andy Cohen said, Bravo announced or word got out that they're revamping the show. And I have to say, this is, first of all, the absolute right thing to do. I'm so impressed with how production kept the show going over the last, I'm gonna say, four years, but slowly but surely, none of them were working at SIR the entire point of the show morphed and changed as it went on. And it wound up that James Kennedy was the only one with any kind of footprint at sir because he was DJing there occasionally, and now he's gone, has a residency in Vegas, yada, yada, yada. I'm so sorry. No one gives a fuck about sir Right? We care about these people.

[Troy]

Exactly.

[Kelly]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Chandler]

And how this has escaped the producer's imagination is beyond me.

[Troy]

Yeah.

[Chandler]

And I think you're right. They should have documented, like, they don't have to document Ariana trying to hang out with Skandival or with Skandival with Sandal at a water tasting. They can just document Ariana becoming a star. They can document Lala's pregnancy experience. You know, they can actually just go through what's going on in their lives. And yeah, we could just do a docu series about the people who actually hang out together. We don't need the fake setup bs.

[Kelly]

They should have done what Teen mom did. When Amber got out of prison, Teen.

[Troy]

Mom did it better than any show ever in history.

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

Like, when the wheels were falling off, Teen mom said, let's just show the cameras and break the fourth wall. And it gave them another 10.

[Kelly]

It's still on.

[Troy]

It's still on.

[Kelly]

Not many people. I'm a watcher, but.

[Troy]

But it was late to get canceled. It was. And now it's been on again for another. What Was that, like, 10 years ago?

[Kelly]

Yeah.

[Troy]

But I will say, I think it's the only option. Yeah, they don't really have many, many other options. I mean, what are we gonna watch? We can't even watch Ariana, like, hosting things or. Cause they won't show it. So we have to get a new cast.

[Kelly]

Yeah. I'm stressed about a lot of things, you know, with the state of the world, but I'm mostly stressed about their financial futures. Like, is this sandwich shop gonna survive?

I mean, when.

What are they gonna do?

When she was like, I only have $2,000 in your bank account. I'm like, excuse me.

[Chandler]

No, I have a chill.

[Kelly]

Excuse me.

[Troy]

I know.

[Chandler]

Okay. I'm gonna be very honest about my thoughts here. But the stars of the show, who really did not phone it in and put in the work, AKA Lala and Sheena, were also the hustlers off camera, who will be fine, who have built businesses like DJ James Kennedy. He left it all in the field on the show, and he as well, really worked hard and has an incredible DJ career. I'm sorry, but I think the lazy cast members who were lazy on the show, meaning no offense, I know everyone loves her, but Ariana, Katy, Tom Schwartz. I feel like these people, you know, I mean, maybe not Tom Schwartz. They did start a restaurant, but they have less going for themselves.

[Kelly]

Also people with less star power, in my opinion. Like, they're. They made for good cast members, and I do like them, but they just are less. Like, they just have less of the.

[Troy]

Special sauce we were left with. I don't remember who it was that I heard say this, but somebody on TikTok said we were left with, like, the B tier cast members, as mean as that is to say. And you can have your thoughts about Kristen and Stassi and all those people, but, like, they were the show.

[Kelly]

Yeah, well, the Valley's so good.

[Troy]

Hello. And now and then we were left with, like, the bumps on the logs, in a sense.

[Kelly]

Some of us love Katy.

[Troy]

Some of us do. Some of us have learned to let go of hatred and Harboring resentments. But yeah, we were left with like Ariana who, like didn't even want to be on the show for the first like seven years that she was on it.

[Kelly]

Right.

[Chandler]

Yes. I mean, Ariana, I really do like her, but I just felt like I was personally not super interested in her until Sandoval. And I think honestly, some people just don't have the star power and some people just don't have that it factor. And I feel like they're taking the A players and they're just putting them on the Valley. Like Lala and Sheena are still going to the Valley. Right. Like, that's going to be fabulous.

[Kelly]

Stassi has done very well for herself, like being off it for so long. Yeah.

[Troy]

And let's be honest, that was Kristen's show. I'm a big Kristen apologist.

[Kelly]

Wait, that's incredible.

[Troy]

Because I just love Kristen.

[Kelly]

Yeah, we're like, Kristen, what do you think about Louis?

[Troy]

Well, I got be cast Mr. Crossbow or whatever. Ice fishing or whatever.

[Kelly]

That garden show I just watched, it's on like hbo Max. A garden commune.

[Troy]

Oh, yeah.

[Kelly]

Oh, yeah. He's a Roku channel type of guy. Like, he's not meant for prime time.

[Troy]

I don't need to see him. I don't need to hear his thoughts. Almost like just be seen and not heard.

[Kelly]

Yeah, I don't. But they're having a baby.

[Troy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kelly]

We're gonna be on some uncles.

Yeah. I'm so excited.

[Troy]

I just feel like Kristen was like. Kristen was the sauce of the show. She was like the. You needed Kristen and it was all about her for the first few years.

[Kelly]

I remember Danny Pellegrino, he was like, they should call this show the house that Kristen built.

Truly though, she brought the messiness more than anyone. And yeah, I guess Jax is still.

[Chandler]

In the valley, but Kristen, Jax and Stassi were really the icons of the show. The brought the most messiness. They had the most like dynamic star power. And anyway, I think all those people are going to do great. I mean, Kristin, I think she is kind of like still in her vanderpump early season energy. But thank God, you know?

[Kelly]

Yeah. Yep.

[Troy]

Yes. Tinkerbell hasn't lost all her glitter.

[Kelly]

And with that, I mean, is there a better sign off than Tinkerbell hasn't lost all of her glitter?

[Chandler]

Potentially not. Thank you, Chandler. You guys, thank you so much for joining. We've had so much fun. You guys are delightful.

[Troy]

This was great.

[Kelly]

Incredible, truly.

I know. I feel like I could talk for like another hour.

As well.

[Chandler]

Yeah, but we're all in New York, so we gotta do this again. Yes, but where can our listeners find you?

[Troy]

Well, we host a show together called beyond the Blinds. We release three episodes a week because we're psychopaths. One of our episodes, the more salacious episode, is usually behind our patreon, which is patreon.com beyondtheblinds.

[Kelly]

Janelle Evans is going to come after us. She has to pay $5.

[Chandler]

Well, you guys, I am definitely joining after today. I just need your thoughts on everything in this world. So thank you so much again. And Chandler, love you.

[Kelly]

Love you being here.

[Chandler]

Love you, listeners. And we'll be back next week. Bye.