Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov

Episode: How the Pandemic Changed Us (ft. Greg Gutfeld)

Date: August 22, 2025

Podcast Network: Vox Media
Special Guest: Greg Gutfeld

Episode Overview

In this lively and thought-provoking episode, Jessica Tarlov welcomes Fox’s Greg Gutfeld to dissect the social and political aftermath of the pandemic through the lens of the fictional film Eddington (written/directed by Ari Aster). They discuss how the pandemic reshaped American life, the role of social media in fueling paranoia and division, and the emerging culture wars. Drawing from their personal experiences, recent history, and the film’s themes, they provide a centrist, often humorous analysis of where America stands five years since COVID-19.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Film Eddington: A Microcosm of Pandemic America

• Setting and Plot: The fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, during May 2020, captures the confusion, paranoia, and division in the early pandemic and BLM protest days.
• Characters and Archetypes: Joaquin Phoenix as a rule-resistant sheriff, Pedro Pascal as the mask-wearing, concerned liberal mayor, and subplots involving tech overlords and social media obsession.
• The “Covid Movie”: Gutfeld dubs it the first real “Covid movie,” highlighting its depiction of both right- and left-wing overreactions, amplified by rural isolation (05:06).

Memorable Quote:

"It's equal opportunity in—I don't wanna say making fun of both sides, but the overreaction of both the right and the left to Covid."
— Jessica (03:57)

2. Social Media as an Engine of Paranoia and Activism

• Underpinning Mental Health Issues: Both hosts note the movie’s assertion that crisis and activism (BLM, COVID) preyed on pre-existing mental struggles, with social media exacerbating the situation (05:26–09:00).
• Authority and Performance: The sudden transfer of authority—kids instructing parents, citizens policing each other over masks—mirrored real-life social behaviors (09:29).

Memorable Quote:

"You had those kids shouting at their parents...People who have no authority suddenly could tell the sheriff what to do."
— Greg (09:29)

• Online Outrage: Both hosts agree the pandemic highlighted how social media can quickly radicalize, misinform, and isolate.

3. Power, Compulsion, and Personal Freedom

• Gutfeld draws a comparison between mask mandates and pronoun enforcement, boiling it down to issues of compulsive authority and resistance (10:30–11:59).
• Jessica relays her personal, more medically-motivated pandemic fears, pointing out that experience of loss or illness colors one's interpretation of mandates (13:10).

Memorable Quote:

"When somebody wants to compel you to do something, you instinctively resist...That is the American creed."
— Greg (11:29)

4. Societal Fragmentation and the Role of Tech Overlords

• The pod delves into the film’s subplot about a shiny new data center coming to a dying town, a metaphor for automation, job displacement, and economic anxiety (15:20–16:41).
• Tech and social media are painted as major antagonists, “puppeteers” that both fuel division and replace community infrastructure.

5. Highlights from Eddington: Equal Opportunity Satire

• Both right and left are lampooned—the film features cult-like conspiracy mongers and performative progressives.
• Notable casting (Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone) is interpreted as a meaningful choice by left-leaning actors to critique their own side (18:10).

Memorable Quote:

"It is meaningful that folks like Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal and Emma Stone...wanted to tell this story and...center social media and online addiction."
— Jessica (18:22)

6. Favorite Scenes & Cultural Parallels

• Greg's favorite moment: The use of Katy Perry’s “Firework” at a political fundraiser, capturing the emotional crescendo and societal breakdown (18:47–19:06).
• Discussion of parallels to real world events (e.g., Gavin Newsom’s French Laundry controversy, Newsom as a model for Pascal's mayor).

7. Vaccines, Misinformation, and Political Polarization

• The pod addresses vaccine hesitancy and success, with both hosts agreeing Operation Warp Speed was a major Trump achievement, even as politics poisoned public perception (22:14–23:46).
• Jessica stresses the human toll of COVID, pushing back on any attempt to downplay its seriousness.

8. The Problem of Social Disconnection: Phones and Parenting

• The hosts bemoan how parenting and daily life now revolve around constant reference to phones and AI for problem solving (27:28–28:43).
• Social media is pinpointed as both a societal isolator and a current parenting hazard.

Memorable Quote:

“We are different animals now. We're not ... We can't go back. We can't go back.”
— Greg (26:58)

9. Culture War, Media Echo Chambers, and Facing the “Other Side”

• In the wake of Gutfeld’s Fallon appearance, both speakers critique media echo chambers and the inability to tolerate differing perspectives on-air or on social platforms (29:48–31:34).
• Gutfeld jokes about being both lauded and attacked for simply “being nice” across the political aisle.

10. Final Segment: What Makes You Rage / What Should America Calm Down About?

[31:47]

• Greg’s “Rage”: Ongoing gender-affirming care in hospitals.
• What to ‘Calm Down’ About: The “dying” vestiges of wokeism, which he now sees as overhyped and fading.
• Greg closes with a sports metaphor: The importance of strong “resistance” (opposing views) in keeping debate sharp and honest on shows like The Five.

Memorable Quote:

“If the villain is weak, the movie is weak. ... The Five is a place where your ideas work out, and they don't get strong without resistance.”
— Greg (35:29)

Notable Quotes & Moments With Timestamps

• On Social Divisions:
  "That feeling of you don't know what's going to happen next, that hasn't gone away in the five years since COVID."
  — Jessica (03:57)

• On Being Compelled:
  "Anytime somebody compels you to do something ... it's a little window open to a bigger room."
  — Greg (11:59)

• On Social Media Addiction:
  “We are different animals now. ... What faucet is on that is spraying this shit into my child's bedroom?”
  — Greg (26:58, 25:13)

• On Parental Vulnerability:
  "We're turning to the phone to answer every question ... Parenting used to be … this is what I think."
  — Jessica (27:28)

• On Debating Strength:
  "If the villain is weak, the movie is weak. ... Your ideas work out, and they don't get strong without resistance."
  — Greg (35:29)

Timeline of Major Segments

00:00–02:22: Introduction, setting up the Eddington movie discussion
02:40–05:15: Gutfeld and Jessica discuss initial reactions and movie themes
05:15–09:25: Paranoia, social media’s role, mental health crisis
09:29–13:00: Compelled authority, pandemic memory, Jessica’s personal story
14:40–18:42: Data center subplot, social media as antagonist
18:42–20:17: Best scenes, real life parallels
22:14–23:46: Vaccine debate & public trust issues
24:04–27:28: Social disconnection, parenting, and phones
29:10–31:34: Reactions to culture war, Gutfeld’s Fallon appearance
31:47–35:53: Lightning round: what to rage about/calm down about, show-ender

Conclusion

This episode is a nuanced, candid exchange that blends cultural critique with personal anecdotes, humor, and genuine debate. It's a must-listen for anyone navigating post-pandemic America, centrist politics, or cultural polarization, with Eddington as an effective cinematic lens for exploring what’s changed—and what remains all too familiar—in American society.