Call-In Ep w/ George and Sam

Summary

StraightioLab – Call-In Ep w/ George and Sam

Podcast: StraightioLab – Big Money Players Network / iHeartPodcasts
Episode Date: April 21, 2026
Hosts: George Civeris, Sam Taggart
Format: Listener Call-In – Questions from Audience

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Episode Overview

This special call-in episode finds comedians George Civeris and Sam Taggart at their most candid and interactive, responding to a range of listener-submitted questions spanning gay subculture trends, body image and representation, pop music, comedy theory, straight/gay binaries, Pitchfork-era indie bands, Oscars hot takes, cohabitation and breakup tropes among straight/gay couples, queer cruising culture, and the “essence” of stand-up comedy. True to form, their style is witty, irreverent, both intellectually playful and emotionally honest.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Updates: Lack of Sleep & Productivity Anxiety

• Both hosts open up about going through rough mornings: Sam with insomnia, George joining a call unprepared.
  • George: “I legitimately forgot something was on my calendar this morning… I woke up, hadn’t brushed my teeth yet, got an email… just straight out of bed.” [04:31]
  • Reflections on “fake mode” and snapping into performance personas, comparing social masks to “self-help guru” affect.
  • Sam: “When I go fake mode socially… I’m like, smiles on. I will literally be like, hi, how’s it going, in a way that I’m like, ugh, what have I become?” [06:07]

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2. The Perils of Not Knowing Pop Culture References

• Riffing on out-of-touch attitudes in entertainment and tech circles.
  • George: Shares Meta anecdote: “This guy… has now… become a whistleblower… his big revelation was that Mark Zuckerberg asked him what the UN was.” [09:24]
  • Sam: “You should kill yourself then. Jump off a building. You could film it for TikTok, I’m sure it’ll go viral, which is all you care about. Stupid bitch. Gender neutral.” [10:01]

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3. The “Bear” Aesthetic & Hair Transplants: Shifting Trends in Gay Male Body Politics

• Caller John (Toronto): Asks if “bears are still in,” and about the trend of hair transplants/bald acceptance. [11:09]
  • George: “We’ve completely backtracked... It is hair transplant central... I thought we had reached a sort of body positivity tipping point, but for bald. And I was wrong.” [12:05]
  • Sam: “There needs to be some transparency. There must have been a shift in transplant technology… but you had it fine!” [13:12]
  • Comparison to Ozempic/skinny trend—unspoken, not openly discussed.
  • On body image: “We are in a conservative era... it’s up to everyone to resist because it’s scary. We’ve lived through this before.” – George [15:45]

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4. Music Video Night: What’s a Go-To Music Video?

• Caller: Wants a fresh music video to wow friends at a viewing party. [16:40]
  • George: Suggests “90s London” club hits: Sonique “Feels So Good,” Mel C “I Turn To You,” Faithless feat. Estelle “Why Go.”
    • Describes “Why Go” music video: “She can’t stop dancing… she meets a guy who can’t stop dancing, and it’s a whole love story.” [18:08–19:55]
  • Sam: Kylie Minogue’s “Slow” and following with Dua Lipa’s “Illusion.”
    • “She’s sort of writhing around on the floor surrounded by, like, a hundred guys in Speedos...” [20:20]
  • Recs also include Zara Larsson “Midnight Sun” and Kylie Minogue “All The Lovers.”

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5. Comedy’s “Not-Actually-Comedy” Pet Peeves

• Caller: Asks what is called “comedy” but isn’t—sparked by boring, hacky straight guy material at a recent show. [26:54]
  • George: “What I don’t like is when things are only reactive... there is so much out there that’s the comedy equivalent of [Instagram fashion commentary].” [28:45]
  • On viral “reaction content”: “That is something you do with your friends that does not need to be content.” [30:04]
  • “The idea that you’re being brave by bringing [Joe Rogan] down a peg is just false. That’s all in your head.” – George [31:47]
  • Both praise anyone who attempts stand-up, even if hacky, as better than social-only content.
  • Sam: “Anything can be done well—even if normally this would suck, but they did it amazingly.” [32:41]
  • Discussion on the need for new catchphrases, not just borrowed internet lingo.

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6. Is Throwing a Birthday Party for Your Pet Gay or Straight?

• Caller: Asks if birthday parties for pets is a “gay” or “straight” phenomenon. [33:36]
  • Both cite sitcom/gay stereotype (“crazy gay guys have a birthday party for their dog named Tinkerbell”), also straight couples rehearsing for parenthood.
  • George: “Pet culture… warps the gay straight binary… so many layers to pet ownership.” [34:44]
  • Final take: “Any ceremony that isn’t a birthday is gay. But birthday is straight. That’s where I’m landing.” [36:31]

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7. The Gayest & Straightest Pitchfork-Era Indie Bands

• Caller Nick (self-identified “all-time greatest straight listener”): Wants to know their favorite “Pitchfork hipster” bands and which are the gayest or straightest. [36:50]
  • Debate across key acts:
    • Arcade Fire: “Straight… but Portland straight… banging on every little thing they could find.” – Sam [38:31]
    • Broken Social Scene: “More LGBTQ. Sex positive. Canadian lovers.” – Sam [39:09]
    • Animal Collective: “Never gotten into… just the album cover optical illusion… inclined to say straight because of their reputation.” – George [39:37]
    • Vampire Weekend: Gay – “They have a sense of camp… a little preppy thing.” – George [41:42]
    • Beach House: Gay – “Sensitive gay guy… gay guy that has bangs over one of his eyes. You don’t get me.” – George [42:14]
    • Girls (the band): “Had a music video with a guy singing into a dick, and then married to a woman now. There was a part of the Pitchfork era that was way more subversive…” [42:41]
  • Both spiral into name-dropping and nostalgia about the 2000s indie scene.

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8. The “Heim Crew to Oscar” Phenomenon

• Caller: Relates the Oscar success of Paul Thomas Anderson/Heim collaborators; asks which Oscar (Editing, Directing, Best Picture) matches which Heim sister. [46:53]
  • Geeky delight in answering (“that’s literally why I get out of bed in the morning…” – George [47:50])
  • Final mappings:
    • Esti: Editing (“PhD in ethnomusicology”)
    • Alana: Best Picture (“She’s the movie star of the operation”)
    • Danielle: Directing
  • Features an uncanny Jimmy Fallon impression: “So you made a movie? That’s crazy! You made a movie, that’s crazy…” – George [51:44]

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9. The “Where Would You Go If Your Partner Kicked You Out?” Gender Divide

• Caller Shivani: Notes men in straight couples have a plan where they’d go if kicked out; women don’t think about this; is it a gay thing, too? [51:59]
  • Sam: “I know where I’d go. Zebelite? No.” (joking) [54:06]
  • Both see this as a “microdosing, doomsday prepping” quirk of straight men and not a gay trope.
  • George: “The trope of the husband being, quote, kicked out… it’s never the wife being kicked out. That’s the imbalance…” [54:42]
  • On divorced men: “Divorced guys in their 40s clean up. You don’t have to be attractive, you barely have to be employed.” [58:18]
  • On women preferring divorced men: “Marriage is a sign of adulthood, even if it ends in divorce; like, he has done the thing you’re supposed to do.” [59:45]

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10. Gay Cruising & the Modern Sauna: “Dimmed My Light”

• Caller (NYC): First ever experience with gay cruising at a “sauna-like” space left him feeling “dim” and more homophobic; wants thoughts. [65:16]
  • George & Sam: Explain NYC’s most famous cruising sauna and its shift from “if you know, you know” secret to overflow pop-destination, exacerbated by influencer/celebrity attention (e.g., Troye Sivan).
    • Sam: “I also don’t find it fun… like being on the subway, it’s so crowded.” [67:15]
  • On cruising in general: “For me, a good diverse, well-curated gay bar is always going to be my favorite space… I think that also has to do with the privilege of the time we live in.” – George [69:27]
  • Anecdote: “The manager of this place… will walk into the steam room and be like, ‘Are you guys serious? Seriously, you guys, stop. Do you think I’m stupid?’” – Sam [70:36]

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11. Why Do People Love Stand-Up? Is It Inherently Alienating?

• Caller: Loves comedians but finds stand-up sets “boring”; asks if it’s possible to learn to appreciate stand-up. [71:52]
  • Sam: “It is visually boring as fuck… It’s just a person standing there.” [74:40]
  • George: “Standup can be alienating in the same way that fashion can be… you have to learn the language.” [73:41]
  • Both agree: Live stand-up is much more engaging than watching on video.
  • Sam: “Listen to it as you’re driving… I think that is a fun way… That’s the way that I liked stand up growing up.” [75:46]

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12. Listener Praise

• Caller Jess: “Longtime glamour girl, first time caller,” writes in to praise George and Sam for being respectful at a live show and for their contribution to irony and humor. [60:29]
  • Sam: “So basically we invented irony and I’m really proud of us.” [61:14]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “So you’re expecting George Washington to have a comment on the Facebook trial? I don’t think so.” – George [08:26]
• “You could film it [jumping off a building] for TikTok. I’m sure it’ll go viral, which is all you care about. Stupid bitch. Gender neutral.” – George [10:02]
• “Any ceremony that isn’t a birthday is gay. But birthday is straight.” – George [36:31]
• “Marriage is a sign of adulthood, even if it ends in divorce.” – George [59:45]
• “The excitement of [live stand-up] is not knowing what’s going to happen.” – George [77:06]
• “It is visually boring as fuck… It’s just a person standing there…” – Sam [74:40]

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Memorable Timestamps

• [04:31] George forgets a meeting, launches into “self-help guru” mode
• [09:24] Zuckerberg & UN anecdote
• [12:05] Bald acceptance gives way to hair transplant boom
• [15:45] “We are in a conservative era when it comes to body image”
• [18:08–19:55] Plot summary of Faithless “Why Go” music video
• [28:45–31:47] What’s “not comedy”
• [33:36–36:31] Gay vs. straight pet birthday parties debate
• [36:50–44:07] Hipster band taxonomy: Pitchfork canon and sexuality
• [51:44] George’s Jimmy Fallon impression
• [65:16–71:08] Gay cruising, sauna culture, and the state of the scene
• [74:40] “It is visually boring as fuck…” (on stand-up)

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Tone and Language

Wry, rapid-fire, self-aware, sometimes biting but always affectionate toward their audience and the topics at hand. Both hosts are equally comfortable with high-minded theorizing and crass jokes—maintaining a knowing, insider-y but still approachable and inviting vibe.

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Summary Takeaways

This call-in episode captures the essence of StraightioLab: an incisive but warm, self-deprecating survey of what makes straight and gay culture tick, laced with sincere listener engagement and a shiny layer of irony. Listeners unfamiliar with the show can expect cultural dissection with deep pop references, refracted through fast, sparkling banter and a genuine pleasure in the questions and quirks of the queer and straight worlds.

Transcript

[George]

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[Podcast Announcer]

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[Sam]

hey everyone, it's Kalpen.

[Sponsor Voice]

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[George]

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[Sponsor Voice]

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[George]

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[Sam]

Hey, it's Sam with a quick little show announcement. As you may know, I've been running my hour trying to, you know, really figure it out. And so I've been doing it in New York and la and all those dates have sold out. So I've decided to add one more New York date and one more LA date. So in New York, I'll be at Union hall on May 3rd. That's a Sunday. And then in LA, I will be at Lyric Hyperion on May 14th. That's a Thursday. So I would simply love to see you there. I've been really having a good time doing this and I appreciate you guys coming out and making me not look like a fucking idiot. Okay, enjoy the episode. Bye. Podcast starts now.

[George]

Well, we are both going through it, folks.

[Sam]

We're going through it in the heart of New York City. That's right, Midtown Manhattan.

[George]

So you have slept three hours.

[Sam]

I slept three hours. It was just one of those nights when I woke up. I went to bed at 1. Oh, stone cold sober. Went to bed at 1, woke up at 4am, said, okay, time to go back to sleep.

[George]

Does that happen to you a lot?

[Sam]

Not to that extreme of a degree, but I just like, could not go back to sleep. And I was like. And then you watch the time go by and you're like, okay, well now it's seven. And it's like, well, I might as well go to the gym because you

[George]

went to the gym.

[Sam]

Of course.

[George]

You are insane.

[Sam]

Because it's like, what am I gonna do? Go back to sleep and then wake

[George]

up at nine to be here when I'm jet lagged? Or something like that? I'm so terrified of pushing it that I just, I'm like, okay, well, if I can't fall asleep, I have to sit motionless because if I go to the gym, then it'll activate the sleep and then I will never wake up. So are you feeling insane?

[Sam]

I feel insane. I feel completely insane.

[George]

Whereas I am gonna be absolutely candid, I legitimately forgot something was on my calendar this morning, which I have to say, it really takes a lot for that to happen. It's right there. I look at it before falling asleep. I don't know what happened. And I woke up, it was like, I woke up, hadn't brushed my teeth yet, got an email that was like, hey, we're here if you want to do sound check. And then I Just joined a Zoom and had to start speaking with no coffee, no teeth brushing, just straight out of bed.

[Sam]

That's one of the scariest feelings one can have when someone's like, hey, ready to hop on whenever? And you're like, oh, God.

[George]

And it's not. It really made me nostalgic for times in my life where I've had an office job where you can join a meeting and kind of take a backseat. And I was like, wait, I'm being interviewed?

[Sam]

Oh, no.

[George]

I'm the star of this Zoom.

[Sam]

How'd it go?

[George]

It actually. Well, this is the thing. And I wonder if you feel this way about being sort of self jet lagged. I actually think it went amazing. And I think I was so nervous that I was like. I started speaking like one of those people whose job it is to. To like a self help guru or something. You know when someone just like locks in and is in that kind of zone where it's like, well, it's interesting you asked that because it's something I talk about a lot. That was me for a full hour and a half in this interview.

[Sam]

That's so scary.

[George]

And I was like, oh, my God, I can just do this whenever I want.

[Sam]

Oh, God.

[George]

Because oftentimes I find myself doing the opposite where the tone is like, I could take it or leave it.

[Sam]

Yeah, well, it's tough when you can snap into that because you're like, oh, do I have any authentic self? Like, am I just like. Every time. It's like just a series of factors, expectations that makes me change.

[George]

Yeah. It's funny, that's your outlook, which I think is a more pure one. Mine was like, oh, perfect, I'll just do this all the time now. This makes it so much easier. And I can just sort of be an automaton and turn my brain off.

[Sam]

Well, you kind of thrive also on that energy of being late. You like to be like, how can I snap in?

[George]

It's true. I used to be much worse of making it everyone else's problem and being like, well, I'm stressed, so everyone else has to be stressed. And I'm coming in with a shaky energy. And I think, I hope at least that as I've gotten older, I've learned to only have that be internal and use it to my advantage without making everyone else nervous.

[Sam]

Yeah. I think when I go, I'm trying to think of going fake mode, which is what you're talking about, and I really, I find I go fake mode socially, like, big time. If I'm like, In a space where I'm like, okay, I don't know anyone, I'll be like, smiles on, like. I will literally be like, hi, how's it going? In a way that I'm like, ugh, what have I become?

[George]

But you're more smiles. You're not, like, being fake verbally.

[Sam]

That's true.

[George]

You're nodding and smiling.

[Sam]

That's true. That's true. My words are true. My actions.

[George]

Your words are true. And it's almost sometimes I can see it in your eyes that I'm like, he really wants to be fake verbally, but he can't bring himself to do it. So you're just. It's like you're in the Sunken Place.

[Sam]

Yeah. It can be pretty scary. I gotta work on it. When I see people who are fake, I'm like, damn, you are good at this.

[George]

I know.

[Sam]

Well, it's.

[George]

Of course, the biggest goal is to be fake. I need it. Because it is the only way to get ahead. And, you know, one time we will do hypnot therapy.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

Hypnosis therapy. In order to get there. But today is not that today. Because we're going to be real as fuck.

[Sam]

We're going to be real as fuck. We're taking your calls. And for the record, I just want to say we're recording this on March 17th.

[George]

Yes.

[Sam]

So if we say something that, you know, by the time this is released and something insane politically has happened. We didn't know that.

[George]

We didn't know. And we're also not going to be commenting on things happening currently politically, because those will be irrelevant. So we are being apolitical for artistic purposes.

[Sam]

Time is forcing us to be apolitical.

[George]

We're being apolitical more so in like a. Not in a Taylor Swift way.

[Sam]

Yeah, like, in like. How would George Washington have a comment on social media?

[George]

Yeah, like, why? So you're expecting George Washington to have a comment on the Facebook trial? I don't think so. He doesn't know what that is. I don't think that he doesn't know. You think he knows about Meta and

[Sam]

meanwhile, you expect Mark Zuckerberg to have a comment on the Revolutionary War?

[George]

He was alive. He wasn't alive, and he has never read a book. And it's over and it's over. He doesn't know who won and he doesn't give a f. There was a. This guy. I'm gonna dox him. You know, I worked at Meta for one year in my early 20s. For anyone who doesn't know, I apologize. None of it is my fault. I had an entry level position and I was underpaid. I worked with this guy who has now after, like, literally now in 2026, finally decided to become a whistleblower. I'm like, girl, you're late. Like, wait it out. Like, it's gonna come back in fashion. Just, like, at this point, don't burn the bridges. And so he's written some sort of book or op ed or something. And his big revelation was that Mark Zuckerberg asked him what the UN was.

[Sam]

Really?

[George]

Yeah. And so that is sort of the energy we're bringing to the table today. Is Mark Zuckerberg asking what the UN is?

[Sam]

Wow. We are definitely bringing that energy. Can I say I met with someone who is in entertainment, presumably, and I like, mention one medal after another. And they were like, what's that?

[George]

No.

[Sam]

And I was like, how? Like, literally, even if you haven't seen

[George]

it, how recent was this?

[Sam]

Two weeks ago.

[George]

Well, they should be fired. This is what, by the way, you meet with people in this industry and they look you straight in the eye and they go, I don't even watch movies or TV anymore. I'm just on TikTok. It's like, well, you should kill yourself then.

[Sam]

Jump off a building.

[George]

Jump off of a building. You could film it for TikTok. I'm sure it'll go viral, which is all you care about. Stupid bitch. Gender neutral.

[Sam]

That was awesome.

[George]

Oh, and by the way, this is less scandalous, but at our show, Patty's topic was heated rivalry. And my friend Steph had brought three people we went to college with. She said all three of them had never heard of heated rivalry. Heard of, Heard of. They were like, what is heated rivalry?

[Sam]

This is freaky to me.

[George]

Yeah.

[Sam]

Like, it's like, I genuinely don't know how you can look at a screen in any place and not have heated rivalry shoved into your eyes.

[George]

But it also just goes to show you. Like, in my mind, I'm like, we're so oversaturated. Like, it's time to move on. People are still finding out about it.

[Sam]

I'm gonna hurl.

[George]

And it's like, they found out about it at our show because we're talking about it, because we're commenting on it being oversaturated. It's like, that counts. Now they're gonna go home and watch.

[Sam]

This is so scary.

[George]

And we're part of it. We're complicit.

[Sam]

Of course we're complicit. I mean, we exist in a society of Course.

[George]

Speak for yourself.

[Sam]

Should we do a call?

[George]

Yes, please.

[Caller]

Hey, Sam. George. John from Toronto. George, I think it was a couple years ago that you said bears were in for 2025. I want to check in on that. What's the state of gay guy. I guess, fetishization. Are bears still in? I think there's a trend of guys getting hair transplants. Are we shying away from bald? Are we shying away from bear? I want to hear what you guys think. Okay, bye.

[George]

How about I take the hair transplant question and you can speak on the bear question?

[Sam]

Okay.

[George]

Because I did think there was a moment where we were reaching bald acceptance in a real way. And I have to say, we've completely backtracked.

[Sam]

It's gone.

[George]

It is hair transplant central.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

So much so that I'm like, did I subconsciously grow my hair out? Because I'm seeing so much hair transplant representation in the world. Like, the hairlines you're seeing on celebrities, on, frankly, People We Know. It is shocking. I'm like, oh, I thought everyone was. I thought we had really reached a sort of body positivity tipping point, but for bald. And I was wrong. I will admit it. We are back to back to hair transplant. Back to hairlines. Back to, like, that being a. Actually, no, we're not back to it being a punchline. It's like an unspoken thing, which is even worse. It's sort of how Ozempic has brought back skinny. Sort of like opposite of body positivity, of course, but without the disc, no one's actually going out. Being like, nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. It's like an unspoken. They're just like, shh.

[Sponsor Voice]

Yes, exactly.

[George]

Exactly. It's like. It's like an unspoken thing. Everyone suddenly looks thinner. But it's, like, controversial to address it. It's the same with men, by the way, having completely different jaws and completely different hairlines.

[Sam]

There needs to be some transparency. It's so crazy, the hair transplant thing. There must have been, like, a shift in transplant technology recently, because I'm seeing, like, there are guys who, like, have pretty good hair who are like, well, I also got a hair transplant to make it better. Yep. And I'm like, but you had it fine. Like, so you had some imperfection. Is that illegal?

[George]

I know. It's interesting because it's one of those things. I get it. Because people have insecurities. It's like when people get a nose job. It's like people have just insecurities that they're like, I would just feel so Much better if this one thing was fixed. It's not the defining thing in my life, but, like, it'll just help me be more confident day to day. And so I get it. And it's not someone's fault that they are affected by societal standards.

[Sam]

Tea.

[George]

But I would like to see more normal hair representation in film and television because that they do have control over. Of course, you see a movie from the 70s, everyone's bald.

[Sam]

I mean, we'll never have a George Costanza again.

[George]

Everyone's bald, teeth facing all over the place. It's literally like the Fifth Harmony girls trying to choreograph a dance in there. They're just sort of yellow whites of the eyes. People are looking horrible.

[Sam]

People were normal back then. Now everyone's got to look. Either they either look perfect, or they found, like, the ugliest freak to play the role of Cash.

[George]

It's like Safdie's brothers are like, look at this. Look at this troll we found in the subway. Grace.

[Sam]

He's so New York real.

[George]

Oh, and he's gonna play a barista. He has no tongue and five toes total.

[Sam]

Yeah. I'm sick of ugly cast anyway, I think.

[George]

No, but literally, who. There are no leading men who are bald. And when I say bald, I don't mean bald shaved. I mean, I need to see mid bald. I need to see some hair on the top, but not a lot. And then hair on the sides.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

Where is that?

[Sam]

Where is that? I'm not seeing it.

[George]

Hello. I mean, I guess I'm literally like, I need Paul Giamatti. But in leading man form, that's true.

[Sam]

Yeah, we do need that.

[George]

Okay, so what do you think is the state of bears?

[Sam]

Well, I certainly don't think it's trending.

[George]

Nope.

[Sam]

I think we are in, like, a heated rivalry world.

[George]

Correct.

[Sam]

And everyone is like, how can you be more snatched? People are looking at those boys and being like, which one is the most snatched? Like, and actually being like, in fact, if you don't have that body, you're not really a gay guy.

[George]

I just want to say, like, to put a fine point on it, we are in a conservative era when it comes to body image. We are fully inexpensive, and that is just. That's where we are. And I think it's up to everyone to resist because it's scary. We've lived through this before.

[Sam]

It's horrible.

[George]

And it's obviously not the number one issue facing our world, but I do think it's a symptom of worse issues facing our world. Hey.

[Sam]

And maybe by the time this episode comes out, it will be the number one issue.

[George]

Be the number one issue? Yes. Everything else will be solved. And then the one thing left is. Is body positivity.

[Sam]

That is possible.

[George]

No, it's. It's tough. It's tough. I think. I don't. And we can. We're commenting on men's looks specifically. It's obviously even darker for women, but that's not our story to tell.

[Sam]

Ever comment on a woman's look?

[George]

I would never comment on a woman's look.

[Sam]

Unless they're slaying, of course.

[George]

Then we have to reward that.

[Sam]

Okay, let me pull up the next call.

[Caller]

Hi, George and Sam. You two are some of my absolute favorite comedians. I love the podcast. My question is. And I have more I've been thinking on, but for tonight is. So the other day we had, you know, music video watching night, impromptu, of course. And I only have so many music videos that I can suggest. What do you think at my next music video watching night is the one I can recommend that will make everyone in the room go, okay? You know what I mean? So if you have a recommendation, let me know. Again, love you guys. I think you're the greatest. And I can't wait to hear the next episode. So thank you. Bye.

[George]

Okay, I actually have an answer to this.

[Sam]

Great.

[George]

I have been recently. This is part of the 90s nostalgia we're having with properties like Love Story, JFK Jr. And Carolyn Bessette with various memoirs that have come out recently. People are simply obsessed with 90s New York.

[Sam]

That's true.

[George]

Now here's what I have to say about that. What about 90s London? So my answer to this is, I have been enjoying late 90s, maybe early 2000s, like, videos where British. It's like British club culture. Think of Sonique. Feel so good.

[Sam]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[George]

That's what I want to see. I want to see, like, green laser lights and shoddily edited dance sequences. Because you know that they're filming in the club. Like, it's not an actual. It is 2pm and they are filming in the club. And I also want to see it intercut with solitary dancing on a mountain.

[Sam]

Yeah, like green screen stuff. Yes.

[George]

I love it. So the things that are coming to mind are so nique. Feels so good as a classic. Mel C from the Spice Girls has a song called oh, my God, I Turn to youo.

[Sam]

Yes. Which is featured in Benda like Beckham.

[George]

Benda like Beckham. Now that is a really good music video.

[Sam]

I love that. Music video and song.

[George]

Yes. So that's a really good one you can put on. I have one that I really like that I've mentioned on this podcast before. It's by the electronic band Faithless, featuring Estelle, who you might remember from American Boy, of course, and it's called why Go.

[Sam]

Okay.

[George]

Have I told you about this video?

[Sam]

I don't know if you have.

[George]

I have. But, like, truly, five years ago. So I'm just gonna say what the plot of the video is. Oh, are you ready?

[Sam]

There's a plot? Yeah.

[George]

It's basically you're following this woman, and she has an affliction where she can't stop dancing. Okay, so you're following her. She's going to. She's brushing her teeth, but her hand is going all over the place because she can't stop dancing. She's going into work, and everyone in the subway's looking at her. She's at work making a presentation, but everyone's like, why is this crazy bitch dancing? She can't stop dancing. It is a big condition that she has. Midway through the video, she's on an escalator at a mall. What does she see coming on the other end of the escalator? A guy who can't stop dancing. They're meant to be. And so in the second half of the music video, they're dancing at their wedding. They're dancing while she's giving birth. And then at the end, their kids are dancing at the dinner table.

[Sam]

Wow.

[George]

And that's just like. That's. It literally has made me cry in the past. And so I would say, why go by Faithless, featuring Estelle is a really good one that you can put on because no one will probably have heard of it, especially in the United States of America. And then you'll be the star of the show.

[Sam]

That's a beautiful, beautiful recommendation. Mine, my go to currently, is Kylie Minogue slow.

[George]

Nice.

[Sam]

So we're kind of on a, you know, not that popular in America trend right now, the two of us.

[George]

Yeah.

[Sam]

And I think it's our duty as LGBTQ Americans to promote Kylie Minogue whenever we get the chance and the opportunity. And this video is sort of her writhing around on the floor surrounded by, like, a hundred guys in Speedos that are also riding around on the floor. This song is so slow and sexy, and you're like, this is amazing. There's slow falling off of diving boards and stuff, and it's just simply to die for. And then what I like to do is I do that, and then you Do Dua Lipa's illusion right after. Because she's clearly referencing it and you say, hello. Respect. Radical optimism, folks. She had vision. You just didn't see it.

[George]

Well, she had vision in that she was copying an existing video.

[Sam]

She's paying homage.

[George]

I see.

[Sam]

She is lifting up Kylie Minogue.

[George]

Got it. Well, speaking of lifting up Kylie Minogue, another one that you could do is all the Lovers, which is one of the more iconic kind of mid to late career Kylie Minogue videos.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

I have to say, one that you put on to be a little more contemporary, which I had never seen the full version of is Midnight sun by Zara Larson.

[Sam]

Oh, my God.

[George]

And we were all losing our minds.

[Sam]

It is so good.

[George]

It's so good.

[Sam]

It's so funny.

[George]

There's something about it that because. And she will admit this because the album flopped, there's something about it that already feels nostalgic. You were like, remember, did it flop? Yeah, but in, like, in like, in a literal, straightforward way.

[Sam]

Like the money way.

[George]

No, also in the, like, being known way.

[Sam]

I don't know if it's.

[George]

I say this as a fan.

[Sam]

No, of course.

[George]

There is literally a video of her where there's an interview with her where she's like, okay, well, I was afraid of flopping and I flopped.

[Sam]

No, but that's from like, a previous album.

[George]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Sam]

I think she.

[George]

Oh, my God, I've been got by Fake News.

[Sam]

You've literally been talking about.

[George]

So do you think Midnight sun was a number one hit?

[Sam]

I think based on her projections, it reached them and exceeded.

[George]

Oh, okay.

[Sam]

And I think because she's talking now, like, she's talking about how she's out of the asylum.

[George]

I'm gonna need to fact check that. But I will believe you for the sake of this conversation and I will say then I will change my argument, which is it. To me, at least Midnight sun had the potential to be truly song of the summer, and it wasn't. I think we can at least agree on that.

[Sam]

Of course.

[George]

I think it could have been like the espresso of the summer. And it just. So there is something about it that's like this optimism that didn't pan out the way we had hoped. And so it already feels nostalgic to me because I'm like, remember in May 2025, when we first heard this and we were like, wow, this is going to be a big hit.

[Sam]

Yeah. Well, we're sort of doing Crossfire right now, which I love. Well, yes, because I'm like, okay, so, but Midnight sun, like the whole plot is like, the summer isn't over yet, right? So I was listening to the song in the middle of the winter, even though it wasn't a hit in the summer. And I was like, you know what? She's right. Like, it's still actually summer because I'm hearing the song. And so if it gets any more traction, like today, I might get song in the summer.

[George]

Okay, so maybe what you're saying is that it is inherently nostalgic because no matter where you are, you're basically thinking, what if it was summer?

[Sam]

You're like, wait, even this counts as summer?

[George]

It counts as summer because summer isn't over yet. Yeah, and even the artifice of the video is part of that. It's like you're lying to yourself and you're romanticizing lying to yourself. It's literally February, it's snowing, and you are saying summer isn't over yet.

[Sam]

God, watching that video with that group of gay guys was so fun because every gay guy was like, does she even dance? Does she even dance?

[George]

And then she danced.

[Sam]

Oh, guess what? She dances. She dances well. Okay, we're going from music to get guess what? Comedy.

[George]

Ooh.

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[George]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying Big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this, stop With Mint you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying. No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a [e-mail] switch upfront

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[George]

See full [e-mail].

[Caller]

Hey guys. Love you both. So basically I'm gonna plagiarize a question from Jesse David Fox if that's okay. And I want to know if you guys would answer. What's something that you that people think is comedy that you think is not comedy? Here is my context. Saturday night, went and saw no, Friday night went and saw you guys at the Bell House. It was a delight. Just like the wildest, most fun night of comedy ever. Okay, Saturday night I paid over $100 to see a straight man comedian do an hour that was mostly gender stereotypes. And I was like, oh my God, this still exists. Like this is still, it's still legal to be hacked. It's really terrible stuff. So basically that is the context for my question. I'm sure you guys can think of something that's not comedy that is more interesting and thought out than this message from a non comedian. But I would love to hear it. Okay, bye bye.

[Sam]

Wow, what a beautiful call and thank you for coming to the show.

[George]

I want to know what the straight comedian was.

[Sam]

Yeah, I'm surprised you didn't name drop. That would have been nice to know because then you could have done it and we wouldn't have had to say it.

[George]

I agree.

[Sam]

And we could have gotten away with it posting shit talk without saying shit talk.

[George]

So that's the Note for next time, but that's a great first attempt.

[Sam]

You guys are totally anon. So feel free to use first and last names and say whatever you want about anybody.

[George]

Yeah. Or just DM us. I want to know who it was.

[Sam]

Yeah, that'd be helpful. Do you have, like, a quick or not quick. But I'm like. I'm feeling nebulous about my answer.

[George]

I. There's something about. What I don't like is when things are only reactive. Like when you. Who is that sort of like fashion. This is not about him, and I have no negative thoughts towards him, but, like, that fashion guy, Nikki something, who's.

[Sam]

Yes, yes.

[George]

What's his last name?

[Sam]

Oh, God. Oh, I know it. I think his handle is Nicky Doll.

[George]

Nicky Doll.

[Sam]

But I forget what his official name is.

[George]

This guy. His sort of whole thing is that he posts these slideshows of red carpet looks, and then it's like, you made fun of this. And it's like him being like, hate it, love. Okay, don't hate this trash. Expensive. She looks fab. So there is so much out there. That's the comedy equivalent of that. And it's just like your job is to basically plug yourself in matrix style to whatever the culture is talking about and fire off opinions about it. So much so that I've seen videos where it's just facial reactions to something happening. It'll be like the main video is a speech at an award show or something. And then it's you basically making a face to imply disgust or something.

[Sam]

Yeah, I'm just like, no, that's one of the worst.

[George]

That is something you do with your friends that does not need to be content. And so I think. And I think I would like expand that broadly speaking, to, like, it's okay to be reactive. Everyone wants to comment on things happening, but then you have to, like, add an opinion on top of that or, like, zoom out or something.

[Sam]

Yeah. Bring it into a broader context. I know what you mean. Like, a pet peeve is, like, when people are so topical because they're trying to sort of get like, a viral clip.

[George]

And this is like, what happened with the Timmy talking about ballet thing. No one's heart was in it and no one was offended by that statement. I mean, it's just like, oh, my God. Amazing. This is a simple black and white thing that we can all kind of play with as though it's like a chew toy that was thrown into the dog pen. That is like social media. And it's like, well, you're being dishonest

[Sam]

with me, everyone's being dishonest.

[George]

You know what else? I mean, I certainly don't like it when I'm seeing a comedy show and there's a slideshow and it's just like an existing funny image that you have curated.

[Sam]

Yeah. I mean, I think sometimes when language is too trendy, that really bothers me. If you're using too many Internet catchphrases and just expecting that to be the joke, that bothers me. The classics, of course. Just saying stuff that people will agree with and on both sides of the political spectrum, that's horrible.

[George]

And also easy targets. I'm kinda like, if you're talking to a crowd of all people that think exactly like you, and I'm saying this about myself as well, and your target is Joe Rogan, it's like, that's not brave. Everyone in that crowd hates Joe Rogan and that's fine and good for them.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

The idea that you're being brave by bringing him down a peg is just false. That's all in your head.

[Sam]

Yeah, it's true.

[George]

I mean, I also, I'm trying to

[Sam]

think what else I hate. I mean, there's plenty I hate, I guess.

[George]

You know what's funny? I used to have so many really specific opinions about what was hack and what wasn't in stand up comedy. And now because everything has been overtaken by TikTok creators, I am so protective of standup comedy as an art form that I'm like, even if you're being hacked, at least you're doing it. At least you're going out talking to an audience. Every time I see someone do stand up, even if they're truly bombing, I'm like, good for you. You're keeping the dream alive. You could be completely. Even if you are literally someone who's an Instagram native video creator. Okay. You're going on tour and you're trying.

[Sam]

I feel exactly the same way. And also, anything can be done. Well, yes. Even if you're like, normally this would suck, but they did it amazingly. I'm like, okay, well good for you then.

[George]

Yeah. So

[Sam]

keep em laughing, folks.

[George]

Keep em laughing, folks.

[Sam]

Yeah, I think we should bring back catchphrase comedy. I think it's been too long.

[George]

Well, I agree. But guess what? Make your own catchphrase. Because what you're saying, speaking in Internet lingo, and I can see this, you and I sometimes fall into it because it's easy. I mean, we're talking literally 15 million hours a week.

[Caller]

Yeah.

[Sam]

But when we say tea, it's ironic.

[George]

No, no. But even when it's ironic, I. It's just a shortcut. It's like a way to vamp while you think of the next thing to say. But I do like the idea of bringing back catchphrase comedy.

[Sam]

I think a good catchphrase could really go far right now. I don't know what it would be, but I think it could go far. Oh, this might be from the same person.

[George]

Okay.

[Sam]

Because the number is the same, actually, so huge. Shout out.

[Caller]

Hey, guys, I was wondering if you could let me know if having a birthday celebration for a pet is gay or straight. Thank you so much.

[Sam]

This is very interesting. And I could see it really going both ways because there's, of course, the sitcom trope of, like, these crazy gay guys are having a birthday party for their dog named Tinkerbell.

[George]

Completely.

[Sam]

And you're sort of like, okay. Like, you're like, I'm laughing.

[George]

I mean, in Broad City, John early and Elliott Glazer play gay guys who have a wedding for their dogs.

[Sam]

Literally. Okay.

[George]

Yeah.

[Sam]

And so I think there's that. But then there's also something where, like, a straight couple almost can use it to, like, dry run what it would be like to have a child. And so they're like, well, we. Let's. Like, how would we throw a birthday for. Not us.

[George]

Pet culture. It's funny because Max texted us. Has anyone ever done pets? And we, of course, didn't text him back, but pets.

[Sam]

We were busy.

[George]

We were. It's true. I mean, you were trying to sleep.

[Sam]

I was trying to sleep. If I started looking at my phone, even though I was already looking at my phone, it would've.

[George]

Right? No. I mean, we did nothing wrong, to be clear. But I think that pet culture is one of those things that, like, warps the gay straight binary.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

There are so many layers to pet ownership and so many ways in which it fucks with your brain that I don't even know anymore if I can be like. Even with cats and dogs, for example, if someone was gunned to your head, which of cats and dogs is gay and which one is straight? There's so many arguments both ways. I mean, dog is straight in that it's like man's best friend and it's like the default. And cat is more alternative. But then cat is so, like, okay. Like, crazy cat lady.

[Sam]

I would argue she's lgbtq.

[George]

You think cat is just, generally speaking, lgbtq?

[Sam]

They've got too much tude.

[George]

They've got too much tood. But then you have like, you know, the stereotype of like the gay guy having a little Chihuahua, dogs in little outfits. Whereas cat. Anyway, so. So throwing a birthday party for your pet? I'm gonna say gun to my head. I'm gonna say straight.

[Sam]

Really?

[George]

Yeah.

[Sam]

I love that.

[George]

How about you?

[Sam]

I guess straight. Maybe more so. What is straight to me also is like knowing when your pet is born, like gay person. Like.

[George]

Yes.

[Sam]

Finds their dog. Like it's a rescue. It's sort of like there's a blurred line of like when they were.

[George]

That's genius. Born to know the birthday of your dog means that it's not a rescue. And that's what makes it straight. I would say having like a bar mitzvah for your dog is more gay.

[Sam]

Well, yes.

[Sponsor Voice Female]

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[George]

Doing her job. Astrological chart is gay. I would say.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

Like, yeah. I think birthday is such a default. It's so unimaginative. So I would even say wedding for a dog is gay. Any ceremony that isn't a birthday is gay. But birthday is straight. That's where I'm landing.

[Sam]

Yeah, I like that.

[George]

Okay, next question.

[Sam]

Okay, great. Oh, here we go. This one's a hard one.

[Caller]

Sam and George Nick, one of your all time greatest straight listeners here, just wanted to give you a call. I know you guys are big Pitchfork indie hipster music guys. Curious, what are your favorite bands in that world and what are the gayest and straightest Pitchfork hipster type bands? Love the show. Thank you guys.

[Sam]

Amazing question.

[George]

This is sort of one of those generational questions that, you know, we will, we better not fuck this up.

[Sam]

I like that he labeled himself one of the all time greatest straight listeners.

[George]

I mean, I guess he knows something.

[Sam]

We don't rank them, mister.

[George]

So I kind of pulled up and we don't have to go through this one by one or anything, but I pulled up The Listener Poll, 2010 Pitchfork Listener Poll. And I'm just going to read some names at you and then we can. I can put my phone away and then we can have a conversation.

[Sam]

Okay.

[George]

All right. The National Arcade, Fire, Beach House, LCD Sound System, Sleigh Bells, Vampire Weekend, Titus Andronicus, Flying Lotus, Black Keys, Caribou, Crystal Castles, Local Natives, Tame Impala, Best coast mgmt, Broken Social Scene, Gaysayer Foals, Toroy Moi, Mumford and Sons, oh, Bath, Shout Out.

[Sam]

Shout Out.

[George]

But not a band, unfortunately. And I mean, let's see, what could we add to that?

[Sam]

Well, just to like feel it out. I'm sort of like, it's hard not to get, like, literal with it. I'm trying to, like, think outside the box.

[George]

Let's start simple. Arcade Fire.

[Sam]

See, to me. To me, they are obviously, like, straight.

[George]

Yeah.

[Sam]

But at the same time, they were like. Well, they're kind of like Portland straight. And they were, like, banging on every little thing they could find and being like, look how crazy we are.

[George]

Yeah. They exist in contrast to the default rock band that is like, five guys. And it's like guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, whatever. They are like, there's so many of them, and they come and go, and it's very. There's something sort of polyamorous about the

[Sam]

whole ethos, which is interesting because I kind of feel like Broken Social Scene is a little more lgbtq.

[George]

I agree.

[Sam]

There's one sex positive.

[George]

Sex positive. Canadian lover.

[Sam]

Spit. Well, Arcade Fire is also a Canadian.

[George]

Oh, that's right. Fuck.

[Sam]

But that's why I think they're good comps to each other.

[George]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I agree. No, I definitely think Broken Social Scene is gay. Arcade Fire is straight.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

If we can go down that road.

[Sam]

And then I think. Where do you think Animal Collective stands?

[George]

See, Animal Collective to me is Animal Collective. I've never gotten into. I've seen this.

[Sam]

Really.

[George]

Animal Collective, to me, is the album cover. That is the optical illusion. That's all I think about. And I just know that album cover.

[Sam]

Wow.

[George]

I think it's such a Pitchfork punchline.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

That I'm inclined to say straight just cause of what their reputation is.

[Sam]

I mean, I do think they're tough. I think they do count as straight. Cause it's like, only straight guys have a certain level of confidence where you're allowed to really fuck off. I saw them at Shout out to Pitchfork Festival in whatever year that was. And they played no songs you recognized. Really, truly only knew stuff from an album that hadn't come out yet. And then maybe towards the end, they played one song that you knew, but not one of the big ones. And I was like, damn, these guys are really leaning in. And they were like, headliners.

[George]

So maybe it's that they reached a pin when they were at their peak that was like, straight. Yeah, it's sort of. But then. But they're getting back to their roots.

[Sam]

Yeah. I mean, I like that they all have little nicknames. That's a little gay of them.

[George]

Mm. This is like how when MGMT performed at my university, they refused to do kids.

[Sam]

Really?

[George]

Yes.

[Sam]

Did you guys riot?

[George]

It was like a big. It was known that at the Time they weren't performing, kids.

[Sam]

Oh, so you expected it?

[George]

So people knew.

[Sam]

Yeah. And did people. Were people respect or were they, like, fuck them?

[George]

I just think it was more so, like, no one knew enough to, like. Everyone was just excited there was a band performing. You know what I mean?

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

Which was sort of even more sad. And you could tell that for them, this was not the gig they wanted to be doing. I'm sure it paid better because it was a college show, but I'm trying to think. I mean, okay, Vampire Weekend. That's like, a foundational one that we have to address.

[Sam]

I would go gay.

[George]

I agree.

[Sam]

And not to put it all on Rostam, but. Because.

[George]

Well, it's certainly Rostam, but there's also. They. Many of these bands have a sense of irony. I'm not saying they're the only ones that have a sense of irony, but they have a sense of camp.

[Sam]

They do.

[George]

Vampire Weekend has, from the beginning, has been camping. Campy.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

A little preppy thing, I would say, on a personal level, Beach House is very gay. To me. I mean, it's so, like, sensitive gay guy. No.

[Sam]

Well, to me, it's a bit. You know, my. I love them. Yeah, I love them.

[George]

Yeah.

[Sam]

But to me, it's so, like, palatable, really.

[George]

Yeah, that's true. It's very, like. It goes from album immediately to soundtrack of, like, an HBO show.

[Sam]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And they, like, never let you in.

[George]

But I think that's what's gay about it. It's like, gay guy that has bangs on one of his eyes, over one of his eyes. That's like. You don't get me.

[Sam]

I can see that. I can see that.

[George]

I'm trying to think of other big. Other big.

[Sam]

Do you remember the band Girls?

[George]

Of course.

[Sam]

And they were so, like. They had the music video for their song that was, like, explicit, where the one guy was, like, singing into a dick, and it was like, whoa, this is so crazy. And then meanwhile, he's just, like, married to a woman now.

[George]

I know. Well, girls. That's the thing is, like, the ones that have persevered and become mainstream are obviously by definition, the less provocative ones. And you forget that there was a part of the Pitchfork era that was way more subversive than what made it out.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

It wasn't all Arcade Fire and Vampire Weekend.

[Sam]

Yeah, yeah.

[George]

Oh, my God. Remember Das Racist?

[Sam]

Oh, God, yeah. I was obsessed with them now.

[George]

That's crazy.

[Sam]

I was obsessed.

[George]

This is.

[Sam]

It's like, we actually can't talk about this era. Of Pitchfork. Cause it's like too nostalgic.

[George]

It's too nostalgic.

[Sam]

It kind of hurts to hear. I'm being held back from being like, I saw Titus Andronicus in college and I had a Four Loko and well, hello.

[George]

It's kind of like how I know one of the members of Yaysayer and I talk about her all the time. I've had dinner with him in the last calendar year.

[Sam]

Okay, we have to move on. Yeah, I actually was friends with one of the guitarists from Lentice Drawing, I guess. So it's kind of complicated. I've been to his house.

[George]

I met someone from Portugal, the man. But we don't have to talk about

[Sam]

it, so we have to move on. Okay.

[George]

I just want to say I love local natives.

[Sam]

I don't have a relationship with them.

[Sponsor Voice]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] disclosures if you're feeling

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Get ready for the NFL season with the highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release. Every rivalry, every rematch, and every rookie debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed, Be there for every can't miss moment. The first full NFL schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] ScheduleRelease

[Podcast Announcer]

Dozens of executive orders, thousands of anti LGBTQ plus bills. All designed to harm people we know, people we love, the people we are. Every day, Lambda Legal is in court fighting back. And when we take a stand, we're standing as the last line of defense between real human beings and harm. But we don't do it alone. With every act of support, you stand with us. And together we'll hold the line. Fund the [e-mail] donate.

[Caller]

Hi, Sam and George. I was just calling. It's the day after the Oscars and I desperately need to know how you guys feel about the Heim crew to Oscar recipient pipeline. Paul Thomas Anderson famously works with the Heim girlies. Got multiple Oscars. And the woman who won for cinematography, Autumn. I'm forgetting her last name apparently, according to the Internet, also worked with Chaim. Yeah. Big day for Haim crew to receive Oscars and I would just love to hear what you guys to say about that. I also want to know of the Oscar awards that Paul Thomas Anderson did receive. I think he got three Editing, directing, and best picture. Which one is Esti, which one's Alana and which one's Danielle? Thank you. Love you. Bye.

[George]

See, that's what it's all about. That's literally why I'm going to cry. That's why we do this. To be asked, editing, directing, and best picture. Which one is Esti? Which one is is Alana and which one is Danielle? That's why I get out of bed in the morning.

[Sam]

Yeah. Especially with that kind of gay guy voice.

[George]

Oh, my God, I love that. I want to say first of all that the casting director that won the first ever casting Oscar is Greek American.

[Sam]

Really? Yeah.

[George]

So shout out to her.

[Sam]

Yeah, that's awesome. She really accepted that award with this is so. By the time this comes out, the Oscars will be so forgotten, it doesn't matter. But the way that she accepted that award was so nonchalant.

[George]

It was amazing.

[Sam]

You would think she was accepting her doordash order.

[George]

Well, she has this vibe of. Okay, I have another meeting after this. What is this one about? Yeah, and I love Paul is great. He's fabulous. We love his voice. It's LA woman that has 15 meetings per day.

[Sam]

She's like God, did you guys have enough stairs to get up to this damn podium? I swear.

[George]

And it's like she just is a professional and it legitimate. I mean, I'm sure it's an honor that she won the Oscar, but she's, like, on to the next. Like, I'm sure she's in the middle of, like, some very, very tense back and forth with Jennifer Lawrence's people.

[Sam]

Oh, my God, the emails that that woman must deal with every single day. I can't even imagine, like, some people, I don't know what's going on politically by the time this comes out, but this woman deals with so much.

[George]

Can you imagine casting one battle after another? You're back and forth with Alana Heim, you're back and forth with Tiana Taylor, you're back and forth with Leo's people. They can't be fun to deal with.

[Sam]

No, I mean, this is. I think I said this on Friday, but I'm gonna repeat myself. But I'm like, the fact that Euphoria Season three, they all were able to show up at the same time is the most impressive. I'm like, give them an award. They all showed up.

[George]

There still isn't the proof that they did, but I hope you're right.

[Sam]

That's true.

[George]

Okay, so editing, directing, best Picture. So editing, directing, producing are the three things.

[Sam]

Basically, that's what we're counting as Best Picture. I mean, I know that's.

[George]

Okay. So you think it should be like Best Picture as a concept.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

It should be like the awards as concepts.

[Sam]

Yes.

[George]

Okay, go.

[Sam]

I think Best Picture.

[George]

It's tough.

[Sam]

Okay. I think editing might be Danielle.

[George]

Whoa.

[Sam]

Like, there's something where she's, like, in it. She's.

[George]

So she gets the raw files and it's up to her to make an album.

[Sam]

Yes.

[George]

You think it's more that than she has the concept in mind. You know what I mean?

[Sam]

Like, director.

[George]

Is it that Esti is more conceptual because she has a PhD in ethnomusicology, which is something I don't bring up often, but it is a fact I know from ucla. So is Esti.

[Sam]

So you're saying Esti's editing.

[George]

Is she. Maybe Esti's editing, yeah. We don't know. We think of Esti as a comedian, but maybe we've been underestimating her this whole time.

[Sam]

She has a degree.

[George]

She has a degree, a PhD.

[Sam]

Does UCLA mean nothing? Is that what you said?

[George]

Yes. Ucla.

[Sam]

Okay.

[George]

Or usc. I'm not gonna look it up. I'm pretty sure it's UCLA, though.

[Sam]

Cali College.

[George]

Cali College. She went to CalArts and studied sculpture and performance art. So I think that I almost want to say esti is editing, Alanna is best picture. Danielle is directing. Because Alanna is sort of like the face. She's like the. She's the movie star of the operation.

[Sam]

Right.

[George]

And she's. If there's one of them that's gonna be like, solo sitting on the couch with Fallon, you know, while he's like, so you made a movie. That's crazy. It's crazy. You made a movie. You made a movie. That's crazy. So when you were filming it. That's so crazy. You did that. It's going to be Alana.

[Sam]

That was an amazing impression.

[George]

Thank you.

[Sam]

You didn't ever tell me you just had that.

[George]

It's one of my secrets that I like to pull out sometimes.

[Sam]

That was scary. Well, I completely agree with you. Let's go to the next call.

[Caller]

Hi, Sam and George, this is Shivani. First of all, I just want to say thank you for all of your work, both strategy and everything else

[Sponsor Voice]

going.

[George]

And I really silenced.

[Caller]

Second of all, Sam, I just want to say that when you said that you wanted to get married without being engaged, it literally cured me. I literally didn't know it was possible to get married without being engaged. And the concept of being engaged horrifies me. So when I found out that it was possible, I was able to actually plan a New York City hall wedding for next month to get straight married. And I'm really excited. So, again, thank you for that. Really changed my life. Okay, so my question is, last month I was on a group trip with, like, four straight couples, and we kind of discovered that every, like, man, like, straight man in the group has a plan of where they would go. Like, when we, their, like, gorgeous wives, inevitably kick them out of the house. Like, they've literally all thought about this. It's kind of like second nature. They had an answer. They were like, I'm going to like, this place, my friend's basement. Like, of course you have to have a plan. And, like, none of the women in the group had ever even once, like, thought about this before. I didn't even know. I was like, wait, what? Like, why would I think about that? Yeah. So I just thought that was interesting. Kind of like a new straight dynamic I discovered that day. Yeah. My question is basically just, do gay guys have this, too, or is this, like, a completely heterosexual thing? Like, do you guys know where you would go if you got kicked out of your house. Do other people talk about this in the gay community? Yeah. So that's my question. Love you guys. Thank you. Bye.

[Sam]

I know where I'd go. Zebelite? No.

[George]

You are so unserious. You are so unserious.

[Sam]

I think this is such a. This is interesting. It's sort of microdosing. Like, doomsday prepping.

[George]

Completely.

[Sam]

I think there is something that straight guys like to imagine the worst and, like, sort of draw that out, but at the same time, they also, in the same way, doomsday prepping kind of like to fantasize about the worst.

[George]

It's complicated. It's such a. It's such a trope that I'm so glad we're talking about, because I had never thought about it before. But the trope of the husband being, quote, kicked out. Like, it's never the wife being kicked out. That's the imbalance that we're talking about here. It's like, if there is a divorce or a breakup, usually it's like, hey, he's trash. And then the man is kicked out. And then, of course, there's a stereotype of, like, the depressing divorced guy apartment that's, like, you know, in some new building. And there's, like, a neighbor, and the elevator isn't working, and he tries to put, like, one Selena Gomez poster up for his daughter, but she's like, it's not the same.

[Sam]

Yeah, I haven't liked her for 10 years.

[George]

Yeah. So I think that it is. It's interesting because what's sort of inherently kind of sad about it is, like, the guy does do all this work to figure it out, but it's never enough.

[Sam]

Mm.

[George]

Give him some credit. He has had to find an apartment. He has had to, like, furnish it in, like, a week's time. Like, he's trying even. I'm talking about, like, the best case scenario of this, and he still is gonna be seen as like, I don't want to go to Dad's, of course. But I do think it's interesting to think about it in advance, I must say. This is certainly not something I have ever thought of in my years of cohabitation.

[Sam]

It has never struck my mind, but I don't know. I mean, I've never talked to other gay guys about this if they have a plan. I've never.

[George]

I mean, I think it's more general of, like, housing is so precarious in New York that there is that sometimes I'm like, if we could no longer live in our current Apartment. Where could we go? What could this amount of money get us? Like, blah, blah. And, I mean, now that I'm married, not so much. But in the beginning of a relationship or in the beginning of cohabitation, I do remember feeling like, well, thank God there's two of us, because, like, based on how much money I have to spend right now, I would not be able to find a one bedroom.

[Sam]

Oh, yeah. I mean, for sure. Yeah. This is a very interesting. Like, it's kind of a bleak picture.

[George]

Well, of course. But it's complicated because. So the man is thinking about where he's gonna escape to.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

I think, again, we're thinking about sort of like a default straight couple with two kids or something. I think the woman is thinking, like, what will happen with the kids?

[Sam]

Sure.

[George]

It's like the man is thinking, okay, I'll go to my boy's place. And the woman is being like, oh, my God, will they have to change schools? How do I make it so that their lives are not impacted by the divorce? She's having deeper questions than just what apartment I'm gonna live in.

[Sam]

Yeah, it's an interesting. This is where our research fails, where I'm like, oh, we actually don't

[Caller]

have

[Sam]

close enough relationships to groups of straight men to know this culture. The fact that this is a surprise to me is, like, a little scary. Like, I'm like, I thought I knew. I thought I knew straight guys. They all have secret plans on where they'll go. I guess not that secret.

[George]

It is something I haven't thought about. The planning. Something I have thought about recently, because I do know people getting divorced is huge. How. Thank you. Is how. And this is something that is such a big trope on film and tv. But I sort of, for some reason, thought it wasn't real in real life. But divorced guys in their 40s clean up.

[Sam]

Oh, yeah.

[George]

You don't have to be attractive. You barely have to be employed. Whereas, of course, divorced women in their 40s, it's like, oh, no, this is such an awkward age to be. You know, like, to be online dating. To be. Not awkward age. I don't want to be ageist, but just, like, to be a divorcee is like a complicated. Like, you have to go all the way. You have to be like, either I'm glamorous, wearing a fur and a bodysuit underneath, or I'm being like, I'm an adult, and I go into every date being like, okay, here are my five non negotiables.

[Sam]

Yeah. Well, yeah, men, like, in that position get like a. There's already a narrative.

[George]

Yes.

[Sam]

To follow that's like very easy.

[George]

And you're in fact desirable.

[Sam]

Yes.

[George]

Literally. I know women our age who are like, I want a divorced guy.

[Sam]

What is that? What's their reasoning?

[George]

I think their reasoning is I worry that I'm. That if things were saying are like offending listeners or people that are people that are fitting into these categories. But I think from what I understand based on women, I know the desire for a divorce guy is that let's say a guy's 47 has never been married. That's quote unquote a bad sign because he's never made it work. Whereas a guy who is 47 and divorced, okay, it might have not worked out, but he was able to have a long term relationship.

[Sam]

He's house trained.

[George]

He's house trained. Yes. And there was a. Marriage is a sign of adulthood, even if it ends in divorce. Like he has done the thing you're supposed to do. And of course shit happens. Maybe they grew apart, maybe they fell out of love, maybe someone cheated, whatever. But he has done it. Whereas a 47 year old bachelor, you're like, wait, so you've never had to share a space with anyone?

[Sam]

I mean, honestly, going through a divorce, I'm like, you must be so good at paper.

[George]

That's a really good point.

[Sam]

I couldn't, I couldn't get a divorce if I tried. It stressed me out. It'd be a full time job. Okay, next call. I'm actually so proud of myself for being able to play the calls.

[Caller]

Longtime glamour girl, first time caller. I was actually the brave soul who admitted to a sold out Bell House show that I was a straight woman. And someone who had asked heated rivalry. I just want to thank you both for being so nice to me. I was far too afraid to speak up the first time. I would never take away the spotlight from the icon, the legend, Patty Harrison. But when you asked the second time, I believed you when you said you'd be respectful. I just want to say I love the pod. What you guys do for culture, language, irony and humor is absolutely the best. XOXO Jess or who's that girl? It's Jess.

[George]

Oh, right. I forgot about our back and forth.

[Sam]

So basically we invented irony and I'm really proud of us. And thank you.

[George]

It's going really well.

[Sam]

It's going really well. No one's using it for evil and

[George]

no one ever will.

[Sam]

And thank you for being an active participant in our live show. We are so respectful of our audience members, everyone should take note and participate when we ask them to. And to be honest, I didn't mean to play that call, but. But you know, I did and I just let it run. And so I mean, I was like,

[George]

you are just playing praise. Like we don't usually do that.

[Sam]

We meant to cut it and I forgot. But we did play it.

[George]

But we meant to cut it. Only we're keeping this in, by the way. We meant to cut it just because it feels sort of self congratulatory to play such a positive call with no question. Not because we don't like Jennings.

[Sam]

No, it's beautiful and we appreciate it. And it's. It's honestly funny that right before I played it, I said, I can't believe I'm doing such a good job playing the calls. And then I played the wrong one. But it was right in all the right ways.

[George]

It was right in all the right ways. Jess, you know, we asked, are there any straight women here who love heated rivalry? But because that's such a aggressive question, it felt like a trap. No one spoke up.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

And then Jess finally was like, you know what? I have to speak my truth and raise her hand.

[Sam]

And it was great.

[Sponsor Voice]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. Work it screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S P500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisor Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures fatigued

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[Podcast Announcer]

Dozens of executive orders, thousands of anti LGBTQ bills, all designed to harm people we know, people we love, people we the people we are. Every day Lambda Legal is in court fighting back. And when we take a stand, we're standing as the last line of defense between real human beings and harm. But we don't do it alone. With every act of support, you stand with us and together we'll hold the line. Fund the [e-mail] donate.

[Sam]

Okay, here's the call I mean to play.

[Caller]

Hi gay guys, longtime listener, longtime caller. I am calling because I don't know where else to go with this, but I basically just left the in New York City for the first time and I went incidentally on the gay day and I am gay, but I feel like I've left feeling more homophobic than I ever have because it was my first experience with like gay cruising culture. And so I wanted to hear your girl's thoughts on cruising, how what experiences you've had with it in the past, what it makes you feel about the gay community. Because the light is feeling very dim to me right now. But now I'm going to Julius to perk my spirits. So it'll be okay. Thank you. Love you.

[George]

So we will be bleeping the name of the establishment this caller is talking about.

[Sam]

Lawrence, please bleep.

[George]

But all listeners need to know is that there is a sauna like space in the New York tri state area and there are certain times when it's men only and those times are known for being cruisy, which means that you can be sort of cruised.

[Sam]

Yeah, I wish you had elaborated, caller, on what dimmed your light. Yeah, I agree because that can mean so many things. I would say that in this particular sauna type space in the tri state area, I think it can be quite overwhelming on those days because in the Last five years, the place has become like a spot. And it used to be like, kind of like if you know, you know. And now it's like not a secret in any way, shape or form. It feels like being on the subway when you're in there, it's so crowded. And it's not like. I also don't find it fun. Like, I've only been once in the

[George]

last four years, so I have never been. And it is one of those things that I've obviously been hearing about for, I don't know, over a decade.

[Caller]

And.

[George]

And it reminds me of when I was in my early 20s, living in San Francisco, and people were going to Burning man, and I was like, you know what? This is obviously a little eye rolly, but I want to experience it once. And then the years kept passing and passing and passing, and Burning man kept getting obviously more and more awful. And then it got to a point where I was like, well, I guess I'm not doing this and I feel fine about it. That's sort of how I feel about this place where I'm kind of like, maybe I just missed the golden era and I will have to be okay with that. Rather than going now just to say I've gone pre pandemic.

[Sam]

It was like kind of unknown or not unknown. People knew, but it was like, it wasn't so trendy as like a thing then the one time I've been in the last four or five years, like Misha and I went and it like, it's like also just a sauna space. And you're like, it's supposed to be like subtle, ish, if there is cruising. But it was so packed. And we were like, what is going on? And we saw someone we knew there and we were like, why is it so crowded? And he was like, oh, because Troye Sivan was here yesterday.

[George]

Well, I have to say they also don't do themselves any favors. There's actually a good. I mean, now we're fully. There's a Times article about this that's literally about the power struggle between one of the owners and the son of the other one that has taken over.

[Sam]

You gotta go on the right day. Yeah.

[George]

And so the son of the one that has taken over wants it to be. Wants it to appeal to a younger crowd and runs the Instagram. And the Instagram sometimes does feature celebrities.

[Sam]

Yeah.

[George]

And it is an interesting. It's an interesting give and take because you're like, on the one hand, obviously, business wise, he's making a good decision. If the old clientele dies off, you want the choice of aunts of the world to be coming, but then suddenly you're running a sort of Soho House type business.

[Sam]

Yeah, it's a. I generally on the cruising front, I think it's better when it's more tasteful, like when it's more subtle and more nuanced.

[George]

I agree. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but to me, I'm like. A gay bar is still a good, diverse, well curated gay bar is always going to be my favorite space to meet someone, flirt with someone, kind of go around, do the rounds and see what's going on out there. And I think that also has to do with the privilege of the time we live in, because you can do that out in the open and you don't have to go into the woods. I obviously understand people romanticizing and fetishizing. I love going to the woods cruising. I completely get it. And I in no way want to stigmatize it. But I think, I think for me, I love being in a bar.

[Sam]

I have to tell this story of there's a sauna, like space in the Southern California area.

[George]

Oh, interesting.

[Sam]

I wonder what city that is known for having some LGBTQ clientele.

[George]

Oh, interesting.

[Sam]

That love to mingle in certain ways.

[George]

Cool.

[Sam]

But the manager of this place, like, makes me die laughing because he, like, is clearly gay, but he kind of has to put on a show about, like, stop that. So he'll walk into the steam room and be like, are you guys serious? Seriously, you guys, stop. Do you think I'm stupid?

[George]

And that's like his life every single day.

[Sam]

Every day.

[George]

Like, you're seeing that like once every six months when you go, but that's him every day. And every day he has to like, be like, okay, like, really sell it this time.

[Sam]

Do you think I'm stupid? I love it. I love it. It's so funny. And then he'll just be chit chatting with the regulars and you're like, okay, so you. Whatever. It's confusing.

[George]

Saunas are interesting in the sort of gay or straight spectrum too, because there are so many that are super straight. There are new ones that are sort of VC funded. Like, bathhouse in New York is so kind of West Village girl finance bro coded. Or even just like, if you think about like a really expensive spa or something, it's very like Gwyneth Paltrow. Yeah, it really can completely run the gamut.

[Sam]

You've got to find the right one for you and your wants.

[Caller]

Hi, George and Sam. I Am calling from Baltimore and I have a question for you guys to ponder. So I love funny people, and I know that you guys are very funny and you're both comedians, but I don't always love stand up. And it's so funny because, like, stand up is kind of considered like the quintessential comedy art form. And I'm obsessed with comedians. I love them in conversations and interviews, podcasts, anytime they're bantering, all that. But once it's a formal set, like in the style of stand up, I find that I really have trouble connecting with it. I get bored. And this happens even with people that I think are completely brilliant. So my question for you is, is there a way to kind of learn how to watch stand up differently so that I can appreciate it more? What do you think I might be missing here? Are some people just not meant to get stand up? And if some people just don't connect with it, why do we consider it like the quintessential comedy art form? Would love to hear your answer. Thanks so much. Bye now.

[George]

This is interesting. I was interested in this and this is very true.

[Sam]

Yes.

[George]

And by the way, I get it.

[Sam]

I get it bad.

[George]

You have to really be in the zone. First of all, frankly, you have to grow up with it. Can you imagine discovering standup as a 30 year old?

[Sam]

I mean, to be honest, growing up, stand up was not the thing that spoke to me.

[George]

Interesting.

[Sam]

I was way more interested in sketch and character stuff.

[George]

Okay, interesting.

[Sam]

But then it was more like the infrastructure of comedy where I was like, well, I'm not like, I can't go through the school. Like, I'm gonna do standup. Like, I learned that, like, alt stand up, you can kinda do whatever.

[George]

Yeah. And you don't need props. Or a team. Exactly. Or a theater.

[Sam]

Exactly.

[George]

Interesting. I was a huge sort of like, standup nerd, even in, like the straight way. Like, I was really like George Carlin, Richard Pryor. I knew the basics and was like, really into. And then of course, I discovered Joan Rivers and I discovered the more gay stuff. But I think that I was making this comparison recently. Like, standup can be alienating in the same way that fashion can be alienating. If you know nothing about fashion and you see photos from a Runway show, let's say two Runway shows, and one of them is supposed to be good and one of them is supposed to be bad. You're looking at it and you're like, well, all of them look stupid. Like, I don't know the vocabulary here. So I'm just seeing people wearing like crazy weird feathers.

[Sam]

Right. Why is that one really scary and that one hated?

[George]

And I think it is a language you have to learn. And oftentimes you'll see someone that is referred to as a master of the craft, but you'll be like, wait, but it's corny.

[Sam]

To me, I think something also is like, it is visually boring as fuck. It's just a person standing there at a live show. There's the added element of I'm here and I'm witnessing it and there's tenseness here.

[George]

So this is the thing.

[Sam]

But if it's a film standup thing, it is like, this is tough to make it, especially if you don't automatically love the person or care deeply. It's like, how do you get them to sit there for an hour and watch you stand on a stage with nothing? Basically,

[George]

we've said this before, but standup just is a live art form. And I think so often people will say, I don't like standup, I don't get it. And then you'll be like, have you ever gone to a standup show? And they'll be like, no, but I've just tried watching Comedy Central. Yeah, it is a completely different. It's like only watching. We've had this conversation before, but it's like only watching taped plays or something. And you're like, I don't really get Shakespeare. Well, yeah, you gotta see it on stage.

[Sam]

Well, it's also there's something I'm like when people like. It'd be like watching a podcast and being like, why am I bored?

[George]

Yeah, yeah. It's like you're supposed to be chopping vegetables.

[Sam]

Yeah, it's supposed to be like, I think if you don't. If a stand up set isn't clicking or watching a special isn't clicking, listen to it as you're driving. I think that is a fun. That's the way that I liked stand up growing up. Oh, interesting is hearing albums.

[George]

I mean, I did used to listen to. They used to tape some standup shows and release them as podcasts, actually. I remember Cameron Esposito and River Butcher used to do that with their UCB show. And that's like the first place I ever heard Kate Berlant. That's the first place I ever heard. Just people that now probably like Gabe leadman, like alt LA people 10 to 15 years ago that I later met. And I was like, oh, this is. Then I knew what to expect when going into a comedy show. I Didn't even know what the concept of a lineup was. You go to a comedy show, there's a sort of. There's a lineup of comedians. The order might change. It's not always super intensely curated. Someone might drop in, the host might decide to do 17 minutes out of nowhere, in the middle of the show, there might be a disturbance in the crowd. So you have to address that. The excitement of it is not knowing what's gonna happen.

[Sam]

Yeah. It's so much more fun live.

[George]

And as is music often.

[Sam]

Okay. No, no, you're right. Just trying to.

[George]

Music is more complicated because actually that sometimes there literally are musicians that are better listening to the album. Yeah, but I don't actually think that's true for any standups, in my opinion.

[Sam]

No, no, no.

[George]

But what would you tell someone that's like, how do I get into stand up?

[Sam]

I do think it's list do audio only.

[George]

Okay, interesting.

[Sam]

That'd be my hot tip. Cause they say they like stuff, even when it's comedians they really like. It doesn't work. So I'm like, I think it's the needing to focus.

[George]

Yes. It's the form. You're like, why isn't this working? Why isn't this working? You can make it into a podcast, which is something you already like.

[Sam]

Yeah. And then you'll have fun.

[George]

Well, I love that.

[Sam]

Well, officially, we are ending.

[George]

We are ending. Thank you so much for all your calls.

[Sam]

And call us anytime at 385 gigi time. And we do look through all of them when we're going to record one of these.

[George]

We look through. That's right. We look through all of them. We just sometimes post last minute in case someone has any super topical questions. But we're always listening to all the calls. We really appreciate the ones that are very complimentary but don't contain questions. And we treasure them, but we think it would be in poor taste to play them.

[Sam]

Yeah. Except for the one that I played.

[George]

Except for the one that you played, which was obviously a complete and utter slay. So thank you for everything and thank you for listening, and we love you.

[Sam]

Bye.

[George]

Bye. Podcast ends now. For our visual learners, you can watch full video episodes on our YouTube channel

[Sam]

and subscribe to our Patreon for two

[George]

extra episodes a month at patreon.com Stradiolab

[Sam]

Stradiolab is a production by Will Ferrell's Big Money players network and iHeart podcasts,

[George]

created and hosted by me, George Severis and Sam Taggart, executive produced by Jenna

[Sam]

Cagle, co produced by Becca Ramos, edited

[George]

by Lauren Stumpf and mixed and mastered by Doug Bain.

[Sam]

Artwork by Michael Fails and Matt Grubb. Theme music by Ben Kling. I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. We all get distracted when we drive, whether it's from our phones or kids in the backseat bickering. But how we handle these distractions can be a matter of life or death. Before you get in the road for your next road trip, please put your phones on silent and take a mental note to focus on driving.

[George]

Paid for by nhtsa if you're feeling

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[George]

home of all your BET favorites.

[Sam]

What?

[George]

Yeah, with all new episodes of Tyler Perry's Divorce, sisters you've always liked, a little drama, plus a whole new world of movies like Gladiator Aviator 2. Now I will control an Empire original series like the Shy.

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[Sam]

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