Straight Culture Gabfest: Madonna, The Comeback, and is Geese a psyop?

Summary

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StraightioLab – "Straight Culture Gabfest: Madonna, The Comeback, and is Geese a psyop?"

Date: April 28, 2026
Hosts: George Civeris & Sam Taggart

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Episode Overview

In this episode of StraightioLab, George and Sam present a special "Straight Culture Gabfest" (a playful riff on Slate Culture Gabfest) where they dive deep into three major pop culture topics: Madonna’s comeback single "I Feel So Free," the sudden virality and authenticity crisis around the band Geese (and broader dead-internet theory fears), and season three of HBO's "The Comeback," with a special focus on its AI sitcom storyline. The hosts interrogate how marketing, technology, and nostalgia are twisting our sense of what’s real, what’s cool, and who’s in control of the culture.

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Main Topics & Key Discussions

1. The Return of Madonna: "I Feel So Free"

[11:05–24:00]

Madonna’s New Single & Artistic Choices

• Sam introduces Madonna’s "I Feel So Free" as the first topic.
• George admits conflicted feelings about Madonna’s new era:
  "I'm never gonna, on the record, say anything negative about her. She could come out and, like, murder a little goose on the Coachella stage and I would say, well, we don't know her side." ([11:57] – George)
• Concern is voiced over Madonna’s team and the people around her feeding into 'yes men' syndrome since the "Sticky & Sweet" era.
• Sam suggests that returning to the "Confessions" sound is a bold, almost subversive act for Madonna, and not just nostalgia-bait:
  "It almost feels new because she's pushed forward for so long... there's something humble about going back, too..." ([14:13] – Sam)

The Album Rollout and Madonna’s Legacy

• Discussion of Madonna’s erratic release strategy—single didn’t drop as scheduled, invoking a DIY chaos energy that makes them nervous about overall project management.
• George talks about Madonna always being on the edge between embarrassing herself and near-triumph:
  "Being a Madonna fan for the last 20 years is defined by basically, like, here comes another humiliation. Like, we're going to have to defend our girl." ([17:39] – George)
• Both express admiration for Madonna’s ongoing creative vision, referencing deep cuts from her recent tours as evidence that "someone's still kicking in there." ([15:42])

Notable Quotes

• "It's dealing with loss and grief at a constant rate." ([17:47] – Sam)
• "She is always a reflection of our time in the negative and the positive." ([25:31] – Sam)

Side Notes: Madonna and the Youth

• The hosts note the generational divide in how iconic tracks like "Like a Prayer" are perceived now; Sam brings up its use in the Deadpool trailer and likens cultural memory to cyclical rediscovery.

Madonna, Roisin Murphy, & Cultural Appropriation

• Sam suggests the new Madonna track borrows from Roisin Murphy’s sound, particularly after Murphy’s cancellation over transphobic comments, slyly noting, "Well, if you're not using that anymore, then I'll have it." ([18:44] – Sam)

Sabrina Carpenter & Performance Controversy

• Madonna’s collaboration with pop star Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella is discussed, especially the "controversy" that the crowd didn’t sing along with "Like a Prayer." Sam shrugs off the panic, saying maybe today's youth just need their own cultural entry-point.

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2. The Geese ‘Psyop’ Story & Is Anything on the Internet Real?

[36:09–46:46]

Viral Marketing and Authenticity Crisis

• George and Sam dig into a Wired article investigating a marketing company boosting Geese’s social presence, prompting rumors of industry 'psyops.'
• Both agree Geese aren’t a true psyop—but admit their "sudden explosion" felt surreal and algorithmic.
• George analyzes the shift in the internet:
  "There's this assumption that there is some default of no intervention on your feeds [...] There’s no such thing as pre-intervention algorithmic feed." ([37:07] – George)
• The hosts recall when social feeds genuinely reflected what people liked, versus today’s paid manipulation and the associated paranoia.

Notable Quotes

• "Very rarely do I feel that type of, you know, 'a second plane has hit the tower'." ([40:01] – Sam, describing Geese’s overnight ubiquity)
• "All [the marketing firm] needs to do is just, like, set the stage... and normal people will do the work for them..." ([41:27] – George)
• "We used to be able to trust, like, social media felt like the more real place... now it's completely false." ([43:15] – Sam)

The Spread and Impact of Fake Controversies

• Sidetracks into how fake sagas like "the dance floor is dead," attributed to Charli XCX, are manufactured online for buzz—paralleling in spirit the Geese phenomenon.
• George notes, "The idea that it's a psyop is kind of a misnomer because all they're doing is, like, getting the ball rolling." ([42:11])

Personal Experiences with Dead Internet Theory

• Sam relates posting a real video that people immediately accused of being fake, empathizing with those who see conspiracies everywhere ([32:03]).

Dead Internet Theory & Future of Content

• Both hosts muse whether the next evolution will be a return to old gatekeepers (Rolling Stone, etc.) as trust in algorithmic discovery collapses.

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3. "The Comeback" Season 3: Hollywood’s AI Crisis

[50:00–67:11]

Valerie Cherish's AI Sitcom

• The hosts dissect how Lisa Kudrow's character is now starring in an AI-generated sitcom after previously protesting against AI in the industry—mirroring real Hollywood’s contradictions.
• George voices anxiety about the "speed of technological change" outpacing the ability of artists or shows to meaningfully address it:
  "It’s moving faster than human made art production is." ([50:29] – George)
• Both note early episodes’ ambivalence, but appreciate a pivotal speech about how "AI can never actually surprise you. Art has to surprise you." ([55:18] – Sam paraphrasing a character)

AI and The Arts – Real World Reflections

• George shares insights from the recent TED conference:
  "From a very humanist perspective... anything around art and AI just looks and feels bad and people can sense it." ([53:31])
• The audience’s inherent skepticism toward AI-generated art is highlighted; human-made art still gets the applause.

Notable Quotes

• "Media systems have been rewarding safe, low substance, influencer content for decades to set up the conditions that will allow creatives to be replaced by perfectly palatable AI entities." ([58:55] – George citing @oomphmagazine)

Sitcoms, Corporate Media, & Fears of Replacement

• Both argue that years of formulaic, "lowest common denominator" content essentially paved the way for AI to take over ("if the end product is so bad, then… why not have it be made by AI?").
• The show’s use of multiple media lenses (security cam, social media cam, etc.) is clever but "kind of nauseating" ([61:17] – Sam).

Biting Industry Satire: Missed Opportunities & Nepotism

• The hosts wish "The Comeback" would push further on other industry topics like nepo babies, referencing that Ben Stiller’s daughter plays a "random" social media girl, even after known talent like Ivy Wolk auditioned.
• "That's what Curb would do. Sorry." ([71:39] – George, on acknowledging nepotism openly in the plot.)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "Being a Madonna fan for the last 20 years is defined by basically, like, here comes another humiliation." ([17:39] – George)
• "It almost feels new because she's pushed forward for so long... there's something humble about going back too..." ([14:13] – Sam)
• "You have that joke about the Bonnets about kind of about this. It is confusing though, because it did used to be a good way to gauge..." ([39:27] – Sam points out a previous bit on cultural buzz)
• "People can sense [AI art] is bad... The vibe around the room, I think, was like, can you believe this shit?" ([54:09] – George, on AI art at TED)
• "We have all almost like trained ourselves like we are AI to create the most inoffensive, low substance content possible." ([58:55] – George)
• "No, by that time, we will have pivoted to two AI chatbots, George Bot and Sam Bot, that you can hire for your company..." ([46:34] – George, jokingly pitching their own AI selves)

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Music & Personal Pop Culture Recs

[72:26–79:19]

• Both hosts share recent music they've loved: Madonna's "Hollywood," the new Slayyyter and Kelela singles, and the Nine Inch Noise remix album.
• Shoutouts to Lena Dunham's memoir and its cultural significance, with discussion of her media savvy and self-awareness.
• Brief critiques and appreciations of recent TV (Dan Levy’s show, Blue Heron, Margo’s Got Money Troubles).

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Closing Thoughts

• Both continue to root for Madonna and hope the new album delivers, with nuanced optimism about her enduring creative presence.
• Sam reiterates love for both established and rising pop phenomena, clarifying his position on being left out of the Slayyyter moment ([73:16]).
• Jokes and candid confessions about industry frustrations, pop culture FOMO, and the ever-increasing difficulty of telling what is genuine buzz, sentiment, or astroturfed noise online.

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For Further Engagement

• Tickets for Sam’s tour are available via link in bio.
• George teasing an upcoming fall tour announcement.

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Summary Table of Timestamps

| Segment / Topic | Approx. Start | Approx. End | |----------------------------------------|---------------|----------------| | Episode intro & meta-podcasting | [03:34] | [09:12] | | Madonna comeback & single discussion | [11:05] | [24:00] | | Internet reality & Geese 'psyop' saga | [36:09] | [46:46] | | The Comeback S3 & AI in pop culture | [50:00] | [67:11] | | Music, TV, closing thoughts | [72:26] | [81:33] |

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Tone:
Conversational, self-aware, deeply invested in pop and internet culture, with frequent deadpan humor, mutual ribbing, and meta-commentary on their own roles as critics and fans.

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For listeners:
This episode is a must for anyone wanting incisive, witty, and honest commentary at the intersection of nostalgia, technology, pop star aging, generational divides, and the crumbling boundaries between authentic and manufactured culture. Even if you haven't heard the music or watched the shows—if you live on social media, these are your watercooler conversations.

Transcript

[George Severis]

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[Sam Taggart]

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[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

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[Sam Taggart]

Hello all. It is Sam with a quick show announcement. First of all, I'm doing my hour again in LA on May 14. All the other ones have sold out, so I recommend you get tickets asap. And then get this. I'm doing a tour this summer. The so pretty much I'm touring tour. I'll be doing my hour in San Francisco, Seattle, Portland in July, D.C. philly, Chicago in August, and then Boston at the beginning of September. And there may be a couple other cities and dates sprinkled in there, but those are the ones I have ticket links for now. So I'm saying run, run, run to my bio and get tickets for all those beautiful, beautiful cities. I cannot wait to see you. Okay, that's pretty much it. So enjoy the episode. Bye. Podcast starts now. What is up everyone around the globe, it is Stradiolab. We are coming at you bi coastally

[George Severis]

once again from our apartments. I am. I'm like not wearing shoes. This is what we usually do.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm not either.

[George Severis]

Ah.

[Sam Taggart]

Or socks.

[George Severis]

Me neither.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh my God.

[George Severis]

It's crazy to say I'm not wearing shoes but then be wearing socks. Although I guess that could be.

[Sam Taggart]

Honey, I'm wearing socks.

[George Severis]

And I'll let you in on a little secret. You know why I'm not wearing socks? Because baby, it's laundry day and I don't have anymore.

[Sam Taggart]

And get this, I'm doing laundry as well.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Fuck.

[George Severis]

We're synced and we're both wearing black T shirts.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, mine's a sweatshirt, but you can't tell.

[George Severis]

Oh cool.

[Sam Taggart]

And it's navy, but the lighting makes it look black.

[George Severis]

Okay, never mind. We're doing what we normally do for Patreon episodes. I'm just going to say that. And I have to keep reminding myself, you know, be, you know, put your authentic hat aside because it's time to fake it up for the main non paying audience. You know, normally by this time in a Patreon episode, I would be saying first and last names of people we know that I hate talking about which pop culture products are vastly overrated. But now, you know, executives might listen to this.

[Sam Taggart]

No, it's true. This episode is specifically for the executives. We want to show you that we are an amazing brand to partner with because we will never ever speak ill of your properties. We are such a brand friendly podcast and we have always been. So don't go back in the archives either.

[George Severis]

I actually like, I think you're pointing to something that is a real thing, which is like there are people whose identity is fan, where it's all about positivity and the target isn't actually important. It's more about, like, isn't this great?

[Sam Taggart]

Well, as we know, criticism is dead, but at the same time, sometimes critics are dumb as hell. Regarding the drama.

[George Severis]

Regarding the drama, of course.

[Sam Taggart]

And so therefore, it should be dead. So I'm confused, and I'm torn.

[George Severis]

No, I'm glad you brought this up, because the critical response to the drama, as you know, has actually fucked with me in a really crazy way where I am a little bit like, wait a minute. I subscribe to multiple print magazines. I am white knuckling it. I support criticism. I support journalism. The response to the drama has me being like, you know what? You guys don't deserve jobs. And I actually trust tiktokers more. It's like the collective. Do they all get together and decide? Like, by the way, the theme this month is missing the point.

[Sam Taggart]

It's completely insane. It makes me feel the same way I felt in 2016 when Trump was elected president the first time, where I said, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I do not understand my fellow man. Not even close.

[George Severis]

You can't even see. But I'm doing the silent snapping thing that people do at drag shows.

[Sam Taggart]

Clock. You're clocking it?

[George Severis]

I'm clocking it.

[Sam Taggart]

It's also like when. Whenever I talk to someone, I keep expecting to meet people in the wild who are like, well, actually, I hated the drama. And I'd be like, oh, you're the people that I've read about on the Internet. But everyone I talk to loves it.

[George Severis]

Everyone likes it.

[Sam Taggart]

Now I'm confused.

[George Severis]

No, everyone loves it. And people aren't even doing the millennial defensiveness tick of being like, I know there are a lot of issues with it, but I actually thought it was kind of good. People aren't even doing that. They're just going. They're going full steam ahead. They're saying, I love this film.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, something's up. Something's up in film criticism in particular, because as we all know, we watched all the Oscar movies this year, and, like, after each one, I'd be like, well, that wasn't as bad as everybody said. Yeah, like. And I was like, what's going on here?

[George Severis]

Well, except for F1.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, that was much worse.

[George Severis]

Which is, of course, the opposite, where you see people, normal people. You're talking to normal people. Normal folks. And they're saying, oh, you know, it was. You know, I know it was a little commercial, but, you know, it was pretty good. 3 out of 5 stars. I'm like, have you forgotten how to dream?

[Sam Taggart]

It's crazy. It makes me fucking sick.

[George Severis]

If you felt that F1 was anything above a complete artistic and moral abomination, I want you to press stop on this podcast right now if you finished and go watch Summer House Stupid bitch.

[Sam Taggart]

And didn't consider it self harm. I need you to reflect for a moment.

[George Severis]

I almost started crying because of how bad F1 was.

[Sam Taggart]

It was horrible. It was horrible. But yeah, this is actually our first bicoastal recording of the year.

[George Severis]

Yeah, first bi coastal recording of the year and first zoom recording on the main feed in many, many months.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, I don't nailed that.

[George Severis]

Nailed what?

[Sam Taggart]

Like being back and forth. Oh, but you, like really did that. That was crazy.

[George Severis]

No, it's good. It's just hard to. When you're at home, like, this is the desk I'm sitting in all day. It's hard to like kind of snap into professional mode. Do you know what I mean?

[Sam Taggart]

Well then, honey, give them the unprofessional. I think, you know, it's, it's. I kind of miss the zoom record. Not, not the medium of zoom, but I miss the privacy. Like sometimes when we're in the room, I'm so nervous what the, like, sound engineer thinks of what we're saying. And this I'm like only thinking about our dear, dear listeners and knowing that they have our best interests in mind.

[George Severis]

Well, you know, it's a double edged sword because on the one hand, of course, I relate to what you're saying. On the other hand, is there a better high than making the sound engineer laugh in studio in the room?

[Sam Taggart]

That's true.

[George Severis]

Or, you know, having our dear producer Becca sort of shout out a suggestion when we're saying something and suddenly it's a communal experience and we're around the fire and we're in a pre industrial age.

[Sam Taggart]

That's true. You're right. Well, today we're going to be talking about a few pieces of culture.

[George Severis]

We are doing something we normally do on the Patreon, which we call straight culture gabfest. Now you might be thinking, is this about straight culture? No, it's actually a pun on the podcast Slate Culture Gabfest. And it's just about pop culture.

[Sam Taggart]

And if they try to sue us, they should know that we don't play nice when it comes to legal matters.

[George Severis]

You think if we played nice, we wouldn't have already gotten sued by Radiolab, the name of a podcast that literally we based our Entire livelihoods on. They wouldn't dare.

[Sam Taggart]

They wouldn't dare. I dare the Slate team to use the Slate plus bucks to fucking hire a lawyer to sue our asses. You wish.

[George Severis]

Haven't listened to your stupid asses since you said you didn't like the drama.

[Sam Taggart]

Literally.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

This is a call.

[George Severis]

Hope you're enjoying your dwindling Gen X listeners, because as someone who was a faithful listener for 12 years, I said enough is enough.

[Sam Taggart]

Here's my. This is, you know what we're doing? We're literally doing when someone starts a Twitter beef and is like, but you know how you can fix your racist show? Have us on it?

[George Severis]

Like, yeah, totally. Yeah. You know how you can fix your anti comedy, anti alt comedy show where you literally don't understand comedy and always have negative things to say about comedic properties that aren't like James L. Brooks. Have us on.

[Sam Taggart]

Have us on. Let us talk about comedy. I trust and believe we can. We can bring a different perspective that you need.

[George Severis]

Yeah, like one of someone with a sense of humor. So usually what we do, inspired by our favorite podcast Light Culture gabfest, which again, we are literally lifelong listeners of, despite our little outburst, is we have three things that are in the cultural zeitgeist and we sort of chat about them one by one. And today we will be discussing the new Madonna single, what is it called again?

[Sam Taggart]

I feel so free.

[George Severis]

I feel so free, honey. Wish I could relate. And then we will be discussing season three of the Comeback, which is now airing on HBO and streaming next morning on HBO Max, and in fact, streaming the night of. And then the third thing is basically a combination of two articles. This Business Insider article by Katie Natopoulos called Clipping on Social Media Makes me Wonder what's Real and what isn't. And the Wired investigation that prompted it, which is pretty much about a marketing agency that promoted the songs of the band Geese and whether or not that means they are a psyop.

[Sam Taggart]

Okay, I think, obviously going in order, I think we should start with Madonna.

[George Severis]

Madonna.

[Sam Taggart]

So you are clearly off the bat, a hater of this new track.

[George Severis]

No, I'm not a hater of the new track. Something you have to understand about me and Madonna is I'm never gonna, on the record say anything negative about her. She could come out and like, murder a talk about geese. Murder a little goose on the Coachella stage. And I would say, well, we don't know her side.

[Sam Taggart]

We don't know what the goose did.

[George Severis]

I. I struggle because I know that Madonna has within her the power to be great. And I worry, and I have worried since pretty much Sticky and Sweet, that she has surrounded herself with yes Men and with people that, like, don't quite get who she is as an artist.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. I think that's very. A real fear.

[George Severis]

And the second thing I would say about that, and that's how I felt

[Sam Taggart]

about

[George Severis]

parts of the last few albums. Although I am actually a defender of some songs on Madame X. And I think that regardless of. Have you listened to God Control?

[Sam Taggart]

No.

[George Severis]

Amy Zimmer, and I love God Control. It's so good.

[Sam Taggart]

Okay.

[George Severis]

And then she also has this song with Quavo called, like, Crave. I'm looking it up. No, it's with Swae Lee.

[Sam Taggart]

Interesting. I didn't realize Madame X was her last album.

[George Severis]

Yeah, I mean, it wasn't even that long ago. It was 2019. It's just pre pandemic. So it seems like forever ago. Forever.

[Sam Taggart]

I actually love the covers.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God. It's phenomenal. I would say the Madame X cover is actually the Madame X cover. And then a couple of songs you get. You're like, okay, yes, let her cook. Like, this is. She can do it.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, she can do it.

[George Severis]

But anyway, the point is, I think a combination of me fearing about the people she's surrounding herself with and then also the part two of it all, like, the idea that this is Confessions part two scares me because it feels nostalgia bait, and it feels like looking back rather than looking forward. And to me, the best thing about Madonna is that she's historically, like, on the cutting edge of things rather than reheating her own nachos.

[Sam Taggart]

I think you're right. I think that the sequel thing is a bit scary, but I think for her, it almost feels new because she's pushed forward for so long. It, like, feels kind of groundbreaking to be, like, I'm actually going back. And even she could have gone back to so many other things. And I know that Confessions was huge and was already a comeback. And so that's why it's notable that she's going back to the comeback. But I think there's something, too. It's also random. She's not being, like, a virgin too. She's like, I'm choosing this one. Almost as a flex of, like, don't forget I was there. This aesthetic that everyone's doing now. I did it, and I'm doing it again. There's something humble about going back, too, where you're like. You're right. Like, I kind of lost the thread a bit. Let me Take a few steps back.

[George Severis]

So I think specifically choosing Confessions is interesting because what is Confessions? It is the last time she captured the zeitgeist she has had. She's had good stuff since then. But Confessions was like an actual Zeitgeist defining moment, and it was last time she was fully in control. So to your point, it is very much like her being, like, as I was saying, and then returning to 2005.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. Yeah.

[George Severis]

I also want to say she has a very sophisticated understanding of her own oeuvre and of the things she has done that are good versus just popular. And I felt this way a lot when I went to the Celebration tour. And the things that she chose. The fact that she opened with Nothing Really Matters, the fact that she did a few B sides from American Life, like, there was no reason for her to do that. She has enough mainstream top 40 hits to fill a hole, you know, stadium tour. But it showed me that there's still someone kicking in there.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, there's a creative vision in there.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, I, of course, had to famously miss the concert because I chose career over Madonna.

[George Severis]

Well, she would have done that, too. So you were honoring her in that way.

[Sam Taggart]

But everything I read about it was the. She has, like, a really long. She did a really long Die Another day version when everything else got like a snippet.

[George Severis]

Not only did she do A really Long Dine, other day, she did. What is it? Mother and Father. She did, like, a crazy B side from yes, Mother and Father. Mother and Father is a song that even I, as a American Life. Stan, that's probably my least favorite song on that album. And, like, it is crazy to choose to do Mother and Father.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. So basically she's completely insane. But.

[George Severis]

But you like the song.

[Sam Taggart]

I think the song is. What I like about it is, like, it does feel a bit back to basics in a nice way. It doesn't feel super splashy as a single, but it kind of implies that, like, the album itself will have a mood, which I'm comforted by.

[George Severis]

I agree. And. And I will say I do like the song. I just. My fear is so great that I can't even sit down and enjoy it.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, that's reasonable.

[George Severis]

Because being a Madonna fan for the last 20 years is defined by basically, like, here comes another humiliation. Like, we're going to have to defend our girl.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, it's dealing with loss and grief at a constant rate.

[George Severis]

Exactly. It's dealing with loss and grief. And first that loss and grief. At least you were among people who had Lived through her golden era. Now, you know, we're so old that you're actually having to explain to a young person, like, I know you think of her as this, but back when I was young, she was this.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, I. The other thing about the song is it sounds so. Obviously, there's like, a. An I Feel Love sort of instrument thing happening in there, but there's also, like, something about it. I think Roisin Murphy is very much on the mood board. And there's something that I'm curious about, culturally, where it's like, Roisin has been canceled due to her horrible digging of heels in and horrible trans bigotry. And Madonna's sort of like, oh, well, if you're not using that anymore, then I'll have it.

[George Severis]

She's like, wait, I actually. I like trans people, and they could just do this music.

[Sam Taggart]

She's like. So that's actually perfect for me. Thank you for letting me take that. Because there was a lot where I was like, this sounds a lot like Roisin Machine. Like, there was the, like, the little, like, speaking part is, you know, a dance trope and classic. But it's like, the way that Roisin does it that, like, I feel my story's still untold. I feel that Madonna's doing almost exactly that in a way that I think is, like, I'm sort of, like, good, someone else should do this who isn't problematic. So we can still have fun.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I mean, I like the Return to the Dance Floor. I like that. It's not as much as it is Confessions 2. It is a new sound. It's not actually a song that would be in Confessions 1. Correct. Which I appreciate. Is there a music video? I don't think so.

[Sam Taggart]

I don't think so. Well, the other thing that scares me, which we need to bring up, is the rollout.

[George Severis]

You mean Sabrina Carpenter?

[Sam Taggart]

Well, I mean, more like it was supposed to come out midnight that Thursday. Like, Slash, midnight that Friday. And it just, like, didn't come out till, like, the next day at, like,

[George Severis]

3pm I did not know that.

[Sam Taggart]

They're literally dealing with. Madonna has, like, our level of, you know, rollout.

[George Severis]

Madonna has it on the flash drive.

[Sam Taggart]

Like, she's like, oh, fuck, I forgot to upload that.

[George Severis]

And she overstepped.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, my God. Yeah. And I'm like, this is. That's such a scary sign for me, because there's. Everything needs to be, like, perfect.

[George Severis]

I know. I think that, okay, I'm being so negative, and I really don't want to be, but this Reminds me of how her biopic, her famous biopic that she herself is producing has gone through all these writers, and it's always like, Madonna likes to work at 1am and like, so you have to come over to her house, and then she's sort of like, you know, kind of like playing the maracas and doing a dance while you're trying to work on your laptop. And then she's like, posting a carousel of images of her and the writer. And then the writer has to go. I'm, I, I, I want to believe that there is, like, someone in charge.

[Sam Taggart]

Mm. Mm.

[George Severis]

But at the same time, ultimately, the song is good.

[Sam Taggart]

Ultimately, the song is good. Ultimately. Ultimately, we love her down. And ultimately I really hope the album is good.

[George Severis]

Yeah. What do you think of the Sabrina Carpenter thing?

[Sam Taggart]

I was charmed by seeing her. You know, I like that she is very strategic about hopping back into the younger people. And I thought it was cool that she chose Sabrina and that Sabrina was so respectful and down. I thought both of their looks were fun. I thought the singing together was fun. I did think the backlash around, like, people weren't singing like a prayer. I'm not sure how to feel about that. There was, like, this thing where people were, like, it was silent during, like, a prayer. What's wrong with kids these days? And I'm like, well, maybe they don't have an association with it yet. Like, maybe they will now that this controversy is even happening.

[George Severis]

God, do you think we live in a world where, like, people don't know like a prayer?

[Sam Taggart]

Well, I mean, not to be the most basic person on earth, but I'm like, hello? It was in the Deadpool and Wolverine trailer. Like, you must have some relationship with it. It's not like it's disappeared. It's still very much in, like, mainstream culture.

[George Severis]

Yeah, but it, but the thing with songs like that is you sort of do have to remind people every few years. Like, I'm just. Yeah, even something like, think of something like Don't Stop Believin by Journey. It's obviously such a cliche, you know, corny song, but I remember there was some, oh, Rock of Ages on Broadway. Like, brought it back in a big way. Cause they, like, performed it at the Tonys, and then suddenly it had, like, another moment. Or like, even. Even the concept that some people literally discovered Kate Bush because of Stranger Things or whatever.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, you just.

[George Severis]

We think that the things we learned when we were, like, eight, you know, carry over, but they don't.

[Sam Taggart]

I will say, even if, you know, didn't Sometimes it takes a different context for you to understand the true feeling behind it. Because I remember Like a Prayer. Like, I knew it growing up, but then, like, somebody played it at, like, a. Like, I had a party when I was like, 23. Like, I was out of college and I was like, oh, my God, this is fun. We all, like, lost it. And so now forever, it'll be like, when I was 23 at that party, like a prayer, like, lifted up everybody.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I had a similar experience with George Michael Freedom, where I had, like, an experience at a specific party and I was like, oh, got it. This is like a religious experience.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. When it hits, it hits. Yeah.

[George Severis]

Because I was a little too young. Like, I don't remember it coming out. Or, like, the music video with the models is something that I, like, later watched on YouTube.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. Yeah. So maybe, like, I think that the conversation around it could be good where people, like, cool younger people will be, like, trying to make it happen and then it'll happen for everyone.

[George Severis]

Yeah. One more thing I'll say about Madonna is somehow, despite all the times that she has, quote, unquote, almost been back, I still always believe it. I want to believe it so much that I'm like, always willing to give her the benefit of the doubt to the point where I actually, so recently, this was maybe like six months ago, she did this two hour long interview on the Jay Shetty podcast. You know who that is?

[Sam Taggart]

Yes. He's like, like, sort of a self help type.

[George Severis]

Like a complete, like, full of shit self help. You can see he's full of shit from a mile away. But it is an indictment of our culture that somehow people don't get it. And he's insanely popular. It's like, it's shocking. It's like you see someone, you're like, I see how you're speaking, I see how you're dressed, and I see the things you're saying. You are so clearly full of shit. And. And then you realize that everyone somehow is, like, buying his books or whatever. Anyway, so she. I watched the entire two hours of it, and it was like, Madonna has a big announcement. She's breaking her silence, and she's talking about her spiritual journey. And I sat there for like an hour and a half being like, okay, like, you're obviously kooky, you're obviously crazy, but, like, you are an icon. I want to know what you're saying. Turns out what I learned in the second half of the podcast, she's promoting her classes on kabbalah.com.

[Sam Taggart]

oh, that's tough.

[George Severis]

And I'm not, like, making a joke. It's literally kabbalah.com. and so I was like, oh, okay.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

And so I, I, I have that fresh in my mind with this, with this rollout. But at the same time, she's always been able to go Kabbalah and then go back into the studio.

[Sam Taggart]

Of course. I mean, there's something about her where I'm like, she is like a reflection. She is always a reflection of our time in the negative and the positive. And so I'm, like, curious to see how society changes, how she presents and what she does.

[George Severis]

It is funny. Speaking of that, how she has now waited long enough that everyone's actually ready to like her again. I've been thinking about this a lot with Alina Dunham memoir, which I'm almost done with, where, like, basically, if you're a woman in the public eye, the only thing you can do is wait for people to sort of, like, sit with it and be like, you know, we were unfair to her. Yeah, that's like, the only way you can do it. You have to eat shit for 15 years. And then suddenly people will be like, and now it's time for a redemption.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, Gaga kind of had to do that too. There was, like, the post art pop. She basically had to be like, okay, I'll do Sound of Music at the Oscars. I'll pull everything back, be normal. I'll do something unhateable. And then I'll do Star Is Born and Joanne and Opposite Order. But then, so finally when she does Chromatica, people are like, you know what? Good. I'm glad she has music we can dance to. But she really had to go to pop star jail, you know? You know who doesn't have to do that?

[George Severis]

Men. I mean, literally.

[Sam Taggart]

No, that's true. Oh, but speaking of pop star jail, actually, this is an interesting. This is an interesting concept because now people are trying to do the Timothee Chalamet backlash on Charli xcx, and obviously it's a fake saga. Obviously none of it makes sense. But they're trying, they're trying to, like, make a news story happen about, like, the dance floor is dead. And I'm like, are people trying to put Charlie XDX in pop star jail?

[George Severis]

So if anyone isn't reading the same tweets, we are. What Sam is referring to is that Charlie, in some interview, I guess, said, the dance floor is dead, so I'm making a rock album. She said it in Vogue In Vogue. Wow.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

And so, yeah, people are trying to murder her with guns.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. It's sort of like the Purge. But it's not that all crimes are legal.

[George Severis]

Just killing Charlie xxxt, Killing Charlie XCX is suddenly legal according to gay guys.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. And so then now it's become like, a PR move where, like, the most random DJ on Earth will, like, tweet, like, a video of people dancing and be like, take this, Charlie. And it's like, yeah, like, this isn't really working.

[George Severis]

That is so amazing.

[Sam Taggart]

It's humiliating. I mean, this actually goes into a later story, which maybe we jumped to the front, to be honest. But, like, these stories where you're like, this is fake. This is not a real controversy.

[George Severis]

Let's talk about that. Let's talk about that. Second. Wait, before we do, though, speaking of music, have you sat with 9 inch noise anymore or. No. You don't care?

[Sam Taggart]

I don't. Let's not say I don't care. It's not that I don't care. It's that I, like, haven't. I only listened to it for, like, maybe 10 to 15 minutes while driving to and from the grocery store. So I haven't given it, like, a true listen yet.

[George Severis]

Okay.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

I think I must have been just in the right headspace, because I literally, like, someone had recommended it to me. I was sort of interested in it.

[Sam Taggart]

I'd heard seeing people tweet about it.

[George Severis]

Yeah, I've heard. And. And I heard the Coachella performance was really good, and I kind of want to go back and watch, but I pressed play on it, and it was legitimately like taking a drug. I've. I was, like, ready to get up off of my plane seat and start dancing, and I haven't felt that way in a while. There was something very, like, not trying to be, like, hitting the pleasure centers directly to me.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, it's the altitude. No, wait, is it. Is it, like, a new album or is it, like, a remix album? So I'm, like, kind of confused.

[George Severis]

Right. I was, too. So it is an album that is Nine Inch Nails, plus this DJ named Boys Noise, and it's all new dancey versions of old Nine Inch Nails songs, except for, I think there's, like, one or two that are different.

[Sam Taggart]

Got it.

[George Severis]

So it's. And some of them are like. I mean, Closer is one of the songs, which is, like, I think, literally the most famous Nine Inch Nail song. But it's like, I don't know. There's just something. It's. There's something that's like. It's all been leading to this about it. Like, what if you took, like, old, depressing, suicidal Nine Inch Nails and combined it with the Challenger soundtrack, Trent Reznor. You know what I mean?

[Sam Taggart]

I'm gonna listen to it as I drive to the airport to pick up my parents today. Okay.

[George Severis]

Anyway, now that that parenthetical is closed.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, wait, one more parenthetical.

[George Severis]

Okay.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, one more parenthetical. Regarding the Madonna thing, I'm so conspiracy minded. Get this. I think she's trying to change the narrative around people not singing to Like a Prayer. And I think the missing clothes are fake.

[George Severis]

So is a story there that she lost the outfit she wore at Coachella, which is allegedly the same outfit she wore in 2005 when she performed Confessions.

[Sam Taggart]

Correct. It's like vintage. Vintage pieces.

[George Severis]

Okay.

[Sam Taggart]

From her collection.

[George Severis]

And she lost. She lost them.

[Sam Taggart]

She lost them or they were stolen, and she's, you know, pleading for people to bring them back. And I think it's to create a new story so that people aren't talking about people not singing to Like a Prayer.

[George Severis]

That is so interesting, because I also do think of Madonna, present day Madonna, as someone who would misplace a vintage leotard.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

So it's not. But maybe that's why it's so genius that she made up the story, because it's something that is. That is likely to happen.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, yeah. Yeah. I. The way, as we go into the second story, I'm like, the way that I'm not believing anything on the Internet and I'm thinking everything is press.

[George Severis]

Well, yes. I think that there are basically three kinds of content right now, and it is real AI advertising and basically, like the Intersect. The fact that it's never clear which of the three you're looking at, and also that the three can intersect and like, AI can be advertising. Something real can also be sponsored. Something real can be AI generated or AI assisted. It actually makes you feel crazy at all times. And it. I. There is this layer of paranoia that is almost like, enveloping me in a way that I can't escape.

[Sam Taggart]

I. When I posted my clip where the Amber alert went off after I did the joke about Amber Alerts, which was a completely real thing that happened, and then I posted it on TikTok and people started being like, this is obviously fake. Who would believe this? This is obviously fake. And I was like, wait, I am a conspiracy theory. Like, I was like, this is so crazy. It gave me so much empathy for people that the Epstein plane just to have a good time. Just they thought they were getting a trip.

[George Severis]

No. That's so true.

[Sam Taggart]

Guess who's back in the house? The old gays return for season two of Silver Linings, their hit podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veeve Healthcare. Just wait until you hear what hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and just say have in store. This time around, they strut back down memory lane, navigating life, love, loss and everything that shaped them along the way. And as usual, someone just might break into a song. From leather bars to bathhouses, dance floors to drag brunch, nothing stays off limits. These are the kind of insights that can only come from experience. So listen to your elders honey, and discover the silver linings you can take with you. All Sass, zero filter and decades of perspective from four friends proving that queer joy only gets better with age on the podcast that never gets old. Listen to Silver Linings, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[George Severis]

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The full NFL schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] ScheduleRelease. Okay, so the second story we want to talk about is the conversation around a the marketing company that was hired by Geese and by many other buzzy bands and artists to sort of pump up their social relevance. And whether or not that inherently means that they are psyops. And then related to that, this Katie Natopoulos article that I mentioned that is sort of just generally talking about the experience of not knowing what's real and what isn't real on social media.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. So I guess, like initial reactions to this Wired story about if Geese is a psyop, I obviously don't think Geese is a psyop, but that being said, I do think they kind of had the perfect storm of like the intersections that you're talking about, where it was like fake press and real press combining to seem like they're everywhere because they were doing this thing. They did hire this company to basically make clips and try to make them go viral and try to make it seem like there's a lot more people talking about them than there are. But at the same time, I think we're forgetting about the Cameron Winter album as well, because the Cameron Winter album I feel like the solo album already had because it had been out before the Geese album, and I think it was having like a lot of buzz among real music heads, I think. And maybe he also was doing that. But I feel like I I personally heard like cool people being like, this album is amazing. You've got to listen to it.

[George Severis]

Well, I do think there was, independently of the clips and the clipping, there was organic positive critical coverage on music websites by music critics, by people that are like in the know and are sort of like music commentators on social media. And so then the marketing element of it is just that it's marketing. It's like, well, okay, this is what we are working with. It's like a new ish band that's getting some critical acclaim. How do we get them to be everywhere? And that's I just think like in a different era, a publicist would get you on the COVID of Rolling Stone. And in this era Your marketing team or whatever marketing firm you hire. The way of quote unquote, getting press is being quote unquote everywhere. That's. That's the only thing that matters is like being inescapable on social media. And so I don't know. I'm also like. Something interesting to me about these conversations is like, there's this assumption that there is some default of no intervention on your feeds. Like this idea people have that like, you go on TikTok, you go on Instagram and there's this default where you're just organically shown things as they come. And then there are certain people messing with that. Whether it's by doing things that the algorithm rewards, whether it's by doing something that's more pay to play. It just. It's never been. There's no such thing as pre intervention algorithmic feed.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

Like the last time that was the. The case was in like the pre advertising days of Facebook where you would like scroll and it would legitimately be

[Sam Taggart]

like, what everyone posted 2013 Instagram.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, I miss it every day.

[George Severis]

So.

[Sam Taggart]

But.

[George Severis]

But I do. I think it. I mean, she. Katie says in this article, like, let me find it one second. We often mentally gauge the popularity of something by how often it pops up on our social feeds. And the fact that some of these videos are being boosted by forces other than pure fandom is clouding our perception of it. Like, because I have this experience with so many things where I will, like, talk to someone, I'll be like, aren't you sick of seeing XYZ online? And they will have no idea what I'm talking about. Right.

[Sam Taggart]

You have that joke about the Bonnets about kind of about this. It is confusing though, because it did used to be a good way to gauge. There was a time when it was like, we're all sort of looking at the same Twitter. And we'd be like, this is big on Twitter. It still wasn't perfect. Like, it was like, the Internet is a small section of the world at that point. But now it's just. You really, like. I will say, when the Geese album came out, I was like, whoa. The explosion that it was was like, what's going on here? Like, it was like.

[George Severis]

I agree.

[Sam Taggart]

As if everyone had always loved this band. Loved this band. Very rarely do I feel that type of, you know, a second plane has hit the tower.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

Like, I was like, holy shit.

[George Severis]

Totally. But I think that something that's really scary to me and this. I also felt this way during the Blake Lively before We knew that Justin Baldoni was funding the Blake Lively. What's the rumbling for, like, the Blake Lively basically, like, smear campaign. Smear campaign or whatever. I. Okay, let me start. Let me start over. What I'm trying to say is I am always shocked at how people will go with the flow of the official narrative, even when there's clearly something fishy about it. And I remember very well when the narrative became, isn't it in such poor taste that Blake Lively is wearing florals to her movie about domestic violence? Which, I'm sorry, but that is clearly a stupid point to make. Like, there's just no way around it. Like, that is clearly something. Like, if it's not. I didn't know it was paid, but I just assumed it was something like a teenager would say. Like, it's just. It's like, this isn't a thing. Like, it's. I am not angry that Blake Lively is promoting her hair care line while promoting her movie. That's just, like, how celebrity works. You can find her annoying, but it's. She's not unethical.

[Sam Taggart]

Right.

[George Severis]

And yet I saw people we know. People we know that I consider smart to just, like, immediately run with it and just fully be like, oh, this is what we're doing. I agree, and I've always said so. And I think that's what happens in a much less sinister way with this music stuff, which is you see people liking something online, you want to be part of the conversation. We all talk in this, like, in these hyperbolic ways of, like, this is the best thing, the best album of the century, best album of the decade, whatever. And so all of this marketing firm needs to do is just, like, set the stage. Like, they just need to plant some seeds, and normal people will. Will do the work for. For them after that. You know what I mean?

[Sam Taggart]

Like, yeah, the idea that it's a

[George Severis]

psyop is kind of a misnomer because all they're doing is, like, getting the ball rolling. And then normal people are like, oh, got it. I'll participate in this.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. Well, yeah. This also happened with the. Pedro Pascal is. Is bizarre to his female co stars.

[George Severis]

Completely.

[Sam Taggart]

Like, it's. It is a thing happening more and more. I guess what I've enjoyed about these articles is. I agree. I don't think Geese is not a psyop. Obviously, Geese is not a psyop. They are a band, and marketing helped, and they were already respected, and it made them more popular. It exposed more people to them. But there is this thing where the Internet is so untrustworthy, which sounds, of course, insane because we've known that for a long time. But we used to be able to trust, like, social media felt like the more real place because you could be like, oh, look at all these people talking about this. And now it's like, completely false.

[George Severis]

Well, especially when normally the idea of a industry plant or a psyop is the opposite. It's like, why is this person I've never heard of on the COVID of Allure?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, that's like.

[George Severis]

That's what an industry plan is. It's like, it used to be the putting someone on the COVID was something that, like, dark forces would do. And social media is where you saw what the real people were talking about. And so it is, I guess, as with any sort of new media, first it starts as kind of pure in some way. And then the more professionalized and corporatized it gets, the less trustworthy it gets as. As like a sample of. Of what's out there or something.

[Sam Taggart]

You know, reading these articles did it. You know, we put out content, one could argue. Did it make you feel that, oh, I need to just pay a person a hundred dollars and I can get a hundred thousand views on this thing?

[George Severis]

I mean, this is a tough question because, I mean, we have never done that, and I have never done that, and I don't think you have ever done that either.

[Sam Taggart]

No, no.

[George Severis]

First of all, we literally do know people who have done that. We know people who have bought followers. We know people who out of nowhere became. Started having numbers that didn't make sense based on their output. It is. It's one of those things that even though you witness it constantly, you have to force yourself to not think too hard about it, because the harder you think about it, the more you become completely paranoid and you're like, everything is fake. You know, nothing matters. And I just. I have to somewhere in my heart believe that there is some chance of things happening organically and in ways I understand.

[Sam Taggart]

This is all going almost towards, like, dead Internet theory, where it's like, we're just going back. Like, we. If it's just pay to play, like, at some point people will be like, well, I don't like that. Let's just have Rolling Stone again and be like, these people have taste and they're who we select this month.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I mean, I do think while people are dumber than you think in the sense that they will parrot talking points about Blake Lively, they are also smarter than you think, because people are on social media and they are not enjoying this. They're not enjoying this, like, cacophony of terrible clips, which is basically what it has become. There is no way that is the future of media. And like, honestly, it's an honor to be part of it and I'm maybe. If it can help us sell some tour tickets, then I'm happy to do it. But, like, there is no way. This is what this has all been leading to.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

Making everything into like disposable, short form video content.

[Sam Taggart]

It's such a weird scramble and it's. It ain't right.

[George Severis]

And it'll. Every new form of media like that seems dated within two years. Like in the same way that now we look back like early YouTube comedy or, you know, people share their old Facebook statuses and they're like, can you believe that I posted this?

[Sam Taggart]

Or whatever.

[George Severis]

That's what all of this is going to seem like in two years.

[Sam Taggart]

Okay, let's give it a little more than two, huh?

[George Severis]

No. By that time, we will have pivoted to two AI chatbots, George Bot and Sam Bot, that you can hire for your company for trainings and improv exercises and things like that.

[Sam Taggart]

And workshops.

[George Severis]

And workshops.

[Sam Taggart]

Guess who's back in the house? The old gays return for season two of Silver Linings, their hit podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Vive Healthcare. Just wait until you hear what hosts Robert, Mick, Bill and Jesse have in store this time around. They strut back down memory lane, navigating life, love, loss and everything that shaped them along the way. And as usual, someone just might break into a song. From leather bars to bath houses, dance floors to drag brunch, nothing stays off limits. These are the kind of insights that can only come from experience. So listen to your elders, honey, and discover the silver linings you can take with you. You all sass, zero filter and decades of perspective from four friends proving that queer joy only gets better with age. On the podcast that never gets old. Listen to Silver Linings, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sponsor/Ad 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 generate 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 come 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 disclosure is [e-mail] Disclosures you ever wonder how far an EV can take you on one charge? Well, most people drive about 40 miles a day, which means you can do all daily stuff no problem. Go to work, grab the kids at school, get the groceries and still have enough charge to visit your in laws in the next county. But they don't need to know that. And the best part? You won't have to buy gas at all. The way forward is electric. Explore EVs that fit your life at electricforall.org

[George Severis]

the wait is almost over.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Get ready for the NFL season with

[George Severis]

a highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Every rivalry, every rematch and every rookie

[George Severis]

debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Be there for every can't miss moment.

[George Severis]

The full NFL schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] schedule release.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, isn't that the most amazing transition I can think of to our next topic, which is, of course, the Comeback Season three. Are you ready to transition?

[George Severis]

I would transition. The Comeback Season 3 is relevant, of course, because Valerie Cherish is working on an AI sitcom.

[Sam Taggart]

She's working on an AI sitcom. And of course she feels shame about it because she, you know, marched alongside everybody else in SAG and the WGA about no AI. But here she is working with al. So what are you feeling towards this season in a general sense?

[George Severis]

The conversation around AI and the arts is really difficult because things are moving way faster than I ever expected and I almost feel like I wouldn't even want to sit down and write a TV show that engage with AI right now because the environment in which it would come out, you know, let's say in a year and a half when it comes out, would be so different than what we have now, like totally already. There are some. I think it's overall doing a good job, but There are even, even watching it now, some elements where I'm like, I know this was written in 2024 and it's, I think that part of it is the scariest part to me that it's like it's moving faster than human made art production is. So it's actually very difficult to comment on it. Whereas something like, I don't know, influencer culture, which is like the last era of media change, which was like, you know, algorithmic social media, whatever, there's, there's some genuinely good art about it. Like, I think Ingrid Goes west is like a good movie about influencer culture or I don't know, whatever the Black Mirror episodes that came out during that time. Like the one with Bryce, Dallas Howard.

[Sam Taggart]

Sure, sure. Kind of like eighth grade almost about like the girls Snapchatting.

[George Severis]

Yeah, like eighth grade. Or like, I mean, even some of the less groan worthy cancel culture movies, like, even something like TAR is.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

Is engaging with the way social media dynamics work. But I don't know. I have to say just very briefly, I just got back from the TED conference and so much of the stuff, the way it works that it's five days and there's just like three sessions each day and each session has like eight talks. And it's, you know, it ranges from scientists to people promoting their business to artists or whatever. And obviously the number one theme was AI. And you heard it all. You heard people that were pro. You heard people that were like sounding the alarm, whatever. But like, if there's one thing I took away from, it is like, I'm already so behind in my understanding of it and like what it's already doing that I'm just simply not aware of. I also keep having conversations with people where I'm like, I don't use any AI at all in my life. And I realize that for everyone else, they've replaced 90% of their work with AI.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, we're like in a weird bubble because I. People use it instead of Google and I'm like, I thought the whole thing was like, we don't want to do that. But it's like such a given that people do that. No, I feel crazy.

[George Severis]

It's complete because we are like in artistic communities, people's first knee jerk reaction to AI is the kind of inhumane ethical component. And that just simply isn't the first reaction for, for most people, for, for better or worse.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. Did anything you see like, give you a new perspective or were you like, we're fucked.

[George Severis]

From a very like humanist perspective. I Felt that it is interesting to see which things become quote, unquote, better when they are automated and which things become worse when they're automated. And I did feel a slight sense of relief when I would see anything around art and AI just looks and feels bad and like, people can sense it. I mean, maybe it will get better and I will eat my words. But like, there was a woman that like, presented her AI art and like, it was bad. Like, you could.

[Sam Taggart]

So funny.

[George Severis]

The vibe around the room, I think, was like, can you believe this shit? And then there was like another part. The CEO of Reddit, who I actually surprisingly really liked, was asked sort of a kind of throwaway question about art and AI and he just said something along the lines of like, well, art is by definition made by humans, so there can never be AI art. But he didn't even say it as an applause line. He just said it as like a matter of fact thing. And then it got like a huge applause and I was like, okay, interesting. These people that are clearly very AI curious and want to hear about the new open source AI operating system that this like, Austrian coder invented are still drawing the line at art or something. Like there was. I think when you're in a space where everyone is so techno optimistic, it's even more moving to see the things that they draw the line with.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, no, that's cool. I will say in the comeback, I felt like, what was confusing? So when we were recording this, we have not seen the most recent episode that is coming out this Sunday.

[George Severis]

So we've seen the first four, five, I think five episodes.

[Sam Taggart]

And the first two episodes, I was surprised at how sort of wishy washy they were being. I was like, wait, do you like AI? I'm actually kind of confused. And then I feel like EP3 was a real turning point where it was like, oh, actually, because it had the director quit and be like, AI can move quickly, but it can never actually surprise you. Art has to surprise you. This only works if, if it's surprising. If there's like. I thought that speech was actually really nice where it was like, if there's like a gay guy who hates himself and a drunk who's hiding it. And like, I was like, that's awesome. Yeah. And but since then I've kind of been like, what else is there to say about AI other than that?

[George Severis]

Well, one thing I liked before that, which I think complicates that speech, is how the audience would laugh at the AI jokes, but not at the human written jokes. And That I think is like a really interesting thing to show. And it also honestly goes back to like what I was saying about how people will just like go with the flow even if something is stupid.

[Sam Taggart]

I do think there's something about Hollywood and like numbers culture. Yeah. Where it's like, well, if you're going for the lowest common denominator, you can get that with AI Actually like when you watch a shitty TV show that everyone loves, you're like, well that could be AI completely. The good shows that not 10 million people watch that are hard to make but that last longer, which is kind of what goes into every. If we're doing this short form video content, if everything's disposable, totally, AI can take over. But we're going to need sustenance. We're going to need something good and new and real. Hollywood has sort of made its bed a bit because sitcoms used to be new and exciting. Like Seinfeld is exciting, like Will and Grace is exciting. And then they lost it because they

[George Severis]

were like Cheers, Roseanne. Like, come on.

[Sam Taggart]

So many shows were exciting. And just because the form is old doesn't mean the jokes can't be new. And they've really self censored and making it so the jokes can't be new. And. And I'm like, we're down for like a basic sitcom. You have to let the people be funny so they like kind of don't.

[George Severis]

So this is like, this is what I think is the interesting argument which I think you're pointing to, which is like corporate media, not to sound like Bernie Sanders, corporate media has made it so that the vast majority of content is so terrible which then basically sets the stage for, for AI being a very adequate replacement for it. Like if you are churning out really, really bad content then why not have it be made by AI and unfortunately, as much as I can pick it and be like, we need, you know, human voices. If the thing that the human voices are creating again filtered through the like needs of corporate media. I'm not blaming the writers and I'm not blaming the, the artists. But like the end product, if the end product is so bad, then it's almost like a self fulfilling prophecy. Like it's hard to look at network sitcoms and be like, you guys are missing the magic of, you know, I mean, I don't want to, I'm not going to say a specific show but I. There was a tweet from dear, A dear Mutual of mine whose handle is Oomph magazine and he says Media systems have been rewarding safe, low substance, influencer content for decades to set up the conditions that will allow creatives to be replaced by perfectly palatable AI entities. Apoliticism is a cancer delivering its final blow to the mainstream creative class. Like, it's like, right. So we've all almost like trained ourselves like we are AI to create the most inoffensive, low substance content possible. And this entire time we have been creating the conditions for our own replacement.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, totally. I do think the Comeback works. Hopefully. Maybe what I'm not understanding, and maybe where they will stick the landing is that it is like a critique of that and like a critique of sort of like Hollywood and the business of like, lowest common denominator and safeness.

[George Severis]

Well, it's interesting because the first season was exactly that. I mean, they were writing a bad sitcom like Room and Board. You're meant to believe it is a shitty, low quality sitcom. Yeah. And it is that way because that is what is. That is what the writers are called upon to do by the evil network.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

And then in the second season, it's like, whatever. I mean, it's satirizing the more prestigious stuff, but I mean, it has always been a critique of the industry. And this is sort of like the latest chapter.

[Sam Taggart]

Mm. Mm. But yeah, well, I gotta say, I was feeling like, lukewarm about the show. Like, warm, but lukewarm about this season. And this conversation is making me be like, wait, what if this is the most genius season of TV that's ever existed?

[George Severis]

Yeah. I feel like it has taken me, you know, as a true Comeback Stan, which we both are. It has taken me a while to, like, understand the new rhythms. Like, I think the fact that they completely abandoned the behind the scenes documentary premise, which the Comeback always was, and like the whole found footage thing, everything they're doing with the cameras is, I mean, inherently confusing.

[Sam Taggart]

They're making me nauseous. I'm like, it is too much security cam, social media cam. The documentary crew is still there. And sometimes it's just normal tv. It's like, enough.

[George Severis]

Which I. I also do think, to state the obvious, is intentional. Like, it is obviously portraying this world of everything being hypermediated, nothing being real. In the beginning you were like, well, there is some authentic thing that we're still searching for, but we can't get to it because culture is so. Because of the demands of the culture industry or something. But now it's like, we're done. Like, there's no. There's no core left. There's no human core left. Everything is just cameras all the way down.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, I mean, I. That's true, but I'm sort of like, it sucks to look at.

[George Severis]

Totally.

[Sam Taggart]

And it's like, I think they could use some simplifying. It's. It's Coco Chanel. Take one thing off.

[George Severis]

It's definitely doing. It's very much giving. Like, this is our final season when we want to say everything we've ever wanted to say about. And by the way, because they're all older, like Lisa Kudrow and Danba Katinsky and all of them, this is like, decades of their complaints basically, about working in the industry. And they're kind of like, we have 10 episodes and we're going to address it all.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. I also want to say, I do, like, it is very. With someone like Lisa Kudrow, I'm. Who has had, like, decades and decades of success, you get. Like, sometimes I feel like those people have very skewed view of what Hollywood is, what LA is. And I actually feel like I'm impressed with how they're being like. No, it's really bleak. Like, so many people are not working. So many people are so desperate. And I think that's, like, very helpful for them to show. And I'm surprised that they're not, like, pulling punches with that.

[George Severis]

No, I agree. I think they know what they're doing and it's like. And they're. And it's sort of, like, refreshingly ambiguous and ambivalent in these ways, where it's actually not a straightforward morality tale about AI it is much more about how everyone is complicit and no one is. Even Valerie, who you are, you know, we are all rooting for. And she's trying so hard to please everyone, but ultimately, like, is not listening to any of the. Any of the voices in her head telling her that this is not going to work. Like, she's both taking so much abuse and doing so many things that she herself believes are, you know, unethical. There are certain. I just. I know we've been talking about the AI thing, but, like, in terms of just, like, basic comedy things, like, there are certain things that I'm loving. Like the fact that Dan Bukatinsky is always in Tom Brown is so funny.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, that's really funny. It's like a mean. That's like a mean bite.

[George Severis]

It's. It really is. Because I'm sorry, but, like, we know those people.

[Sam Taggart]

It is such a fucking type. It's, like, crazy.

[George Severis]

Or like the casting director. Oh, I do have one complaint, which I will say in a second, but the casting director, who, like, is desperate to work again, is, like, tripping over herself after having brunch with Jane Fonda. I was so obsessed with.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, okay.

[George Severis]

Can I have. Can I say a little quibble? Quibble.

[Sam Taggart]

Sure. Get your quibbies on.

[George Severis]

Get your quibbies on, girls. No, I'll love. Though I. Former employer of mine, Quibi love. So when she runs into Jane Fonda at the restaurant, the joke. Do you remember?

[Sam Taggart]

Mm. Mm.

[George Severis]

The joke, of course, is that Valerie goes, do you want to, like, say hi for my socials? Don't worry, I don't post anything political, which is, like, the worst thing to say to Jane Fonda, who's famously political. So then what happens is she turns her phone, and then Jane Fonda, as a gotcha, goes, vote. Now, here's my issue with that. The more provocative way to do that joke is for Jane Fonda, who has extremely leftist politics, to say something actually controversial, like for Jane Fonda to say, free Palestine in camera. That, to me, I was like, this is giving studio note. Am I crazy?

[Sam Taggart]

You're not crazy. Sometimes they're really having their kicking it too, where it's like, you're commenting on a lack of political likeness in Hollywood, and then you're also being the lack of politicalness. And I'm like, you can't have both. You have to make a splash if you're gonna complain about it. I think that's very real. I think there's a lot. I like the broader strokes that we were discussing, but I do think in the minutiae of the show, there's a lot that leaves something to be desired, and I'm hoping that it all pays off in the end. But, like, right now, I'm a little, like, I'm not trusting them yet. There's something about the jokes. There's something about the casting. Sometimes there's something, like, unspecific about what's happening, where I'm like, did you think this through?

[George Severis]

Yeah, I think I trust them in the grand scale. Like, I bet you this is leading to, like, the best punchline we can imagine. Like, I think the finale will be amazing, because I do think they would not have done this if they didn't have something in mind. And I think basically, it's one of those things where, like, they have this amazing idea, which is Valerie works on an AI show, and then, wouldn't you believe it, it ends with XYZ happening. And then I think they have to fill in the episodes until that happens. And so in order to do that, it's like, okay, which side characters can we add? What little commentary can we put here? How many people can do like a fun cameo? But I'm overall really liking it. I want to be clear, and I think we both are.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah, I'm liking it and I'm excited to see where it goes. Guess who's Back in the House? The old gays return for season two of Silver Linings, their hit podcast from iHeart's Ruby Studio in partnership with Veev Healthcare. Just wait until you hear what hosts Robert, Mickey, Bill and Jesse have in store. This time around. They strut back down memory lane, navigating life, love, loss and everything that shaped them along the way. And as usual, someone just might break into a song. From leather bars to bath houses, dance floors to drag brunch, nothing stays off limits. These are the kind of insights that can only come from experience. So listen to your elders, honey, and discover the silver linings you can take with you. All Sass, zero Filter and decades of perspective from Florida four friends proving that queer joy only gets better with age on the podcast that never gets old. Listen to Silver Linings, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sponsor/Ad 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 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 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. You ever wonder how far an EV can take you on one charge? Well, most people drive about 40 miles a day, which means you can do all daily stuff no problem. Go to work, grab the kids at school, get the groceries and still have enough charge to visit your in laws in the next county. But they don't need to know that. And the best part, you won't have to buy gas at all. The way forward is electric. Explore EVs that fit your life at electricforall.org the wait is almost over. Get ready for the NFL season with

[George Severis]

a highly anticipated 2026 NFL schedule release.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Every rivalry, every rematch, and every rookie

[George Severis]

debut with matchups locked and kickoffs confirmed.

[Sponsor/Ad Voice]

Be there for every can't miss moment.

[George Severis]

The full NFL schedule release coming in May. Get all the [e-mail] schedule release.

[Sam Taggart]

We might want to cut this next part, but it's something that. Have you heard that I think Ivy Woke posted this on her Instagram or someone. Yeah, Ivy post this on her Instagram. She auditioned for the part of like the social media girl for the Comeback. Yeah. And they didn't give it to her because they said they wanted someone, an unknown. And then the person who's doing it is Ben Stiller's daughter.

[George Severis]

Right. And I think that's sort of where I'm. That's the element of all of this, where I'm like, that the Jane Fonda of it all. I'm like, this is. This doesn't. I think this could have more bite.

[Sam Taggart]

I guess this could definitely have more bite.

[George Severis]

Or I'll reframe. I think the bite that it has about AI, it could have about other elements that it's satirizing.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. Because even that, like the Nepo conversation is like a huge conversation. And it's like, well, as is celebrities,

[George Severis]

quote unquote, speaking out about political issues. Like, that's like to set up that joke. That is such a genius setup for Valerie to say, like, don't worry, I don't post anything political to Jane Fonda. That's like genius.

[Sam Taggart]

It's really funny.

[George Severis]

Not just like, take it one step further. But yes, I mean, definitely the Nepo thing. I mean, you could. I mean, a fun way to have your cake and eat it too is to cast Ben Stiller's daughter, but then have in the show the narrative be that she's Ben Stiller's daughter.

[Sam Taggart]

Totally. Like, that's genius.

[George Severis]

That's what Curb would do. Sorry.

[Sam Taggart]

It's true. And it's hard because now I watch the show imagining Ivy Woke in that role. I mean, and I'm like, damn, she'd

[George Severis]

be eaten no, she'd be eating.

[Sam Taggart]

But I'm not sure if we're gonna leave that in because I can't tell how much teeth I want to have this afternoon.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God. How is it? 5:00pm God, brother. Honey, I have done nothing all day.

[Sam Taggart]

How do we wrap this thing up?

[George Severis]

Yeah, how do we wrap this thing up?

[Sam Taggart]

I guess everyone should stream I Feel so Free by Madonna. You know what song I've been revisiting by Madonna and Loving, actually, Hollywood.

[George Severis]

Great song.

[Sam Taggart]

So fun.

[George Severis]

Hollywood is a great song. I'm trying to think of what I'm opening my Apple Music. What have I been listening to?

[Sam Taggart]

I want to open my Apple Music. Oh, and I want to say on record for anyone who listens to our Patreon, I at one point recently said that I was on the fence regarding the new Slater album when it had just come out, and I want to say that I have changed my position entirely. I am now addicted to the new Slater album, and I'm listening to it constantly. I am so grateful to not be sort of left out of this cultural moment. I would have felt so much shame if I was the one LGBTQ American on Earth who didn't quite understand it. And it would have made me question a lot, actually. And now I'm listening. I'm having a blast.

[George Severis]

I also Slater. It's like, talk about someone who did not get help from professional clippers early on in her career. I mean, she has been crawling in the dirt Cadet Kelly style, and she finally has arrived. Yeah, I've been listening to, like I said, the Nine Inch Noise record. I'm loving the new Kaleila single.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, I'm loving the new Kaleila song.

[George Severis]

I just became aware of a new Smurs song that was released today called Spring Summer. It has literally 1,000 plays only.

[Sam Taggart]

Okay, no shade.

[George Severis]

I'm still listening to Robin.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm still listening to Robin as well.

[George Severis]

That's pretty much it.

[Sam Taggart]

I

[George Severis]

absolutely am loving the Lena Dunham memoir.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm going to buy that this week, and I'm going to.

[George Severis]

The one thing I wish it had a little more of is detailed things about, like, the writers room and how they came up with different storylines.

[Sam Taggart]

I've been loving the press tour. I listen to her on everything she goes on, and I'm enjoying it. She's. And she's good at switching up the vibe, like, dare I say code Switching on the New York Times podcast. She's so businessy. She's so fun, but she, like. She's, like, very serious. And then she'll, like, put a little splash of fun to be like, don't forget I'm funny. And then in, like, Las Vegas, I'm laughing, she's having a blast. And I was like, this is crazy.

[George Severis]

I feel like people. And I. I'm guilty of this, too, because she's such a, like, kooky figure. I'm tempted to be. To be like, oh, she doesn't have her finger on the pulse, but she definitionally has her finger on the pulse. That's, like, her thing.

[Sam Taggart]

She's addicted to the pulse.

[George Severis]

She's addicted to the Pulse. She. She knows everything going on, and she knows what's funny, and she has a good ear for it, and she, like. She gets it.

[Sam Taggart]

She honestly, like, would be healthier if she could let go of the pulse for one second.

[George Severis]

I know. I mean, yeah, it's. I mean, she talks in the book about how she would, like, read every tweet when people were at their meanest, and I'm like, I could not have survived that.

[Sam Taggart]

One thing she did say is that she's like, you know, less than a million people are watching each episode. I'm like, that can't be true. I think she's lying.

[George Severis]

No, I think it wasn't really. It was, like, a niche. That's why it was so weird that she was such a lightning rod. But it also sort of explains it, because I think most people that were talking about her, like, legitimately didn't know any of her work. They thought of her as this, like, random girl that kept making public statements.

[Sam Taggart]

Meet the girl who can't stop making public statements.

[George Severis]

I mean, I do think that's how many people. Because people would be like. I remember at the time being on Twitter, and everyone would be like, great, another Lena Dunham news cycle. And it's like, do not talk about her that way.

[Sam Taggart]

Also, it's a news cycle. Because you're saying stuff like that.

[George Severis]

Because you're saying stuff like that.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

No, I'm loving it. And it certainly is interesting that she's talking about Jack Antonoff and Lorde writing melodrama, which is crazy.

[Sam Taggart]

That is crazy.

[George Severis]

Really puts things into perspective.

[Sam Taggart]

Shout out to an amazing album.

[George Severis]

So if you listen to that album, make sure to donate to Lena Dunham.

[Sam Taggart]

By buying her book.

[George Severis]

By buying her book. Anything else you've been enjoying? Did you like the DTF St. Louis finale?

[Sam Taggart]

You know, I liked it enough. I felt like it was a little lacking. I loved the show. I want to say publicly I did, too.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

I thought it was such a good show. And I just think the murder plot was, like, they never had, like, a good way to do it and maybe maybe just needed, like, a scene, like a final scene between David Harbour and the son where there's, like, an emotional moment because there was a lot implied. But I was like, you kind of got to define it a little more. Like, I don't like. So his son just, like, saw him dancing. Son. Remember? Another man was like, fuck you.

[George Severis]

I'm sort of like, I agree.

[Sam Taggart]

I'm like, there's got to be like. Like, why wouldn't. So then he, like. It was just like, there's got to be a little more heightening. It was. Sorry to spoil for anyone who hasn't seen, but I recommend you watch. And it doesn't really matter how it ends, because I think the show itself is great.

[George Severis]

No, it's very good. It's very good. I just. Sorry, we can stop.

[Sam Taggart]

What were you gonna say?

[George Severis]

I've just been sort of, like, dabbling in TV shows recently in a way that I have found fun. Like, I'm not committing to anything, but I'm like. I'm watching a couple episodes of the Dan Levy show that our friend Taylor Ortega's in.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh.

[George Severis]

Actually think it's, like, really good. And then I, like, watched the premiere of Margo's Got Money Troubles with EL Fanning, and I thought it was, like, fun.

[Sam Taggart]

I saw an ad for that show that was targeted to me, where it's just Nick Offerman ripping his shirt off, and I was like.

[George Severis]

And I almost. Thank you.

[Sam Taggart]

That actually, that was crazy. I was like, am I really if maybe, like, a high schooler again, to be like, am I about to watch a show just because a guy is hot in it?

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Sam Taggart]

This is, like, so messed up how things can get you. But maybe I don't watch it just because he's hot in it.

[George Severis]

Did you. You watched Will and Grace, right?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

Do you remember the kid who played Jack's son with Rosie o'? Donnell?

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah.

[George Severis]

So he plays the, like, old professor that knocks up EL Fanning and he's like, honestly, like, hot in a. In a. You know, like, late 30s, whatever. However old he is, like, professor kind of way in the show. And he's, like, partly naked in the sex scenes. And I was like, I can't believe how old I am that I'm like, that. I'm like Jack's son from Will and Grace's daddy.

[Sam Taggart]

That's so crazy. That's the craziest thing I've Ever heard?

[George Severis]

It's. It's nuts.

[Sam Taggart]

Did you recognize him or did you like, yeah, someone.

[George Severis]

Because he's like. Yeah, he's 38. He's around. He's actually married to Maya Erskine from N15.

[Sam Taggart]

Oh, yeah. Interesting. I didn't know that.

[George Severis]

Yeah, yeah, he's hot as hell.

[Sam Taggart]

Shout out.

[George Severis]

I mean, he's much more my type than yours, but honey, what he's doing is working.

[Sam Taggart]

All right, all right. Well, everybody go to your local cinema and see Blue Heron.

[George Severis]

Oh my God, yes. Blue Heron is so good. Did you see that? It's literally being called the most acclaimed movie of the year.

[Sam Taggart]

I did see that.

[George Severis]

Crazy.

[Sam Taggart]

I mean, that's amazing. I mean, it's genuinely amazing. It's so good. It's so touching. I was blown away.

[George Severis]

I was proud of us for like doing back to back episodes of People promoting Erupsia and Blue Heron. Like, we are sort of in our criterion bag.

[Sam Taggart]

Yeah. If anyone else has a prestige indie movie coming out and wants to do the pod, let us know.

[George Severis]

Well, yeah, if it's a good one.

[Sam Taggart]

Well, yeah, Prestige Prince is good.

[George Severis]

Okay, folks, well, go see Sam's shows in LA and New York.

[Sam Taggart]

Yes. And you have shows coming up as well at some.

[George Severis]

Well, I'm announcing a tour for the fall, but it's going to be a while until I announce. But you're about to announce your tour.

[Sam Taggart]

That's true. So keep those eyes peeled because that. I'm waiting for one ticket link and then I'm going to post them all and an announcement.

[George Severis]

But I will say that as someone who was actually recently looking at your link tree, because I was seeing what venues you're doing. They're already up.

[Sam Taggart]

That's. I went for one link.

[George Severis]

You just haven't announced them yet.

[Sam Taggart]

I wanted everything in place. I'm doing it Madonna style. Yeah.

[George Severis]

Okay, go straight. And I, we were being very critical today, but I, I want to say I support Madonna and I support the comeback immensely and I am rooting for

[Sam Taggart]

all women and I support Cameron Winter and I, you know, the Geese album didn't quite connect with me, but I do love the Cameron Winter album and I stand by that. And I'm going to try to connect to Geese one day, but that album didn't quite do it for me off

[George Severis]

the bat and I will try the Cameron Winter album again. And I must say, if I'm being honest, I don't connect to any of that music whatsoever. And I do think it's sort of a sign up. Okay, bye.

[Sam Taggart]

Okay, bye.

[George Severis]

Podcast ends now for our visual learners. You can watch full video episodes on our YouTube channel and subscribe to our

[Sam Taggart]

Patreon for two extra episodes a month

[George Severis]

at patreon.com Stradiolab Stradiolab is a production

[Sam Taggart]

by Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network and iHeart Podcasts, created and hosted by

[George Severis]

me, George Severis and Sam Taggart, executive

[Sam Taggart]

produced by Jenna Cagle, co produced by

[George Severis]

Becca Ramos, edited by Lauren Stumpf and mixed and mastered by Doug Behm.

[Sam Taggart]

Artwork by Michael Fails and Matt Grubb Theme music by Ben Kling

[George Severis]

at cvs, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that we're part of it. It matters that we're here for you when you need us, day or night, and we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to fill your prescriptions and here to fill your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters. So Visit [e-mail] or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you. Store hours vary by location.

[Sam Taggart]

Hey everyone, it's Kalpen. I'm inviting you to join the best

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[Sam Taggart]

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[Sam Taggart]

The sound of a seatbelt it's one

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[George Severis]

It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe. The more our kids see us put

[Sam Taggart]

on our seatbelts, the more natural it

[George Severis]

is for them to put theirs on too. Make it a priority.

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Buckle up every time. Hear the sound.

[George Severis]

Make it a habit. Paid for by NHTSA this is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human.