The Antihero Broadcast

Episode: GETTIN SCHOOLED feat. Jay The Plug

Date: December 11, 2025

Overview

This episode of The Antihero Broadcast features regular hosts Lewis, Mike, Jimmy, and special guest Jay the Plug. With its signature mix of rough-cut humor, law enforcement banter, and blue-collar authenticity, the episode explores current issues affecting veterans, first responders, and working-class Americans, with a focus on surveillance, government overreach, policing practices, and the ever-present technological creep into personal privacy.

Jay the Plug, an ex-federal inmate turned influencer, brings a unique perspective, especially on privacy, surveillance, criminal justice, and the blurred lines between legality and personal liberty. The hosts banter through police stories, government skepticism, and debates over the moon landing—all with a tone that’s irreverent but grounded in real-world experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reflections on Government Overreach & Privacy

• Surveillance State Concerns ([08:17]-[12:45])
  • Jay discusses the normalization of tracking through apps (e.g., Snapchat, phones, facial recognition at airports).
    • "When my daughter, once I got the phone, put in my name from her mother, I said, we're not doing the tracking thing no more. ... I don't want my child to be accustomed to everybody watching her...." – Jay [09:57]
  • Mike details how facial recognition and location data are routinely collected ("Even if you slide that little bar off... they can still find you." [10:34])
  • The team debates if opting out is possible or just an illusion; consensus is that “the government/company will still find you.”
• Tech as a Tool for Control
  • The introduction and spread of smart TVs, license plate readers, and "geofencing" are seen as steps toward total monitoring:
    • "Every time you open those apps... Can I use your location?... Even if you say no, it’s still tracking." – Mike [19:11]
  • Jay explains how data collection powers both law enforcement and marketing, with little oversight ([16:08]-[19:48]).

2. Law Enforcement: Intersection of Tech, Policy, and Policing

• Policing Power & Jury Trials in the UK ([07:49]-[09:56])
  • The crew discusses concerns over the erosion of jury trials for crimes carrying less than 3 years in the UK—a “slippery slope.”
    • "They take one thing... accept it... before you know it, government just says okay, they pick and choose... and the government gets to do everything." – Jay [08:23]
  • Both “professional criminal” and “professional cop” (Jay and Mike) agree this is a bad trend.
• License Plate Readers, Tag Readers, Bodycam Tech ([20:19]-[21:11])
  • Mike explains law enforcement hardware constantly tracks both cops and civilians.
  • Jimmy brings up recent hacks of these systems, increasing risk to personal privacy.
• Smart Devices as Surveillance Tools
  • Jay recounts a Federal case where smart TVs are used for surveillance, highlighting low consumer awareness ([21:11]-[22:31]).
  • Drug dealers and tech-savvy criminals take technological countermeasures, but acknowledge law enforcement’s growing edge.

3. Traffic Stops, Pursuits, and Public Perception

• Debate: Should Police Pursue Fleeing Vehicles? ([54:46]-[61:38])
  • Divided opinions: Mike supports tactical chases (“wreck the piss out of them”), but Jay and others question the value/risk, especially considering innocent bystanders.
    • "Are we willing to kill little kids... for stolen car suspects?" – Jay [57:01]
  • Discussion diverges between “Old School Policing” vs. adapting to high-tech, big-city realities.
  • Pursuit policies vary, and technological workarounds (birds, LPR, grappling tech) exist but aren’t always feasible.
• Traffic Stops as Policing & Content ([74:16]-[78:36])
  • Controversial viral traffic stops are seen as performance (“peacocking” for cameras), and the ethics of using police work to generate content are laid bare.
    • “How do you know they’re not pulling people over, arresting people just for content?” – Jay [80:11]

4. Civil Liberties: Licensing, Property, and ‘Rights’ as Privileges ([23:52]-[24:41])

• Hunting/Fishing Licenses as Loss of Rights
  • Jay notes, “A hunting license is what you get when the government takes your rights away... and then sells them back to you as a privilege.”
    • Mike recalls being arrested for a short fish, underscoring how basic rights (eating, shelter) become regulated privileges.

5. Moon Landing Debate, Elon Musk, and Tech Skepticism

• Did We Go to the Moon? ([97:55]-[108:59])
  • Jimmy defends the official narrative (technology, process logistics), while Jay, Lewis, and Mike raise doubts based on technology, cost, and lack of subsequent missions.
    • “What they’re actually saying is, for the first time in history, technology was greater in the past than in the future, which is impossible.” – Clip played by Lewis [98:11]
    • Jimmy’s counter: “We built rockets—and we don't build those rockets anymore... Of course, right now we don't have the capability, because we weren't going to the moon for the last 50 years.” [99:45]
• Elon Musk & Colonizing Mars ([108:09]-[110:30])
  • Jay brings evidence that Musk’s network of companies (SpaceX, Tesla, The Boring Company) are all pieces of a plan to make Mars habitable.
    • “The whole thing is he wants another planet for humanity...” – Jimmy [110:26]
  • The hosts are skeptical that humanity can survive as a tunnel-dwelling, Mars-bound species.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Every time I get in the car... it tracks, and I have all my stuff off, I opt out of everything I possibly can..." – Jay [15:02]
• "Your body cam, does it give a geolocation? ...Yes, absolutely." – Mike [20:35]
• "How do you know it’s John Tavius? He’s got dreads. So does he, so does he, so does he." – Mike [58:12]
• "They take one thing... everyone gets used to it... then we'll go to five years... before you know it, they don't have to listen to the people anymore." – Jay [08:23]
• "A hunting license is what you get when the government takes your rights away... then sells them back to you as a privilege." – Jay [23:52]
• "We make jokes about everybody. Edgy comedy is the best comedy..." – Lewis [04:32]
• "If you’re not pushing what they want, they’ll slow your speed down." – Jay, on social media suppression [92:01]
• “The government doesn’t want you to crack down on crime, they want it to run rampant.” – Jay [50:21]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 08:10 | Jury trial changes in the UK, government overreach | | 09:57 | Jay’s stance against phone tracking for his daughter | | 10:34 | Inescapability of mobile tracking | | 16:08 | Geofencing, ad targeting explained | | 19:11 | App location tracking, “opting out” as an illusion | | 20:35 | Law enforcement devices, geo-location, and data breaches | | 23:52 | Discussion on fishing/hunting licenses as lost rights | | 24:45 | Heavy property tax and “never owning” your home | | 54:46 | Debate: to chase or not to chase fleeing suspects | | 58:12 | Eyewitness limits and identifying suspects | | 61:38 | Tactical nuances of city vs. highway pursuits | | 74:16 | Bodycam “67 in a 55” viral traffic stop, content vs duty | | 97:55 | Moon landing conspiracy arguments kick off | | 98:11 | “Technology was greater in the past than in the future…” | | 110:09 | Elon Musk’s Mars colonization plan explained |

Additional Topics

• Criminal Tactics vs Police Tactics: Jay reminisces about prison distract/hustle tactics and contrasts criminal street smarts with naive or "by-the-book" policing. [49:07]
• Social Media, Virality, and Cops as Content Creators: The ethics and fallout of “cop TikTokers,” department image, and public trust today. [74:16 - 80:39]
• Conspiracy Culture & Technology Skepticism: Shadow-banning, controlled narratives, and government “data breaches” as fronts for data selling. [88:43 - 89:03]
• Hiring & Agency Culture: The difference between old-school recruits and a “woke” approach, as described with humor and frustration. [81:40+]

Tone & Style Notes

• The hosts maintain a punchy, candid tone, blending gallows humor with street-level insight.
• Jay’s ex-con perspective brings a critical, reality-based angle on personal freedom, policing, and surveillance.
• Listeners can expect frank language, dark jokes, and a refusal to take official narratives at face value.
• The show flows in a true roundtable style, with both sharp disagreements and much common ground.

For New Listeners

If you’re a vet, a cop, or just someone who cares about liberty and blue-collar realities, this episode offers a rough, real look at how tech, government, and culture now intersect—and collide—with individual life. Expect no simple answers, but plenty of learned skepticism and open debate.

Listen for:

• Gritty humor and the inside-scoop on cops, criminals, surveillance, and society.
• A rare back-and-forth between ex-cons and ex-cops.
• Unfiltered takes on technology, government, and the persistent struggle between security and freedom.

(Ad Reads and product plugs have been omitted from this summary for clarity and focus.)