MS NOW Presents: Clock It

Episode: Bad Bunny, Texas Dems, and the Artists Making People Nervous

Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Eugene Daniels & Symone Sanders Townsend
Special Guests: Tony Goldwyn & Myles Frost

Episode Overview

This episode examines the increasingly intertwined relationship between politics and culture in the Trump 2.0 era, exploring how figures and institutions—ranging from artists like Bad Bunny to powerful media moguls—shape and respond to current political tensions. Hosts Eugene Daniels and Symone Sanders Townsend bring their unique perspectives at the crossroads of political strategy and pop culture, dissecting the latest flare-ups in the Texas Democratic primaries, billionaires' grip on media, the cultural subtext of the Super Bowl halftime show, and the responsibilities of artists in turbulent times. Special guests Tony Goldwyn and Myles Frost join to discuss the role of art, community, and representation under political stress.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Donald Trump "Hijacks" Culture

• Trump excels at embedding himself in the culture—long before his political career, he was a mainstay in movies, music, and reality TV.
  • Quote (Simone): “Donald Trump understands better than frankly any other politician that the culture is where the power is.” (01:10)
• Both hosts argue that controlling culture is now integral to political power—Trump’s strategy is “hijacking the arts and the internet.”

2. Texas Democratic Primary: More Than Ideology

The Crockett vs. Talarico Showdown

• Texas's crowded 2026 Democratic primary sees a split, not along policy but style: “Whether you want to fight or not.” (04:24)
  • Jasmine Crockett: Fiery, in-your-face, ready to take on Trump.
    • Quote: “They’re killing people in the middle of the street... I don’t understand how we are sitting here and acting like this is normal.” (05:16)
  • James Talarico: Calmer, more measured, known for flipping a Trump district.
    • Quote: “I got into this because of my students... I had 45 kids in one classroom. There weren’t enough desks.” (04:43)
• Social Media Scandal: Viral TikTok alleges Talarico called Colin Allred “a mediocre Black man.” (06:10)
  • Morgan Thompson (Tiktoker): Recounts the offhand comment and its impact, raising questions about authenticity versus media traps.
  • Symone: Highlights the dangers and misunderstandings of politicians interacting with digital creators versus trained journalists. (06:35)
  • Aftermath: The social dust-up nudges Allred to endorse Crockett, showing how online drama can become “real life.” (08:21)
• Bigger Lessons:
  • Campaigns can’t ignore digital controversies anymore—it’s possible for internet drama to shape actual outcomes.
  • Texas remains a key watch: “Whomever comes out of this primary, Democrats are gonna be full speed ahead, child.” (09:57)

3. Super Bowl Halftime(s): Subversive Politics in Pop

• Bad Bunny’s Performance:
  • Subtle rather than overt. Contrasts expectations that artists of color will make loud political statements.
  • Symone: “Bad Bunny’s like, I do my job correct, I’m gonna tell my story, and y’all are going to get it. If the girls that get it, get it.” (11:10)
  • Eugene: Points to how music transcends language and how the performance blended messages: “Music is universal.” (11:57)
• Historical Context:
  • Super Bowl halftime was reinvented as a spectacle after Black creators (Living Color, Michael Jackson) forced the NFL to retain audiences. (12:32)
• Right-Wing Counterprogramming:
  • Far-right influencers and Trump himself skipped Bad Bunny for a TPUSA-aligned “Real American” show with Kid Rock.
  • Eugene: “He started with ‘This Is America,’ which tells you a lot about the message they were trying to send.” (14:36)

4. The Power and Pitfalls of Advertising & Messaging

• Mike Tyson Ad:
  • The administration’s choice to feature Tyson—a convicted rapist—as a spokesperson for obesity prevention is critiqued.
  • Symone: “Mike Tyson is a convicted rapist... Your messenger matters.” (16:33)
  • Eugene: Asks why the administration would spotlight someone so controversial.
• Cultural Deciders:
  • Increasing focus on “who owns the information”—billionaires like Jeff Bezos and the Ellisons control newspapers, social platforms.
  • Symone: “Who owns the information helps create the reality that people live in.” (19:30)
• Example: Bezos allegedly stopped a Washington Post endorsement of Kamala Harris, tied to business interests and Trump’s preferences. (18:32)

5. Competing Narratives: The Melania Trump Documentary vs. Michelle Obama

• Melania doc: Lavishly funded ($75M invested, $8M in receipts opening weekend); viewed as a culture war tool—Black digital spaces counter-mobilize by boosting Michelle Obama’s “Becoming.” (20:33)
  • Eugene: “It shows you the power of culture, right? When it needs to get into the politics of things and what it says.” (21:48)
• Online Activism: Demonstrates how grass-roots digital campaigns alter viewership and drive cultural discussions.

6. Conversation with Tony Goldwyn and Myles Frost: Art as Resistance & Community

(Starts ~24:05)

• Their Collaboration: Working on “Shay Joey,” a new stage work with themes of artistic struggle and community.
  • Tony: “The answer to the vicissitudes of life is the power of community and building community. In this case, a creative community.” (25:22)
• Artists’ Responsibility:
  • Tony: Only wants to tell stories that “connect with telling the truth... about the problems and struggles and questions that we have as human beings.” (26:50)
  • Myles: Feels responsible to use his platform, especially as a Black artist, to amplify underrepresented stories and fill educational gaps left by government censorship.
    • Quote: “If I wasn’t a person with a platform, I would still be doing the same, speaking out and doing the best I can to make sure that people are heard.” (28:26)
• The Pushback on Arts:
  • Goldwyn: Argues that attacks on the arts and on Black/brown communities make the moment more fertile for meaningful cultural work. (30:33)
  • Frost: “I’d be worried if they weren’t trying to shut us up and shut us out. That just means that we’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to.” (31:08)
• Teaching History & Representation:
  • The arts can “fill the gap” when the government censors Black or marginalized histories.
  • Goldwyn: Shares moving stories about listening, learning (sometimes uncomfortably), and putting honest representation onstage, even when it means admitting blind spots. (36:24)
• Community & Conversation:
  • Both guests and the hosts stress that community—across race and experience—requires hard, sometimes painful, listening and correction.
  • Simone: “We can’t be in community if we don’t do that.” (36:55)

7. Cultural “Side Chat” & Weekend Vibes

(Starts ~43:15)

• Hosts reflect on the importance of being open to learning across difference and allowing self-reflection.
  • Eugene: “It’s about being able to reflect on where you don’t know things. And that’s okay.” (44:29)
• Pop culture picks and weekend plans: TV (The Pit, Bridgerton), Valentine’s Day strategies, playful banter about modern trends (caviar at McDonald’s), and reminders not to take online life too seriously.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Campaigns can’t get so caught up in what’s happening on the Internet that you ignore what is going on in the real communities.”
  – Simone Sanders Townsend (09:05)
• “Music is universal.”
  – Eugene Daniels (11:57)
• “Who owns the information helps create the reality that people live in.”
  – Simone Sanders Townsend (19:30)
• “I’d be worried if they weren’t trying to shut us up and shut us out. That just means that we’re doing exactly what we’re supposed to.”
  – Myles Frost (31:08)
• “We can’t be in community if we don’t do that.”
  – Simone Sanders Townsend (36:55)
• “Savion said to me once, he said, Tony, most white people don’t want to know. They don’t want to know. And I was like, of course. Of course I want to know.”
  – Tony Goldwyn (38:31)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Trump’s Cultural Power & Origin Story: 01:10–02:00
• Texas Democratic Primary (Crockett vs. Talarico): 02:51–10:00
• Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl / Culture Wars: 10:54–15:12
• The Power of Cultural Messaging (Tyson Ad, Bezos, The Melania doc): 15:29–22:22
• Conversation with Tony Goldwyn & Myles Frost (Art, Community, Responsibility): 24:05–42:10
• Side Chat: Reflections, Pop Culture Picks, and Weekend Vibes: 43:15–end

Conclusion

This episode of “Clock It” thoughtfully dissects the war for cultural power in 2026, centering how artists, politicians, billionaires, and everyday citizens are both responding to and shaping political realities. The spirited discussion with Tony Goldwyn and Myles Frost underscores the enduring urgency of art as a catalyst for truth, conversation, and collective resistance—especially against efforts to control narratives, history, and community connection. Beyond the headlines and viral moments, Daniels and Sanders Townsend argue, it is this struggle for culture—the memes, the stories, the shows, and who controls them—that is the frontline of American politics.