The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 2 - What is Fame?
Date: February 11, 2026
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode Overview

In this episode, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton dive into the changing concept of fame in America, exploring how social media and digital platforms have fragmented celebrity culture. The hosts recount personal anecdotes illustrating generational gaps in recognition and discuss how influence is now niche-dependent, rather than universally recognized. The episode then transitions to the high-profile Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case, critiquing media overcoverage due to celebrity connections and examining legal and procedural aspects of FBI searches. Finally, they debate the enduring Epstein scandal—arguing over victims’ responsibility to name names if further criminal charges are desired—before previewing a conversation with Alex Berenson about the social and health effects of widespread cannabis use.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fame in the Social Media Era

[00:00–07:32]

• Generational Fame Gaps:

  • Clay and Buck joke about their lack of familiarity with influencers and youth culture, as highlighted by their children calling them "unks" (slang for unhip uncles; [00:00–01:02]).
  • Buck observes that each social world now has its own celebrities, but they rarely cross into mainstream recognition as in the past ([01:02–03:22]):

    “Every world sort of universe has its own super famous people, but they don’t cross over in the same way that they did in the 80s and 90s when we had global superstars… We have a lot of islands of fame now and those islands of fame may not cross over at all.” — Buck Sexton [01:36]

  • Clay shares being dumbfounded by an Uber driver who couldn’t believe he didn’t know who Bad Bunny was ([02:33–03:22]).
  • Buck admits he didn’t realize Bad Bunny’s significance even after seeing him in a movie ([03:22–03:54]).

• Impact of Social Media:

  • Traditional paparazzi are “gone,” replaced by self-publicizing celebrities ([03:54–05:44]).
  • People can have massive followings in one demographic but remain unknown elsewhere—e.g., YouTube makeup stars drawing huge crowds ([03:54–05:44]).
  • Mr. Beast is discussed as an example of a celebrity who was huge among a niche youth audience before being acknowledged by the larger public ([05:44–07:32]):

    “My point on this is we have created a world where cultures don’t overlap all the time and where somebody can be super influential…” — Buck Sexton [06:53]

• Social Media Metrics:

  • Clay tells of a friend dating a Latin pop star with 60 million Instagram followers—a scale unheard of in conservative media ([07:32–07:49]).
  • General agreement that “what is fame and what is notoriety... has changed dramatically.” — Clay Travis [07:49]

2. Celebrity and Media Bias in Crime Reporting: Nancy Guthrie Case

[07:49–14:50]

• High-Profile Cases Get Disproportionate Attention:

  • Audience notes the Nancy Guthrie case is being overcovered due to Savannah Guthrie’s fame.
  • White House statement expressing concern and prayers for the Guthrie family is played ([08:42–09:11]).

• Experience of Being Falsely Detained:

  • Clay and Buck speculate on the anxiety of having one’s house searched by the FBI in the course of a high-profile investigation ([09:11–13:11]).

    "If the FBI shows up banging on my door, even if I know that there's no truth to it at all... I would be like, what's going on here? Is somebody trying to set me up?" — Clay Travis [12:09]

  • Soundbite from homeowner whose house was searched for the missing person:

    "They came up telling us that ... somebody gave a tip that [Nancy Guthrie] was in my house ... I told them, you can go in and search ... We don't have nothing to hide." — Unidentified Woman [10:55]

• Search Procedures and Rights:

  • Buck, as a legal professional, insists he wouldn’t allow a search without a warrant, due to concern over evidence mishandling or being set up.
  • Clay argues most people would let the FBI in due to pressure, even though asserting their rights is legally correct ([13:11–14:50]).

    “You're—now, you go from a person of interest to a person of suspicion pretty fast...” — Clay Travis [14:33]

3. Fragmented Influence and Digital Trends

[16:12–17:45]

• Weed vs. Alcohol: Shifting Social Habits:
  • Preview of upcoming interview with Alex Berenson about the surge in daily marijuana users (now outpacing alcohol users), especially among image-conscious younger generations ([16:12–16:45]).

    "One of the stats... most staggering to me was there are more daily users of weed than daily users of alcohol..." — Buck Sexton [16:41]

  • Clay theorizes this reflects a generation obsessed with appearance due to Instagram, TikTok, and fitness—alcohol is less compatible with those priorities ([16:45–17:45]).

4. The Epstein Files: Calls for Accountability

[19:30–33:10]

• Fatigue and Frustration with the Epstein Narrative:

  • Clay expresses exhaustion with ongoing coverage and demands for more transparency, noting most victims have received significant financial settlements ([19:30–21:56]):

    “The Epstein civil victims ... have been paid over a hundred million dollars in civil damages... If there are other men who victimized you, sue them. Name them.” — Clay Travis [21:39]

  • Clarifies that simply being named in a file doesn’t mean criminal activity; many are unfairly maligned for mere association ([21:56–22:19]).
  • Stresses reality of legal process—files will not yield “smoking gun” evidence; prosecution depends on victims identifying perpetrators ([23:56–25:02]).

    “The only way ... that there could be additional criminal charges brought, is if people who say they are victims share what they say they were victimized doing, who did it to them. And then there's an investigation.” — Buck Sexton [25:02]

• Reassessment of Trump's Ties to Epstein:

  • Both hosts reiterate Trump had minimal connection to Epstein, even reporting him to police at one point; most high-profile associates were Democrats ([26:41–27:59]):

    “[Trump] actually was a guy who was grossed out by Epstein just by his be[ing]... sleazy and slimy at parties.” — Clay Travis [27:19] “If you really want to make it a Democrat Republican issue... there's far more left-leaning Democrat supporters interacting on a regular basis with Jeffrey Epstein.” — Buck Sexton [27:59]

• Unresolved Accountability:

  • Hosts repeatedly argue the only way new charges arise is for alleged victims to publicly name perpetrators ([32:48–33:07]):

    “If you were victimized by someone, not Epstein, who is dead… tell everybody.” — Clay Travis [32:48]

  • NDAs are not a valid excuse; any judge would throw out an NDA used to shield criminal conduct ([31:49–32:14]).

    “The Epstein estate is not suing a single person for violating the non-disclosure agreements... they're not suing anybody.” — Buck Sexton [31:31]

5. Marijuana Attitudes – Preview

[34:28–37:03]

• Set-up for Alex Berenson Interview:

  • Clay and Buck disagree with a listener “William from Houston” (audio message at [36:13–36:41]) who calls them “totally out to lunch” on cannabis; they argue marijuana is more dangerous than portrayed.

    “I respectfully disagree, top to bottom. I think it's really bad and a really bad idea.” — Clay Travis [36:41]

• The episode closes with anticipation for a deeper, data-driven discussion on the impacts of widespread cannabis use.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Modern Fame:
  “We don't have the same recognition of fame as in the past ... we have a lot of islands of fame now, and those islands... may not cross over at all.”
  — Buck Sexton [01:36]

• On Legal Searches:
  “I'm not letting the FBI search my house for anything without a warrant... if the FBI shows up banging on my door... I'd be like, what's going on here? Is somebody trying to set me up?”
  — Clay Travis [12:09]

• On the Epstein Victims:
  “You are the victims. If people committed crimes, you are the victims. You have to bring the victimization to light and name your victimizers. Buck, what am I missing here?”
  — Clay Travis [22:19]

• On Trump's Ties to Epstein:
  “Trump, the guy who now we find out, was thanking the police for taking action on him… He wasn't doing any of this. Any of this criminal stuff. He just wasn't. It's very obvious.”
  — Clay Travis [26:41]

• On Cannabis Trends:
  “There are more daily users of weed than daily users of alcohol. And that has skyrocketed since we created legalization of weed in a way that...”
  — Buck Sexton [16:41]

• Listener Contrarian Take:
  “You guys are totally at the lunch on cannabis. The fact that cannabis use is increasing and it's more than alcohol is a really good thing...”
  — William, Houston listener [36:13]

Segment Timestamps

• [00:00–07:32] – The Fragmentation of Fame & Social Media’s Effect
• [07:49–14:50] – Celebrity Crimes: The Nancy Guthrie Case & FBI Search Rights
• [16:12–17:45] – Marijuana Surpasses Alcohol; Social Trends
• [19:30–33:10] – Epstein Files: Media Frenzy, Suing Perpetrators, Legal Realities
• [34:28–37:03] – Setting Up Next Hour on Cannabis Debate

Tone & Style

• Conversational and anecdotal, grounded in personal stories and audience engagement.
• Opinionated and occasionally combative—hosts debate and invite contrary opinions.
• Blending legal expertise (Buck’s lawyer background) with cultural commentary.
• Uses humor ("unks," “do it for Clay, do it for freedom”) to relate generational divides and media trends.

For listeners wanting succinct insight into how fame has splintered in the digital age, the interplay between celebrity and criminal justice coverage, and the ongoing Epstein discourse, this episode provides opinionated takes, legal analysis, and sharp commentary on evolving American culture.