The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 - A Gen Z’s Perspective

Date: February 9, 2026
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

This episode opens with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton recapping the latest headlines, including the still-unfolding Nancy Guthrie ransom story and highlights from the Super Bowl. The third hour pivots to cultural commentary centered on advertising, entertainment, and generational attitudes. The hosts tackle the aftermath of Bud Light's "woke" ad misstep, reactions to the Super Bowl halftime show featuring Bad Bunny, and broader themes of cancel culture and the shifting political winds among Gen Z. Reporter Ashley Brassfield of the Daily Caller joins for a Gen Z perspective on politics, sports, and music. Lively listener calls wrap the hour with candid takes and personal stories.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bud Light’s Brand Crisis and Patriotic Advertising

• Main Point:
  The Bud Light boycott, triggered by their partnership with a transgender influencer, is discussed as the "most consequential boycott" the hosts have seen.

• Super Bowl Ads:
  Clay notes Budweiser's attempt at rebound with over-the-top patriotic advertising:

  • “Budweiser had the most red-blooded, crazy patriotic ad that I have seen in a long time. It's a little bit ridiculous, but… it was like an America F. Yeah, crazy patriotic commercial.” (03:00)
  • Callers and hosts agree it was the best commercial amidst a lackluster ad slate, showing brands reacting to cultural pushback.

• Cultural Reflection:

  • “I do think that that is reflective of the cultural swing.” (03:41, Clay)

2. Cancel Culture: A Tale from the Bar

• Anecdote:
  Bar owner Danielle Jerinsky shares on social media about the impossibility of pleasing politically divided customers during the Super Bowl halftime show:

  • 80% favored Turning Point halftime, 20% wanted Bad Bunny. The minority took to social media to attack the business when not fully accommodated.
  • Clay says:
    • “The left, if they don't get what they want, tries to destroy you. The right just says, by and large, hey, we should have options.” (04:23)

• Buck’s Analysis:

  • “It's people that are unhappy with things… there is no space on the left for anything other than whatever the hive mind demands.” (05:20)
  • Segues into a plug for Buck’s book, ‘Manufacturing Delusion’, tying it to broader trends in intolerance and media indoctrination. (06:20)

3. Super Bowl Halftime Show: Language, Identity, and Accusations of Racism

• Hosts' main critique:
  The show should be in English “since most people in America speak English.” The conversation lampoons the idea of tailoring the show to a minority language and expands to hypothetical scenarios.

  • “The Super Bowl halftime show should be in English. Like, I don’t even see that as being controversial.” (08:45, Clay)
  • “Should the Super Bowl next year feature a Chinese pop band… the whole thing will be in Mandarin?” (09:03, Buck)

• Listener Pushback:
  Brad from Raleigh Durham calls in:

  • “A lot of times when you guys get on your rant, you sound racist, man… The whole thing with Bad Bunny was about the history of Puerto Rico.” (12:02, Brad)
  • Clay counters:
    • “Saying it should be in English is not racist… If your goal is to put on something that over 100 million people will enjoy, my suggestion would be you should do it in the language that most of the people watching are watching in.” (12:22, Clay)

• Cultural Institutions/Language:

  • “Major American cultural institutions should speak English.” (13:17, Clay)

4. Sports, Political Pressure, and Virtue Signaling

• Ashley Brassfield Interview: Gen Z’s Perspective

  • Voter ID:

    • Discussed the SAVE Act and Senate filibuster tactics.
    • “This would require a lot of time, a lot of standing, a lot of talking… but this is one of those options that they could utilize…” (19:37, Ashley)
    • On Democratic attitudes: “Around 80% agree with this legislation… just waiting to play the game with the Democrats to see if they'll cave…” (20:58, Ashley)

  • College Athletics & Virtue Signaling:

    • “The two most significant things from my time at University of South Carolina… Covid… [and] Black Lives Matter… we all had to sit down to talk about if we’re going to put a Black Lives Matter patch under our SEC patch… None of our team… were black… just a waste of time. Not something sports related, not academic related.” (25:16, Ashley)

  • Media Training for College Athletes:

    • Discusses how the media can steer athlete commentary for political angles.
    • “A lot of athletes are becoming aware that it’s not really what they’re being [asked], the sports media are to say what they want to say, but using your voice.” (24:09, Clay)

• Young Conservatives, Political Momentum & Culture:

  • “There is this essence of disappointment from Gen Z currently… They’re much more moderate in certain ways when it comes to cultural aspects…” (31:01, Ashley)
  • “I do think there’s still hope if they can get those affordability and domestic issues down. But I do think there is a lot of people in my generation that have kind of gone down the slope of disappointment to an extent.” (31:01–32:42, Ashley)

5. Music & Generational Taste: Screamo, Led Zeppelin, and Taylor Swift vs. The Beatles

• Halftime Show Musical Taste:

  • Ashley Brassfield:
    • “I think that Bad Bunny was not political in this performance. Besides saying, you know, God bless America as well as other Latin American countries. I do think that they have an issue with knowing their audience and what their audience wants.” (27:11, Ashley)

• Worst Music Genre:

  • Ashley: “I think… it’s screamo.” (28:42, Ashley)
  • Explains: “It’s the type of rock music where it’s just like complete screaming.” (28:54, Ashley)

• Taylor Swift vs. The Beatles:

  • Clay: “Taylor Swift is the Beatles of the 21st century.” (33:09, Clay)
  • Ashley: “Taylor Swift is an extremely talented performer… she’s been around since I was probably 8 years old. The amount of time she’s put in, she’s become very successful. So to an extent, I agree with you there. I think that as far as music skill, the Beatles might have something on her. But we'll see.” (33:24, Ashley)

6. Lighthearted Closers & Listener Stories

• Humor & Banter:

  • Caller jokes about Clay’s mustache resembling a 1970s adult film star. (35:21, Doug)

• Personal Impact:

  • Teacher recounts a former student whose classroom “stock market” project led his parents to buy Harley Davidson stock for him, which paid for college. (36:19, Barbara)

• Positive Note to End:

  • “Love it. Perfect. End of the show. Great job, Barbara. Speaking truth and having fun.” (36:40, Buck)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Budweiser had the most red-blooded, crazy patriotic ad that I have seen in a long time… a baby bald eagle… an America F. Yeah, crazy patriotic commercial.” (03:00, Clay)
• “The left, if they don't get what they want, tries to destroy you. The right just says, by and large, hey, we should have options.” (04:23, Clay)
• “[Leftists] have no room, there is no space on the left for anything other than whatever the hive mind demands.” (05:20, Buck)
• “Saying it should be in English is not racist… If your goal is to put on something that over 100 million people will enjoy… you should do it in the language that most of the people watching are watching in.” (12:22, Clay)
• “There's a sort of babyishness that I think is at the heart of it as well.” (06:30, Buck)
• “None of our team… were black… just a waste of time. Not something sports related, not academic related.” (25:16, Ashley)
• “I do think there’s still hope if they can get those affordability and domestic issues down. But I do think there is a lot of people in my generation that have kind of gone down the slope of disappointment to an extent.” (32:42, Ashley)
• "Taylor Swift is the Beatles of the 21st century." (33:09, Clay)
• "If you want the Turning Point halftime show on, you were able to track it down, but you weren't going to attack someone over having Bad Bunny on." (04:14, Clay)
• “What is the worst genre of music?” “I think… it’s screamo.” (28:42, Ashley)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Bud Light & Super Bowl Ads: 00:04–03:41
• Cancel Culture at the Bar: 03:41–05:20
• Halftime Show Language & “Racism” Accusations: 08:45–14:53
• Ashley Brassfield Interview: 19:15–34:07
  • Voter ID/Filibuster: 19:15–22:14
  • Sports/Education Virtue Signaling: 25:15–26:46
  • Gen Z Cultural Politics: 31:01–32:42
• Music Generations Debate: 33:09–34:00
• Lighthearted Call-ins/Closers: 35:11–36:46

Podcast Tone & Style

The conversation mixes earnest political and cultural discussion with tongue-in-cheek banter and playful sarcasm—a hallmark of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show. The episode balances critique of contemporary trends with listener interactivity, self-deprecating humor, and moments of genuine generational insight.

This summary provides a comprehensive reflection of the episode for listeners seeking an informative, entertaining breakdown of the key topics, guest contributions, and the show’s distinctive voice.