Hour 3 - Clay Deserves an Apology

Summary

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The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: Hour 3 – "Clay Deserves an Apology"

Date: July 31, 2026
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts
Main Guests: John Irwin (director, "Young Washington"), Megyn Kelly (clip)
Theme: Cancel culture, media hypocrisy, the aftermath of Clay Travis's infamous "First Amendment and boobs" comment, and the success of patriotic storytelling in film.

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Overview of the Episode

Hour 3 centers around Clay Travis revisiting the controversial 2017 CNN interview in which he declared, "I believe in only two things completely, the First Amendment and boobs," which sparked a media firestorm and became an early example of cancel culture. Clay and Buck analyze the incident with humor and indignation, reflecting on media hypocrisy—especially as the former CNN host Brooke Baldwin (involved in the original controversy) has since published much more explicit content. The episode transitions to a lively, engaging interview with filmmaker John Irwin about the breakout success of his historical drama "Young Washington" and the appetite for pro-American stories in the cultural landscape.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Revisiting the "First Amendment and boobs" CNN Incident

[02:06–16:20]

• Clay recalls his infamous 2017 CNN interview: On live TV, Clay made the now-viral statement about believing in the First Amendment and boobs; the clip played back for listeners.

• Buck and Clay discuss the fallout:

  • Clay notes how the comment was the “number one trending story in America,” with even his father-in-law hearing about it internationally ([05:09]).
  • Buck notes: "[They] tried to get me fired from every job that I had over that segment because I wouldn't apologize." ([07:17])
  • Internal CNN pressure is highlighted. Cancel culture, as both note, was nascent but already toxic:

    "Nobody ever wants an actual apology. They just want to cut your balls off." – Buck ([07:40]) "They want you to kneel and beg forgiveness so they can chop off your head..." – Clay ([07:56])

• Brooke Baldwin's role:

  • Buck and Clay speculate that execs pushed her to make the incident a feminist stand.
  • Clay insists, "I will never...trash [Brooke Baldwin] publicly." He relates CNN as a toxic, left-wing space.

• No Apology Principle:

  • Buck reflects: if he had apologized, he probably wouldn't have his current platform ([10:54]).

• Media hypocrisy:

  • Brooke Baldwin's subsequent career shift to writing explicit content on Substack is discussed, as is Megyn Kelly's takedown of the hypocrisy ([11:46–13:20]).

    • "You can't do both. You can't claim to be offended by me and then post a photo of yourself in a bra." – Buck ([14:48])

Media, Cancel Culture, and Gender Politics

[13:20–16:20]

• Hypocrisy in media values:

  • The co-hosts critique how moments are weaponized for career gain.
  • Clay and Buck joke about both being banned from CNN for not apologizing.

    • "[Ryan Girdusky] made a really funny pager joke and apologized because they told him... And look, we hired him and he's killing it." – Buck ([15:58])

• Stance on comedy and apologies:

  • They pride themselves on not bending the knee to forced outrage.

Discussion with John Irwin, Director of "Young Washington"

[22:22–36:53]

• Introduction of John Irwin
  • The segment shifts from cancel culture to culture-building through media.
  • Clay: "There is such still a hunger for great content out there." ([19:56])

The Making and Success of "Young Washington"

• Irwin describes "Young Washington":
  • Tells the origin story of George Washington, aiming to revive the American epic for the nation's 250th anniversary ([23:28–24:53]).
  • Success exceeded expectations—audiences are cheering and chanting "USA" in theaters.

  • "...The film was the best opening weekend in my career. And it's always good when you do more than the film costs in your opening weekend. It means you can make more films." – John Irwin ([23:28])

  • "There's lots of reports of people cheering after the movie and chanting USA." – John Irwin ([24:53])

• Clay's praise:
  • "Everyone I know who’s seen it has absolutely loved it." ([25:00])
  • Candid commentary about movie tastes and grading.

Film Culture and Sequels

• Drop-Offs in Movie Sequels:
  • Fun discussion: biggest drops in quality from original movies to sequels.
    • Buck nominates "Gladiator 2," Clay suggests "Jaws 2," Irwin mentions "Superman 4" ([26:00–27:10]).

    • "Films are hard, man. They're hard to make... making a great film is a miracle." – John Irwin ([27:10])

Revival of the Patriotic Epic

• Cycle of genres:

  • Irwin observes: "Genres go in this kind of cycle and then they come back and what brings them back is the audience. Your movie ticket is your vote." ([28:07])
  • He’s working on a "1776" film, describing it as America’s “crucible year” ([29:19]).

• Streaming and Wonder Project:

  • Wonder Project hosts "House of David" and other content, adding to Amazon Prime, aiming to revive faith and hope through storytelling ([32:10–35:56]).

The Power of Historical Storytelling

• Cultural significance:
  • Irwin: "We just don't know our origin story... America is still a new experiment, and it's pretty important, and it's ours to steward." ([29:19–31:44])
  • The hosts advocate for more films restoring pride and understanding in American history.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Cancel Culture:

• "Nobody ever wants an actual apology. They just want to cut your balls off."
  – Buck Sexton, [07:40]

• "They want you to kneel and beg forgiveness so they can chop off your head. That's the point."
  – Clay Travis, [07:56]

On Media Hypocrisy:

• "You can't do both. You can't claim to be offended by me and then post a photo of yourself in a bra."
  – Buck Sexton, [14:48]

On Making American Historical Films:

• "There's lots of reports of people cheering after the movie and chanting USA... so I'm very, very grateful."
  – John Irwin, [24:53]

• "Genres go in this kind of cycle and then they come back and what brings them back is the audience. Your movie ticket is your vote."
  – John Irwin, [28:07]

• "America is still a new experiment, and it's pretty important, and it's ours to steward."
  – John Irwin, [31:44]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:06] – Clay plays the infamous CNN "First Amendment and boobs" clip
• [07:17] – Discussion of forced apologies and cancel culture at CNN
• [10:54] – Buck on staying true to his principles and not apologizing
• [11:46] – Megyn Kelly addresses the hypocrisy of Brooke Baldwin
• [14:48] – Buck's summary quote on hypocrisy
• [22:22] – Interview with John Irwin begins
• [23:28] – Irwin explains the inspiration and success of "Young Washington"
• [26:00] – Fun debate: worst movie sequel drop-offs
• [28:07] – Irwin on the audience's power in shaping genres
• [29:19] – Announcement of a new "1776" film
• [31:44] – Irwin: America's experiment and the need for historic storytelling
• [32:10] – Discussion about the Wonder Project streaming platform
• [36:02] – Irwin offers to return for more movie talk
• [38:03] – Hosts wrap up with historical factoid about "The Last of the Mohicans" and urge weekend movie-going

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Tone & Style

Clay and Buck blend humor, righteous indignation, and a spirit of cultural defiance. There is locker-room camaraderie, but also a genuine desire to support positive change in the media landscape. Irwin’s segment brings earnestness, hope, and a deep love of American history and cinema.

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Final Thoughts

This episode offers a lively exploration of cancel culture’s absurdity, growing media hypocrisy, and the hunger for patriotic American storytelling. The candid conversation, name-checking, and pop culture references keep it light and lively, while Irwin’s interview inspires with a vision of renewed pride in America’s founding values—on and off the big screen.

Recommended for:
Anyone interested in media dynamics, free speech debates, or the revival of pro-American narratives in current culture, as well as fans of history and epic film.

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Transcript

[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

God's plans for you are for good. Be inspired.

[Megyn Kelly]

Get ready.

[Buck Sexton]

God is about to exceed your expectations. Joel Osteen Daily Podcast. You are coming out of that dry place into more than enough daily encouragement right when you need it. There are opportunities in your future bigger than you can imagine. Listen to the Joel Osteen Daily podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

[Joel Osteen]

This episode is brought to you by Navy Federal Credit Union. At Navy Federal they want you to know that if you need a positive sign towards achieving your goal of home ownership, this is it. Because even though today's housing market may seem discouraging, the Homebuyer's Choice Loan offers members down payment options as low as 0% with no required private mortgage insurance. Look for your sign today. Navy Federal Credit Union. Navy Federal is insured by NCUA Equal Housing Lender. Terms and conditions apply. Loans subject to approval and eligibility requirements. Learn [e-mail] Zerodown brought to you by Navy Federal Credit Union.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, maxing is so maxing right now bro. Get ready for Spicy chicken maxing because Carl's Jr. Is saving you big with a 5.99 maxed out double stack Double stack Double Stack Spicy Chicken sandwich seriously just $5.99 double stack spicy Chicken so max this is unreal value in the bromosphere. The new Spicy Chicken Max Wallet Friendly Max Tasty only at Carl's Jr available for a limited time at participating restaurants. Tax unincluded. Not valid for use within a combo or in combination with any other offered discount. Welcome in final hour of the week. Want to encourage all of you go subscribe to our page. Click like while you are there you can watch all three hours of video now Clay and Buck YouTube page. Click the live button up at the top of the page when you are subscribed, thousands more of you have been subscribing. Let's surge us over 150,000 subscribers. They're impressed with the audience. We certainly love all of you listening, no matter how you are choosing to listen, whether watching video and listening, whether on the Sirius XM channel, On our nearly 600am FM affiliates or on the podcast, we've had 14 hours of fun. Let's add one more before we head into the weekend. We've rolled this over a couple of times, Buck, but finally there isn't a crazy news story out there that is of the moment. And so I said I want to make sure that I give Megyn Kelly a shout out. And I also want to make sure, Buck, that I give your good friend Brooke Baldwin, formerly of cnn, an opportunity to come on the show and rehash a moment back in September of 2017. Buck, I believe this is the closest I have ever come for getting fired, which is ironic because it wasn't actually that controversial for saying anything out there of a public nature. This was September 15, 2017. It was a Friday, Buck. I remember it was a Friday because I told my wife I only have one more interview to do and then we're going to go out and we're going to take the kids out for pizza. And I sat down to do a CNN interview and this is what happened. This was the number one trending story in America. It's now been almost nine years. Listen, cut 38. I'm a First Amendment absolutist. I believe in only two things completely, the First Amendment and boobs. And so once they made the decision that they were not allowed. You believe in the First Amendment? Related commentary.

[Megyn Kelly]

They just want to make sure I heard you correctly.

[Buck Sexton]

As a woman anchoring the show. Do you say, what did you say

[Megyn Kelly]

you believe in the First Amendment and bwbs?

[Buck Sexton]

Boobs. Two things that have only never let me down in this entire country's history, the First Amendment and boobs. So those are the only two things I believe in absolutely. In the country. I just want to make sure I'm hearing you correctly. B O Z or B O O B S. Because as a woman, I'm as in boobs. I believe completely in the First Amendment and in boobs. Those are the only two things I believe 100% in in this country. And by the way, Jamel has absolutely nothing to do with the background

[Joel Osteen]

live

[Buck Sexton]

on national television and with a female host. I say it live on the radio all the time because it's true. And that's what I do because I like boobs. And the First Amendment, which is exactly what I said. Okay, so that was the number one trending story in all of America. Buck. I got a call from my father in law. You've talked about CNN International. They were leading CNN International. He was in Europe on vacation and he woke up and he saw his son in law on this interviews. Number one story everywhere.

[Clay Travis]

Boobs isn't even, it's not even like a naughty word really. And we're just describing. I, I also don't all straight guys generally. Aren't they usually very pro Boobs?

[Buck Sexton]

Yes. I mean, and by the way, if

[Clay Travis]

you watch it, I'm actually surprised at the outrage is what I'm trying to. That, that it generated outrage like this at the time. I vaguely remember this. I was in the Blaze newsroom when you did this and I was like, yeah, the guy, like, just so you know, I didn't even remember your name at the time or anything. But I'm like, some guy said he likes boobs. Whatever. It wasn't, I think a normal person hears that. They go, yeah, whatever. So he's having some. You laughed a little bit. You're having some fun on cnn.

[Buck Sexton]

I mean, I use that phrase all the time. Because if you say you're a First Amendment absolutist, people don't really know what that means. Right. They're like, what is absolutism like? And so I would say it in a funny way on my radio show and you know, it kind of got, oh, you can be a little bit, a little bit controversial, very minor controversy, but it makes people smile and they get it. She obviously did not get it. Now, you had behind the scenes knowledge of this, you think? And I again, I would love to hear from her nine years later because they tried to fire me. She wrote an entire article on CNN.com that ended with not in Donald Trump's America Today. You don't talk to women like this. This is completely unacceptable. Our boss, Julie Talbot, to her credit was like, I've heard far worse. And you know, she's still our boss, by the way.

[Clay Travis]

That is, that is the normal person reaction. I've heard like, that's not that bad. I've heard like, come on, boobs.

[Buck Sexton]

But they tried to get me fired from every job that I had over that segment because I wouldn't apologize. So why.

[Clay Travis]

Oh, wait, did they. I didn't know this. They demanded an apology.

[Buck Sexton]

Oh, yes. Everybody was like, you have to go apologize because that was so offensive.

[Clay Travis]

Having hung out with you now for five years, I could have told them, no chance you're getting an apology. No chance.

[Buck Sexton]

First of all, this is in the midst of the, the beginning of cancel culture before it had completely taken off. Nobody ever wants an actual apology. They just want to cut your balls off. That's all they want. Got to be graphic sometimes.

[Clay Travis]

This is where you and I, that's how you said. I say they want you to kneel and beg forgiveness so they can chop off your head. That's the point. They're not actually going to forgive you. So yes, your way is also offended

[Buck Sexton]

either which you might be saying, okay, well that was nine years ago. How is this coming up? So Brooke Baldwin is no longer at cnn. Pause for a sec. Do you think somebody was in her ear saying, this is your moment, lean into this. Like as a woman, you're the. I am feminist. Hear me roar. You have to stand up to this like misogynist.

[Clay Travis]

Absolutely. Yeah. Yes. But let me step back here for a second. This is where the transparency thing comes in. When I was, I did CNN for a number, a number of years mostly because I was at the Blaze and nobody at the Blaze was allowed to be a contributor at Fox at the time. And so I would do some Fox for free.

[Joel Osteen]

But you.

[Clay Travis]

No one was allowed to be a Blaze person because Glenn had left Fox and be at least not that I was aware of at the time. Nobody was able to do both. And so I would do CNN too. So I've never been paid a dollar by Fox News. That was their decision. CNN was like, we'll have you on to talk about terrorism. The only anchor at CNN who was kind to me was Brooke Baldwin.

[Buck Sexton]

You like personally based on your interaction.

[Clay Travis]

And I will never, when someone is kind to me personally, I'm never going to trash them publicly. I'm never going to pretend that, you know, that they weren't a good person to me. All she was always very good to me. We got along well. And so that's. So just to be clear, that's my position or rather that's my perspective on this because I also know that that place was full of nasty left wing scumbags, particularly in the executive producer chairs on a lot of these shows. And I had some, I crossed swords with them in a, you know, a number of times over the years there. I got called into an EP's office once to be dressed down because I was too aggressive arguing with one of their like preferred left wing contributors. I smoked him. But you know the problem is if you did well there also, by the way, Clay, they wouldn't have you back on that show. But I think that somebody was telling her at the time, you know, you got to really. You got to really hammer this a little bit. And I think it's hard for women at CNN because they weren't all. It wouldn't have been a cool thing to do to say that. There was a tremendous amount of, believe it or not, there was a lot of, like, sexism and, and bad stuff going on behind the scenes at cnn. You've heard of it at other places. You know, Matt Lauer, and there's been a lot of Fox settlements and everything. Yeah, CNN was also a toxic place with that. So I, you know what I'm saying? I, I feel like I've tried now, just for full, full disclosure, to reach out. I have reached out to Brooke. I've invited her to come hang out with us. I call it a beer summit, even though I don't like beer. But we'd all hang out and talk and sort of bury the hatchet with Clay and Brooke. And I feel like you guys would actually get along well if you got to hang out with each other. She left CNN basically because she said, Jeff Zucker's a scumbag, by the way. I mean, that was essentially the. Which is true, certainly.

[Buck Sexton]

I would, I would love those stories if she were interested to share them. I, look, I'm doing well, but I, but partly, I do think if I had apologized, I don't think I'd be talking probably to you guys right now. I think it would have, ultimately they would have realized, oh, this guy, if you come after him, he'll bend the knee. He'll let you make him apologize for things that he did that he doesn't think you need to apologize for. Why does this come up, you might be asking. Well, Brooke Baldwin, as Buck said, is no longer at cnn. She now has a substack, substack writing site. What is she writing about her sex life, Buck. And it's a lot more graphic than talking about whether or not you like boobs. And here is our friend Megyn Kelly, who had a discussion about this on her show cut 37. I appreciate Megan having my back.

[Megyn Kelly]

Listen, her hypocrisy stands because this is the same person who went after Clay Travis. And now we've learned more about that incident. He was on her show at CNN and said he believes in two things, the First Amendment and boobs. And she, as it turns out, after that happened, wrote this long piece on CNN.com playing this virtuous card of how horrified she was at Clay Travis and painting herself as the hero. Men and women, men and women. They both applauded me. And then I got notes like, from Pat Benatar. Omg, nice job cutting him right off. Clay Travis will never be coming back on my show, ever. And she says he was demeaning to her. I mean, rather than just like laughing it off and being like, literally every man out there loves boobs. All the straight men in the world feel as Clay Travis does. He was having some fun. He was making a funny joke. But she takes herself so seriously, she had to have her feminist moment.

[Clay Travis]

So you're putting me in a spot here, buddy. Because Megan is also by far the, when she was at Fox, the kindest anchor to me, really the only one who went out of her way to, during my career to be helpful to me. I mean, I've said this before, but I mean, I will fall on my sword for Megan Kelly. She's been a great friend and mentor. And so I got nothing but love for Megyn Kelly. So I'm just sitting here like, I, I'm gonna let you take it from here, man. I love Megan. Look, and I'm just, I'm stepping back and letting you talk about the first amendment and boobs.

[Buck Sexton]

Well, look, here's what I would say in general. Why is this instructive so, so many people will try to take advantage of whatever minor leverage they have such that they have no core values in media. That when she thought, I can play the feminist card, I'm going to be the victim. If Clay Travis loses his job, it elevates my career. She was willing to play it. Now at 45 years old, no longer on television, I'm guessing her age. I don't know exactly how old she is. She will play the 40something woman, Carrie. What was the woman's name? Carrie Bradshaw back in the day. The one who's on Sex in the City. She's trying to be a modern day Carrie Bradshaw and write all about the sex. She wrote about four different men she slept with in the last month, according to Megyn Kelly clip. I haven't read her substack. So now she is, oh, I'm gonna write all about my sex life. She's posing on her substack in a bra, right? Drawing attention to her boobs to try to sell more substack subscriptions. Again, all about whatever you want to do to make a living, but you can't do both. You can't claim to be offended by me and then post a photo of yourself in a bra. Trying to sell more subscriptions a lot of times probably to men who like to look at your boobs.

[Clay Travis]

You said you like bringing people over to your side. I think it's fair to say that she also agrees that she likes boobs or that boobs are useful and good.

[Buck Sexton]

She's actually doing her entire career now based on the boobs in the First Amendment. So she has an invite to come on the program. But I do think this is just something for everybody out there.

[Clay Travis]

Why'd you go on her shit? Can I just complain about this? Why do you go on her show to do this? Okay. I'm telling you, she was the nicest and most normal Clay.

[Buck Sexton]

That was the only place I got invited. You think that I.

[Clay Travis]

The. I mean, why couldn't you call any of the others? There's such jerks on all those shows. Go on Tapper show.

[Buck Sexton]

He would have cried nine years ago.

[Joel Osteen]

Do you think?

[Buck Sexton]

I wasn't like, I was like, hey, do I want to go do Maddow? Do I want to do. Like, I don't have a booker. I'm just like, somebody sends me an email and I'll sit down in front of a camera and talk. So I, at that time had. I think that was like the first time I ever did cnn.

[Clay Travis]

Really?

[Buck Sexton]

First and last. Wow. First and last.

[Clay Travis]

You got banned. Banned right away. You know what's funny? You know Ryan Gardusky, who's crushing it on our podcast?

[Buck Sexton]

Yes.

[Clay Travis]

Sometimes I forget that you are. You guys are two of the only people I know officially banned from cnn. Officially banned.

[Buck Sexton]

And I will say this, and I told Girdusky, when we had him on, he made a really, I thought, funny pager joke at Mehdi Hassan's expense, and he apologized because they told him, you need to apologize. And look, we hired him and he's killing it.

[Clay Travis]

The only way we hired him the week after CNN banned him, to be clear.

[Buck Sexton]

So we, We.

[Clay Travis]

We stand on principle here, folks.

[Buck Sexton]

I wish he had just said, I'm not going to apologize as a joke. And you run a lot of joke comedy ridiculousness without apologizing all the time. That's the only thing I would have changed about it. But they made him leave the show right then and there for the joke, I mean, and they banned me for life. I haven't been back on CNN since the one part of your home. But that's the update. Nine years later, she now is a firm proponent of the First Amendment and boobs. The one part of your home where maintenance cannot be deferred is your roof. When your roof needs repair, you're on a time clock. You need an honest inspection and a plan to fix the problem. Getting in touch with Erie home is your first move Erie Home 50 year old established company specializes in making sure the roof on your house is in excellent shape. They'll inspect your roof for any problems free of charge using a 25 point inspection they've developed over many years in business. If your roof needs replacement, Erie Home offers all kinds of options, including newer metal materials made to mimic the look of the roof you have now. Whether that's a shingle roof, wood shake barrel tiles, your new roof will look great and last up to two or three times longer than traditional shingle roofs with proper care and maintenance. Your new roof from Erie Home comes with a 50 year transferable warranty, so if you sell your home, you're providing even more value in the sales process. Schedule your free inspection at ErieHome.com Clay today and save up to twelve hundred dollars in discount use. E R I E Home.com Clay that's ErieHome.com Clay discount maximized at twelve hundred dollars valid on new roofing installations only. Minimum purchase required and restrictions apply. C rep for warranty or promotional details

[Clay Travis]

when hanging, you're not just learning, you're

[Buck Sexton]

also laughing, playing buck. Just preset them on the iHeart the Joel Osteen Daily Podcast. God's plans for you are for good. Be inspired. Get ready. God is about to exceed your expectations. Joel Osteen Daily Podcast. You are coming out of that dry place into more than enough daily encouragement right when you need it. There are opportunities in your future bigger than you can imagine. Listen to the Joel Osteen Daily podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

[Joel Osteen]

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[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, maxing is so maxing right now, bro, get ready for spicy chicken maxing because Carl's Jr. Is saving you big with a 5.99 maxed out double stack double stack double stack spicy chicken sandwich. Seriously, just 5.99 double stack spicy chicken. This is unreal value in the bromosphere. The new spicy chicken Max wallet friendly Max Tasty only at Carl's Jr available for a limited time at participating restaurants. Tax not included. Not valid for use within a combo or a combination with any other offered discount.

[Clay Travis]

Welcome back into Clay and Buck. Going to be talking to the director of Young Washington here coming up in a few minutes. I'm excited about. There is such still a hunger for great content that is out there in the. In the TV and movie space. Clay is going to be going to see the Spider man movie, which people. People, some people are saying it's very good. So. So that would be a good thing to do. And I think that we're going to start to see an increase, Clay, in content from independent studios that's just meant to appeal to Americans, which is great.

[Buck Sexton]

Look, I mean, this is what's been so frustrating about culture in general. We just had that conversation about trying to cancel people because you don't like what they're saying, which they tried to do at cnn. The numbers don't lie, right? What people like is universal. Not preaching, not propaganda. Just let me go to a movie and feel better about the world when I leave it. That's what most people want. And I'm hoping that Spider man movie is going to have that feel. I've heard that Young Washington does. We'll find out whether it's available on streaming yet. Because I told you, Buck, I streamed that Disclosure Day movie the other day. I streamed He Man. I streamed. Let me tell you this, the he

[Clay Travis]

man movie you said is absolutely horrible.

[John Irwin]

Right?

[Clay Travis]

Get it. Get on the record that you don't

[Buck Sexton]

like every movie I will give out. The he man movie was truly awful.

[Clay Travis]

And is it an F?

[Buck Sexton]

It's like a D. It was. It was long, man. It was like 45 minutes too long.

[Clay Travis]

And by the way, I give out Fs like candy. Clay. Clay will not give out it. I'm like the mean teacher in the high school. Clay's like, it's a D. I'll pass him.

[Buck Sexton]

It wasn't woke. I think they tried to make it somewhat, you know, sarcastic and it just. I loved he man as a kid.

[Clay Travis]

The he man movie was the Masters of the Universe movie with Dolph Lundgren at, like, peak steroid era. He was great. He was great.

[Buck Sexton]

You know what else is great? Clay travis law.com because we can take care of you no matter what you might need a lawyer for. Think about this for a minute. Thousand Fauci had $6,000 plus hour thousand dollar plus an hour lawyer showing up at his hearing. How many of you can afford big time legal help? Whether you're hurting a car, truck, motorcycle, rideshare whether you're hit by a storm, tornado, hurricane, hail, wind, fire, denied, delayed, lowballed by insurance companies out there harmed by a dangerous drug, defective medical advice, toxic chemical, unsafe product. We're here to help with all of them. Them. All you need to do is go to clay travislaw.com it's free. Clay travislaw.com 877-222-4444 welcome back in Clay and Buck. We are joined now by John Irwin. He is with the director of Young Washington and he is with Wonder Projects and he also used to live down the street from me. He doesn't live very far away now splits his time between the Nashville area and la. First, let's start here. Tremendous congrats for the success of Young Washington. For people out there in this audience that have not seen it yet, what should they know about it and what can you tell us about that success?

[John Irwin]

Well, first I'm, they should know that I'm incredibly grateful for the audience coming to the film in ways that really surprised the industry once again, shouldn't be a surprise, but the film was the best opening weekend in my career. And it's always good when you do more than the film costs in your opening weekend. It means you can make more films. But we wanted to make a film on the origin story of George Washington. I had fallen in love with that story many years ago and just the story of the American Revolution and, and I got uncontrollably curious, read many books and the early part of his life I just felt like was this untold story and was this adventure and this kind of rite of passage, hero's journey. And I love those stories that I created the show House of David on Amazon and so I love these kind of heroic rises. And so we wanted to make it for the 250th anniversary of America and I just, you know, I hope that there's a return of the American epic and the American story in theaters. And so it was just I'm so grateful that the film did so well. It's still in theaters now and, and it's been a, it's been a Magical Run. And I'm incredibly grateful for the audience, and I'm especially grateful for it. There's lots of reports of, like, people cheering after the movie and chanting usa and, you know, all the things that you hope when you make a movie like this. So. So I'm very, very grateful.

[Clay Travis]

Well, John, we're really pleased that it has gone so well. We love seeing stories like this told in a way that will get people cheering at the end and celebrating history while learning about our history. It's fantastic. It's something that's a topic honestly, we discuss frequently here on the show and the desire for more films like this. When I was reading the synopsis and it's still in theater, so anybody out there who wants to go, just go find the closest one to you. And everyone I know who's seen it has absolutely loved it. So. And John, that's coming from the guy on the show who's always yelled at for saying that all the movies out there are bad. So I'm just letting you know, everyone.

[John Irwin]

Yeah, I just. I came in briefly on the. On the D's and the F's and I'm like, what are some movies I'm made of questions now.

[Clay Travis]

Oh, Gladiator 2. Gladiator 2, which Clay said was like, not that bad. I said, clay, that thing was gouge my eyes out with it with a rusty spoon.

[John Irwin]

Think about it as like going to a theme park like Universal and riding some rides. And that being the experience, it wasn't all that bad

[Clay Travis]

because he's also a filmmaker.

[John Irwin]

Interesting.

[Buck Sexton]

This is what I was going to say. John, this is. You're the perfect person here. We had a huge debate. So many people wrote in their great opinions. You've probably seen basically every movie and you can analyze it not only as a guy who likes to watch movies, but also as someone who has made them. We were debating what is the biggest drop off between something that was really good, right. A great first movie to a sequel. Buck went with Gladiator 2 because Gladiator obviously was an amazing film. I ultimately went with. I think my final solution or final choice was Jaws to Jaws 2. To you, as someone who loves movies, what were you most disappointed in the drop off from an amazing first film to a sequel where you were just like, oh, this left me just utterly crushed.

[John Irwin]

Man, What a question. I don't know why, like Superman, Christopher Reeves, Superman 4 comes to mind or what the one of them there was like a tremendous cliff. There was like one that was really good. Second one was pretty Good. And then when Dick Donner was like, there was a big.

[Buck Sexton]

The drop off of Godfather, right? Godfather one and two was, were both amazing. Godfather three, it was like you drove off the side of a cliff.

[John Irwin]

Yeah, films are hard, man. They're hard to make. It's. It's much more of an act of will than it is an act of creativity. And I do like this quote from the director of Dune. He says, making a film is easy. Making a good film is war. Making a great film is a miracle. So I think there's something magical like Gladiator you mentioned, you know, they were writing the script as they made that movie and it just came together in a magical way. And so, yeah, it's. We say in our industry, if we knew how to make hit films, that's all we'd make.

[Clay Travis]

You know, John, if you know a couple of guys, if you knew a couple of guys who really loved history and, I don't know, maybe they had an idea for a American history based screenplay that they were going to write. Like, who would they talk to about this? Who can get these kind of movies made these days?

[John Irwin]

Well, again, the audience can get these movies made. And that's why I'm grateful. I mean, ultimately, when a movie does well in genre, especially a dormant genre, there's more movies made. Like I made a movie called. In 2018, my brother released a movie called I Can Only Imagine. And there was an article that said, you know, the music biopic is dead. These movies don't work well. Imagine was the number one independent film of the year and wildly exceeded our expectations. And then a few other, like Bohemian Rhapsody and some other movies worked. And then now there's. It's absurd to think that, I mean, now Michael is the, is a billion dollar film. And you know, so genres go in this kind of cycle and then they come back and what brings them back is the audience. Your movie ticket is your vote. And so that's why I'm so excited about Washington performing so well in theaters. You know, I really hope that the American story is reborn.

[Clay Travis]

Do you have already? I mean, if I were you. Sorry, sorry. John, I'm. We're so excited to talk to you. I mean, to cut you off. But if I were you, with the success of this, I'd be like, hey, there's this really cool guy that I want to write about Davy Crockett or I want to, you know, there's like, is that already percolating or are you maybe just going to go, I'm working

[John Irwin]

on a 1776 movie right now, which is an ensemble, but another great chapter. And it's just. I mean, it's the. It's the year. It's our crucible year, you know, and as a country, incredible story. I mean, people don't understand. Like, the largest amphibious fleet ever, simple assembled in the history of the world up to that time, filled with, like, Hessian mercenaries, like trained professional soldiers, were sent here to crush our little rebellion. And our declaration of independence was an act of madness, if you look at it in any way logically. And so it's like the ultimate underdog story. And so I wanted to announce that just because I was afraid after the first weekend of Washington, because Washington really well, that somebody else would announce the 1776 movie. And I'm like, don't. Kind of like Tom Cruise in Far and Away when he's like, this is my land by and destiny, you know, so that's the one I'm working on. But my hope is that other filmmakers, you know, will tell stories. I think so much of the problems that we have in America right now are the fact that we just don't know our origin story. We don't know how unique the American experiment is, how much it matters on the world stage. And I think when you take a minute to study our history in any form, you know, you're kind of filled. At least for me, I was filled with a sense of awe and wonder and gratitude and stewardship. And we shoot House of David in Greece. I'm fixing to go there to start shooting season three. And you realize everything in America is really young. We're shooting at castles over there, some of the same castles that Nolan filmed on Odyssey and we did last season. This season, 2,500 years old. And so when you read American history, you realize, oh, this is still a new self government is this new experiment. And it's pretty important, and it's ours to steward. And so my hope is that, at least my part, we all have a role to play, is to tell these stories in film and television, and I hope many other people do. But the way they're told and the way genres come back is the audience has to speak clearly and say, we want more of this. And then that genre returns, you know, until it's bludgeoned to death, like superhero films. But my hope is that the American epic will make a comeback.

[Buck Sexton]

So couple parter here. Wonder project. You just mentioned the House of David, which is on Amazon Prime Video. It sounds like you're working on season two. How many do you project there? And then I was going to follow up with what you were saying about 1776. Do you see that? I mean, obviously historically it is. Is it a sequel in your mind to Young Washington or they distinct films? How would you assess that?

[John Irwin]

Well, I mean, obviously it's far enough in the future that, that it would be a completely different cast. But, but although William was wonderful in the role and as best cast I've ever worked with, you know, Serpent Kingsley, Celtic Grammar and Andy Serkis and Mary Louise Parker and, and, and on and on. But. But it's definitely one of the next great chapters in Washington's life. And so however you want to look at it, it's the next part of the story that I want to tell. And, and I just think Washington was such an interesting figure to study and who the man beneath the myth was and, and how he was forged through hardship and failure and risk and adventure. You kind of have to explore the story in multiple chapters, you know, and so 1776 is just the next one that I'm. That year, kind of that defining year is the next one that I'm really passionate about. So it's definitely another chapter in his life. And I can't wait to. It's an epic in every sense of the word and so it's going to take a little while to make, but I can't wait to. We're in the development and writing stage right now and I can't wait to make it. One thing Wonder Project is House of David is streaming on Wonder Project as our other shows. We're doing content with Sight and Sound productions, which I really like. They made a great film called Great Awakened Awakening and their stage plays are epic. And we're, we're streaming those and it's a channel that same way you add on HBO or Paramount, you can add on Wonder to your. To your prime subscription. That's where you can see the shows and then shows like House of David then go globally around the world and, and you know, after. After they're exclusive on our channel.

[Clay Travis]

And so you sort of strayed there for a second. And what I wanted to ask you about, John, which is so I, I am the curmudgeon who. I'm just not good about going to movie theaters. I love supporting great movies. I love movies, but people talk, they annoy me, whatever. That's just who I am. Clay's Clay is the sociable one. So you said there will be an opportunity, like I would play.

[Buck Sexton]

I will.

[Clay Travis]

I'll pay, you know, $30 or whatever it is just to be able to stream Young Washington at home. Is there going to be a way to see it in the future in that. In that way? Have you already determined that? How does.

[John Irwin]

Oh, yeah. We haven't announced the date yet because it's still doing well in theaters. But it will be on Wonder on. On prime, what will be its first streaming window.

[Buck Sexton]

Of course, you'll be able to buy

[John Irwin]

it, you know, everywhere you buy movies, but you can also stream it on Wonder on Prime.

[Clay Travis]

I'm gonna buy your movie. I'm just gonna say it. I'm gonna buy your movie because I. Clay, there's always somebody.

[John Irwin]

You know, what's interesting about your DNF comparison is sometimes there's a absolutely different experience based off where you watch it. That's one of the amazing things about movies, is when you watch a movie in theaters, you have this different experience with it than you watch at home. Movies that are truly great hold up in both places, but some movies are. You know, I saw Gladiator 2 on opening weekend in a theater, and I'm like, this is a fun ride. I don't know if it was a movie, but it was fun. And, you know, I'm saying. And so it's just interesting how you have a different experience.

[Buck Sexton]

I didn't have an issue with it, John, you got great taste, clearly. I was like, hey, you know, it's not supposed to be anywhere near as

[John Irwin]

good as a Minecraft movie. Like, I don't even know what this is. But my kids had fun and I like Jared and it's funny and we sang the songs for weeks afterwards. So it's an interesting thing how a movie is an experience and people experience it differently and. And it's the privilege of a lifetime to entertain. I just. The fact that millions of people have come to see Washington and seen it in a theater and left their home, it's amazing. And we'll see it at home. You can see it at home. I love those people, too. But. But it's. It's like, it's amazing to think that, that, that these stories move people. And I, and, you know, we. We believe that the right story can change your life. And at wonder, we talk about stories that restore faith and things worth believing in, you know, and America is just one of those things, you know, for me and. And I hope for the audience as well.

[Clay Travis]

Go check out Young Washington, everybody. It's awesome. It's in theaters. Send us your. If you ever need a third party

[John Irwin]

commentary, like a guest, you know movie like let's talk about movies. I am. I am at your service. That sounds like a fun conversation.

[Clay Travis]

Well, I think you have to get Clay's Lois and Clark mov and then you guys are going to be best buddies.

[Buck Sexton]

Lewis and Clark.

[John Irwin]

But I was second person in the last two weeks that has mentioned this story. So there's something in the.

[Buck Sexton]

I want Lewis and Clark done.

[Clay Travis]

Lewis and Clark. Sorry, not maybe low.

[John Irwin]

Did Lois break up Lewis and Clark? Is that a love triangle? Is that.

[Clay Travis]

Well, Dean Cain to be fair has asked us to do a little little side project for him in the movie side recently. So he is on. He is on the mind here. But John, welcome anytime. Congrats on all the success. Next time you got a great American history movie coming out or anything, come right here because our people are gonna love it. They're gonna go out and see the movie. So thank you.

[John Irwin]

Yeah, thank you so much.

[Clay Travis]

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[Buck Sexton]

It's like having your house at the perfect temperature all the time. Preset Clay and Buck on the Iheart app.

[Clay Travis]

Closing up shop on Clay and Buck. Before we go off for the weekend, I hope a lot of you will go check out that young Washington movie. I didn't get to history content.

[Buck Sexton]

Nerd out that we did a little

[Clay Travis]

more film talk with John, the writer of it who was just with us. But Clay, not enough French and Indian War content out there was a really fascinating period of history. Really important to understand our revolution. If you want to really understand it, you kind of have to know a bit about the French and Indian War because there's a lot of stuff that bled over into it last. The Mohicans is the one so great that's a to me that's. And that's. That almost goes in that like perfect movie category. I don't think it. There's really nothing about it I would change or that bothered me. It's a really. The music is incredible. The performances are amazing. It was actually all filmed, I think, or at least the like the scenery was North Carolina, right near where they filmed Dirty Dancing, in fact, in the Lake Lure area.

[Buck Sexton]

Yeah, I didn't film Dirty Dancing in, in North Carolina. I knew. I knew the Mohicans was filmed in like the Great Smoky Mountains area on North Carolina.

[Clay Travis]

So it's a, you know, if Dirty Dancing's in like that, it's called Lake Lure and there's a. A famous kind of lodge which is where Dirty Dancing was, you know, or, you know, resort. And then the surrounding mountains is what they used for alas Mohicans. I think I'm pretty sure that's right. But yeah, it's a great movie. So what else you got for us, Clay? We got one minute to tell everybody all the amazing things they need to know before we basically just send them off to have a fantastic weekend to rest and recuperate before they come back with us and save the Republic on Monday.

[Buck Sexton]

That's a pretty good tease. We're going to be doing more and more awesome, unique things for the YouTube channel, including our friend Aaron Wexler, who is having a lot of success on the comedy circuit. She's very funny. We're going to do something unique on Monday. We're going to interview her near the end of the program and then we will continue with a YouTube exclusive continuation version that you can find if you go subscribe at Clay and buck on the YouTube channel. You can watch us every single day for three hours. You can find us everywhere on the radio stations and on the podcast. But we're excited about all that. I'm going to go see legitimately. I'm going to be on Martha McCollum show on Fox News legitimately in five minutes or so. And then I am running straight downstairs because I am headed to go watch the new Spider Man Buck. So we'll see whether the new Spider man movie is good or not. My 11 year old is ecstatic.

[Clay Travis]

We're going to get a review from

[Buck Sexton]

you on Monday over my 11 year old. I and the wife were headed to Superman. To Spider Man. Have a great weekend.

[Clay Travis]

That's it. Have a great weekend, everybody. We will miss you.