The Joy Reid Show

Episode: On TJRS’ 6 Month Birthday: Netflix & Chaos | The Joy Reid Show LIVE!

Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Joy-Ann Reid
Podcast Theme: Current events in news, politics, and culture, delivered with insight, wit, and a strong focus on equity, activism, and community.

Overview of the Episode

This episode is a special celebration of both Joy-Ann Reid’s birthday and the six-month anniversary of The Joy Reid Show, featuring surprise guest appearances from friends and media colleagues. In addition to the celebration, Joy dives into political news including AT&T axing DEI efforts, Trump’s FIFA “Peace Prize,” looming war crimes, a complex Netflix/Warner Bros. bidding saga, Texas politics, and the continued power struggle over U.S. media and democracy. The show blends sharp analysis, incisive humor, deep dives into policy, and supportive camaraderie among trailblazing Black women in media.

Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. Celebrating TJRS’ Six-Month Birthday and Joy’s Birthday

• [00:43] Joy enthusiastically opens with a “black version” of Happy Birthday, celebrating both her personal birthday and the show’s six months on air.
• Reflects on show origins and growth since June 9, 2025, starting with Amber Ruffin as first guest, then interviewing a range of prominent mayors, political figures, and culture leaders.
• Quote: “We’ve done really great stuff, so I’m very proud. So happy birthday to me and also happy birthday to the Joy Reid Show.” (02:36)
• Calls for community building: “Tell a friend, tell a foe, just to piss them off and make sure that everybody hits like, and subscribe and joins our little team.” (03:20)

2. Bad News First: AT&T Ends DEI, National Parks on Black Holidays

• [04:28] Joy criticizes AT&T’s decision to end Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, questioning whether consumers should support companies that “don’t care about diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
• [05:23] Notes that free admission on Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been removed from national parks, wryly remarking, “No more getting into the national parks free on the Black holidays. Only the white holidays.”
• On political transparency: “They’re just being very blatant. I kind of appreciate the clarity.” (05:51)
• Sets up the necessity—and opportunity—to mock regressive moves and the Trump regime’s targeting of minority communities.

3. Mocking Trump's FIFA “Peace Prize”

• [06:32] Joy provides hilarious, biting commentary on Trump receiving a made-up “FIFA Peace Prize” from the notoriously corrupt sports organization.
• Describes the award as “hideous,” symbolizing clutching hands “coming out of hell to try to clutch the gold and drag the earth back down into the abyss.” (07:46)
• Connects FIFA and Trump through shared histories of “decades and decades of deep corruption.”
• Ridicules the right for accepting unearned participation trophies—contradicting meritocracy rhetoric used to attack DEI.
• Quote: “The right does not believe in merit. They believe in people who look like them and who profess to be Christians. Like them, but only their kind of Christian, not the Jesus kind.” (16:36)
• Satirical “Make a Wish” kid riff: “The world is treating Trump like a Make a Wish kid… What do you want to do, Donald? I want a Nobel Peace Prize… Who out there can get a Peace Prize? Infantino, can you make a peace prize for Donald? He really wants it.” (19:45)

4. War, Cabinet Cronyism, and Hypocrisy

• [18:11] Joy pivots to the Trump administration’s aggressive militarism—specifically war-mongering with Venezuela and war crimes at sea.
• Points out hypocrisy: “The fact that Donald Trump… proved his DEI bullshit to be bullshit by accepting that award. Because if he really believed in merit… he didn’t… it was identity politics.” (15:24)
• Explores how the Trump regime’s cabinet is stacked with unqualified loyalists, not on merit but on identity and allegiance—undercutting their own anti-DEI narratives.

5. Spotlight: Sponsors Supporting Women’s Rights and Religious Freedom

• [22:11] Shout-out to MSI Reproductive Choices, “helping young women in countries where they cannot get access to reproductive care.”
  • “For $65, that would provide contraception for 10 women for a full year.” (23:16)
• [66:50] Endorsement of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which fights for secular democracy, especially timely as the U.S. sees rising religious intrusion into politics.

6. Friends, Black Women in Media, and Surprise Birthday Shoutouts

Notable Pop-Ins & Moments

• [24:52, 80:08, 88:10] Don Lemon repeatedly appears, bringing cheer and a running joke about needing his own made-up award: “Hey, listen, I take one. I hope somebody make me a… award. I don’t give a damn who it is.” (26:18)
• [37:15] Rolanda Watts calls in: “You bring such joy and education and leadership and you give us permission to be activists… Your divine leadership is extraordinary… Rather than rest, let me keep moving.” (from Joy’s own words)
• [41:16] Jackie, longtime friend and podcast co-host, surprises Joy. They discuss the origins of their collaborative podcast, “Read This, Read That,” and the importance of independent voices.
• [44:21–49:41] Carrie Champion, Abby Phillip, and other prominent Black women journalists join in to celebrate, share stories, and discuss the vital network of support and mentorship among women in the industry.
• Carrie Champion: “You are a disruptor and a protector. Thank you for doing that for me and for people who can’t do that for themselves.” (49:13)
• [55:17] Jennifer Welch praises Joy: “You being untethered to corporate structure and able to very intellectually explain things…I hope you’re having the best birthday ever.” (56:19)
• Uplifting conversations on friendship, mutual admiration, and the unique challenges Black women in media face.

7. Deep Dive: 2024 Texas Politics, Democratic Underdevelopment, and Winning Strategies

• [29:34] Joy covers the Texas Senate filing deadline, the backgrounds of Republican candidates John Cornyn, Wesley Hunt, and Ken Paxton, and the shake-up on the Democratic side with Colin Allred and Jasmine Crockett.
• [34:23, 61:30] Discussion on how Democrats underestimate the South—Texas is “one good organizing effort away from being winnable,” but underinvestment and gerrymandering inhibit success.
• [64:23] Guest Jennifer Welch: “Democrats abandoning a 50-state strategy has F’d us so hard because… they get more radicalized when you don’t have a opposition party in those states.” (61:52)
• Points out that the real opportunity in Texas is not flipping Republicans, but mobilizing non-voters, including young Black and Latino communities.

8. Media Consolidation Crisis: Netflix, Skydance, Trump, and Sovereign Wealth

• [70:11] Joy explains the bidding war over Warner Bros.: Netflix (offering $72 billion) versus Skydance/Paramount/CBS (backed by Jared Kushner and Middle Eastern funds), and Trump’s outsized influence via FCC chief Brendan Carr.
• Media’s future is threatened by “insane consolidation,” corporate corruption, and increasing right-wing interference.
• Quote: “Donald Trump is personally involved… he gets to decide who owns what media. It’s a really frightening world that we’re entering into.” (74:26)
• [76:49] Critique of 60 Minutes/CBS’s platforming of Marjorie Taylor Greene and the Trump regime’s attempts to control media narratives.

9. U.S. Militarism & Potential War Crimes

• [95:36] Joy rebuts government claims that recent U.S. “drone strikes” against alleged drug boats are lawful, revealing they’re targeting noncombatants and fabricating threats to justify intervention in Venezuela.
• Points out there’s no legal justification—“The war on drugs is a metaphor, not a real war… You can’t just call someone a terrorist and bomb them.” (106:29)
• [110:15] Connects U.S. aggression to desire for Venezuelan oil, likening it to the run-up to the Iraq War, and critiques complicity/willful blindness of media and politicians.
• [110:52] Quote: “Donald Trump is like the human embodiment of greed and need. He needs accolades he didn’t earn... befriends dictators and autocrats because they’re the only ones who are willing to give him a golden orb.” (110:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The right does not believe in merit. They believe in people who look like them…” (Joy, 16:36)
• “The world is treating Trump like a Make a Wish kid… What do you want, Donald? I want a Nobel Peace Prize.” (Joy, 19:45)
• “If you want to support MSI, you can provide contraception for 10 women for a year for $65.” (22:40)
• “You are running a one-woman race. There is no comparison… Your star just continues to rise. So happy birthday.” (Jackie/Abby/various guests, ~43:02)
• “Democrats abandoning a 50-state strategy has F’d us so hard.” (Jennifer Welch, 61:52)
• “We may be inside, but we outside… It is our dream and our responsibility to build our own independent media.” (Joy, 114:03)

Notable Guests' Birthday Salutations ([37:15], [88:10])

• Rolanda Watts: “Thank you for saying the things I really want to say… Your divine leadership is extraordinary.”
• Jackie Reed: “Sister, cousin, friend… we cut up every Thursday y’all, you want to be there for the kiki!” (45:56)
• Abby Phillip: “You are the definition of giving a voice to those who cannot find their own or wish they had yours.” (49:43)
• Jennifer Welch: “You are a bright shining light in this ecosystem that we’re building.”
• Lunell: “You’re giving me Angela Davis vibes. Keep fighting the good fight. We gotta get people who don't vote to vote.” (88:58)

Important Timestamps for Segments

• 00:43 – Joy opens with birthday/anniversary celebration, show’s origins
• 04:28 – AT&T ends DEI, national park “Black holidays” revoked
• 06:32 – Trump’s FIFA Peace Prize, critique and satire
• 16:36 – “Right does not believe in merit” DEI hypocrisy
• 22:11 – MSI reproductive justice sponsor plug
• 24:52, 80:08, 88:10 – Don Lemon surprise pop-ins
• 29:34 – Texas Senate filing, Democratic/Lone Star State analysis
• 55:17 – Jennifer Welch on media independence, journalism
• 61:30+ – Texas/Southern politics and party building, Democratic struggles
• 70:11 – Netflix–Warner-Paramount-Skydance saga
• 76:49 – CBS/Marjorie Taylor Greene; Trump media interventions
• 95:36 – U.S. drone strikes in Caribbean; legal and moral implications
• 110:52 – The greed of Trump and his administration, U.S. oil ambitions
• 111:27 – “Moments of joy”: Community standing up for immigrants and Black women media awards

Episode Takeaways

• Celebration & Empowerment: The show’s six-month anniversary is as much about resisting, surviving, and thriving as it is about personal achievement.
• Media Independence: A throughline is building independent, non-corporate Black media platforms and the vital community among women of color in journalism.
• Political Analysis: Destabilization of DEI, the right’s DEI hypocrisy, and manipulation of both government and media pipelines (bidding wars, fake awards, war crime justifications).
• Democratic Strategy: Urges Democrats not to write off the South; underlines need to invest in mobilizing new, young, and diverse voters.
• Satirical Critique: Joy is relentless in mocking Trump’s ego, right-wing hypocrisy, and the performative, meritless “participation trophies” awarded to the powerful.
• Uplifting Community: The episode’s warmth, camaraderie, and heartfelt celebrations are reminders of the necessity—and joy—of supportive sisterhood and activism.

For Listeners Who Missed It

The episode is an intimate, intellectual, and hilariously incisive celebration of Black media excellence. It tackles hard news (political, corporate, and military corruption) with wit and bite—never letting go of its central theme: in a world beset by adversity, persistent activism, joyful resistance, and building our own institutions are essential. Joy Reid’s show is proof that analysis, humor, and truth-telling can coexist, and are needed more than ever.