
Loading summary
A
You're a nosy. You want the full Come to Pop Culture Thursday. Hello and welcome to the J Train Podcast. This is J Train Jared Freed coming to you live from Delray Beach, Florida. That's right, every Thursday is a Pop Culture Thursday. Thursday, where me, the comedian goes to Page Six and I read headlines and then I riff. It's a read and riff. And I'm very happy that you're here with me today. I just want to say thank you. Thank you for being a listener. Thank you for telling a friend, a coworker, a brother, a sister, a mama, a papa, anyone who wants a podcast that can take their brain and put it on the shelf, I would love for you to share the show. That's a great way to support the show, to let people know that you're enjoying it. And you know, pop Culture Thursday is a different flavor of the J Train every day. We, we are here. I'm taping this to, you know, to be upfront honest with you, I'm taping this Monday prior to Thursday because I'm going to New York. So the scheduling, I want to make sure I give this the time and effort it deserves. So this is going to be one of those weeks where I'm going to be ahead. It's going to be stories from earlier in the week. So, you know, I try to get as close to Thursday as possible. This is as far away as I will go. I would say Monday, but I'm doing some traveling and we're taping some you ups in New York. So I will be there. If you're going to be in Richmond, Virginia next weekend, I'm coming for four shows. Would love for you to come to the show. And I'm coming to D.C. the week after that. So D.C. richmond, that's the Newton. The, the. The new. The the the. Sometimes I, I can't even get the words out. Those are the next two stops. So Richmond and D.C. chicago's selling out. Milwaukee, Minneapolis, we got tickets available there and sign up for the Patreon if you want. If you have a story that you want me to get into here, any pop culture story, you can do one of two things. Email@jtrain podcastmail.com or you can send it to the Instagram account. I would love for you to follow that at J Train podcast, email can DM us with anything you'd like, especially pop culture stories. We have one ad. I'm going to get to the ad first. Then the rest is just show neutral. If your hair is thinning, neutral is A a great answer. If hair thinning has started happening to you, but you're totally stuck on what to do next, let me help you out. Give Neutrophil a try. Neutrophil is the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand trusted by over one and a half million people. Here's the thing, my mom is using Nutrafol. She just said to me the other day, I need a refill. So I don't think my mom would do anything she didn't see value in. And I see it, I can see the difference in her hair. It's, it's fuller, it looks fuller and thicker. So I would also say that if you're like going through hair, you know, hair confidence issues, there's steps. I think Neutrophil is a great first step formulated by physicians, clinically tested and dermatologist recommended. So it's checking all the boxes. You can feel great about what you're putting into your body. Since Neutrophil hair growth supplements are backed by peer reviewed studies and NSF content certified, the gold standard and third party certifications for supplements. Make sure you pick auto deliveries to keep yourself on track. See thicker, stronger, faster growing hair with less shedding in just three to six months with Neutrophil for a limited time, Neutrophil is offering our listeners $10 off your first month subscription and free shipping@NutraFool.com promo code Feather find out why Nutrafol is the best selling hair growth supplement brand@nutrafol.com spelled n u t r a f o l.com promo code feather that's neutrophil.com promo code feather that's our ad. I'm always a fan. I like Nutrafol as a sponsor just because it's one of those that like maybe you're just like, I, you know, I'm going through this hair stuff. I want to, I want to make it better because it's the first step. I'm not like saying like, you know, people are getting surgeries these days. So here we go. I got seven articles in front of me. We're going to read and riff. The first one, I like the first article because whenever I see a headline that says someone snubbed another person, I think the word snub is a powerful word. But because it's the headline is Charlize Theron. I think that's how is it? Am I putting the right emphasis on the right syllable? Watch Charlize Theron through Theron. Do I sound, I hate when I Enunciate a word. And you can tell I took a chance to sound smart. Like, I made a decision. If I say Charlize Theron, that sounds like I'm an old Jewish woman. Have you seen the new char. Have you seen the new Charlize Theron movie? No, it's Charlize Theron. I just. You know, when you try to pronounce something the right way, you can really. You're really opening yourself up to be called some type of loser. Because it does, right? I'm saying I'm smart. I know how it's pronounced Charlize Theron. And someone's like, it's Theon. Yeah, I. I know you just tried to do, like a thing there, but turns out you are doing a thing. Is just you sounding like more of an idiot than you sounded before. By, yeah, trying to sound smart, you sound stupid. It's like, you know, my brother's big on this. He'll try and use a word that is like, he took a chance. And I'm like, let's just get hits. Let's just get singles here and maybe a double happens. I do that with golf. Like, I try to crush the ball and it's like, how about we just hit it straight and a little shorter and. And then you're going to have more fun on the grander scale. Oh, what? You hit it long once and then the rest of the day is shit. I have just spent a lot of time after write after reading four words from a headline. Okay, watch Charlie, watch Charlize Theron snub former co star Johnny Depp at Paris Fashion Week in Awkward video. Okay, I'm going to watch this live with you, but the reason I clicked on this was to watch it live with you to commentate on whether this is an actual snub or not a snub. Snub or not a snub. It's a fun game because what I. It's like, I would need for me to feel satisfied, for me to feel satiated by this video. I would need Johnny Depp to. I need. I would need the video to have Johnny Depp go up to Charlize Theron and go, charlize, baby. And then I would need her to, like, actively turn her back to him and then have Johnny Depp look at a friend and go, is she ignoring me? That is how much I would need to call it a snub. Snub is like the C word. Like, don't use snub unless we are going to all go like you would need a studio audience to go o. If it's a snub. It can only be a snub if it produces studio audience amazement. Let's watch. Okay, here we go. All the I hate Page Six and the pop ups again. We know you got Sirius xm. I know. I've done that. I did the promoting, a show I've done, but it's in the way of everything. Okay, here we go. Here's Charlize giving a kiss to people the French way, cheek and cheek. Here's Johnny Depp. I, I don't know. I don't know if that's a snub. We're going to put this on the clip on Instagram. Let's do. I want it now. It's asking do watch again on Instagram. I don't want to watch again on Instagram. I want to watch again. The only reason it's snubbish is because now it's taking me to Instagram. Go yourself. Page Six. And I love Page Six. And I get it. We, you know, we're, we're addicts. I'm an addict. I want the Page Six quicker. That's all I'm saying. And now I'm going to Instagram. This is a mess. This is a total mess. Here's the reason. If we zoom in. Okay, now we're on Instagram. If you zoom in. So he goes to the Charlize Theron goes to the first lady of France, and then you can see that this is more Johnny Depp is being awkward than it is Charlize Theron. Snub Johnny Depp. Kiss, Kiss. Then she goes, kiss, kiss. And then he kind of leans forward, but then turns away. He gave her the opportunity to come to him. And he's having his handheld. This is a good lesson for like, walk strong. If you go strong, you're good. Because Johnny Depp looks almost frail. If he had just come up strong to Charlize. Hey, Charlize, Good to see you. He doesn't do that. He did a weak head tilt in. You gotta watch the video. But I, I, I think this is all about how she's moving with conviction. She's moving with confidence. And he's moving with. So now it's Charlize snubbed Johnny Depp. The headline should be Johnny Depp looks like he had a fifth. The headline should be. The headline should be Johnny Depp looks like he had a 50 milligram gummy and doesn't know how to talk to people in public. That's what it should be. Okay, I love this next one. I am always going, you know, sometimes pop Culture Thursday. I'm thankful for it because I know things due to this show that maybe I wouldn't have known. I would have glazed over. This is an article that brings me happiness. I will click on any Lana Del Rey article. I was always attracted to her, so I was going to click on her stuff anyways. Her songs, her music is enchanting. I've always liked, I've always liked her music. But then there's this story where Lana Del Rey married an alligator wrangler that she met in Louisiana. Okay, I. That is like a crazy sentence I just said. And if you don't know about that, then this is. It's your turn to be amazed. She randomly married a guy who does alligator tours in Louisiana. Now I Lana Del Rey. It would in. When I first was introduced to her, I thought she was like European, like was like high society. I don't think she is as high society as I assumed she was. I think she is from America. But again, you, you're one of the bigger celebrities in the world and you meet an alligator wrangler like I. Solana Del Rey and husband Jeremy Dufresne, which is again New Orleans name, turn heads during Paris Fashion Week in perfectly mismatched style. So they show them she's in a dress and looking very like fashion and he's in a jean jacket with a hat and his hair coming out the back and cowboy boots and cargo pants. I mean, I think there is nobody that needs a reality show more than Lana Del Rey and her wrangler alligator wrangler husband. Because I mean, this is, she is a rom com. This is a romantic comedy. This is, I mean, Lana Del Rey stepped out during Paris Fashion Week with husband Jeremy Dufresne on her arm, sitting front row at Valentino Runway show and decidedly mismatched outfits. While Del Rey looked dressed for a black tie affair. Dufresne was more casual choosing a canvas pants and jacket set. The singer chose a pale purple silk chiffon gown with with the Designers Resort 2026 collection complete with fur accents that felt that fell slightly off her shoulders. The dress gathered at the top. Okay, enough about the dress. Let's hear about them too. I mean, listen, if someone said, well, he's the heir to the alligator wrangler fortune, fine. But Dufresne was more. Okay. Dufresne was more laid back, opting for a bright blue canvas. Okay. And they show them in pictures I just think we want to see them doing everything like okay. The couple recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary posting throwback snaps. The couple's mismatched style was appropriate as Michelle is known for an eclectic sensibility throughout. Okay. Though the the pairs rarely seen out together. Out together. So it was even more special. They popped out in Paris. The sighting was appropriate given their relationship to Michelle as Delray famously stood as the designer's muse for many years while she was at Gucci. Okay. So I mean they don't go into. He's an alligator guy. They talk about the designer. Let me just say I want to see everything that Lana Del Rey and Justin new frame do. I want to see them, you know, because I want to see her like, like let's see Justin and Lana Del Rey go on a flight to London first class. And she's showing him the lay flat seats like there. This is a romantic comedy. This is Fish out of Water. She goes to New Orleans, she goes to the Swamp. He goes to Paris Week. This is a rom com. So their articles and it seems like they like that. If you go to Paris Fashion Week, him dressed as a trucker in jeans and cargoes and her and Gucci, then this all they are, they are playing into it. They get off to the story. And I think that's the normal thing for couples. You create your own story. You make it sexy and hot so that you can hearken back to how romantic it is that you ended up together another couple. Travis Kelsey. I mean we're going to hear so much about this couple. I don't know, like, like we're in for a lifetime of this. We're going to have a lifetime of Taylor and Travis stories. I mean we're. That's the weird part. You will be on your deathbed and they'll be on the tv. Taylor and Travis, you know, go on vacation for you go on a cruise for their retirement. I don't know. Travis kelce spent his 36th birthday at Taylor Swift's official, official release party of a showgirl and dress the part. Now what would that mean? Did he dress the part for his birthday or did he dress the part for the showgirl? Did he dress as a showgirl for his birthday? Now that's actually romantic. Travis Kelce sweetly supported Taylor swift on his 36th birthday Sunday by attending the official release party of a showgirl in theaters. Oh. So he went to the movie theater and watched her movie, the Kansas City Chiefs Player dressed for the occasion in a bright orange hat and carried a fan of the same color according to a photo circulating on social media. So then they don't show the picture. He's not wearing a pink hat here. Okay. This might be a nothing article. The athlete who completed his look with a blue polo. So show us the. The outfit. If it's circulating on social media, we want to see it. So I guess he dressed for her premiere. This is the thing. I don't really give. This is one of those boyfriend gets credit where no credit is due stories. This is one of those. This would matter to a woman more than it would matter to most men. The idea that, oh, my God, Travis made his birthday all about her. Oh, my God, I don't care about my birthday at all. The only reason I acknowledge it is because other people ask about it. I'll do things on my birthday just because it's something to do. But the. The whole birthday thing is very female. And that sounds crazy, but I'm just going by what I've heard from women. The importance of a birthday. The what am I gonna do for my birthday? Who's getting together? We're doing a dinner. Who did stuff for me on my birthday? Who didn't? Who. Who owes me? Who do I owe? This is not male. So the idea that Travis Spencer's 36th birthday at Taylor's big premiere. No, the premiere is bigger to him than the birthday. 36 isn't even a number. It's not 40. These are stories that get me annoyed. Like, who buys this shit? That is one of the top annoyances for me, that I shouldn't be annoyed by boyfriends who get credit for things that women overrate because they're seeing it through a woman's eyes. I don't know. There's got to be male versions of this. Oh, my God. She. She went to the. You know, I don't know. I don't know what the thing is that I'd be like, I. I guess we. You know, I guess if I'm to be fair. And maybe not fair, but I guess this is a compliment to women, in my opinion. What I. What I think I'm going to say is we don't. You know, I don't think women expect much from men, so I guess it's a negative against men. So when we do things that are perfectly normal to, like, when we do things like overlook our own birthday for it, you're like, whoa, yeah, the bar is low. The bar's low. And that annoys me because I'm like, I'm always the one to go no, it's not that big a deal. Now I'm Mr. Miserable. I'm not Mr. Magoo. If anything, I'm the opposite of Magoo. I see everything. Okay. Now this article is about the beef between Charlie XCX and Taylor Swift, which Taylor Swift now famously has made a song about kind of hitting back at Charlie xcx. I'm a fan of both. I became a bigger fan of Charlie XCX when the videos from her tour were popping up on TikTok because I didn't know Charlie XCX was as prolific as she is. She's had a long career with songs that, that have been around the social. And you know what? She just. I, I think her name recognition is more recent. To me at least. I'm saying, you know, to the, you know, the idiot dude. I became aware of Charlie XCX and then, because, and, and then I would say that Charlie XCX and Taylor Swift are, are born to be enemies. Because if you go watch a concert, Taylor Swift. If you watch a TikTok from Taylor Swift's concert, it is a hundred thousand women singing at the top of their lungs, arm over arm, loving each other, hugging tears. There's like, it's very theater. Theater, kid. It's very weird. We're all, you know, going through the same thing. That's a Taylor Swift concert video. Charlie XCX concert videos. And you can go look these up. Are like walking into the most awesome London club that you've ever been to. The lights are flashing and, and I don't think, I think there's crossover, but it's two different brands of people. It's Charlie XCX concert. It is. There's like cages and it's dancing. It's never sitting and it's not. And there's no talking, no connecting. Just you having like a out of body sexualized experience. This is my, this is my opinion. Like I would say the Charlie XCX crowd is key bump in the bathroom. The Taylor crowd is. I do an edible every now and again before bed because it helps me sleep. He, he, he. Can you believe that? And that's not to say I don't like Taylor Swift fans. I'm just saying, you know, that could be taken in a way that you're. I'm not trying to be negative. I'm just saying they're different. The headline here, Charlie XCX shares cryptic video after Taylor Swift's actually romantic diss. Do they have bad blood? Great line. Charlie XCX shared a cryptic video After Taylor Swift allegedly dissed the British singer on her song actually Romantic, on Sunday, Charlie Bourne, Charlotte Act. Act Atkinson took to X to post a video inside a recording studio with an engineer seated facing the mixing board. Also, I mean, to be perfectly honest about my biases, Charlie XCX is like my type. I mean, like, my God. In the brief clip, fans can hear instruments creating a volume swell. She simply captioned the post heart emoji. Well, it's like the. Not even the. This is so Charlie xcx. It's a. It's like the heart, but made with the number three and, and the, you know, the, the carrot. Not an actual carrot. I'm. But you know what? I'm. I'm. You know what? I should never say the words, you know what I'm talking about. On a podcast, an unbothered Charlie also took to Instagram to share a carousel of her PR of her time in Paris with friends. In the photo slide, the brat singer dined with several A listers, including Kylie Jenner and. And Rosalia. Yeah, I mean, these are two different groups sitting in the same cafeteria. And it's very much, you know, horse girls versus parking lot cigarette smokers. I mean, I was this way in high school. I'd like to think that I could blend with either. I could talk to either. You know, I could, I could cheat off of either for the test that's coming up. I could copy either of their homework. That was my feeling in high school. Charlie's post came two days after Swift, 35, released her highly anticipated 12th studio album. I think the diss from Taylor is the best thing that ever happened to Charlie on the LP. Fans believed the Cruel Summer singer shaded Charlie, 33 on her track actually Romantic, which bears a notable resemblance to the DJs song title, everything is Romantic. Ooh, I heard you call me boring Barbie when the Cokes got you brave. The 14 time Grammys singer sang on the single. Yeah, well, that, that to me again goes back to like when someone, when there's beef and when someone is accused and then there's an accuser with, you know, with these things, people get more entrenched in their side. So the Charlie people are going to go, yeah, that's our girl. You are Boring Barbie. Just by answering her puts her on the same level. But I think Taylor likes, you know, to me, Taylor Swift is probably like Michael Jordan. She's inventing enemies to sing about. And that's probably why she's saying about all those exes. And now she's got A boyfriend. So now she's got to turn her head to a new enemy that she's created, which is Charlie xcx. Which, you know, again, if she was, if someone called her Boring Barbie and you hear that back, I can understand that. I like that story. Okay, I have two more stories before we are done here on Pop Culture Thursday. If you are new here, subscribe to the show. Make it a part of your podcast Rolodex. I'm here for you all the time. Follow on Instagram Train podcast so you can get the clips and be reminded of this show. Amy Schumer. Amy Schumer shows off dramatic weight loss transformation from Manjaro. Legs for days now. I have seen this picture. She looks great. She definitely looks like she's lost weight from the last time I saw her. And it says, I don't know, the whole like so and so has lost weight from Manjaro. We're going to click on it, we're going to look at it. Ozempic. Oh my God. Let's see. I mean it's a little weird because there's a piece of you that goes, let's see if this is all worth it. Was. Is it? And look at, I'm looking at her. She looks great. I mean, I don't know what else there is to say. I, you know, she feels pretty. Amy Schumer showed off her Manjaro fueled transformation via Instagram over the weekend and received gushing comments from her famous friends, as anyone would. I think she's become polarizing, which is weird. So it's like the comedian posted a photo of herself and her loveies pals Alex Sachs and Jillian Bell on Saturday while wearing a black, a belted black Miu Miu mini mini dress. Miu Miu. Is that an open toed heels? Here's the thing. I'm not wearing a mini dress for my first Manjaro post. Manjaro photo shoot. I think you gotta start because she does look good, but I think you gotta start with like jeans and a tee and. Oh, really like it. You wanna be less like red carpety. I think for the first, like if I went on oic, I want people to go, are you losing weight? Ah, yeah, I went on oic. I'm giving it a shot. And then, you know, and in a baggy sweatshirt like, like I didn't even try. Like I don't want like a big coronation. I don't want a big reveal. Like I'm on the Biggest Loser. Amy Sedaris commented, you look incredible. Look at those pins. Mew. Hashtag mew. Milk. Amy Sedaris. I didn't know she was a fashionista like that. Real Housewives of New Jersey star Margaret Joseph also took notice of Schumer's slimmed down writing. Okay. Legs for days with a fire emoji. Lee Daniels, for his part, called Schumer a skinny mama with multiple n's and m's and fire emojis. I mean, what are they gonna write? I mean, this is. This is the thing. It's like, there's so much out there about, like, body positivity and all this stuff. And then the minute you. But I guess when you comment because people are mad when Adele lost weight and people are saying, good for you. But, like, and. And because. And that's. I think that's dumb to get mad at. Because if someone has made a change with themselves and is smiling on camera, you'd assume they may. They. This was work that was put in. There was a choice made. So I guess them saying skinny mama. I don't know why you gotta be a mama every time you're a mama, you become a mom, and then you can't just be like, you look hot. Look at that hot mama. Ooh, burping her baby looking hot. The train wreck star first revealed she was taking semaglutide and in March. So now we're sitting here in October. Quick, man, this is so tempting as. As a person who thinks about food and his weight and his body 95% of the day, you hear that and you're like, I don't know. Do you do it? Manjaro has been great. Schumer said in an Instagram video at the time, noting that the medicine isn't covered by assurance by insurance unless a patient has diabetes or severe obesity, which most of the intern thinks I have. She jokes, let me just say this about Amy Schumer. She is a comedian. First, I. She gets so much, and I don't even know why. I don't know where it all started. People really. I mean, I saw some comments on. On this article on Twitter, which is like, why would I ever look? But you get like, you know, but she's sitting. For her to know that for her to say, covers by insurance, which. Or severe obesity, which most of the Internet thinks I have, that means she's in tune with the temperature of the room. That's a comedian. I'm having a really good experience with it. I And I wanted to keep it real with you about that. She had to. We have we have scared each other into this. You know, if Amy Schumer lost weight and didn't mention it, the vilification would have been extreme and unwarranted. And honestly, that statement, I know it's her saying, I wanted to keep it real with you. It makes me depressed. Like, how real do we have to be? How upfront do you have to be if you're not? It's one thing if Amy Schumer is out here being like, hey, everyone, do my new eating plan. This is how I'm losing the weight. Then we find out she's on Manjaro. She is not. She is just living. And then has to say, want to keep it real with you guys. Are you like, we all kind of live in fear of these, of maybe the most unfair judges. Power is a strange thing because all of the commenters who are the most miserable, they do that because they feel they have no power. And then the minute they were given some power, a voice, a direct line to their favorite celebrities or celebrities they didn't like, they used it in a way that is gross. I, I, I mean to say, and I want to keep it real with you about that. That's Amy Schumer saying, hey, guys, just letting you know, I'm taking, I'm, I'm taking Manjaro. So if I lose weight, please don't hate me for it. I'm telling you now, I'm not one of those liars. And it's like, you're not a liar. She went on to describe trying WeGovy three years earlier. Oh. Ahead of her time and being unable to stop puking. That's not a fun one. I couldn't handle it. She said, I don't know if, if they've changed the formula, whatever. I don't know. We ask so much of certain celebs. I feel like we ask a lot of Amy Schumer. And let me say from personal experience, I think I've talked about it. Here she was whenever she's at the Cellar. She's extremely nice, and she remembers my name, which is like, way more like, listen, I'm. You might be like, Jer. That might sound like. I'm like, I don't know how that sounds. I'm saying I. Anytime she has come in contact with me, I have been, like, truly impressed with how nice she is to me personally. And I don't really know her. That's, I mean, she just knows I'm a comedian, and I think the measure of comedians and how I think of them Is like how they treat other comics and that I'm always like, yeah, that's it. That's. That's my feeling on that. So I mean, I'm hoping I can help this audience know this is a pro. Amy Schumer podcast. One more. I love this story on the subject of women getting maybe too much on the subject of being hard on women. I think Sydney Sweeney gets this weird vibe from people too because here's the title. Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun's PDA streak continues in NYC as quote, very real romance heats up. I think we all think, or I think there is this vibe that Sydney Sweeney is somehow always one step ahead of the game. That this woman is such a master manipulator that because to write very real romance, why would we not think it's real? And I do think it's because there was some talk and there might have been some truth to. But I don't know. I. That when her and that she was some. I don't know if there was truth to it. Never mind. Maybe I'm, I'm as, I'm as fucked as anyone else. Basically, I'm having this memory of her going on the PR tour for the movie she did with Glenn. Glenn. I'm in every movie. Glenn Powell. When they went on tour together, it was like this, will they, won't they? But they were like in other relationships. And then it was like, oh, that was all fake, you know, oh, they were just playing it up because it helps sell tickets. And like she was somehow a part of that. That's kind of what my understanding was. So I do think that there's this like assumption that Sydney Sweeney is like just like a ferocious businesswoman who doesn't care who she has to step on to get ahead. Like that's kind of the, the brand. Because for them to say, oh no, this is real. Like, why would I think that them kissing isn't real? Once upon a time in the Big Apple, Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun continued their PDA streak. The couple were spotted on another loved up outing in New York City over the weekend in photos obtained by Page Six. Well, here's the thing about Scooter Braun. He doesn't need pr, does he? So you would have to assume that Sidney is somehow lying to get us to like her more because she's with Scooter Braun. But like, he's also not a likable guy. He has the Taylor Swift, not. I don't not like him, but he has the Taylor Swift thing. Where he, they, they beef. The duo held hands out and about Sunday with Braun cutting a casual figure. White black button up shirt and green pants. I'm looking at what he's wearing. I'm very jealous of his outfit. That is a outfit my body. It's like a white T shirt tucked in green pants. He looks good. I, I'm in a hat. Just totally jealous of his fall look. She is, I mean, here's why people don't trust her. She, I mean like I'm just saying right now she is dressed in this like a sexy secretary who's gonna sleep with her boss and take him away from her, his family and kids. Like she is dressed in a way and I said this and listen again. This is why you should never listen to Internet commenters. She is guy hot and the other one is female hot. Sydney Sweeney. And who's the one that just did a. I'm such an old man. She just didn't, she always dresses like a pinup. Taylor collabed with Sabrina Carpenter. Like her and Serena Carpenter are two sides of a coin. Like the way she's dressed here with the glasses and the skirt, I mean, my God, I mean she is like a, a pinup that a high school kid would have on their wall. The record executive, 44, completed his look with a braided belt. I I enough about his look. The actress for her part wore a blue and white striped long sleeve over a gray pinstripe dress accessory. I mean they don't look off as a couple. They look like they could be a couple. They have. Yeah. The Euphoria star, notably is in Manhattan promoting her latest film, Christie. Her outing with Braun comes on the heels of Page Six. Hearing the pair's romance is quote unquote, very real. Like, I do think they are answering how the public feels about her. And Braun is very happy and really likes her. Why wouldn't he? Last week another source confirmed to us that the relationship is full throttle and not casual. It just feels like weirdly out there about how real this is. And I do think we distrust Sydney Sweeney in a way that we actually think she is the smartest person in the room. That's I, that I do think that's part of the, the blowback for the AB or for the American Eagle ad she had when she said that. Like to me, her saying I've got gray jeans and then to turn that into some sort of Nazi propaganda like that is a distrust for her. And in a way that I'm like, I, I think is a little nutty, cuckoo. Like, I. I mean, they've got good jeans. Is something people have said. G Jeans versus wearing jeans. I. I get it. Like, the idea that it went as far as it did did always rang CRE crazy to me. And that. I do think that stems from somewhere. And that's our distrust of Sydney Sweeney, which is interesting. It's interesting that your brand could be. Oh, what's she up to? What she. What's she gonna do to me? So, all right, Pop Culture Thursday back next week. Boom.
Host: Jared Freid
Episode: Charlize Theron Snubs Johnny Depp and Taylor Beefs With Charlie XCX - Pop Culture Thursday
Date: October 9, 2025
This Pop Culture Thursday solo episode has comedian Jared Freid riffing on the week's buzziest tabloid stories, from awkward run-ins at Paris Fashion Week to new celebrity romances and pop star feuds. Jared reads headlines straight from Page Six and gives his comedic, irreverent takes, dissecting what’s newsworthy, what’s overblown, and what it reveals about pop culture and society.
[08:00-14:30]
Headline: "Watch Charlize Theron snub former co-star Johnny Depp at Paris Fashion Week in awkward video."
Jared riffs on the meaning of the word "snub," arguing that it’s thrown around too loosely. He wants true drama for that word to apply:
"Snub is like the C word. Don’t use snub unless we are all gonna go, OOOOH. You’d need a studio audience for it." – Jared ([09:40])
He walks through the video, noting social cues, body language, and ultimately lands on the real issue:
"If anything, this is Johnny Depp being awkward more than Charlize Theron snubbing. He’s moving with…not confidence." – Jared ([13:55])
He observers the performance gap between the two stars:
"She’s moving with conviction, he’s kind of frail. Walk strong, people. Otherwise you come off like you had a 50mg gummy and can’t talk to people in public!" – Jared ([14:00])
[14:40-19:00]
Jared is delighted by the "crazy sentence" that Lana Del Rey married Jeremy Dufresne, a real Louisiana alligator wrangler.
He paints their lives as the script for a perfect rom-com:
"This is Fish Out of Water. She goes to the swamps, he goes to Paris Fashion Week in jeans and cargoes while she’s in Gucci. I want a reality show!" – Jared ([17:10])
Points out how mismatched couples create their own story, which keeps things spicy:
"The normal thing for couples: you create your own story, you make it sexy and hot so you can hearken back to how romantic it is you ended up together." – Jared ([18:40])
[19:10-22:50]
Headline: Travis Kelce spent his birthday at Taylor Swift’s movie release party.
Jared questions why Kelce gets so much credit for "sacrificing" his birthday, explaining the gendered way birthdays are often viewed:
"This is one of those ‘boyfriend gets credit where no credit is due’ stories. This would matter to a woman more than to most men. The whole birthday thing is very female… Who buys this shit?" – Jared ([21:50])
Reflects on the cultural differences in expectations, admitting:
"I guess it’s a compliment to women: the bar is so low for men that when we overlook our birthdays for our partner, it’s like, WOAH. But it annoys me. I’m not Mr. Magoo, I see everything." – Jared ([22:20])
[22:51-28:47]
Discusses the alleged feud between Swift and Charli XCX over song lyrics and clashing vibes.
Jared contrasts their fanbases with vivid imagery:
"A Taylor Swift concert? One hundred thousand women, hugging, singing, theater kid energy. Charli XCX? It’s a London club. Cages, lights, not sitting, out-of-body sexualized experience. Charlie’s crowd is key bump in the bathroom; Taylor’s is ‘I do an edible before bed because it helps me sleep.’" – Jared ([25:40])
On Taylor’s penchant for finding new adversaries:
"Taylor Swift is probably like Michael Jordan – inventing enemies to sing about. She sang about all those exes, now she’s got to turn to a new enemy she’s created, which is Charli XCX." – Jared ([27:30])
[28:48-36:42]
Jared reacts to news of Amy Schumer’s dramatic weight loss, noting the scrutiny female celebrities endure over body image.
He questions the optics of posting a high-glam mini dress photo as a "weight loss reveal":
"I’m not wearing a mini dress for my first Manjaro photo shoot. You gotta start with jeans and a tee. Like, ‘I didn’t even try.’ Not a big coronation like I’m on The Biggest Loser." – Jared ([30:55])
Highlights Amy’s comedic handling of online body shaming:
"She jokes, ‘Manjaro isn’t covered by insurance unless you have diabetes or severe obesity, which most of the internet thinks I have.’ That means she’s in tune. That’s a comedian." – Jared ([33:38])
Reflects on the impossible standards for honesty now:
"We ask so much of certain celebs. If Amy Schumer lost weight and didn’t mention it, the vilification would have been extreme and unwarranted. That makes me depressed... how real do we have to be?" – Jared ([34:55])
Jared wraps with a personal note about Schumer’s kindness to fellow comics:
"Anytime she’s come in contact with me, I’ve been truly impressed with how nice she is to me personally. That’s the measure of comedians for me." – Jared ([36:02])
[36:43–43:25]
Dissects headlines that treat Sydney Sweeney’s romance as calculated PR.
Observes a public tendency to see Sweeney as a "master manipulator" and distrust her motives:
"It’s interesting that your brand could become, ‘Oh, what’s she up to? What’s she gonna do to me?’ That’s the vibe with Sydney Sweeney right now." – Jared ([42:50])
Calls out odd double standards and controversies:
"The idea it went as far as it did—over jeans versus ‘good genes’—always rang crazy to me. I do think that distrust stems from somewhere." – Jared ([42:15])
Playfully critiques their couple aesthetics and Scooter’s fall fashion:
"He’s in a white t-shirt, tucked in green pants. I’m jealous of his outfit. Sydney’s dressed like a sexy secretary who’s gonna sleep with her boss and take him away from his family. She is guy-hot, whereas Sabrina Carpenter is female-hot." – Jared ([40:10])
On Assessing a Snub:
"I would need Johnny Depp to go up to her and go, 'Charlize, baby,' and then her to actively turn her back for that to be a snub. Otherwise, it's just awkward." ([10:05])
On Pop Couples as Rom-Coms:
"Lana Del Rey and her alligator wrangler husband—this is a rom com. Give me THAT reality show!" ([17:12])
On Taylor/Charli Rivalry:
"Taylor’s fans: theater kids. Charli’s fans: key bump in the bathroom. Two different crowds." ([25:40])
On Amy Schumer’s Openness:
"She is a comedian, first. For her to say — ‘...which most of the internet thinks I have’—that’s her reading the temperature of the room." ([33:38])
On Sydney Sweeney’s Reputation:
"Somehow, we all think she’s one step ahead, like a ferocious businesswoman who’ll do whatever to get ahead... That's the brand." ([39:40])
Jared Freid keeps the episode breezy, sardonic, and self-aware, poking fun at celebrity culture as well as his own biases and insecurities, all while riffing on the ridiculousness of tabloid headlines and the stories behind them.
This episode is a fast, funny deconstruction of today’s celebrity tabloid cycle. Jared breaks down each headline to its absurd core but also stops to examine the cultural undercurrents — how we treat women in the spotlight, the low expectations for famous men, and the way media tells us whom to root for (or hate). If you want a pop culture catch-up that’s as much therapy session as stand-up, this Pop Culture Thursday delivers.