The JTrain Podcast – Pop Culture Thursday Recap

Episode Title: Halftime Show Thoughts, Alix Earle & Tom Brady, and 50 Cent
Host: Jared Freid
Date: February 12, 2026

Main Theme

This Pop Culture Thursday episode offers Jared Freid’s signature comedic riffing on trending headlines, including a detailed and candid discussion about the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring Bad Bunny, the media hype around Alix Earle’s connection to Tom Brady, wild generational sex and phone habits, and 50 Cent’s recent social media jab at NFL player Stefon Diggs following his rumored split with Cardi B. Jared balances cultural commentary, lighthearted judgments, and sharp takes on the motivations behind pop culture “grifting.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Super Bowl Halftime Show (Bad Bunny) [00:00–34:00]

• Jared’s Annual Dread of Halftime “Discourse”
  Jared opens with his growing discomfort around Super Bowl Halftime Show reactions:

  “The Super Bowl halftime show is quickly becoming my least favorite day of the year. The act, the after show reviews is starting to be a dreaded day. The more politicized the world gets, the more this becomes… It's the thing that everyone knows, everyone has eyes on. So what do you do? It's time to grift. It's time to make your money.”
  (04:02)

• His Honest Take on the Show:
  He praises Bad Bunny’s performance as “beautiful,” “colorful,” and “art,” but admits cultural context limited his understanding:

  “I know everything here means something. I… But I don't know what it means. And… that's okay. It's kind of like being at a museum… I don't have the art degree to know...”
  (06:20)

• The “Booby Trap” of Cultural Commentary:
  Jared hesitates to joke about the show, comparing it to “making fun of the curtains at a party” then being told, “those belong to his Dead grandma who knit them from hand.” He says the Halftime Show is now “untouchable,” a setup for emotional reactions and social media scolding.
  (10:25)

• Ricky Martin’s Role & Cultural Education
  He was let down that Ricky Martin didn’t perform “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” until schooled by a friend:

  “The song he sang was all about colonialism and how Puerto Rico shouldn't lose its soul to America... singing ‘Livin' La Vida Loca’ would be like, the opposite...”
  (14:40)

  He feels both out of touch and wary of criticism:

  “I would have been such an… idiot. And I would have gotten in trouble. In trouble, no trouble. But I would have had to, you know, digest this feedback from one miserable who's, like, telling me about how this song is why we didn't sing ‘Living La Vida Loca.’ You're right.”
  (15:49)

• David Grutman’s Cameo & Halftime Show Logistics
  Jared riffs on David Grutman, who was part of the “casita” set onstage and owns Miami restaurants with Bad Bunny. He points out most celebrity cameos are “just friends showing up,” not political statements.

  Stressing over “what to wear”:

  “That would be the most stressful moment of my life... I can't even do the clothing that they ask for at the rehearsal dinner when they do a theme. Never mind.”
  (23:44)

• The Halftime Show as a Social “Trap Door”
  Jared expresses frustration with the obligation to either “love it” or risk backlash, noting many viewers have no true cultural connection to the performance but perform strong opinions anyway.

2. The “Rage-Bait Economy” & Bethenny Frankel [34:00–40:00]

• Bethenny Frankel’s Grifting
  Jared skewers Bethenny Frankel’s “this will get me canceled” videos:

  “This will get me canceled... You’re self sufficient. Your video that says ‘this will get me canceled’ is how you’re going to make more money… That’s her art.”
  (35:02)

• Backtracking and Social Clout-Chasing
  Notes the hypocrisy of Frankel’s positive Instagram video versus her (now deleted) TikTok critiquing the show, and how fans call her out for switching tones in different places.

• “Attention Grifters” Club
  Lumps in Jake Paul, Chris Brown, and others, accusing them of stoking outrage to “pop off their video and make… get views. They're as bad as the news stations.”
  (41:15)

3. Alix Earle & Tom Brady Relationship Rumors [40:00–48:30]

• Rumor Rundown
  Analyzes “insider” revelations that TikTok star Alix Earle (25) and Tom Brady (48) are “hooking up,” based on thin party evidence and grainy photos.

• Awkward Family Dynamics
  Jared skewers the weirdness of Brady, a dad whose kids almost certainly know Alix Earle from social media, hooking up with a peer:

  “Tom Brady has children that are the age where they would look at Alex Earl as like a celebrity figure… now Tom Brady has to answer…”
  (42:30)

• Tom’s Possible Motivation

  “This is a form of acting out for Brady in my opinion because… your wife leaves you for her trainer… What are you going to do now? Well, he's going to, he's going to be a little affected.”
  (47:30)

4. Travis Kelce’s ‘Girl Squad’ Fashion Nod [48:30–54:40]

• PR Mastermind or Stretch?
  Dives into a Page Six story about Travis Kelce wearing Gigi Hadid’s brand on a podcast, painted as a “nod” to Taylor Swift’s friendship circle. Jared finds it a reach, or maybe a planted PR story:

  “To me this is a publicist planted story… painting him as the all American boyfriend of your dreams. The boyfriend who takes an interest in your friends… It’s just saying he’s friends with her friends…”
  (50:30)

  He jokes about the “ad” for Hadid’s $895 cashmere men’s jacket, notes he likes the look, but, “No beanie. I got too round of a face.”
  (52:19)

5. Gen Z Sex & Phones: Surprising New Stats [54:40–59:40]

• Survey Shocker: Phones in the Bedroom
  One in three college students have “scrolled their phone during sex.” Jared admits being out of touch with gen Z’s dating app landscape (“I don’t even know what those apps are.”)

• Other Findings:

  • 23% have had sex with their partner while a roommate was in the room (not shocking to Jared).
  • 72% met current/most recent partner in person (pleasant surprise).
  • Contextualizes claims of a Gen Z “sex recession” as mostly older than college-aged students.

6. Rapid Fire Pop Culture: 50 Cent Trolls Stefon Diggs [59:40–End]

• 50 Cent’s Ruthless Instagram Taunt
  Comments on 50 Cent roasting Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs after his loss (on and off the field) to both the Seahawks and Cardi B:

  “Can you imagine waking up this morning and you done lost this and The Super Bowl... I would tell everybody get away from me, have a drink and go back to sleep. LOL.”
  (1:01:20)

• Cardi B & Diggs: Relationship Timeline
  Quick summary: recent breakup rumors escalated after they unfollowed each other; Cardi invited 100 people to the Super Bowl; she was previously publicly supportive.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Halftime Show “Traps”:

  “It does feel like the halftime show has been taken over by watchdogs who are going to be like, you know, the casita that they're dancing in represents… I would never speak around that person ever again.”
  (09:59)

• On Living La Vida Loca Missed Opportunity:

  “Why couldn’t they have him do ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’? That’s so halftime... Even if Ricky Martin did a Bad Bunny rendition… nostalgia mixed with the new…”
  (13:55)

• Bethenny Frankel’s Performative Outrage:

  “This will get me canceled... No, it won't. You're self sufficient.”
  (35:05)

• On Tom Brady Hooking Up with Alix Earle:

  “He could date anybody. We wouldn’t care. We would notice and go, ‘who is she? She's hot.’ And we'd move on.”
  (47:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–11:00 | Intro; Super Bowl Halftime Show, Bad Bunny initial thoughts | | 11:00–16:00 | Cultural significance, Ricky Martin anecdote | | 16:00–27:00 | Behind-the-scenes of the show (Grutman, cameos, wardrobe) | | 34:00–40:00 | “Rage-bait” culture; Bethenny Frankel commentary | | 40:00–48:30 | Alix Earle & Tom Brady relationship rumors | | 48:30–54:40 | Travis Kelce dresses for Taylor Swift’s girl squad? | | 54:40–59:40 | Gen Z sex/phone survey; “shocking” acts | | 59:40–End | 50 Cent trolls Stefon Diggs after Super Bowl/Cardi B drama |

Tone & Style

Throughout, Jared maintains his wry comedic tone, poking fun at both himself and the wider pop culture machinery. He often employs extended metaphors (e.g., the “curtains” at a party), self-deprecating humor, and digressions that keep the hour lively and relatable to listeners.

Summary for New Listeners

Jared Freid’s Pop Culture Thursday delivers a humorous, self-aware survey of the week’s juiciest celebrity headlines. He delivers honest “middle-of-the-road” takes, questions the sincerity of online outrage, and lampoons the mechanics of pop culture PR and social media melodrama. Even if you don’t follow pop culture closely, Jared’s blend of bemused skepticism and relatable asides keeps the conversation engaging. If you’re looking for comic relief and off-the-cuff pop culture philosophy, this episode delivers.