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You're a nosy. You want the full sitch? 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 Culture Thursday where I the comedian, I me the comedian where I go to Page Six, I find some headlines that interest me and we read the article and we riff. That's the show. And I have said to you on past Pop Culture Thursdays, if you had a pop culture story that you wanted me to speak about, email in j train podcast gmail.com that's j train podcast mail.com or we have received two pop culture Thursday emails which I'll get to right away and I think I can give some perspective on. So I'll read these now. If you have a pop culture thing that you want me to discuss, email it in jtrain podcast gmail.com it is Tuesday, May 12, 1:30pm on the East Coast. I like to give you the time and place because this comes out on Thursday. I generally like to tape it as close to Thursday as possible so that we have the most the freshest and hottest pop culture stories. But I let me just get into this email. Hi. Not sure if this is a Mailbag Monday or a Pop Culture Thursday. What do you think of roast specifically the Kevin Hart roast that just happened, but also roasts in general. Why would any comedian agree to a roast of themselves? I watched 10 minutes of the Kevin Hart one with my husband before I left the room. The comedy is so mean spirited and in my opinion not funny. You are my favorite comedian. I'm a Patreon subscriber. Thank you. And my husband and I regularly see lots of other comedians as well as showcases at the comedy clubs if you're if we are in a certain city. I know when material is good versus bad since I'm a big comedy fan and the roast do not do it for me. Looking forward to your thoughts. Thanks. Well, I I really appreciate this email and I I hear you. I can't tell you how to feel. You don't I why I'm going to give you know, I've seen a lot of the discourse with the roast and it's probably because of my algorithm includes comedy and comedians and especially on threads I'm getting fed a lot of kind of dissertations on what roasts are supposed to be or not supposed to be. I I'll give you a personalized perspective on this. As someone who was at the Netflix is a Joke festival. If you came to my show on Saturday, thank you. I was in la. I did a show. I was part of the festival. I was there. If I'm to be personal with you, I was there and part of the festival. But I didn't feel. Feel included. I wasn't at the brunch that had, you know that, that there was a picture taken of 130 comedians were the funniest in the world. And they were all at this comedian brunch and, and that was people who had shows that were know less attended than mine and more attended than mine. So I don't know where, where my invitation got lost in the mail for that. There was no photography done from the festival, from my show. I was downtown Saturday night, I did a theater. There was around 500 people at the show. Thank you to everyone who came. I, I say this all because the roast do I like roast. I think that they can be entertaining. I watched the Kevin Hart roast. I say, I'd say I watched 30% of a three hour show. I, I kind of popped in and out. I, I think roasts are meant to be friends cracking wise on each other where you feel like you're sitting at a table of people with lived in relationships that pre existed the night and you get to feel like you're laughing along. It's kind of like being a kid at a adult party where you're laughing at the jokes even though you don't really know the full story. I think that's when a roast kind of works best. I think with these roasts in much the way that the Netflix festival is a festival in name, but not really feeling like that for me is where the roast is. It was kind of a metaphor. You know, you have people coming up on stage that don't really know each other that are kind of fighting for the opportunity to be heard. And if you watch the roast, you know, if you to debate whether you can make a joke, can't make a joke. I mean there were things said that people go extreme and they go extreme so that they can be heard and they go after topics with no thought of the person that are making fun of. And I think to a lot of people that comes off badly to the people that maybe they serve the, the audience that they already have or they've created, they know who they're serving, they are doing jokes for their audience. So you have a situation where you have this huge event that's going to be watched by millions and millions of people as Netflix has probably already Said it was a very highly watched show, the Tom Brady one too. They knew there was going to be a lot of eyes on this and a lot of the people go on this show as skilled snipers that only aim for the people that look like the people that they've shot before. And, and I'm using a very gruesome way to describe this, but it's. I, you know, you look at someone like Tony Hinchcliff, he goes on stage to do what Tony Hinchcliff does to gain more Tony Hinchcliff loyalists. Anyone who hasn't heard of him, who is alike, who is a lot like the people that have already heard of him, that's who he's going for. He's not looking to make bridges, he's not looking to find fans of comedy. He's looking to find fans of his comedy. Same with Chelsea Handler. If you look at Chelsea Handler and you thought she did a great job, I think she did similarly to what the other side was doing. She went for impersonal jabs at people based on what you already thought of them. And her fruit was as low hanging as the other fruit. And, and again, I'm using two names that could represent many different people. If you look at Big J Okerson, who I like, I, I as a person is a good. And who I enjoy as a comedian. And I've known Jay for a long time. His set, if you go watch, it was kind of the roast that I enjoy. Him and Kevin Hart go way back. He got emotional. He brought up Keith Robinson, who's not known really as widely. Keith Robinson, who I love and I think is the funniest and is really the backbone, backbone and, and soul of the comedy seller. He's a guy that I just, I just can't say enough good things about. And I would never tell to his face because all I want to do when I see Keith is make fun of him in the way you would a roast. That I would enjoy. A lived in relationship that I've known him for years, but not as long as Big J Okerson, who made the joke that Keith, may he rest in peace, and, and then he ends up being there and alive. You know, that was the fun to me of a roast. So you ask if I like roast, I like when they're done that way, when it's friends and family getting together and busting chops and balls. But I think the thing that gets in the way, and this is again, when I, I'm trying to personalize this to not, not to complain, but I'm saying, when you go to the Netflix, it's a joke festival. It's 400 shows and there's a piece of meat above the ring, and everyone's trying to chomp at the meat and trying to get at that big bag of money. And I think that kind of what happened at this Kevin Hart roast, where if you make the most horrific joke, if you say the most racist or horrible thing, it doesn't matter the art, it just matters that you get heard. And you saw it. Like, I thought Regina hall set was great. She obviously had some sort of relationship with Kevin Hart. She talked about his, you know, she made this whole thing of like, I spoke to your mother who you who's in heaven, and she's talking about how she's having all this sex in heaven. That was fun. And maybe me explaining it makes it sound less fun. But Regina hall, there was art to it. There was thought to it. There was love in it. I thought that, you know, Draymond Green, who perpetually really cares about us, want, you know, thinking he's funny. He really seems to care about that. He had this thing a week earlier where he made fun of Charles Barkley and he, the joke bombed and, and he was like, they didn't hear me. And, you know, Draymond Green wants to be there to get known as funny basketball player. As future podcaster who has a podcast right now, I thought while to, you know, Cheryl Underwood, who did a great job, but she kind of got pulled in to the, the fight. The, the, the dog fight that was happening amongst all the people who are just facelessly, soullessly making fun of one another without really any love there. So I think she got pulled into it. I don't think we're gonna like. Cheryl Underwood may have found more Cheryl Underwood fans, but I don't think she went wide from the special from the, from the, the roast. And I, I would say the same. Like, if you think about Nikki Glazer, why did Nikki Glaser rise out? It was well written jokes that had care and thought put to them that probably took a long time to write to make sure that it was the right set. She treated that Tom Brady roast as if it was her, you know, her biggest night of her life. And I, I think a lot of the people on the dais for the Kevin Hart roast, you know, I, I don't think, I think they went with as many horrible things that could be said. And again, I say horrible. Like, I think, I think jokes can be made about any subject. I Think any subject. But when there's no love there, when it's not someone you care about, then it doesn't. I think you have the same. I think a lot of people feel the same way as the email, so. But this is also, like, par for the course. Like, I had a special on Netflix. It was given back to me. It's now on my YouTube. I have another special coming in Netflix. I went there and, you know, I think I didn't feel included, but I. I'm not going to go there and say a bunch of horrific things to just be heard. I. And I think with every joke you tell, and again, you know, you comedians. And I think when I see on threads, people saying what you can and can't joke about, it didn't matter to those comedians. You know, they went on stage to get more of their people. And, you know, I get compliments from every club that I go to about how great my audiences are. I get compliments from the people who open for me about how great the audiences are. And I do think that comes from saying things on stage. Thinking to yourself, as a comedian, is that how I want to be heard? Is that the thing I want to say? Rewriting it better or in a different form and then saying it the way that you feel good about saying. And maybe I'm, you know, and I. And I'm maybe in a position where I'm privileged. You know, I. This podcast and the U up podcast pay me so that I'm not desperate. And, you know, I. I graduated with no college debt, and I had savings when I started doing comedy. Like, all of those things allow me to have less desperation. And I'll compare it to Night of a Million Stars. I went to the Jon Stewart fundraiser for Autism. Now, it was a wonderful event, and it was a bunch of friends, you know, making jokes. It was Rob Smigel. It was Noah Wiley from the Pit. It was Adam Sandler, Steve Carell, Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, and they all kind of. And I went backstage and got to meet everyone. I'll talk about this on Coffee with J Train. You'll hear this whole story. If you sign up for Patreon again, sign up for the thing that helps pay for this podcast and pay for me to go on the road and. And have these. And feel comfortable doing the act that I want to do. And again, I watched that the Night of a Million Stars, which is not a roast, but they were making fun of each other. And, you know, they were making fun of Johnny Knoxville, and he was there. And you did feel it from watching it. Oh, again, that was kind of the feeling from a roast. But it's not as reported on, you know, you didn't hear a lot of jokes from the Night of a Million Stars, even though they were making fun of each other and giving each other and you know, Seth Rogen and all the, all these people were there and it was fun and Bill Burr and I'm just saying. But they also have the privilege of being having made it. And you know, I give Big J Okerson tons of credit because the route he went is the one that you're not going to hear about again. You're going to hear about the other jokes that were made that are divisive and make people angry. And, and again, just because a joke makes someone angry doesn't mean they're that it shouldn't be told. But I also think if the joke was meant to make one person angry and one person happy, you know, I don't know if that's the proper care to take with a joke. So that's my long winded thought. On roast in general and the Roast of Kevin Hart, I don't think people walked away looking great, but I don't know if that matters. I, I mean, on another note, here's the second email I received. Jared, Love the pod. I just watched Funny AF with Kevin Hart. The first episode is competition at the Comedy Cellar. I've seen you kill it there multiple times. So I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on the show. I, I didn't watch the show, but I will say the care taken to make sure that comedians who work on the craft were front and center on the show is truly appreciated because again, what's going to make news and headlines, they could have just cast a bunch of people who call themselves comedians who don't go on stage a lot. And I'm not going to name names, but I'm sure people here have gone to those shows and been disappointed. Caitlyn Palufo, who I love and is amazingly funny and has been on this show, Usama Siddiq, I hope I'm saying his name correctly, is someone I see around New York City, worked hard years and years and years, amazingly funny crushes. I've watched him crush Winston. I don't know his last name, but I met him at the Comedy Cellar a few months ago when he got into the Cellar because of this show. I watched him on stage. He's a good comedian. He's great. The guy who won, I've seen Him around. I've never seen his actual. But he's been around. So I think, you know, if you look at that show, Kevin Hart used his celebrity to have the show get made, that cared for stand up comedians. And I'm calling them stand up comedians. Not creators, not comedians. They were stand up comedians on that show. And Reg Thomas, Reg, who's fucking awesome and has been around. These people have been around is my point. They're not new to me. So my feelings on that show and I, you know, it's tough for me to watch a show like that just because I'm, you know, my, I, I, I am personally, my personal and my professional are all mixed into ones and it's all emotional for me. So some, some shows are easier for me to watch, some are tougher for me to watch. It's why I watch, you know, the Roast and I watch 30 of it. I would have sat with it on the whole night. I just, sometimes I turn away. I just can't do it. Um, and that's me being insecure. But, yeah, that's my opinion. Um, we have two sponsors again, I gotta pay my bills too. So, like Quince, I wear. There's a picture. I wore a quint shirt in la and then I met again. This is. And, and I do want to say that every comedian has gone on stage, said a joke they thought was funny, and then it left their mouth. Me, I'll say me, has left their mouth and they've gone. I wish I could put it back in because I don't want to be that person. The real distinction between hardworking comic and comic who's desperate to me is the person who rewrites the joke that works, but doesn't really, doesn't really show them to be the person they want to be. And I think that does, you know, mixed with that, that's not me saying I'm better. It's just mixed with that is some privilege and ability to wait it out. And I, I have that ability to make a good act, not an act that just works. So, you know, some people don't have that and found something that worked and they're just gonna ride it. And I think the roast is revealing of that. Oh. So I did the show in LA and I wore a quince shirt and then a woman in the crowd with her mom, she's like, I work at quints. I love the show. So shout out to her. We took a picture, but I told her, I was like, I love this shirt. I love how it feels, how it looks and it is a no logo and it's like as nice as any shirt that I've gotten at like high end stores. If you're looking to upgrade your wardrobe, it's the short sleeve like crochet black shirt. It's slimming, it's great, it's comfy. Quinn's clothes are high quality, versatile and built to last. Think European linen shorts and shirts that are perfect for the summer. Pro tech golf pants, polos all day style. I mean I could go on premium leather accessories like belts, briefcase and shoes. I gotta get some belts from them. I'm just a huge fan of Quince. Well priced, well made. Just you're gonna go and you're gonna find something at quince that you looked at somewhere else and it's going to be less expensive and it's going to be just as good. So quints partners directly with ethical factories, top artisans, no middlemen means you spend 50 to 60% less and than similar brands. Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Go to quint.com jtrain for free shipping and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. Go to q I n c.com J train for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quint.com J train we're also brought to you by Omaha Stakes. I have the Omaha steaks in my freezer. In the morning I take them out, I put them in the sink, I let it defrost. They are delicious. They are a great dinner. The steak tips were melt in your mouth good. They have perfectly portioned premium ingredients right to your door. Kitchen staples like gourmet burgers. Air air chilled chicken breasts. The chicken breasts were great. The butcher cut filet mignon and boneless pork chops. These were so good. I still have some in the freezer. It is one of those like make your life easier type of things. Just take it out of the freezer in the morning, it's there waiting for you in the sink at night. Cook it up. It's delicious. I love it. And it's, you know you're gonna have, you're gonna have a meal that you would pay like a crazy amount in a restaurant for. I mean I, I'm not one to like compare the two but like it's a hun. Omaha Steaks is 100-year-old family owned business makes great gift. This is an amazing gift. For every time they have a good steak they're going to think of you. And every purchase comes with a money back guarantee. Taste the Omaha steaks different and never settle for grocery proteins again. Get flavorful high quality proteins delivered by visiting Omaha Steaks.com use promo code J train at checkout to get 35 off. That's Omaha Steaks.com code J train terms apply C site for details as I burp. Okay, now that we're done with the emails, let's go to pop culture Thursday. I mean I hope that all made sense. I, I, I well and if you want to see me on the road, I'm gonna be in Jacksonville this weekend. I've never, I, I've never done stand up in Jacksonville. I'm, I'm driving up from Del Rey, Austin, Cleveland, the Hamptons, Miami, Red Bank, New Jersey, Foxwoods, Portland, Maine and then I'm doing a book tour. New York city, Boston, Philly, D.C. chicago, Denver. The book tour is going to be like a u up live experience. There's going to be a moderator audience questions. We're going to do dating app makeovers. I'm going to translate your text, bring your screenshots. Let's, let's have a time. It'll be great. And the book walking red flag. I mean the feedback has been unbelievable. Um, just want you to go check it out. Wheel of Fortune trolls dragged for attacking Vanna White's appearance Now this is one of those stories that makes me angry. Vanna White has done nothing to deserve any type. Not, not that anyone deserves but Vanna White turns the letter on a screen and has done this amazing has turned, has taken turning letters on a screen. She doesn't even turn them anymore. She just touches it and it changes. She took that made it a career that should be looked up to, that should be, you know, you know, I mean everyone should go, wow, good for you. What an entrepreneur. And someone's making fun of her appearance. A beautiful woman known for her beauty. Vanna White's fans rushed to her defense after online trolls attacked the longtime Wheel of Fortune co host appearance at a recent golf festival. The beloved TV personality attended the PGA's annual One Flight Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina last week. A video of white 69. She's 69. She looks 35 here. Speaking to a crowd of the tournament was shared on Instagram on May 6. I don't know what they're, what they could be trolling. She dressed casually for the event and wearing a golf shirt and green pants with her iconic blonde hair tied into a ponytail behind her back. Rather than celebrate the Wheel of Fortune's mainstay, several users rushed to the Comments section to attack the mom of two over her laid back look. Crazy how old she got. Look at her arms. I hate getting old one room one rude person wrote while another added her hands look 90i her. If you're looking at someone's hands you're looking for trouble. You're, you're an. Wow. I can't believe how much she age. I mean I don't even want to read these comments. Here's the thing. She looks amazing. And I'm not saying to me, no, I'm not doing the amazing. To me she looks amazing. Factual, categorically looks amazing. I my parents have met Vanna White and they for now 20 years haven't stopped talking about how nice she was. My dad literally would leave my mom if he could for Vanna White. Like he, he was so engaged by her that he like to this day still talks about it. While White's fans however quickly flooded the Instagram's clips comment section to defend the Wheel of Fortune fashionista and celebrate how good she looks. The comments are unbelievable. One person wrote she's a 69 year old beautiful, kind woman. No, she's this is why the Internet. Here's the problem. You know these people talking back to these. It's not enough. Like I, I think the Internet, first of all we don't know who these people are or what they're. It could be a 16 year old boy who's just an idiot commenting on these things. I just don't understand how we haven't gotten to a place where you need a license to go on the Internet. Like there should be some sort of DMV style test to let people onto the Internet or at the very least a penalty box where they could be publicly shamed. There is no talking to these people does no good. It is never going to make you feel better. And if they do respond to you responding to them, they're just going to go all day because they got nothing to do. They're sitting in a basement with no other plan today but to fight with other people who are defending Vanna White. And it's why the world feels helpless because I don't believe that there's that there's that many people out there who are so garbage to talk about Vanna White in this way. I do believe that most people are either engaged and happy for someone or just nothing. And then there's these small people who come out out of the the the mud to say mean things to Vanna way. It's horrible. Why not a penalty box I've been saying this about the airport for years. Like just have some sort of penalty box where we put the people who suck at going through the X ray machine into the box with above their sign says bad airport person. And now they have to feel the consequences of being slow through the tsa. Same thing for the Internet people. But then it, you know, it goes down the road of free speech and it's just terrific. And I'm, I'm giving, I'm showing it to show people, I guess. Show people. I'm no hero in this. I guess I'm talking about this because I'm like, it just feels like making fun of Vanna White at 69 for not looking like she looked at 25 is such garbage. Low hanging fruit of making fun of someone. And to. And. And this goes back to the roast conversation. It's like, are you funnier than you are mean? Did you give care to the joke you made about the person that you could go up to them in the street and be like, ah, I was around. And they go, yeah, no, of course. Or are you just mean? Now there's a lot of reports on the Speaking of looks, it is a very looks that Tiffany Hadish was worried she'd have a wardrobe malfunction during her Sports illustrated swimsuit issue 2026 cover shoot. So the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is out. I don't know what that is anymore. I don't know if you can go pick up a copy at the airport. Hudson News. Tiffany Haddish looks amazing. I saw her. She was on the night of Too many Stars. She's ready to be a Sports Illustrated model. On Tuesday, Tiffany Haddish was named one of four cover stars, including Hillary Duff, Alex Earl and Nicole Williams. English for the Sports Illustrated issue 2026. Posing in a layered orange and gold Sam Same bikini, the first thing I thought was, I have to make sure my cuckoo doesn't come out okay. Joked Hadish, 46. Those bathing suits were itty bitty. And I was just thinking, my booty is going to eat this up. I wanted to keep it classy. She looks amazing. Here's the thing, you know, in order to keep. And you see Alex Earl's on a cover. We're being put in a position and this kind of goes back to the roast and who gets on it. Who gets the, you know, follower count is like, we're holding hands with like a really, you know, follower count is something that these magazines need to utilize to survive. It happens with comedy clubs. Why does a comedy Club book someone with a following versus a good act versus well, they want that audience to come and spend money so that the comedy club can be open for the good acts that come in that don't draw as well. And now Sports Illustrated is staying alive via. Hey, we have the swimsuit issue, but you're going to see your favorite stars that you follow in a swimsuit. So the idea of, like finding the newest model, like, I'm sure they the last name they said, I'm not familiar with Nicole Williams English. When you have Hillary Duff, Alex Earl, Tiffany Haddish, I have to assume Nicole Williams English is the model, the professional model of the group. And what they're doing is they're saying, we got to stay alive, so how are we going to do it? 3 out of 4 are going to just be people you follow on Instagram, and then the fourth is going to be a professional model. And that's kind of what's going on with comedy. Hey, you're going to watch the roast. You're going to get Big Jay Okerson. You've never heard of him. He's going to do a good job. You're also going to get Tony Hinchcliffe, who's going to say some horrific things. So it's, it's, it's, it. You know, we're in a time where you have to be a more thoughtful consumer, but it's really easy to not have any thought at all. And this isn't to say Tiffany Haddish doesn't look good on this. I'm for her. I'm sure this is the honor of a lifetime and I'm happy for her. Alex Earl, same thing. Good for her. But is that what the swimsuit issue is or was or that's what it's becoming? Let's do this article. I Page six, which is where I go for all these headlines, is really concerned with you not liking Megan Marle. They just don't want you to like her at all. Every headline about Megan Marle is, is aimed at making you think that she is a, you know, an out of it, not of the people person. Meghan Markle pairs $63,000 diamond necklace with white T shirt and new as ever promo pics. So they're basically saying, hey, if you want to buy from Meghan Markle's new clothing line, you better be someone who wants to be holding hands with a woman who's wearing a $63,000 necklace. That's at page six. And, and I page six gets a lot of mileage out of people who don't like Meghan Markle and are looking to hear bad things about her. So like at this point I, you know, I would believe that Meghan Markle is a tough hang, but I don't think she's as tough a hang as Page Six wants me to believe. Again, I'm trying to be a better consumer. That's how the Duchess of Sussex does it. Meghan Markle paired five figure jewelry with a white T shirt. A new shoot for her as ever lifestyle brand. Like when you have a lifestyle brand, the whole idea is it's relatable and they're basically saying, well how relatable could it be when she wears a $63,000 necklace in the photo shared via Instagram on Monday, the Suits Alum when they call her the Suits Alum, it tells you everything you need to know. 44 Enjoyed a cup of tea while rocking an A Neen Bing tea and light blue row trousers. $1300 for the trousers. She brought the bling to her understated outfit, by the way, by way of a $62,000 Logan Hollowell diamond tennis necklace and Burke's diamond earrings that are $6,900. Like I this is page six making an investment into their Megan Markle is a monster account and making sure that the Q rating that you have for her is something that that is unrelatable and that they can dine out on anytime she's in the news. And honestly, there's a piece of me that goes, is this Meghan Markle's PR people putting this here and being like, let's just go with it. She's in the news so it doesn't matter they're talking about you, that there's an element of that John McEnroe storms the stage during Linda Perry's emotional show this headline makes it sound as if John McEnroe ruined this person's emotional show. I think it's to give her a hug. I bet there is no way. And this is as clickbait as it gets. A legendary A legendary tennis champ turned into Linda Perry's personal hype man. Again, positive at a concert in Downtown Law in a downtown loft Thursday night, the 4 Non Blondes front woman was belting out the band's 1992 anthem what's up during an intimate SoHo session performance when sports icon John McEnroe bounded across the stage waving his arms to keep the crowd, which included his brother Patrick, Don Lemon, Gina Gershon Kelly, Ben Simon and Steve Sharipa singing Along, that is there's such a thing as, like, New York City famous Sharipa, Ben Simon and Don Lemon, Gina Gershon. These are all people that would be floor at the Knicks game on an off night. Like, these are the calls they make when they're playing the Washington Wizards. The surprise cameo brought some levity to an otherwise emotional evening for Perry, who's releasing her first solo album, more than 25 years, let it Die Here, alongside a documentary of the same name, which delves into her relationship with an abusive mother. Hey, yeah. So this is promotion. They're like, okay, we need to help promote this documentary, this album. John McEnroe rushes the stage. What? Again, we have to be better consumers. I knew that wasn't going to be a negative story about John McEnroe. We'll do one more. This one. You know, I'm a huge Seinfeld fan, always have been. I was brought up by the show Seinfeld and rarely seen. I mean, if you're a longtime Seinfeld fan, even Michael Richards, even if you didn't know about the slur thing, you know, him saying racial slurs at a comedy club, like, if that didn't happen. And I'm not excusing that or excluding that. He's a weird guy anyways. He. He. He rang weird. He almost rang pompous as a man of the stage, as. As like so into the performance that no one could understand his plight as an artist. And then the racial stuff happens and the slurs and the. The video from the comedy club. And. And. And we're all like, get out of here. Like, we don't need artsy guy who's weird who also says hateful things so rarely. But now, like, every now and again, he comes back. He was in that Comedians and Cars getting coffee with Jerry Seinfeld. And it was. If you watch it. If you can get over. If you have an emotional feeling about Michael Richards, which you might. If you can get over that, you go, this is, like, wildly weird. Like, there's a guy, Michael Richards, during. If you go, watch it. Comedians and Cars getting coffee with Jerry Seinfeld. At one point, Michael Richards gets dressed in costume because he's afraid of leaving and being in public. Even though he's taping a show. He goes to put on a costume, like a wig and a shirt. And then Jerry's kind of like, are you crazy? Just come on, let's go get coffee. And. And then they start walking through the parking lot. He's in this get up and Then there's a man that they walk by who's literally dressed exactly like Michael Richards, incognito. Like, the wig he put on is the same hair as the man that they pass in the parking lot. And Seinfeld is like, wait a minute, you guys look exactly like he, he thought he was being pranked. It was, it's actually if, if you go and pause this, if you go watch one thing tonight, go watch that. It's like crazy. Seinfeld alum Michael Richards was spotted in a rare sighting Sunday, the first time he's been publicly photographed in two years. The actor, 76, was snapped walking in West Hollywood, California over the weekend. And pictures obtained by Page Six. Now, he hasn't been photographed in two years. Is that because there aren't people waiting for him outside of events? Or he doesn't go to events, or has he literally not left the house in two years? Despite the sunny weather, Richard's covered up in a black jacket, dark jeans and boots. Yeah, yeah. He doesn't look like he's hiding. He is dressed well. I was just in la. That is not unseasonably warm. That was actually what the weather was kind of like in the morning. Richard's wearing eyeglasses. Appeared to be solo. The last public event he attended was the unfrosted premiere back in May 2024 to support a Seinfeld co star, Jerry Seinfeld. The event marked the first, his first red carpet in eight years. I mean, the actors remained largely out of the spotlight after he infamously unleashed a stream of racial slurs. Yeah. At Hecklers during a 202006 comedy show at the Laugh Factory. I mean, that is what, that's the first paragraph of this guy's life, even though he's in the, the biggest show of all time. So, I mean, then they just go into that story. They just, I, they call him a recluse or how, how long do you have to stay inside to be considered reclusive? Like, and here's the thing, he doesn't go to events, which I don't blame him for. That makes you reclusive. Like, reclusive means to me, your hair is grown out, you have a big beard, and people are like, is that you, like, in this picture? This is not reclusive. That is not, to me, this picture is guy who went to a coffee shop, but they call him reclusive. I, I, I don't know. Reclusive, I think, is reserved. I wouldn't call this reclusive. You gotta be, you gotta be. You gotta look like you. You like it Hurt when you saw the sun for the first time. Well, pop culture Thursday. Back next week, boom.
Host: Jared Freid
Episode: Kevin Hart Roast, Vanna White Trolls, and Meghan Markle's 36K Necklace - POP CULTURE THURSDAY
Date: May 14, 2026
On this Pop Culture Thursday, comedian Jared Freid responds to listener emails and riffs on recent pop culture stories, blending behind-the-scenes comedy insights with reactions to headline news. Topics include the Kevin Hart Roast, trolling of Vanna White’s appearance, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover announcements, Meghan Markle’s high-end fashion choices, John McEnroe’s surprise stage appearance, and Michael Richards’ re-emergence in the public eye. Jared offers his personal and professional perspective throughout, especially regarding the comedy world and internet culture.
(00:01–26:00)
“His set, if you go watch, it was kind of the roast that I enjoy. Him and Kevin Hart go way back. He got emotional. He brought up Keith Robinson … that was the fun to me of a roast.” (21:00)
“Everyone’s trying to chomp at the meat and trying to get at that big bag of money. And I think that’s kind of what happened at this Kevin Hart roast, where if you make the most horrific joke … it just matters that you get heard.” (16:45)
(27:00–31:00)
“Kevin Hart used his celebrity to have the show get made, that cared for stand up comedians. … They’re not new to me.” (29:12)
“Some shows are easier for me to watch, some are tougher … sometimes I turn away. I just can’t do it. That’s me being insecure.” (30:20)
(47:45–52:40)
“If you’re looking at someone’s hands you’re looking for trouble. … She looks amazing. Factual, categorically looks amazing.” (49:00)
“There should be some sort of DMV style test to let people onto the Internet or at the very least a penalty box where they could be publicly shamed.” (50:30)
(52:45–56:30)
“We’re holding hands with … follower count … these magazines need to utilize to survive. … 3 out of 4 are going to just be people you follow on Instagram, and the fourth is going to be a professional model.” (54:00)
(56:30–59:40)
“Page Six gets a lot of mileage out of people who don’t like Meghan Markle and are looking to hear bad things about her.” (57:00)
(59:50–1:02:35)
(1:02:40–1:07:00)
“Reclusive means to me, your hair is grown out, you have a big beard, and people are like, is that you? … This picture is guy who went to a coffee shop … I wouldn’t call this reclusive.” (1:05:43)
On roasts and real comedy:
“Are you funnier than you are mean? Did you give care to the joke you made about the person that you could go up to them in the street and be like, ah, I was around. And they go, yeah, no, of course. Or are you just mean?” (51:50)
On internet trolls:
“These small people who come out of the mud to say mean things to Vanna White. It’s horrible. Why not a penalty box?” (51:10)
On influencer culture in media:
“Is that what the swimsuit issue is or was or that’s what it’s becoming?” (55:17)
On comedy competition show lineups:
“They were stand up comedians on that show. … These people have been around is my point. They’re not new to me.” (29:26)
Jared’s delivery is humorous, direct, sometimes self-deprecating, and always honest. He offers both an insider’s view of comedy and a skeptical, sometimes exasperated take on celebrity news and internet culture. The episode is both a personal reflection and a pop-culture critique, full of relatable anecdotes and behind-the-scenes observations.
Summary prepared for listeners who want the full scoop without the riffing and rants.