Podcast Summary: The Megyn Kelly Show | Ep. 1064

Episode Title: Met Gala Goes Racial, Media's False Trump NBC Narrative, and Affirmative Action Myth, with Andrew Klavan and Jason Riley
Release Date: May 5, 2025
Host: Megyn Kelly
Guests: Andrew Klavan, Jason Riley
Channel: SiriusXM Channel 111

Introduction and National Astronaut Day (00:00 - 06:43)

Megyn Kelly kicks off the episode with a light-hearted acknowledgment of National Astronaut Day, humorously referencing celebrities like Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez in relation to astronaut training and space flights. She sets a casual tone before transitioning to the episode's key topics.

Met Gala and Racial Tokenism with Andrew Klavan (06:43 - 26:12)

Guest: Andrew Klavan, author of The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness.

Key Discussions:

• Critique of the Met Gala's Racial Focus:

  • Megyn: Introduces the Met Gala as a politically charged event emphasizing black fashion, questioning its authenticity and labeling it as "black tokenism."
  • Andrew: Criticizes the Met Gala for pandering to black culture without genuine representation, stating, "It's feels very much like black tokenism to me" (06:59).

• Affirmation of Traditional Values Over Tokenism:

  • Andrew: Argues that the Met Gala's approach undermines true beauty and culture, stating, "Why we have to see beautiful people being virtuous just escapes me entirely" (08:00).
  • Discussion on the Decline of Western Culture: Both speakers lament the erosion of traditional Western values in favor of identity politics and virtue signaling.

• Impact of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Initiatives:

  • Megyn: Highlights the Met Gala's inclusion of black designers and advisors, questioning their effectiveness.
  • Andrew: Points out that DEI initiatives have not translated into meaningful diversity within major brands, noting, "Of the more than 15 appointments at the top of major brands this year, not a single one was a designer of color" (13:15).

• Cultural and Artistic Decline:

  • Andrew: Discusses the decline in quality of American films and arts, attributing it to leftist ideological dominance. He states, "Ideology is death to art" (37:40).
  • Megyn: Shares a personal anecdote contrasting a moving religious ceremony with the superficiality she perceives in contemporary media and events like the Met Gala.

• Warning Signs of Cultural Collapse:

  • Andrew: Compares the Met Gala to "Rome just before it collapsed," emphasizing the peril of abandoning foundational cultural values (26:12).
  • Megyn: Agrees, describing the event as "end of days kind of stuff" (26:12).

Notable Quotes:

• Andrew Klavan (06:59): "It's feels very much like black tokenism to me."
• Andrew Klavan (08:00): "Why we have to see beautiful people being virtuous just escapes me entirely."
• Andrew Klavan (37:40): "Ideology is death to art."
• Andrew Klavan (26:12): "It's like Rome just before it collapsed."

Affirmative Action and Its Impacts with Jason Riley (76:37 - 95:22)

Guest: Jason Riley, columnist for the Wall Street Journal and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, author of The Affirmative Action Myth: Why Blacks Don't Need Racial Preferences to Succeed.

Key Discussions:

• Debunking Affirmative Action Myths:

  • Jason: Challenges the belief that affirmative action is essential for the black middle class's success, presenting historical data that black advancement was on a positive trajectory before such policies. He states, "There was a black middle class well before affirmative action policies took effect in the 1970s" (84:25).

• Mismatch Theory:

  • Jason: Explains how affirmative action leads to mismatches where students admitted to elite institutions may struggle academically, resulting in higher dropout rates. "Absolutely, they have higher standards than the average college student in this country" (87:09).

• Positive Outcomes Post-Affirmative Action Ban:

  • Jason: References California's ban on racial admissions, noting an initial dip in black and Hispanic enrollment at elite schools but overall increased graduation rates across the system. "The University of California system overall saw an increase in enrollment because kids were going to schools where they were better matched" (84:25).

• Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Black Advancement:

  • Jason: Attributes the stall in black educational and economic progress to factors like the deterioration of the black family structure, rather than policies like affirmative action. "The median income of blacks was getting closer to the median income of household income of whites. But what you saw... was a deterioration in solo parenting" (89:30).

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Riley (84:25): "There was a black middle class well before affirmative action policies took effect in the 1970s."
• Jason Riley (87:09): "Absolutely, they have higher standards than the average college student in this country."
• Jason Riley (89:30): "The median income of blacks was getting closer to the median income of household income of whites."

Media's Portrayal of President Trump and Border Security (52:41 - 74:18)

Key Discussions:

• Criticism of Media Narratives:

  • Megyn: Highlights a recent interview between President Trump and Kristen Welker, criticizing the media's portrayal of Trump's policies on Medicaid and border security.
  • Andrew: Accuses the media of consistently framing Trump's actions negatively, regardless of actual outcomes. "Everything he does is looked at from a negative point of view" (56:23).

• Border Security and Due Process:

  • Megyn: Questions the fairness of media narratives around Trump's stance on border security and due process for undocumented immigrants.
  • Andrew: Explains the complexities of implementing due process for the influx of illegal immigrants, asserting that current policies, if enforced, would uphold constitutional standards. "He's being forced to try each one of them, which is not in the Constitution... It's making the Constitution into a suicide pact." (58:57)

• Deportation Policies:

  • Andrew: Emphasizes the importance of deporting undocumented immigrants to preserve national security and uphold the rule of law. He argues that the question should focus on why undocumented immigrants are entering the country in such numbers rather than on their due process rights.

• Elitism and Cultural Disconnect:

  • Andrew: Blames the failure of elites to align with the cultural and economic realities of the average American, contributing to societal decline. "This is what they're doing is... erasing the things we love" (72:17).

Notable Quotes:

• Andrew Klavan (56:23): "Everything he does is looked at from a negative point of view."
• Andrew Klavan (58:57): "He's being forced to try each one of them, which is not in the Constitution... It's making the Constitution into a suicide pact."
• Andrew Klavan (72:17): "This is what they're doing is... erasing the things we love."

Cultural and Societal Decline (95:22 - 101:54)

Key Discussions:

• Oppositional Mindset Among Black Youth:

  • Jason: Observes a shift in mindset among black youth, moving away from assimilating to middle-class values towards embracing oppositional and often detrimental behaviors influenced by leftist elites. "Martin Luther King believed that... it was very common among the black leadership" (96:09).

• Impact of Respectability Politics:

  • Jason: Contrasts past respectability politics, which emphasized self-improvement and responsibility, with current tendencies to excuse and justify negative behaviors. He notes, "This is what they say it's happening now, that culture of illness" (96:09).

• Media Highlighting Negative Stereotypes:

  • Megyn: Points out how media glorifies individuals who embody negative stereotypes, such as gangsters, while neglecting to highlight positive role models within the black community. "George Floyd was presented as your typical black person in America... he is not your typical black person in America" (90:35).

• Reinforcement of Stereotypes Through Affirmative Action:

  • Jason: Argues that affirmative action not only mismatches students but also reinforces harmful stereotypes by setting up black students to fail at elite institutions, thereby perpetuating negative perceptions about their capabilities.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Riley (96:09): "This is what you saw was an attempt among blacks to assimilate to middle class values. That was the belief of the black leadership."
• Megyn Kelly (90:35): "George Floyd was presented as your typical black person in America... he is not your typical black person in America."

Conclusion and Upcoming Segments (101:54 - End)

Megyn Kelly wraps up the discussions with a reflection on the contrasting themes of faith, family, and cultural preservation versus the perceived decline driven by identity politics and media narratives. She teases upcoming segments featuring Jason Riley discussing his book on affirmative action and promotes upcoming guest appearances.

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Overall Insights:

The episode of The Megyn Kelly Show delves deep into the intersections of race, culture, media portrayal, and policy in contemporary America. Through incisive conversations with Andrew Klavan and Jason Riley, Megyn Kelly explores the implications of the Met Gala's racial themes, critiques the effectiveness and repercussions of affirmative action, and scrutinizes the media's handling of President Trump's policies. The overarching narrative emphasizes a perceived decline in Western cultural values, the detrimental effects of identity politics, and the need for a return to traditional principles of faith, family, and national pride.

Key Takeaways:

• Met Gala as Tokenism: The event is criticized for superficial racial inclusion without genuine representation, exemplifying broader societal issues of tokenism.
• Affirmative Action's Backfire: Affirmative action is argued to have stalled black educational and economic progress by causing mismatches at elite institutions and reinforcing negative stereotypes.
• Media's Negative Bias: The media is portrayed as unwaveringly critical of President Trump's policies, contributing to a narrative that undermines his administration's efforts on border security and economic reforms.
• Cultural Decline: There's a strong sentiment that Western culture is eroding under the pressures of identity politics and that a resurgence of traditional values is necessary for societal stability.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Andrew Klavan (06:59): "It's feels very much like black tokenism to me."
• Andrew Klavan (08:00): "Why we have to see beautiful people being virtuous just escapes me entirely."
• Andrew Klavan (37:40): "Ideology is death to art."
• Jason Riley (84:25): "There was a black middle class well before affirmative action policies took effect in the 1970s."
• Jason Riley (87:09): "Absolutley, they have higher standards than the average college student in this country."
• Andrew Klavan (56:23): "Everything he does is looked at from a negative point of view."

Recommendation:

This episode is highly recommended for listeners interested in deep dives into cultural criticism, policy analysis, and media scrutiny from a conservative perspective. Megyn Kelly facilitates robust discussions that challenge prevailing narratives and encourage critical thinking about race, education, and national identity in America.