The Michael Knowles Show — Ep. 1912 "Boomers Scold Gen Z For Eating Rotisserie Chicken" Date: February 13, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Michael Knowles unpacks recent generational tensions, focusing on media criticism of Gen Z’s spending habits—particularly the supposed extravagance of eating rotisserie chicken. He moves into broader commentary on Gen Z’s societal conditions, critiques of Christianity among youth, and how cultural and political forces influence generational attitudes. The episode also features discussion on immigration, left-wing activist groups’ foreign ties, and a brief foray into recent (and wacky) historical revisionism about William Shakespeare. The tone is sarcastic, critical, occasionally humorous, and overtly conservative.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rotisserie Chicken: A Gen Z Scandal? (02:00–09:00)

• Wall Street Journal vs. Gen Z: Knowles highlights a new Wall Street Journal article criticizing Gen Z for buying "gut healthy juices and rotisserie chickens," and likens this to past boomer attacks on millennials for eating $15 avocado toast.

• The Economics of Chicken:

  • Rotisserie chickens are inexpensive, nutritious, and often sold as loss leaders by grocery stores (i.e., priced below market value to attract customers).
  • “Zoomers should be allowed to eat chicken. They should be allowed to eat chicken priced under fair market value, I think.” — Michael Knowles, (07:43)

• Generational Comparisons:

  • Gen Z faces more severe economic and social hurdles than previous generations: student debt, unaffordable housing, higher divorce rates among parents, lack of religious upbringing, and a digital/AI revolution.
  • Knowles extends empathy, noting these aren't all their fault: “Give the kids a little bit of a break. They grew up in broken homes... in an economy that really rigged the system against them.” (08:36)

2. Gen Z’s Disaffection with Christianity (09:30–16:00)

• Survey Findings: Knowles cites a Spectator article summarizing a Youthscape survey of UK teens, who find Jesus off-putting, allegedly suffering from a "God complex" and being overly "mansplainy."

  • “He appears to have a God complex, while the Almighty is alienating on account of being really violent and aggressive.” — Knowles quoting survey, (10:12)
  • Knowles’ retort: "Well, this would probably make sense because he is both God and man...if he were to have a God complex, I suppose that would be justified." (10:43)

• Interpretation of Results:

  • Knowles argues the real issue is a rebellion against authority and ultimately against God: “All of leftism comes down to a rebellion against God. And I’m not being hyperbolic...” (14:21)
  • He claims this is historically rooted (French Revolution, etc.), and accuses leftism of pushing youth to reject tradition, religion, and gender because it is fundamentally anti-God.

• On Gen Z’s Polarization:

  • Gen Z isn’t monolithically irreligious—some are attracted to traditional Catholicism, others to radical ideologies. “Gen Z’s distinctive feature is that it is polarized. It is much more polarized than other generations.” (12:09)

3. Crime, Immigration, and "Who’s the Worst?" (18:56–29:00)

• Rep. Steve Cohen’s Comments:

  • Cohen claims “the worst of the worst” criminals are native-born Americans, not immigrants (18:56). Knowles accuses Cohen of pushing euphemisms to racialize the crime debate and distract from illegal immigration issues.
  • “Democrats say the worst of the worst are not illegal aliens. The worst of the worst are American citizens. Native born Americans. They’re the worst.” (19:25)

• Knowles’ Counterpoint:

  • Illegal immigrants’ crimes are entirely preventable by enforcing immigration laws; native-born criminals are a problem the country is stuck with.
  • “Every single crime that an illegal alien commits in America was needless...you are responsible for every one of those crimes.” (22:09)

• Deportation Theater and Statistics:

  • New CBS report: record rates of self-deportations since Trump’s re-election.
  • Knowles supports “the show”—publicized ICE enforcement—as deterrence, similar to Bukele’s tactics in El Salvador: "The flamboyance is the point, actually. The showmanship is the point." (28:04)

4. Foreign Influence: CODEPINK, China, and Leftist Activism (32:00–38:58)

• State Department’s Findings:
  • CODEPINK and similar activist groups are allegedly used as “tools of the Chinese Communist Party.”
  • Knowles argues that while some activist causes are sincere, foreign adversaries exploit real domestic issues to destabilize the U.S.
  • He cautions about supporting such groups, citing historical examples like Soviet backing of some parts of the Civil Rights movement: "Our foreign adversaries actually do use sincere ideas and political candidates to advance their agenda against America." (36:31)

5. Literary Revisionism: Was Shakespeare a Black Jewish Woman? (38:58–39:46)

• Riffing on a New Theory: Knowles playfully mocks a newly published theory that Shakespeare was actually Emilia Bassano, a Jewish woman of North African descent.
  • “What if. What if Ifs and buts were candy and nuts? Well, then we’d all have a merry Christmas...was Shakespeare a black Jewish woman? No, he wasn’t. Wouldn’t that be wacky if he were?” (39:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Let them eat chicken. Like Enlightenment propagandists pretended that Marie Antoinette said, let them eat cake. This is kind of the opposite version. Let them eat chicken.” — Michael Knowles (08:29)

• “...with the zoomers, they’re either like antifa agents with septum piercings who are trans or they’re Nazis. It is...a much further degree of polarity.” — Michael Knowles (12:25)

• On the left’s attitude toward God: “If God were a woman, if God were a black woman...that would be the thing that the left opposes. That’s ultimately what it comes down to.” — Michael Knowles (16:36)

• On acting as a career:

  • “Run, run. Do anything else. Run in the opposite direction.” — Michael Knowles (41:16)
  • “It’s not conducive to a distinguished life.” (43:02)

Interview and Q&A Highlights

Listener Call: Should I Become an Actor? (40:46–45:55)

• Michael’s Advice: Don’t do it professionally; modern acting is morally dubious because of what it requires of your inner desires and can be spiritually harmful.
• Ben Davies’ Take: Also discourages it, mostly due to its risk and the unlikelihood of success, but notes there are happy, successful actors who avoid emotional pitfalls through technique.
• Consensus: Good to study acting for life skills, not as a career.

Miscellaneous

• Pendragon Cycle Clip: (46:52–48:47) Audio excerpt from a fantasy series, included as content cross-promotion for Daily Wire programming.

• Shoutouts:

  • Praise for Daily Wire original content (“Pendragon Cycle”) via Joe Rogan and Roger Avery’s remarks (30:19–31:15).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rotisserie Chicken/WSJ Criticism: 02:00–09:00
• Gen Z, Christianity & Rebellion: 09:30–16:00
• Rep. Steve Cohen & Immigration: 18:56–29:00
• Foreign Influence on Activism: 32:00–38:58
• Shakespeare as Black Jewish Woman?: 38:58–39:46
• Listener Question: Acting as a Career: 40:46–45:55
• Pendragon Cycle Audio Clip: 46:52–48:47

Tone & Language

Knowles’ delivery is rapid-fire, heavy on sarcasm, and mixes historical/theological references with pop culture. The tone is critical of progressive trends and sympathetic (albeit patronizingly so) to the plight of younger generations, provided their issues are cast as downstream of "leftist" influence.

For Listeners New to the Show:
Expect a blend of cultural criticism, current events with a conservative spin, and a touch of theatrical flair. The episode is as much commentary on generational norms as it is a vehicle for Knowles' worldview—heavy on traditionalism and antagonistic toward leftist thought.