Dr. John Lakey (9:11)

I was fascinated by your editorial essentially saying that women now have agency. Women have the ability to leave an abusive relationship. And Cassie essentially made a deal with the devil that if you want a number one hit, you have to do certain things to get it. It's your call whether you want it or not. In her case, freak offs, which you say the text show she was enthusiastic about. Is that a fair characterization of what you're saying? Not completely. I wasn't saying that those texts that she wrote were sincere. I don't think they were. I don't think she was enjoying the Frida Kopfs.

Bill (9:59)

Oh, so that's not what he said. Let's roll tape.

Dr. John Lakey (10:03)

If you're me tooing someone, it doesn't help your case if you texted him, me too. I just want it to be uncontrollable. If you want us to think you weren't always ready to freak off, don't write I'm always ready to freak off. Or wish we could have f O Ed before you left. You know, one sign you're pretty comfortable with something is when you call it by its initials.

Bill (10:35)

I love video. You can't lie your way out of video. Can't do it. That is exactly what he said. And we didn't. We here at the Nerve. We didn't edit anything out of context. There was nothing he said before or after that that ameliorated that statement, that somehow got into the nuances of when and where women might have reason to perhaps Placate their abuser. None. Next, Bill, with his soft, tiny hands, keeps digging that hole.

Dr. John Lakey (11:10)

But that just goes to the point that sometimes people do things that they really don't want to do for some greater good.

Bill (11:19)

He just did it again. He just did it again. He just said that women who are in abusive relationships, who get the shit beat out of them by their excuses for men, are doing it for some greater good. The greater good, of course, in Bill's world, being fame, money, and power. Because what else matters than that? There's no greater good than that. Okay, continuing on his explanation to Harvey freaking Levin over at tmz.

Dr. John Lakey (11:49)

I noticed the people who came after me, you know, they always do it in such bad faith. You know, they never include. First of all, they're probably too lazy to watch the whole thing.

Bill (12:01)

Okay, that's me. That's me. I act always in good faith, Bill, unlike you. And I watched your editorial three times in its entirety, front to back the night it aired to make sure that I was hearing what I thought I was hearing because I couldn't, frankly, believe it. And then in preparation of the first show where we took you to the woodshed, I took that thing apart like the Zapruder film. I went back forth, slow motion captions, transcripts. Because there's nothing more indisputable than hanging someone with their own words. And we have the benefit of your smuggler, smarmy, dismissive facial expressions to reinforce what you're actually saying. Okay, and then I had to rewatch it again for this well deserved follow up. And you know what I caught? I caught something else. Because like all great art, every time you look at it, you catch something new. What struck me this time is how pleased Bill was with himself during this particular editorial. I mean, he's always pleased with himself, but this time he took it to another level. Okay, back to Bill on tmz.

Dr. John Lakey (13:11)

I went to great lengths to talk about how I completely understand how women would, as counterintuitive as it is, or as it seems, write a complimentary text, for example, or email to an abuser after they were abused, because. Especially before the MeToo movement. Not that things have changed completely, but they've changed a lot, which is a big point I was making.

Bill (13:40)

He went to great lengths. Again, we're the idiots. Tell me, Bill, how this squares with your new rule regarding victims of domestic violence. Take a look.

Dr. John Lakey (13:53)

But a lot has changed. Cosby and R. Kelly went to prison. Harvey Weinstein is going to die in prison. Larry Nassar is serving 175 years. Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in his jail cell by Hillary Clinton. Post MeToo reporting of sexual crimes is way up, as is the percent of women who say they're now more likely to speak out if victimized. And many states have changed laws, making it easier for victims to come forward. We're not in the no one listens to women or takes them seriously era anymore. Operators are actually standing by to take your calls.

Bill (14:45)

To take your calls. Funny, funny. You know, we're going to hear in a little bit from a female celebrity who found herself calling a domestic violence hotline. And I doubt you'll be laughing then, Bill, or your guest, Jake Tapper, who thought that was so funny, you know, but who knows? Because Bill Maher is such a sick fuck who clearly hates women. I don't know, maybe he will find it funny. Back to Bill on tmz.

Dr. John Lakey (15:09)

You know, when you had people like Cosby and Harvey Weinstein and look like nobody ever had to pay the piper for what they were doing? Well, you know, that's why you might write that complimentary text after you were abused, because at least you're going to get something out of it.

Bill (15:27)

Oh, my God. Again, he doesn't fucking get it. He won't get it. He refuses to get it. You don't. As I said in the piece in the prior episode taking Bill down, I believe it was episode 12, but they'll let me know. I spoke about the initial Harvey trial, by the way. Harvey's appealing his guilty verdict in New York right now. Okay. So he might, you know, he could get off on that. There was an expert who took the stand who explained again to a jury composed of more men than women that often when a rapist or a sexual abuser is known to the victim, they are victimized by somebody they have a relationship with already that they maintain friendly relationships. Sometimes they maintain sexually intimate relationships because it's a way for them to try to make sense of what just happened to them. They've been assaulted by somebody they once trusted. It's not. But listen, I think a lot of this is Bill's own fucked up, warped view of the world. He's been in Hollywood way too long. He's idolized Hollywood way too long. In his world, I think everything is transactional, including, I'm going to guess, 99% of the relationships, and I use that word loosely, that he has had with women. It seems like everything in his life is transactional. So he thinks that's how the rest of us are working it out in life. In general, okay, let's go back to his little crisis management attempt on tmz.

Dr. John Lakey (16:59)

But let's live in the world. You know, the year we're living in is something I say a lot. And, you know, those guys are in jail now. A lot of people went to jail. A lot of other people can't even show their faces. You know, I'm not going to name names because they sue me properly. But, you know, a lot of people can't go out to dinner because they're just Persona non grata, as it should be.

Bill (17:23)

Okay, you know what that says to me? This is what I think. Some of them are in prison and some of them are not. And Bill knows who these men are. He knew who a lot of them were, and he knows who a lot of them are. And I wonder, I do wonder if Bill's a little worried that his name might get floated someday in some sort of scandal, you know, but, you know, so let's have Bill, who's not going to name names because he doesn't want to get sued. I mean, you know, I could name names, but whatever. He doesn't want to get sued. So he's just going to say, you know, it's. The tragedy is that they can't go out to dinner in this town. They can't get, like, seated at the Polo Lounge, at the Beverly Hills Hotel or at the Ivy. You know, they have to hide their faces in shame. Okay, okay. Now let's listen to Bill again. Tell us once more what is a valid attempt by a woman in a violent relationship? What constitutes a true attempt to leave in the future?

Dr. John Lakey (18:33)

Because, you know, things are somewhat different now. Quite a bit different. Don't tell your friends about it when it happens. Tell the police right away. That's the person who should be reading your contemporaneous notes, the police report. Because if you wait 10 years, it gets kind of murky. And again, I went to great lengths to say I understand why this has happened in the past, but I do think we should reevaluate that. And if you are being abused, especially. And again, if you're being actually captured by somebody, that's different.

Bill (19:13)

Oh, that's different. That's different. By the way, that's Bill saying exactly what he said on his show. So nothing has changed, okay? This is a very cynical attempt on his part to make people think that we misinterpreted everything that guy said. By the way, as one of you troublemakers wrote to me, and you reminded me, Dominique Dunne, the actress daughter of Dominique Dunne had left her abuser. And you know what happened? He showed up at her house and he choked her to death. And she wound up on life support, and she died. And that guy got like, maybe six years. Okay, so now. So since Bill Maher again. So he's telling us, like, being captured, you know, that's different. You know, so let's. So let's look at what happens, like, again to Cassie when she did what Bill says she should do and just leave, just walk out the door. Let's look at this. We're looking at Sean Combs running after Cassie, wrapped in a towel. She is at an elevator bank lacing up her sneaker. And around the corner he comes. He grabs her neck from behind. He throws her to the ground. She goes limp. He starts kicking her, grabs her stuff. She's not moving. She's not moving on the ground. He kicks her again. He's walking above her. He grabs her by either the hair or an arm, and he starts dragging her through that elevator bank and down the hall. So I guess Bill, maybe she. She just didn't try hard enough to get away. Right? Okay, now let's have Bill explain to us how psychological abuse isn't a big deal at all, but if it's just.

Dr. John Lakey (20:54)

Mental, which a lot of this was, you know, I quoted the singer that Shia LaBeouf was with, FKA twigs, I think is her name. And she. I read her quote, which said, I could have left anytime I wanted to. I have a townhouse in London that I could have gone to. And I said, then why am I reading about this? If you could have done that, why didn't you do it?

Bill (21:22)

Okay, why didn't you do it? I explained this to Bill in the last. It was episode 13. Episode 13. I explained it. But, you know, for. So Bill says again, I believe he's talking to us over here. And I believe he's talking to the peace. The segment I did in that episode that I was too lazy and stupid to watch his entire disgusting, dangerous op ed, Bill, I spared you. I spared you the energy and the work that would have gone into Googling, FKA Twigs and abuse, you know, because you could just ask her about it because she's been brave enough to talk about it. Okay, here she is to the otherwise exaggerate poll Gayle King. In February of 2021.

FKA Twigs (22:07)

He would often just start having an argument with me in the middle of the night, start accusing me of doing all sorts of things, planning to leave him in my head. He'd wake me up and tell me I was disgusting, that I was vile.

Bill (22:20)

All the things that he was accusing you of were absolutely not true.

FKA Twigs (22:23)

Nothing was ever true. This is the thing. But I would really doubt myself, you know, especially when I'd, like, wake up and he'd be like, you were lying there with your eyes open, planning to leave me. And I'd be like, I literally was asleep. But then he would, like, only want me to sleep naked because he said if I didn't, then I was keeping myself from him. So, you know, it's a tactic that a lot of abusers use. It's just this, like, constant availability and everything centered around them. And I think, you know, that's why I wanted to come out and talk about this, because the signs really are there from the beginning.

Bill (23:03)

Yeah. So she's very brave to be talking this way, by the. Because this is. This is a fraction of what she went through, I guarantee you. And it's humiliating to say, yeah, the man I was with made me sleep naked every night and make myself available to him and then gaslight me to the point where I was doubting myself. But then at the end of that clip, she says, that's an abuser tactic. They do it to make you doubt yourself so that as they escalate, you can't tell what's actually really happening anymore or if you should even be alarmed. Okay, Bill. So there's no just mental abuse. Mental and psychological and emotional abuse is the mechanism by which these guys get to the point where, you know, they wind up killing. Killing their women. Okay. Now, she then went on to say the following to Gail.

FKA Twigs (23:59)

There wasn't one set moment, but it's very subtle. That's the thing about, you know, domestic abuse, domestic violence. It's a real gradual, step by step process to get somebody to. To a place where they lose themselves so much, they accept or feel like they deserve to be treated in that way. It's not one thing. It's loads of tiny little things that get sewn together into a nightmare.

Bill (24:27)

A nightmare. That, Bill, is the mental part of breaking down victims so that they don't know which end is up by the time they start putting hands on you or raping you. And you just can't make sense of it because this is happening to you at the hands of the person that you love more than anybody in the world. But again, I don't think Bill Maher has ever experienced real love. Sorry, I don't. And so he really. He has no idea here. And because women per her. His own Self report. He talks about this all the time on his show. Always rejected him in his teens and twenties and many women out of his league probably do to this day. It's probably why he loves sex workers. He has to rationalize all. All that rejection by making women in his mind weak and dumb and passive. People who deserve to get the shit beat out of them. Okay, now here's FKA Twigs around that same time going into even more detail to the BBC. And this is harrowing. You're not going to believe it. I'm going to warn you, this is graphic and it's violent. Listen to this.

FKA Twigs (25:33)

After the incident, driving back from the desert where he was threatening to crash the car unless I said I loved him and ended up basically strangling me in public at a gas station and nobody did anything. That was a really low moment for me because I felt like I would never be believed. And I felt there were bystanders at the gas station who saw what was happening and didn't step in. No, nobody stepped in.

Bill (26:02)

So you can see why FKA Twigs might feel helpless and hopeless if nobody made a move to intervene as he's putting hands on her in a public place. Okay, next she tells again. Bill, listen, use both ears and use your eyes and watch and listen as FKA Twigs talks about. Oh, as Bill says to us, operators are standing by to take your call. You know, fuck off. Here's FKA Twigs on calling after get after getting back from that harrowing attack, calling a hotline for women who are stuck in domestic abusive relationships.

FKA Twigs (26:48)

And I remember going back to where I was staying and calling an abused women's helpline. And I literally just googled, like, Free Women's Abuse Helpline usa. You know, I just called the first one that came up and her reaction to me was so serious and she was like, okay, from what you've said, it feels to me like you're in an unsafe place. Does your abuser know where you are? Can you get to a safe place? Who have you told about this? Is there somewhere else that you can stay? Very, like, black and white, like almost when you call, like a paramedic, is the person breathing? And it felt really like, whoa, like somebody that I don't even know that doesn't even know that, like I'm a singer or anything like that. Somebody's taking this so seriously and wants to get me somewhere safe. And that was a really massive wake up call. That's the time when I realized, like, I need a lot of help to get out of this. And that's when I started messaging. I messaged my best friend and I said, I'm in a really abusive relationship and it's really bad.

Bill (27:57)

So again, to Bill's. I just. I just fucking lost my. Whatever. To Bill's point. Like, oh, telling women who are being beaten by their men, you know, don't. I don't want to hear about your contemporaneous accounts that you told your best friend 10 years ago. You know, that that's her saying, first of all, I'm. I'm humiliated because, like, I'm. I'm ostensibly a woman with power. I'm a successful singer. I perform to loads of people who cheer for me, but I'm getting the shit beaten out of me, and I feel extremely helpless. And she hadn't even told her best friend her best. Of course she hadn't, because that is so humiliating. It is so humiliating. And it goes to the layers and the nuance of this issue. So now she's called this domestic abuse hotline. And the woman on the other end says, okay, are you safe? Does your abuser know where you are? Can you get to somewhere safe? Because as discussed last episode, Bill, the most dangerous time for a woman is when she decides to leave. And you can't just walk out the door. That's when you're most likely to get killed. Okay? You need to have a plan in place. And, you know, again, the cops oftentimes this stuff isn't taken seriously. Okay? So anyway, here's FKA Twigs on what she. She goes and she gets a therapist. And here she's talking about how long it still took her to get out of this relationship. And watch at the end. Watch at the end here, because there is a statement from Shia LaBeouf, who denied this shit for a while. And, well, you know, you can only lie about this stuff for so long. Watch this.

FKA Twigs (29:34)

And I got a therapist who I started seeing twice a week. And I think about maybe a few months after I started that process, I was able to leave and leave for good. I knew it wouldn't work. It was more just like, for me, I had to spend a lot of time before I could leave just trying to gather enough of myself together so that I knew when I left, I really wouldn't go back and I wouldn't give in, no matter what he did.

Bill (30:02)

In response to the allegations against him, I'm reading from the BBC report, Shia LaBeouf has said in statements, quote, many of the allegations are not true, end quote. But also, quote, I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression. Only rationalizations. I have been abusive to myself. Myself first, myself first, myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I'm ashamed of that history and I am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say. Well, Bill, you owe women everywhere a retraction and an apology. And to the troublemakers out there, I say keep going. Bombard HBO Max. Bombard Bill Maher's YouTube feed. Bombard Bill Maher and his reps and make it clear that this is the only outcome that will be acceptable. David Zaslav, the head of HBO Max, cares about one thing and that's money. So if he starts shedding subscribers over this shit, there's going to be some real trouble. Keep going my troublemakers. Next up, follow ups on Michelle Obama. More sunny stuff, right? Michelle Obama, that optimist over there. Who I really think her one of her next guests on her pod should be Greta Thunberg. I think these two, again, they're like minds. Okay, and we're going to take another whack at. And just like that. Back in a minute. Introducing a warehouse. Your one stop shop for unique premium home goods sourced exclusively from small businesses. In a world where nearly everything is mass produced, a warehouse is doing things differently. They're committed to preserving traditional craftsmanship and directly supporting the makers behind the products by offering a curated selection of these expertly made goods with a strong focus on American made manufacturing. Over 75% of their vendors are based right here in the US from hand thrown pottery and artisanal kitchen tools to luxurious candles, soaps and more, every item is selected for its integrity, craftsmanship and story. Small businesses need our support now more than ever. This year Forbes has predicted a record breaking 15,000 retail store closures in the US that's more than double the 7,000 plus closures in 2024. So by making the effort to support these small retailers, you can make a real difference in people's lives. Today, a warehouse believes that true luxury isn't about brand names or labels or price tags. It's about the dedication, creativity and care that goes into each and every product. So if you value made in the USA manufacturing and you want to fill your home with items that tell a story, visit awarehouseshop.com discount thenerv and use code thenerv for 15% off your first order. That's a warehouseshop.com discount Thenerve promo code thenerv.

Paula (33:03)

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Bill (33:46)

Welcome back. Before we get into Michelle. Oh, and the rest. Just a couple of notes. I got a few questions from you guys about the top I was wearing in the other show with the horses on it and the pink collar. That is a British company called LK Bennett. You can buy it online. Secondly, I wanted to share with you one of you troublemakers gifted me something lovely. This troublemaker you can find online going by Montecito minimalist. Whoops, I hit my mic again. It's a tote that says recollections may vary. I have been using it to bring you all these most important materials. Okay, Michelle Obama. Before we get into this sound bite, which I just wanna play because it's hilarious, there's an email from a troublemaker. I don't know if you wanna be named so you'll recognize yourself. I think I figured out the Michelle Obama thing. This marriage is on the rocks and she is panicking. As much as she kvetches about the years in office and how she hated the hoopla, which we all know she loved it. I think she loved it. So does this troublemaker. I think she loved the adoration she bangs on about her annoying husband because she is well aware that it is he who is beloved. Bang on, troublemaker. And without him, she's only famous for him. I think the pod, the book, the interviews are all to stake her claim before they part ways. You know, as the alpha in their relationship, she cannot stand that he is the favorite. And with every flop of hers, that injustice cuts a little deeper. I love it. I think you're right. Okay, let's listen to this piece of hilarity. So I'm at this stage in life where I have to define my life on my terms for the first time. So what are those terms? And going to therapy just to work all that out. Like what happened that eight years that we were in the White House. What did that do to me internally, my soul. We made it through. We got out alive. I hope we made the country proud. My girls, thank God, are whole. But what happened to me. Right, right, right. And going through therapy, you know, is getting me to look at the fact that maybe, maybe finally I'm good enough. Oh, my God, you guys. We made it out alive. You made it out to really fat deals with major book publishers. You and your husband got a $60 million joint book deal. Then you took yourselves over to Netflix, where you got like another reported 120 million to produce films and docs that nobody watches. And now you're doing a podcast where you're bitching and moaning in this economy. And you were one of the most revered first ladies this country. Gave you a tongue bath. You were the best first lady since Jackie Onassis. Maybe better, which, again, like, nobody can touch my Jackie. Sorry, but I just. She cannot stop herself. She cannot stop herself. And this monument that she has built to herself in the form of this coffee table book, which is out in November. I cannot wait to go through it with all of you. Okay? She. Because she's again, remember, she's awesome, but she's miserable, you know, so that's a, that's a, that's a. That's a real intellect at work because those things don't track. Okay? Now, Greta Thunberg, who, as we discussed on the mini, was on a slow boat to Gaza wearing shorts and a V neck, short sleeve tee. I don't think she's familiarized herself with Hamas, you guys. I don't think she's familiarized herself with Hamas. Anyway, Israel said, don't do it because we're gonna. We're gonna cut you off, we're gonna block you from entering. And that's what happened. And then, so Greta again, another professional victim. The people who love being victims are so. I find them equally fascinating and just like one dimensional. It's because. But they're always coming up with new ways to be victim. Anyway, okay, so then. So then on social media yesterday morning, this is one of the first reels I saw. Greta missed her calling. She should have gone to RADA or Juilliard. She could have maybe been a great. You know who she would have been great to play? Do you know the story of the. It was recently a TV movie with, I think, Ellen Pompeo, who was treating it like it was one of the great acting challenges of her life. It was that adaptation of the story. I think this Woman was named Natasha and she's like the Ukrainian. I mean, this medically, this term medically, like a dwarf. And every, every family that adopted her came to suspect that she was actually like a grown woman who was running this epic con and was maybe quite seriously dangerous. And I'll never forget in the promos for this thing, Ellen Pompeo's like, she was having like, one of the Duplass brothers was in it or something. And I. The Duplass brothers elude me. But I digress. She's having a fight with her husband who refuses to believe that Natasha is anything other but a small child. And she thinks she's like, no, this is like a really dangerous dwarf. And Ellen Pompeo whispers the unforgettable line of dialogue. She has adult teeth, okay? She has adult teeth. You can't. You can't fight science. Okay? But anyway, so Greta could have done that role, I think. I think she could have done justice to that role. But anyway, instead she'd rather play an agitator on the world stage. Here was her update after the Israeli forces interrupted her pilgrimage.

FKA Twigs (39:51)

My name is Gefa Timber and I am from Sweden. If you see this video, we have.

Bill (39:56)

Been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters.

FKA Twigs (39:59)

By the Israeli occupational forces or forces that support Israel. I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish.

Bill (40:10)

Government to release me and the other.

FKA Twigs (40:12)

Others as soon as possible.

Bill (40:16)

Okay? This is not a kidnapping. I, again, if only, as I said, Hamas would have lost their minds over this one. This one. This would have been a captive like no other, you know. And trust me, Hamas would not let you like, blast your out to Instagram. Okay? It turns out that the Daily Mail ran these amazing photos of Israeli forces feeding Greta and her cohorts sammies and water. Okay? They got sandwiches and water now for causing the trouble they're causing. They are reportedly going to make Greta and, and her little team there, her little posse, watch the 43 minute long footage that the IDF put together of the attacks of October 7th. Now, I've seen this footage. The Israeli embassy here in New York City was screening it for journalists. This footage has never been publicly released. You had to be a member of the media or you had to be a member of the government to see it. And I didn't want to see it. I had to see it. Do you know what I mean? I felt morally, if I'm going to be writing about this, I had to watch it. And I remember going up there. It was maybe two months after the attacks. It was cold. It was New York City. And the layers of cops you had to go through and the layers of security you had to go through to get up even into the embassy with all these protesters outside. And you're put in this windowless room. And I'm going to describe a little bit of the footage to you so you understand, because whoever put this together, whoever edited it, is a genius. And you get. It puts you. So the first scenes that you see of this footage is that morning. And you see it's footage taken from inside a car. And the car is driving down like a two lane highway. And you, the viewer, quite literally are in the driver's seat. Okay? You don't see the driver or the passenger, you're just literally in the driver's seat and, and this car is driving along. It's, it's, it's a, it's a regular morning where people are going to visit family members or go have brunch or go shopping or whatever they're doing. And suddenly there are these cracks in the windscreen, just cracks, like. And you're like, what. What the fuck? What the fuck? That. And then you realize it's. It's bullets, it's gunfire. And then you come up on these, these tanks and these armed men, and they're just shooting and shooting and shooting and shooting. And then you start seeing all these cars just going off the road, like in a movie. Like, they're just like going off the road. And then you see Hamas go and like, pull these bodies out of these cars and start mutilating them. And then, if I recall correctly, and I thought this was so smart, they cut to the kibbutz, the attack on the kibbutz. And the first thing you see, and they used a lot of the body cam that Hamas terrorists were wearing because they were recording this for, for their own perverse enjoyment. And, and trust me, there's something very. There's something almost sexual about the ecstasy they take in this stuff. And the first, the first thing we see is a barking dog, A dog that knows something has gone awry. Like these, these are not. This is danger. And I swear to God, there were people in this room from every outlet, like the most liberal outlets, and you could hear them go, oh my God. Oh my God. Because, you know, you can do whatever you want to human beings, but you harm a dog and you're a monster. And that was so smart of whoever edited this film to show the dog first, because the dog is shot to death. And then, and then we see them go into homes. And we see the father of these two young boys rush them in his underwear. He's only wearing, like, underwear out to, like, a shed where Hamas follows them. And they throw a live grenade in and the father is killed and they go off and the two boys come out and they're in the kitchen and they're in utter shock. And one of them completely realizes, like, their father is dead. Like, it's amazing that he had the wherewithal to comprehend exactly what was happening. And it goes on and on and on and on. So I'm just gonna say, Greta, this is what you deserve, okay? You will never unsee that footage. You will never unsee the atrocities visited upon animals and people that you will see. So enjoy it, sweetheart. Okay, now onto something much lighter. Onto something much lighter. But it's something of another horror show. And just like that, the latest episode. Okay, I just. I'm just gonna recap briefly. You know, Carrie's living In this, like, $40 million Greenwich, sorry, Gramercy park house. And she's got this pastoral garden in the back, you know, just like every New Yorker has. And she's using it to write her old timey book that takes place in, like the 1840s, because now she's like, truly losing her mind and she thinks she's like a Victorian era lady and her lover is, like, not just like jerking off in a pickup somewhere in, like, the fields of Virginia. But, you know, I don't know, maybe he's off doing something of great import, you know, that is causing him to be so far away from her. So she's writing and she's wearing, like, her $1200 shoes, as one does just like, trust me, any writer, any real writer, you're in your most comfortable clothes because you don't want to think about how you feel. You want to be able to just have your head go where it's going to go anyway. A mound of rats come out. A mound of rats come out. A mound of rats come out. And of course, so this is another. I think Sarah Jessica Parker may have it in her contract that she's gotta have at least three squeals per episode. I think she thinks it's adorable when she squeals. It is not. It is the exact opposite. And so apparently they were real rats, I guess. I guess these were not, you know, AI rats. You know, I guess we're still employing, you know, animal extras, what have you. And so, you know, there was this theory that came up in the last episode when we talked about the Premiere where I posited that Michael Patrick King may be that type of dangerous gay man who, like, actually really hates women. He pretends he's an ally, but he really hates women. Now, I think I'm right. And I think you troublemakers who think the same are right too. Listen to Sarah Jessica Parker talk about that scene.

Paula (46:58)

Yeah, I never had rats in the.

Bill (47:00)

Apartment, but we do live in New York, and I am genuinely.

Maureen (47:05)

That is not why Michael Patrick wrote that.

Bill (47:08)

But I really am very, very, very scared of rats. So, I mean, I think we have. I. If I were, you know, I'm a prosecutor in my mind, that would be exhibit A. He's with her. He's trolling her. Secondly, you know, so Aiden shows up out of the blue in Carrie's house, and she turns around to see him standing there, and she screams again. Another shriek. But, like, this is treated in the show as a very cute, romantic gesture. I assure you it is not. And this is the kind of stuff that infects the culture and infects the way women are talked to by men about what they should deem appropriate. I don't care if this guy is your fiance or your husband. Like, showing up in a house without announcing yourself so that you as a woman are taken aback by the sight of a man who is twice your size who is suddenly in your house is terrifying. That is not a romantic gesture. Okay, so then they have their moment together, and then they sit in Carrie's extremely tiny kitchen. None of this makes any sense. And she's got this little tiny half table that's, like, affixed to the wall. Again, we're just like an. An 800-year-old woman in our tiny Victorian kitchen. And she's got, like, a piece of toast on the windowsill, and she's just so dainty. And Aiden is telling her the rules of engagement for her texting him. Okay, so this is Sarah Jessica Parker in the Guardian. I think this just came out this weekend. Oh, my favorite headline. I'm just gonna hold it up. I've been crucified. Sarah Jessica Parker. I've been crucified. Crucified. Okay, here she's talking about. Every time there's a new season, they talk all this garbage about how these women are just, like, it's a new chapter and they're so winning and, like, it's so exciting to see them embark on these new things. And, like, there's never any specifics. It's like Hoda Kopi. There's never any specifics because there's Zero plot happening here. It's a bunch of actresses who get to dress up in $10,000 worth of clothing, shoes, and handbags and live in these. Pretend to live in these lavish apartments and be dealing with all of these men who are just falling all over their feet. It is like fantasy land for. For. For under underdeveloped actresses, I think, like, emotionally, psychologically stunted actresses. Okay, so this is Sarah Jessica Parker in the Guardian about why she's so excited about the relationship with Aiden. Quote, I was excited about the way the relate would sort itself out because there's a new maturity to both parties. Not so. This is not what is on display in your show. A guy who, as discussed in the premiere, who calls you booty, calls you in the middle of the night after saying, you cannot talk for five years and says, I need to get my rocks off, but I miss you, but let's have phone sex. And then we see him lick his palm, jam his hands down his pants, and then tell her that he, quote, unquote, I can't even get the words out. He sharted a little bit. And she's saying, this is a grand romance for the ages. Okay, this is how out of touch she is. Parker says that she was, quote, shocked to discover that the character of Che Diaz was so widely reviled. And you know why she's shocked? Because she doesn't pay attention to any of the publicity surrounding this show. Sure. Sure, we are. We are also introduced to a new word in the lexicon. Brace yourselves, you guys. Heteropessimism not going to describe it. I think it's a garbage word. She also says that. So the crucifixion. Crucifixion, rather. I was raised Catholic. I should know better. The crucifixion of one Carrie Bradshaw. I would like to ask any of you artists out there who work in mixed materials. It's a nerve challenge. I would love for someone to come up with a Carrie Bradshaw nailed to the cross. I dare you. I know someone out there can do it. We're creating sort of a little bit of an art thing happening here. We'll clue you in later. Okay, now. So she has been, she believes, blamed vis a vis Sex in the City for imparting this idea that, like, if you're young, creative, you want to have a glamorous life, just move to New York and everything's cool. And she's saying, you know, she's not going to take the blame for that. But she really laments how it's, quote, beyond a Concern New York has become impossible for artists, whether ballet dancers, photographers, whomever. We haven't had the kind of political support in our city to really be smart and innovative about affordable housing. Okay? This is a woman who within the past few years put one of her three townhouses on the market. Okay? These townhouses in Greenwich Village are extremely covetable. They're coveted. They are rare. They are multimillion dollars, just cost of entry, 12 million. You know, she, she and her husband Matthew Broderick have two side by side townhouses. I believe they still do. They did at one point anyway, which is really weird. And then she had a third townhouse. And when I tell you what this was used for, I mean, the nerve. She used that townhouse as her closet, okay? Her closet. And then when she put it up for sale, the Rob Report ran a huge story about how she used this multi level townhouse as her freaking closet. So she wants the taxpayers of New York City who are already overly burdened to figure out a way to foot the cost for young creatives to live here. I don't know, Sarah Jessica, maybe you could put up some of those, like, strivers, hustlers that you love in, you know, one of your empty townhouses. Okay. Anyway, as always, very cathartic. Very cathartic. Next up, we've got gossip queen Paula Froelich to help us wade through some more celebrity muck. Meyer scandal. And we are cleaning out the swamp. But again, before we go to break, a quick friendly reminder. Keep your emails coming. Send me your thoughts, your ideas, your feedback, your questions. Send it all to me. Maureenvillmacaremedia.com Again, that's Maureenheavelmaycaremedia.com and remember to, like, subscribe and spread the word about the nerve. The, the faster we grow, the faster we can bring you even more original content. You guys want it, we want to give it to you. So let's make it happen. We will see you after break. This episode is brought to you by Masa Chips. Did you know that chips and fries used to be cooked in tallow up until the 1990s when big corporations switched to cheaper processed seed oils. Today, seed oils make up 20% of the average American's daily calories. And recent samples studies have linked seed oils to metabolic health issues and inflammation in the body. MASA decided to do something about it. They created a tasty and delicious tortilla chip with just three ingredients and no seed oils. 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Paula (55:29)

We all have that piece. You know the one, the thing that's so you, you've basically become known for it. And if you don't have yours yet, you'll find it on ebay. Let me put you on fashionistas. Ebay is where you'll find those. One of a kind. Can't stop researching. Stay up dreaming about pieces. I'm talking that Miu Miu off the Runway red leather bomber, the Cousteau Barcelona top with the cowboy on it, or that Patagonia fleece in the 2017 colorway. All these finds are on ebay and they even offer millions of main character pieces backed by authenticity guarantee. Ebay is the place for pre loved and vintage fashion ebay, things people love.

Bill (56:12)

Joining me now is Paula Froehlich. She is the senior story editor and entertainment chief at News Nation. Paula, welcome to the Nerve.

Maureen (56:21)

Thank you for having me, friend.

Bill (56:24)

So there's a lot to get into talk. Let's first talk about this breaking news in the Blake Lively v. Justin Baldoni battle, a judge in New York City. And by the way, this is a salient detail. This judge is the brother of the director Doug Lyman, who is a big deal. You may know, he started out like his big break was swingers with Jon Favreau, who's now a major Hollywood player, and Vince Vaughn. And he did Mr. And Mrs. Smith with Brad and Angie. So it's his brother on the bench and I'm kind of amazed that this is allowed. But anyway, so this judge has just tossed out Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against Blake and her husband Ryan Reynolds and the $250 million defamation lawsuit he filed against the New York Times. Please explain how this happened, what it means, and what the next move in this case is.

Maureen (57:18)

All right? So I'm not shocked by either of them, actually, to be fully fair. The New York Times lawsuit, you know, that was never going to stand.

Bill (57:31)

Why wasn't it going to stand?

Maureen (57:32)

Because they had their sources were correct. They had all the documentation. They did give very short time for response. But it's a little like looking at CBS and the Trump thing, right? They're like, oh, my gosh, you edited Kamala. Well, you had to edit Kamala, right? We'd still be here if that unedited tape wasn't there. However, the New York Times technically did the job they were supposed to do. They got an exclusive, and then they ran with it.

Bill (58:08)

Right? And in America, it's defamation. You have to really prove a level of intent, like an intent to destroy somebody's reputation, not just doing your job. And, you know, the fallout is a bit calamitous now when it comes to the $400 million countersuit that Baldoni filed, you know, this. It's being reported as like a major, major, major blow. I kind of think this is a little bit of hyperbole because it makes a great headline. It gets a lot of eyeballs. But he's going to. He's going to file an appeal, right?

Maureen (58:37)

That till June 23rd to file. And now, listen, I get it. Like, are my sympathies with Justin Baldoni, especially after reading the lawsuit info.com, oh, my gosh, yes. Anyone who's ever been bullied in their life has sympathies after reading that and ever dealt with a mean girl, the mean head cheerleader. You get it? But at the same time, legal experts all along have been telling me, it's rough. It's gonna be a rough case for him, and it's probably gonna get thrown out. I was like, wait, why? How can that happen? And again, it goes back to defamation, however, and he had also had one thing that really impinged on him, saying that she bullied him into, you know, getting what she wanted, right? By saying, well, I'm not going to go market this movie if you do this or that or that. And they're saying, well, that wasn't in the contract. So technically, I get it. However, June 23, he has time to file for tortious interference with a contract. So we go back to all the things that we saw in his lawsuit of her saying, well, if you still want another actress, you could do that. You know, just the really kind of subtle power moves, you know, that we all saw, and we all just got a real bad taste in our mouth. I mean, the issue for him is going to be he has to refile because now her lawyers are going to go after him for damages and legal fees.

Bill (60:06)

Oh, my God.

Maureen (60:06)

He clearly does not.

Bill (60:08)

I mean, yeah, this case is clearly going to be with us for. For a very long time.

Maureen (60:12)

So it ends with us. Will never end with us. We will be talking about this forever. There will be university classes on this.

Bill (60:21)

There really will. I think it'll be a legal case. I think it'll be a media studies case. I think it'll be a feminism post. Me too. Case. I mean, you're at it from PR and marketing.

Maureen (60:30)

Because no matter what, at the end of the day, Blake Lively reputation is in tatters.

Bill (60:38)

And racism management. Yeah, I mean, the Taylor Swift dumping, forget it. It doesn't even matter what happens in court. Taylor Swift is judge and jury in America right now. So Taylor dumps her. She's out, I think.

Maureen (60:51)

Listen, Taylor was like, I'm enough. I'm done with this messiness. I gotta get out. And also, by the way, who the hell thinks it's okay to blackmail Tay Tay? Just FYI.

Bill (61:02)

Well, allegedly. Allegedly. We don't know allegedly. Okay, so I wanna get to this Jared Leto story that broke over the weekend, which was really. It felt. I know you're like. Well, you're a media person, and you used to work at Page Six as well. And so all of this is really familiar to you. But I think for anybody outside the media, this did kind of land like a bombshell. Now, the Post reported it on Sunday, and the photo editing is, as ever, brilliant.

Maureen (61:26)

This is genius.

Bill (61:27)

The Jared Leto photo. But, you know, I want to say, you know, he's been. He's been accused by nine women of having inappropriate relationships with them when they were minors. That he. And this has been the line on him. Everybody's known this for years and years and years that Jared Leto allegedly allegedly likes very young girls, teenage girls. And then he gets with them and he causes them a lot of pain in having sex, that he can get violent. Allegedly. And I just want to say before we get into this conversation, there was a Law and Order SVU years ago, and this. This character, it was a movie star, and it was believed to be a mashup of Sh. Shia LaBeouf, who we talked about at the top of this show, James Franco, who has since been canceled, and Jared Leto. Okay. And it was about a movie star who liked teenage girls and was violent with them. And in this view, he actually killed one of them. Okay, so we've got all this new reporting, but first, before we get into this, Paula, I want to take a look at Jared's very famous Suicide Squad castmates talking about the disgusting, quote unquote gifts he gave them. I believe there were reports he was leaving these things in their trailers for them to find while filming. Let's take a look.

Dr. John Lakey (62:45)

Now, how about the gifts you gave everyone? Rats, bullets, a hog.

Bill (62:51)

Where did that come from?

F (62:53)

Don't forget the anal beads.

Bill (62:55)

Who did you send anal beads to? The used condoms? Yeah.

F (63:04)

I mean, it was step back for.

Bill (63:05)

You can't just say use condoms and we're just gonna, like, forget. I know it's a family show, but we.

F (63:11)

Don't worry, we can educate people here.

Bill (63:13)

At least they were used. Who did you send used condoms to?

F (63:16)

Oh, everybody. Maybe they didn't want to tell you, but. No, I mean, I did a lot of things to. To create a dynamic, to create an element. Element of surprise, of spontaneity, to really break down any kind of walls that may be there. I mean, the Joker is somebody who doesn't really respect things like personal space or boundaries.

Bill (63:39)

Psychopath, hiding in plain sight under the guys. What do you say? This is Will Smith, you know, you.

Dr. John Lakey (63:45)

Say Jared has gone full joker.

Bill (63:47)

Jared, he went.

Dr. John Lakey (63:48)

He went full joker.

Bill (63:49)

What are you doing?

Maureen (63:50)

Many weird things. I can't even begin to tell you the weird things.

Paula (63:53)

Things I got.

Dr. John Lakey (63:54)

What did you think?

Bill (63:56)

I mean, by that point I was.

Maureen (63:57)

I kind of felt like I knew.

Bill (63:59)

The Joker a bit.

Maureen (64:00)

So I. It wasn't as alarming, but yeah, there were many instances where I didn't know what to expect.

Dr. John Lakey (64:06)

There a number of gifts from Jared.

Bill (64:08)

Okay, what he talk about? Tell me. He sent people used condoms.

Dr. John Lakey (64:13)

Yeah, he sent used condoms. And he know, sticky Playboy magazines.

Bill (64:21)

Bullets, rats allegedly used condoms. He's saying this out loud. Anal beads. And the guys, the reporter on the. On the carpet's like, you're joking, right? He's like, no, I'm not. And sticky Playboy magazines. So you're telling me that nobody in Hollywood knew about this guy?

Maureen (64:39)

Paula, listen, we all know I was doing page six from 99 to 2009. And we always knew he was a little off. Remember way back when when he was like dating one of the Olsen twins, who, by the way, the Olsen twins have always looked 12. They will look 12 at 904. Yeah, but you know, he always had this Predilection for hanging out with young girls. Now so does someone like Leonardo DiCaprio.

Bill (65:04)

But they're all 25. They like, they're 20 to 25. They're not. I mean, yeah, but this is a dip we're not even talking about.

Maureen (65:12)

I mean, he even. He even had director, director James Gunn basically accuse him publicly of it, you know?

Bill (65:19)

Of what James Gunn accused him of? What?

Maureen (65:22)

Yep, I got him right here. Hold on. James Gunn basically said, hold on. Or Jared Leto like him young. Oh, wait, no, that was one of my articles where we said, Jared Leto likes I'm young. But James Gunn, who's the Guardian of the Galaxy director, posted in 2020, 2015, accusing him of sleeping with underage girls. Then he deleted it later. He then he's also commented several times on it. I mean, it's almost like this weird, well known secret. But, you know, people like Jared Leto get away with it because he's like, well, I'm a method actor. You know, we all know method actor is just, you know, covers a lot, if you.

Bill (66:04)

Right.

Maureen (66:04)

But it's also hilarious that he could send all these gifts and then you have someone like Blake Lively accusing Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment, and you're like, wait a minute, what did he do?

Bill (66:16)

Did he.

Maureen (66:16)

Did he and do a sticky Playboy? No. Okay. A used condom? I'm not sure.

Bill (66:21)

Well, the thing about this, though, is, like, I feel like these guys are always hiding in plain sight. Like what Jared Leto was saying he was doing on the red carpet. And then all of his very famous co stars were like, yeah, and we burn it. But they're. They're saying. They're kind of saying, well, yes, he did it, but I guess it was a joke or he was trying to set a tone. And Margot Robbie, you look at her eyes and she's, like, afraid to say anything. She's afraid to piss this guy off. She's afraid to, like, fuck up her trajectory, you know, but it's like this all goes on with, like, it seems like, you know, at the top of the show, we were talking about Bill Maher and his inability to understand what's going on with Cassie and these other women in the Diddy trial and abuse against women in general. And you look at something like this and you can see, like, there's like, it's this, like, institutionalized protection of these guys. In my opinion, just my opinion, Jared Leto's a psychopath. Just my opinion, Jared Leto is a predator. And just my opinion, Jared Leto gets off with these power plays. Oh, Terrifying people.

Maureen (67:30)

Actually, it's hilarious. Everybody knows, because we've always said that he was always like this kind of creepy cult guru wannabe. And in fact, like six years ago, he held this weird G gathering on this island outside of Croatia where women spent like $6,900. And by the way, it was all women. Like, you see a photo of him and he's dressed like a guru, all in white robes and whatnot. And it was just this weird gathering where they all basically hailed Jared Leto, and he loves it. And meanwhile, all the women, as you know, are kind of young, kind of immature, because any mature woman, anytime you get within five feet of him, your creep o meter goes off and it just starts blaring. And if he even talks to you, you're like, I have to go. I don't know what's going on. I may have Ebola out. But, you know these guys. A lot of men are protected under the guise of talent, you know? And then, of course, he gets the ultimate, you know, kiss off from Anna Wintour, who keeps inviting him back to the Met Gala.

Bill (68:38)

Great point, great point. You know what?

Maureen (68:41)

And then they say, well, he's a fashionista, right?

Bill (68:44)

Right.

Maureen (68:45)

Anyone can be a fashionista if Gucci's addressing you. And by the way, showing up at a cat outfit for Karl Lagerfeld. Enough.

Bill (68:53)

Yeah, no, but that's the thing. Jared Leto, everyone has known that the Air Mail, which ran this expose over the weekend. You can go over there. You can see that image Paula was talking about. It's the photo of Jared as a cult leader with a cult. And I'm just gonna say this is very important because at the Nerve, we talk a lot about how these celebrities are trying to become cult leaders themselves and sort of just sort of mind fuck everybody into worshiping them, buying into their stuff, both financially and psychologically, and thinking that everything that's going on is normal and okay and sort the cost of doing business if you want to be with a big star like a Jared Leto, who also apparently, lo these many years, has been using his mediocre band 30 Seconds to Mars, I believe, as a delivery system for more young groupies.

Maureen (69:47)

100%. You got the music industry on it. You got the fashion industry in on it. You've got Hollywood in on it. And it's all really a circle jerk of his own ego, which we see quite a bit in Hollywood. It's like. Like we were. You know, there's this gaping maw of need that could only be filled by adoring fans and it's, there's, there's a lot of people like that out there. And he's just the latest one. Now I do have to say the latest allegations, they are creepy. Do I think he, in my opinion is a predator? Yeah. But also I have to say, 16 year old girls, where the hell are your parents?

Bill (70:28)

You know, well, you know, this is 16 year old girls who are looking to get the approval and get, you know, some sort of sexual relationship going with a guy like this. Like they don't, they probably, their parents are probably not paying attention. I, I'm not.

Maureen (70:43)

But that's, but exactly, a lot of the parents aren't. Like that article that we wrote back in 2005 about how he likes really young girls. And we were saying it because he would go to all these modeling agencies and want to out with these underage models and you're just kind of like, okay, again, where are you?

Bill (71:02)

That's what James Franco was allegedly doing over at NYU under the guise of teaching acting classes. Getting that girl right. Who are desperate for their own careers to get going and are probably very flattered that a very famous respected actor thinks they may have talent. So the whole thing is just a mess. But unfortunately I have to let you go. That's all the time we have on this one. Thank you, Paula. So thank you so much for coming on the Nerve and sharing your hard won insights.

Maureen (71:35)

Thank you.

Bill (71:38)

Now finally we are going to get to George Clooney who has been cosplaying as a journalist lo these many years. Now my theory about this, and he just wrapped up this show that we're going to get into that was this Broadway show that was aired live on CNN over the weekend and they treated it like, you know, like it was the second coming. My theory about this, this fetishization of journalists and journalism and his estimation of what journalism should be, I think it's down to his daddy issues. His father was an anchorman, I think at like a, like a B list, a B level, C level market. Like he never became like, you know, a Walter Cron kite. He never became like an Edward R. Murrow, you know. But he clearly adores his father and wants his father's approval. And I guess becoming a major movie star wasn't going to cut it. So we're constantly toggling back and we're playing legendary journalists and then we're giving interviews to journalists telling them how they should be conducting their professional business. And these, these guys, it's always these guys who are interviewing him, whether it's like Lawrence o' Donnell, the insufferably smug Lawrence o' Donnell over MSNBC who's like, you know, posting constantly pictures of himself with George Clooney. Like I know George Clooney, I'm friends with him, look, you know, like, or Martin Sheen. It's like just be a fucking journalist and stop name dropping all over town. Or you know, he sits with 60 minutes and you know, these, these guys, these like middle aged men are like enraptured by George freaking Clooney, who is an actor who memorizes lines and stands where he's told to stand. Okay, so anyway, CNN on Saturday night aired one of the final performances of Good Night and Good Luck, which is George Clooney. He co wrote and he starred as Edward R. Murrow at, you know, the height of McCarthyism and the Red scare. And it really is an excuse for George Clooney in character. I mean the play literally opens and ends with him standing at a lectern lecturing the audience about the importance of journalism and media and speaking truth to power and all of this stuff. And he's very stentorian. This is like this thing was insufferable. Okay, first of all, George Clooney has an inner geriatric. He was born in the wrong era. He should have been born in the 1920s or 30s so that at the time of this play, 1954, he would have been at the height of his like young adulthood because it's so mothbally. It just smells acrid like, like real, like an old folks home. It's like, it's, it's. He's got these torch songs and these old, old timey music interludes and the fetishization of just everything about that era of the cigarette smoking of like the, like it's the, it's just ridiculous. And so anyway we, we get a very, very stentorian, very self righteous, a very hectoring and lecturing George Clooney who gets to like also there is a difference. I can talk to this again. You're about to see perhaps another acting job I booked recently so I can speak to this. Cause now I'm an actress. There's a difference between acting for film and television and acting for the stage. And the cheat of this play is that Clooney is often speaking into a television camera. So he's doing his TV acting on stage. But like every, every everything that he's, he needs hidden is hidden by this little tactic here. And so he gets to lean into the camera like this. Like it's he's always very serious. And he's very serious, and he's talking to you. And, like, what he says goes. It's the truth. Which is not. Like, if you're reporting, you report the facts and you let the viewer or the reader decide, okay? But that's not this. And you know, the crowd in this. In this particular performance, which I gutted it out so I could talk to you about it. You know, this crowd, this is. This is a crowd. This is a type in New York. They have NPR tote bags. They have subscriptions to the New Yorker. They're members at the Whitney and the MoMA. They've donated to all the right causes. They eat this shit up. They loved it. They loved it. They want George Clinton. They want Big Daddy to spank them. They want Big Daddy to spank them. It's their kink. And, you know, the New York Times promoted this play like it got so much unblinking promotion from the liberal media. Look at this. Look at this from the New York Times. This was a while back. And the headline above, a photo of George as Edward R. Is the hero of his time and sadly, ours too. Okay? So we all know what they're talking about. Okay, so here's George Clooney talking to. I think this is. Oh, this is cnn. This is Anderson Cooper. You know, after this play aired live, there was this panel discussion about the crisis in the media on CNN with, like, Brian Stelter and, like, Kara Swisher and just, like, the most insufferable people you could think of. And it's like, guys, the call is coming from inside the house. Your network is tanking, and no amount of George Clooney in people's faces is going to fix it. Okay? You've got a guy on network who pushed back until the election that anything was wrong with Joe Biden and is now out there trying to sell a book. Selling a book. It's like, top of the New York Times bestseller list, going, whoa, how'd we miss that story? It's all true. How the fuck did we miss that story? So I don't want to hear it from cnn, but here's Anderson Cooper. They're probably their biggest star, talking to George Clooney about what happens when New York audiences get mouthy.

F (77:29)

You know, Edward R. Murrow represented us at our best. He spoke in a way that we all wish we could in the right moments. You know, I'm always in the car driving home going, you know what I should have said? And he kind of said it exactly the right way at the right time. And you can feel everybody move forward in their chairs. You know, by the end, this whole front row is just weeping. They're just bawling.

Bill (77:53)

I think.

F (77:53)

I think they feel that they wanted a place to be in a room together where they could hear and talk about who we are at our best. You've had people. I mean, sure, we've had breakout protests in the audience. Sure. A couple for both sides. We've had them yell, resist and stand up and scream, and we've had them stand up and yell on the other side. That's okay. You know, do you change anything?

Bill (78:16)

I mean, do you respond to that?

F (78:18)

I have responded at times, and. But only in character.

Bill (78:21)

We respond as Edward R. Murrow.

F (78:23)

Sure. We'll just say, well, you know, as a, as a reporter, I've covered protests.

Bill (78:31)

I am telling you, I think just my opinion, that that is what goes on in George Clooney's mind. George Clooney fantasizes that he is a real reporter, that he is a he, that he is Edward R. Murrow. And so, like, he's scolding actual audience members, like, in character. We've all seen, like, again, Patti LuPone scolding people. She breaks character to do it, you know, but he. He's got to stay in character. And at the end of that play, and he's standing up there like the importance of journalism and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You know, he's got all these clips playing behind him that's allegedly, like, you know, the devolution of American culture and media. And I promise you, George, I mean, I don't know when the last time you cracked an actual book was, but it has been ever thus. Technology changes. Humanity does not. Okay, but, you know, again, the legacy media, which is having its death rattle. JLo's having her death jiggle. Excuse me. Legacy media is having its death rattle. Is. Is. Is just. Is just wanting more and more lessons out of the mouth of George Clooney, actor slash journalist. You know what else he should do? He should go to space. He should go to space. Okay, so let's look at the interview. I mean, if he truly wants to be a polymath, go to space. Okay, so let's look at the interview he gave to us, 60 Minutes, a few months back. And so, you know, brace yourselves.

F (80:00)

Journalism and telling truth to power has to be waged like war is waged. It doesn't just happen accidentally. You know, it takes people saying, we're going to do these stories, and you're going to have to come after us.

Bill (80:18)

First of all, that is a gross oversimplification of how corporate media works. George Clooney knows this. He's in the movie business, and they make compromises all the time. Speaking of, George, you know that you're known as, like, the mayor of Hollywood, right? So why don't you work on cleaning out that section pool, that rat's nest, before targeting national and global media and telling them what they need to do. Okay. Good night and good luck. That was my Edward R. Murrow. That's all for today. But, you know, certainly that is never all because the culture, as I've said, never disappoints. So we will see you all back here on the Friday edition of the Nerve, where you'll never guess what we're about to say next. My name is Lily and I've had hidradenitis suprativa HS for years. I finally found some relief since taking Cosentyx. Relief means I can show up more.

F (81:27)

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Bill (82:04)

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