← The Nerve with Maureen Callahan
The Nerve with Maureen Callahan
Brad Pitt's Shameful Behavior, Tyler Perry Accused of Sexual Assault, and Jon Hamm's Narcissism.
01:26:11
Maureen unleashes on a seemingly unfazed Brad Pitt, as he continues his press tour to promote his new film "F1," while simultaneously disowning two of his children. She also exposes the truth about Tyler Perry, as she details the $260 million sexual assault lawsuit brought against him by actor, Derek Dixon. Then Maureen lays into Jon Hamm's interview with W Magazine, highlighting his unlikability. Plus, some more celeb updates including Diddy, SJP, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bill Maher, otherwise known as The Nerve's repeat offenders. Beverly Hills MD Wrinkle Cream: Watch Dr. Layke's step-by-step video free and uninterrupted at https://BHMD1.com/Nerve Aware House: Visit https://awarehouseshop.com/Discount/THENERVE & use code THENERVE for 15% off your first order Masa Chips: Get 25% off your first order | Use code MAUREEN at https://MASAChips.com/MAUREEN
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Tanks
What's up podcast listeners? It's Tanks, host of the It's Me Tanks podcast. Join me weekly on It's Me Tanks as I dive into topics like relationships, why it's okay to feel lonely, fighting summer comparison, and pop culture's hottest takes. I don't shy away from getting candid about my personal experiences and I want to share all the advice I have learned with you. I'm even joined by some of my friends like Claudia Ashray, Connor Wood, and Amanda Hirsch each Friday for our new Office Hours episodes. You can listen to It's Me Tanks every Monday, Wednesday and Friday wherever you listen to podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show so you don't miss an episode.
- [00:39]
Maureen
How many discounts does USAA Auto Insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi vehicle discount, Safe driver discount, New vehicle discount, Storage discount, Legacy. How many discounts will you stack up?
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Tanks
Tap the banner or visit usaa.com autodiscounts restrictions apply.
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Maureen
Hey everyone. Welcome to your Friday edition of the Nerve. I have been dying to get back to you guys, dying because there is so much to get into. We've got Brad Pitt and Tyler Perry mired in scandal. We've got a best selling book by a terrible, minimally talented author and like, I guess technically a pundit, but I don't think this person passes for a pundit. And we're going to take this one apart as well. And we've got some, some updates. We're going to call these people going forward on the Nerve. Repeat offenders. We already have a recurring cast of characters. We're only in our second month. So, you know, I think we're, I think we're doing really good work out of the gate. Okay, and, and my favorite, your emails. But first, but first, I have a really personal plea. I am really in trouble. You know, I told you guys last week I lost my phone, like my physical phone. And I don't know if you guys assume this stuff. I just assume the technology is so advanced that things are constantly backing up to the cloud all the time, including voicemails and like things like your Instagram account. And it's not. So I lost my Instagram password and I have been locked out of Instagram since last Wednesday. That's a week and a half and I cannot get back in. So this is my KRI de core, if I'm pronouncing that correctly. It is my cry for help to troublemaker nation. Now, Hoda Kopi would probably say I should find joy in this unexpected loss and Maybe consider it my journey to a strength I didn't know that I had. But listen, all I want is to be back on Instagram with you guys. So if any of you have any ins or any relatives who work at Instagram or Meta or who could help me because there is no number to call. They just send you on a feedback loop of do you need help? Go to the fact page. Do you need help? Oh, you could email us, but you know what, we don't answer emails and if we do, it takes weeks and weeks and I can't communicate with you directly on Instagram. I haven't been able to post anything or check my DMs. This is insane. So it's just we're doing everything we can over at Nerve HQ to get back in just. But if anybody has a little hack, a little connect, please let me know. Email me maureenvilmakehairmedia.com now right after the break, we are going to get to the one thing that we really do live and die for real. Talk about fake people. See you in a minute. We've all heard it before. Wrinkle creams are the secret to looking younger. Not so according to Beverly Hills cosmetic surgeon, Dr. John Lakey. He says that is not true anymore. He says that most wrinkle products are nothing more than overpriced moisturizers and some actually might be doing more harm than good. So that's why Dr. Lakey stepped away from traditional treatments and developed something completely different. A simple at home method that's getting major attention. His clients call it the age rewinder method because it can visibly smooth the look of wrinkles in under two minutes. Dr. Lakey describes it as almost like photo Photoshop for your face. And he says that you might be shocked at how easy it is to use to share this breakthrough. He's released a free video that walks you through the method step by step, no signups, no interruptions. And this video has already gone viral with over 2.3 million views and thousands of glowing reviews. One said, I've tried everything and this is the only thing that actually worked. I look years younger. If you want to see what everyone is talking about, just go to bhmd1.com nerve or click the link in the description and if it works for you, Dr. Laki has one simple request. Please share it. Let's help more people feel confident in their skin. Okay, troublemakers, first up. First up is Brad Pitt one William Bradley Pit. We touched on this a little bit in the last episode, but it's gotten so bad, so truly terrible that we really need to go deeper. And Brad going to the woodshed, the wood shed. This is a guy who has been a major A list global movie star for decades. Okay? He burst onto the scene in 1991 in Thelma and Louise and he has been a megastar ever since. There are very few of these remaining. I think Tom Cruise is really the only other one Harrison Ford would have been in this category. But he's kind of aged out. I mean we're talking real, real old school movie star. So he's got a new movie coming out called F1. It has like a 200 million dollar budget. It's an Apple film. It needs to make a lot of money. It's being released in the theaters as very few movies these days are. So you know, first of all, he's doing the rounds and he's having a total midlife crisis. He's walking around New York City in like this blue velvet jacket with like wide legged jean pants. So the proportions are off because like it's all one. It makes him look huge. And then he's got these boots. They look like boots, but they might be shoes that have an aggressive square toe which is extremely like 1990. I mean he looks ridiculous. And he's running around with his girlfriend who's half his age and you know, it seems like her job is to just be light and easy so that Brad can do whatever he wants. Just my opinion. Okay? So in doing the rounds to promote this movie, Brad Pitt, like the idiot he has long been rumored to be hygienically challenged and an idiot has been talking about what losers. He thinks two of his adopted sons are losers basically. Okay? Now not since Tom Cruise jumped on Oprah's couch have we seen such an enormous star suffer such a massive self inflicted wound. But that is what Brad Pitt has just done to himself. With sources in his camp allegedly telling the Daily Mail and I just columned on this yesterday that he considers his relationship with his son Pax, quote, Unfixable. Unfixable. Pax is 21 years old. He's got a long life ahead of him. If he's careful. We'll get into that. Imagine telling your 21 year old son there's no way back to a relationship with you. Now this is one of the most disgusting displays I have ever seen. I think that this kid seems really clearly troubled. And you know, after these photos and videos emerged of Pax unable to seemingly walk on his own, let alone stand on his own After a night of partying at LA's Chateau Marmont where, you know, John Belushi died of a drug overdose. It's a very decadent scene over there. So he was at the Chateau and then he went to a strip club where he was, you know, shot. Being held up by a friend, you know, bleary eyed out of it. Brad Pitt sees a kid in crisis. I think this is a kid in crisis. And instead of reaching out to this child of his privately or just saying nothing, had sources, just my opinion because this is a well sourced story in the Daily Mail. So these sources said, and I quote, brad has zero concern with what Pax does or doesn't do. Pax's reactions reflect who he is. So basically he's saying Pax is a drunk. Pax is a kid who hasn't gotten his stuff together. And that's on him. That's on him. So why don't we talk about who Pax really is. Okay, Brad, let's do it. Let's do it. Pax was taken from the only home he had ever known, which was a Vietnamese orphanage at 3 years old. And he was taken to America by you and your then partner, Angelina Jolie. Now I believe she went and got him on her own, but you two were together at the time and you adopted him and then you two changed his name. This child who didn't even speak or understand English, from Fam Quang Sang to Pax Jolie Pit. As discussed, every name has to end at X with the boys because there's such rebels over at the Jolie Pit Palace. Okay, now in I'm going to be fair here. Neither parent really seems like a prize. You know, I think it's a, it's a race to the bottom. Now this per multiple reports from 2018 originating with US Weekly during Brad and Angie's multi year bitter divorce, which lasted longer than their marriage and I think has finally been wrapped up. But I mean, there could be loose ends. Angelina was reported to have told Pax, who was then 15 years old, that Pitt quote, never wanted to adopt him. That is evil. Okay? That in my opinion is evil. How could an impressionable child who is already likely traumatized by his adoption and never knowing his birth parents and being spirited away to a new country and plopped in this freak show household, you know, and then the parents get married and they get divorced and they're acquiring kids and they're birthing kids and this and that. Like how after, after that could he ever, after his mother says that to him, which clearly looks like parental alienation, whether it's true or not, or it's rooted in some version of. I mean, how could this kid ever be expected to trust in his father again? H. I mean, how. You know, so Jolie, in my opinion, if she said that to him, as these reports multiple maintain, and they've never sued for libel or defamation or anything like that, to my knowledge, if she said that she did that to poison that well with his father and to make sure that Pax would remain hers and hers alone. And then she expounded, because why not? Let's compound this trauma, okay? Let's compound trauma upon trauma upon trauma. All of you troublemakers out there, you know, it is a gift to be born into anonymity. It is a gift to be born not to parents who are rich and famous. So Angelina then told Pax, reportedly that Brad was, quote, angry that despite his misgivings, she proceeded to adopt him. Okay? I can't imagine ever telling a child such a thing, like, ever. I had friends in high school. I'm sure you guys did, too, who, like, you know, I went to a. I went to an Irish Catholic school. And, you know, the parents didn't really use birth control. And I had friends who would say, like, oh, I was the oops, baby. I was the mistake. They told me that, you know, they thought that my mom thought she couldn't have any more kids. And then here I come. And, you know, they never got over it. No matter how much quote unquote humor that was relayed to them with. They never got over this idea. And I had a friend who was adopted, too, and she had a. She had a really good family here. She was adopted from Asia, and she never got over it. She never stopped wondering about who gave her up and why. Okay? So magnify that trauma, that rejection that a child of adoption feels by their birth parents by a million, okay? Because now not only is this terrible stuff going on and both of these idiot, immature excuses for parents, just my opinion, they're duking it out on the world stage and using the kids as. As what I think is like ammunition, like cannon fodder, basically. Okay, so to those reports that Brad never wanted to adopt PACs, how did he respond at the time? Now, if I'm Brad Pitt and thank God none of us are, because this guy is shallow and vainglorious and narcissistic and dumb, okay? I think based on the evidence I am submitting, remember, I'm a prosecutor. In my mind, he's dumb. Not to mention a lousy father. I would say my response, were I to issue one publicly, I don't know that I even would, would be to say that is categorically not true. I never said that I always wanted him. I loved him from the beginning and I love him now. That is it. Did Brad Pitt do that? No, of course he didn't. Instead, he said, well, his camp said in some substance that Brad had reservations, quote, reservations about adopting PACs, that he and Angie already had Maddox, they already had Shiloh, and their own relationship was in a very difficult place. So adding another kid to the mix, Pax, who Angie had already found, was not what or who Brad Pitt wanted. You know, these two, Brad and Angie, they really, really deserved each other. They should have stayed together. They should have just stayed together, you know, and in researching this piece, all I had to do to make sure I was pulling up factual evidence of everything I recalled, you know, from my deep reading of all this stuff. All I had to do was Google the words. Pitt didn't want Pax. Four simple words and it all comes up. Do you think Pax Jolie hasn't already done that, like, a million times? And this is all in stark contrast to a statement that Brad Pitt's team put out in August 2024. So that's less than a year ago after Pax wound up in the ICU. The ICU after crashing his e bike in LA. Her People magazine, last updated August 8, 2024, and I quote, brad Pitt is getting updates about son Pax's recovery from an accident despite being estranged from his adult children. A source tells People, quote, he hasn't had any contact with Pax in years, but he still very much cares, says the source. Now, this is clearly a Brad Pitt source. So as of less than a year ago, he cared very much. And as of now, he doesn't give a shit what's going on. Now, at the time of this accident, Pax Jolie, it's unclear what or who he crashed into, but he was bleeding on the ground. And this bystander named Lola Cavalli, who helped Pax at the scene before the ambulance came, talked to Entertainment Tonight. And she said that there were bystanders. Sorry, that there were bystanders gathered around and they were redirecting traffic so that they could. They could form a little perimeter around Pax, who was on the ground bleeding from his head so profusely that she couldn't even locate the source of the bleed and that his mouth was filled with blood. Then when he was released from the icu. Another source told people that Pax had, quote, suffered complex trauma and had a long road of recovery and physical therapy ahead of him, which, to me, just my opinion, sounds like traumatic brain injury. He was not wearing a helmet. I think he. Since then, he has had at least one other crash. And I think he has this habit still of not wearing a helmet. Now, I think that this kid. And while legally he's an adult, Pax seems more like a teenager lashing out. And we all know that the prefrontal cortex, which controls logic and planning and decision making and impulse control, doesn't fully mature until age 25. And as for Maddox, who Angie adopted before she ever got with Brad. And remember, remember when Brad left Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie, his camp put out the poisonous, misogynistic reason that it was because she refused to give him children because she was such a careerist. And, you know, there have always been, like, rumors that have never really fully been refuted. Not that she should have to. That during her marriage to Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston had a miscarriage. So if that's true, he's even worse than he's showing us to be. Okay. But now he's also saying he's cutting Maddox off. You know, he's cutting Maddox off, too. So all of these children that Brad Pitt so publicly longed for, you know, and was like, I just. All I want to do is be a father. Movie stardom. I want to be a father. I want to have a soccer team. I remember him telling, like, Diane Sawyer he wanted to have a soccer team. Well, he pretty much got one. And now we're lopping kids off, like, one by one by one. Okay, so this is what Brad's camp is saying about Pax and Maddox, the elder two sons, Pax and Maddox have made it abundantly clear how they feel. And Brad has nothing to say about either of them. I mean, this guy sounds like he's fucking 12 years old. Who is the father here and who are the children? More quote, Brad honestly considers his relationship with Pax unfixable. But says the source, he hopes the other four children will come around. Come around. Come around to Daddy Brad. Loving, soothing, comforting, forgiving dad Brad. Sure. Sure, Brad. Because what sibling of any integrity and real love would seek to reconcile with a piece of shit father? Just my opinion. Who has publicly rejected two of his adopted sons, who has publicly said they are cut out of his life. Yeah. Seems like a great guy, great father. Yeah. Good luck selling your movie, Brad. I hope one of those otherwise feckless, useless entertainment shows asks you about this. Okay, now onto Tyler Perry. This was only a matter of time. I suspected this would only be a matter of time. Tyler Perry, BFF to Oprah and Gayle, who I increasingly think are cloaked in some real darkness. You know, they've got all these ties to all this weird dark stuff happening in the culture right now. Meghan and Harry, godfather to Lilibet. Tyler Perry, owner of the private jet. That spirited Harry and Meghan on their freedom flight to Montecito. Okay, now here was Oprah, who I do think, I really suspect this, that. And it'll be in some small part, just a very small, small, small part to our very important, dedicated, diligent work here at the Nerve. She's going to go down too, eventually. She's, She's. She knows too many. I think she knows too many monsters. I really do. Okay. I think that there is like something in the ether and that her dark, cynical heart is going to be exposed. Okay, so here was Oprah on Tyler Perry last December. Remember, Oprah was also pals with Harvey. She also helped Harry and Megan spread their lies. The alleged claims of. The claims rather, of alleged racism and alleged. You know, the royals didn't care that a pregnant Meghan was suicidal. The implication being they'd prefer that she killed herself. Oprah, who's never apologized for that, by the way, you know, or lying to us that she was not on Ozempic when she was the face of Weight Watchers telling American women and women of other whatever, anywhere else that they were accessing Weight Watchers that it was just diet, exercise and willpower. Fuck Oprah. Okay, so here she is six months ago honoring Tyler Perry at the Paley center for Media's annual gala. And I quote, he is a giant among men. He has a ginormous spirit that is guide. Let's do Oprah's deep voice. He is a ginormous spirit that is guided by a divine hand. Let me tell you the secret to Tyler Perry is that Tyler Perry loves God. And through a team of esteemed advisors surrounds him. Oh, sorry. And though a team of esteemed advisors surrounds him, he makes no move ever without consulting God first. Well, I think God would probably like a word. Okay, Now, Tyler, that ginormous spirit guided by a divine hand has just been hit with a 260 million dollar lawsuit for sexual assault by one of his actors, a guy named Derek Dixon. Now we're looking at a photo of Derek. He's young, he's fit. He's, you know, sort of what you would expect. Now, this breaking news prompted the Root, which is a long standing publication. It's black news. It's about black culture. So the Root just published a piece reminding us of another Tyler Perry accuser. And this one dates back to December 2023, and an actor named Christian Keys, who starred in Perry's film Diary of a Mad Black Woman. And, you know, again, like I'm going to say, I think Tyler Perry, whose films often, you know, he writes them, he directs them, they are his brainchild, you know, the Madea films. He's often playing a woman in drag, and it's really mocking womanhood and femininity. And I think the guy has issues with women. As I always say, these people tell us who they are, they hide in plain sight. So anyway, this accuser, Christian Keys, took to Instagram Live and TikTok and said that a giant, ginormous Oprah, a giant, beloved, extremely powerful Hollywood figure, had sexually harassed him and that said figure had a, quote, payroll of young men. And that the whisper campaign about this guy, this figure, I don't know if he gendered the figure, but, you know, was spreading. Okay, the whisper campaign was spreading. Spreading like cheeks and ankles, if you will. Okay, Just, just my opinion, just, just a guess. Now, the Root said that the most popular guess among the online commentariat was Tyler Perry or one of the most popular guesses, Tyler Perry. Okay? Now, TMZ has published detailed complaints. Sorry, detailed complaints in this filing, per their report, which was updated June 18, 2025, Derek also notes that his character Dale was written as a gay, homeless and desperate store clerk who had to sleep with other characters for a place to stay. He claims that's exactly what Tyler told him he was looking for in a real life sexual partner. Someone who would be loyal and dependent upon Tyler. Again, with these guys, if this is true, I'm just saying, like, they. Very few of them seem to want anybody on their level. You know, they want play things, they want shoe toys. We talked about this in one of our most recent episodes about the new lawsuit or the new criminal complaint, I forget which it was, that's been filed against Jared Leto. You know, it's. It's people that are vulnerable that they. They can exploit and that they can abuse. And again, this is all alleged against Tyler Perry. But this seems to be a systemic, institutionalized problem in Hollywood, does it not? Per tmz, Derek says he feared his career would be derailed if he flatly rejected Tyler. I mean, how many women have been here? Right? So instead, he just told him he wasn't, like, the sexual type, but he was always terrified that he would lose his job if he complained about sexual harassment. And to that point, he says Tyler once again invited him to Atlanta later in 2020, and things allegedly took a dark turn again. I'm reading from this report. Derek claims that Perry greeted him warmly, but quickly started a sexually charged conversation. I mean, it's not even subtle. What kind of a writer is Tyler Perry asking him if he liked it, quote, rough in bed? I mean, get. Get some writers from your writers room to help you or hire better writers. This is terrible dialogue. And then, allegedly, he grabbed Derek by the throat while saying, quote, look how excited you just got. Derek says he pushed Tyler away, and that was the end of that alleged incident. The lawsuit also includes years of text messages allegedly sent between both men. And it claims that most of the ones Tyler allegedly sent are sexually charged. For instance, one reads, no straight man would be going on walks with you. Okay, I'm going to start that again because it's so weird. Listen to this again. No straight man would be going on walks with you or cooking dinner for you unless they wanted to fuck you. I would fuck you. So I guess Tyler was clocking a straight man who is paying attention to Derek, and he's saying, I know that Derek must be gay. And Tyler is clearly saying he will fuck Derek. And Tyler has never come out and said that he's gay. Although I think, you know, we see pictures and stuff, and we all sort of assume it, and. But it sounds like Tyler's jealousy. It sounds like Tyler saying, why are you spending all this time with, like, a guy who's not going to give it to you the way I would give it to you? Okay? Now, TMZ also got a hold of alleged text messages between the accuser, Derek Dixon, and Tyler Perry, which are allegedly contained in this lawsuit. I love lawsuits, and I love legal documents because they contain details and color that are just often so telling. And per the TMZ report, these are the. These are photos of the alleged text messages. And in this one here, you can see that Tyler is, like, an asshole. He's posing in, like, a life vest next to, like, a jet Ski or whatever you call those jet scooters in the water. You know, water toys. Per. Below deck. You know, like, it's his dick. Like, I'm rich. Look at me. I'm on the beach with a fucking water toy. Oh, my God, these people. So the texts per so. So Tyler is telling Derek, allegedly that he is feeling horny and he doesn't like being horny. And then a following text bubble holds the lonely word testosterone. And this guy Derek, allegedly is trying to avoid this conversation. And he goes, oh, yeah, from the doctor. But I'm. Is it making you feel better? Like, really anodyne, like, base level? I'm responding to this. I really would rather not. Tyler. I feel so good, but I don't love or I don't like being horny. There's another one where. You know what? I'm not even going to get into it. We can revisit this later. But this is not looking great for Tyler Perry. And I'm sure he and his legal team have their eyes over on the Diddy trial, where Diddy is just trying to say he's just a baby oil enthusiast who likes a burqa and, you know, some. A sex worker named the Punisher. But. And sometimes, like, he's a bad boyfriend. Like, yeah, he did beat Cassie up, but, you know, it's not a crime. I mean, all right, we'll see. We'll see how it turns out for Tyler. But I will say, you know, I never really held him in great esteem at all. And then I saw him in Gone Girl and I thought he was great in that. He was a great actor in that. I'll give him that. Okay, next up, we are going to take a minimally talented. No, I'm going to retract that. A minimally talented. By the way, I ripped off from Scott Rudin's emails that were part of the Sony hack, which I don't know if you guys remember, it was that Seth Rogen movie, and it was believed that the Chinese government was behind this hack. And so all these Sony emails wound up out in the public sphere. And it was the super producer Scott Rudin since been canceled. We'll revisit him in a few months. Writing to the then very powerful studio head Amy Pascal about Angelina Jolie, who wanted David Fincher to direct her in Cleopatra. And Scott Rudin was like, no, Fincher's doing Jobs. The Steve Jobs movie, which was he didn't do. Aaron Sorkin wound up doing. And it was terrible. Most Aaron Sorkin things are. But anyway, they were discussing Jolie, and Scott Rudin called her words that will enter the lexicon forever. They're here at the Nerve. I will consider them part of the Nerve lexicon. A quote, minimally talented spoiled brat. Talk about a wordsmith again. Hemingway esque in its minimalism. But it packs a punch so I'm going to retract it. This next Nerve offender is a zero talent, grievance filled, morally bankrupt. Just my opinion. Newly minted best selling author and she too. Going to the woodshed. 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 these products by offering a curated selection of expertly made goods with a strong focus on American made manufacturing. Over 75% of their vendors are based right here in the US so from hand thrown pottery and artisanal kitchen tools to luxurious candles, soaps and more, every item is selected for its integrity, craftsmanship and story. 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She is on CNN and like she used to be on MSNBC a lot and now they've really dialed back on her appearances. I wonder if the book has anything to do with it that we're going to discuss. But I also think that MSNBC is so fucked. After Joe Scarborough like defended Biden as like the best Biden ever and said Trump was a Nazi. And then when Trump won, he and Mika went to Mar a Lago and kissed the ring. And since then like the viewership has cratered over there. And so, you know, Molly John Fast fashioned this career for herself after decades of, of trying to become famous and noteworthy and respected in the culture by becoming just this anti Trump zealot. Like, and I don't care like what side of the aisle you're on, just be smart. Like if you're smart in your arguments, no matter what I think of the, of your target, like, I'll respect you. But she's not, she's not bright and she's one of these middle aged women who's like constantly floundering around and you know how it's, how the tell, it's in her hair, which is like four different colors at once. Okay, so it's not a well person. Okay, not a well. When you're a teenager, you're in the manic panic section of the drugstore. Fine, have at it. That's what you should be doing as a teenager. But at like 50. Okay, so Molly Zhang Fast is the daughter of a very famous author named Erica Zhang. Her mother was famous, I believe in the 70s for a book called Fear of Flying. It was very boundary pushing. It was ultra second wave feminist at the time. It introduced a very famous phrase into the lexicon. You can look it up if you want. I'm trying to dial back a little bit on unnecessary obscenities. Sometimes it's really called for, as you know. But this was also a time in America, like a lost time, I think a really glamorous time. And I wish I had been, you know, really kind of of it just, just to, just to witness it really in a way I could appreciate it. But this was a time when like authors in America were really like, they were pop cultural figures. It like authors and thinkers were as famous as like movie stars. And rock stars or maybe just like a rung below. But they would often be on the COVID of, you know, Time magazine or on talk shows, like nighttime talk shows, morning, you know, daytime talk shows like the Dick Cavett Show. It was the era of like, Norman mailer and Mary McCarthy and Truman Capote, who was decompensating in real time. But it was also the era of like, you know, like sort of pulp novelists would be on TV too, like Jackie Collins. It was just a much more fascinating, interesting time for it. Okay? Because you had people who really had something going on upstairs. It wasn't just a complete carpet bombing by Nepo babies, actors, pop stars and influencers, which has sunk the discourse to just like subterranean levels. Okay? So, and this was also a time, you know, that was a reflection of what Americans were like, you know, the average American was doing, which included reading, you know, reading books both for pleasure and for edification. It was as normal and frequent in the culture as, you know, inhaling streaming services are today. Okay, so I'm just setting the table because Molly has spent her entire adult life in competition with her mother. She is an only child, and she has been attempting to approach her mother's fame and accomplishments, if not outrun those, outpace those, destroy her mother, but get her mother's love. You know, it's now she. This, this is someone who grew up in New York City. Again, you know, the best psychotherapists in the world are here. I don't think Molly ever truly availed herself, you know, and none of this has gone well for her because Molly, my opinion, she's not smart, she's not talented, she doesn't possess a winning personality. She's just a terrible person. They're just out there. The culture would have you believe that these people are on the spectrum. They suffer some sort of social autism. They do not. They're just terrible. Okay, so I'm going to read from just a little bit of her new best selling book. It's called how to Lose youe Mother, A Daughter's Memoir. And it's got all these blurbs from people. Like, by the way, when you see blurbs on a book, I'm going to let you in on a little industry secret. They don't mean anything. Often the people who blurb the books have not even read the books. And usually they are cocktail party friends. Laurie Gottlieb, whose book Someday I Will Take that to the Woodshed. I know a little bit too much about that book. Claire Messud, an otherwise great writer, Riveting complexity. Okay. Anne Lamott. Beautiful and painful at the same time. Just like real life. That's a statement that means nothing. Nigella Lawson. I was just bowled over by this book. Well, that's a statement that could be interpreted in several ways, Right? You could be bowled over by how crass and heartless and cynical and disgusting it is. Like I was. I'm not even finishing this book. These. These tabs. Sorry, my pen fell out. These tabs are as far as I got. I won't do. I. I did a lot for you, but even I can't. I cannot stomach this. Now she writes, we're on in the prologue. Okay, Three pages into the prologue, maybe five. Page five of her mother. When the pandemic started, she was her normal alcoholic self. By the end, she was lying in bed all day, drinking a bottle or two of wine. My stepfather was taking care of her, but he couldn't walk and was incontinent. At some point, I found poop in my mom's bed. I've always hated Molly's talking about herself. I'd always hated the idea of writing a book like this. Liar. I think, Molly, you're a liar. I've always hated the idea that the luck of being born into a famous ish literary family might undermine anything else I've achieved. Listen, sister, you've only gotten this book deal and your little purchase over on MSNBC and CNN because you have a famous mother and a famous last name. That is it. You know, And I am really railing on Nepo babies. The more I've thought about this, the more I've come down on the side of, like, these people are taking jobs and opportunities that would otherwise go to much more deserving hardworking people who probably possess more than one original thought rattling around in their brain. I mean, what does CNN and MSNBC execs think about employing a woman who would talk about her own mother like this and memorialize it in the pages of a book? Do you think she's not gonna do the same thing to any of her colleagues or bosses? You know, not for nothing, I had a longstanding boss once who confided in me that someone who had left a couple of years later came back around and said, I would love to come back. Would you hire me? Would you? Would you give me a job? And this boss said, absol. Because you are so indiscreet and you will publish anything about anyone without even so much as asking them that how on earth could your colleagues possibly trust you? So, you know, just a Little heads up to the brain trust over at those organizations. She goes on to say, I've made an. I've made a career for myself as a political writer. And I can say that writing and thinking about politics has been a liberation for me. Another garbage word in the culture. And we're going to watch some of Molly's, you know, contributions on the airwaves. Here she is talking about her mother, realizing her mother has dementia. I sat on the sofa and watched my mother try to remember the year that she was born, you know, off Molly John Fast, as discussed on this podcast, my mother has dementia. I talked about this with Bruce Willis and his family, who, in my opinion, are exploiting the. Out of this poor guy who doesn't know where he is or what day it is. You know, the only thing that you can protect for a loved one who is suffering with dementia is their dignity. And Molly John Fast, this book just serves as a tar pit of her emotional rage and her resentments and her grievances that she's not because she, deep down knows she's not as smart and she's not as accomplished, she's not as popular or as well liked or wanted as her mother. And now she's getting her revenge out on her mother. Okay? And then guess who sits down with her and gives her a lengthy profile with a glamour shot. Yeah, you guessed it, the New York fucking Times. Which we will get to that. Okay? But first, let's watch this intellect on msnbc. Let's watch her attempt to explain to Joe Scarborough, this great political thinker, this great political pundit, how it was that Kamala Harris was definitely going to win the campaign and had definitely learned from all the mistakes of 2016. Here we go. The question is, will it make a difference?
- [43:42]
C
Well, that's the big question. But, you know, I was in Wilmington and I was talking to them, and they are, you know, there's no. Everyone is almost like in the Hillary camp, in the. Sorry, in the Harris campaign. They want you to think that they're losing. Right? They have taken a totally different tact. They really want everyone to be worried. They want everyone to be out there. And I think that's a lesson they've gotten from 2016. Right?
- [44:10]
Maureen
So first of all, she's an accomplished pundit. And, you know, it's really funny in this book, by the way. I'm not going to hold up the jacket again. I'm not giving her the publicity. She talks a lot, like, way too much about, like, being on in the car, in a taxi by the way, which means they don't send cars for her. Which means they don't think that highly of her. Okay? She's a low rent contributor on her way to the newsrooms at CNN or MSNBC because she's so important. And she's crying. She's crying all the time in the car. And you know why she's crying? Because her husband has pancreatic cancer. And by the way, she writes about this in the book. Every time her poor husband is going in for a surgery, she's either. She's like, great, okay, I'm gonna drop you at the hospital and then I'm going home to take a bath and a nap. I couldn't make this up. There's one moment in the book where he calls her from the hospital. He's had to go, like to the hospital because his stent has come unaffixed, or it's unmoored and he's bleeding. And she's at the airport going to LA because she needs, she needs a few days to herself. I mean, she, I think she took the kids, but she really needs some alone time, you know, to gather. And he calls her and says, they're wheeling me into emergency surgery. And she says, do you want me to come back? And he texts her, if I'm recalling correctly. And the text reads, just go, okay, this is who we're dealing with. This is who we're dealing with. And there she is saying, oh, the Kamala team. Like, they're just saying, like they just want everybody to think they're losing. But, you know, it's a real strategy. I mean, this woman is a moron. Okay, let's look at, let's look at this. This second clip of her attempting to get a thought out.
- [45:57]
C
Everyone you talk to in that campaign says it's going to be tight. We'd rather be us than them. That's what they always say. And you know, she's spending, she's going like, even the fact that she's going to Pittsburgh instead of Philly, right? These are choices. And she is going to go to Philly too. And she has. But like, these are choices. And I think they've done a lot of really smart stuff. They've got Clinton, Bill Clinton out there in the South. They've got Obama out there, they've got Michelle out there. I mean, there really is just a sort of very thoughtful campaign spending a ton of money. They have a. A billion dollars. Look, we don't know what's going to happen, but it will not be because there was some huge blind spot they missed.
- [46:40]
Maureen
We all know what's going to happen because it's not going to be because there's some big blind spot they missed. Amazing. Also, they're doing a really thoughtful campaign and they're doing, like, you know what? I'm going to point out to you this thing that, that has never happened in campaigns before where they get party leaders, like, notice that Bill Clinton's out there and Obama's out there, like, oh, my God. Oh, I can't believe people in the control room weren't like, just get her off the set. She is too dumb even for Joe and Mika. Okay, let's watch Molly, this great intellect over on msnbc. And, okay, she's doing a panel with Mika Brzezinski, who is the intellectual equivalent of, you know, when you have a light bulb that's like, that's Mika's brain. And Mika has long been a bet noir for me because I think she brings women down. She has this summit called know your worth, which is bullshit. She has that job because she's. She's a Nepo baby as well. She wound up leaving her husband for Joe Scarborough. All she does on that set, as she has loathed these many years, is when she's in a conversation that's above her head, which is 99% of them, she rolls her eyes at all the boys at the table and sighs like, can you believe what I have to deal with here? Which is just clearly a mask for not having a thing to say of value. Okay, so it's a winning panel. It's Mika. It's Molly Jong fast with her streaked hair and her terrible eyewear. And, you know, I'm just going after her on every level because she's terrible and she deserves it. And then in the lower corner, we have Huma Abedin, who we discussed at great length last episode. And you guys really loved that. Okay, again, Hillary Clinton's handbag carrier from the age of 19 to her current age of 48 or 49. It's indeterminate because somebody's fudging a little bit. People do it. Anyway, let's watch Mika ask Molly what she's learned from Mika. Now, women in particular often don't use their voices enough.
- [48:58]
Tanks
I'm hoping that each one of you could share a moment in your life.
- [49:03]
Maureen
When standing up for what you believed in or for yourself seemed daunting, but you did it anyways. It doesn't have to be huge, just a moment that mattered.
- [49:14]
Tanks
Molly, I'll start with You.
- [49:16]
C
So my moment is that I had wanted more for myself in my career. And I had this friend called Mika who said to me, you can't step down. You have to push for the things you want. And I was, like, a little hesitant and worried to do it. And that moment when you said that to me actually really helped me. And it was kind of a demarcation line in my career about just sort of going for things I wanted. And so that is my moment.
- [49:51]
Maureen
My friend Mika said to me, so, okay, we are just, you know, they used to call it log rolling. We're just fluffing each other's feathers. She gave me the very specific advice that you can't see. Step down. You have to push forward. It's a mixed metaphor, which is, you know, on par of for M's level of intellect, in my opinion. And, you know, she sounds like Hoda Kopi there. She sounds like Hoda Kopi. It's a bunch of gibberish. And it means nothing. And Molly's accomplished, really nothing. And, you know, she should consider if she wants to stay in broadcasting, finding a vocal coach who can help with that gravelly, nasally, glottal voice. Okay. It's somewhat reminiscent of Kamala Harris. Okay. And, you know, she was also on MSNBC bragging when she was talking about. She was bragging about this piece she wrote for Vanity Fair. We're going to get into. We're going to touch on what Anna Wintour is doing over at Vanity Fair right now. I've gotten emails from you guys asking about it. So, you know, but I also just want to briefly mention this New York Times piece, this profile of her. It's dated May 31, 2025. She. She is shot. You got to look at this picture. She's sitting on a sofa, barefoot. All these women who go barefoot. Again, I cannot stand it. Like, what are you doing? Put those feet away. She's got, like, chunky, stubby feet. Put them away. She's sitting in her. What looks like her apartment on a sofa, holding one of, like, at least three, I think of her very expensive dogs. Here's what she says is she's quoted as saying, vis a vis her mother, who again, has dementia, and writing this book. And I just quoted there was the day, you know, not verbatim, but then I found poop in my mother's bed. You know, fuck off, Molly. Quote, it feels like a huge betrayal. I sold out Erica, John. Yeah, you did. But it's sort of in honor of her. In honor of her. It's not, it's not in honor of her. Okay. It was the only way that you could get this kind of media attention, you know, booked on Fresh Air with the insufferable to Terry Gross. I'm Terry Gross or piece in the New York Times, which by the way, I encourage you guys to go look at that piece. And they left reader comments on. Unlike the Huma Abedin unholy union to Alex Soros last weekend in the Hamptons. Those comments are shut off. Eric. Sorry. Erica. John see daughter not much. Molly. John Fast profile comments are up and they are brutal. Okay, again, this is a self selecting group of people who read the Times and then go watch MSNBC and CNN and they hate her. And I'm reading from one right here on my computer screen. I look at, when I look at who gets the space on the front page of the New York Times, my eye rolls and I wonder why I pay for a subscription. Molly is a Nepo baby, pure and simple. She needed a lot in caps of chances that other people simply don't get to write something that is readable. Agreed. She had a book that came out in 2006. It flopped. It was another thing about being the daughter of a famous mother because that's all that's going on in that head. That's it. Haven't read her latest yet, but her first books were absolute garbage. This commenter, you should come over to the troublemaker side. Okay. Book deals obtained because of who her mother was having gone to school with Molly. Now we've got some intel. I can tell you, allegedly, I can tell you that Erica wasn't kind to her. Fine. But as of Molly, she says these days she's mostly a deaf mute when she's given a chance to appear on shows like Morning Joe. If it weren't for what her mother worked for, Molly would be homeless. That is a troublemaker lurking in the comments section of the New York Times. We're spreading. We're spreading. We're spreading. I'm so happy. Okay, coming up, we are going to take some repeat offenders to task and end your email. But before this quick break, just a friendly reminder, it doesn't need to be said how much I love hearing from you guys. And as soon as I get back into my Instagram account, it's on. Okay, but remember, I want to keep hearing from you, so email me please@maureenvilmaycare media.com that's maureenvilmaycare media.com and remember to like and subscribe and spread the word because the faster we grow, the faster we can provide you with even more original content. And by the way, you guys, you got a mini nerve this weekend and I'm excited to tell you about it. Okay, we'll be back in a minute. This episode is brought to you by Masa Chips. Now, did you know that chips and fries used to be cooked in tallow up until the 1990s before big corporations switched to cheap processed seed oils? And that today seed oils make up 20% of the average American's daily calories? Recent studies have linked seed oils to metabolic health issues and inflammation in the body. So Masa has decided to do something about it. And they created a tasty and delicious tortilla chip with just three ingredients and none of them are seed oils. Just organic nixtamalized corn, sea salt, and 100% grass fed beef tallow. These chips don't only avoid all the bad stuff. They taste incredible. They taste incredible. I've had them. They're crunchier. Masa is tastier. It's sturdier than other chips. You can scoop a ton of guac onto that and it will not break under the weight. Snacking on Masa chips is nothing like eating regular chips. With Masa, you feel satisfied, you feel light, you feel energetic. There's no crashing, no bloating, no gross sluggish feeling afterwards. The added bonus is the beef tallow is satiating. It makes you feel full so you're not mindlessly binging hours later. Masa Chips is beloved by tens of thousands of customers and has been endorsed by industry leading health and nutrition experts like Ben Greenfield and Gary Breca. Ready to give Masa a try? Go to masachips.com Maureen and use code Maureen for 25% off your first order. That's masachips.com Maureen code Maureen for 25% off YOUR first order. USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With usaa, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a'@usaa.com bundle restrictions apply. We are back and we are back with another round of updates on our repeat offenders with a new segment which I'm very excited to bring to you. So updates. The last two days have been dark at the Diddy trial there like it's been adjourned. Thursday was Juneteenth, the national holiday, of course. And on Wednesday a juror called in sick, which is no surprise because this was shortly after the jury had Been shown videos of those. Freak off. And according to reports, at least two of those jurors looked like their stomachs were turning over. Okay, The Daily Mail is reporting that Beyonce and Jay Z have lawyered up. Just in case. Not that they have anything to do with this, but they are ready in case their names come up. Allegedly. Now we are in week six. This is wrapping up week six of the Diddy trial, and the prosecution is still going. We were told when this thing began it would be an eight week trial. It might go longer. I don't know that the defense is going to wrap it up in a week and a half or two weeks. Next up for the prosecution is Diddy's alleged drug mule. Okay, I'll bet you he's good looking. Diddy's kind of like Trump. He likes to surround himself only with the attractive. Okay, another repeat offender. And I'm really, really happy to be doing this one because we're going to be taking him to the woodshed quite a bit, I think. Jon Hamm, who was the first subject of our inaugural episode of the Nerve, so forever a special place. John. You know, we covered his college hazing of a frat pledge in which he allegedly viciously beat this kid to within an inch of his life. Almost lost an organ. Dragged the kid around with a claw hammer by the genitals, set him on fire, got away with it. That kid grew up to become a doctor and a lawyer. Jon Hamm grew up to become an actor. Professionally handsome, I call him. I think he's a piece of shit. And you're gonna see it in this W magazine little thing he sat for. I guess he did a feature with them. And you know, now like print outlets always do video stuff for digital. And he's sitting there with his hair and his, you know, and he's just. He, like, he can't help himself, this guy. Can't help himself. Like this. I. I know. I think I'm right about this guy. Again, just my opinion, but like, the smarm and the contempt is just oozing out of his pores. It's like oozing. And we're going to talk about the woman doing this interview because you're going to hear a lot of ambient laughter for like no reason. None. And he's like kind of looking at her like, why the are you laughing? That's not funny. So anyway, W magazine titled this, like seven minute short. Jon Ham. This is the headline. Jon Ham on making bat. I mean, again, they're always telling us who they are. John Ham on making bad behavior look good. Let's go.
- [60:18]
D
I'm loyal. I'm very self reliant. And I'm not like, needy like a cat. I'm very like, I'm good. I'll just be over here wagging my tail.
- [60:27]
Maureen
That was John on whether he'd want to be a cat or a dog. Who's asking these questions? But anyway, Jon Hamm gets it wrong. Jon Hamm, who likes to fashion himself as being one of the smarter actors in Hollywood because he went to college. Okay? I don't know that he graduated after that hazing incident. I'm not quite sure what happened there. But he says that cats are needy. I mean, you're a dummy. Cats are the most independent, domesticated animal of all. You can leave a cat away. Sorry. You could go away for several days and leave a cat alone with food, water, and a litter box and the cat will be fine. You cannot do the same with a dog. Dogs are needy. Dogs are needy. But, you know, his interviewer sat there and laughed like, Jon Hamm is Dave fucking Chappelle. Okay, let's hear John on being, quote, unquote, charming. I love your character. He's very charming. And you don't think he's charming?
- [61:36]
D
No, I do. That was me being charming. About me being charming.
- [61:41]
Maureen
Okay, if you're listening to this, I would encourage you to go look at this part of the show. Because when she says, I love your character, I find him very charming. His face is literally like, what the fuck? Like, you have a fundamental misreading of my character, and I'm going to employ that dually, okay? The character that Jon Hamm is playing and Jon Hamm's actual character, because I know my opinion. I think that Jon Hamm knows that he's playing a piece of shit and that people want to overlook that because he's so handsome. And I think that Jon Hamm knows that he's also a piece of shit and that people like his pathetic interviewer over there who's laughing as he's making a face to her that's like, fuck you. You are so dumb, I can't even believe it. And you're laughing at me. Still, Jon Hamm also knows that he is a piece of shit. Okay? Now here's John on making said bad behavior look attractive. You are incredibly good at making bad behavior look attractive.
- [62:44]
D
Well, my wife might have an opinion about this a little more than I. I think that we all are the sum of our decisions, good and bad. And I think people can Relate to making bad decisions. Of course, we all have made them in our lives. I think that the crux of drama sometimes is people making bad decisions. My history of characters certainly aren't exactly saints. They're more on the sinner side of the, of the equation. But that's fun to watch and it's certainly fun to play. Superman can be kind of boring.
- [63:12]
Maureen
Okay, I'm just going to say this again. You know these guys, they always hide in plain sight. Jon Hamm always plays assholes. As I, as I said in the first episode of the Nerf, he even turns his FBI character in the town. Ben Affleck's the Town. Great movie. He even turned that guy into an asshole. I think Jon Hamm is a limited actor who plays himself. Just my opinion. Two more notes on that. The off screen female voice belongs to Lynn Hirschberg. She has been a celebrity gadfly reporter for decades now. I mean, I grew up reading her and her sycophancy even then was unbearable. And hearing her laugh at every single thing Jon Hamm says. Obsequious is no matter how he's looking at her, how he's talking to her, his demeanor, his like, he's like, stop being so obsequious. For a celebrity to want someone talking to them to be a little less obsequious means you are insufferable, okay? Means you are a star fucker. Non pare. Okay? And by the way, with Jon Hamm, that is likely a hairpiece that is like. Or a hair transplant. He's a 50 something year old man. They don't typically have full heads of hair like that. He is probably, I'm going to guess, wearing foundational garments that may or may not be sucking him in properly. Hence the framing. You know, it's all make believe, Lynn. It's all make believe. It's all smoke and mirrors, in my opinion. And I think he's showing you he's a terrible person. So Lynn, get a hold of yourself. Go find your dignity wherever you left it behind like decades ago. Viewer comments on that YouTube clip. Okay? Making bad, I'm quoting, making bad behavior look good. Like when he set someone on fire in college. You're a troublemaker if you're not. Come over here with us. Another ham has had multiple accounts of acting that way during his college time, allegedly and can only describe the whole thing as. And this is correct because I quoted it in our first episode, a bummer of a thing that happened. Troublemaker 2 Over this way, Anna Wintour. And to what she Just did at Vanity Fair. Okay. When Graydon Carter left, and I believe he was probably pushed out because he was making a really nice salary. His memoir, by the way, I got it. It's not that great. Disappointingly. I would recommend instead, if you're interested in media and like the. The heyday of it and when magazines mattered and when it was. It's really interesting to know who got covered where and how and why, and the sort of glamour of that industry. Read Tina Brown's Vanity Fair Diaries. They're incredible. It's such a page turner. And she has real self awareness. And she's reportedly been working on the New Yorker Diaries, which was the magazine she took over after Vanity Fair. And I hope that that's true. Anyway, Anna then hired this woman named Radhika Jones, who I believe came from, like, the world of literary criticism, Hollywood, glamour, scandal, you know, upper crust, you know, murders and true crime. Not really her scene. She took Vanity Fair woke. She made it woke and unreadable. And I think her first cover was an incredibly unattractive tight, tight close up of Lena Waithe, who is a marginal figure in the culture at best, especially at that time. She had that show, or has that show, the Shy. The she, the Shy on Showtime. I've never watched it, but it was. I was all. I was like, what again? As I said, vis a vis Lena Dunham, we want to see nice things. It's evolution. Okay. So anyway, Radhika Jones was finally kicked to the curb. She said she left. She accomplished all she wanted to do. If by that she means running a once amazing magazine into the ground. Mission accomplished, sister. Okay, so then Anna, it was reported on page two six last week, hired this guy nobody's ever heard of called Mark Judici. I think I'm saying his name right. I wonder if he's related to the Judicis of New Jersey. 1 Real Housewives of New Jersey. Interesting. Anyway, so she appointed this guy, he's like 36. She apparently, quote, went rogue, according to this report, because Mark happens to be BFFs with her daughter and she gave him this position. And everyone at Vanity Fair is freaking out. Apparently. Page Six says the mood over there is, quote, dire. The consensus around the office, I believe it was the same with Radhika. Anna wanted somebody she could control. I think she's intent on burning Vanity Fair to the ground so that when she goes to her maker, like Vogue remains the star. The crown, rather, in the Conde Nast jewel, which, you know, she's also run Vanity. Sorry, she's also run Vogue. They bleed into each other at this point because they're so irrelevant. Who reads Vogue anymore? You know, I swear to God. But I think Anna's. I think Anna's real, real goal here is to destroy the magazine. And she's, she's doing a fantastic job of it. Okay? At our expense. Okay? Sarah Jessica Parker is still doing the rounds, the media rounds. You know, as discussed, the consensus in the culture, in the nation, in other countries is that. And just like, that sucks. And by the way, I just read recently and I didn't know this, but if it's true, it also explains a lot. Michael Patrick King, the showrunner, is like 70 years old. And I mean, listen you. I don't believe in chronological age as a marker, but this show is so as discussed spiritually and philosophically. And in terms of dialogue, it's so old. The only thing that's not old are their, like, emotional states, which are regressive. They're regressing. They're incredibly immature. So anyway, Sarah Jessica Parker is still doing the round. She's still defending Carrie Bradshaw, her character, which I, I maintain she has fused with at this point. SJP thinks she's Carrie. Carrie is sjp. We in. We are in our own personal body horror movie. Like the substance style, they have merged. Okay? Here she is talking to HuffPo UK, which I didn't even know exists because HuffPo in the US is barely read either at this point. SJP, again, she likes to prove that she's a smart actress because she reads books, which great. I am all for anybody who promotes books and book reading as she does. I don't think it means she should be a panelist for the Booker Prize, which I believe she is. And she, she always. I don't think she has a higher education because she again, uses. It's the kind of verbosity that is overcompensation. It's the kind of overcompensation that people who worry that they're fundamentally dumb use. To my point, SJP quote. I think fundamentally, Carrie is an extraordinary. I'm gonna do it in SJP's baby voice. Is an extraordinarily decent and good person, an extremely devoted friend. She's generous of spirit and time. How pretentious. Generous of spirit and time in all she has to offer. Okay? It's a bunch of. Bunch of bullshit. It makes no sense. Okay, now we are going to a new segment that I am dying over and I'm talking about this in a medical way. We're calling this segment Dwarf Minds, and I have a feeling its most frequent inhabitants are going to be morning show hosts. Okay, now, Jenna Bush Hager and Leslie Bibb, as discussed in the last episode and as we all endured, made utter and complete asses of themselves as Jenna Bush Hager got Bob on live tv. And they were back at it again the next morning. Let's watch this.
- [71:14]
C
I once went to a topless beach. I might have already said this, which is embarrassing. Tell me again, but in Spain, did you go high school? You laid out topless in high school. And I'll just say, oh, well, your boobs have never.
- [71:27]
Maureen
That's when your boobs look the best.
- [71:28]
C
Yes. But also, can I say, if you get burned?
- [71:32]
Maureen
Scary.
- [71:33]
C
It's not pretty. No. Did you peel? Oh, God. And they may have turned green. Oh, the opposite of the color wheel.
- [71:44]
Tanks
They turned green.
- [71:46]
C
Are you for real life? Oh, I don't think that's good.
- [71:51]
Maureen
First of all, again, Leslie Bib is doing too much. If she would like to book another acting job, she needs to bring it down. As I said the other day, she's at an 11, I think now she's at a 15. 15. Bring it down to a 5. Okay. She's going, you laid out topless. Oh, my God. They turned green. I mean, housewives do less facework. Like, housewives with no actual theater training or acting training do less face work. So she's, like, over emoting. And Jenna Bush Hager is talking about her boobs turning green and how she now realizes it's sunscreen is a good thing to have because she burned so badly. And, like, I kind of. The whole topic, I don't. It's hard to get the words out because it's so inane. And this discourse on these morning shows, I mean, you know what I'm hearing from you guys, you troublemakers, the only time you actually see these people, like, the Jenna Bush Hagers of the world is when you're stuck in a hospital or, like, a doctor's office. You're hostages. It's like how CNN holds us all hostage in airports across America. Okay, now, I. I think that Jenna, this. Her accomplishments here. These are her only real accomplishments in my estimation. She might be outdone. She might be outdone. Dwarf minds. Face off. We've got Whoopi Goldberg on the View telling. I love when she just definitively says something. She's like, George Clooney is Edward R. She's gonna tell you what's what. And she's a older black Woman. So don't push back or you're gonna get it. Okay. Telling Alyssa Farah Griffin why blacks in America. Wait for it. Have it worse than women in Iran. Whoopi, the floor is yours.
- [73:56]
C
The year 2025, the United States is nothing like if I stepped foot wearing this. Young people that have been killed. I can't have my hair showing. I can't wear a skirt. I can't have my. I literally said it was up to the Iranian people.
- [74:11]
Maureen
Yes, it is up to them. And that's why I am saying that it's. It is the same. Yeah.
- [74:18]
C
I think it's very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is to live in Iraq.
- [74:22]
Maureen
Not if you're black. Not for everybody. Not if you're black guys. Now, I just want to say, you know, everybody likes to laugh at the View. We laugh at the View all the time in this culture. You know that. I think some of the most clicked upon stories are like, can you believe the shit they just said on the View? But, you know, not for nothing, the View is a division, is part of the ABC News division, okay? And they're pumping dangerous misinformation and dangerous, uneducated takes out to America. And Whoopi Goldberg gets to sit there because she's queen bee. And anytime anybody pushes back. And it's the same with Sunny Hostin, who's queen Bee junior. What would she be like Princess Regent? You know, like, you know, everything's racial with Sonny. Everything's racial with Sunny. And if you're a white woman on that panel, woe betide you because they're going to tell you what's what. They're morons. They're idiots. Okay? But we're not done with our dwarf minds face off yet because we've got another entrant I think maybe the winner, I think maybe the biggest dwarf mind. I think this guy might take Dwarf mind of the year when we get around to doing the nerve Awards of 2025, first annual. Okay? The comic who has yet to apologize for and retract his editorial statement, saying that most women who were abused deserve to be abused. It's their own fault. The one and only Bill Maher. Now, before we get to your emails about Bill and you guys keep. You have been keeping these hits coming. You are reminding me of stuff. You are. You are telling me things I did not know that I need to look into. Like, so I love it. I love you all for many reasons, but for the Bill Maher stuff. Oh, my God. My eternal admiration. But before we get to that, the nerve's own Marlena Schiavo has her own Bill Maher horror story to tell. Marlena.
- [76:19]
E
Yeah.
- [76:19]
Maureen
I can't believe after all these segments, you finally came forward. You are very brave. Let me give you a Hoda intro. You are very, you are very brave to stand in your truth and to come forward. And you know, we know this may not be easy, but this is a journey that we are going to take together. And I am with you, okay? I am with you every step of the way as you tell your truth. So, Marlena, please tell us about your encounter with the legendary diminutive, small handed Bill Maher.
- [76:58]
E
Well, this is a very difficult disclosure, as you may know, Maureen, because, you know, actually most, for the most part, I am a huge Bill Maher fan. But back in 2012, I had a run in with Bill Maher on 75th in Amsterdam in New York City. I was out to dinner with my friends. We just went to go see his show at the Beacon Theater and we, I looked at, I looked out the window and he was crossing the street. So I run outside and I say, hey, Bill. And he turns around and I said, can I get a picture? And he did that. Bill Maher, like the thing you always do, Maureen, like the eye roll and his head rolled and the. And his hands went up in the air and they hit his thighs. Like, give me a break, you know. And I looked at him and I just said, I did. Just go see your show. And he went, well, now that I have your money. And so then I shuffled my phone onto his handler and they took this awful picture, but I couldn't possibly ask for another one. Clearly I was taking up 30 seconds. He didn't have. And so I got my photo and I still posted it at the time. But yeah, they say, never meet your heroes. And that happened. And it was very disappointing. But I have to say, I have to compartmentalize it. Like I told you, I have to sort of overlook the faulty vows of his character because there are parts of Bill Maher that I'd like to think are still good. Except. Except for the fact that he's a complete misogynist.
- [78:33]
Maureen
Right? Except for that. I mean, listen, same way, like I, I watch his show because I think there are sometimes very interesting, provocative conversations happening on that show. But I do, I will note that last week he was back to three male guests completely. And so we got to keep Bill on his toes and get that, get more representation of women on his show, get More female opinions. And you know, Bill should really have someone on his show to come on and push back on this narrative. He's got that abused women have it coming if they don't leave immediately. So thanks, Marlena. We're gonna get to the reader, the viewer rather responses, the audience responses, which you and I both love. So thank you for standing in your truth. Appreciate it.
- [79:16]
E
Thank you for letting me be brave.
- [79:19]
Maureen
So on to audience emails regarding Bill Maher. Okay, header of this Bill Maher, dash true story and do not reveal my name. You got it. You are safe. You are among friends. We are a non safe space, but always safe for troublemakers. Maureen, regarding the. Sorry. Regarding the deplorable pig that is Bill Maher, I wanted to share with you a true story that highlights Bill's misogynistic behavior when it comes to objectifying women. He can easily identify me, as you'll see. Okay. In the mid-80s, Bill was an unknown in LA. Unknown in LA doing stand up as acting minor guest shots on Roseanne, Murder She Wrote. I have been encouraged to go look up some of those. We will. In early November of 1985. This is so classic. It's great. I was cast in a TV movie for ABC called Club Med along with Linda Hamilton, Jack Scalia, Sinbad and Bill Maher. So they were all shooting at a real Club Med. And Bill had a very small part per this troublemaker. So a lot of free time, I quote, he wandered around the set every day and around the resort every day carrying a well worn copy of a Playboy issue and proudly showed every single person on the set. Again, just this troublemakers report, men and women, a pictorial inside the Playboy issue. And taking great joy as he told every person, quote, look at her. Can you believe this is the woman I'm dating? I am. I am. Oh my God. This is if this is true. This is so pathetic. Quote, I am actually fucking this woman. Not a day went by that he wasn't at the bar, the pool or the beach carrying and displaying that Playboy issue. Oh my God. Determined that every single person at Club Med knew this nebbish little nerd was fucking a Playboy model. It was absolutely pathetic. A quick side story. There was a small stage at the resort. It was open mic every night. Sinbad went on stage every night after filming wrapped and did stand up. And Bill started following Sinbad Knightley. This troublemaker says Sinbad always did original material every night. And it was always funny. He drew a huge crowd. Bill died every night. He was using old material that he had been using in la. It wasn't funny. It wasn't funny. People quickly learned to leave after Sinbad set and Bill's audience dwindled to a small handful of people at the bar. The moral of the story, Bill has always been a sad little misogynist and troublemaker. I went. I went to IMDb Pro and I looked this up to see if you had your facts right. And you do. This is the page for Club med airing in 1986. Bill Maher listed as Rick. His star meter is lower than he would like. I'm sure I won't embarrass him there. Okay, Bill Maher. I taught public speaking for 40 years. Watch Bill Maher's monologue. He is constantly touching his belt with his hand reaching down lower. I troublemaker, too, have noticed this has had many other troublemakers throughout the years. He's always touching his belt buckle. Like he's always touching it. I don't know if it's a self soothing thing. I don't know if it's a way to draw attention to what's down there. Which again, like, if we're talking about. We've talked about his hands. I'm just saying. Okay. I'm just saying, okay, this, this troublemaker continues. This is really symbolic. And the first thing as a trainer I would pick up on. What you do with your hands is really important. It's a habit that obviously soothes. Soothes, Excuse me, his nerves reaching for his penis. Really mature. Troublemaker from New Zealand. Cheers to you. My new rule, Bill Maher feedback. This is our last one for the show. I went back to look up the exact quote from Mars monologue and here it is. Quote. This is the one blaming women for being abused. Things have changed enough so that moving forward, the rule should be that you women. I'm putting in the women there, that if you're being abused. And this is how he said it. You got to leave right away. You got to leave right away. My take for this troublemaker, if we can just make rules. I have one. Don't abuse women. How about that? How about that, Bill? Still waiting. Okay. And now, now we're going to end on a high. We're going to end on a high because we all deserve it. It's been a. This is our nirvana segment, our moment of nirvana where we talk about things that actually bring us unalloyed joy. They just are great. They're great things in the culture and they deserve promotion and attention and to become more and more successful. We got word this week that the Pit, the HBO Max show that just finished airing season one. Incredible. Noah Wiley. It's a new take on a medical procedural. I love a procedural. I find them very comforting. But this was unlike any other medical procedural we've ever seen because it takes place. It's a. The name is like a double entendre, I believe it's an ER in Pittsburgh and the Pit is the er, but it's a lower income. It's in a lower income community. It's a struggling hospital. And so they're keeping it together with like paper clips and, you know, glue. And it's incredible. It's incredible. And they're shooting season two already, and I'm so happy it's coming back. And if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and watch season one. It is like compulsive watching. You can't stop. My other moment of nirvana. About a week ago, I saw Operation Mincemeat on Broadway. And I'll tell your friend and mine, Megyn Kelly recommended this. She and her husband Doug said walk, don't run. And this is. This is for everybody. I don't care what you think you like and don't like. I don't even like musicals that much. And I loved this thing so much. It is based on a true story of a secret mission in World War II. MI5 cultivated, created this plan. Ian Fleming, 007 author, was among the team members to redirect Nazi troops by finding a young dead body, a male, dressing him up as an RAF fighter pilot, dumping the body somewhere in Spain along conveniently with like top secret war plans about where they were next. Going to evade, to invade. Excuse me. And it's like. It's a black comedy. It's a drama. It's. It's hilarious. It's camp. It's deeply moving. There's five actors in it. And all five actors play multiple roles they like, turn on a dime. One minute you're weeping and the next minute you're laughing so hard you can barely breathe. There are Nazis in a disco. It's amazing. Just go. Just go and try to see this original cast because this is lightning in a bottle. And one of those actors whose names are. Whose name escapes me. Excuse me. Just deservedly won the Tony for best actor in a musical. This guy is. Whoa. Just will blow you away beyond. Anyway, Operation Mincemeat, the Pit. That is it for today. Now we will see you over on YouTube on Saturday for the mini. Remember, the Minis are only on YouTube at the moment, so so we're usually up there by 10am and if you're on the east coast, it's time for coffee. And west coast, you're up early, it's time for coffee. And then we'll be back here on Tuesday for the Mega Nerve. So join us at the Nerf, where you will never guess what we're about to say next.
- [87:52]
Tanks
What's up, podcast listeners? It's Tanks, host of the It's Me Tanks podcast. Join me weekly on It's Me Tanks as I dive into topics like relationships, why it's okay to feel lonely, fighting, summer comparison, and pop culture's hottest takes. I don't shy away from getting candid about my personal experiences, and I want to share all the advice I have learned with you. I'm even joined by some of my friends like Claudia Ashre, Connor Wood, and Amanda Hirsch each Friday for our new Office Hours episodes. You can listen to It's Me Tanks every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, wherever you listen to podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show so you don't miss an episode.
- [88:30]
Maureen
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