Podcast Summary: There Are No Girls on the Internet

Episode: Heated Rivalry's Podcast Drama; White House Posts AI Altered Crying Arrest Photo; Morally Dubious Florida Candidate Dislikes Only Fans – NEWS ROUNDUP!
Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Bridget Todd (with producer Mike)
Podcast: There Are No Girls on the Internet by iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This week’s news roundup dives into viral podcast drama around queer media and performative allyship, the White House's disturbing use of AI in social media to smear Black activists, and a Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate’s hypocrisy and moral panic over sex work. Bridget and Mike engage in lively, insightful discussion about authenticity, power, identity, and internet discourse—moving seamlessly between pop culture and politics.

Table of Contents

1. Podcast Drama: Heated Rivalry and Performative Allyship (03:16-31:34)
2. White House Uses AI to Smear Black Activist (34:54-53:13)
3. Florida GOP Candidate’s Creepy Record and OnlyFans Crusade (56:35-69:48)
4. Oscars and Razzies: Representation, Ethics, and Bad Movies (72:35-89:56)

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1. Podcast Drama: Heated Rivalry and Performative Allyship

(03:16-31:34)

Main Topic

Bridget and Mike analyze controversy over hockey podcast Empty Netters and their coverage of Heated Rivalry, a popular queer hockey romance series.

Key Points and Discussion

• Straight Men and Queer Media

  • Heated Rivalry is a "very horny" queer show about two male hockey players.
  • Empty Netters (hosted by cis, straight white brothers Dan and Chris Powers) gained popularity reacting to the show’s sexy scenes.
  • Their reactions were described as “exaggerated… yelling, screaming, jumping up and down, pulling their hair, openly weeping” (Bridget paraphrasing Queerty article, 06:53).

• Critique of Performative Allyship

  • The question: Are these hosts bravely boosting queer culture—or just "pretending to celebrate it to get that money"?
  • “It's hard to take their efforts in good faith when they're monetized for views and downloads” (Bridget quoting the article, 06:53).

• Receipts: Private Texts Exposed

  • Outsports reported that one host, Dan Powers, privately trashed the show while publicly gushing about it.
  • Notable quote: “I think these losers who made this show are cowards.” (Bridget quoting Dan’s private texts, 08:46)
  • Also said: “This is the trash they make because it panders, it’s provocative, and it checks inclusivity boxes.” (09:11)
  • He reportedly complained about “making blue-haired Twitter happy.” (12:27)

• Duplicitous Authenticity

  • Bridget and Mike question whether it's ever acceptable for podcast hosts to fake enthusiasm or lie for clout and cash.
  • “If he thinks the whole reason Heated Rivalry is successful is because it’s pandering and it’s checking inclusivity boxes… [but is] duplicitously saying how great it is… that’s getting a little twisted…” (Mike, 11:38)
  • Bridget: “I can't see myself pretending to really enjoy a piece of media that I did not.” (27:30)

• Community Reactions and Podcast Authenticity

  • Some fans defended the hosts, saying anyone enjoying queer content is a win.
  • Bridget is skeptical: “…watching a television show is not activism. It just kind of made me roll my eyes” (16:07).
  • Exploration of the value and pitfalls of authenticity in podcasting, referencing Bowen Yang and advice from Tina Fey (25:32).

• Digging Into the Hosts’ Attitudes

  • A listener-recovered clip exposes the Empty Netters hosts using misogynistic language and airing entitled complaints about Soho House (20:13-22:23).
  • Mike calls out the use of the C-word and entitlement: “It’s not cool to refer to young women with the C-word” (20:45).

Notable Quotes

• “You’re the one paying $500 a month for this experience that is no good. That’s on you, sir. Not on these “pretentious TikTok c-words.” (Bridget, 22:00)
• “It really reminds me of the curse Tina Fey put on Bowen Yang… she kind of really saw it coming.” (Bridget, 25:32)

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2. White House Uses AI to Smear Black Activist

(34:54-53:13)

Main Topic

The White House posted an AI-altered image of Black civil rights attorney/organizer Nekima Levy Armstrong, making her appear disheveled and hysterically crying during her arrest at a protest—when photos showed Armstrong composed and defiant.

Key Points and Discussion

• Social Media and Manufactured Cruelty

  • Bridget describes White House social media as “a cluster of the worst, most gruesome content that you’ve ever seen in your life. It is truly ghoulish stuff” (34:54).
  • Mike: “They are actively engaged in a campaign to desensitize Americans and make us all more cruel and indifferent to the suffering of others” (35:41).

• Operation as PR: Creating Content for Cruelty

  • Example: ICE’s helicopter “anti-terror” raid in Chicago—no one was charged with any serious crime, but footage was used for social media (37:32).

• Armstrong’s Arrest and Image Manipulation

  • Armstrong arrested during a peaceful protest at a church pastored by an ICE official.
  • White House posted her arrest photo, then later replaced it with an AI-altered version making her more upset/less composed.
  • “They made her look older… more disheveled… darkened her skin… heavier…” (Bridget, 41:46).

• Racialized, Gendered Degradation

  • “It just reminds me of how much the Trump administration really goes out of their way to deeply disrespect Black women. It’s misogynoir, it’s racist, it’s sexist, it’s gendered, it’s racialized.” (Bridget, 41:46)
  • Bridget powerfully connects this to the erasure of iconic images of Black women’s resistance: “They are using these tools to try to take away our God-given abilities to resist, right? One of the gifts we have [as Black women] is… to look defiant, look iconic even if we’re being arrested” (44:31).
  • “They are using the lazy moron’s trick of making her look bad via AI to obscure the reality that this woman was confident, composed and defiant.” (Bridget, 47:53)

• White House Deflection

  • When asked if the image was altered, the White House replied, “The memes will continue.” (Bridget quoting, 50:36)
  • “There is no reason to believe anything coming out of this White House. If they’ll do this, they’ll do anything.” (Bridget, 51:18)

Notable Quotes

• “We are all just props in a collective glamour shot of Trump portraying him as some big tough guy. It’s really despicable.” (Mike, 38:31)
• “If you have to digitally edit things to make it seem as if people are afraid, when they’re not—people are disgusted.” (Mike, 50:36)

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3. Florida GOP Candidate’s Creepy Record and OnlyFans Crusade

(56:35-69:48)

Main Topic

Spotlight on James Fishback, an underdog Republican candidate for Florida governor, who rails outspokenly against OnlyFans while having his own history of scandal and dubious morality.

Key Points and Discussion

• Fishback’s Background

  • Financial scandal: Owes $200,000 after losing a lawsuit; claims he cannot pay (56:35).
  • Defended open white nationalists and Nick Fuentes fanbase as “incredibly informed… very patriotic” (Bridget, 56:53).

• Associations with Nick Fuentes and the Manosphere

  • Mike and Bridget riff on a club in Miami that played a notorious far-right meme song; revealing both the normalization and performative nature of alt-right “alpha” posturing (57:47–61:00).
  • “You're the big, scary alpha—you can't even, like, commit to the bit!” (Bridget on Andrew Tate, 60:29)

• Morally Dubious Personal Record

  • Fishback ran a youth debate program; accused of inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old employee, which both school district and former board member found credible, even though Fishback denies any illegality (63:33-65:11).
  • “He’s just like… maybe he has a fetish for anti-ethical behavior.” (Mike, 65:39)

• OnlyFans Crusade: Hypocrisy and Outrage

  • Promising a 50% state tax on OnlyFans creators' income to “protect” women, while singling out specific creators by name.
  • “My message to the owners of OnlyFans is 'get the hell out of our state. I hope you go bankrupt. Don’t you dare come to my state and try to exploit and abuse young women.' Because that’s my job. Just kidding. He didn’t say that; I added that.” (Bridget quoting Fishback and then satirizing, 66:31)
  • Prominent OnlyFans creator Sophia Rain claps back: “I would be more than happy to pay that if multi-billion dollar corporations were also being properly taxed. But surprise—they are not.” (Bridget quoting, 67:42)

• Bridget's Commentary on Sex Work

  • “Sex workers have been involved in the labor rights movement, body autonomy… instrumental to things like economic justice. Meanwhile, politicians like Fishback are too busy not following district safeguards with young girls.” (Bridget, 68:53)
  • Concludes: “Forgive me if I think that a man who was in a relationship with a minor, according to that minor, is genuinely worried about the sexual exploitation of women and girls. It's about control.” (68:03)

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4. Oscars and Razzies: Representation, Ethics, and Bad Movies

(72:35-89:56)

Main Topic

Bridget and Mike pivot to pop culture, discussing the Oscar nominations, the happy and bittersweet milestones for diversity, and lampooning the year’s worst films.

Key Points and Discussion

• Oscar Nominees: Progress and Frustration

  • Sinners received a record 16 nominations—including for Autumn Derald Arkhipa, the first-ever woman of color nominated for Best Cinematography (73:16–75:38).
  • Only three other women have ever been nominated for that Oscar; none has ever won.
  • “It’s unbelievable that it’s 2026 when we have our first ever woman of color nominated in this category. That is wild to me.” (Bridget, 75:21)

• Best Film and Documentary Shout-Outs

  • Bridget champions Sinners, One Battle After Another, Begonia, Marty Supreme, F1: Frankenstein, Hamnet, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, and Train Dreams as Best Film nominations (76:34).
  • Discussion of “Marty Supreme” as a high-anxiety, divisive Softie Brothers movie; Bridget loves films that challenge or discomfort the viewer (77:51–80:34).
  • For Best Documentary:
    • Perfect Neighbor (controversial, constructed from surveillance footage; Bridget interviewed producer Soledad O’Brien).
    • Come See Me In the Good Light (about Andrea Gibson; produced by Tig Notaro, with a Brandi Carlile original song).

• Notable Documentaries and Ethics

  • Bridget: “It’s a pretty rough watch. There’s one scene in particular that is hard to watch and controversial.” (81:25)
  • She addresses criticism, acknowledges discomfort, and urges viewers to consider the ethical complexity.

• The Razzies: Lampooning the Worst

  • “War of the Worlds” is up for Worst Movie—Bridget and Mike joke about how bafflingly bad and structurally incoherent the film is (87:14–88:06).
  • Mike: “This is like a cursed monkey paw version of your dream to have a movie podcast… but you only get to review War of the Worlds.” (87:45)
  • Deep laughter about sequels ("Skirmish of the Worlds," "War of the Planets") and nonsensical plotting.

Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On performative allyship and podcasting:

  • “Watching a television show is not activism… I hate this idea that straight men are saving the world by watching this very popular piece of entertainment media that everybody else is watching…”
    —Bridget (16:07)

• On authenticity vs. self-censorship:

  • “There is a big difference between holding back because… people don't want to hear your opinions and actively saying something when you believe the opposite.” —Mike (28:20)
  • “If I ever got to the point where I can't say what I actually think, that would be a curse.” —Bridget (29:33)

• On White House AI scandal:

  • “They made her look older, more disheveled… darkened her skin… heavier…” —Bridget (41:46)
  • “If you use AI to manipulate reality in this way, what you are admitting is: We are liars.” —Bridget (51:18)
  • “The memes will continue. That should be the tagline to the second Trump administration.” —Mike (51:10)

• On Florida candidate's hypocrisy:

  • “Forgive me if I think that a man who was in a relationship with a minor, according to that minor, is genuinely worried about the sexual exploitation of women and girls. It’s about control.” —Bridget (68:03)

• On Oscar history:

  • “In the history of the [cinematography] category, no woman has ever won. I have a feeling [Autumn Derald Arkhipa] might change that.” —Bridget (75:21)

• On bad movies and rewatch episodes:

  • “This is like a cursed monkey paw version of your dream to have a movie podcast… but you only get to review War of the Worlds.” —Mike (87:45)

Episode Tone

Witty, direct, and passionate. Bridget mixes humor, righteous indignation, and insider internet/culture knowledge, while Mike acts as a thoughtful and affable interlocutor.

Conclusion

This episode underscores the persistent battles over power, authenticity, and representation in digital culture and politics. Bridget and Mike unpack why authenticity matters, expose hypocrisy (from podcast bros to politicians), and celebrate real progress—while never losing their wit, skepticism, or hope for greater honesty (and more thoughtful movie culture).

Navigational Timestamps

• Heated Rivalry podcast controversy: 03:16–34:00
• White House AI photo/manipulation: 34:54–53:13
• Florida candidate/OnlyFans: 56:35–69:48
• Oscars/Razzies: 72:35–89:56

For further reading/listening, check the show notes for links to documentary interviews and referenced articles.