Robert chronicles Oprah's war with the beef industry and her pivot to new age anti-science nonsense. Also: rainbow parties!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic of this episode?
Call zone media.
oh boy well welcome back to behind the bastards a podcast where we just took a five minute break between part three and part four of the oprah winfrey episodes if you're all like me you mainlined some doom scrolling news from your phone about how bad things continue to be and also how the equal rights amendment is ratified but also not great stuff um you know folks whenever i start to think we live in the dumbest society that's ever lived and like
how sad for us to live in such a stupid, stupid society. I have something that helps me get some historical perspective, which is I have a very big book right next to my bed that I read a little bit every night called The Assyrians. And that really helps because there's literally ass in the name of that culture, like ass just right on the front of the book. So, you know what?
We're not so silly, you know, you know, at least you're not an ass Syrian, right? It's fine. It's fun. We're good. You done? Whatever it takes, dog. Whatever it takes. I'm just trying to feel better. I feel like other people don't enjoy the word ass being on the front of a book as much as I do because they are no longer four. How's our guest today? Bridget Todd and Andrew T. How are we doing?
Doing well.
I had a really good Clementine in the break.
Oh, clutch.
That's good.
I convinced Jamie Loftus to cover a topic I wanted her to cover on 16th Minute during that five minute break. I'm efficient.
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Chapter 2: How does Oprah Winfrey influence public perception?
Janice writes about the critiques that Washington Post writer Tom Shales had of Winfrey's program, labeling it talk rot. Quote, Shales decried talk shows as a daily parade of wackos, loonies, stars, celebrities, freaks, geeks, and gurus.
Referring to the Oprah Winfrey show, he noted, on one of her few serious outer directed shows, Winfrey dealt with declining literacy among the young and the escalating crisis in American education. In promos, she looked into the camera and asked, how dumb are we? There's every possibility that talk rot is making us dumber. And that's him saying that, right?
That like Oprah saying we're dumb for not reading, but like her stuff show is making us dumber. And like, Yeah, it's part of that loop. It's also Oprah's going to later become one of the people who's a major champion of literacy, although not in ways that are unproblematic, too.
Anyway. I actually got a little glimmer of hope from that. Just like a reminder that I know, and I'm not like a teacher. I had lunch with a friend who was a teacher yesterday, and he was like, the kids are not able to read. Yeah. I do think... This might be counterfactual to survey data, but I do kind of think every generation thinks the current kids are dumber than ever before.
There's two sides to this, right? One of them is that... Every generation, as soon as they hit a certain age, starts thinking that these next kids coming up are uniquely fucked up and like everyone's ruined. Right. And like the world's going to hell in a handbasket. And they're always kind of wrong. At the same time, every single new generation is fucked up in a unique new way.
And like the TikTok kids are fucked up on TikTok and iPads in a way that didn't exist before. Just like my gen or our generation was fucked up by message boards and online gaming and the like in ways that were unique, you know, to kids that had come previously. Just like our but our gen X friends were fucked up on leaded gasoline, you know?
Yeah, but it's also like, you know, the kids are getting fucked up on particularly spicy epigrams from Catullus. You know, it's just like I think it's always been like this.
It has always been like this. There's there are unique ways in which every generation is like fucked up. And also, I'll just say this, kids, if you if you are a very young person coming up right now and you're trying to figure out how do I make it in this world? One of the chief things you have on your side is that everyone older than you thinks you're an idiot.
And the truth is that they're all as stupid as you are. So take advantage of that. There's power in being underestimated, kids.
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Chapter 3: What were the controversies surrounding Oprah's views on the beef industry?
It's the most angry I've ever been at you.
Yeah, the internet's going to light on fire. Drake's going to get off scot-free now.
And then... And then we all made a pact in my car that we would never repeat this because it was so dramatic.
I'm too honest a man, Sophie. I can't. I'm like George Washington. This is my cherry tree moment. I cannot tell a lie. I don't know who people are.
Yes, but Jesus fuck, Robert.
It's okay. I listened to a Kendrick Lamar song after that.
I knew you were in my car. It was pretty good. Yeah.
Yeah. I'm sorry. Macklemore's not. I made a horrible mistake. Forgive me. Don't forgive Drake. Look, I'm trying to deflect here. I'm doing the Trump thing. Ignore my sins. Focus on Drake and the rainbow parties.
Let's blame him for that. The disappointment's back.
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