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Cancel Me, Daddy

Katelyn Burns, Christine Grimaldi, Flytrap Media

The pearl clutching about “cancel culture” and “censorship” has become louder and more absurd while also getting more and more play in the media. Journalists Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi see this panic for what it is though: a grift. They take a closer look at these temper tantrums, dispelling myths, laughing at the most outrageous takes, and shedding light on which perspectives are actually being suppressed and left out of the conversation.

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A Flytrap Media Production

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#112
August 27 · 47 min
Your Tech CEO Doesn't Want to Fix Democracy. He Wants to End It. (ft. Gil Durán)
Pundits, politicians, and lobbyists have given a pass to Silicon Valley’s tech bros for far too long. We don’t have to understand Peter Thiel or Sam Altman, but we have to understand the "Network State" they want to establish. Journalist Gil Durán exposes tech bros as the leaders of “The Nerd Reich,” the name of his unputdownable new book. They’re the bad guys—and they’re all guys, some we know better than others. Over the course of “The Nerd Reich,” Durán introduces us to lesser known players and explains why we should watch out for Peter Thiel and his network state even more than we already do. Without Thiel, we would not have J.D. Vance a heartbeat away from the presidency. Vance is more “Thielbilly” than “hillbilly,” Durán argues, drawing a sinister connection between “Silicon Valley fascism” and the Trump regime. This week, Gil Durán joins Katelyn and Christine to reconsider whether the visionaries are really cartoon villains and propose ways we can stop their network state. Cancel Me, Daddy is a progressive media criticism show hosted by journalists Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi. New episodes every other week. Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Links: - Grab a discounted bundle subscription to Katelyn’s and Christine’s newsletters at their TrustFnd collab! - Buy Gil Durán’s: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy from The Flytrap Media’s Bookshop affiliate link. - Request The Nerd Reich from your local library—it makes a difference! Search for your local library via zip code. - Subscribe to Gil Durán’s newsletter “The Nerd Reich” and follow him on Bluesky at @gilduran.com. - Read Gil’s coverage of tech fascists for The New Republic via his author link. - Roberto J. González for The Transnational Institute: “The Rise of the Techno-Tyrants: Silicon Valley’s right-wing past, present and future.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
August 27 · 2 min
Introducing Silver Linings with The Old Gays
I would like to recommend you check out the Silver Linings podcast. It is hosted by The Old Gays, who became a TikTok sensation and are all about serving wisdom, laughs, and a little lovingly earned side-eye after decades of love, loss, and fabulous survival. Hope you give it a listen and that you enjoy it as much as I do.
#111
August 13 · 50 min
They Printed a Zine. The DOJ Gave Them 450 Years. (ft. Melissa Gira Grant)
On July 4, 2025, a loosely affiliated group of demonstrators gathered outside the Prairieland immigration detention camp in solidarity of incarcerated migrants. The Department of Justice (DOJ) would soon recast the demonstrators as an “Antifa cell.” Federal prosecutors would trump up terrorism charges against them. In some cases, the DOJ indicted people who hadn’t even been present at the demonstration. Their so-called crime? Making and moving zines. Then Trump’s hand-picked federal judges sentenced the Prairieland defendants to a combined 450 years in prison. How did a routine act of public protest against unjust incarceration spiral into centuries’ worth of more incarceration? This week, journalist Melissa Gira Grant joins Katelyn and Christine to separate fact from fiction in the Prairieland cases. Melissa, Katelyn, and Christine discuss the Prairieland prosecutions’ dangerous implications for free speech and assembly. Cancel Me, Daddy is a progressive media criticism show hosted by journalists Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi. New episodes every other week. Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Get Cancel Me, Daddy every week on our Patreon or through an Apple Membership. Links: - Grab a discounted bundle subscription to Katelyn’s and Christine’s newsletters at their TrustFnd collab! - Follow Melissa Gira Grant’s ongoing Prairieland coverage for The New Republic and on Bluesky at @melissagiragrant.com - Melissa Gira Grant for The New Republic: The Prairieland Sentences Are a National Emergency - Lex McMenamin for The Guardian: ‘This is injustice’: how leftist zines were used to sentence anti-ICE protesters to decades in prison - Lex McMenamin reel via Instagram: “the prairieland case: how it impacts protest, trans people, and freedom of information” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#110
July 30 · 53 min
Pope Fights: Antipopes, Schisms, and Trump's Vatican Problem (ft. Eleanor Janega)
The Catholic Church has spent two thousand years fighting about who actually gets to be Pope — and this year, it's happening twice at once. The Society of St. Pius X, the traditionalist breakaway group that's been in schism with Rome since the 1980s, just got hit with a fresh round of excommunications. Meanwhile, US officials floated the idea of backing an antipope against Leo XIV after a very public spat with the Trump administration. Two crises, one institution, and a lot of history nobody in the mainstream coverage is bothering to explain. Katelyn and Christine are joined by historian Eleanor Janega (medievalist, author of the Going Medieval newsletter, and a returning favorite for anyone who wants their Church history with actual rigor) to walk through what schism and antipopes have historically meant, why the Vatican keeps splitting along the same fault lines, and what it says about power — inside the Church and out — when a government thinks it can just install its own Pope. In this episode: -What the Society of St. Pius X schism is actually about, and why "excommunication" doesn't mean what most coverage implies -The long, messy history of antipopes — and what it takes to actually pull one off -How the Pope Leo/Trump administration conflict fits (or doesn't) into that history -Why institutions that claim infallibility keep having legitimacy crises anyway Janega joins us to answer the same question we always ask: who gets to define legitimacy, who benefits when they do, and what happens when that consensus breaks. Links: -What Pope Leo Can Teach Liberals About Power - The Nation - https://www.thenation.com/article/society/society-sspx-excommunication-schism-leo-catholic/ -Avignon Papacy Explained: What Reported US Threat to Pope and Vatican Means - Newsweek - https://www.newsweek.com/avignon-papacy-explained-what-reported-us-threat-to-pope-and-vatican-means-11803877 Show Links: Merch Store: https://cancelmedaddy-shop.fourthwall.com/ CMD Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cancelmedaddy CMD TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cancelmedaddypod CMD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cancelme_daddy/ CMD BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/cancelmedaddy.bsky.social Linktree: https://linktr.ee/CancelMe_Daddy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#109
July 16 · 54 min
The Leftist Men Who Made Graham Platner a Star (ft. Marisa Kabas)
To podcasters, pundits, and outlets on the left, Maine Senate Democratic candidate Graham Platner could do no wrong. Platner’s rugged oyster farmer persona and populist platform appealed to the full spectrum, from center-left Pod Save America’s Jon Faverau to socialist comrade and streamer Hasan Piker. Progressive media men made excuses for Graham Platner’s misdeeds and misconduct. The Nazi tattoo. The sexts. The abusive behavior. They only dropped their Platner endorsements after the sexual assault allegations. And they’re not sorry for platforming a political newbie that they didn’t vet beneath the shiny ideological surface. This week, independent journalist Marisa Kabas joins Katelyn and Christine to discuss how lefty media men enabled Graham Platner’s rise and tried to cushion his fall. What does their steadfast support say about progressive media’s accountability gap when one of their own is accused? Marisa, Katelyn, and Christine center the accusers, rather than the accused, while asking how to correct the structural failures and media gatekeeping that led us to this point. Cancel Me, Daddy is a progressive media criticism show hosted by journalists Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi. New episodes every other week. Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Marisa Kabas is a journalist covering news and politics at thehandbasket.co. Marisa Kabas is a journalist and newsletter writer covering media and politics at thehandbasket.co. - Grab a discounted bundle subcription to Katelyn’s and Christine’s newsletters at their TrustFnd collab! - Subscribe to Marisa Kabas’ The Handbasket for 100% independent journalism - Marisa Kabas for The Handbasket: We didn’t need a rape accusation to know Graham Platner was unfit - Ben Binday for The Washington Post: A timeline of the scandals surrounding Graham Platner in Maine Senate race - Katie Glueck and Lisa Lerer for The New York Times: Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall ‘Unsettling’ Behavior - Jessica Piper and Adam Wren for Politico: Exclusive: Woman who dated Graham Platner says he sexually assaulted her See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#108
June 18 · 44 min
CBS News Has a Bari Weiss Problem. Scott Pelley Was the Latest Casualty.
Renowned “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley is the latest casualty at CBS News under the leadership of reactionary editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. At a staff meeting the day before his ouster, Pelley accused Weiss of having “no qualifications” for the role and “murdering ‘60 minutes’” in the process. But Scott Pelley represents much more than another journalist out of a job. His firing is the inevitable outcome of a centrist media class that panders to both-sides journalism while claiming false objectivity. Continuing with business as usual is no match for media consolidation—the Paramount-Skydance merger that put billionaire nepo baby David Ellison in charge of CBS News—and censorship under Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr. This week, Katelyn and Christine draw on their political reporter creds to construct and analyze the timeline, from Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News to the network’s billionaire buyer to Bari Weiss. What really led to Scott Pelley’s firing? And what comes next? Cancel Me, Daddy is a progressive media criticism show hosted by journalists Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi. New episodes every other week. Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Links: - Grab a discounted bundle subcription to Katelyn’s and Christine’s newsletters at their TrustFnd collab! - Lulu Garcia-Navarro for “The Interview”: Scott Pelley on the Bari Weiss Era and His Last Days at ‘60 Minutes’ - Michael M. Grynbaum and Benjamin Mullin for The New York Times: Scott Pelley Accuses CBS News Boss of ‘Murdering’ ‘60 Minutes’ - Rashard Rose and Jon Passantino for CNN: Trump sues CBS over ‘60 Minutes’ interview with Harris. Legal experts call it ‘frivolous and dangerous’ - Jill Goldstein for Deadline: Paramount-Skydance Merger Clears SEC And EU Amid Ongoing, Fractious FCC Review - David Bauder for the AP: Paramount will pay $16 million in settlement with Trump over ’60 Minutes’ interview - John Koblin for The New York Times: CBS Canceling ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ After Next Season - David Folkenflik for NPR: CBS News chief Bari Weiss pulls '60 Minutes' story, sparking outcry - Oliver Darcy for Status News: Bari’s Anderson Agitation See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#107
June 4 · 54 min
Bari Weiss vs. Anderson Cooper: Both Are Overseers. Here's Why. (ft. Steven Thrasher)
Anderson Cooper recently left CBS News' "60 Minutes" after more than 20 years on the job. Cooper received glowing media coverage for his voluntary departure in the wake of billionaire David Ellison's acquisition of CBS and installation of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News. But Cooper and Weiss share more in common than they'd like to admit. As prominent queer media figures, they're both part of the media "overseer class," the subject and title of author Steven Thrasher's new book. Thrasher defines the overseer class as "a phenomenon in which people from marginalized populations amass power not by uplifting people from the communities they come from, but by collectively cracking the skulls of their own." Both Cooper and Weiss meet the criteria, albeit in different ways. This week, Katelyn and Christine sit down with Steven Thrasher to identify and critique the media "overseer class" and what we, the people, can do to challenge their structural power. Cancel Me, Daddy is a progressive media criticism show hosted by journalists Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi. New episodes every other week. Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Episode Links: - Grab a discounted bundle subcription to Katelyn’s and Christine’s newsletters at their TrustFnd collab! - Buy Steven Thrasher’s The Overseer Class: A Manifesto from The Flytrap Media’s Bookshop affiliate link. - Request The Overseer Class from your local library—it makes a difference! Search for your local library via zip code. - Oliver Darcy for Status News: Bari’s Anderson Agitation - Steven Thrasher for Literary Hub: How Do We Tell the Story of Gaza's Murdered Journalists? - Amy Goodman and Juan González for Democracy Now!: “The Overseer Class”: Steven Thrasher on How Identity Politics Is Used to Protect Unjust Systems See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#106
May 21 · 1 hr 1 min
Right-Wing Media Is Dying (But Don't Celebrate Yet) (ft. Parker Molloy)
Ben Shapiro, Bari Weiss, and Jeff Bezos have the same problem: audience retention. Shapiro's Daily Wire podcast and the conservative website he co-founded are in a prolonged free fall. "CBS Evening News" viewership continues to plummet since Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss installed conservative puppet Tony Dokoupil as the flagship show's host. The Washington Post's bro-y "Make It Make Sense" podcast — their YouTube channel has just 615 subscribers (as of May 19). Does that number count if it includes Bezos and any of his alts? This week, Katelyn and Christine welcome Parker Molloy back to the show to discuss whether conservative media is dying out. The reasons why may surprise you! Cancel Me, Daddy is a progressive media criticism show hosted by journalists Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi. New episodes every other week. Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! LINKS: - Grab a discounted bundle subcription to Katelyn’s and Christine’s newsletters at their TrustFnd collab! - Subscribe to Parker Molloy’s The Present Age via Patreon - Parker Molloy for The Present Age: Nobody Asked for This Washington Post Podcast - Natalie Korach for Status News: The Post’s Opinion Divide - Drew Harwell for The Washington Post: Inside Ben Shapiro’s MAGA meltdown - Oliver Darcy for Status News: CBS’ Ratings Calamity - Emery Winter for Snopes: Video authentically shows sparse crowd for JD Vance at Turning Point USA event - Zachary Basu for Axios: MAGA media's great unraveling - The Righting: Traffic Plunges at All Major Right-Wing News Websites in February - Sara Fischer for Axios: MAGA media sites fizzle as infighting splinters messaging - Paul Farhi for The Atlantic: Right-Wing Media Are in Trouble See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#104
May 11 · 14 min
Introducing: No Such Thing
We’re excited to share a preview of a new podcast we think you’d enjoy: No Such Thing No Such Thing is a show where three best friends and journalists settle their dumb arguments — and yours — by actually doing the research. Hosts Manny Fidel, Noah Friedman, and Devan Joseph start each episode with an argument using just their gut feelings. Then they go out into the world, investigate, talk to experts, and conduct some experiments. Finally, the guys bring their findings back to the group to see if they can change minds, enlighten each other, and move past their emotional truths. Find No Such Thing on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. New episodes out Wednesdays Listen here: No Such Thing See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#103
May 7 · 45 min
The Onion Bought InfoWars. Now What? (ft. Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion)
The mainstream media failed to hold Alex Jones accountable for more than 30 years. A satire company is poised to do what journalism wouldn't. Ben Collins knows why. As a former far-right extremism reporter inside mainstream media, he watched newsrooms normalize and platform Alex Jones' conspiracy theories in the name of "both sides" journalism. Now he's chief executive officer of The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron — the company poised to turn Infowars into the joke it's always been. Infowars founder Alex Jones owes more than $1.4 billion to Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting families after years of defamation and harassment. In 2024, a bankruptcy court thwarted The Onion's winning bid to buy Infowars and share proceeds with the Sandy Hook families. Last month, The Onion reached a deal to license the Infowars website and its intellectual property for six months. Then Jones won an appeal to stop the process. But the appeal could be overturned at any moment, allowing The Onion to finally have the last laugh over Infowars. This week, Katelyn and Christine discuss the evolving situation with Collins. Why did it take a satire company to defeat Infowars? His answer is a structural indictment of journalism itself. Cancel Me, Daddy is a progressive media criticism show hosted by journalists Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi. New episodes every other week. Links: - Grab a discounted bundle subcription to Katelyn’s and Christine’s newsletters at their TrustFnd collab! - Elizabeth Williamson for The New York Times: Here’s what Jones has said about Sandy Hook. - Benjamin Mullin and Elizabeth Williamson for The New York Times: The Onion Has a New Plan to Take Over Infowars - Pablo Torre for Pablo Torre Finds Out: How The Onion Finally Shut Up Alex Jones for Good (ft. Ben Collins) - Tovia Smith for NPR: The Onion's bid to take over Infowars moves to the Texas Supreme Court See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#102
April 23 · 1 hr
Sam Altman and the Lie of OpenAI (ft. Kat Tenbarge)
Tech billionaire Sam Altman positions his company’s artificial intelligence, including ChatGPT, as humanity’s savior. But the human race can’t trust the OpenAI CEO, according to a recent New Yorker Sam Altman profile. From his earliest days in the tech industry, Altman has toggled between exaggerations (at best) and lies (at worst) about AI’s world-changing potential. When his optimism turned apocalyptic, he argued that only he could be trusted with the technology. “Maybe this was a premeditated masterstroke. Maybe he was fumbling for an advantage. Either way, it worked,” the New Yorker reported. This week, Spitfire News independent journalist Kat Tenbarge returns to the pod for a deep dive on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Katelyn, Christine, and Kat use The New Yorker Sam Altman profile as a springboard for a discussion on truthfulness and technology. As Altman lobbies against the safety measures he once supported—in name only, it seems—it’s time to question the narrative he’s built about himself and for us all. Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Links for Apple: - Grab a discounted bundle subscription to Katelyn’s and Christine’s newsletters at their TrustFnd collab! - Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz for The New Yorker: Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted? - Oli Coleman for Page Six: Jeremy O. Harris drunkenly called OpenAI’s Sam Altman a Nazi at the Vanity Fair Oscar party - Buy Karen Hao’s Empire of AI at The Flytrap Media Bookshop - Eddy Burback for YouTube: ChatGPT made me delusional See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
April 23 · 2 min
Introducing Silver Linings with The Old Gays
I would like to recommend you check out the Silver Linings podcast. It is hosted by The Old Gays, who became a TikTok sensation and are all about serving wisdom, laughs, and a little lovingly earned side-eye after decades of love, loss, and fabulous survival. Hope you give it a listen and that you enjoy it as much as I do.
April 23 · 2 min
Introducing Silver Linings with The Old Gays
I would like to recommend you check out the Silver Linings podcast. It is hosted by The Old Gays, who became a TikTok sensation and are all about serving wisdom, laughs, and a little lovingly earned side-eye after decades of love, loss, and fabulous survival. Hope you give it a listen and that you enjoy it as much as I do.
#101
April 9 · 1 hr 3 min
We Followed JK Rowling's Harry Potter Money — Here's Where It Actually Goes (ft. Jessie Gender)
“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling’s trans persecution feeds off her vast fortune. Rowling uses her estimated $1.2 billion net worth to directly fund anti-trans causes. As executive producer of the upcoming Harry Potter HBO show, Rowling will make even more money that she can funnel into what she calls “women's and girls' sex-based rights.” Early media criticism of the Harry Potter reboot is just starting to contend with Rowling’s commitment to erasing trans people from public life. This week, Jessie Gender returns to the podcast to discuss HBO’s Harry Potter show with Katelyn and Christine. The three discuss the shortcomings of nostalgia with the HBO reboot and how media criticism must include J.K. Rowling’s trans obsession. It is not possible to separate this artist from her art. Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Links for Apple: - Subscribe to YouTube’s Jessie Gender and Jessie Gender After Dark - Stream Jessie Gender’s Frak This Podcast - A Battlestar Galactica journey - Katelyn Burns for MS NOW: A new trans character doesn’t fix ‘Hogwarts Legacy’ transphobia - Charles Pulliam-Moore for The Verge: There is no ethical consumption of HBO’s Harry Potter series - Ryan Adamczeski for The Advocate: J.K. Rowling uses Harry Potter wealth to fund anti-transgender organization - Samantha Riedel for Them: John Lithgow Says J.K. Rowling’s Trans Views Have Been “Twisted and Misrepresented” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#99
March 26 · 1 hr 1 min
Trump Started a War Without Selling It. That's New. (ft. Jen Bendery)
U.S. presidential administrations typically "hard launch" a war with congressional testimony, press conferences, and high-profile speeches designed to sell it to the American people. The Iran war is different. Nearly a month after the initial joint U.S.-Israel strikes, Trump's foreign policy amounts to leaving the public "on read." His motivations are nebulous, contradictory, and propped up by a media machine running on fumes. Some Republican congressional allies won't even call it a war. No wonder support for the Iran war sits at an all-time low—46 percent—well below the clear majorities that backed past U.S. conflicts, including its closest parallel: the Iraq War. The Bush Iraq War had a full propaganda rollout, complete with weapons of mass destruction lies and the military industrial complex on overdrive. This? This is war propaganda on autopilot. This week, Katelyn and Christine sit down with HuffPost Senior Politics Reporter Jen Bendery for a media criticism deep dive into how each war was sold—because how you package a lie matters. Their conversation traces the parallels between Trump Iran and Bush Iraq, emphasizes responsible media consumption, and pushes back on the media bias fueling disinformation in real time. If you're here for progressive news that holds power accountable, this one's for you. Stream on YouTube—ring the bell! Listen on Apple or Spotify. And don't forget the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Links: Follow Jen Bendery on Bluesky: @jbendery.bsky.social Subscribe to Christine’s newsletter, Vendetta Katelyn’s newsletter collaboration with Kat Tenbarge and Marisa Kabas Cassie's GoFundMe Lily Boyce and Ruth Igielnik for The New York Times: Unlike Past U.S. Conflicts, Iran Attack Is Opposed by Most Americans Eric Garcia for The Independent: When is a war in Iran not a ‘war’? When it’s ‘our’ war Brandi Buchman for HuffPost: Military Commander Tells Troops Bombing Iran Is ‘Part Of God’s Divine Plan’ Meg Kinnard and Farnoush Amiri for The Associated Press: Sen. Graham got a war with Iran. What will it cost the country and his party? Joel Roberts for CBS News: Plans For Iraq Attack Began On 9/11 ThinkProgress: One Month After 9/11, McCain Said Anthrax ‘May Have Come From Iraq,’ Warned Iraq Is ‘The Second Phase’ George W. Bush’s January 2002 State of the Union address calling Iraq, Iran, and Norrth Korea the “axis of evil” Jack Mitchell for All Things Considered: 20 years ago, the U.S. warned of Iraq's alleged 'weapons of mass destruction' See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#98
March 12 · 1 hr 2 min
The Fragile Masculinity of Pete Hegseth (ft. June Sternbach aka junlper)
Pete Hegseth’s résumé maps the trajectory of a man who failed upward from Fox News host to Donald Trump’s Secretary of Defense. As Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court hearings proved, sexual assault allegations are rarely a roadblock to a powerful job in the Trump administration. In fact, Donald Trump has consistently rewarded Hegseth for years of documented bad behavior—from financial mismanagement of veterans organizations to the relentless promotion of toxic masculinity. Hegseth presents himself as the prototypical "man’s man," seemingly more invested in a pull-up challenge with a shirtless Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. than with abiding by the rules of war or the gravity of the Pentagon. This week, Kill the Computer podcaster June Sternbach joins Katelyn and Christine to unpack Pete Hegseth’s pathetic masculinity complex. We dissect how mainstream media sanitized his record, and how rewarding his fragile masculinity both reflects and reinforces the darkest corners of U.S. political culture. 🔔 Stream full episodes on our YouTube channel—remember to subscribe and ring the bell so you never miss a media deep dive! 🎧 Listen via Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 👕 Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! https://cancelmedaddy.store/ 🔗 Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cancelmedaddy Episode Links: Follow June Sternbach on Bluesky, @junlper.beer Nick Schwartz for USA Today: Fox News host hits man with an axe on live TV Gabriel Sherman for Vanity Fair: Trump’s Defense Secretary Pick Pete Hegseth Said to Face Previous Sexual Misconduct Allegation Sharon LaFraniere and Julie Tate for The New York Times: Pete Hegseth’s Mother Accused Her Son of Mistreating Women for Years Jane Mayer for The New Yorker: Pete Hegseth’s Secret History Chloe Melas, Courtney Kube and Sarah Fitzpatrick for NBC News: Pete Hegseth's drinking worried colleagues at Fox News, sources tell NBC News Julie Tsirkin, Sarah Fitzpatrick and Courtney Kube for NBC News: Senators receive affidavit containing new allegations against Pete Hegseth, who denies the claims Jeffrey Goldberg for The Atlantic: The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans Calum Marsh for The New York Times: 100 Push-Ups and 50 Pull-Ups in Under 10 Minutes. What Could Go Wrong? Watch Pattie Gonia’s pull-up challenge Alex Horton and Ellen Nakashima for The Washington Post: Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill Them All Graham Smith for Morning Edition: Pentagon shifts toward maintaining ties to Scouting Michael Liedtke and David Klepper for the Associated Press: What to know about the clash between the Pentagon and Anthropic over military’s AI use See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#97
February 26 · 1 hr 3 min
Epstein, Me Too, and the Justice We Never Got (ft. Lyz Lenz)
How deep does the media’s complicity go? In this episode of Cancel Me, Daddy, Katelyn Burns and Christine Grimaldi unpack the disturbing connection between the "Shitty Media Men" list, the MeToo movement, and the recently released Epstein files. While the world focuses on the spectacle, we dig into the systems that allowed abuse to thrive. We explore how names on the infamous 2017 "Shitty Media Men" spreadsheet—originally created to warn women about harassment and assault—surfaced years later in the Department of Justice's redacted Epstein list. In this episode we cover: -Why the Epstein survivors still haven't found justice -Lyz's own harrowing story of sexual harassment from a man who ended up in the Epstein files -What happens to women who become known for being victims of the men who they speak up against Featuring Guest: Lyz Lenz, author and host of the “Dingus of the Week” newsletter, joins us to discuss the bleak reality of seeking justice and why we need to stop asking "why didn't they speak up?" and start asking "why didn't we listen?" Support Cancel Me, Daddy: 🎧 Listen on Apple & Spotify 👕 Check out the Merch Me, Daddy store Subscribe to our Patreon About Cancel Me, Daddy: What isn’t the media telling you about politics, power, and marginalized people? Cancel Me, Daddy is a progressive media criticism show digging into how newsrooms, pundits, and platforms shape what we think is normal. We unpack the stories mainstream outlets ignore or sanitize, then talk about what that means for real people. #EpsteinFiles #MeToo #MediaCriticism #LyzLenz #CancelMeDaddy #ShittyMediaMen See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#96
February 12 · 35 min
Cancel Culture: The Lie That’s Making Media Grifters Rich (ft. Former Co-Host Oliver)
It is Cancel Me, Daddy’s fifth anniversary! This week, former co-host Oliver joins Katelyn and Christine to discuss all the panic around cancel culture. Oliver and Katelyn pinpoint how they defined cancellation when the podcast started in 2021 and what has and hasn’t changed about it over the past five years. Some of the very same “cancellation grifters”—Bari Weiss, Dave Chappelle, and J.K. Rowling—from the show’s earlier days are still profiting from their so-called cancellation[s]. They’ve evolved into what Katelyn and Christine call “media villains,” which exist within the show’s increasingly focused media and politics lens. Oliver, Katelyn, and Christine scrutinize the cancellation-to-grift pipeline with the show’s trademark wit. Come celebrate five years of thoughtful analysis and verbal shitposting! Thank you, listeners, for five years of support! Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Links: Listen to our Dave Chapelle episodes: Cancel Me, Daddy Classics: Shame on Chappelle and Netflix Part 2 Catch up on Bari Weiss (again) and the rest of the Harper’s Letter crew: They Screamed “Cancel Culture” — Then Went Silent While Trump Gutted Free Speech (ft. Parker Molloy) Tune into J.K. Rowling’s cancellation: Canncel-o Wizard Game-o (ft. Ana Valens) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#95
January 27 · 59 min
How ICE Turns Protest Into a Battlefield (ft. Jamelle Bouie)
You can’t log onto social media or otherwise tune into the news without witnessing extremely disturbing images of masked federal agents assaulting and arresting people in Minneapolis. We’re talking bystanders, legal observers, passerbys, immigrants, citizens—everyone in ICE’s wake. This week, Katelyn and Christine welcome New York Times opinion columnist Jamelle Bouie to the pod. Jamelle’s work centers on history and racial politics. From the George Floyd uprisings to today’s violent campaign against undocumented immigrants and anyone who happens to get caught up in an assault or arrest, he brings moral clarity into focus. Katelyn, Christine, and Jamelle discuss how 19th century slave patrols became modern-day policing and the military-industrial complex led to the militarization of modern-day police—with the intent of suppressing free speech. It’s time to cancel—and abolish—ICE. Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Links: Follow Jamelle Bouie on Bluesky: @jamellebouie.net + TikTok: @jamellebouie + Instagram: @jbouie Subscribe to Jamelle’s YouTube channel, Takes™ Listen to Jamelle’s podcast, Unclear and Present Danger Katelyn Burns for Xtra: Renee Nicole Good’s queerness isn’t an aside—it’s a key part of her story Laura Jedeed for Slate: The Trump Administration Is Calling My Viral Story a Lie. Good Thing I Kept the Receipts. Nick Miroff for The Atlantic: ICE’s ‘Athletically Allergic’ Recruits Jeremy Barr for The Guardian: CBS News report on ICE officer’s injuries drew ‘huge internal concern’ Rishika Dugyala for Politico: NYT opinion editor resigns after outrage over Tom Cotton op-ed Jamelle Bouie for Takes™: Donald Trump Wants to Cancel the Midterm Elections See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#94
January 15 · 53 min
They Screamed “Cancel Culture” — Then Went Silent While Trump Gutted Free Speech (ft. Parker Molloy)
Was the Harper’s “free speech” letter really about defending open debate—or about protecting powerful media elites from criticism and consequences? In this episode, we expose how the Harper’s letter, its transphobic signers, and the larger “cancel culture” panic helped shield figures like J.K. Rowling and Bari Weiss while the real threats to free speech exploded under Trump. More than 150 journalists, authors, and academics signed the infamous “Harper’s letter” in 2020. Published in Harper’s Magazine amid the George Floyd racial justice protests, the letter argued that the more serious threat to the nation was “an intolerance of opposing views, a vogue for public shaming and ostracism, and the tendency to dissolve complex policy issues in a blinding moral certainty”—aka “cancel culture.” At the time, trans people were some of the letter’s biggest critics, highlighting its bigoted dog whistles. The letter’s signatories include a who’s who of transphobia, from Bari Weiss to J.K. Rowling. This week, writer Parker Molloy joins Katelyn and Christine to discuss how this so-called free speech crisis transformed how elite media covers—and protects—itself, from 2020 to today. Tell us your out of context cancellation in the comments and we'll read the best ones on our next episode Stream on our YouTube channel—remember to ring the bell! Listen via Apple or Spotify. Be sure to check out the merch store—Merch Me, Daddy! Leave us a voicemail with your out of context cancellation at https://www.memo.fm/cancelmedaddy Links: Follow Parker Molloy on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/parkermolloy.com Subscribe to Parker Molloy’s newsletter, The Present Age: https://www.readtpa.com/ David Klion for The Nation: They All Signed the Harper’s Letter. Where Are They Now?, https://www.thenation.com/article/society/harpers-letter-free-speech-trump/ The Objective: A More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate, https://objectivejournalism.org/2020/07/a-more-specific-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/ Emily St. James Zach Beauchamp for Vox: The “free speech debate” isn’t really about free speech, https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/7/22/21325942/free-speech-harpers-letter-bari-weiss-andrew-sullivan See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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