00:00:00
This is the mandatory federal regulation. They'll have dick. They won't have anything.
00:00:10
>> Hi everyone. This is Pivot from New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast
00:00:13
Network. I'm Carara Swisser. >> And I'm Scott Galloway. >> How you doing Scott?
00:00:18
>> I'm doing great. Thanks. >> Weird weekend of shootings and killings
00:00:21
and >> pretty horrible stuff. We usually banter here, but I think we we um should just
00:00:27
get right to it, don't you think? >> Yeah, I think so. Yes, we want to
00:00:30
briefly acknowledge the horrific events of gun violence over the weekend. On Saturday, two people were killed and
00:00:36
nine were injured at a shooting at Brown University. And on Sunday, at least 15 people were killed in a shooting at a
00:00:41
Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach in Australia. Um, authorities are still looking for the
00:00:48
Brown shooter. They had a person of interest who they let go, which was probably disturbed people around that
00:00:54
university campus. The Bondi Beach shooters have been identified as a father and a son. What a terrible parent
00:01:00
and bystander and a bystander whose refugee parents had just arrived from Syria wrestled a gun from one of the
00:01:06
alleged attackers during the Bondi Beach shooting. As if that violence weren't
00:01:11
enough, director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle were found dead in their LA home on Sunday. uh supposedly
00:01:18
by apparently according to uh lots of reports this her their son their youngest son is being held uh in the um
00:01:26
in this what it looks like a murder. Donald Trump of course had to weigh in on this tragedy posting on True Social a
00:01:32
little while ago. Rob Reiner, a tortured and struggling but once very talented movie director and comedy star has
00:01:37
passed away together with his wife Michelle. Reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive
00:01:42
unyielding incurable affictions with a mind crippling disease known as Trump derangement suh
00:01:48
syndrome. Uh I can't believe he wrote this but once again of course I can. Um,
00:01:53
so he said the raging obsession uh has have driven people crazy and obvious paranoia reing rise reaching new heights
00:02:02
as the Trump administration surpassed all goals and expectations with greatness and then he said they should
00:02:06
rest in peace. He's a terrible terrible son of a [ __ ] Anyway, >> I just can't wait for the right to be as
00:02:13
inflamed by the notion that anyone was dancing on Charlie Kirk's grave. >> Yeah.
00:02:17
>> Uh but this this will like you know this will just be Donald being Donald, right?
00:02:21
>> Exactly. I mean, just what a heinous piece of [ __ ] Um, let's start with the
00:02:25
shootings. Um, just for personally, Amanda went to Brown um and uh knows the area very well. It's very open campus,
00:02:33
she was telling me and uh you know, it's sort of such a you know, very peaceful.
00:02:37
I've been there a number of times with her uh in the area where it was taking
00:02:40
place. Um, nobody knows why this particular well because people have guns, but why the reasons reasoning
00:02:48
behind the one in Bondi Beach was uh horrific. Um, except for that one bystander who who was just there. The
00:02:55
video of it was astonishing that they this guy had a lawn gun and this guy he was a big guy who went after another big
00:03:02
guy >> and the father ended up dying. The son I believe is still living. Um, again,
00:03:06
these people were peaceibly getting together on a holiday and um, which was the first night of Hanukkah, which we
00:03:13
celebrated last night. Um, I don't know what to say, Scott. Just the whole thing is just violence.
00:03:22
Yeah, it's um the the things that strike me about Brown is that just as we overprotect our
00:03:30
kids offline and underprotect them online, I think campuses unfortunately have become they're supposed to be the
00:03:36
safe some of the safest places in the world physically and some of the most dangerous places intellectually. And
00:03:41
unfortunately, we flipped the script. we've decided that words are violence and I think created sort of these very
00:03:48
fragile a very fragile youth not all but but too many and at the same time guns on campus and we don't know uh they
00:03:58
don't know who the shooter is but generally speaking what will happen is they will attempt to politicize it the
00:04:04
left and the right uh unfortunately and chances are and we don't know who it is
00:04:09
chances are there's three dimensions to this type of violence. It's usually a
00:04:15
young man who's not connecting to work, family, or relationships or uh someone
00:04:20
who went online and got radicalized and then had access to guns. And then to use
00:04:25
that as a bridge to Australia, this is the first mass shooting they've had in 27 years. They have one every
00:04:31
They have one every 27 years. We have one every 27 hours. And that's not a lie. We have one point
00:04:38
>> we have 1.2 mass shootings a day. M. >> So, and then, you know, I can't help but
00:04:43
look, uh, I'm obviously think a lot about Israel and the the Jewish population. There are 2.7
00:04:54
billion Christians, 2.1 billion Muslims, 1.4 billion Indians, 1.3 billion Chinese, 355 million Americans. But the
00:05:04
hate towards 15 million Jews, it was 15 million in 1939. By 1945, Hitler had taken it down to 9 million. It's taken
00:05:12
80 years to get back to 15 million. But because of the hatred um focused on these 15 million2%
00:05:21
of the world's population, Paris is cancelling the New Year's events. >> I mean, this is really um this is
00:05:28
impacting everyone. And the only silver lining here is who you brought up, Ahmad
00:05:34
Ahmed Alamad, I think his name is. I apologize if I'm getting wrong. >> Fruit, he was a fruit vender.
00:05:39
>> Yeah, he owns a fruit store, uh, two sons, and I just think it was so wonderful on so many dimensions that it
00:05:46
was a Muslim because what I find, you know, a lot of debates recently, men, people always want to go to this
00:05:53
reductive, well, it's men against women or it's it's Muslims against Jews. No,
00:05:56
it's illiberal primitive thought versus liberal enlightened thought. And those
00:06:02
that's who the battle is between. But I find and I and also to personalize this
00:06:09
because I never missed an opportunity to talk about myself. I was very upset about what had happened in Australia and
00:06:16
I thought about putting a Star David in my window and I went out to try and find
00:06:20
um some sort of neon light or or an Israeli flag and someone I live with said, "Are you [ __ ] crazy?
00:06:27
>> Are you [ __ ] crazy?" >> Really? >> That was their view. We live in London.
00:06:31
We live on a busy street and this person is like, "We have kids in our house.
00:06:35
>> If you're going to put a symbol of Judaism or Israel in our window and what
00:06:40
I would ask everybody is and today, and this is going to be somewhat of an inflammatory statement, people are down
00:06:48
with Judaism and Jewishness today because people like to feel sorry for Jews. But it'll soon return to what I
00:06:55
would call a series of micro enabling enablements around what is going on here." here and what I would ask is is
00:07:01
there any other group in the world that that consists of 15 million or2% of the population that cannot celebrate their
00:07:09
holidays in peace and without fear right now. That is what it means to be Jewish
00:07:14
right now. I'm sorry. Go ahead, Cara. >> Um well, I think the I think you're
00:07:19
talking about illiberalism. I think a lot of people have been um we don't know
00:07:23
what it's what's happening in Brown, by the way. We still don't understand
00:07:27
what's going on there. >> Yeah. They don't have a suspect. they don't have a suspect. Um, but most, as
00:07:31
you said, most of these killings are about illiberalism and about not letting people be who they are, right? Whoever
00:07:37
they happen to be. Um, and I think it's really um, it's sort of like the the the
00:07:42
gun I mean, Australian gun violence. My nephew lives in near Bondi Beach, actually, right near it. Um, and you
00:07:49
know, if you've ever been there, and I have been there, and I think you have,
00:07:52
too, it's a it's a beautiful place. like it's it has such a nice feel to it and
00:07:57
it's I would say the more liberal part of Sydney, right? I would, you know, just kind of everyone is just letting
00:08:03
people be who they are essentially. And for these two, for some reason, you know, being a father and son is even
00:08:10
worse in a lot of ways because this father obviously rad radicalized his child. Um, and it's just like it's
00:08:17
sickening to me that they that anyone cannot gather, right? That and I agree with you. I mean the the rise in
00:08:24
anti-semitism is just so disturbing and so indicative of the rise of this kind of easy hatred kind of thing. And I
00:08:32
think again I we don't want to link these things all of them together but what the president wrote about Rob
00:08:38
Reiner who was slashed to death allegedly by his son who clearly had if you follow it even slightly I saw that
00:08:46
movie many years ago called Being Charlie which the son wrote and the father directed obviously to help his
00:08:51
son get along. It was about his addiction and and really isolation, right? Um it's just like this this is
00:09:00
the answer, the violent the violent answer. And so, you know, you can't there sometimes there's nothing you can
00:09:07
do about there's there's something you can do about drug addiction, but drug
00:09:10
addiction and it seems like schizophrenia of some sort. Um but to take like the the the ease at which
00:09:18
people accept all these things especially around uh anti-semitic uh behavior is really it's it's I think it
00:09:28
we're at this inflection point but we either go one way or the other. Um the other I don't know we have we we do
00:09:35
have a manora in our window. My wife is Jewish. My kids my young kids are Jewish. Um, and we also have a snowman
00:09:43
and we have a Christmas tree and I didn't even think about that, Scott. Like I we just put it in the window. Um,
00:09:49
and you know, I wouldn't think of taking it down, but you made me think, of course. Um, but it's so disheartening.
00:09:57
It's it's especially as we move into the holiday season and again, last night was
00:10:01
the first night of Hanukkah. Um, there um, you know, and my kids are so excited about Hanukkah and everything around it.
00:10:09
It's just it's like it's stomach turnurning. Actually, >> I do think there's a difference between
00:10:16
the Brown and Australian tragedies and what happened to the Riners. I think my understanding of the Riners is that it
00:10:21
was a a a young man who's really struggling and it's tragic, but I I you
00:10:27
know, and it represents drug a warranted discussion about drug addiction. Um, but
00:10:33
what I find so disturbing, disheartening is that all bigotry is hate. But there are different
00:10:41
types of hate. And most bigotry comes in the form of I don't like these people. I
00:10:46
don't like the way they live their lives. I don't like their food. I don't
00:10:50
like their norms and their customs. And I'm going to discriminate against them.
00:10:53
I'm going to sequester them from jobs. I don't want them in my neighborhood. I
00:10:58
don't want them to have the same rights as me. The discrimination or the bigotry
00:11:04
against Jews I find especially dangerous because it's not I don't like your food
00:11:09
or I don't like the way you know I don't like your customs. It's that I think you
00:11:14
have come together to form a conspiracy that is purposely trying to oppress me and that I need to take offensive
00:11:22
action. Not sequester you from opportunities >> but legitimize and create cloud cover
00:11:28
for offensive violence against you. no matter where you are. And also folks on campus, congratulations when you're
00:11:35
chanting globalize the inifatada. That's what's happened here. The inifat has
00:11:40
been globalized. >> I don't think you can blame those students for these people.
00:11:44
>> I think there I think it's all connected. I think that when people legitimize this type of hate speech and
00:11:50
it becomes normalized, I think it creates cloud cover for this type of behavior. Perhaps I I feel like
00:11:56
anti-semitism has been around for centuries for >> well okay and so is enablement of it
00:12:01
>> right well yeah people shouldn't be but you know this is the problem with all
00:12:04
these things is talking the way like where does it what do you do about all this hate speech around everywhere
00:12:11
around everything like it's so it's so steeped into our world now and so
00:12:16
available and again you know it's no it's really interesting you know Australia just you know quashed social
00:12:23
media for kids under 16. To me, that's what globalizes this. I think these sentiments have been around since the
00:12:30
beginning of time for some reason. And it creates this this worldwide ability to just just hate across. Anyway,
00:12:39
there's no these are all tragedies. I don't mean they're linked together in
00:12:43
any way, but in in many ways they it's sort of this acceptance of violence against people and especially in this
00:12:50
country and for Australia to have as you said a shooting >> is really rare, right? And so then you
00:12:57
worry about that country in that the thing is guess what like New Zealand like other where they had a terrible
00:13:03
shooting uh which was I think against a mosque in that case >> um they're going to do something about
00:13:10
it and shut it down. They're going to shut down guns. They will actually take
00:13:13
action as a country >> while we do not which is really I that's my guess. Correct. Don't you think
00:13:19
probably there'll be some >> they will I mean they they did >> they had
00:13:25
>> so for example it might not have been 15 people it might have been 150 had they
00:13:29
not banned assault rifles >> right >> if those if that father-son team
00:13:34
>> uh had had AR-15s and not single bolt action and shotguns it might have been
00:13:39
150 people >> right exactly >> and the fact that it happens every this
00:13:44
will rattle Australia to its core >> and they'll do something about it.
00:13:50
>> Uh we're going to talk about Brown until tomorrow. Then there'll be another one. Brown will
00:13:56
get more attention cuz it's those, you know, cuz it's a it's an Ivy.
00:14:02
So it it it's more kind of sensational or it'll get more media attention cuz
00:14:06
quite frankly, a lot of media went to Brown. But there will be a mass shooting tomorrow in America. So, it's it's it's
00:14:14
it's like that onion headline, America claims that the problem can't be solved
00:14:19
in the only nation this problem exists. And this notion that we live in a democracy, we don't. We live we live in
00:14:27
a country with a passive majority that is weaponized by a wellunded and organized special interest groups. And
00:14:33
probably number four or five now, but still very popular, is the NRA. And 90% of Americans now believe in some sort of
00:14:41
safe and sane gun regulation. >> We do. It's it's >> and we can't get it through.
00:14:46
>> Well, there's got there. This is It's repulsive. It's repulsive.
00:14:51
But our our condolences go out to the people in Bondi Beach and at Brown and obviously the Reiner family.
00:14:58
>> I'm going to be in Bondi Bondi in two weeks. >> Bondi in two weeks. Oh, you are. It's
00:15:03
beautiful place. >> It's a beautiful place. this tragedy at a beautiful place. Anyway, um we should
00:15:10
move on um onto the news. Um but first, Sam Alman, this is such a weird TR. Sorry, let me switch to code red open
00:15:18
AI. >> It's a weird altitude change. >> Yeah. Yeah. Which he implemented to
00:15:21
improve chat GPT against competition after the launch of its GPT 52 model. He's going to he's going to exit code
00:15:27
red. I don't believe code red by the way. Speaking of which, Rob Reiner, let
00:15:31
me just say maybe just one more thing about Rob Reiner. What an incredible artist this guy left behind. Besides
00:15:38
being on All in the Family, he did a few good men. He did Stand by Me. He did The
00:15:43
Princess Bride. He did When Harry Met Sally, it goes on and on and on in ter and then personally his impact. The
00:15:50
reason we have gay marriage, it started in California. Rob Reiner was one of the
00:15:54
major people around it. Same thing with preschool for kids. Just um I don't care
00:15:59
how much the Trump people hate this guy or hated this guy. Um he what an incredibly effective progressive he was.
00:16:06
Um and also a beautiful filmmaker. Some of my favorite films. And Code Red. Code
00:16:11
Red is an important part of A Few Good Men. >> Did you call the Cold Red? >> You and I were on a call with Rob Reiner
00:16:18
just a couple week a couple weeks ago and it was very civic-minded. >> Yeah. Yeah. He was uh he we were trying
00:16:24
to figure out something to do boycotts around immigration. and he was focused in on um immigrants being abused by the
00:16:31
Trump administration. He was, you know, he just a classic he the guy he played on All in the Family uh Mike Stitz. He
00:16:38
was that guy, right? He was it was sort of that was him um in many ways. Um anyway, speaking of Code Red, which that
00:16:46
is one of my favorite movies of all time. I love the every bit about it, but the direction is so critical for it
00:16:52
being so good. Um, it's with Tom Cruz, Demi Dei Moore, and um, Jack Nicholson,
00:16:57
obviously. >> Oh, he did The Sure Thing. That was him. >> He Yeah, he he's an astonishing artist
00:17:01
and also anctor. >> Oh my god, he did. Misery. That's an amazing film.
00:17:06
>> Wow. What a career. >> He had a He had a run from in the 80s to the 90s that was like one frigin hit
00:17:12
after the next. It's crazy. And important movies that last the test of that, you know, that last the test of
00:17:18
time. Like that's what it is. It's like I go back to all those movies and they
00:17:22
were so expertly directed. >> The American President. Remember that one? >> Yeah. Michael Douglas as president.
00:17:28
>> Yeah. Then it became The West Wing. >> This is Spinal Tap. >> Oh, Spinal Tap. Oh, how could I leave
00:17:32
that out? Plus, he just released the two the second one recently. Um, and uh just
00:17:38
an astonishing talent. And my favorite was he was in he had a lot of roles over the years in various things. Um, mostly
00:17:45
comedies, but he was in The Wolf of Wall Street as the accountant. >> Yeah. And my favorite line,
00:17:50
>> he played, didn't he play his father? >> I'm not sure. He was he was doing the
00:17:53
accounting. He goes, I'm not sure it was his father, but he goes, >> "Prostitutes take credit cards." And
00:17:58
then the line was, "Yeah, the expensive ones." It was the way he said prostitutes. Like he's he screaming and
00:18:02
then he goes, "Prostitutes take credit cards." And it was just just fantastic,
00:18:06
man. Anyway, um okay, we'll move on to code red at Open AI. That's the reference he's using there. Um he he he
00:18:14
implemented it because of all the competition especially from Gem Google's Gemini. Alman said the release of the
00:18:19
Gemini 3 models had less of an impact on the company than originally feared. Uh we'll see. In other Open AI news, the
00:18:25
company will end a compensation policy that required employees to work at the company for at least 6 months before
00:18:30
their equity vests. Um so what's happening here? I don't know. >> I think they're panicking. I think they
00:18:37
heard Cara Swisser kept keep comparing them to Netscape. >> Oh yeah, I should say. And I think I
00:18:43
think that analogy is becoming more and more apt by the day. And it's an incredible company. The question is, can
00:18:50
they maintain momentum from 500 billion? And the thing that struck me, Cara, was
00:18:55
I saw that SpaceX leaked a rumor that they're thinking about going public. >> Yeah. And then pretended they didn't.
00:19:01
Yeah. >> And that they're they threw a number out there. Who knows how real it is at a
00:19:06
trillion half dollar pricing right now. They say they're raising money or selling shares at about 800 billion.
00:19:11
Open a AI is at at um 500 billion. Now, they're both right now about the same
00:19:17
revenue level except SpaceX is growing much much slower. SpaceX went from 13 billion last year, they're projected to
00:19:24
do 15 this year. It's not growing that fast. >> Yeah. Well, there's only so much space,
00:19:28
right? >> But that's right. But the differences in terms of modes and defensibility and
00:19:35
sustainability and that is the amazing thing about a digital business is it can scale incredibly fast.
00:19:43
The downside is that it can be disrupted almost as fast. And that is the reason why SpaceX at a lower growth rate in a
00:19:51
similar revenue is trading at two to three or 60 to 200% more than a company that's growing much faster OpenAI is
00:20:02
because it is very unlikely in two years someone else is going to have 90% of Space Launch uh market
00:20:11
share. the ability and that's why Amazon I think's value is so enduring. We're
00:20:15
also focused on digital. But the reality is if you can put in place warehouses, 747s,
00:20:22
>> you know, trucking to nuts, >> space launch vehicles, >> atoms are more defensible than bits.
00:20:28
>> Ah, interesting observation. I like that. >> Well, it's harder to do. It's harder to
00:20:32
scale up, but it would make sense. It's more defensible. >> Yeah. Well, go ahead. Sorry.
00:20:37
>> It just struck me that SpaceX is trading it more. It's growing much slower. our
00:20:41
same revenue and is much more valuable than open AI because people realize if you were to say okay one of these two
00:20:48
firms is going to decline by 80% share in the next 24 months open AI or SpaceX who would you think that happened
00:20:55
>> open AI yeah everybody >> that said I have to say I still use chat
00:20:59
TV more right and I Gemini just is imposed upon me by Google because I use Google right I don't go
00:21:06
>> did you love explore did you love Microsoft explorer was a better browser
00:21:10
I >> I agree But I I it's well right now I'm using it because of this because
00:21:14
Riverside, but I usually use Safari. But um Google, one of the things that's
00:21:18
related, speaking of of defensible businesses, Google has removed videos with Disney characters after being hit
00:21:23
with a cease and desist letter from the company saying it AI infringes on its copyrighted content on a massive scale.
00:21:29
The complaint focuses on unauthorized AI generated videos and images of Disney characters, particularly on YouTube. The
00:21:35
move comes shortly after Disney struck a deal with Open AI. It picked its winner,
00:21:39
right? As we discussed last week, um I I went and called a lot of people after this because I was sort of a lot of
00:21:45
people had sort of mixed feelings on Disney doing this like they're giving in
00:21:48
essentially. Seems to me I think they got learned a lot from social media and everything else that to stay out of it
00:21:55
was a mistake early on. Um and so they wanted to pick one and then fight the others. And so I don't necessarily
00:22:02
everyone's like, "Oh, you're giving away your seed corn. You're you shouldn't do
00:22:06
this." like I don't quite know what Disney would do otherwise, right? I
00:22:10
think making an investment, which they did in Open AI, gives them a stake in the game, right? They're not going to
00:22:16
get to make a similar investment in Google. Um, it gives them an ability to have to have some insight into how this
00:22:24
is going and how it works the way eventually all the companies did on YouTube. If you remember, Philipe
00:22:30
Dowman, that really terrible executive, uh, sued um, YouTube and it just didn't
00:22:35
work out. it was, you know, it just didn't work out the way they did it. But
00:22:38
rather, they'd rather find an a legal way to have this work out because eventually they're going to have to
00:22:43
strike deals with all of them. Um, and I think being both aggressive and non-aggressive is probably the right way
00:22:49
to go. But, um, I don't feel like Disney had another choice. And then it could
00:22:53
could say to open AI whether was able to do this. you know, if someone's doing
00:22:58
something hinky with uh you know, Princess Jasmine and this the snowman from Frozen, you better get it done. You
00:23:06
better get it off kind of thing. So, I I just feel like they kind of had to do it
00:23:10
and it's the best way to learn on this stuff and using OpenAI probably they're
00:23:14
more cooperative than a Google might be. Um but, uh you know, and it's going to
00:23:19
hinder who all these every single company is going to have a deal like this presumably. I don't know about or
00:23:25
all of them. will have them with all of them like they did with YouTube in in the end.
00:23:30
>> I think you're exactly right. I think I think this is a good move for both of
00:23:32
them. And >> um the key here is that >> there was criticism. There was a lot of
00:23:38
criticism >> but right now Disney doesn't have the capital both human both human or
00:23:43
financial capital to build their own LLM, >> right? >> And they want to experiment and it's all
00:23:48
the proof is in the pudding and that is I'd love to see the terms of this deal.
00:23:50
If I were Disney, I'd want to make sure we're going to experiment, but you do
00:23:54
not have in any way long-term rights, AI rights around these characters. It's a
00:23:58
12-month thing. We'll see how it's working for both of us. But I go back to
00:24:01
the same thing, and that is you want the deepest pocketed companies in the world
00:24:06
that creating the most shareholder value are these AI centered companies. You want as many as possible because you
00:24:12
want Disney to have the ability in 12 months to go to Gemini or to go to Llama or even to go to one of the Chinese
00:24:20
players and say, "All right, you've seen what Open AI can do with our characters.
00:24:24
Our two or threeear relationship will be up in 6 months. Who's got the biggest
00:24:28
check for us?" And otherwise if if there's only kind of one if there's only
00:24:33
going to be one bidder in AI and the arms race sort of conotes that they all sort of believe there might be one
00:24:37
player you want as many biders as possible otherwise you're going to further leak human capital from the
00:24:43
creative community the Los Angeles community and from Disney shareholders and from consumers to the one player in
00:24:50
open AI. So >> I'm for I'm for I hope that that a lot of the content creators get together and
00:24:57
quite frankly partner >> Yeah. like you say >> with the number two and just play them
00:25:01
off against each other and always make sure that there's a really a really healthy health healthy ecosystem.
00:25:06
>> They didn't do it at the YouTube. Do you remember when they remember when SNL
00:25:09
when on YouTube, you know, those movie shorts? It got onto YouTube and YouTube did everything possible to take it down.
00:25:15
And I remember um YouTube didn't, the company did, I think SNL did, NBC. I remember being with NBC executive. I'm
00:25:22
like, "Let it stay there. What are you talking about? Everyone's talking about
00:25:25
it now, right?" And they just were like, "We have to take it down. They're
00:25:28
stealing our things." I'm like, well, make a deal with them. It was I think
00:25:31
the way they handled at the beginning was something somewhat evil I did when I was running my all things deconferences.
00:25:38
We had Philippe Dowman when he was suing YouTube and also Eric Schmidt on um and
00:25:42
I put them back to back with each other on stage and um Eric Schmidt, Philipe Dowman wanted to talk to Eric Schmidt
00:25:48
and he Eric ran into the bathroom. He didn't want to talk to him. Eventually
00:25:52
they settled. Um, but it just seemed to me the wrong approach at the time. Even though, let me say, I think Google was
00:25:59
fast and loose with that content in order to build his business. I think they stole
00:26:03
>> wasn't compensating anybody back then. They weren't compensating people.
00:26:07
>> I think they were stealing, but then they by by the time it was too late and
00:26:10
they should have done deals with him, but anyway, we'll move on. Um, okay, Scott, when we come back uh after break,
00:26:17
uh, Oracle has its own code red moment. Support for this show comes from Mint Mobile. You don't have to let big
00:26:24
wireless and your overpriced phone bill both suck the joy out of the holidays this year because right now all of Mint
00:26:29
Mobile's unlimited plans are 50% off. That's right. You can get 3, 6, or 12
00:26:34
months of unlimited premium wireless for 15 bucks a month. It's their best deal
00:26:38
of the year, and it makes it really easy for you to give that expensive wireless
00:26:42
bill you're currently paying the Scrooge treatment. All Mint plans come with
00:26:47
high-speed data, unlimited talk and text on the nation's largest 5G network. You
00:26:51
can also bring your current phone number over to Mint with no contracts required.
00:26:55
Turn your expensive wireless present into a huge wireless savings future by switching to Mint. Shop Mint unlimited
00:27:02
plans at mintmobile.com/pivot. That's mintmobile.com/pivot. Limited time offer upfront payment of
00:27:10
$45 for three months, $90 for six months, or $180 for 12 months. Plan required, $15 a month equivalent. Taxes
00:27:19
and fees extra. Initial plan term only. Greater than 35 gigabytes may slow when the network is busy. Capable device
00:27:26
required. Availability, speed, and coverage varies. See mintmobile.com. >> Okay, Scott, I'm back. Since we're
00:27:35
talking about red, happy Christmas, Scott, is that what they say? Happy holiday. Oh, can we say Christmas again?
00:27:41
>> Of course. >> Anyway, happy Hanukkah. Happy everything. This is my hat. I have so
00:27:45
many hats. Look at this. It's kind It's kind of weird. I'll do this.
00:27:48
>> What do you think? How do I look? >> Uh, I think you look great. I think uh I
00:27:52
think it's really cute. >> Yeah, I like it, too. Um I like a I like a Christmas hat. I have a Grinch hat,
00:27:57
too, by the way. I'll sending it to you. >> Have you seen these videos?
00:28:01
>> What? Fix my hat. >> I don't know. It makes me so happy and it's so wrong. Have you seen these
00:28:05
videos of of grown men dressing up as Grinch and terrorizing little children? >> No, no, no. There was one there was one
00:28:13
at the Christmas fair the other day at where we used to live and kids love the Grinch.
00:28:19
>> Oh, no. This is trying to terrorize kids. >> This is videos of three-year-olds being
00:28:23
traumatized for life >> by a Grinch character breaking into the house and stealing gifts and children.
00:28:29
And it is so wonderful and it's so wrong. >> I actually I was at a bar and a prosty
00:28:36
walked in and order a glass of wine. >> Yeah. >> And the bartender said, "What did you
00:28:41
ask Santa for?" Santa for? And she said, " $30 just like everyone else.
00:28:47
>> That's not even funny. >> Never mind. Sorry. >> You got You got to up your Christmas
00:28:53
[ __ ] jokes." Um anyway, as I said, Oracle's having his own. >> He's such an [ __ ] Santa knows where
00:28:58
the naughty girls are and he doesn't tell anyone else. >> That's true. Look at Code Red W. Code
00:29:02
Red. The company's stock fell 14% last week. Ouch. Down 45% from a September
00:29:07
high, which was far too high anyway after the latest earnings showed soaring capex and rising debt tied to its
00:29:13
massive AI buildout. Make it all kinds of bets. Um there was also a report claiming several Oracle data centers
00:29:19
tied to its 300 billion dollar open contract uh have been delayed. Uh, really? Oracle denies the delays. Said
00:29:26
it remains confident ability to meet its obligations in future expansion plans. Um, Oracle went a little far on this, I
00:29:33
thought. Didn't you? I don't know. It's also related. There's a paramount factor
00:29:37
in this. The hostile bid for Warner Brothers discovery is backed in part by billions from Oracle co-founder Larry
00:29:42
Ellis. But he isn't he isn't guaranteeing it the way Elon had a guarantee his purchase of of Twitter. Uh
00:29:47
Warner Brothers board is concerned that he didn't do this and plans uh and plans
00:29:52
to contribute equity through a trust. It's kind of in a gei way. If he's that
00:29:55
rich, he should just put up the money. Paramount is calling concerns about its financing absurd. I mean, obviously he's
00:30:01
rich. That's true. But he's if he's that rich, he should personally guarantee it.
00:30:05
If you're Warner Brothers, are you right to be concerned about Big Daddy not
00:30:07
giving his personal guarantee? I don't know, Scott. Both of these things. I mean, obviously the stock is down rather
00:30:13
significantly, so he's not quite as rich, but he's still massively wealthy.
00:30:18
>> Yeah. I think I think if it just comes down to money, uh, and it probably will,
00:30:24
I think that Ellison probably I mean there's a bunch there's a bunch of play
00:30:28
here. One, um, so first off, the lesson here, and I would tell this to anybody listening,
00:30:35
>> and I was told this at a very young age, and I've lived up to this, and you never
00:30:38
sign a personal guarantee. just never you don't know what'll happen and it's a
00:30:43
way how smart people it's a way it's it's how smart rich people go broke
00:30:48
>> you don't know you don't know what can happen never I I I have never done this
00:30:52
and I would suggest anyone listening this podcast never sign a personal guarantee
00:30:57
>> all right and just so people know Elon did this in the Twitter fight but go
00:30:59
ahead >> I think it's I think it's just let Elon do it >> Ellison has more money personally than
00:31:06
anyone involved because he's been selling stock and he personally is is super wealthy not only in stock but in
00:31:12
cash but also Netflix is a bet constraint too because Netflix's debt to Ebida to ratio they they have and they
00:31:19
they only have a certain they have cash flow they manage against that $18 billion a year so I think if it's pure
00:31:25
if these guys go really cra let let me put this way Ellison can go crazy and not only that Ellison's about to die
00:31:31
he's an old man >> so does he really care like Ted surround >> that's not according to him he has a
00:31:39
Longevity Institute. He's going to live forever. >> Yeah. But Ted Sandos is around for
00:31:42
another 40 years. >> Yeah. >> Larry Ellison is not. >> Yeah. >> And so quite frankly, I think Larry
00:31:48
Allison is more likely to do what a lot of old men do, and that is make an irrational move.
00:31:52
>> Yeah. Interesting. That's interesting. >> We forget. >> But I'm saying the Warner board is using
00:31:56
it as a concern. What do you think? You're in boardrooms. they want. Of course, when you're a when you're have a
00:32:04
scarce asset, part of the negotiation is the certainty of close and the certainty
00:32:08
of financing. >> So, whenever I bought a house, what's really fun to do is show up with an
00:32:12
allcash offer. >> Mhm. >> Right. But most people can't do that. Most people have put in contingencies
00:32:16
around finding a mortgage. And sometimes >> and sometimes like a really weak offer
00:32:21
is someone says, "I have contingencies. Not only do I need to find financing, I
00:32:25
need to sell the house I'm in now to buy this house." Mhm. >> So, if he was willing to show up and
00:32:30
say, "I'm the third wealthiest man in the world and I'm signing a personal
00:32:33
guarantee," then disco, right? >> So, they're going to want they're going
00:32:37
to want you to do as much as possible. But, um, yeah, I don't just as a general
00:32:42
rule, you never sign a person. >> Is that a good excuse for the Warner Brothers board to say, "Why has it?"
00:32:47
>> Well, Ted Sandos isn't signing a personal guarantee. >> No, I get it. But the Ellison's are
00:32:50
making a big deal of their Trump affiliations, how rich they are. But, you know what I mean? Like, everybody
00:32:54
has their own little move essentially. But Ted Serendos is not buying it. Netflix is, right? And they've made an
00:33:01
offer with stock and cash that is guaranteed presumably. >> You know what? I I feel like every
00:33:07
minute I'm like, Paramount's going to get it. Netflix is going to get it.
00:33:10
Paramount's going to get it. >> I know. That's what I feel. Yeah. Yeah.
00:33:13
>> I'm I'm having a tough time handicapping this one. And >> um I think it's going to be
00:33:19
>> I think Paramount has to get it. Netflix does not have to. It's not a It's a It's
00:33:23
not even It's an important thing for it to get, but it's not a mustave. >> Yeah. You know what got me thinking?
00:33:29
What, Cara? I actually think >> in the next 90 days. >> Yeah. >> If not, maybe not 90. I always got the
00:33:36
timer wrong. I think Disney's going to be put in play. >> Oh, yeah. That's what we talked about.
00:33:41
>> Um, and the the likely buyer there will be Apple. I mean, think, keep in mind,
00:33:45
whoever bulks up here, whether it's Paramount bulking up or Netflix bulking up,
00:33:49
>> right? Where does that leave Disney? Where does that leave Apple? Where does
00:33:54
that leave YouTube? It leaves them less bulky. >> Yes, I brought that up with Disney
00:34:00
executives. They're not commenting. But I agree. They're not big enough. They're
00:34:03
not. >> And by the way, Disney stock, this it that would be the biggest >> take private in history. Disney's
00:34:09
Disney's like 200. They'd have to go up to like 300. But >> that'll be hard to get through the
00:34:14
government, period. In whatever government it happens to be. >> But Disney, do you know where their
00:34:17
stock is? Their stock's the same place it was 10 years ago. >> Yep. I know.
00:34:21
>> And talk about IP. You want to see You want to see people salivate over IP,
00:34:25
>> right? Right. >> I mean, Darth Vader to Moana. I mean, >> Moana live is coming out to come out.
00:34:30
>> Those parks, you want to talk about We were just talking with Zootopia, by the
00:34:34
way. It continues to win in many ways, but >> and you want to talk about a moat around
00:34:38
Adams versus Bits, the parks. Jesus Christ. If I said to you, if I said to you, okay, one of these things is down
00:34:45
by 50% in three years. It's either Netflix subscribers or Park Attendants. What would you pick?
00:34:50
>> Oh, of course Netflix. Well, I don't know. >> People love them Netflix. They do love
00:34:55
them Netflix. And it also has the Taylor Swift era's documentary on it. So, >> Oh, no. That's No, that's on Disney.
00:35:01
That's on Disney. >> That's on Disney. >> I think the parks I think the parks are
00:35:05
the are the literally the crown jewel in the Disney portfolio. >> Yeah. Well,
00:35:09
>> I mean, keep in mind, they were buying land in Florida for the better part of
00:35:13
decade under false LLC's. >> Yeah. to amass millions and millions of acres.
00:35:18
>> They're very clever people. But let me let go back to the Oracle stock. It's
00:35:21
really falling and like this these commitments they have are massive. >> Okay. But okay, meanwhile though it's
00:35:28
it's it's flat over the past year. So, okay, it's back to where it was.
00:35:33
>> Yeah. >> In June. >> So, we always talk it it's dropped
00:35:37
dramatically from a massive spike. And the head fake here was Sam Alman and Larry Ellison and announcing a quote
00:35:45
unquote framework for a $300 billion purchase in compute. I would love to see the terms of that contract.
00:35:52
>> I think that was nothing but a joint press release. It's like when famous
00:35:55
people date each other. Their publicists are really dating each other. >> This is it's like they're not [ __ ]
00:36:00
their publicists are [ __ ] and thought it would be got a great press release to
00:36:04
say, you know, Chris Hemsworth is dating. You know, >> I'll tell you of all the stocks though,
00:36:10
if they get hit, Oracle will be the one that gets hit the most. >> Oh, it's already been hit pretty well,
00:36:14
it's down, what is it down 40% in a month or something like that, something like that.
00:36:17
>> But it has a great core business. Um, >> anyways, the the >> the I I think all of media now
00:36:25
>> is in play and whoever whoever ends up owning this, >> the other guys are severely diminished.
00:36:32
If Paramount doesn't get this, they've got to go shopping. They got to get
00:36:36
sold. >> And then there's And then there's keep in mind the player we're not talking
00:36:40
about. >> I think Apple has invested enough in Apple TV Plus that it can't let it just
00:36:44
die, right? >> And it's a distant fifth now. But it's owned by a company worth $3.5 trillion.
00:36:50
>> Well, the the CEO the new CEO will have to This isn't going to be a Tim Cook
00:36:54
one. It's going to be the new CEO making a big move, right? Presumably, whoever
00:36:58
that happens to be. >> Yeah. I could also see >> and also it'll have to be a different
00:37:02
CEO than Bob Iger. He won't do this. I could see an activist coming in retire
00:37:06
soon. >> I don't know. There's there's >> it is just going to be whoever gets
00:37:10
this, it will inspire a lot of chess playing by the other players because if Paramount
00:37:16
>> if Netflix isn't if you want to talk about all of a sudden the Paramount
00:37:20
acquisition looks like they dramatically overpaid. The day Netflix HBO closes, >> Paramount Plus just looks [ __ ]
00:37:27
>> They look [ __ ] And they have to they have to joint mob up with someone and
00:37:31
there's no mobbing. And because I think Disney either goes to Apple or it goes,
00:37:34
you know, if Netflix doesn't get this, you could see Netflix and Apple, I mean
00:37:37
Disney coming together, too. >> You can see. >> Yeah. That would be a merger because I
00:37:41
think I think uh Netflix is >> another thing the government probably >> 400 and and Disney's at 200.
00:37:48
>> Yeah. >> But we're now in a point where the unthinkable in terms of size of
00:37:52
acquisition. >> Yeah. >> Disney used to be too big to acquire. That's no longer true.
00:37:57
>> Yeah. Get ready, Elizabeth Warren. You're gonna have some stuff. You know
00:38:00
who could I mean Christ um what Micros here that these things some of the biggest everything now it's technology
00:38:10
in the seven dwarfs everything's being run >> and dictated by the wealth or paper loss
00:38:16
is Oracle who would have thought that the likelihood >> that Paramount would buy
00:38:23
>> um Warner Brothers would be based on Oracle kid and his daddy right it's just
00:38:28
because it's a rich kid and his daddy makes no economic sense. >> Oracle's ability to position themselves
00:38:34
as the number two infrastructure player is the fulcrum of the acquisition of Batman.
00:38:38
>> I know it's crazy. It's gonna remember many years ago. You don't remember?
00:38:41
>> My mind is blown, Cara. >> When AT&T was doing that Comcast thing,
00:38:45
I said they're not still not they're none of them are going to be big enough.
00:38:48
Years ago, I said this. They're not going to be big enough. And so all these
00:38:52
antirust people are going to have a hard time stopping. >> And don't count the Roberts out. Yeah,
00:38:56
>> you don't become billionaires in Philadelphia unless you have killed a
00:38:59
lot of people and are really smart >> and you're really nice people, too.
00:39:02
You're very friendly for killers. Anyway, all right, let's go on a quick
00:39:05
break. We come back. Donald Trump's new AI executive order. Okay, Scott, we're
00:39:10
back after a little ball adjustment. Little white balls. >> I thought I felt something.
00:39:15
>> I got >> Just maintain eye contact. >> Is that how big your ball is?
00:39:18
>> Your Christmas ball. I made course. >> Anyway, we're back. We're back. Anyway,
00:39:23
President Trump just signed an AI executive order to effectively neuter individual state laws regulating
00:39:29
artificial intelligence. The order directs the DOJ to sue states and overturn laws that do not support quote
00:39:34
the United States global AI dominance. Trump is also directing federal regulators to withhold funds for
00:39:40
broadband and other projects if states keep their laws in place. Child safety laws are exempt from this order, at
00:39:44
least for now. the order, which has sparked opposition on both sides of the aisle, is likely to be challenged in
00:39:49
court on the grounds that it's idiotic that only Congress has the authority to
00:39:52
override state laws. Uh Trump has been complaining about a patchwork of state AI laws. So have I, by the way, Donald.
00:39:58
But do you think he and David Saxs, who really pushed this, will actually uh push to get a federal law? No, I do not.
00:40:04
This is all about politics and not about policies. Uh it's an issue dividing
00:40:08
Republicans, too. Governor Ronda Santis called this executive order a big subsidi a subsidy to big tech, and he's
00:40:13
right. Marjorie Taylor Green's against it. A whole pack of people on both sides
00:40:17
against it. And frankly, it's just it's it's going to be stopped in courts. And
00:40:21
and that's the problem is that they don't want to pass federal laws that
00:40:25
would be make sense. And instead, they just want to play politics of power here so that they don't get they want to stop
00:40:32
all regulation is what they want. But they're not interested in regulation. They're interested in stopping all
00:40:37
regulation, which is not the same thing, which is politics and not policy. So, this is going to be going to go into
00:40:43
court and then by in by November, Trump's not going to be able to do any of this crap. So, that's and and he's on
00:40:50
the downward hill. So, obviously um that none of this is going to work. So, sorry, David Saxs. Good try though. Good
00:40:57
try. So, we'll see. Go ahead. You go ahead. >> Yeah, I think I think you're right. And
00:41:01
that is um the government is a big fan of states rights when it comes to gun control or
00:41:07
bodily autonomy, but all of a sudden they've decided we need mandatory federal legislation around or regulation
00:41:12
around AI. And this is >> we don't have >> and this is the mandatory federal
00:41:16
regulation they'll have >> dick. They won't have anything. >> They won't have dick. they won't have
00:41:21
dick >> because effectively the Trump administration's ability to send secret
00:41:26
police into cities and the entire economy is a giant bet on AI and so they don't want any regulation that gets in
00:41:33
the way of their thoroughbreds running and you're going to see in my view and
00:41:37
this is one of my predictions for 26 you're going to see what is positioned as an investment but effectively will be
00:41:43
a bailout of these guys in the form of governmentbacked debt to continue this this this crazy champagne and cocaine
00:41:50
disco party of data centers and chip acquisition. But essentially, the Trump administration has said, I don't care if
00:41:59
it means leaking capital from the 490 of the S&P 500 to the 10. He's all in on
00:42:05
AI. And uh the last thing they're going to let happen or they're going to try
00:42:10
and let happen is any sort of regulation. And it's insane that we're not looking at synthetic relationships.
00:42:15
It's insane that we're not looking at >> Well, some states are, not our
00:42:19
government, but not our federal government. Some states are starting to do this, and that's why they want to
00:42:24
stop it. >> Well, that's right. And they're claiming that it's it's that we need one unified
00:42:29
I having a unified operating system and something as complicated as AI across the 50 states. Makes sense. The problem
00:42:35
is that's just a false flag. They just want no regulation. >> That's right. That is correct. That is
00:42:40
correct. These people, the you remember that Bond movie, The World is Not Enough. That's what they are.
00:42:45
>> I just remember the Bond girls. Who was the Bond girl in it? >> I don't remember. That wasn't on top.
00:42:50
Was it >> on top? On a top. On a top. That wasn't that one. I don't remember who it was.
00:42:56
>> Oh, it was Pierce Brosman. Um Oh, so Sophie Maro. Oh, Denise Richards was
00:43:02
>> No, no, no. That was later. That's with uh that's with Daniel Craig.
00:43:05
>> Denise Richards. >> No, no, she's in the one with the bomb. >> Oh, really?
00:43:09
>> Yeah. She's remember she's a nuclear physicist. >> I don't know. Best names ever.
00:43:14
Christmas. She was Christmas. She was some merry Christmas or something like that was her name. So excited about the
00:43:19
next bond. Anyway, um yeah, this is what we feel. This is a [ __ ] David Zach. Sorry, but good try. Good try. It's not
00:43:26
going to work. It's going to get sucked up into court and then your big daddy
00:43:29
Trump is going to be on the downhill slide. So, you're trying your best to get something happening before that. But
00:43:33
you're not going to make fetch happen. It's going to get stopped in the court
00:43:36
and it's has bipartisan support from at some point they're gonna the Congress is
00:43:41
going to reach down and feel its balls and stop all this nonsense. Anyway, uh one more quick break. We'll be back for
00:43:47
wins and fails. Okay, Scott, some wins and fails. Would you like me to go first?
00:43:51
>> You go first. >> Okay. My fail um was this measles outbreak um uh in South Carolina is
00:43:59
accelerating with over a 100 reported cases. Even Fox News put up a a thing that that measles has gone up I think
00:44:06
it's 14,000% in the Trump administr this new Trump administration. The fact that anyone's
00:44:12
getting measles at all is like to become best friend to measles is astonishing. These are many of these diseases are
00:44:19
diseases we have solved many years ago and decades ago. and and the fact that people are getting measles which is very
00:44:26
deadly everybody just so you know it's not just you know sometimes it's just
00:44:30
spots on your face a lot of times it's incredibly debilitating or or fatal um
00:44:36
the fact that they're accelerating South Carolina in Texas all these places will
00:44:40
you people get a [ __ ] m measles vaccine like it it really is oh the efficacy is so great and the the the
00:44:49
rarity of any problems and as is showing what's happening is a lot of this data
00:44:53
that they're showing where COVID is a problem or there were 10 deaths, it's
00:44:56
all it's really nonsense data. They're lying to you about this in order to pass
00:45:02
what they get. And Robert Kennedy, he will get a pardon by Trump, but he should go to jail for what he's been
00:45:07
doing. Um, that's my feeling. As I've said, my win I I was going to say um the
00:45:12
gay hockey show. He did Rivalry, which I think you'll like. It's hockey wives
00:45:17
with men. Yeah, it's a really hot gay hot. It's in Canada has brought us a
00:45:22
tale of forbidden love between hockey players and it is very hot. Let me just say it's very very hot and I am not a
00:45:30
big afficionado of of gay porn but there you have it. Um it's really it's well
00:45:35
it's it's like romance porn. >> It's not your genre. >> It's not my genre but I like it. But I I
00:45:40
was going to give it to that, but I have to say again, you've got me on to this.
00:45:44
This episode of Plurabus, the gap >> was a st people either don't like it or
00:45:50
like it. Nothing happens in this episode, but it does. >> There there's no words. They don't The
00:45:56
two characters, this guy coming up from Paraguay and uh Ria Ria Seahhorn, who's
00:46:01
amazing as Carol um was just it was so beautiful an episode. It takes so much guts, as you said, Vince Gillian, in the
00:46:09
middle of your hit season. And by the way, I think this will end up being the most important thing Apple's done and
00:46:15
possibly on streaming right now. Um, in the middle of your season, you pull this
00:46:20
[ __ ] I love it. I'd love every bit of it. It was so I think about it all week.
00:46:24
Every single aspect of those shows and the things they do. And if I were Carol, a lesbian stuck by myself, I would I too
00:46:32
would golf into a window. I would drive golf wigs into a skyscraper window and really enjoy doing it. And I just I I
00:46:41
love both characters. Um and I'm excited for them to meet um I assume in the next
00:46:45
episode. But I got to say it takes a set speaking of balls again and not pucks um
00:46:52
to do this to do the way they did it. All right, that's my win. Go ahead. >> Uh so I'll start with my fail. My fail
00:46:59
is Face the Nation's uh incredibly odd framing of a question to Senator Bill
00:47:06
Cassidy this past Sunday that literally I love Margaret Brennan. I love Face the
00:47:11
Nation. It's one of the many ways I communicate to my sons that I'm 140 [ __ ] years old as I I love watching
00:47:17
Face the Nation. But I asked the team to just ceue up this one question. Do we have the question? CBS has confirmed
00:47:25
that there are no ongoing safety studies into the abortion drug mythopristone. This was despite the Trump
00:47:31
administration saying they were going to conduct one. Um and anti-abortion groups
00:47:37
want this review to take place. I saw a letter the FDA commissioner sent to you last week claiming they are reviewing
00:47:45
the evidence. Do you believe him? And and if not, what are you doing about it? That is nothing but whitewashed Sunday
00:47:54
morning Vaseline over wholesale misogyny. The framing of the question are there ha has the FDA
00:48:07
um made conducted investigations? No, they haven't conducted investigations into Advil or ariththramiasin either.
00:48:15
Why? because this is an FDA approved drug that the American College of of Obstitricians and Gynecologists and
00:48:24
other leading medical organizations have stated that mythopristone is an open quote incredibly safe medication
00:48:35
and that complications are exceedingly rare, usually minor and easily treatable. As a matter of fact, and
00:48:44
there's peer-reviewed research on this, the US death rate from childbirth is
00:48:50
about 14 times higher than from any legally induced abortion. All methods, including the safest, which is um myth,
00:49:02
excuse me, which is mythopristone. And to frame it as oh, there's a concern. they aren't they
00:49:10
aren't looking at this investigating it is a such an incredible far-right talking point that somehow to claim that
00:49:21
you give a flying [ __ ] about women's health by undermining women's health by sewing doubt of which
00:49:31
there is no medical evidence that lends any veracity to that doubt. It's called
00:49:36
reporting. And they're not doing it at the current CBS news as well. >> They're taking a heritage talking point.
00:49:43
>> That is right. >> And sewing doubt from a show and a a journalist who never used to do this
00:49:51
[ __ ] >> She also has done it several times since the purchase by Paramount, which I
00:49:56
warned you about. It gives me no pleasure. But Margaret, what in the actual [ __ ] are you doing? Go ahead. But
00:50:02
the framing of this question creates doubt around this drug. >> Yes, that's the point.
00:50:07
>> Which is it? It it is it is such it is so irresponsible and such an abuse of a
00:50:13
brand that has taken correct that has taken decades. >> Just asking questions, Scott. Just
00:50:18
asking that is the attitude towards the people who run CBS News. >> Asking a conservative senator correct a
00:50:24
a talking point that somehow frames it as your concern. If she if they were to say people on the far right believe that
00:50:31
uh this this is this is murder and they want it looked into or okay fine but to pretend this is about women's health
00:50:40
under the opice of trying to create doubt around a very effective means of bodily autonomy which is the definition
00:50:50
of women's health is just I mean I I I'm holding CBS the the the show and quite
00:50:59
frankly Margaret Brennan what the [ __ ] are you thinking? >> I my sentiments exactly the Margaret
00:51:06
Brennan is a star. >> You have leverage. >> You should not be reading the talking
00:51:12
points from project 2025. >> This one was repulsive. It really is. I appreciate Scott. I love you. I love
00:51:19
you. >> I stopped the show and I'm like did I just hear this correctly?
00:51:23
>> That's correct. And I went on I went on YouTube and on threads and I'm like what
00:51:26
the [ __ ] What the actual and it's so dis Anyway, I'm I'm going to move on.
00:51:31
>> Well, I'm just saying they had they had the whole the whole CBS News page was an
00:51:36
a nothing burger of an Erica Kirk interview. So I told I told you this would happen, but go ahead.
00:51:42
>> I was right. >> I was right. >> And I was right. The new >> They're not reporters. They're like
00:51:47
>> the new novel from from >> questions at everyone without any backing. Let's be honest.
00:51:53
>> This is my win. And this isn't about me because >> Okay, I want to win. I want to win.
00:51:56
>> Okay, this this really is a win. >> It's the gay hockey players.
00:51:59
>> Gawky. Oh, that's great. >> Uh, so, um, >> Merry Christmas balls.
00:52:06
>> I didn't know that a lot of gay balls in that show. >> I didn't know the gay I didn't know
00:52:09
there were a lot of gay hockey. >> All the people are talking about it. >> Well, I I do. I mean, they do suck a
00:52:14
mean dick. That question that joke never gets old. >> Anyway, so my win is car, I'm at that
00:52:21
age. I posted on Instagram uh and this isn't this isn't this isn't about me.
00:52:26
It's not a big loss for me. The individual I'm about to talk about I haven't seen in decades, but there was a
00:52:31
core group of eight of us in the fraternity and uh one of them is Brad Luff who passed away this week after a
00:52:37
battle with um pancreatic cancer. And obviously that's not my win and I want I
00:52:41
I I don't want it's not a it's not a big loss for me. I haven't seen Brad in 30
00:52:45
years. But my win is the following. My win is a a close friend named David Kingsdale who was part of our core
00:52:52
group. And the last few years uh Brad uh had struggled uh on a number of levels including uh in terms of his
00:52:59
relationships with his family and David who is this he was president of our fraternity, captain of our football
00:53:05
team, just like the ultimate kind of like aspirational alpha male and a really decent man. He had spent the
00:53:12
better part of the last two years coordinating um and caring for Brad in terms of his health care. Uh I would get
00:53:20
a call from David. This couldn't have been easy for David and say, "Do you
00:53:24
know anyone at Cedars? I'm trying to get him into the right physical therapy. Do
00:53:27
you know anyone? Do you know a surgeon here? He was there have been studies showing that the most important thing in
00:53:34
health care is that you have an advocate and that is you have someone who loves you and someone who's looking out for
00:53:39
you." And here was David Kingsdale looking after bread. Anyways, the the you know, I think a lot about happiness
00:53:47
and I just had David Brooks on my podcast and the biggest studies of its kind all say that happiness comes down
00:53:56
to um the number of deep and meaningful relationships. That's not a spoiler. uh
00:54:02
or that seems somewhat obvious, but the wrinkle in it that's really interesting
00:54:06
is that the happiest people aren't the ones who are loved the most. It's the
00:54:11
ones that have the most people to love, right? That find that find relationships
00:54:17
where they find people who will love them. William Macy has a great line in the film Magnolia where he says, "I have
00:54:22
love to give. I just don't know where to give it." And I was I've been thinking a
00:54:26
lot about David. He just demonstrated so much character when Brad was so vulnerable. Here was a guy really
00:54:32
competent guy who he's known for 40 years calling everyone uh finding finding helping raise money
00:54:39
for Brad finding the right doctors and this is a guy with his own life his own career his own wife and his own kids and
00:54:46
it just got me thinking that the happiest people are able to find others where they can put a lot of love.
00:54:50
Anyways, my win is David Kingsdale who found a uh who placed a lot of love and regard and gave a lot of comfort to our
00:54:59
friend Brad Love at the end of his life. So, my win is David Kingdale. >> Oh, that's lovely, Scott. That is It's
00:55:06
time. This is the time especially when we should be thinking about that stuff. >> So, our friends are dying, Cara. It's so
00:55:12
weird. >> It's true. It's true. That's the way it goes. But not today. Not us.
00:55:17
>> Not today. >> Not today. And by the way, Scott, I would take care of you because that's
00:55:23
>> I'll count on that. >> Just bring Just bring the hat. >> Some It's going to be some facelift.
00:55:28
>> I need you to do two things. I need you to bring the hat and Emily Rodic.
00:55:31
>> I will. I will bring her. If you are If you had some facelift gone ary as That's
00:55:37
how it's going to go. >> That's a good chance. >> That's a good chance. Some Joan Rivers
00:55:40
action. Me and George Pond will do everything it takes to get Emily Ratakowski at your bedside with this
00:55:46
hat. I love this hat. I'm going to send it to you. I appreciate that. >> Has a single white ball. That's how you
00:55:52
operate. Look at this. See? >> Um anyway, um well, that's a lovely that's a lovely thing to say, but again,
00:55:58
I feel my gay pucks are much better. Okay, we want to hear from you. Send us your question about business, tech, or
00:56:04
whatever is on your mind. Go to nymag.com/pivot to submit a question for the show or call 8551 pivot. and
00:56:10
elsewhere in the Karen Scott universe. This week on on with Cara Swisser, I spoke with podcaster and neuroscientist
00:56:16
Sam Harris. We talked about why so many tech billionaires have embraced Trump's
00:56:20
authoritarian politics. Of course we did. Let's listen to a clip. >> No one ever has to give a rational
00:56:26
accounting of how their views have changed. I mean there, you know, after January 6th, some of the guys on the um
00:56:32
the All-In podcast, I think I think it was Chimath most vocally, you know, in the aftermath of January 6th, I think he
00:56:40
said that, you know, Trump should be in jail for the rest of his life, right? It's like, so how these guys went from
00:56:46
there to where they are now is has never been explained, right? and they feel no
00:56:51
burden to explain it because they have cultivated audiences that simply don't
00:56:56
care about these kinds of, you know, ethical issues. >> Now we're doing this. Now we're doing
00:57:00
this. Yeah, I think that was great. And he also noted that they will go right back and pretend it never happened when
00:57:05
things go dark, which they are slow. >> He's a role model of my I mean a genuine
00:57:09
role model. I love >> Yeah, he and I used to beef all the time. This was it's so much allies have
00:57:13
changed so drastically. I have to say both he and Ival Harrari who were very tight with the tech bros um have been
00:57:19
have been courageous to push up against them which Sam has to his detriment I would suspect we
00:57:26
>> Sam is literally the personification of a moral compass. Yeah, >> he has his principles and he just never
00:57:32
wavers from them. I find he's the least perverted adulterate. Money has had the
00:57:36
least he's very successful >> and the guys he's referencing are a a
00:57:42
moral compass gone haywire. >> Yeah. And Everything they say in the moment can be
00:57:46
reverse engineered to what they believe will make them richer at that moment. >> That's right. Yeah. I have to say we
00:57:51
were we I it was a really interesting discussion. Um okay, that's the show. Uh
00:57:56
let me just say this is our last one before 2026 because we have taped two shows, a listener episode and a
00:58:02
predictions episode and we are taking a few days off on Christmas and New Year's. And Scott of course is traveling
00:58:08
the world. I'm just going to San Francisco with my family. Um, but we uh we wish you uh uh happy holidays,
00:58:16
however you celebrate and um we love our fans and we love each other of course and that goes without saying and we've
00:58:23
had a great year. Don't you think Scott with our tour, our numbers are going up.
00:58:27
We having the best time. I think it's been a great I mean for a terrible 2025.
00:58:31
It's been a >> Yeah, we've had a wonderful year thanks to you and the and we hope to have a
00:58:36
wonderful 2026. We're going to be together for another year at least um uh until the until whenever. Um anyway,
00:58:43
thanks for listening to Pivot and be sure to like and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We'll be back on Friday
00:58:48
with a wonderful listener mail segment in which Scott, as you might imagine, cries. Anyway, uh Scott, I love you.
00:58:57
>> Happy holidays, happy 2025, and happy next year. And I'll see you next year.
00:59:03
Read us out. >> Yeah, I look forward to it. Today's show is produced by Larara Name and Zoe
00:59:06
Marcus and Taylor Griffin. Ernie and Todd engineered this episode. Rich Shipley edited the video. Thanks also to
00:59:11
Jabros and Dan Shalon. Nishak Kuras, Vox Media's executive producer of podcast.
00:59:16
Make sure to follow Pivot on your favorite podcast platform. Thanks for listening to Pivot from New York
00:59:20
Magazine and Vox Media. You can subscribe to the magazine at nymag.com/pod. We'll be back later this week for
00:59:26
another breakdown of all things tech and business. We want to wish you in 26 the
00:59:31
key to happiness and that is you find people and things to place an immense amount of love. Happy new year.