Sad Boyz - Is Gen Z Doomed?

Episode Date: April 25, 2025

Jarvis and Jordan discuss the social & financial prospects of Gen Z. Go to https://www.Zocdoc.com/SADBOYZ to find and instantly book a top-rated doctor today. ⁠Sad Boyz Nightz #109⁠ ✨��Find Us Everywhere⁠✨ 00:00:00 NPR Voice 00:01:32 Looking Productive 00:04:43 Millennial Cringe 00:11:56 Childhood Socialization & Technology 00:19:42 Sponsored by Zocdoc 00:21:26 Sub-Generations 00:26:14 Romanticizing Millennial Life 00:29:42 Gen Z Financial Outlook 00:34:02 No One Wants To Work Anymore 00:57:18 It's The Damn Phones 01:00:45 Teaching Is Hard 01:03:29 How To End The Generational Battle 01:10:29 Black Mirror Season 7 (spoilers) 01:59:43 Sad Boyz Nightz #110 CREW: Hosted by ⁠Jarvis Johnson⁠ and ⁠Jordan Adika⁠ Produced & Edited by Jacob Skoda Produced by Anastasia Vigo Thumbnail design by @yungmcskrt Outro music by @prod.typhoon & @ysoblank

Welcome to sad boys a podcast about feelings and other things also. I'm Jarvis What if I did like an NPR version of what would that sound like? We would start with like Welcome to sad boys a podcast about feelings and other things also I'm Jodd Abramrod I'm Ira glass too. Okay, we've got me back now. I'm more powerful. Now you're more powerful, you're not made of glass. Also I'm like, I've disappeared from the radio, I feel like. Those in Ira Glass houses shouldn't throw alleged stories that aren't properly researched. Ooh.

Oh, go snap. Take that NPR from like 15 years ago, that one time you did that. Yeah, who even knows? Who is the guy who does the daily? Oh? Michael Bob or I'm Michael Bob R. R. And his I did the Supreme Court. This is really mean and I want to Say this because I have I sound weird also

but every time Michael Bobarro does this little thing, he says, here's the things you need to know. Here's the thing. You need to know. Michael relax. Just do it. I think it's like become a thing. And so he just like leans into it.

It's his catchphrase. It's the reason I don't listen to The Daily, not because if I try I go like, oh, I'm so sad. I haven't listened to The Daily in a long time. I haven't listened to NPR. I've been out of my NPR bag. When I was fresh out of college, I was working at this job I hated,

but I had my own office. Ooh. Company name, location, other employees. University of Phoenix. Salary, age, every employee. Wait, did you other employees? University of Phoenix. Salary, age, every employee. Wait, did you work at the University of Phoenix? Yeah. Whoa.

I worked at the University of Phoenix. And you were in Arizona. I thought that it was just Phoenix because of like. No, it was founded in Phoenix. I thought it was rising again, like a bird, like a firebird. I did not work in this department, but there was like a call center department where you

would call people and try to get them to sign up. And they got in trouble for their really messed up labor practices. Because if your numbers weren't up, they would put you in the red room with no windows and was painted red. And you couldn't leave unless you were allowed out. That's crazy. So there was a lawsuit. You couldn't leave unless you were allowed out?

That is breaking so many laws and the Geneva Convention. That's breaking just like basic instinct. That's like hierarchy of needs cruelty. Well, so there was a lawsuit. And my ex, who also worked at University of Phoenix at the time, got a chunk of money because He worked there during that time in that department. I was so depressed. I hated working there so bad It was like truly soul-sucking and I would just listen to NPR all day long and pretend to be typing

I just have my little radio. That's like back in the day This is maybe 10 years ago, during March Madness, they would have a fake spreadsheet button that like if your boss came over your shoulder, you could like click it and it would like look like it was, you were doing work. That's hilarious.

And I was like, who would need this? And then it's that job. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like when you have very because I was you know young and I just didn't you know Hadn't worked in a number of times. I would in emergency scenario We're in case of emergency command one tab Google calendar. Oh, what's going on today? Let me just double check what their day is My keyboard shortcuts, dude I'm fucking quick drama girl when it comes to like...

You guys can't read what I'm doing. I'm holding command shift and I'm hitting the bracket left and right. I'm so good at looking productive. I must be working. My friend Tristan would fall asleep at his desk sitting up with his hands on the keyboard, but he would just put the Google search home screen. And I'm like, dude, search for something. He's like, no, I'm just imagining, I'm crafting the best search. Work.

When he searches in Google, he does it once a day, Google goes incredible. Wow. This is a very considered search and not a lot of people really think before they search. You guessed the I'm feeling lucky. You got it exactly right. I'm feeling like he has such a vestige of an old time.

Is it gone? Yeah. I'm pretty sure it doesn't. No, it's still there because of comfort, I think. But it doesn't pop up on the home screen like it used to, right? Yeah, well, it's just the like, it's literally just the take the first option from the search. Yeah.

Oh, never mind, I'm wrong. What was I saying? I'm feeling stellar. All right, relax. No, I, nevermind. I'm wrong. What was I saying? I'm feeling stellar. All right, relax. Artistic. I thought I said Arabic. I'm far away. I'm feeling Arabic.

I'm not a fan of kitschy copy. It really does grind my gears. Oh, man. Potterful, as anybody listening to users, Potterful, I do appreciate it. It's done a lot for like socializing and people putting things together. However, if you send invites on it, it goes, if no one has told you this today, you're epic.

It really is like that. Bacon legend W. I heard the word adulting said unironically recently, and I apologize to a Gen Z person who is within earshot for my generation's wrong doing. That one's tough. What is so easy? Obviously cringe often just, uh, it kind of calcifies because it's stuff from the past and you same, it's like reverse nostalgia, right?

You remember a cringe version of yourself from the past. You hear a thing, it likes in adulting is next to Irmigird. That stuff, you know what it is about adulting? Is it feels, to me, insecure. It's very much like I'm a little baby in a suit. It's fear driven, you know? I'm not a real adult. Don't get mad at me. Yeah, I'm actually just a kid.

The math isn't math-ing. Yeah, the math isn't math-ing, and I'm just a kid, actually. Let's figure out some what are some peeps you're um, you're of the You're like two years old. What's the? Quintessential millennial term that you would make fun of what jumps to mind. I Mean Maybe it's cuz he just said about Irma God

One but all the adulting You couldn't even say it. Your mouth was like, yeah, it's like there's certain. My body rejected it. Well, there's a thing. There's like a phoneme acquisition period in child development where like, if you don't learn certain sounds. There's a whole COVID generation that can't say, me thinks. It's simply weird.

That's the like, you can't even look at it advice animal cause it'll, you'll have like a, you'll go into apoleptic shock. The impact font is too big. I also think of like, like the lack of old older memes that are like winning. Oh, I think of like salty or extra. Yeah. Or like those are, those are niche. I think of like salty or extra. Yeah, or like lich at this point. Those are lich.

Those are ones that are like that in Glorious Basterds. Oh, very good vintage sir. Yeah, where it's like, oh, he's not European, we don't count like this. No. Yeah, wow, extra, I think that's so like, maybe latter. I haven't heard it in so long, wow. It just like count like this. No. Uh, the- Yeah, wow, extra, I think that's so like, maybe a ladder. That's so extra. I think that's like so-

I haven't heard it in so long, wow. It just like really like went- I remember when I first moved to LA, a mutual acquaintance of me and Jarvis, who I won't name, when I moved here, she was like, let's get coffee together or whatever. And I was like, cool. And I was like, oh, how are you liking LA?

And I knew LA already before I moved here. I already knew I liked it. You know? I've heard about it. You have a gift. And we all know Hollywood. And she was like, you know what? I'm too extra for the people here.

And I immediately was like, that sounds like a you problem actually. Yeah, everyone I know keeps being rude to me. That's the extra, but on the opposite end of that, basic to me. That's the extra but on the opposite end of that basic. Basic. That's what I think about a lot. And what about pumpkin spice latte? Yes baby. You can call me Senorita Awesome. Senorita Awesome. You've all seen that right? The Senorita Awesome. You've seen Senorita Awesome? Yeah. Yeah, that's a heater. Wait, I haven't seen it. Oh, you're gonna love this.

Oh, you have to see it. Welcome to the grind. How may I help you? Pumpkin spice latte, please. I want it freezing, though. Actually, I just want a regular coffee. Those white girl pumpkin spice lattes annoy me. I'm in love.

Name? Senorita Awesome. You got it. Senorita Awesome. This guy has Superman chin. And his hair is like. He looks like he should be Superman. He's like Superman in like a 50s version. LA is full of people like this,

where they have like, they're distractingly attractive. It's like, how do you, you can't play a normal person. You're not allowed to be a barista. Classically handsome. You have to look like me. do you, you can't play a normal person. You're not allowed to be a barista. Classically handsome. You have to look like me. Hang on, look at this Krypton real quick. How do you feel about it? Well your t-shirt's straight in front of me.

Someone said chillax to me recently. And I was like. Chillax is like. Like why are you saying that? It's osteology. Chillax, yeah that one's like. You think that's younger like Gen X. That's lost media.

Like we, I thought we lost the scrolls. I think the Berlin Wall fell down after that. Yeah, wow. I once had a kid get really mad at me, because I said, take a chill pill. We were like eight years old. And he freaked out, he went, that's not real! Now-

You just stopped saying it! I do- I would if I could! But it doesn't exist. I do like using older stuff. There was a period, and maybe we'll start saying this again, I would say rad a lot. I say rad and radical, because I think it's funny.

I think it's fun. And then these days, and I don't know where I got this from, but I will say that rules. I love that. I think I got this from Jordan. I keep say that rules. I love that. I think I got this from Jordan. I keep saying that rocks. That rocks. That rocks.

I will say no duh, because I think it's funny. No duh's funny. No, I honestly, there's no better feeling in the world to me for some reason than seeing like a terrible take or something, assuming that rocks.

That's so true. Oh yeah. I will instantly hit a like Hell yeah brother if someone like says the n-word to me on like an Uber Like if a white man Just like yeah, for sure not You're so true dude

The one thing that's kind of hit Sadboy's team like a virus is just doing like Reddit voice Yeah that's the one. Like literally all of us have done it at some point or another. I can't help but feel a little guilty.

I do think it is your fault. It is your fault. You are patient zero. Austin is Reddit core also, to be fair. I think he got it from you originally. He was maybe too young actually, it would make no sense. I've been texting erm to people a lot. Erm, yeah, no I hit erm a lot. You're really thinking that's happening right now

Scream Queen actually Katie's as guilty as me. I think we egg each other on there might be words So look then yeah I think you two need to be separated rads a weird one because that was me and my my sort of friends who are like 15 were very much like a marabou like like 15 were very much like a marabou, like, like lopping, you know, kind of stuff. Thankfully pretty Mr. Beast kid voice. So we still sound the same as we did, but rad was part of our, um, wearing flat caps and like, like, like us thrash metal scene had kind of bled in. So it's a lot of like bright colors, H&M, red H&M sweater hoodies,

but there's like a goofy looking hot dog design on it or something like that. One thing that, you know, our conversation about millennial stupidity, Millennial terms and stuff. Cringeness, right? There's like a weird turn happening now where there's Gen Z TikTokers and stuff that are like romanticizing being

a millennial. No offense to millennials, I am one. But it feels like it's a bad time. Millennials kind of got the short straw in a lot of situations. It's a lot easier to be a disorder. I think got the short straw.

Well, but I'm talking about how millennials graduated from college into a recession. Yeah, true. Had very few financial and work opportunities and then COVID and then I'm like, I think, and this is just my personal opinion. I think Gen Z has it worse because because we like millennials got to like, get to live life a little bit. Like our thing is like, you're buying too many lattes,

that's why you can't afford a house. Why don't you buy diamonds? And, but like Gen Z is like, oh, the world is ending. We got promised and betrayed, they never got any promise. It's not like just a recession, it's like, we feel like we're on the brink of economic collapse. Depending on where you are in Gen Z, you either finished college or finished high school

into lockdown where you lost very valuable years of social development. I guess I'll say it's not a competition. I think it is. It's not a trauma competition. All times are bad. Every time has their Vietnam War or whatever. What happened?

It's interesting, like the fact that we're about to see people romanticizing millennials, especially being like one generation removed from it, because like, you know, people would be like, oh, I wish I grew up in the 80s. Oh, well, romanticize the 80s or. It's like basically yesterday. Yeah, but it's like, oh, I wish I grew up in the 80s. Oh, well, I'm in the 80s. It's like basically yesterday. Yeah, but it's like, this one's imagined as 2013.

I'm like, no, Gen Z grew up in 2013. You lived in 2013. We did live in 2013. I feel like you were a little baby. Like, I was born in the 90s, but I didn't really live in the 90s. Yeah, yeah. Which I think is like, I think,

one thing I would say to our benefit to the millennial shorties, we do have the, it's much easier for us to be nostalgic for our era, because it has a very comfortable separation line between pre and post internet, where the, even though the internet is around when we were were relatively young,

it's so kind of now it's so atomized to the point where there is always more than you can handle and there is always something to hate you and vice versa versus we most of the things we can be nostalgic for are playing a split screen game set together or even playing RuneScape, but you are being a kid. I can't imagine what a summer off of school for a Gen-C high schooler is now because all of the same social performance and engagement is present, the exact same amount it would be at school. I feel like as a millennial, I went through a,

like we experienced the beginning of the social internet. It was ours too, which is. Yeah, and so it's like I remember being off from school and then getting FOMO because people were hanging out and posting about it on Facebook. Yeah. You know what I mean? That would be literally any time something would happen, your feed would just be whatever happened. That would be your Facebook feed

was the thing you went to last night. I wanna ask peeps what they think about Jordan's point about when you go into a holiday or you're away from school or whatever, does it feel like you're on vacation or do you feel like you're still connected to, tethered to the world? Well, it depends on what,

at which point in my life, because when I was a kid, it was a lot of, I got my first eye touch or phone that could do things other than call my mom. What did you call it? Like iPod touch. Oh, eye touch. Interesting. Oh, never heard that before.

I like that. When I was like, I was probably like 11, 12 when I got my first one. And so I was like the first time I played games and stuff. So like until then it was, you know, my mom would call my friend one, and so I was like, the first time I was playing games and stuff. So until then, it was, you know, my mom would call my friend's mom and they would arrange for us to hang out. And so it was a lot of playing outside, doing all that stuff, and being on the internet.

But you were in an iPad game. Yeah, Peeps is gonna be available that weekend. They're pretty busy right now, but I think we can make a playtime work. If it's like, if I'm not hanging out with friends, it was a, my sister and I were sitting around the computer in my dad's office playing Club Penguin or Webkins.

Okay, yeah, so that's relatable to me. Yeah. Did you ever see me sitting around the server spamming a sad face because one of my friends logged off? Oh no, I was on Toon Town when you were doing that. Oh fuck, I was out of town, I was in Club Penguin. I was on a ski trip. But as I got to

like middle school and high school it was a lot of just like actually when I got to middle school all I was doing when I wasn't in school was playing Minecraft. I think there was a solid two summers where I was sitting I would wake up sit on the couch play Minecraft go to bed wake up play Minecraft like it was just like a chicken guy feels relatable. And that's what I started doing. That's when I started getting like online friends. And a lot of my friends growing up were online. So it's like, I didn't really have a lot of that like, besides like my three friends at school,

didn't have a lot of that like physical interaction with people until really high school. Well, there's a sustained level of intimacy to... Like online relationships, or like online friendships and community, I think sometimes gets unfairly minimized or derided due to it being like, you don't know anyone online. They're not the real them, it's performance. But like, come on, when I'm 15, I'm as performative. I was as performative as I would have been if I was like active on Instagram or

something. It's just that now I get to, you know, say like do that Gen X thing where they go like, when we played on a slide, it was covered in broken glass and we swing was on fire. And I get to talk about it and kind of memory hole, like the, the grander, scarier stuff. But I think my brain would maybe get overloaded by knowing so much about so many people, even if it's only the best foot they're putting forward,

knowing what like every single one of my friends' family looks like from Instagram, knowing what every single one of their hobbies are, it would be like. Yeah, and it's also interesting because as we got to the late middle school, high school phase, I was online less and hanging out with in your life friends more,

but growing up with this technology and wanting to remember funny moments, we always had our phones out recording each other. We were always recording in hopes we'd get the funny thing that the funny friend said. Right. And so it's, I've definitely- And that's a thing that we just didn't have

phone batteries that lasted that long. Yeah, it was purely practical. Yes. What we would do is try to stop focus. Because you had the home camcorder that your mom wouldn't make home videos on. The doctor is in is probably what they say when they go to work. But you don't experience that do you Jordan? Because you never go to the doctor you dumb donkey.

Hey brother lock me up. I'm sorry for bothering you could you help me I'm sick. It's daunting because my cell phone is a scary place. But thankfully it doesn't have to be so scary because today's sponsor ZocDoc is a free app and website where you can search and compare high quality in-network doctors that fit your specific needs and click instantly to book an appointment. You're telling me from mental health to dental health, primary care to urgent care and even more I can do it all with the app? You can do it all with the app and it's free. You can filter for doctors who take

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LA, and I'll tell you for why, is that even to this day, I am very confused by the American medical system, and it's nice to have an app that tells me, hey, these are the, just do these ones, please. You can just do this. Just do these. And it's nice to have an app that tells me, hey, these are the, just do these ones please. You can just do this. Just do these. And ZocDoc makes it all easy. So stop putting off those doctor's appointments and head on over to zocdoc.com slash sad boys, that's us,

and find and instantly book a top rated doctor today. Z-O-C-D-O-C.com slash sad boys. Zocdoc.com slash Sandboys. Zocdocdoc.com slash Sandboys. Well, it's like, cause I had, I feel like I, for my generation, I was pretty early to having a lot of online friends and having a lot of online community because it was something that like not a lot of people

I knew could relate to if I were ever to even talk about it. But... It does feel nice. It's almost like it's something you build completely yourself. These aren't kids you went to school with or a bunch of my friends when I was, I don't know, like 13, 14, are just Scottish guys I met on Xbox Live. And we're all basically the same person,

and we're all sharing a community because we all needed friends, you know? But instead of seeing that as a, I have nobody else to reach out to, it was like, these are my friends. My mom didn't call them up and set this up. This is like, we're like an office. We're buddies.

This is interesting, this idea that there are two Gen Zs. It's just different. I was kind of talking about this too. Yeah, I do think this is really true, Like we're buddies. This is interesting, this idea that there are two Gen Zs. It's just different. I was kind of talking about this too. Yeah, I do think this is really true. And also, like, I just want to like preface or, you know, interject into this conversation that like generations aren't all encompassing

into personal identity. Like there are so many people who veer away from these descriptors, you know, even though they were like living in this time period. But that's what, like, I kind of get like, you know, there's always like the Gen Z versus Millennial War on TikTok. Like I get videos that are like Millennial Core and it's like, it's like the same three people being

just cringe people. And I'm like, no, that's not millennials. That's just these three people being weird. Well, and the fact that, um, like I asked you previous, if you were an iPad kid, I think iPad kids had more money. You know what I mean? Like there's class divides, there's other elements that would change the, um, experience.

You have to have have the time and resources to encounter these problems, right? To know, to be able to riff on millennials or vice versa, you have to, I don't know, be online enough to be exposed to it. Why the fuck else would you know about Ohm so that just happened? And anyone that makes their identity like,

oh, I'm a millennial and I hate Gen Z, but you're just proving everyone's point. Why are you labeling it so hard? Bless you. And there's truly two millennials too. Like the people who didn't get the internet until late high school, college, and the people who got it when they were in middle school

or whatever, it's very different experience. I've also experienced, I don't know Jordan, if you've experienced this, but like, we are chronically online. It's just like, it's a part of our lives, it's a part of our jobs. And it used, like, I, when I engage with people from our, let's say old coworkers, your old friends

from different eras of our life, in some ways, the way that I feel like they communicate with me is a little time-capsuled. Yeah. And I'm not saying that for better or for worse, but I just noticed that- Because they're writing you letters. They're saying it's been a fortnight

since our last correspondence. My love. I just think that a lot, the reason that my communication style has changed over time is because I've always just been so online and that's the place that I'm, that's the language that I'm speaking.

Yeah. And for my friends that are chronically offline, they might still hit me with an ermigird. I feel the same way with... I feel like I'm always explaining internet stuff to people just because it's like, this is my job and I'm way more online than a lot of my friends of my same age. It's not insidious is the wrong word, but it is kind of unavoidable maybe. I don't want to be a bone bad Black Mirror good guy,

but there is an element to like think, I'm not, I don't post really ever, but I have my thumb rhythmically involved with social media to the extent where I will open X everything app I have my thumb rhythmically involved with social media to the extent where I will open X the everything app because I wanna hang out with Grock. I pop it open, only one of those guys that like at Grock download this for some fucking reason. And then I pretty much immediately close.

But the way my brain works, anything I'm trying to do offline is conscious. I'm still like fighting the synapses to go and take a walk instead of do the natural normal thing, which is scroll. Oh, a hundred percent. That's like base brain. Can I read this? Cause I think it's so funny.

Please, please, please, please. It is very, very funny. Let's prove you can read it. Imagine it's 2013, a new episode of Girls Just Dropped. You're a millennial woman living in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, trying to make it as a slam poet. Make it as a slam poet is hilarious. How, has anyone ever made it as a slam poet?

That's like a black white ass like. Yeah. And you're dating. That's a rapist. You're dating a man who makes Buzzfeed quizzes. Life is good. Life is probably not good. 2013, I think that's, it's.

The man who makes BuzzFeed quizzes, probably went to school for journalism, is trying so hard to be a journalist, but can't get any job, but BuzzFeed quiz guy, where he's not making enough money. Yeah. Slam poet. I was gonna say you have a day job.

You don't like each other very much, but you're still dating because you are on a lease. Yeah, you can't afford to move out. Trying to make it as a slam poet implies that it's not going well. You're working at an entry level job at Capital One. What's the, made it. I would've been-

What's like, wait, what's the result of? Being a slam poet you're on while and out This is so fun, I would have been a great millennial I would work at ID and my friends would work at Vice and BuzzFeed news and we'd write listicles and Twitter. Listicles being romanticized is insane. Unfortunately, I was too busy being in the sixth grade to participate. Twitter and it's prime. Twitter and it's prime.

Did I remember, did Twitter and it's prime, the true early days of Twitter, it was like Ashton Kutcher was the most famous person on Twitter, A plus K, that was his at. And we followed him like Jesus. It was all shower thoughts. Yeah, it was. You're pooping RN.

It was like, what would it... So you out hot eat the food, but why did it go in? It was just shower thoughts. Everyone's like, oh, peak. And the caption on that post was like, why is Gen Z suddenly jealous of millennials? And it's like, no, things are bad right now. And so they're like, oh no, but so back then they were just doing this.

So it must've all been good. No millennials were having their own issues at that time. And while you saw it was what's on Instagram. It's so insulting to call someone a Buzzfeed writer. The idea of like complimentary being like, dude, you write listicles as a job. It would truly make fun of you. You was truly Harry Potter sorting quiz. So well, Buzzfeed was such a like punching bag for so long, especially the Buzzfeed website. Like, and I, yeah, it's so funny to see that.

It's like if, uh, you know, there's like, if one of these was like, I wish I could go back to the peak of comedy with like Big Bang Theory. Everyone was making fun of Big Bang Theory. Well, that was what you think of the show. Yeah, 100%. The online contingent were not the reason that show was successful. The BuzzFeed writers weren't the ones being like, oh, dude, I love Big Bang Theory.

They just had to write, here is the top 10 penny moments. A lot of things were bubbling under and a lot of the issues that we have now were issues in the past or were kind of developing into the current day issues. Like peeps, what is your view of the economy? The economy right now? Yeah. Right now? Now, Peeps, you're a health care executive? Watch your back.

CMO. The CMO. Who's that? Chief money officer. Bad. It's really bad. Especially when I hear all of, oh, why does Gen Z not want my house? Why does Gen Z not want to have kids?

Like, we can't afford ourselves. Yeah, what's the Occam's razor on that one? Don't know, just never wanted comfortable lifestyle. My mom and stepdad said, why are you throwing your money away on rent? You should buy a house. Right, classic. And I was like, cool, how?

It's the loyalty drink. The other day we were Plugging our childhood homes in Dizzillo and I found out that my childhood home Sold now it's not in a neighborhood You wouldn't want to live in the house you wouldn't want to live in the neighborhood the house is in more than likely I had a great childhood all things considered but in 2010 The house that I Griffin sold for $20,000 Which is crazy the small fucking house the price was the same as the number of year It's probably like unlivable or whatever at the time and they like renovated it and then it's just like it's $40,000

Yeah, it is still a cheap house today But this real quick because I want to see this guy's man. The millennials and Gen Zers who are complaining that they can't buy a house are not working for minimum wage. These are people making 60, 70, 80, $90,000 a year who can no longer afford a house. But minimum wage workers are also complaining because they can't afford rent. If you look back to 1980, the rent was $243. Minimum wage was $3.1010 meaning your monthly gross was $496.

So to rent this apartment it would be 48.9% of your gross income back in 1980. But let's fast forward to 2024 the average rent is $17.47 the federal minimum wage is $7.25 giving you $11.60 you can't even get an apartment with the federal minimum wage but let's be generous and double the federal minimum wage because people at Walmart and fast food joints are making 1450 to $15. So 1450 would bring you to 2320. So technically you're making more, but this is your gross. And it'd be 75% of your gross income.

Yeah, which is double the federal minimum wage. Yeah. So what else do you have money for? It's weird that people don't acknowledge how shitty it is. And I guess, you know, it's like the generation does but like people in power are like lie through their teeth because it doesn't benefit them Yeah, true. Yeah, cuz then they're then they have to solve it This is this is me being a perpetual pessimist and hater but a pee pee. Is that they actually benefit from our desperation.

They want us to work constantly. That's the foundation of the feudal system. It's like I was embarrassed the other day of the function of oppression is a steam engine because the more you oppress and the more you restrict This was in reference to like religious doctrine and stuff But it applies here as well where the fewer opportunities and fewer levers that you offer people the more like Homogeneous the group focuses like hey, you can't drink booze. You can't check off You can't do that. You know, you can't do whatever was like, I better till the fields, I guess.

Like what else am I going to do in my time? And now it's like, well, you can't buy a house. You can't do any of these things. We're still going to make a lot of TV that talks about the American dream. You can still watch blue bloods and think that cops are, cops are epic swag. Yeah. But they're also still going to shoot you and you also can't buy a house. And it's, it's a cope, I think is part of it. Like, how nice would it feel to be like, you're like, uh, just completely, it takes on one, they're completely financially secure.

Nothing is in their way, but they have been, it's one of those kids like, uh, grew up middle to upper middle class, but was taught the value of the dollar so that when they get a job from their uncles, their uncles, uncles, uncles, they can pretend they built it themselves. How nice would it be to be that person still think you, air quotes, struggled because the switch costs more now. I worked hard for my money. But you also get the sweet, sweet privilege of judging your peers because they chose to

work at Walmart. Like, what do you peers because they chose to work at Walmart. Like what do you want? No one to work at Walmart? Okay, it's also like there's everyone being like, well, no one wants to work. And I sent Jacob a video of someone who made a little animation thing that's like over the course of the past like two months months I've applied to 64 jobs, 48 didn't respond, 19 rejected me, and one after four interviews also rejected me. And it's like, yeah, and I've had so many friends personally

who have been through this process and have been applying, applying, applying, and you can't even, like some of them, yeah here it is. Well like half the jobs are fake. Yeah. Like so many jobs are fake. Yeah. Like so many jobs are false advertised. And then it's full of- They're like ghost jobs.

All of the more prestigious roles for like a middle-class role are less impactful than working at a fast food restaurant, than working at Walmart. They make work jobs. You sit and you open the Excel folder and then you jump on over to Google, you close it as soon as your boss walks by,

but you sit ambiently because Bank of America has too much money to know what it's spending it on. True. My building manager the other day said- Name, address. I'm so frustrated with him. I'm really close to saying his name. But he, there was a open apartment and he said, I'm trying to hire a cleaner

to come and clean this open apartment, but no one wants to work these days. Well, it's that no one wants to work for what you're willing to pay. Well, so I said. No one wants to have no money. I know cleaners, I can recommend some to you. How much are you offering?

He said $50. What? $50. No one wants to work these days. And I said, oh yeah, of course no one wants to work for $50 to clean a whole ass apartment. That's insane. What could it be?

There's something here that's stopping them from being willing to do it. I think it must be laziness. It can't be that I'm paying them like one third of a steam sale. Yeah, dude. I'm humble bundling these cleaners. It must be you and all your friends should want to clean my place for a nickel. I guess I have to do it yourself. And I said, yeah, for $50, yeah, you have to do it yourself. Think about it. Like, you know, if they're the building manager, if they clean, how long does it take them, right?

And then you could say to them, wow, it took you three hours to clean. You just priced your own labor. Three hours. For like less than $20 an hour. Gotcha. Like Walmart or like fast food places are trying to offer people like, oh we're paying up to $19 an hour.

If you're like a manager, like the store manager, like oh $19 an hour. And then I've literally seen people applying for McDonald's Walmart Target, they will not hire anyone. And it's like you are begging people to come work for you and then you're rejecting everyone. Even when I was in school, like, I was in a situation where the market was so favorable

to my specific skillset that I like low-key had on accident because I didn't know going into my major that it was gonna be a thing that was like gonna be booming at the time that I... You were just interested in it. I was just interested in it. And what's crazy is that there was even this era in like 2013 to maybe even 2020

where everyone was on their like learn to code shit where it was like, oh, this fucking teacher, they should just fucking learn to code. This fucking bus driver, if they're not happy about the economy, they should just like learn a new trade or whatever. They're gonna be, Bill. And now with like generative AI and also with like

kind of the market being what it is, there are a lot less of those jobs for like programming and stuff like that. And the ju- And they're paying less. And they're paying less, but the like judgmental, like I'm in my little ivory tower being like, oh, you should actually learn a marketable skill.

Oh, well I learned to code and now how that how's that working? Linda by driver bus you have to you have to predict if I could predict the market I'd be rich Well now you should learn to drop ship Dropshipping is like like drop shipping is the ancient scrolls of like that type of like hustle thing now You've got to like sell a course about selling courses drop shipping feels like I'm being like it's such an old hat way of it's just classic scam get rich quick whatever there's like if somebody was like no I'm not really an organ harvester I'm like a

belly-taker you know like take stuff and I sell it to the mall but I'm tickly well I didn't. Also there's a lack of things that we actually need like mechanics, electricians, plumbers, that sort of thing. Like people aren't going into those trades because you know you are being told you should code or whatever. Or teachers. Or teachers. It's like, I can't name a more important role for our society to just be completely laying by the wayside in terms of,

it's very much like no one wants to work anymore. Like, oh, you have to pay for your own supply. My sister is a teacher, but like, oh, you have to pay for your own supplies out of your own fucking small ass. Like, first of all, you're not making that much money to begin with. And then on top of that, you're being asked to perform above and beyond, not to mention your job extends

outside of the traditional nine to five. You would have to be learning the code during nap time. I saw a TikTok of a teacher that had gone through like 500 pencils within like the first two weeks of school because kids weren't returning them. And so they were like, I've started asking them, like they take a pencil, I take their phone and they have to like, so they have to give the pencil back or like, or like something like that. You know, they have to give me something that they don't want to leave behind.

Right. It's like your ID. I'll be back like, because they can't afford more pencils. My mom used to be on the school board for her tiny town and, um, they, the school board had the teachers make Amazon wish lists and it's like that we can't operate this way. They're not getting. Crazy. It's like the community should not have to rally together to be able to do one of the most basic things that a community

should. The mission of like a guild should not be to keep themselves alive. It should be to like thrive and that again, universal basic income is it gets a great district. The devil ever played is that merit is the only thing that should exist for some reason. But like universal success is a meritocracy. It's pure meritocracy and the universe. No one has ever presented a real argument against UBI because the real argument or the arguments they make is just a repackaging of it's not fair. It devalues what I did. It can't be like, so's like a livable. If everybody just got a bajillion dollars and I didn't. He is $500 a month.

And in the meantime, go to trade school. Like that is what UBI is typically, and a lot of Europe is like applied as, right? But because we are here so brain broken, so warped, that the idea of getting something for air quotes, nothing, which makes no sense. It doesn't make any sense. Is it's like when someone doesn't want to pay taxes, it's like, well, I'm not getting anything from it. It's like, oh, OK, then you are only you're like a sociopath who only believes in themselves. Don't use the roads. Yeah, exactly. It's like and it's like, yes, you could have an argument about how the government is allocating funds.

But the kind like sort of trying to erode the concept of the concept of government is it like makes sense. Right. Yes. The concept of Connection, like delegating responsibilities to the people you have delegated. But it's just that those people, they get paid out. Well, not all of us can, if there's 10 of us, and we all have to do a certain job, not all of us can learn to code. Because then we're just gonna have 10 coders

and no one who can fucking fix the pipes. 10 coders with no drinking water. Let's watch what Dr. Phil has to say. Finally some sauce. Dude, he looks like if Smeagol was allergic to peanuts. Oh! What's wrong with him? What's going on at the top of his head, then?

He looks kind of like an old Minecraft Steve. I just want to say he has always been a fake ass piece of shit. A ghoul. What about the work ethic of Gen Z? What do you guys think about this younger generation and how they work, don't work, move around job-wise, what they expect? Uh-huh.

Look at that fucking- How do you feel about how they, how they, yeah, they're gay and how they levitate often. What do you think about the Gen Z's vertical leap? Have they got hops? I noticed the black ones don't jump as they used to. Sorry, he didn't say that.

Why don't we got as many Larry Bird's like we used to? What happened there? Well, I like Larry Bird. You see this long hair over here? This bee. Ducked it. I don't like stereotypes of any kind. I think there are ambitious, industrious people in your generation.

There were in our generation. There were also deadbeats. It's just a very... So far, so good. It's so individual. Okay. If you're seeing at Dollar Tree on your timeline, that's because they're under fire after a manager in Indiana posted help wanted but only for boomers and not Gen Z because quote don't know

what work actually means and then I apologize for us closing again my two new cashiers quit because I said their boyfriends couldn't stand here for their entire shift Don't hire Gen Z. They don't know what work actually means don't hire them Fire all women from game development get a job, but don't hire Gen Z Why aren't they buying house? That's called that's a lock. You've like you've soft-loved Don't don't hire Gen Z Gen Z get a job Grow up take a child my first job was at the Sanrio store. I Loved Hello Kitty still which is not a place in Brazil. It's about

it's about Hello Kitty and I was 16 or 15. I was young. And most, you know, I became friends with my coworkers. Hello Kitty. And we were kids. Goodbye Kitty. We wanted our boyfriends to stand there or whatever.

We goofed off. We played, when the manager was gone, we played like our hip hop music or whatever she didn't like us playing, you know? You're alcoholic crap. Here's the thing. Like if you're getting the work done, great. It's the dollar store, relax.

It's kind of the like, hey, we're a family mentality, but with less, less kind of Vaseline with like a little less grease on it. Because instead it's just like, hey, we're a family and that's why you work late. And then this one's like, hey, you need to work late or I will remove your personhood. I will take away your ability to be a person.

I worked at an ice cream shop and a car shop for a while. And I would have friends come over and then when I have a customer, I go, oh, one sec. And I go help the customer and I do my job and then I go back and talk to him. You would have gotten fired for eating all the ice cream. And it's like if I admit a corporate job and I'm in an office and my best friend or my boyfriend or whatever is standing there the whole time I'd be like yeah maybe get out of here. Because you're also, to be fair like in like where we met when we worked together we were however

Like in like where we met when we were together. We were however Exploited if any workplace can be that Hey, you got to work and ride a grind and you shouldn't work too long But you should can I give you a call on the weekend that kind of stuff? It's not the ask we would make of anyone. Mm-hmm But we were partly bought in because there was a promise. There was a, hey, you will be, you will rise in this company. It's almost implicit that you're never done. You will rise in this company and with a lot of startups, tech startups especially, you're usually taking a hit to salary with small startups because of like how much funding they have,

but then you get as a part of your compensation package, actual stock in the company, which means that there is a financial correlation between how well the company does and how well you do. But the labor wasn't equal and the facilities managers didn't make as much as them. Yes. And there's a million more stories of the companies that completely zero out. And you have to know that,

like I went to go work at Patreon for the mission, knowing that my, because I like wanted to feel some sort of actualization of my work, and also knowing that any stock was lottery tickets. Yeah, I literally didn't have any conception of, I didn't know I was getting stock until I already had about two years of it. I literally, I just never even thought about it.

I was, you know, I was 21 and I went there because I had been begging them to let me do work for free. And then finally in college, they let me start doing stuff and get the visa, move there, get into it. And I, again, very. And I became very fortunate. I could have been manipulated. I was like the prime candidate for somebody to get underpaid and overworked and so on. So no one wants to work anymore. It's like, okay, well, would you work for free? It's what's a crazy one dollar. When are we allowed? It This is like why this person isn't a doctor

because they're horrible at triage. Yeah, that's a bad bet. I'm just making a joke, but like, because if this person is a franchise owner or not, if they're just a manager, Dollar Tree is like, a lot of them are like famously understaffed, and like this person is being crunched by corporate and they're placing the blame on the level below them and that's how like that's how this

ruling class succeeds is because you're blaming the entry-level employees or the people who do just want jobs and think that a job at Dollar Tree isn't going to be like, it's like not the army or whatever. Well, it's like, cause who else do you yell? You got to yell at dollar. You can't yell at your boss. So now you have to impose your power and then you feel powerless. And so you just go, it's, it's the generation I'm struggling to, you know, it's that kind of thing. It's like, cause when I see that I'm like, okay, yeah, you can be an asshole and I'll still like defend your personhood. I want you to also get the health care. I don't want you to be

under the stress that you're probably under, right? I also think that like, we do not, older generations tend to be so harsh on young people and forget that they were the exact same way. Like they when when these boomers had jobs as teens, if they had jobs as teens, they probably were not great workers because they were learning. Right? I mean, if is a good point. I mean, having a part-time job while living at with your parents at home at that period of time through actually Look the mid-2000 is not even really this like for a very long time would Supplement a savings account you could move out of home if you went to college with thousands of dollars, right because you

worked two shifts a week for a few years at the local retail store. Because the, because you could, it's numbers. Yeah, meanwhile, like, Gen Z is like trying to make ends meet and staring at the calendar where it says, overtime, overtime, overtime, overtime, and then still like not finding a way to make it work,

but then there's no empathy given to that because someone, it's much easier to assume that everything is the same and you actually were exceptional than it being a different time and the variables and circumstances having changed. Because that means your success is actually not as valuable.

Yeah, now we've put an asterisk on my success. Oh, clutch my pearls. I might have. Excuse me, it's you for no reason doing it. I got my first job at 15 and was there for four years. About two years into that, got a second job, was working at both places most every day. And then from 15 to 22 had four jobs between that time.

Didn't move out until I was 23 because I couldn't afford to do that until then. And it's like, yeah, it's not the same as it was. And people, it's so crazy because the hierarchy of needs and desire has not changed So they look at a generation and think non-critically and say well, I guess they don't want to work Okay, well keep going. That's not genetically they don't do you think it was like radiation from chernobyl? Keep going because okay, so because the previous generation raised them going because, okay, so because the previous generation raised them. Yeah. So they're yours.

This is anecdotal and you're damning a whole generation off of a few tweets and things. So that's why I like Jane Doe or whatever her name is. Like she, she was at least a little bit more nuanced. Did you ever, we might've watched on the show, this was like maybe last year, um, the nine to five girl. Remember that like quick moment? Well, I don't know if we watched on the show, but I was just in an Uber where this guy was talking to me about a 9 to 5 girl who like, who like does lives

or does short form where they like do content about their 9 to 5 job, but then like somehow like bought a house. Oh, they were like, you got to hustle. And then they're like, something isn't adding up here. He's got like the inverse of this because it was, it was a viral clip that went around maybe maybe two years ago, but it's somebody who was, went to college at kind of like early COVID had gotten out, had a degree that facilitated the moving into from the college they went to in New York to moving into an office role. But I think maybe they were living in like Jersey and having to go in. And they were just making

this video. Right, the TikTok where she's just like saying, talking about how it's rough. I have to drill two and a half hours to get to the office. And then once I'm there at 9am, I have to wait for and a half hours to get to the office and then once I'm there at 9 a.m I have to wait for people coming and she's like how do people have and she's getting home at like 9 p.m. And has no time for anything and I Look, I'll be I'm as guilty as anyone. I watched that and my very first instinct was like, sorry down That's life. And then I caught myself and went yeah, but This she's completely right.

Yeah. Like if she was like, I'm in medical debt because someone drunk drove into me. I'm like, well, it happens. Yeah. No, this is insane. She shouldn't have to do that. It's also she is unfortunately a woman online. And if she expresses any sort of quandary then it's her fault and she's

like actually a bimbo maybe they should not a DEI yeah and then actually like all these negative things that are just being projected on her because of like internalized and externalized misogyny should we pass on the rest of this dr. Phil because it just makes me mad well I, I want to see what the boomers say. Well, there's like someone in hoop earrings that I want to hear from. It's some DEI style people. Now hiring baby boomers only. Thanks.

Dumb. Wow. So apparently they had a... I'm here to stoke divisiveness here across generations. So here's a one sided take that I'm going to make you all fight about but I don't have an opinion you go I'm not a doctor and you should not look into my history whatsoever they had a Few Gen Z people are they're all like that.

And also like low key that sounds illegal. Open discrimination and bragging about it. I think Dollar Tree agreed with you because they did put up this statement. The manager in question is no longer employed. Oh. Is that a known, right? Like it's like, kind of what I was saying.

Like I get it, right? Like their actions have consequences, but it's hard for me to be like, unless they're my direct manager, at which case if they wrong me, then damn you. But, but in the Bolivia, but in this situation it's like, okay, so they were misguided about the root of the problem, but it is, they were just a manager who was being crunched by this famously understaffed thing. And so they were punished. They had an outburst.

And so they were, they were punished. This sounds like a Dollar Tree problem, not that person problem. Or it's a systemic problem at the very least. It's an issue of like, okay, well, who, what sacrifice is the company or the people involved willing to make? What Guy Fawkes effigy can we burn, which satisfies them? What sacrifice? You need a goat, we'll stab a goat.

Oh no, okay, you want this person fired? Okay, arguable whether or not that's reasonable, but we'll do it for you and they can, I don't know. To be fair, something that is a little bit of an epidemic, and I think we've all been guilty of at different times, especially online, is a little bit of bloodthirstiness and a little bit of catharsis that comes from- Yes, that lady that said the N-word is dead now.

Oh, she died. She should never work again in this town. And like, look, if it is a teacher that like, there was like a teacher that wore like, um, a Native American headdress and she got fired from the school and everyone was like, yes, that's what you need. I'm like, no one even talked to. You say there's no point in your whole life where you also thought that was okay. Yeah, you know I've blood sport of like We're in the Coliseum, and I've watched them be beheaded before my very eyes. It's okay to celebrate. They're not real

gladiators, it's fine ah Yes, the VP and investor relations for dollars investor ghoul VP of ghoul, Incorporated. Netcromancer at Dollar Tree, Incorporated. All right, great, dude, congrats. Randy Goolie.

Not saying that the other person wasn't wrong, but you know what I mean. It's weird to root for the like, the corporation won. Nothing was fixed, but one of them was killed. Yeah. Dollar Tree released a statement that it did not approve or condone the sign.

John's a professor, and he says his Gen Z students are lazy, less motivated, only interested in themselves, and need to socialize more. That they're consumed by their phones. You say if somebody's up giving a presentation or whatever, not them, they don't even pay attention to it. They seem to want to focus on their phones more than listening and learning.

So it's frustrating. You know who's focused on their phones? My fucking parents. Yeah, because the stuff on my phone is funny and you're boring and not interesting. School has famously been boring forever. I get it. I do get it.

As an ADHD haver, I had to force myself to sit in the front row of lectures because I would just be on my laptop, which I also had. It wasn't even my phone. But it's like, okay, well, we're kind of being conditioned by our phones to be on our phones all the time. That's exactly what I was gonna say. Like, they're all Gen Z and they're fucking phones.

Everyone's, all the boomers are always like, oh, you gotta put down that damn phone. But we've had them since we were babies. And we have been conditioned to be addicted to them and all the bright colors and all the sensory that's happening all the time. It's like an extra limb. Well, and how many parents were like,

hey, baby, you're being annoying, play games on my phone. Don't call me baby. Play Doomer Jump. Play games on my phone. Don't call me baby. Play Doomer Jump. Shut up. I do. What's the matter daddy? Hey baby, play games on your phone.

Me to my wife. Excuse me? We should put out there. Not to be rude, you guys just didn't have the fucking literacy to do it. Like a lot of these guys are like, these kids are always on their phone. Yeah, because you need your nephew to show you how to do it. Like a lot of these guys are like, kids are always on their phone. They're like, yeah, cause you need your nephew to show you how to unlock it. But legit, boomers are on their phones and iPads all the time.

Like it's not a generational thing. It is a technology, technological, social thing. If you had your, like, if my grandma's stories were on her phone, then she would be staring at that. Yeah, she'd be gone. The thing I wanted to say though, Is it like when I was younger? We weren't allowed to have our phones out at school, but guess what became a gigantic problem that necessitated needing Communication at all times in the event of an emergency at school. Yeah

Yeah, you know what's like okay, so yeah What happens when you don't have like I would would, if I was a parent, I'd be like, damn straight, my kid's gonna have a phone at school. Also, a lot of education happens online now. And if I'm not on my phone in class, if you take my phone away, I'm on my phone too much, the teacher takes it away. I'm yapping in the back.

I'm talking to my friends instead. I'm doodling on a piece of paper. So I have, I was a teacher for a very, very brief time. You had done, you're Barbie. Yeah, what? Barbie? You are Barbie. You've done every job. I taught moxism at the Sanrio.

Yeah. So me and Hello Kitty were coworkers. We would take our smoke breaks together. No, I was a teacher for a very, very brief time. And the thing that you get taught as a teacher is that there's no bad students, there's only bad teachers. Because your goal is to keep every kid in that class engaged.

Yeah. And the bad teaching, it can be a resource issue, but the result is the same. It is a hard job. I'm not gonna say that's easy to do. It is simultaneously like an information job and a performance job. Like you have to imagine every day

you have to fucking perform in an engaging way. It's an impossible task. That is somehow in a world where labor, all labor is not equal is position not just below doctor, not just below any kind of healthcare. If you're a good DJ, you should go be a successful performer. It is the lowest thing. Being a DJ is outside of various levels of like trade work, comfortably considered in the U S the lowest trade you could have.

But you know who doesn't get taught how to teach university professors? Yeah. They only get taught the subject matter. No one taught me how to teach. Like they just, you learn the subject matter. That's it. And then they set you off in front of a classroom and guess what? You're boring as shit. And that is also, it's a thing at a lot of institutions that are research bases that faculty is not always there to teach.

They're there to do research. No, they're bad teachers. And so there's an adversarial relationship between actually doing lecture and doing what they really are there for, for grant money and for furthering their own individual resume of their body of work. The lecture is like a side thing. It's especially impossible because we do not educate our educators the way they should be educated. And then they get blamed also. And then they tend to get,

not at the college level necessarily, even though still at the college level, most faculty now are adjunct faculty, they don't get paid very well. But then we give them limited resources, then we give them low pay. Like it's just, it's a shitty system. It's the system's fault. But it can't be, because you can't do anything with that. Right, so it's just, it's a shitty system. It's the system's fault.

But it can't be, because you can't do anything with that. Right, so it's actually Gen Z's fault, nevermind. Yeah, that's the crazy thing, it's like, no, but wait, but isn't that the whole point of all of it? Your vibrator's going off again. Oh, sorry, it's my enormous dildo. What the hell? Yeah, this happened earlier.

One time I had my clippers in that bathroom and I could have sworn when I walked by like Jordan had just flipped on my clippers and started using them and I was like I don't think that's what happened but it might have been. I stay strapped. Our fellow loves to shave. Well actually well the reality is our fellow gets depressed and doesn't shave, and then realizes the podcast is happening again.

That's real, that's real. I do wanna say as my final thoughts on where Gen Z is right now, because I noticed on the notes, there was like, oh, Gen Z's growing up really fast, Gen Z is... One thing that I have heard a lot is Gen Z copes with humor too much

And I feel like that ties into like the growing up too fast Like we have had access to every horrible thing on the planet ever since we were babies Yeah, because we've had access to the internet since then and I think I think it's like cope with What else? Yeah, we're like well, we've been desensitized to every tragedy at this point. I lucked out by being desensitized. Did I, have I ever talked about how I was on 4chan when I was younger? Crazy place. You and me on slash B slash.

Yeah, dude, fucking insane place. Like the, I think you saying soft locked was actually like a really good way to put it. Like we have the world at our fingertips, but we can't do anything with it at this point. And we... And it's reminding you that you can't. He has everything, and you can't have it. We all need to be more empathetic towards each other

about, like, what we're going through online and off. Like, I just think that especially looking at Gen Z and how much shit that young people have had to go through and thinking about the fact that older generations are like, suck it up, walk it off, like this horrible mentality that doesn't help anything. And Gen Z and millennials who kind of went through this

with Gen Z need to keep that kind of went through this with Gen Z need to keep that energy because Gen Alpha is about to start posting oh they have been you know what I mean we've seen the Gen Z they're getting Gen Z has preemptively started going at them to cut it like a proxy it's very funny it's like a little bit they're like no, I'm the what is it's like We were just talking about this like the trauma Olympics where they're like, no, no It was what they're trying to get the word out that it was worse for them. Yeah, I don't know I was holding a big lollipop They're barely they're like words

It's like a Gen Z versus Gen Alpha thing or if it's just like me being the youngest kid in my family versus like my nephew who's like the new youngest kid in the family. And he'll go up to me and be like, did you know that Pikachu is yellow? And I'll go, I've known that since before you were born. I actually knew that. And I actually know that his shiny is a darker yellow.

Yeah, well name the type of yellow. I bet you can't. Did you know that zebras are actually black with white stripes? And I go, yeah, obviously I knew that My nephew started like trying to turn into a super saiyan and I was like who taught you that Where'd you learn that from you're too young to know what that is wait, I guess he's gonna go he linear choice He's like like go ten quarter saiy that. Yeah. Where did you get this? Who, how did that feel so on TV? There is, I think a genetic component to being a black nerd. I think dragon ball,

you're like born remembering the freezer saga. Yeah. It's like the genetic memory. Right. You, you, you know, pickle is black in your blood. Similar to anesthesia. I think, I think my closing thoughts are like, every generation is going to have a different way of reacting to certain events or a different way, a different outlook on life. Yeah, we're all forged in the fire. But if we can all just have a bit more grace with each other and look at how we've each grown up and how the world was then versus now, then we could like understand that better.

And also, Jen's like, I saw when Jacob pulled up that TikTok for just a moment about the girl being like, I have to travel two and a half hours every day. The top comment was just welcome to the world. And it's like, yeah, but the world doesn't have to be that. Yeah. And like- And halting a problem doesn't mean-

All my family got conscripted into World War II and got exploded. Welcome to the world. There's a war. And I feel like a problem doesn't mean. All my family got conscripted into World War II and got exploded. Yeah. There's a war. Yeah. And I feel like Gen Z and like some, like most of millennials are like trying to actively change that and change the system and try to make it not that way. But then everyone else that like grew up when they could afford a house, we're like, no, that's just how it works.

People are listening. And as we said, I at the very least have and will always have the natural instinct to lean back to the propaganda I got as a kid. It's there. My neurons are, the foundations of them are, you work hard, buy the house, you don't bloody complain, stiff up a lip, don't bloody moan about nothing. And like, even now when I talk to my family, I like feel myself, because it's a proper Northern family. And like, they will just... All the member of my family fell down the stairs and broke two ribs, which is, for anyone, a big deal.

It's especially a big deal when you're a little older and it could have like had a longer impact, it might not heal very well. And I caught my eye the other day, I'm like, yeah, how's that going? They're like, it's good, you know, they could have died. And they moved out of the building. Oh, okay, that's the kind of welcome to the world mindset.

It's like, well, that's how things happen. But if you share that natural instinct, chances are if you're listening to the show, you're probably in support of universal healthcare, right? Is some unsolicited advice. Anytime you feel your instinct bracing against somebody else sharing their trauma or complaining, default back to the way people talk about healthcare, where your first instinct is always, that's not fair, you should work harder.

How you always hear that, especially from boomers. And pause yourself and go, it is a bummer that Gen X's would ride on a metal slide with glass on it and hit their head and spit it, those stupid stories they tell. That is a bummer. Now it's not being complete, like a high percentage chance of being unhoused, but a degree of empathy will bring you peace

because you're not at war with someone you'll never meet. Like, well, you should have to do X, Y, Z. It's like why? So I can be like you? You fucking sad sack? Yeah, you're so angry. Why would I want that? So that I can yell at someone else? Jordan, my way of stopping that train of thought that you're talking about where I'm like, get mad at people is I have like a little mantra of look at the system not the individual yeah the individual is probably in a system that is making them act a certain way right so that's why I can't even though they're being an asshole I can't

like jump for joy in the Dollar Tree manager getting fired you know so much more prefer that they change their mind. That would be the choice. I think a lot of people wouldn't. A lot of people would like the blood. So now they're probably going to get bitter about Gen Z even more because they're like, they took my job. Cause Gen Z they're the ones who made it go viral.

Yeah. And so Gen Z they made me lose my job and it wasn't like John capitalism of like Star Trek incorporated rifle of Luigi Mangione. Yeah Jordan in our meeting yesterday. You'd mentioned the new season of black mirror Yes, now for people who don't know it's like if whatever your phone was mental What if your phone it was just like a wacky dude and also have you noticed we live in a society Look at my hands shaking. it's like i i do think that black mirror has had some some heaters but it's also had some beaters i i said before i

say it again i don't think there is a show that i it's kind of it's one of those things where i'm just like uh yeah i watch every single uh i follow the same team and I watched them every single season and I wear their Jersey. And I'm like, no, I hate that team. I'm like, I watch every single season of Black Mirror. As soon as it comes out, I binge watch it. I rewatch all the episodes and I complain about it constantly, but there's no way to deny it's one of my favorite shows. Cause what else would constitute that? Because it does include some of what I think are literally the best episodes of television ever made and

then Stinkers that shouldn't be stinkers even even if it's a cringe premise. It's done. So poorly doesn't make sense It is I was like beside myself Like I I had started I was like hanging out with a friend and I'm like, I'm sorry I have to text Jordan my thoughts really quick because... Did I read it? Yeah, well so this would include some spoilers

for episodes one through three, but mainly episode one of the new season of Black Mirror called Common People. Which has the, unfortunately, terminal diagnosis of being one of those first episodes of a season of Black Mirror that is awful, which they keep doing. That happens all the time for some reason. This discussion includes a discussion of like a family member passing away and like questions of euthanasia and stuff like that.

But it is, I will say, so absurd. Do you need any context before you read these? I actually don't know. I think they are the, this actually is a perfect experience for watching it. Okay, great. I think this summarizes it. I'm watching Common People.

It's fuck, it's fuck Nick pissing me off. It's fuck Nick pissing me off. It's fucking pissing me off. This is the stupid shit I've ever seen in my life. Why are they making Rashida Jones do this? I have a big, uh, I, I, I've had a crush on Rashida Jones for most of my adult life. Uh, nine minute break. I am so mad. This is so stupid.

It's only getting stupid. Uh, wow, this is just comedy. Um, it doesn't even remotely succeed at what it's trying to do. This is so stupid. It's only getting stupider. Wow, this is just comedy. It doesn't even remotely succeed at what it's trying to do. Now introducing a Rivermind Fent. Oh my God, the parkour thing. I'm going to lose my mind. This episode is What If Netflix Was Your Brain?

That one is... The worst episodes of Black Mirror are typically where none of the lore is in the... There's no background gags with a better word for them. There's no like, oh, you know, one of my favorite episodes, everybody hated it at the time, because people are stupid and I'm smart, but an entire history of you is the third season, the third episode of the first season, and it came after two kind of more bombastic episodes that everyone's talking about and I'm on the x-factor but it's even mental what if your phone was a tv and there is no there's that bombastic missing the third one but it's all about you know everyone

has a chip in their brain you record everything you see and one of the teeny weeny little details of that episode is that part of the reason this guy's kind of crashing out is because his career is falling apart because he is a lawyer and they don't matter anymore because everyone records everything they see. I didn't notice he was a lawyer till the third time I watched it because the world building serves the story as opposed to the exact opposite, which is these every episode that's like, what if you got a like every time you opposed to the exact opposite, which is these every episode that's like, what if you got a like every time you went to the toilet? That's like, it just feels like.

Okay, I think that when Black Mirror succeeds, it is like thought provoking in some sort of novel way. Sticks with you. And sticks with you. And that is increasingly difficult as the landscape of technology in our lives has changed. And it runs this cautionary tale risk of like when the technology catches up

to some of the premises, they can start to like lose their sheen a little bit. Yeah, cause we know the result. Cause we know the result. And one weird thing about the later seasons of Black Mirror is that they're no longer trying to project forward into the dark spiral of technology becoming more deeply ingrained into our lives.

It's almost like a commentary on the current moment. Yeah, it should be called Bad Phone. And then when it reveals, it reveals that it knows less about the thing that it's talking about than I do, or then even the average viewer might. It speaks volumes that the prohibitive amount of money for the dilemma that the couple in the first episode

bump into is the amount of money that rich writers think poor people have. Okay, okay, okay, okay, so I'm just gonna, I'm just gonna full stop spoil this episode. I mean, it's called Common People. It should be called, what if Netflix was put in your head? Yeah, no, because literally it feels like a fucking comedy. It's like an SNL sketch. Yes, it is apparently. It has beats that are comedy beats, but are not played for comedy So I'm like what the fuck is going on this does to very prolific comedic actors

And Rashida Jones Chris our dad from the crowd and They're they're a couple that They're a little poor. You know what I mean like they live a normal life, but they're a couple that, they're a little poor. You know what I mean? Like they live a normal life, but they're, the best times they have are going to the restaurant and eating a burger.

They're a normal couple that, like while the writer's room is like, what are we getting from Sweet Green? And like, you know, ordering things, they're like, they're a normal couple that, I don't know owns a house Actually like live in a beautiful home Drive like a 1976 Volvo

adds up and and The and they're like a little dirty looking I feel like they're like I feel like they make them look more disheveled than like cool like cool the sheet It looks yeah, so then and Rashida Jones is a teacher, so they're like okay. What kind of jobs don't make money, okay? Yeah, what do we go? What do we go? And then and then and then what does Chris O'Dowd do he works at the the manual labor factory? The moving boxes and metal Making things spark with a tool Every time you see his work it's like one guy welding

and another going like, hmm, how many wood do we need? And then 12 guys standing a fucking round So where does it start pissing me off? Okay, so... Title sequence Yeah, yeah, yeah, so then, Rashida Jones is a teacher and she, while doing her teaching Oh, before doing her teaching we oh, before doing her teaching,

we get a little bit of a reveal, which is, it almost doesn't feel like it even needs to be a part of the episode, but fortunately for us it is. Well, one of- In case you thought it was too short. One of Chris O'Dowd's, Mike is his character's name, one of Mike's co-workers is- Associate Pat. But he's Associate a social and he's fucking around on the job.

He's not carrying a box. By the way, Chris, a dad's character, Mike, who works at the manual labor factory has a job that is the embodiment of the meme. Name a job harder than this. And it's the people working at the oil refinery. It's the guys coming in mud pulling that big break. Yeah, literally. They're like, he needs to be doing good, honest work. And then a fucking Hollywood elite is like,

what is, we're on season seven of this. Who's the dude who writes all the episodes? Charlie Brooker. Yeah, Charlie. You know, he's like a, Gregor Attalent, he is a well-off British guy that recently knows that Cameron fucked pigs is because he went to Oxford, Cambridge kind of environment.

Right, but he's old money. So, well, that's, it's like just out of touch, right? But like what blew my mind is that he wrote other episodes that weren't as bad as this. And so I'm like, what did you, were you fucking? It makes you wonder what the actual, because it's a writer's room. You would assume. No, that doesn't happen anymore. He's writing it all himself.

Like I think the way he writes it is two or three, I guess with Bishke Ali, I'm not sure. So I think the way a lot of shows are working now, they have essentially one writer. And if that writer requests a mini room, where the mini room just pitches them ideas. David was talking about this a little bit, yeah. Yeah, like for the most part,

like for example, Last of Us is written by Craig Mason, that's it, you know? And he claims he doesn't have any help, who knows if that's actually true, but like. He has Neil Druckmann running around to me, like what if the mushroom was different? Yeah. But like, yes, Neil Druckmann running around to me like what if the mushroom was different? Yeah. Okay. So anyway, I just I was like beside myself during a lot of this. So the episode is

blissfully great news, very long. It's so long. So anyway, they needed to have this part where there's a sociopath who works at the the working factory. And he he kills time by watching Twitch.TV. No, just kidding. By watching TikTok live. No, just kidding. It's a website called, now I'm gonna now step aside to say, we've experienced a long line of fake companies in our time.

This one is the most on the nosedly called Dumb Dummies. Dumb Dummies, but with an M and no B. Yeah, like dumb, you're so dumb. So it's called Dumb Dummies, and it's where people go to torture themselves for content, but to make a pittance of cash. Insane, it makes you wonder whether the incredibly small amount of money is a misunderstanding

of the economy or if it's just a misunderstanding of the media landscape. It's like I'm not saying that Twitch streamers are all Twitch streamers are swimming in cash because it is one of those situations where it's like if you're the creme de la creme, but we know a lot of people who are like, you know, trying to cross over into doing it full time. But none of them are drinking piss for $20. It's beyond- One time use only. I mean, one of the problems also,

this is one of those, it's a contemporary Black Mirror episode where it's sure they're fudging the timeline a little bit, but it's modern. So it's not like, you know, they're not driving a weird fancy smooth car or a hover car. There's nothing to extrapolate from it. It the show is telling us this is normal reality, but there's Robo Bees. And outside of that, it's just it's distracting because we live now. We that's the thing. It's like we live in this time. We're alive.

This could have, this by spending, by spending, I don't know, 60 minutes watching streamers, you would get a better sense of, like you could have fleshed that out in a more meaningful way. So that's what weird, I should point out compliments to Charlie Brooker for a really long time. He's been a bit of advocate of technology in a relatively positive way. And he was a huge fan of video games. He used to have a show called Screen Wipe and some like associated shows where every year he'd talk about the media of the year. Funny guy, he'd present it directly and he was insightful and like pretty foundational and like a new, what I think has become the modern style of kind of fun, kind of snarky,

but like artistic review stuff. This is like the, in the 2000s. It's just not, it's, I guess he just aged out. Dude, I don't, I wanna, I- I wanna be nice. Again, no, I'm like gonna say that like, you take a lot of shots, you're gonna have some misses for sure.

And so I'm not trying to make this an indictment on him or his talent because clearly he's very talented however the dumb dummy shit is dumb as hell it's a it's a website where anybody can sign up and they immediately have an audience unrealistic if you have an audience in a chat moving like that you're making more than $20 total at the top of the screen the's already written douchebag on his chest and his drinking pills. Yeah. And the things that people do, and this is a trigger warning for like body horror.

It's not real, but it'll be like pull out a tooth for like a dollar. And would you point out the so Rashida Jones requires a surgery. So I just wanted to set the stage for the dumb dummy thing. But then so cut back to Rashida Jones requires a surgery. So I just wanted to set the stage for the dumb dummy thing. But then, so cut back to Rashida Jones teaching class and she drops dead. Basically she does a comical collapse. She got wide shot in, in, in it's like they, we never get a here's where this came from. It's just, Oh, surprise.

Rashida Jones died, but it's cause she had like a brain issue. She falls over the same way you would if a grand piano landed on your head in a cartoon. She was like, And then here comes the whole episode. Look out, here comes the plot. They, there's an experimental, like they're talking to a doctor and Mike is like, is there anything we can do? And she's like, well, if you'd have that scene right there, that's the doctor. Chris O'Dowd is the shoulder and he goes, is there anything you can do? She goes, she goes, yeah, it's a dark, it's the least lit hospital in the world.

There's, I mean, God, there's the show. Can't have this issue in general. This episode in particular has so much like student film level. It dark because this this scene is sad yeah they never turn the lights on in their house and then she goes she goes well if you had asked me a week ago there wouldn't be and then stay where Tracy Ellis Ross is right there um they say well if you had asked me a week ago I wouldn't have had anything but there might be something we can try. Enter Tracee Ellis Ross, a person who a year ago had an experimental procedure, but now is the CEO or whatever.

She is the salesperson slash only point person for this new experimental biotech company called Rivermind, where they solve your brain injury by creating a model of your brain, storing it as a backup, and then basically 3D printing that piece of your brain or whatever. They have like a hand wavy way,

because technology doesn't exist, so you always have to be like, oh yeah, and we create this organic matter, that's the breakthrough. And when they do this, this is where I'm, despite the initial 10 minutes just being like, not very, literally just not interesting in its construction,

and this dialogue just not being that compelling, this is where I'm like, okay. I actually have no problem with this concept. If there was a breakthrough like this, a company would create a product out of it. However, where it starts to become absurd is they do the surgery and then she immediately wakes up and they're like back to normal.

Except here's the thing, Riverbind is a subscription plan. It's like, now your brain's Netflix. Now your brain's a subscription. You have to pay so much a month and they don't even know going into it how much is going to be a month. Oh, actually it's $300 a month. Well, that's a lot. Surprise. Yeah. $300 a month is they don't even know going into it how much it's gonna be a month. Oh, actually it's $300 a month. Well that's a lot. Surprise.

Yeah, $300 a month is a lot. And then. Good for a brain. I'd say good for a working brain. Yeah, good for a brain, it does keep you alive. Health insurance doesn't obviously cover this. And this thing is so new, yet doctors are like promoting it. And now, and now Rashida Jones has subscription brain. And the way that they describe it, and now, and now Rashida Jones has subscription brain,

and the way that they describe, and this is where I got mad at the TV, they describe how it works, and they said that they use the cloud to replace the part of the brain. And I said, they would never do that. And then I said, what happens if you go under a tunnel? Do you just fucking die? You know what I mean? Like, and, uh, and so she has subscription brain and

they, uh, she has these days. She has a subscription brain and then they're like, um, we use cell towers, but they're cell towers that we own. Also a thing that would not happen because you would not create infrastructure because the issue is they drive into like a new neighborhood and Rashida Jones just fucking dies again. Yeah, but I guess just there's no other like brain death from it. She just goes to super sleep.

She goes to super sleep. But then there starts this series of the couple going back to Tracy Ellis Ross and expressing a new problem they have with the product. And every single time, like a fucking improv scene escalating its comedy, there is a new product that she's trying to sell them. And she, the game is, oh, you didn't know this important detail about the thing that you 100% would have found out if you were signing up for something like this. And with a little button, the button on every exchange is he is a more insulting name for the old one.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, so literally it's like, she like goes into a new neighborhood and doesn't have service. And so she fucking dies again. And then they go. I don't want to tell for that. Then they back up, they turn around, they take a UEE, she's back.

And then they go, oh, actually only one neighborhood range. Your T-Mobile range is just actually fucking. Go to head up. Burbank or whatever. Yeah. Your fucking parabolic explodes. And then they go back and for the first time, Tracy Ellis Ross is like, oh yeah, well,

we don't, that's outside of our service area, but good news, we just installed new towers that'll support that, but you have to sign up for RiverMind Plus. And then they were like, RiverMind Plus? And she's like, yeah, what you have is RiverMind Common. Which terminology-wise, I get what they're doing. Yeah, Common would be the internal name.

But that is not what something would get published as. No, literally, it's like, basically, oh no, you've got Rivermind Broke Bitch. Yeah. And actually, you've got, and you need to upgrade, and by the way, it's an additional $800 a month. Yep. And they're like, oh, we can't afford that.

And then, which now is, is in the realm of like a financial issue, but the initial $300 in the, in the text, like in the way that it is produced, is it seems indistinguishable to them. They're like, well, they are struggling for that $300. And then when they raise this price and they get it, they go, I'll just take some overtime. They get it.

And now the cycle continues. What's the new problem? Rashida Jones is doing ads. She starts, what if your brain did ads? Because you are on an ad-based subscription. What is the message of that? Jones is doing ads she starts what if your brain did ads because you'd like are on an ad-based subscription what is the message of that is the message that Netflix has a lower-tier subscription where you pay for ads I think the message is what if your brain did and guess why that would never happen no

advertiser would pay. When Rashida Jones is having sex with her husband to go, are you having trouble getting it up? Try this ED medication. And then she like faces back in and is like, what, what happened? It's they're pushing that lock constantly because again, it's a contemporary story. There's some really surreal episodes

of black mirror where you can get away with stuff like this because it's allegory. It's trying to ground it in there. Like these are the assaults of the earth. Salty. That's a good thing, right? These are the assaults of the earth people, the working class, blah, blah, blah. The box factory. And then they're being, um, except for they're being tortured by a comic book villain of a corporation. And I'm like, you could actually make a much more nuanced critique of whatever you're trying to critique by grounding this a little bit more because the upgrade, this type of thing happens. But the upgrade isn't 2.5x. It's more predatory. It's more insidious. It's more predatory. Again, it's confused because they're doing two very broad allegories. One's supposed to be towards the medical system, but the medical system is already critiquable on the way it does work. You don't have to speculate

and they never talk about the expense of the surgery. They never get into any of that stuff. If that had bankrupted them and now there's a subscription, that would make sense. But instead, again, you set this in, I don't know, like, it's a society where all the cars float. Then I'm like, okay, I get it. It's just like, keep trying to ground it in like, okay, so now they're working class and now they have to work even more to make ends meet

and keep Rashida Jones alive. And then it'll be like a scene of Mike O'Dowd, like Mike O'Dowd, Chris O'Dowd, his character's name is Mike. His name's IT Crowd. Mr. IT Crowd is staring at his calendar and it's just like all working days. And now he goes no days off.

He has written, he's done the cartoon version of Shift Change, where again, let's compare it to like, well, what do poor people do? And he's just written overtime, a long week. Overtime, overtime, overtime. For months and you're like, overtime, overtime, overtime for months. And you're like, I think he'd remember. Yeah.

I think. And guess what? Rashida Jones. Oh, well, we've got to keep this game going because we're in an improv show and not a fucking dramatic episode of television. She has to yes. And it. Yeah.

And now she's sleeping so long. Well, she's sleeping for like 16 hours. Oh, now we got to go in to talk to Tracy Ellis Ross and say, Hey, she's sleeping so long. Well, she's sleeping for like 16 hours. Oh, now we gotta go in to talk to Tracy Ellis Ross and say, hey, Tracy Ellis Ross, well, we're sleeping so much. And it's like, oh yeah, that's because, well, of course you're sleeping a lot

because you're on Rivermind Plus. I mean, and now Rivermind Plus is actually called Rivermind Peasant, whatever. Common fool. Yeah, and you have to sleep because we're actually using your brain to buy Bitcoin. Rivermind Plus is actually called Rivermind Peasant. Common fool. Yeah. And you have to sleep because we're actually using your brain to buy Bitcoin. Which cannot be more profitable than brain. She doesn't say that, but like that is the allegory.

She says we're using your brain to power our servers. Which is like, okay, so what? What's this a metaphor now? This is like, you could take them to court if they don't like make any of this like, any of this information available to you. It's like commandeering your brain. All of the little pieces they're playing with, I think could have been handled

in a more nuanced and interesting way, but it's taken to such a comical extreme when the characters themselves, none of it's actually played for comedy. So it'll be a scene with Rashida Jones, who's a teacher. The reason they have to get plus is because she starts like doing ads at school and a kid comes to her after class and she tells him to go to like religious conversion therapy or some shit.

Which actually when that happened, I'm like, if this system were in place, that would be the advertiser. It would be something that was about proselytizing something without needing to sell. Oh, yeah. Before that, she does a thing where it's like she's giving a presentation and she starts doing a thing about cheese nugs, like to her whole class. That would work. But you can't target like that. Poorly thought out, because why would they make it so that she doesn't have knowledge of the ads that she's running? Because it makes it very, it makes the ads ineffective because

now she can't answer for anything that she just said. Like every time you see a commercial on TV, it ends and it goes, what just happened? What was that? To your point, this is so similar to something in Futurama, which is a comedy show, from 20 years ago, where you get ads in your dreams. And then also there was a Charlie Brooker show called Nathan Barley that he wrote with someone else. And they talk about stuff like this in Nathan Barley, which is from 2006 or something. 2008. I don't.

It's like 20 years ago as well. Like this. And so that's a comedy show as well. And so she's like about to lose her job because she can't stop doing ads inappropriately. You talk about the man's skin balls. And then I think it's like a no one that was is basically that. And this is an information that the average person doesn't have. But I'm like, no advertiser would pay for an audience of one It's an impressions business baby like this must be costing more than a superball

Like it's extremely targeted but like very poor it basically it's not well thought out people don't like Well, actually an episode everyone loves is the original USS Callis story. I'd say that's one of the strongest Black Mirror episodes in terms of episodes that are kind of hyper real and the technology in that episode is the game itself is a little out of touch. It wouldn't really work like that. It wouldn't be that successful. It's essentially just like a Star Trek simulator, but it's the most popular game on earth You put a little dot on your brain. You know, I'm Star Trek, but it is It has a utility

There is no The allegory in that episode isn't about the mechanics of the world, right it that all serves a Third dimension that is actually the interesting part, it's kind of a surprise, which is it's actually about an abusive dynamic. You can see it as a relationship, you can see it as a boss, it's anything, but a soy nice guy who when given the opportunity is a very bad guy, and Jesse Plemons plays excellently in that episode. But if the episode was about how this video game made people crazy, which it could,

because it is like a life simulator, the obvious way to go would be that. Then it would be so dumb, because those games don't exist, won't exist, couldn't be allowed and wouldn't be fun. It doesn't make and they have ridiculous like a cloning technology. It's like the reason they do this is because it's written in the script and not there's like the motivations like start to not make any sense.

Yeah. And so this, it just jumps the shark so early and nothing feels believable. So then, and it's about these like, like working class people being crunched by the medical system. Great base for a premise. Right. It's a real problem. And I'm like, why does this feel like a fucking joke? Like, it continues to escalate, and I'm like, I can't believe it. I cannot believe we're still escalating this.

Cause then they're like, oh, well now you need, watch this ad, and then they cut a fucking, like, drug commercial for Rivermind Lux, where a woman literally says and I texted it to Jordan, ever since my fatal liposuction procedure, is how the commercial introduced it. And then-

And now it's like, okay, so what are we doing? Is this parody world or like- It's literally a parody. Cause then they do the other thing where it's like, okay, Lux, well yeah, you were on plus, but now it's lesser. As I said, now premium is common and Lux is premium. Dude, that's like, OK, Lux. Well, yeah, you were on plus, but now it's lesser. As I said, now premium is common and Lux's premium. Dude, that's like having Netflix.

Think about it. Oh, yeah. And so then also, sorry, just I'm getting a little tired of Black Mirror front porching the fact that it's on Netflix now. Yeah. I'd be like, yeah, wouldn't. Yeah, we're on Netflix. But like, here's a critique of it. Like, OK, we're not afraid of doing it. I don't, I have no issue with it, but that's not pretending.

I feel like this is all a good, um, explanation of why we need, uh, diversity and writing rooms and stuff like that because of the fact that people run out of ideas. He was doing similar ideas 20 years ago. Other people was doing similar ideas 20 years ago. Other people were doing these ideas 20 years ago. I don't know the composition of like, cause there are a lot of contributors to it. And I don't know the composition of the team

or how they collaborate, but at the very least it's like, there is either no one in the room or text thread contributing with the experience or impact to contribute those ideas, or there are, and those ideas are not being considered and implemented because someone should have said all the things we're saying. Well, I just imagine like him being like,

wouldn't it be crazy if our healthcare system, nickel and dime do you like this? And it's like, it does. What are you talking about? It's a like this and it's like it does Way faster, it's much more Actually, oh I want to watch the bit the pit shows how you should not run medicine as a Business. Yeah, I want to it just felt like this conflation of a bunch of different things like tech companies are crazy and also like health Care but like what if together and then Netflix is like a subscription service

So like an ads these days, you know what I mean? And never giving any thoughts like why and like what are what are these things saying because you can take those how the actual health care system crunches like lower middle class and working-class people regular everyday people crunches him in and you're like one accident away from like horrible medical debt in America. And like all that stuff is valid and it just feels like instead we have like a little cartoon.

Yeah, which is, we don't need like a analog for, whoa, that was actually sick. Damn, what the hell? Oh, okay, let me wrap this up though. So then it continues to escalate. How far can it escalate? Well, before this happened, I sent Jordan a thing that said,

now introducing RiverMine Fint, which is basically what they do. I said that before it happened in the episode. There's now a pleasure meter where you can max your pleasure out and you fucking go on some euphoric psychedelic trip. I don't know what this is a metaphor by the way for. We've just kind of gone.

Now it's for like, what if you watch too much Netflix? Well, I think it's like self-medicating. And now it's like, cause I said, I said, oh, okay, they're the new Sackler family, right? This is the opioid crisis, but on an app. And I'm like, okay, but that's like an interesting thing to talk about. And turning it into this little nonsense is not making the critique.

It's not making any critique. It's kind of like, wouldn't it be crazy if... One thing that might have maybe done something for this is if it wasn't set in the US, because that may be the pharmaceutical industry and the medical industry and the medical system as established has been around our entire lifetimes. And so it it's distracting because it begs the question, does this universe not have it? Because there's no conversations. They kind of briefly kind of have a touch. They're like, yeah, your insurance is covering it. Your insurance is covering it? What? Wait, what?

And then it's moved past it as opposed to just like, you could be like the NHS is very, very consistently been eroded over my lifetime. And for this to then come in and be like, yep, for 200 pounds a month, you can get the service. I think a lot of people in the UK would be like, OK, I guess it's like more money than none, but we've been used to that kind of thing. Yeah. So I bet you're all forgetting about dumb dummies, the streaming website that the the Chekhov streaming website that was introduced

at the beginning of the episode. He's been salting out a voice. Yeah, well, Mike has been worn to the bone, working for a nickel a day, I guess, because his only option now is to piss in a jar and drink it for $20. Instead of his hair on fire or whatever. And he wears a Batman mask and bunny ears. Which And which he will take off for sense on the day.

He's like, so so his whole thing is he's doing these things. He sticks a finger up his butt, whatever. Or no, he pulls out a tooth, sticks a finger up his butt, drinks piss. Those are like the three things that he does for the amounts of money. Laughably low. Twenty dollars. He ends up taking his mask off for like, laughably low, $20. He ends up taking his mask off for like, what is it, like $90 or like $100 or something?

Where- Which is a lot of money in the fiction of this universe. In my mind, I go, that doesn't pay for 1 17th of Rivermind Lux and you can only do that one time. Your entire mouth gets you some of a month. It doesn't, it literally, it's treating his like, cause at this point he ends up getting fired because that's revealed.

He gets fired because someone pays him a nickel to take off his mask and he's like, okay, I need money I guess. And he knows one of his coworkers watches this anyway. And he knows one of his coworkers is addicted. Yeah, cause that doesn't, yeah. But I don't think. There's a new guy drinking piss.

Like it doesn't make sense. It's like they're all only doing the same thing. You're a dude. But Vaude will probably come here now. And he's not charismatic. So it's like, does it make sense why there be an audience of like, it's like live leak, but live? Well, the uncomfortable thing is, I mean,

if we're taking everything here as an analog for the real world, then this isn't which is it? It's sex work. Yeah. That is the allegory. Exactly. And it is presented as absolutely unquestionably unethical. It is it is presented as pure exploitation.

No one there enjoys what they do or finds value in it. It is it literally has the most cam cam girl and only fans does have that. But yeah, it's like the cam cam. Yeah, it's just the like, again, being out of touch. That is this is where these computers are going these days. You put a photo of yourself on Facebook. Next, you'll be pulling your tooth out on camera. And like the.

On Nathan Barley from 2005, there was a website where you could bet on which person would lose a tooth first after being hit in the head face. This is like that super cut of Adam Scott saying, looking for a number when he's improvising or just saying conversation, he always says 19. Because I mean, I think I must have been like 19 and he's like I probably watched that movie 19 times. There's a super good of those. That's like

Charlie Booker with losing it. That was a bang a comedy number of the 2010s that one that was basically as good as it got 19. It's like shaped like a thing and you're supposed to go, oh, allegory, but then none of the parameters are right. So it's like, I am still not convinced why anyone would do this, because it pays so poorly. And it is more demeaning and more difficult and irreversible than working at the working factory. We really cannot emphasize what a bad job they do of communicating.

Like, he pretty much triples his shift load. And it is still... And he's willing to do the take out a tooth for $10. And he comes back from these... These shift... This is before the price gets raised a second time. So it's locked at this price. Raising the price to absurd comedic level.

They may as well be like it's a million dollars a day. You know what I mean? The thing is, is if this was a medical industry analog, then it would be yes, we've raised it to twelve hundred200 a month, but you can actually pay $100 a month with a 200% interest. It's way more insidious than just give it to us or I'll kill you with a computer. Every time they said the price, she would be like, it's going to be $800 in addition to what you're already playing.

And I'm like, what $800 alone would have saved you some words on the script and be easier to understand. Cause now I'm going, wait, so now they're paying $1,100. You know, it's like, okay, now. It goes from, okay, well I can see them affording this and then escalates to, okay, well now I see why it's proceed that budget. Immediately unaffordable, yeah. And then escalates to the point where no,

none of the options could be affordable. And she she you know Dies if she stands next to the microwave or something, but then and completely cold unempathetic it replaced it with nothing like Tracy Ellis Ross is like very matter-of-fact and cold to the fact that she keeps being like well obviously if I mean You're now on the stupid little baby version. Yeah It is that tonal issue. It is a million dollars more, but yeah, where it's like,

you even as a salesperson, and she says she got the procedure as well. In my mind, I'm like, she sold her soul to even continue like having permanent care, because how could anyone pay for it? It's like, how could anyone pay for this? How could a company sustain itself on this business model? It logistically, cynically wouldn't work. It just doesn't work. It would have been better if they had framed it as an MLM.

Yeah, or still, yeah. You have to get other people to sign up in order to keep your brand. And that would be a closer, something that has not yet evolved. It would connect some dots of why certain character motivations are what they are, but at the end of the day, it just adds all of these moving pieces,

and none of them are harmonious. And then I was upset with myself because I looked over to my friend, and it said one year later, and I said, spoiler alert for episode one, I said he's gonna kill her. He has to. And then.

Because it's a student film script and it has to end with a gunshot and fade to black? No, literally. Or, and we're not kidding, how does he do it? Okay, I could not believe. My friend was like, hey can you mute it? This is gonna make me cry. And, because it was like overly sad.

He's like, he's like, I, you know, I worked on the railroad all the live long day and now I've managed to afford 15 minutes of lux after the last year or whatever. And so I'm gonna turn your serenity levels up to max so you can be at peace before I pull the plug, metaphorically, cause that's like what's happening. But there's no plugs because it's wireless because like your computer and your phone. Wait, what the hell? But anyway, so she's like super serene. She basically gives

him permission to kill her, which in my mind, I'm like, if your subscription runs out, isn't she basically dead anyway? Yeah. Anyway, but I was like, one thing I did like is the ambiguity of like, okay, well now he's put her in a most serene place. Now she's saying it's okay to kill her. And it's like, I got that. That was definitely emotional. And then they throw it all away because she gets on the bed and you don't know what he's going to do. She's like, do it while I'm not here. Do it while I'm not here. One last I love you kiss. And then she doesn't add.

I could not believe it. It was almost, it was kind of hilarious. Like it was hilarious. It was like, wow, this is comedy. I was like, there is no universe where you cut this emotional moment with, with such a jarring comedic. And it is the score, the framing,

the lighting is screaming at you that it's sentimental. It's grabbing you by the wrist and being like, you're sad. I misdirected you. But it's like, and that's, oh, but we did the comedy because comedy is when you misdirect. But because the whole thing you were in this like Twilight Zone of is this a joke or not? Because none of these problems in real lives are a joke and you're mr. Hollywood on season 7 of your Hollywood show trying to be like what are poor people like so it's like if that kind of message doesn't like Land what the way does it the way does it does he find he in the most graceful way

possible he suffocates her with a pillow it is I was like it was that or what I get mad on Netflix it literally felt like because I was that it was gonna be that or when she's Serena he has a double barrel shot there's a scene where Rashida is in the foreground and he's like in the background and she looks away and super serene. I'm like, he if he shoots her now, it would have been better than what actually happened. The fact that he didn't. I was like, oh, are you so she's not. Oh, I found the more important.

Believe it. Like so my friend was like, hey, I was like, I'm going to believe it. Like, so my friend was like, hey, I was like, I'm going to watch it. You just close your eyes and I'll mute it. So I just read the captions. And I was like, actually, do you want to see this? Because this is not nearly as sad as you thought it was going to be. It's actually absurd.

And then it kind of just hangs around for a while. And he's like, yeah, I've got to sell me baby crib because I'm so sad and and now I'm gonna go do dumb dummies look dead in the camera And it's employed. I'm gonna do it. Oh, yeah, there's another there's an intro line He's missing a tooth by the way, so he's done. He's done that He didn't look funny enough yeah I thought you weren't gonna do any more tooth stuff I like to be buried a year he hasn't done a lot of it I that's what I'm saying I'm like can you only do one of each of these things one time okay

subscription where they replace your teeth the other episodes I also got mad at mostly about how characters behaved yeah um episode two, the main girl that it's following is an asshole all the time for no reason. I enjoyed a lot of that episode. But it's got the symptom that much of... It's got an interesting premise too. And I think that the ending, it sort of ended sooner than it did, that last scene was not needed. And then, you know the trope, when someone's waking up from a coma,

and they go, who are you? And that's like not what would happen. Like, yeah, it's like essentially what happens is, I go, actually, Sad boys doesn't have a Z. And you'd be like, no, it does. And I'd be like, no, it's actually never had a Z. No, Jordan, you fucking dumb donkey. I'm never gonna, it's never had a Z

and I'm gonna kill you for saying it did. I wonder, the one thing I did, they did do that sounds cool and I didn't learn this story as he told me, but there are two versions of the episode that people around me served. One where the things are different and one where it isn't that's cool. That's great It's an episode about gaslighting essentially. Yeah, but again, it does the classic blackberry thing of taking the allegory to its Understandable conclusion and then going like okay, but also

Masterchief is there Okay. But also master chief is there. He has the powers of Superman. It was like, this is Nevada. It's like you're on a road trip and your audio book has ended and now your child is telling you about a dream. My favorite colors on my truck. And like, all right. And then episode three is so funny and it shouldn't be because the premise is Issa Rae is in this like 1940s like Casablanca esque black and white film because they created technology where she can enter that world and act

against the actors from the time. It's one of like five episodes since San Judapere where they're like you like this this is what you like you like when they go in? That's the best? The other actor that she's playing against the entire time is in transatlantic old timey accents. She's like, well, I can never imagine that. And then Israe's like, damn, this is crazy. What? And she's like, I love the way that you speak.

You use such interesting words. What? This is nuts. Israe laser is like I'm dr. Alex Dr.. Alex you really do know What a way with words doctor and give us a BAFTA, please that's an okay episode I have it was so I have only seen up to three okay pulled your body has a Give me a BAFTA, please episode where it is just like, it's

just Sandra Rappero. But it's Sandra Rappero except not gay and it's somehow very boring, but kind of interesting. That one actually looks fantastic. That one is just visually very compelling. Two things about episode three, whenever they have one of these stories about like a company that has invented a new technology, like there's no way that this Issa Rae is, her name's like Montana Friday or something. And she, if she's presented as an A-list actor alongside like Ryan Gosling, Ryan Reynolds, whatever.

Manny- Already tricky always to watch shows about shows and movies. Exactly, yeah. But they put her in a situation where she could die. And in what universe would the agent, like, look, would they not have to disclose and like, be like, oh, this technology is actually like super unproven. And if you spill coffee on the machine, we'll kill Tom Cruise. You know what I mean?

That's true, because even there's the episode with Kurt Russell's son, something else Russell, he is a little birdie. Yeah, Kurt 2.0 is in an episode where like a kind of Japanese auteur developer, I guess the closest parallel I can think of is Hideo Kojima just because he's like innovator guy and does weird projects. But why Russell? Well, I like it stuff. He's very good in it. He's in a it's a it's a VR but it's the little thing you put on your head. Enough putting a little beat on your head. We get it. That's a computer. What if you had a freckle that was crazy? Israel also has a bean on her head. She goes, she goes, now I'm in the movie.

Bean button is present a lot in that season. But he goes into basically like a horror movie pre-alpha or horror game pre-alpha and they put him in like a scary cabin in the woods and they tell all this stuff and then you guys need to watch watch Batman right don't and he where he uh it's revealed like like he dies in it and then it's revealed that the entire thing was just like the synaptic response his brain was happening in the like half a second it immediately killed him he puts it on and just kills him but he has this whole experience and it's why it's full of like i don't know like allusions to like that spider looks like my dad but it's different that's cool it's full of like I don't know like allusions to like that spider looks like my dad, but it's different That's cool. It's a good episode and it is pretty compelling and I do recommend it

There's spoiler. They did the easy ending of the guy died You knew they were going to be falls on a pillow and it suffocates him put something like that You know, they literally do the pillow. There's a gunshot from behind it cuts to black. It's one of those but He is not a famous celebrity that brings in millions of dollars for people. They would let him die. They wouldn't do it with like real Wyatt Russell. It's like there's so many checks and balances to even the smallest types of productions where Issa Rae got a package that had the scripts in it and also USB stick that fell out and she never looked at

and they're like, you didn't look at the USB stick oh god you didn't look at the USB stick fuck i'm like Issa Rae in in the conceit of this story has people that are communicating with the studio they would have talked about this none of this stuff would be revealed at the 11th hour the show has some there's, there's a ton of it in the Paul DeGioia episode also. I'm so sorry, yeah. Where it's like, oh whoops, I dropped the credit card or whatever, oh no, the little piece of paper saying, look out, the phone's mental fell in the side of the couch.

Oh no, she doesn't know she's in a Black Mirror episode. It's like, is this, oh, it's a metaphor for dropping a USB stick. When their systems turn off in the, oh, I'm sorry, this is the last thing. Their systems turn off in the episode three, and Issa Rae, which is a thing I predicted from the beginning, okay, things are gonna go wrong,

she's gonna get trapped in it, because what else could they possibly do with this? They know and acknowledge that time is passing for her, and when everything comes back, Awkwafina is playing the coordinator person. She is so cold and unempathetic to the fact that they just trapped Issa Rae inside of black and white world for like two weeks.

Where she, and they're like, all right, next line, chip, chop, chip. And it's like, what do you mean next line? Acknowledge that it's been two weeks for me. I'm now having to come back to terms that I'm even doing a movie. It's like they're making the world so cynical as to make cynical people imagine a more cynical world.

Forgetting that like for most people saying like, yeah, it would be like really sad if you had to have a subscription for your medical system. And then not going, but what if also evil OnlyFans. Thank you for joining us. Thanks for being along for the ride the trains entering the station and we end every episode of subways with a particular phrase steam train oh no jacob's on the tracks by saying steam train we love you and and steam train we're sorry

oh no crash on nights tonight today right now. We keep talking about the Gen Z millennial culture war We watch a bunch of cringe compilations. We talk about our perfect perfect our past experiences and Just have a proper fun time. We have a proper fun time. They don't know over patreon.com slash-sad boys slash you geezer