The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast - Hometown Heroes
Episode Date: February 23, 2021We have the latest on Clare and Dale’s shocking reunion! What is going on??And Ben and Ashley discuss who is the favorite to become the next Bachelorette! Learn more about your ad-choices at https:...//www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Hey, Ashley.
Hi Ben. What's up? I hear you're going to Honduras in two days. I am. It's a big deal. So I'm going through all the steps right now because, you know, international travel, you have to get a COVID test. This will be my fifth COVID test. And I, I, I, I, you're fifth COVID test for this. No, in general, since the beginning, you know, with all the stuff from the show. And then I try to get one anytime I travel just because there'd be no worse feeling than like getting on a plane, flying to, you know, somewhere. And then.
finding out yet. So anyways, I'm getting my COVID test, which is never fun, not ideal. We're going
down to Honduras for the weekend, myself and just a few others. Because as you heard us talk about
in the podcast a couple months ago, the communities that we work with in Honduras were hit twice,
like within three days by two major hurricanes. And so the waters have kind of gone down.
We're going down to figure out, hey, how do we rebuild?
What's the need right now?
So I'll be down there for the weekend.
I'll be back Monday to talk about it if anybody has any interest in it
and to kind of share what we find.
It's going to be pretty hard.
I think it's going to be a really difficult trip because a lot of the stuff
that's been done over the last 11 years and a lot of their homes have been wiped away.
So, so sad.
But you know what I hope for?
And I'm kind of holding on to this is when we get back.
and on Monday when we talk, I'm like, all right, it sucks.
Like, there's nothing about this.
It's not bad, but there is a path forward, you know?
Like, there's now, there's already stuff going on and there's, you know,
could be more stuff going on, you know, once we kind of rally the troops.
So anyways, I'll be down there for the weekend.
Ashley, this week, I mean, we only have a few weeks left in Matt James's season.
the headlines haven't stopped we're going to break down headlines we're going to break down
the latest episode but also one thing we have to talk about and one thing we want to kind of sit on
for this podcast especially is everything going on in Texas since the last time we talked
yeah I was going to say the Honduras thing was not the only weather tragedy we've had this year
now we have Texas and our friend Blake was down there I think he had a DJ gig and he got stranded
down there and honestly like in comparison to everybody else's living situation
Blake was probably pretty lucky but we're going to get all the details from him later in
this podcast but first we want to go do a rundown of the episode it was hometown week
and um what was your initial thoughts uh Ashley I don't know what's going on
I don't okay few I but I feel like a downer so here's my issue I say this stuff I hate it
Yeah, and we can't be downers because I know there's people out there really enjoying this season.
I mean, there's parts of the season I absolutely love, you know, Matt being one of them.
I think he's a great dude.
I've always liked him since I met him the first time.
I think a lot of these women are really fantastic.
And I'm wondering, and again, I just sound like a broken.
I'm wondering if because I haven't been as invested into the relationships up to this point is why.
I this hometown week, which is usually one of my favorite weeks,
I know, felt like it fell short to me.
What do you think?
That, exactly.
I'm like, why are my, why am I not feeling anything?
Yeah.
Especially since, like, I got to hometown week and I was like, okay, well, I'll start
to feel a lot of things now.
Like, now drama's over.
Like, these are the ones he's taking seriously.
Didn't feel it.
Do you know what I felt the most?
What's that?
In any scene in this week's episode.
of just try to guess i mean matt talking to michelle maybe like one-on-one michel's kids the kids
okay that works that's when i actually felt like a little heart flutter and so let's start there
it was the first date of this week yeah michel first takes him um what do they do bike riding
bike writing yep so nothing really monumental there um then her family was probably the nicest as well
But the thing that really made me feel something was the fact that all the kids from her class, or not all the kids, some of the kids from her class, zoomed in.
They had him on a big screen.
They kind of grilled Matt.
He had the perfect answers for everything.
He's so sweet.
You could just see how much the kids love Michelle, how great of a teacher she is.
Yeah.
But, like, that was the only thing that made me feel.
I mean, it's really sweet, though, because obviously her connection with those kids right now is virtual for the most part, right?
I'm sure they've seen each of it.
But like, it's got to be a wild feeling to be zooming in.
And then these, you know, these kids seeing their teacher.
Like that's, that in itself is wild to see your teacher like on a date, like pursuing the love of her life.
And you're asked to like zoom in and say hi to her.
I also imagine that it's a great feeling for her.
I think it's probably like no matter what happens at the end of the show.
I bet she feels super supported by the people that she sees the most often
and that that's that's special yeah that was so sweet
let's talk about her parents it was just the two of them that were there
they seemed to have a really nice marriage they seem to be very supportive of her
they were the least grilling yeah of all the families
I would say so I think the only thing is that like
you can tell she's so invested she's saying that she'd say yes you
proposal um you know she's had less time than the other girls um and then they play basketball
together at the end and that seemed like a nice little family moment he definitely had most fun with
them this is uh michelle's story's uh pretty crazy if we take a step back from it you know this
relationship has moved very fast in fact right after her very first one-on-one date i think most
of the fans watching the show went there's something special here definitely you know she
She zoomed to top four, I think.
Like, unlike anybody else, she just, like, immediately placed herself there.
Like, it was like, which almost makes me think maybe this is the best connection because it's like right away, they knew they had something special and it hasn't waned.
It hasn't strayed away from it.
Now, it is the first one-on-one date.
I would say typically on this show, that's not a great sign when it's aired first.
Is it really?
Do we have stats on this?
No, I don't know.
bachelor jada to tell us about this i have no clue what the stats are i'm just saying typically
when an episode is finished i remember like the last two hometowns i don't necessarily
always remember the first hometown and i think that's like just in my head it's not a great
sign but again uh this is the family that felt like they were the most supportive of the relationship
between michelle and matt uh they felt like the family that did wanted matt to have a good time
with them yeah they wanted to get to know him but that moves us into rachel then i mean rachel
obviously is somebody that Matt has had feelings for for a while. We've seen her in a couple
one-on-one dates. What did you think about the way, like, let's start at the beginning when
Rachel, you know, kind of blindfolds Matt. What did you think about how this date started? Like,
did you feel like there was something good going on or did you feel like the connection was
distant? I felt like for the first time, the connection was distant. Yeah. So I'm thinking you
asked that question because you felt the same. Yes, I did feel the same. And I don't know if possibly
it's because the things that have gone on in the past week. Well, yeah, I think that I definitely
think like mentally for the viewer, but like that like plays into it. But I also think it's possibly like
the nerves of what was up to come. Like, you know, this date was not one that you're like relaxed by.
Like I think in the back of your head, it's hard to be so focused on a relationship when you know
you're about to drop 12,000 feet out of a plane. So that.
could be it too. That could totally be it. I was missing the part where any of them talked about
doing it for the first time. Did either of them say that skydiving was the first time?
I don't remember this. I think that for some reason that's like critical to me in this, right? I don't
know because if it's your first time doing it, like you may not want to do it. I guess both
of them just, you know, we're cool about doing it. But I think that with him being a risk taker,
um he would have been down but like was this something she wanted to do or is this something that
she was like i'm going to impress him with by doing have you ever done it have you ever jumped out
of a plane no have you i feel like you've done it i haven't i haven't i have it i have it i would
so i said this other day uh and i would love to hear from all of you listening right now if
you're listening please uh tweet us uh and hashtag almost news podcast or go on our instagram
um and comment on this or send us an email uh at ben and ashartmedia.com i would much rather
and I don't know if there's a popular opinion or not jump out of a plane than I would bungee off of those like bridges you know that you see where I agree I would much rather jump out of a plane me too but I really have no desire to do either no no there's not like I would do it if I felt like you would totally do it why do I would feel like that well I would mostly I feel like I would do it if I was trying to prove that I wasn't like a wimp okay yeah I mean I think Matt truly wanted to do it.
do it. I think he was excited for this date. And I think she was obviously cool with the date. Somebody would have probably gotten it. The producers were probably like, we have this opportunity. Maybe they gave it to her first and she took it. So they go up there. You're right. Maybe that distance was out of nerves. Then they go they go up there, they fall. And then she takes a hard landing. She really does. Like a really hard landing. Like a really hard landing.
Yeah. Really hard landing. He was concerned.
And then you see from him that he's just like, oh, my God, I really just realize how much I love you, basically.
Like, I thought that, like, my future, you could tell, like, without him saying it, that he was like, I feel like my future wife just, like, could have died in front of me, blah, blah, blah.
And even when he's saying this, I feel like she's not as receptive to it as mostly, as the other, as maybe Michelle or Bree would have been.
Well, yes, that could be.
Also, she took, I mean, her fall was not just a fall.
Like, it had to hurt.
I'm sure it shook her up and adrenaline.
But yes.
No, you're right.
No, you're right.
I think that's a fair point, though, is it didn't feel receptive.
Now, why we don't know.
But it definitely had to shake her up a bit.
Like, that fall hurt.
Like, that was one, like, I'm sure everybody on set that day was freaking out.
Like, we just had a massive issue.
It kind of reminds me to pause here for a second.
You can go to my Instagram right now.
Jason Tardick, who is the boyfriend to Caitlin Bristow and I had a bet on a football game.
And Buffalo Bills fans do this weird thing where they jump off of stuff onto tables.
And so the bet that we made was if the Colts beat Buffalo a few months ago,
then he had to be at a Waffle House for 24 hours.
And for every waffle he ate, an hour was subtracted.
An hour is subtracted from his time.
So he can pound like 20 waffles only be there four minutes or four hours.
Okay.
If Buffalo won, then I had to do the whole Buffalo
Mafia jump thing onto a table.
I did that.
I feel like you got the easier option there.
Ashley, it hurts so bad today.
Like, you can go to my Instagram and watch this thing happen.
Like, it hurts so bad.
I jumped off the tailgate in my truck onto a table,
onto like my concrete driveway,
which I've learned now that you're not supposed to jump feet first.
You're supposed to jump like head first
and you're supposed to jump into the grass.
There's so much.
much that I didn't know anyways I did it and so I can relate with this where it's like for a couple
hours afterwards like I was a little shaken up like my wrist was hurt so okay so then we get into
so you guys negate what I said about her like not being receptive to it you're right her whole body
just slammed against it and her you can actually tell how badly she was hurt when she was talking to
her mom yeah about how bad it was she's like mom like I have a lot of makeup on right now covering
bruises oh well there you go uh okay so you just brought the parents we meet
Rachel's family.
I think this was going to be a very telling time for Matt, just like any family he meets.
But I think his relationship with Rachel has gone fairly well up to this point.
I think I was expecting something major to happen because it's like this, no way it's going to be
this easy for them.
Because there really hasn't been any controversy between the two of them.
And, you know, just like Matt hasn't brought a lot of controversy on any of these relationships.
Well, so we meet the parents. Rachel's dad said right away, he'd be surprised if she was in love.
Ashley, what do you take from the meeting of the parents?
I mean, obviously the dad was one of those dads that we see every season.
He was the token dad that was really hard on him, not really buying anything, really had no interest in really talking to him, being that there were three other girls still in the running.
which I get like a lot of dads would have that issue but I wish that like parents would at least
we saw it with Bree's mom too like there's just like some attitude towards it it was like you knew
your kid was signing up for this show like you knew if they got this far you and then would be in
this position like let's not put it on Matt let's like not make it seem like Matt's the bad guy
here he's not this is just the process well and it's it's a weird time to be the bachelor when you
walk into these rooms because there's one thing you don't know
necessarily want to do you don't necessarily want to ask every dad for their approval to
propose their daughter yes and a huge note here the only person that this really came up with
was with rachel he was the she he was rachel was the only of the girls that matt said
i didn't ask your dad for permission because i don't want to do it with so many other girls here
he didn't say that to any other woman like you could tell you
hell that he's already in his mind
planning a proposal to Rachel.
It is the scariest thing
to be sitting there in general.
And then to be talking
about that with the dads,
especially some dads that you know
it's not going to happen with. It just feels dirty.
Like there's not a lot of things I think you have to do
as the lead that feel like
dirty or manipulative.
Now there's things that happen that you choose
to do that are manipulative. Like that happens.
But there's not many situations that you're
like that like the show sets
you up to be manipulative.
this is definitely one of them
it was a very uncomfortable thing for me
I know it was very uncomfortable for Matt
it's just really odd
because it's the first time you meet the family
you're really hoping they like you
because at this point you're pretty emotionally drained
you're exhausted
you can see the end
the finish line is near
and you have one big thing in front of you
this week and that's talking to the families
and you have to sit down with these dads
or these moms or whoever it is
in some cases uncles and grandparents
and grandma's like whoever it is that you ask and it's just heavy like it's not it's not fun i will
say it's one of the memories from the show that i remember being having the least amount of
enjoyment in was the end of hometowns when that would have to happen i get that but don't you
wish or respect the fact that matt was like i'm not going to ask now i'm going to call your
dad and was weird to me that rachel was she said she was bummed to hear that and i'm like
girl don't be bummed that's very exciting he's definitely going to call your dad one day i think it is
one of the best things matt could have done uh because ultimately the relationships on this show
only one of them will survive let's just say for the the sake of this conversation rachel and him
end up together at the end well then he and rachel are going to start a life together these other
women are going to matter to him i know he cares about them but they won't have really a role in his
life. And so for for him to start out in the right foot with her family as he like starts
to enter into her family is really important. So I think it was a great move. I just don't
think Rachel understood what exactly Matt was saying. That's what I get from the like I don't
think I think she was a little bit like confused on. Wait, is he telling me he's not there?
Is he telling me that, you know, he's not asking my dad because he can't see that? Like I just don't
think she got what he was saying. And I think Matt secretly just like,
if he would have said it without being filtered.
It was like, hey, Rachel, I'm going to ask your dad here in a few weeks
if I can marry you.
So I'm not going to ask him today.
Yeah.
So just like understand that.
And anyways, well, what did you,
what was the overall tone that you got from Rachel's family?
Like, do you feel like they're excited about this next chapter, nervous?
What do you think?
They weren't at, they weren't super warm and welcoming the mom seemed nice.
It's just the dad was just the, the grizzly bear dad.
Yeah.
We see it every season.
Yeah. I mean, but like also like moving into Bree's section of the episode, it was kind of like the grizzly bear mom.
Yeah.
She really wasn't, she was not keen on on anything.
It's really hard.
I mean.
Do you know what I mean?
Well, definitely.
She was not warm to him.
Well, and it's really hard, I think, as a parent, because I don't know what it feels like to hear that your kids signing up for this show.
And I can't relate with that.
I mean, my parents.
We're kind of more confused, I think, at the first, at the start.
And then it's all kind of fun in games, right?
Then there's some excitement around it.
You know, you kind of celebrate it.
And then all of a sudden, you realize, oh, crap.
Like, this is, like, life-altering, life-changing.
Like, what we're talking about here is going to change the, like, it's going to change
our son or daughter's life forever.
And I think that's where it might hit these parents where it's like, can we just take a
second?
Like, this doesn't make any sense to me.
like this can we just take a second and like not be okay with the fact that you're telling me that you're in love and this guy's also dating three other women right now i i get it i just think there's like a bed a good way to go about it and a in a way that doesn't really help any party involved and i and i think going at it aggressively and being like i'm against it or going at it and being like this is stupid i don't think helps i don't think anybody's going to respond well to that yeah no i agree i just like wish that they would be like think of it more of
a oh we're getting to know him type thing
we'll see where this leads
and less of a like intimidation
situation
and I don't know maybe maybe I'm just crazy
maybe like everybody most
most families would be harder
I just feel like my parents
my mom would be so giddy
and my dad would be like this is the
effing craziest
I've ever been a part of
I cannot believe I'm here
this is silly
well and how would that feel right
so say your dad does
show up. My dad needs to come on the podcast and be like, this is how I would have been.
But what if he shows up and you're in love and you're like trying to pursue this next step
and it's already a little weird to you? And he goes, this is silly. It would hurt you, right?
It would hurt you. You'd be confused, but it would be a fair thing to say. Like,
this is silly, guys. Like, take a second. Now, it works sometimes. And that's why you love the show
because sometimes love comes out of it. But let's be honest. This week especially feels silly because
It's so hard on the lead.
And it's also hard on these girls and their families are there.
And you see the families for like a couple hours and then you leave and you're like,
hey, next time I talk to you, I might be engaged.
Like, that's wild.
That's just wild.
I know.
Okay.
Let's go on to Bree's date.
So Bree takes him, what is it called?
Four-wheeling sort of off-roading.
And she's like getting payback for that time that he took her in the four-wheeler and like
tipped it over and all that um i can just tell right off the bad that she that he feels the weakest
for brie why and i feel like why i don't know he just like every time she kind of like explains her
feelings i feel like instead of having that excited look in his eye he's having that like oh man i'm
gonna have to let her down one day look in his eye interesting i mean okay so you're saying not that
you don't know you're saying you see it in his eyes like you just feel like i see in his eyes
Okay, you see it in his eyes, fair.
Especially at the end, I don't mean to jump,
but at the end of meeting her family
when they're sitting outside and she said,
like, I'm falling in love with you.
It was first off, like, we see that a couple weeks ago,
Matt says, I'm falling in love with Rachel.
So we know that he is, that she's so far ahead in this game.
Yeah.
Then with Michelle, she says, I'm falling in love with you.
And he doesn't say it back,
which is telling for us as an audience.
that she's not up to par with Rachel.
She also,
but he looks excited and very happy to hear that from her.
When Bree says it,
he just like kind of nods and doesn't smile
and then makes out with her.
Well,
that's always a good fallback plan on the show.
When things get weird,
just start kissing.
Yeah, okay.
So they go four-wheel-in.
She says that,
she still feels bad about the fact that she wouldn't be able to give Matt a conventional family,
which is like really sad, but Matt says that it doesn't matter at all.
And they go in and meet her best friend, her mom, and then the baby sister.
And of course, it's very sweet to see Brie interact with the baby sister.
And he's like being like, oh man, I can like really start visualizing families with these women.
and then
Bree's mom
comes and goes and chats with her
and she says that
she feels like there's a mutual connection
she says that she's falling in love with him
and she's so scared and her mom is like
I want to protect you
because like the worst case
is of course she's going to have a broken heart
but that they could mend that together
and they'll survive if that does happen
so we have this
we have this date
I'm with you.
It does feel like the one,
I still,
and I'll share my opinion here in a second,
I think Serena, obviously,
with how the show plays out.
She's like obviously the least in the mat,
which I think at this point is pretty telling,
which I called last week.
So then we have Bree, I think we'd be next.
This is a little side tangent.
Watching this episode, though,
even though, yes,
I don't think their connection is as strong
as Michelle or Rachel's.
I think she has Bachelorette written all over.
I think,
I think
with how bad
she wants to find a partner
I think also with
just who she is
and how she's been on the show
I think she has Bachelorette
written all over.
I'd be shocked.
Okay.
Really?
Because I would say
that Michelle would have a hand up on her.
Really?
Interesting.
Well, watch.
I mean,
there's a couple,
some seasons you and I
are sitting here at this point
being like,
yeah,
none of these people
have Bachelor or Bachelorette
you know,
written all over him.
Right?
I mean,
I think we said that
when Ari became the bachelor,
we're like, who from this season could be the bachelor?
Like, nobody.
Like, this doesn't make sense.
And then he became the bachelor.
I think with this season,
they have like four or five names we could say,
oh, yeah, that could work.
Oh, yeah, that could work.
I mean, I just think it goes down the list.
Well, let's jump into Serena's then date here.
I mean, this is a really important part of the episode,
um,
especially now that we know how it plays out,
you know, watching their first part of the date and putting it into the perspective
of what we know at the end,
I think
I mean, I'm not shocked,
but I think this is going to have a dramatic impact on Matt's next few weeks
because he's going to be worried about this thing happening again.
I'm sorry, I keep jumping ahead,
but what the heck is the scenes for the next episode?
Yeah.
Well, let's talk about that a little bit.
Let's talk about a little bit.
Fine, fine, fine, fine.
All right, yes.
I loved, I think Serena is one of my favorite.
She's just fun to hang out with.
I love the fact that she set up that, like, Canadian getting to know Canada Day.
That was fun.
And then, like, the ice hockey.
That was cute.
She's just really relaxed seeming on TV.
Like, she seems like she's being very much herself.
She's not putting on a show, and you can tell because she ends up, you know, being honest with her feelings and not going forward with it.
her family was like honestly i i don't even like think of i wasn't even thinking about her family
very much because i think the most monumental conversation during that family meeting part was
the one between her and her sister in which her sister was like you don't seem smitten
and and then there was the conversation with her mom about doubts because apparently she was
so rocked by her last
failed relationship
and I think
the whole point
of the whole theme
of that meeting was less about
Matt and more about
just Serena
kind of realizing that she didn't
have it with that
and did you feel the same?
Well and I wonder too if this will be good for her
right? I mean you kind of need
that I don't
if you want to call it motivation
if you want to encouragement
you know when you get out of a tough relationship
you need that next step
and not that she went into this thinking
this was the next step she probably went into this thinking
I'm ready but you realize
that hey
I'm not ready
but now I at least see that I'm not ready
and I can start to work on that and I think that's
maybe where we're going here is I don't know if this is as much
of a thing
to do with Matt even though you know he is
the right one for her
but it's more of a hey I'm not ready
for this commitment. I'm still hurt. I need to go back and heal. I think yes, but no, because I feel
like that's kind of what she wanted it to be. Like, oh, like, I just need to get over the past in order
to move forward with him. But then when she sits down with him and actually breaks up with him,
she says, you're not my person. And I think she really knew in her gut that he wasn't. And I can't
believe that they, it's actually kind of funny, that they made it seem like she was totally
dumping him she walked him out he had to get in the SUV yeah it's so sad it's really sad i feel bad for
him but i also think like he knew it i mean i'm just speaking for what i'm seeing here i think he was
like oh man i really like serena i don't think she was the one i think in his head he knows that rachel's
the one and um i think now his fear is that it's that rachel's going to
realize that her feelings aren't strong enough for him, and then she's going to leave.
But I'm looking at the scenes for the next episode.
Now I can talk about it.
Uh, does she leave?
I think she's the only person who could rock him the way that he looks rocked.
Yeah.
No, I mean, this is two weeks, by the way.
Uh, we're talking, um, not the, this is, uh, next week's woman till all.
Um,
I don't, yeah, I mean, there's always been this kind of hint that like there's something
to come, right? Rob Mills has always been hinting at, hey, the season's finish is wild and
it's worth tuning in for. And like, so far, I'm like, okay, well, how things are going, it could be
beautiful and it could tell a love story. But I don't know if there's like something gripping.
Now we're seeing hints that like this is going to end in dramatic fashion. And I agree with.
you. I think Rachel right now feels like the only one that could do that to him, but I have a feeling it's not her. I think it's one of these other women who leave as well. And then he's confused and he's starting to feel like is everybody going to go away? There's no way that Michelle leaves on her own. No way. She's very much preparing and excited for an engagement. And then Bree also feels like she's there, even though I don't think he's there with her. So I truly cannot figure out what he could be.
so emotional over.
Well.
But I'm excited.
I'm actually really excited now.
Yeah.
Are you excited for the woman tell all?
No.
Okay.
Why?
I'm not a huge fan of the tellalls.
It's just rehashing old drama
that usually doesn't really come to the best conclusion.
It will be interesting to see Victoria and see if she takes any sort of
accountability for her actions because it seems like in the scenes to the next episode,
you see her like try to explain.
that it was like her insecurities that got the best of her and that's why she needs she hopes
that people will forgive her but i i don't know yeah i mean i i think it's hard to say i i think
this cast this year has been criticized and celebrated all all at once i think early on people
were probably pretty frustrated with the bullying um pretty disgusted maybe the better way to say
it with the bullying i think that as we've gone
gone on. There's been a couple of women really shine and go to the top. So I'm excited to kind of
see how they're doing now and how they're processing it. But I'm not like, this isn't a tell
all that I'm gripped by. In fact, I am excited for the next couple weeks of the show, though.
I'm excited to get back to these relationships and to see how it plays out. Well, Ashley, just like we do
every week, rank this episode A to F, please. I think for hometowns it was a C. And I hate comparing
everything to Tasha's season and you guys know that like Tasha's season was one of my favorite
seasons ever. Yeah. But like I felt so much for every hometown visit. Yeah. I felt like I really got to
know the guys better. I got a good grip on how Tasha's relationship with the family would be in the
future. There was a lot of warmth and acceptance there and I just didn't get like the same
uplifting vibes with with this. Yeah. I'm going to give
to see as well. I think for home to hometowns is always one of my favorites because there's always
something cool from home that comes in. Uh, you know, they get to meet the families. You get to see
like their, their lives a little bit, get a picture into them. This just didn't do it for me. Uh,
but hey, who are we? We're critics. And, uh, but typically we're not. Like, typically, we're pretty
pretty favorable compared to most on this show. And, and, and I don't know, maybe we're
completely off. Tell us if we are. Hey, Ashley, let's take a break here. When we come back, we're going to
talk to Blake Hortzman, who was in Austin this last week during the ice storm.
And Ashley and I also have kind of compiled a list of organizations and places that you can
support as listeners right now that can help the people in Texas.
And so we're going to read that list.
Talk to Blake when we come back with the Almost Famous Podcast.
Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this.
The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone, to land this plane.
Think you could do it?
It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control.
And they're saying like, okay, pull this, pull that, turn this.
It's just, I can do it my eyes close.
I'm Manny.
I'm Noah.
This is Devon.
And on our new show, no such thing.
We get to the bottom of questions like these.
Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence.
Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack
expertise.
And then, as we try the whole thing out for real.
Wait, what?
Oh, that's the runway.
I'm looking at this thing.
Listen to no such thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hi, my name is Enya Yumanzoor.
And I'm Drew Phillips.
And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom.
If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you.
But if you have unmedicated ADHD...
Oh my God, perfect.
And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.
Yes, yes.
Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you.
Open your free IHeartRadio app.
Search Emergency Intercom and listen now.
Hola, it's Honey German.
And my podcast,
Grasasas Come Again, is back.
This season, we're going even deeper
into the world of music and entertainment
with raw and honest conversations
with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities.
You didn't have to audition?
No, I didn't audition.
I haven't audition in, like, over 25 years.
Oh, wow.
That's a real G-talk right there.
Oh, yeah.
We've got some of the biggest actors,
musicians, content creators, and culture shifters
sharing their real stories of failure and success.
You were destined to be a start.
We talk all about what's viral and trending
with a little bit of chisement, a lot of laughs,
and those amazing Vibras you've come to expect.
And, of course, we'll explore deeper topics
dealing with identity, struggles,
and all the issues affecting our Latin community.
You feel like you get a little whitewash
because you have to do the code switching?
I won't say whitewash, because at the end of the day, you know, I'm me.
Yeah?
But the whole pretending and coat, you know, it takes a toll on you.
Listen to the new season of Grasas has come again,
as part of My Cultura Podcast Network
on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcast,
or wherever you get your podcast.
Your entire identity has been fabricated.
Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace.
You discover the depths of your mother's illness
the way it has echoed and reverberated throughout your life,
impacting your very legacy.
Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro.
And these are just a few of the profound and powerful stories
I'll be mining on our 12th season of Family Secrets.
With over 37 million downloads, we continue to be moved and inspired by our guests and their courageously told stories.
I can't wait to share 10 powerful new episodes with you.
Stories of tangled up identities, concealed truths, and the way in which family secrets almost always need to be told.
I hope you'll join me and my extraordinary guests for this new season of Family Secrets.
Family Secrets. Listen to Family Secrets Season 12 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
A foot washed up a shoe with some bones in it. They had no idea who it was.
Most everything was burned up pretty good from the fire that not a whole lot was salvageable.
These are the coldest of cold cases, but everything is about to change.
Every case that is a cold case that has DNA. Right now in the backlog will be identified.
in our lifetime.
A small lab in Texas is cracking the code on DNA.
Using new scientific tools,
they're finding clues in evidence so tiny you might just miss it.
He never thought he was going to get caught,
and I just looked at my computer screen.
I was just like, ah, gotcha.
On America's Crime Lab, we'll learn about victims and survivors,
and you'll meet the team behind the scenes at Othrum,
the Houston Lab that takes on the most hopeless cases,
to finally solve the unsolvable.
of the unsolvable.
Listen to America's Crime Lab on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your
podcasts.
Hey, loves, it's Paris Hilton, and my new podcast, This Is Paris, is out now.
I just wanted to do a podcast because I feel like I have so much to talk about.
There's so many things that happen in my life that are so exciting.
I want to be able to connect with you all.
Just in the past week, I've been talking to so many of my friends and just really just
fun and interesting and hilarious and really cool people that want to be on the show.
So it's just going to be so different to be the one asking questions because I'm so used
to everyone asking me questions.
I've seen the guest list of people coming on this podcast.
Oh my gosh.
I could not get these people.
So I'm really excited that I'm on this podcast with you, Paris.
This is going to be an insane run.
And if you guys want to listen to it, you should.
Listen to This is Paris on the IHeart Radio app.
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
All right, guys, we have Blake on the line.
Blake, tell us everything.
Start to finish about your week last week stranded in Texas.
Why were you there in the first place?
Yeah, it was supposed to be a quick trip.
It ended up being about almost a week.
I went down there to play a DJ set at a rooftop bar there called Summit down in
in Austin.
and we were warned, you know, when we went down there, we got down there and people were like,
you know, there's like a winter storm coming in. I was like, I'm fine. I'm from Colorado. Like, it'll be
fine. Oh, yeah, big, big storm coming at Texas.
Yeah, right? I was like, I'll be fine. But I remember we woke up on Saturday. I was supposed to play
Saturday night. We woke up on Saturday and my flight had already been canceled for Sunday.
And I was like, that's, that's bizarre, but it's fine. We'll like book another airline or something.
You know, it's got to be something else. It was weird because it was cold. It was, it
It was Texas cold. It wasn't like, you know, Colorado, cold, Minnesota, go, Canada, cold, nothing like that.
And so we did the gig and it was outside and stuff and it was great. You know, it was like, you know, mass, all that was worn. We ended up being really successful. We woke up the next morning and everything was getting. The whole city was shut down. And that's why I like, you know, a lot of people my DMs were like, you know, it doesn't even look that bad out, blah, blah, blah. But like, Texas is not built for that kind of cold and that kind of weather.
And let's, let's pause here then because there's a good note there.
you're right uh i was uh i was in nashville uh at my future in-law's house during this and they shut
down two for a week now they didn't lose power and they didn't lose water but when you say not built
like in colorado you get a snowstorm and the plows are out the salt trucks that you know the beat
juice like everything's out on the roads it's taken care of overnight and you're back to going
again um you know the planes have the de-icing uh you know salvant like all that happens
well in Texas they don't have those things like why would you buy 30 plows if you use it once
every 100 years yeah exactly exactly and even like yeah Denver DIA has some runways that are
heated you know what I mean so like they just weren't yeah we woke up Sunday and there was
still no snow but it was cold it was like 20 degrees or so um Sunday night is when I got really
bad I'm not gonna lie like it was even a decent amount it was like a good blizzard like say it's
seven inches in a couple hours and it was blowing really hard some crazy snow drifts and that's
when I was like, oh, no, you know, because like you said, there's no plows and there's no
salt. So the roads were no joke, two to three inches of ice. It was, it was scary. It was really,
really bad. Like, just walking across the streets of 7-Eleven took me like 15 minutes because I was
walking so slow and so gingerly. What about the food situation? You were living off 7-Eleven food
because there was no room service. Like, you just couldn't eat a real meal. Yeah.
That applies to so many people in Texas. So many right now. And it was, that was the scary,
That's when I got, no, it got real because, so all Ubers were shut down, all like Uber Eats, postmates, all those shut down.
And then the hotels were running out of food and the trucks couldn't get, could not get in to, to deliver the, you know, the packages of food and stuff like that, shipments of food.
So we slowly started running out of food.
We got to the point where we were like, you know, whatever they had left in the kitchen and like ham sandwiches and things like that.
They're making sandwiches for us.
and the other thing about Texas
all their pipes are above ground
so none of them are like below ground or anything
so I don't know a single hotel
maybe there's like two or three hotels in the city
but hotels and apartment buildings
that did not have a pipe burst
like everybody I knew
pipes froze and burst and just spilled water
so they were running out of water
there was no power there was no food
it was like the end of times down there
really really was it was scary for a lot of people
it was a lot and the thing is too
is to note is if you could have eaten
at 7-11 every day
That would have been great.
Like, you could have done it.
But what happened was there was no ability to get into the city or to replenish this.
Like, nothing was doing.
So that food was running out.
The hotel food was running out.
Water was spilling all over these hotels.
Like, and then let's throw on top of it, something that you didn't mention.
You know, Texas a few years ago changed their power grid and deregulated it and privatized it.
And it shut down.
I mean, all power had shut down across the whole state.
They were doing these rolling black.
Blackouts. Tell me about that. What is, if anybody isn't, what is a rolling blackout?
I think the way it works is they basically cut power on purpose in neighborhoods to lessen the amount of power being used and the amount, you know, the amount of, I guess, overuse by this system. So I think it's just rolling blackouts. They purposely would send, you know, certain neighborhoods blacked out for like a couple hours here or there. And that was honestly like my hotel didn't lose power. But I remember I was standing in line. There was like, you know, 40 minute wait at the hotel lobby to get.
food and i remember standing in line there was a couple ahead of me with a newborn baby and they were
like we had to come here you know we haven't had a power in two days and they were like we can't
you know it's freezing cold in our house and we can't we don't have food and have a newborn baby so they're
like we come here to grab some food and they they were able to finally get us a room but a lot of people
were just hanging out in the lobby because they they they wanted heat you know so it was it was pretty
wild i mean it was really scary my uh my buddy um one of my best friends since i was little
he has three kids all under the age of six and he lives in Austin and uh they lost power
and obviously then they lost heat their house uh got down to 40 degrees inside um so they went to a hotel
they drove like two hours to a hotel that hotel lost power they drove back to their house found
a generator and they were heating one room and this is what he told me and it's crazy he goes hey i was
driving and it feels like in times like there's cars parked everywhere uh there's cars abandoned uh there's
people you know one of the things that was on the news uh last evening that i saw what and it's still
happening where there are people in the city park like austin was able to get water running to the
city park and there's like a three hour line with people with buckets um filling up they you know
filling up their buckets with clean water just to take it back home but one of the things he told me
was right before uh he they this has had this has
It happened. It was Valentine's Day and his wife had gone to the grocery and bought a bunch of stuff to like do for Valentine's Day dinner on. And he goes, that's the only reason that, you know, we aren't in in dire need is because we just happen to time it perfectly, not knowing the results. But like grocery stores had ran out of food. I mean, this is, like, this is not like, this is not funny. This is not, like, this is something that is still affecting the lives of people in Texas. And that's where I want to transition here for a second until we talk about your trip.
to get back to Denver,
which is, I think, super interesting.
There's some good resources out there,
and please continue to share them,
maybe on our Instagram page,
comment some good places you know,
but the Salvation Army of Texas,
go to give.
v. Salvation Army, Texas.org.
American Red Cross.
Obviously, we know about the Red Cross.
They're massive.
The Red Cross.org is their website.
Not the wet.
It's just Red Cross.org.
And then Austin Disaster Relief Network,
you can go to A,
D-R-N-org to donate there.
Definitely something that still needs donations.
Definitely something still impacting people in Texas.
But, Blake, you were able to get out.
How did that happen?
Yeah, so I think basically Tuesday night, we were like,
you know what, if our flight gets canceled again tomorrow, Wednesday,
like we got to find a way to get Dallas because flights are getting out of Dallas.
We're like, we got to, you know, we got, and what sucks is like,
we were holding up in a hotel where maybe a family whose home is flooded and
cold needs it you know so we're like if we can get out they can use we even checked out of one hotel
early so that another family could come in you know because i went through four hotels in like four
days um so i was like we need to get home you know like so we get to the airport as soon as you're
going to security wednesday morning of course flight gets canceled and they canceled they went over
the intercom and said no all flights are grounded for the day there's nothing get out of awesome
we're like oh my god so we're like okay let's go run and you know get to the rental car
we go to rental car of course there's a huge line everybody got the same thing we did so we get
there there's no more rental cars available i start
call in other rental places in town. Nobody has a car available. Uh, so we're pretty desperate at
this point, um, because we didn't have a hotel that night. No, I didn't know what we were going to do,
sleep in the, you know, the airport or what. So, uh, I get on my Instagram and I basically was like,
you know what, uh, please share this, post this, whatever you can, but if there's anybody going,
already going from Austin to Dallas, I will hop on. You know, me and my buddy, Eric, we'll hop in,
we'll pay for snacks, we'll pay for gas, like whatever we can do to hop in with you. Um, and I got some
inquiries but then there was one girl and it was she was like you know what my cousin just got one of
the last rental cars in the city and she's driving to dallas and then to oklahoma city she's like she's
by herself like we want you to go with her that would be great if you could go with her so she gave me your
number we end up talking and i was like yeah let's do it she's like i'm leaving now it's like perfect
we're at the airport we're packed up like let's do it yeah so it worked out and she was great
you know thankfully she was she was awesome girl and i like i said like i'll be i'll be completely honest the first 30
miles from Austin took about two and a half hours and it was scary like it was really really
scary the ice that was on the interstate was so bad that even like a percent of an incline these inner
these um semis were rolling backwards on the interstate it was terrifying for the first like 30 miles
it took about two and a half hours we were i mean we were weaving in and out of these semis
that were going backwards there was actually literally tractors on the interstate trying to like pull
these semis up these tiny grades like tiny tiny grades you know like almost like an on ramp like that's the
kind of stuff they would get stuck on um there were semis jackknifed all over the road um so it was really bad
and there was a moment where we we got really lucky uh we had two huge decisions because we actually went to a
7-11 and 7-11 and stuck up on food and water yeah we sucked up on food and water because we were
like we're going to get stuck on the interstate over the night like we're just going to have to sleep in
his car. And we ended up pulling off the highway right at the exactly the right time. We went on
like a dump road for a little while for a good 20 minutes. And then this is probably the
sketchiest thing I've ever done. We were getting on an on-empty back on the highway and the
semis in front of us stopped instead of rolling backwards. So we threw it in reverse and we whipped it
around and we ended up going on an off-ramp the wrong way and turn on to the interstates.
because there was no all those semis were stuck so there was nobody on the on ramp all the semis
were stuck behind it and we ended up getting back on the interstate and then we were the only car
for the next i don't know 100 miles because every other car got stuck behind the semis so that was
the one move that helped us get through and then it took us another four hours after that to get
to Dallas but once we finally got there was a good feeling and then we got out then that first thing
the next morning first flat out but it was scary and i feel for texas a lot like said a lot of people
think like oh they're overreacting or whatever but it's not it is it is dire down there and
And like, like Ben said, this isn't something that's going to like overnight get better.
I mean, people have lost homes.
I mean, the power.
I mean, it's almost like a hurricane down there.
Like, this is going to take months for them to get back on their feet.
This might be a silly question.
But how did it feel driving in a car with somebody you just met and like needing to trust their driving skills in such conditions?
Yeah, it was, it was funny.
I'm actually going to have her on my podcast at some point, I think, and talk about it because it was hard.
It was a lot because like I said, those first 30 miles was.
And she was driving the first 30 miles.
And it was scary, especially too, because, of course, you know, like, her phone was blowing up because I, like, tagged her in a story.
And her phone was blowing up.
And I was like, why don't you just put your phone down for a little while?
Let's go to the road.
But no, it was, we got really lucky because she was awesome.
She was a great driver.
She was, she wasn't like a, like, she had driven in stuff like this before.
So that was a plus.
Like me and her, both driven in winter, you know, so that helped a lot.
But I got lucky for sure.
Could have been really bad.
The, so, Blake, you.
You were in Texas, though, just to give a little shout out to your podcast with Eric, which is your co-host on Behind the Rose podcast, which you guys do together.
You're down there for a gig.
You make it back to Dallas.
You're home now.
Is there any other ways?
You know, we just mentioned a few organizations that people can donate and support.
Is there anything else you know of from being down there and seeing and hearing about it that you would want to tell people to focus on?
Yeah, actually, and I have a story, like one of those highlights in my profile where I put.
the trip. And then I also put like a bunch of places you can donate or whatnot.
Austin Mutual Aid is actually raising money for families who are now maybe in a hotel for the
next month because their houses are completely destroyed. So Austin Mutual Aid is a great
spot. There's a couple others. You know, it was really sad was seeing, you know,
like you said, Texas does not use this weather. A lot of the be homeless out there. It was bad.
You know, they were there. I knew, met some girls who spent like a thousand bucks on blankets.
They were running around giving, you know, homeless people these blankets.
So there's a lot of places you can donate to help out the homeless out there in Austin and Dallas and Houston.
But, yeah, in my story, there's a lot of resources.
Okay.
Well, go check out Blake's story.
In fact, Blake, I'm going to do something right now.
I'm going to steal that slide.
And I'm going to post it myself.
And then almost as a podcast can probably post that or, you know, we can pass it around.
It's, thanks for sharing the story.
What a wild few days for you.
You know, it is a story you'll tell for a long.
time but it's also you know let's let's spend this time hearing from you and then focus on
texas because that's you know i mean i mean i can't imagine it just it crushes me to think that like
there's people without homes out there unprepared you know uh alone isolated and there's people
losing their homes now as well and like the cost to that this you know the there's just a lot man
so thanks for sharing um yeah let's go out respond and uh man uh man uh
Anything right now other than the Behind the Rose podcast that you want to give a quick shout
out to that's going on in your life?
No, that's pretty much it. Check out Behind Those Podcast.
Follow me at Balakea.h.
But that's pretty much it. I appreciate you guys having me on.
And like you said, yeah, we'll share as many resources and fundraising abilities as we can.
Thanks, buddy.
Hey, appreciate Blake.
Thinking about you guys in Texas. Love you.
Drew Phillips.
And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom.
If you're a crime junkie and you love crimes, we're not the podcast for you.
But if you have unmedicated ADHD...
Oh my God, perfect.
And want to hear people with mental illness, psychobabble.
Yes, yes.
Then Emergency Intercom is the podcast for you.
Open your free IHeartRadio app.
Search Emergency Intercom and listen now.
Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden.
you hear this.
Attention passengers.
The pilot is having an emergency,
and we need someone, anyone, to land this plane.
Think you could do it?
It turns out that nearly 50% of men
think that they could land the plane
with the help of air traffic control.
And they're saying like, okay, pull this,
do this, pull that, turn this.
It's just...
I can do my eyes close.
I'm Manny. I'm Noah.
This is Devon.
And on our new show, no such thing.
We get to the bottom of questions like these.
Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence.
Those who lack expertise lack the expertise they need to recognize that they lack expertise.
And then as we try the whole thing out for real.
Wait, what?
Oh, that's the run right.
I'm looking at this thing.
Listen to no such thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Your entire identity has been fabricated.
Your beloved brother goes missing without a trace.
You discover the depths of your mother's illness
the way it has echoed and reverberated throughout your life,
impacting your very legacy.
Hi, I'm Danny Shapiro.
And these are just a few of the profound and powerful stories
I'll be mining on our 12th season of Family Secrets.
With over 37 million downloads,
we continue to be moved and inspired by our guests
and their courageously told stories.
I can't wait to share
10 powerful new episodes with you,
stories of tangled up identities,
concealed truths,
and the way in which family secrets
almost always need to be told.
I hope you'll join me
and my extraordinary guests
for this new season of Family Secrets.
Listen to Family Secrets Season 12
on the IHeart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Super Secret Bestie Club Podcasts,
Season 4 is here.
And we're locked in.
That means more juicy cheesement.
Terrible love advice.
Evil spells to cast on your ex.
No, no, no, no.
We're not doing that this season.
Oh.
Well, this season, we're leveling up.
Each episode will feature a special bestie,
and you're not going to want to miss it.
Get in here.
Today we have a very special guest with us.
Our new super secret bestie is the divo of the people.
The divo of the people.
I'm just like text your ex.
My theory is that if you need to figure out that the stove is hot, go and touch it.
Go and figure it out for yourself.
Okay.
That's us.
That's us.
My name is Curley.
And I'm Maya.
In each episode, we'll talk about love, friendship, heartbreak, men, and, of course, our favorite secrets.
Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club as a part of the My Cultura podcast network available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
My name is Ed.
Hello, Ed.
Hello, Ed.
I'm from a very rural background myself.
My dad is a farmer, and my mom is a cousin.
So, like, it's not, like...
What do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club?
I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke,
but that really was my reality nine years ago.
I just normally do straight stand-up,
but this is a bit different.
On stage stood a comedian with a story that no one expected to hear.
Well, 22nd of July 2015.
A 23-year-old man had killed his family.
And then he came to my house.
So what do you get when a true crime producer walks into a comedy club?
A new podcast called Wisecrack,
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Listen to Wisecrack on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcast.
The biggest headline coming out of Bachelor Nation this week has probably come out during this podcast recording.
Matt James has put out a formal statement regarding the Chris Harrison and Rachel Lindsay Extra interview.
Now, he did discuss this briefly on his Instagram story last week.
He said in a story, I am beyond grateful to have.
have Rachel as a mentor during this season. Your advocacy for the BIPOC people in this franchise is
invaluable. I stand with you and the rest of the women advocating for change and accountability.
But just now, he put out, I'd say a more formal statement on his Instagram feed, and this is what it reads.
The past few weeks have been some of the most challenging of my life. And while there are several
episodes left of the season, it is important that I take the time to address the troubling
information that has come to light since we wrapped filming, including the incredibly
disappointing photos of Rachel Kirkconnell and the interview between Rachel Lindsay and
Chris Harrison. The reality is I am learning about these situations in real time. It has been
devastating and heartbreaking, to put it bluntly. Chris's failure to receive and understand the
emotional labor that my friend Rachel Lindsay was taking on by graciously and patiently explaining
the racist history of the antebellum South, a painful history that every American should understand
intimately, was troubling and painful to watch. As black people and allies immediately knew
and understood, it was a clear reflection of a much larger issue that the Bachelor franchise
has fallen short on addressing adequately for years. This moment has sparked
critical conversations and reporting raised important questions and resulted in inspiring displays
of solidarity from Bachelor Nation. It has also pushed me to reevaluate and process what my experience
on the Bachelor represents, not just for me, but for all the contestants of color, especially the
black contestants of this season and seasons past, and for you, the viewers at home. I will
continue to process this experience and you'll hear more from me in the end. My greatest
is that this is an inflection point that results in real and institutional change for the
better. Like Matt says, he has plenty more to say on this, and I'm assuming that we'll hear
a lot about this topic during after the final rows. He was not the only person to speak out
about race in Bachelor Nation this week as this conversation fortunately continues.
Going from that then to this story, Trista Sutter on her
podcast that is called Better, etc.
The headline reads, Chris Harrison will do the work that is necessary to learn from
his mistakes amid Bachelor controversy.
This is according to us weekly.
She says on the podcast that she does not condone racism nor participating or defending it.
She says that she wants us to all do better, of course.
She wants to be better allies.
She says that she thinks it's important to highlight racial.
inequalities in the world, but she said it's also not okay for certain people within
Bachelor Nation to shame other people within Bachelor Nation who are not directly involved
with this controversy because they haven't spoken up. She said that that being said,
she should, Harrison should be held accountable for his words and actions. She said that
Bachelor Nation feels like family to her, but just because your family doesn't mean you have
to agree with the other person's words
or actions. Definitely not.
Well, Tasia Adamson says, to chime in here,
Chris Harrison stepping aside from The Bachelor
is a really good thing. This is according to people.
Yeah, she said that, I'm going to read this direct quote.
She said, I think after reading his apology,
there's a few things that stuck out to me.
It hit my heart a little bit more to know that he actually meant
what he was saying. He said, by excusing historical racism,
I defended it, which was absolutely the truth.
and the fact that he called that out and owned up to that and he acknowledged that means a lot
to me.
She also said that the fact that he said, this is not just a moment, but a commitment to a much greater
understanding that will actively make each day, that he will actively make each day.
Also meant a lot to her.
She said that this isn't just a moment, just like how Black Lives Matter isn't going to just
be a trending topic on
Instagram. It's a thing that takes
place every single day that we should be
actively trying to partake in and better.
She also said that
his words affected a lot of people,
herself included, and
that she thinks that by him taking ownership
and not just issuing
an apology and then going back
to work the next day like nothing happened
speaks volumes on his behalf.
She said that we have to allow people
to prove us
wrong, prove themselves, and
And she said, direct quote, I've learned this in my relationship.
I mean, Zachary used to be an addict and he's done a lot wrong in a time that I never even knew him.
And he needed somebody to give him a second chance in order to prove himself.
He wasn't going to lie anymore.
He wasn't going to lie anymore that he wasn't going to do drugs anymore, that he was just going to do all these things that he used to.
And he made an insanely different path for himself.
and now is helping a lot of people
because of that second chance.
It's interesting to hear that
because obviously with Chris Harrison's platform
in the years he's been doing the show
and the massive following the show has,
there's a huge opportunity here
to make really positive change.
There's a big opportunity for that right now,
as Tasha was kind of saying,
which is something that we'll look for, right?
I mean, it's happening hopefully behind the scenes.
Chris has came out publicly and said he is working on stuff,
stuff. But if that is true, then he's going to come out and have a really positive impact because a lot of people want to hear from him and listen to him. And just like the cast here, there's a lot like Tasha, huge following. Rachel Lindsay, huge following. You know, their words right now are mattering a ton too to how we go forward. It's something that the almost famous podcast listeners have always done, right? They've always rallied around just like the Texas example, right? They've always rallied around the idea that people matter.
and that people should feel love and be loved because they deserve to be loved.
They're humans.
And I think the almost famous podcast here and many others in Bacheloration are saying,
okay, this is a good opportunity to hold each other accountable to learning it better
so that people out there can feel loved and be loved.
Well, this headline's weird to me how it reads.
Actually, I need you to break it down because the article and the following of it
doesn't at all go with what the headline reads.
But I'm going to say the headline.
and if you're listening, don't just stop here. Listen to how this explained because we're going to read the exact quote. Rachel Lindsay says on whether Chris Harrison should be fired. Let's see what happens. Now, that's not at all what she says. She's a lot more clear in her response. Ashley, what does she say? Yes. She says that he needs to take time to get educated on a profound and productive level. She says, I think, I think,
you have to see what happens.
I think I don't want to play into things too quick to judge someone, right?
Am I disappointed?
Absolutely.
Do I agree with what happened in that interview?
No.
But at the same time, he has taken steps to not issue one, but two apologies.
Let's see what happens from there.
Yeah.
So the headline's a little misleading, just like headlines typically are.
But yeah, she's saying, hey, he's issued.
two apologies. Let's see what happens. And, um, and, uh, we're going to continue to follow that
story as well. It's not just a story. It's, it's something that's happening in this world right now,
right? This is an action that a lot of people are needing to take. And then, uh, obviously,
it just kind of came to the public eye, uh, during this interview with Rachel and Chris.
Well, Ashley, this headline reads and it's shocking. I mean, shocking to me. I had, I did not
see it coming. Maybe you did. But the bachelor's Claire Crawley and Dale Moss reunite in Florida
just one month after split.
It could not be more shocking to me.
Okay.
I was hoping so.
I did not feel like this was on the horizon.
I wasn't sure that Claire would even be open to talking to Dale.
I didn't know that Dale was going to have any interest in talking to Claire.
The two of them were spotted in Florida last Tuesday, one month after news broke that they were going to separate, that they were separated.
they were seen at No Como's Sunset Hut
So not only are they seen in Florida together last week
But she just posted on Sunday
A picture of her hand with seashells in them
So possibly probably still in Florida
With a ring on her left finger
And somebody's foot who looks like day
according to the sluthers is in the background of this photo the caption reads collecting memories so wow um okay
ashley bizarre to me i don't understand how this isn't like a massive story i mean maybe it is in bachelination
i'm just a little out of touch uh with what people are talking about but like claire crawley and dale moss
reunite we've seen nothing from them and like except like oh i mean quite honestly like a lot of
tears uh a lot of rumors now hey if they find themselves back together again i i think everybody
would would celebrate that as long as it's healthy and it's good for both of them oh wait
holy shit ben what this gets crazier okay okay so there's that post that she posted yesterday
and we have confirmation that she's still
in Florida. She's in
at the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota
and there's a picture of them
Claire and Dale
holding hands
at the pool.
And then
wait, and then
onlookers said they were
very affectionate holding hands a lot
100% seems like
they're back together. They looked like
they were having a great time. Dale carried her
on the beach. Okay, so they're not even
trying to hide it because if you like there's not many like i've never carried carried jessica on
the beach um and so like you don't that's like that definitely like at this point it's just out there
like there's definitely something going on i don't know what it is but they're not even trying
to keep it from us i mean i would go as far right now as to say yes it's confirmed that they're
together in florida i mean there's pictures they're at a hotel who knows what's going on
Ashley. Now, here's the second question for you. Where are you finding all of this?
Like, who's out there tracking Claire and Dale Down?
These Bachelor Sleuthers.
That seems like something that would give me.
If I start reading those blogs, I would be in a corner in the fetal position just bawling.
So sad because I'm sure they're, they know everything or at least they think they do.
Bachelor Nation scoop. It's an Instagram account. Post in the photos.
Oh, okay. I follow that one. That one sometimes fun because I can keep track of my friends and what they're up to.
uh well the stories wide we'll keep track of it i'm sure we'll have more to talk about next week
maybe they'll post a picture together and just really start it well i'm wait i'm smiling
because like i'm happy for her this is great you're you're happy exciting and so unexpected
that's good uh that's nice uh this headline's wild uh i saw it uh scrolling through
instagram one day i had to scroll back and i was like what in the heck is going on this is just
crazy so the headline reads Hannah brown's brother Patrick
hangs out with Jed Wyatt's ex, Haley Stevens.
This is according to us weekly.
Ashley, what is going on?
This is so wild, guys.
Okay, so Haley Stevens is the girl that Jed was allegedly seeing when he went on Hannah's season.
This is the girl that he apparently called at the airport and said like, bye, I'm doing the show.
And now
Hannah Brown's brother
has posted a picture of her
on Instagram
and the
lyrics that he posted along
with the picture
go to the song
it goes to the song
by Ashley McBride
which is called American Scandal
and the quotes that he uses
don't tell me the world
couldn't handle a good old-fashioned
American scandal
hold me baby
oh no
Can you believe it?
There's hearts.
There's like kiss faces.
There are kissing and winking emojis.
This seems dangerous.
This seems like it doesn't end well.
I don't know how it ends, but it just doesn't end well.
I don't know.
That's wild.
So we don't know if they're actually dating.
We haven't had that confirmation yet.
We do know they hung out.
But that's as far as we know at this point, right?
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, hey, we'll follow that story too.
Oh, man.
Well, final story of the day.
Hannah Brown's boyfriend, Adam Woolard,
proposes to her in Jordan Davis new music video.
So this music video comes out and she's kind of like playing the girl who is like going through a whole bunch of like different love scenes trying to find her true love.
And at one point in the storyline of this music video, her now real life boyfriend proposes to her.
I'm wondering if this is where they met.
But we don't have confirmation on that.
Oh, good point.
I was like, how did they do this so quickly?
I don't know.
They haven't been, that would make sense if they did it like, if they met on set of that.
Yeah, because he's a model and he's, you know, models are often in music videos.
And I feel like, yeah, this is it.
This is definitely how they met.
Yeah.
Okay.
Not definitely.
Well, you can go watch that music video.
I watched it.
It's cute.
It's good.
She danced around there and has like, I don't know, it's kind of like a her story of dating.
But Jordan Davis's new song.
almost maybes
is a music video
with now with Hannah Brown
and her committed boyfriend
I think they're public now right
can I can we say that it's public
okay it's public
hey Ashley
that's our podcast
and it's been a good one
but again I want to finish it
with two things one is more of a shameless plug
for the almost famous merch
you can go to myfanthreads.com
slash almost famous and buy
some of our merchandise
and we've created it
and I know that
The hats are really popular, the hats and long sleeves.
So go check out that.
Again, that's myfanthreads.com slash Almost Famous.
Also, I have to give a shout out to your book that you and Jared did.
It's a great book.
Ben, you're so sweet.
No, just tell everybody about it.
It's a children's book about making friends and getting out of your comfort zone.
How do you find it?
It's called Lucy and Clark, A Story of Puppy Love.
And you can find it at Lucy and,
Clarkbook.com. That's so sweet, Ben. But seriously, when we're turning the favor, go get Ben's book
alone and plain sight. Anywhere books are sold. Yeah, it's out there now. And we're a little bit
over a week and a half into the launch, alone and plain sight. It's been really fun to hear the
story. So go read it, review it, almost famous family. You've been with us for so long. It would
just mean a lot to me if I could hear from you on this book because I think a lot of it is stuff
you would know just based on listen to the podcast, but also stuff that you might not know.
And I would love to share it with you all.
Finally, to end this whole podcast today, we mentioned some organizations.
And Blake mentioned some organizations to support Texas.
Please get out there and support Texas.
There are neighbors.
We love them.
There's a lot of struggle and hurt right now down there.
Go out and support Texas.
It's the right thing to do.
It's a good thing to do.
And we'll post.
I'll definitely post on my Instagram.
Same.
The link that, yeah, that he shared.
I'll just screenshot his stuff.
And we'll throw it up there.
Well, Ashley, we'll be back next week.
I'm going to go to Honduras this weekend and check out the damage done down there.
And then we'll be back with another episode of the Almost Famous Podcast.
I've been Ben.
I've been Ashley.
Bye, guys.
Later all.
Follow the Ben and Ashley I, Almost Famous Podcasts on IHartRadio or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hi, my name is Enya Umanzor.
And I'm Drew Phillips.
And we run a podcast called Emergency Intercom.
If you're a crime junkie and you're a crime junkie and you.
You love crimes, we're not the podcast for you.
But if you have unmedicated ADHD...
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Yes, yes.
Then Emergency Intercom's the podcast for you.
Open your free IHeartRadio app.
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Why are TSA rules so confusing?
You got a hood of you.
I take it all!
I'm Manny.
I'm Noah.
This is Devin.
And we're best friends and journalists with a new podcast.
called No Such Thing, where we get to the bottom of questions like that.
Why are you screaming?
I can't expect what to do.
Now, if the rule was the same, go off on me.
I deserve it.
You know, lock him up.
Listen to No Such Thing on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
No Such thing.
What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison
or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth?
Unfortunately from Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced.
He said, you are a number, a New York State number, and we own you.
Listen to shock incarceration on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Hi, it's Honey German, and I'm back with season two of my podcast.
Grazias, come again.
We got you when it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews with some of your favorite
and artists and celebrities.
You didn't have to audition?
No, I didn't audition.
I haven't auditioned in like over 25 years.
Oh, wow.
That's a real G-talk right there.
Oh, yeah.
We'll talk about all that's viral and trending
with a little bit of cheesement and a whole lot of laughs.
And of course, the great bevras you've come to expect.
Listen to the new season of Dresses Come Again
on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast,
or wherever you get your podcast.
Do we really need another podcast with a podcast?
a condescending finance bro, trying to tell us how to spend our own money. No, thank you. Instead,
check out Brown Ambition. Each week, I, your host, Mandy Money, gives you real talk, real advice
with a heavy dose of I feel uses, like on Fridays when I take your questions for the BAQA.
Whether you're trying to invest for your future, navigate a toxic workplace, I got you.
Listen to Brown Ambition on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.
This is an IHeart podcast.
Thank you.