The Chris Cuomo Project - Listener Calls: 24/7 Media Culture, Couch Confession, Dr. Fauci (Bonus Episode)

Episode Date: September 22, 2022

In a special bonus episode of The Chris Cuomo Project, Chris answers listener questions about the state of the modern media, why he calls his recent “Couch Confession” about mental health a confession, and more. If you’d like to ask Chris a question, call [phone]. Leave your name, location, phone number, email address, and your brief question, and it may be addressed in an upcoming show. Follow and subscribe to The Chris Cuomo Project on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for new episodes every Tuesday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Chris Cuomo Project is just that, a project, a collaboration, me and you. I want to know what you're thinking, get some more information out there, get your feedback, deal with your punches. So let's get after it. Support for the Chris Cuomo Project comes from PrizePix. I got to tell you, there's a reason PrizePix is America's number one fantasy sports app. Three million members. Why?

Easy. Plenty of action if you're into DFS. And it's just you against the numbers. if you're into DFS, and it's just you against the numbers. You pick more than or less than on two to six player stat projections. And if you're any good, the winnings will roll in. The big game is right around the corner. You got a little side action on Tay-Tay, do you? Prize picks is the easiest, most exciting way to turn every game-changing moment

into like 100x of your own betting cash. With as little as four correct picks, you can turn 10 into a grand. DFS is cool, but I can't help the feeling that I'm getting played when I'm trying to be a player. You know what I'm saying? And that's why I like prize picks, okay? I'm not in there with a bunch of sharks. I'm able to be a player. You know what I'm saying? And that's why I like PrizePix, okay? I'm not in there with a bunch of sharks.

I'm able to control the flow. I'm able to tailor who I want to bet on and what I want to bet on. You know, for me, it's so much better than just the game, but this is personal to me, and PrizePix gives me the options. And it's fun, and I don't feel like I'm going to get exploited or played by some system that's afoot that I don't understand. So go to prizepix.com slash CCP and use code CCP for a first deposit match up to a hundo.

Again, go to prizepix.com slash CCP and use code CCP for a first deposit match up to $100. PrizePix. Pick more. Pick less. It's that easy. We don't fake the funk here, and here's the real talk. Over 40 years of age,

52% of us experience some kind of ED between the ages of 40 and 70. I know it's taboo, it's embarrassing, but it shouldn't be. Thankfully, we now have HIMS, and it's changing the vibe by providing affordable access to ED treatment, and it's all online. HIMS is changing men's health care. Why?

Because it's giving you access to affordable and discreet sexual health treatments, and you do it right from your couch. HIMS provides access to clinically proven generic alternatives to Viagra or Cialis or whatever. And it's up to like 95% cheaper. And there are options as low as two bucks a dose. HIMS has hundreds of thousands of trusted subscribers. So if ED is getting you down, it's time to pick it up.

Start your free online visit today at HIMS.com slash CCP. H-I-M-S dot com slash CCP. And you will get personalized ED treatment options. HIMS.com slash CCP. Prescriptions, you need an online consultation with a healthcare provider, and they will determine if appropriate. Restrictions apply. You see the website, you'll get details and important safety information. You're going to need a subscription. It's required. Plus, price is going to vary based on product and subscription plan.

Hey, Chris, my name is Andrew. I'm talking to you from Florida via Suffolk County, Long Island. And here's what I think about the two party system. The one thing that everybody seems to have in common these days is that everybody puts a shit ton of blame on the media for the divisiveness. was saying this 30 years ago. But at that time, the early 90s, we weren't a 24-7 media culture yet. The media was the exact image of what we all think it is now. News cameras, microphones, and straightforward headlines. It's branched out a little since then. So I think the question that needs to be asked is, what is the media? It's not just CNN and Fox and New York Times anymore, at least, right? Does it reach out over to Newsmax and MSNBC and TMZ and YouTube and TikTok and basically anybody who tries to serve as a public utility, pushing their own personal narrative, which is perfectly okay to do. That's what I'm doing right now. I'm trying to report, inform, and influence. Isn't that the same thing the media or what we perceive to be the media does? We're all the media, Chris. You, me, every single person who, for whatever reason, wants to have their voice heard by at least one other person. If Trump did one good thing, even unintentionally, I think he forced us to realize that the media is no longer

its own entity. It's all of us. Now, if we can accept that and hope that his party comes to realize how dangerous he is and leaves him behind, I think we can have a two or more party system that doesn't force you into completely opposite corners. So that's what I think. And I want to thank you for coming back. I missed you. I think you were a victim of a terrible hypocrisy. And I'm glad you're coming out on the other side. Take care.

I appreciate you taking the time. I appreciate you having those nice sentiments. It means more than you know. When I think media, I think about forms of mass communication. Are all outlets part of the media? Sure. Is every person part of the media? No. You go further in your definition that it's somebody who's trying to put out a message to more than one person or whatever. Okay, that's fine. I do not congratulate Trump for that because I don't think he ever had as a point of purpose wanting to warn us about the media

because he loves the media when it's saying what he wants it to say. If you're being nice to him, he'll applaud you. He'll applaud your outlet. He'll just turn on a dime when it's not what he wants anymore. Never confuse him with being about anything above his own self-interest. Now, that makes him all too human. Human beings are inherently, I believe,

morally neutral and driven by their self-interest. So, is it the media's fault? No. I see the media as a reflection of who we are. So, it's not that it's the media's fault, but it's that we are part and parcel of the media. Now, of course, things get magnified and more media, which is what we have now than Carlin's time, is not always better. And I also think that more of something magnifies what that thing is at its worst all too often. Why? Because, again, people are morally neutral in general, unless they are organized under a different set of principles and agree to them. And they're out for self-interest.

It is easier to get ahead by knocking somebody else and negativity than it is by being positive or constructive. That's just the lesson of time and human inclination. So I don't see the media as the problem. I see the media as a symptom of the problem. And the media is not going to go first. Your leaders are going to have to go first. And your leaders are more and more driven by what a smaller and smaller population believes. And what I'm hoping is that the largest percentage of people who can combine in our society are free agents. It's the fastest

growing percentage of the electorate are people who say, I don't want to be a Democrat or a Republican. I want that group to be my people. That's who I'm here for. I do not work well for the fringes. I do not work well for Twitter. I see nuance. I see reasonableness. I want solutions more than advantage. I don't want to be mean to people. I don't get off on that. I don't think it's exciting. I don't think it's strength. I want better. And I believe most people do. And that's what I think the key to change is going to be. Not the media, And that's what I think the key to change is going to be. Not the media, not one leader here or there. It's going to be people like you who combine, who take ownership of being a free agent and not getting co-opted by these teams, as you laid out very well, demanding better.

Bottom up, just like every other big movement in America's history. Thank you, brother. I appreciate you. You're smart. Good points. Good morning, brother. I appreciate you. You're smart. Good points. Good morning, Chris. It's Dawn from Connecticut. Having a cup of coffee.

My question has to do with the media, with the death of Bernie Shaw. I'm wondering what can we do as consumers to encourage media outlets to do better and be better? Or is that baked into the cake now? I just, there's so much whining and complaining and bitching on social media. And I see that as fruitless and pointless,

but I understand where it's coming from, but it's not solving anything. What can we as consumers do to change things, if anything, to get the media to pivot to a better place. Appreciate you. Keep breathing. Keep breathing. Thanks again. I think that what you focus on is you and people like you, like-minded individuals. The media is a reflection of your needs and wants and your appetites, okay? I don't believe the media drives the game. I think they participate in the game, they watch the game, they ref the game,

but they didn't start the game. They don't even perpetuate the game. I'm telling you, the two-party system, the toxic twosome, the zero-sum politics, demagoguery, fear, outrage. Those are the problems. And the media may magnify them, but the media is the on it. They're blowing on it. They're not the wood. They're not the spark. And I think that if you want better, demand better. Watch different outlets. Tell your friends to. Have it matter. You know, I'm listening to this podcast. I want you to listen to this podcast. I want to talk to you about it.

It matters to me. If you're my friend, you care about what matters to me. And this idea, I've never talked politics with any of my, well, but it matters. These things matter. And if you don't pay attention to it and the wrong people do, you get in the situation we're in right now. So if you want the media to change, it will change when what is wanted changes. And thank you so much for your kindness to me.

Enjoy your coffee. The Chris Cuomo Project is supported by Cozy Earth. Why? Because I like their sheets. That's why. A lot of people don't get a good night's sleep for a lot of reasons. One of the ones that you can control is bedding. One out of three of us report being sleep-deprived. Okay, well, what is it? Well, it stresses all kinds of things. But the wrong sheets can make you hot, can make you cold.

I'm telling you, I don't even believe it either. But Cozy Earth sheets breathe. And here's what I love about them. Cozy Earth's best-selling sheet is a bamboo set, okay? Temperature regulating. Gets softer with every wash. I'm not kidding you, all right? Now, so if you go to CozyEarth.com and you enter the code, enter the code Chris, and you can get up to 35% off your first order. CozyEarth.com and the code is Chris. We don't fake the funk here. And here's the real talk. Over 40 years of age, 52% of us experience some kind of ED between the ages of 40 and 70. I know it's taboo, it's embarrassing, but it shouldn't be. Thankfully, we now have HIMS, and it's changing the vibe by providing affordable access to ED treatment, and it's all online. HIMS is changing men's health care. Why?

Because it's giving you access to affordable and discreet sexual health treatments. And you do it right from your couch. HIMS provides access to clinically proven generic alternatives to Viagra or Cialis or whatever. And it's up to like 95% cheaper. And there are options as low as two bucks a dose. HIMS has hundreds of thousands of trusted subscribers. So if ED is getting you down, it's time to pick it up. Start your free online visit today at HIMS.com slash CCP.

H-I-M-S dot com slash CCP. And you will get personalized ED treatment options. HIMS dot com slash C-C-P. Prescriptions, you need an online consultation with a healthcare provider. And they will determine if appropriate. Restrictions apply. You see the website. You'll get details and important safety information.

You're going to need a subscription. It's required. Plus, price is going to vary based on product and subscription plan. Hey, Chris, it's Joanna Rogers. I love the podcast and the whole free agent concept. And I particularly liked the couch concession segment the other day. But I do have one comment. I don't know why you're calling it confessions because it makes it sound like you did something wrong. And the whole point of this segment was to talk about, to normalize mental health and antidepressants and all that. So I don't know, some good names could

be couch conversations or Cuomo on the couch or Chris Cuomo gets real. I don't know. But I just don't understand why it would be confessions. But it was a great segment. Anyway, thanks for all you do. Bye. Damn. You're right.

Couch confession I went with because it was alliterative more than anything else. It's not a great name because confession does sound negative, like a pejorative, that this is something that I am admitting that is somehow bad or wrong. Now, I guess maybe subconsciously or indirectly, I was playing to the idea that this is a stigma, but I shouldn't perpetuate that. You're right. It's going to change. I like that Cuomo on the couch, Cuomo couch. I don't know. I'll figure it out. But you're right. It should change because the whole point is for me to say, look, there's no shame in my game. There's so much that I failed at in my life, and there's so much that I don't do well repeatedly. But that doesn't mean that you don't keep trying.

And that doesn't mean that you don't own what is good and bad about yourself, or right and wrong, or easy and hard. You know, again, we want to get to a place where there's an equivalency here of all different aspects of your life. Instead of mental health and physical health, maybe we just say total health

or holistic or wellness, you know, and you just discuss these things as they occur, whether it's an emotional issue or it's a knee or it's a kidney, that you just keep them all in the same context. But the whole point is to try to make it easier and to help people to help themselves and for things to get better.

And I'm going to change the name of the segment. Thank you very much. Appreciate your support. Yo, Cole Mose, Auto Control 871. So I'm sitting here mulling over my head, Fauci's grand exodus later this year. And I'm kind of put together like a metaphor analogy for it. What if there was an inept bomb technician and all and everybody around them is screaming at him don't move the bomb it's a mercury switch mercury switch we can clearly see it's a mercury switch and he's like i'm the expert i'm the expert i'll do what i think is best you know move the bomb blows it up and i'm like who is who does that sound like sounds like fire marshal bill you know living color and not in thinking of fire marshal bill how how Jim Carrey did the character with that sunken, gaunt face.

I'm like, holy shit. It's Anthony Fauci. Fauci was literally the Fire Marshal Bill of infectious disease the past three years. It's like every time he gets in front of the camera with his latest version of updated guidance, he might as well have started off with, can I tell you something? So that's my thoughts. Anthony Fauci is Fire Marshal Bill. First of all, that's a good impersonation of Fire Marshal Bill, but not of Tony Fauci. Look, I think that you've been played for a sucker here, okay?

I think that you're right about Fire Marshal Bill. Jim Carrey was brilliant in that. But that's not Tony Fauci. And that's not science, okay? Science is the pursuit of knowledge. But it's all about the pursuit. You know who's almost never sure about anything? A scientist.

And when you're dealing with a novel coronavirus, the novel part means new, you're going to have a lot of unknowns. And what happened here was the reason COVID made us sick wasn't just the virus, but it's that it became weaponized politically. And I think that you've been infected by that, my brother, because you're just, you know, you sound like somebody who's been listening to the right Fox News and Newsmax too much. That constant drumbeat of, oh, Fauci's changing again, Fauci's changing again. Of course he was changing. Of course he

was changing. We were learning new things. Did they do everything right? Of course not. And nothing is ever always done right. But I'll tell you where the folly started, if you want to be in the blame game, which is not my gig, but fine. It starts with Trump. Why? Because as he said, the buck stops with me. I'm a wartime president. He denied what COVID was. He denied the reality. And it made all the difference. Now, I'm not saying Fauci was perfect. I'm saying he's not your problem. And this expectation that they're going to tell you something once and be right and never modify it is not science. Okay? That's what like faith is about, that you just accept something is true because you want it to be,

not because you have proof of it. Things are going to change. Mistakes were made. We could have done better, but don't blame Fauci. Hey, Chris, this is Colleen, and I just wanted to let you know that I was so excited to see your program, your podcast. I try to listen to it, but you speak so fast on it, it's very disturbing and hard to follow. I don't understand why you're so fast. Is it to get in whatever conversation it is you need to get in within a certain amount of time? Anyway, I want to listen to you, but it's very hard to because you're speaking so fast that it makes it really unpleasant to listen to, unfortunately. Unpleasant? I think difficult. You could have just stopped at difficult, and you can probably slow it down. But I don't know what you're talking about. I don't think I speak that fast. I mean,

the truth is I just try to speak the way that I think is the best way to speak it. Why do I talk? I don't know. I've always talked this way. There's also a learning curve. Podcasting is different. Listening is different than watching. You know, you're getting just one point of communication as opposed to that person's face and their expressions. So, I think the meter, the pace and meter of their voices is different when it's received in the visual than just the audio. But that's a good tip, and I'll think about it, and I'll try to slow it down. Do you think I speak too quickly? No, I think it's pretty good.

And also, like, on your podcast apps and on YouTube, you can control the playback speed, so you can listen to it at half speed, a quarter speed, a tenth of a speed, whatever is this color speed. Slow me down, young lady, and I will try to do better. Calm down, young lady, and I will try to do better. So there you go.

Another batch of viewer-listener questions. And the key word there is questions. Let me know what you want to know or what you want to question about what I've said or done or how you feel about anything. But make it a question. I love the good thoughts. Thank you very much. To the extent that Greg bothers to relay them to me, you know, he's a little bit of a hater.

But I need it. I appreciate it. And it really does motivate me to help as much, as many as I can. That's why I'm doing this. So thank you for giving me a chance to do my job. Questions will be answered the best I can. Free agent.

Next time.