The Daily Zeitgeist - TrendBO MAX 7/10: HBO MAX, Kristi Noem, Pokemon Pope, ChatGPT Dating, Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, Teenage Screen Time

Episode Date: July 10, 2025

In this edition of TrendBO MAX, Miles and special guest co-host Blake Wexler discuss the return of HBO MAX, Kristi Noem being a POS, Pope Leo signing a Pokemon card, people using ChatGPT on the dating apps, Netflix's 'Poop Cruise' documentary, British teens limiting their own screen time and much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. The new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts, where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week, I'm joined by authors, celebs,

book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I knew I wanted to obey and submit, but I didn't fully grasp for the rest of my life what that meant. For My Heart Podcasts and Rococo Punch, this is the turning, River Road.

In the woods of Minnesota, a cult leader married himself to 10 girls and forced them into a secret life of abuse. But in 2014, the youngest escaped. Listen to The Turning River Road on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jeff Perlman. And I'm Rick Jervis. We're journalists and hosts of the podcast, Finding Sexy Sweat. At an internship in 1993, we roomed with Reggie Payne, aspiring reporter and rapper who went by Sexy Sweat. A couple years ago, we set out to find him. But in 2020, Reggie fell into

a coma after police pinned him down and he never woke up. But then I see my son's not moving. So we started digging and uncovered city officials bent on protecting their own. Listen to Finding Sexy Sweat on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Radhida Vlukya and I'm the host of A Really Good Cry podcast. And I have the opportunity to talk to Vivian too. Whether you're trying to get out of debt, build wealth, negotiate like a boss, or just finally understand how to do money right, Vivian is the person to ask. Not understanding your own money and not understanding finances, there is risk for financial abuse.

And that is why every single woman needs to be good with money. Listen to a really good cry on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, my name is, is this how we start the, I don't think this is how you start the turn. Yeah, this is the vibe, I think this is the proper tone. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Hey. Good morning, it's morning. How you this is the proper tone. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, good morning. How you doing over there? Is it morning? Hey, little one. Hey, little one. Hi, teeny. Come upon someone in a park. Hi, little one. I'm talking to a newborn bunny.

Anyway, look, it's the trending episode. It's fucking Thursday, July 10th. This is what is trending today. We'll call this episode the retrend of HBO Max. I'm Miles Gray That's Blake Wexler. Hi. Guess who's gonna be hosting the show tomorrow? Are you guys smart enough to put it together? Figure it out. It's not us. Mm-hmm. It is not us. And it never will be. You think it is, but it's not. it is but it's not some kind of sinus thing happening right now dude I've been having this this for weeks just like seeing sound that's gross that can't be

in to beep it out what did he say it's what he did I had just something's going on it's it's it's probably the terrible fucking air quality in this hellscape I live in. But anyway, what's trending today on this Thursday, July 10th? I'll tell you the first thing. So HBO Max returneth yesterday. Remember we had HBO the app, then we had HBO Max, then we had Max, and now we're back to HBO Max. Okay? But the best part about this is they were you know They've been spending all this fucking money to rebrand and then the account for HBO Max Like they couldn't change their fucking handle

So when they when they were trying to announce the rebrand issue, they said they just posted Twitter Won't let me change my name back. Just like so feebly posting that shit. So the at stream on Max account is what the handle is. The at HBO Max account on X still has- I've already lost you. I have no fucking clue what you're talking about anymore. It doesn't even matter. It's crazy.

It's a goof because we hate the fucking HBO Max. And I love it. The rebranding and it's just the dumbest thing ever but anyway they're having fucking problems already because my handle moving along Christy Gnome is uh trending because she is the head of the Department of Homeland Security you know things within the homeland that need to be secured people to be made safe that FEMA, and because of the floods in Texas, there have been, you know, the response from FEMA has actually been pretty bad,

because we know Donald Trump has always wanted to get rid of FEMA, he always talks about it, like we're gonna have so many savings if we get rid of the thing that helps people in an emergency. And, you know, as of this recording now, the flash floods in Texas have already claimed around 120 lives now. And you know, this makes FEMA like fucking important. But if you actually look at what FEMA is doing in response, it's pretty bad. Quote, according

to sources within FEMA, barely any staff have been deployed and the acting administrator, David Richardson, is quote, nowhere to be found. Per one source, if this is how they're going to do major hurricane response, people are fucked. That's the quote they gave the fucking paper. Jesus. Like, after the floods in North Carolina last year, FEMA sent hundreds to help people get aid and, you know, set tents up so that people knew what was available to them in terms of assistance. After the fires in LA, hundreds of FEMA workers were deployed

in Los Angeles. There were tents all over Altadena. They had a whole fucking response center. You could go make a claim, get money or whatever, anything you needed they were handling. After the Texas floods, like immediately, 86 people they had on the ground. The New York Times asked for an update. And then on Monday, they were like, yeah, we got like a hundred more so people that have been dispatched. And it turns out now that there was this whole other rule

that Kristi Noem instituted with FEMA that any expenditure over $100,000 had to be directly approved by her office. So people were like, we need these like rescue teams out there that we can deploy. We need these other work people who do search and rescue. And it got fucking delayed by days, like 72 hours. It's after 5pm. So we can't really get to that until tomorrow, you know?

I'm just about work life balance, even though people's lives are hanging in the balance. But that's just work for me. so I'm not going to do it. She then got upset at CNN for reporting on it and just did the thing where, like, rather than being like, if that's true or not, can you change your policy? Like, oh, CNN is just, they're just trash, you know, and they're just, to do disinformation right now is so bad, you know, oh, shut up. And then she also like kind of made this thing about like how God like really, like this is God maybe didn't send FEMA there because people will look after each other. She said, what does he say? God created us to take care of each other.

Yeah. Okay, asshole, you run fucking FEMA. So right. Yeah. Huh? That's that's your fucking lane. Anyway, the stories from's that's your fucking lane Anyway, um the stories from the floods are so fucking heartbreaking. There was the worst

Yeah, I just can't fucking handle like these people I mean they just don't give a fuck about human suffering at all and then all they're gonna do is just pivot like well You know God just said And this is where the the mismanagement from this awful administration cut, like this is where you see it. I think a lot of people picture, Oh, well, you know, like he's going to launch a nuclear missile or something like that's how you see it happening. But it's actually when there's a disaster that this shit happens. Does it work?

Right. Exactly. It's and again, this is happening with Social Security all the doge cuts They're having to bring people from the field to work the phones because they cut so many Like support staff who are answering phones and wait times are like just an obscene amount of time for people who need their Social Security Yeah, I'm terrible Here's also something terrible if you like a absolutely pristine Pokemon card, specifically the Pope-lio-hollow-foil

or whatever the fuck it's called. Yeah, hollow-hollow-foil. Look, bro, I was too old for Pokemon cards. Wait, there's a Pope, a Popey, Popeymon? Or it's a Popey? Popeymon? Have you played Popeymon? Hey, what are you, hey, what are you beast. Popeymon? Yeah. Have you played Popeymon? Hey, what are you, hey, what are yin's playing?

Popeymon. You're playing Popeymon? I don't know why they had to be a yinzer, but. Yeah, or a Chicago, or Chicago Popeymon. I just felt like, hey, what are yin's playing? Hey, we're playing Popeymon. Hey, you playing Popeymon up there? It just sounds great.

It just comes, it rolls right off the tongue I agree so there's a guy on reddit who is saying that he got the pope to sign a Pokemon card this is being reported all over the place he was visiting the pope had a moment showed a Pokemon card for the character pop Leo Sounds like Pope Leo. I agree And he said yo my guy your excellence my my number one Jesus homie, bro Can you sign can you fucking put the graph on the fucking card? This is how he said a quote how I described the experience

They said that he was coming from the diocese of Copenhagen, a fantastic place in Denmark, and said, this is how he recounts the episode. He said, your holiness, it is a great pleasure to meet you and thank you for your speech. I have brought you a gift. Takes out a reverse, oh, it's a reverse holo foil polio. Watch your fucking mouth. Sorry, I'm so sorry. Are you kidding? Yeah, it's a reverse, this is a reverse holo foil polio. Oh, okay. He said, it's a Pope Leo. It sounds like Pope Leo. The Pope laughs. Probably more of a courtesy. At least I thought that until he began showing it off to the guards around him. I reach into my pocket to bring out the second card and pen and I say, can you sign a copy for me? I asked and he obliged of course

Pope Leo will never disappoint and He said I don't even bother trying to ask me to sell this shit This is this is a one-of-one and it said it's he said the holiness indulged me and that's worth more than any Monetary value can satisfy Wow. Yeah. Yeah, I had a, a rookie Pontifex. No. Yeah, he wouldn't sign it though. He refused to. Wow. That's crazy.

Mm-hmm. And what do you got? You just, it's just sitting on ice right now? It's framed and, and also graded. So it's a mint conditioned, yeah. Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Do you have any trading cards still that you own?

I do. They're in a box. Everyone always says this, but they're in a box. Oh my god. All my trading cards burned in the fire. I just realized Oh my god, that's so sad There is a bottle rookies in my mom's garage, right? I had this fucking binder of upper deck basketball. Yeah, whatever I mean, it's as weird as I still think about the you just think of some of the immediate things You have an ambient Lee in your mind. You're like, I still got these things, bro, I got shit. Right. It's, it's also probably one of those things where you hear that, uh,

that organization advice where if you haven't used it in a year or whatever the time frame is, you should donate it. And, but then it's also like, yeah, but I do want those fucking cards. You know, like, what was I supposed to do with these cards? I like right through this binder of cards incessantly. Like when we do mad boosties, because I was always just pulling out fucking obscure players whose names I would always just like the dumbest, like, you know, fucking God sham God. Yeah, Pope sign a God sham God. And then we're talking for those who don't know there was a basketball player named God sham

God sham God. Yeah, and also one of the most nuts crossovers you could do if you hit somebody with a sham God Look up anybody doing the sham. God there, but you'll see Jesus Even hit a sham. God last season. I was like, whoa, okay, mister anyway, so shout out to Pope Leo signing cars, man. Maybe I need to get, maybe I need his holiness to sign my insurance claim. Chat GPT is trending. There's a Washington Post story that is talking about

how people who are using dating apps, a group of people are using Chat GPT and other AI chat bots To like do the work of interacting like you know the texting phase. Oh Man, you know that's gonna because you have to the problem is you have to meet these people in real life And I don't think we have the technology we put a little fucking earpiece in and that's gonna give you insta-riz but We put a little fucking earpiece in and that's gonna give you insta-ris But they talk about rock by the way Do not use grok no no unless you're trying to like date You know like Laura Loomer or even though I mean, no, she actually balls. Yeah, exactly I mean because Laura Loomer I mean she's Jewish so she actually does she wouldn't take kindly to the anti-semitism

But the stuff that's like anti-black or like anti-immigrant, actually, that's good for her. One of the people that they covered in the story is named Richard, this is a quote, he exchanged long, thoughtful messages with someone who seemed delightful, caring, and thoughtful, and then they met in person and it was a disaster. The person could not maintain a simple one-on-one

in-person conversation to save their lives. And so there are apps, like there are third party apps that you can use, like called, it's called Riz and Wing AI, cause it's the fucking wing man, you know? That they can do, like they'll craft messages, like give you fucking tips, like on how to get through small talk And the problem is that the storage of shows is like these people they may get to the date part or the IRL part But then it falls apart because they were not being their authentic selves the whole time They were just doing this like projection that was informed by AI. It's so fucked up. Like I want to laugh but I

It's so fucked up like I want to laugh but I understand like the feeling of awkwardness and taking a risk when you're trying to date and like what do I say or other times? I've said shit and people don't fuck with it And I want the what is the magic word? but honestly like it's the honesty and the sincerity that you need to lead with with this kind of shit and I just feel so Bad that like people think that this technology is even like away towards that It's it's a shortcut where there is no shortcut and right? I think it would be a similar thing where would you use an AI? Image of yourself, you know like on your dating app where would you be shirtless riding six dolphins?

You know with like a spear in your hand and it's like, I would hope you wouldn't. Now that is showing your true self. So if you would do that, then you should probably, people will know that you're insane and that that's, that's, that's good advertising. That's truth in advertising. Dolphin riding spear hunting. Fucking weirdo. I just fucking match with I got it. I got to meet this guy. I have to kill this guy But yeah, I'm just you got to get your reps in the real world just talk, you know this fucking talk I get it It's fucking it's a disaster out there. I'm so glad I fucking found her majesty before I got on that That was a wild time because because when I met her that was

2014 and the apps were cooking but I was doing alright I would you know, you just you go out you go talk to people you meet people at shows or whatever But I remember there was this streak before I met her majesty was like damn I have to fire up one of these apps now like what this everybody's doing the apps Thank God that We found each other. Cause I, it's funny, she used it too. I started, I'm like, did you ever use it?

She's like, yeah, I went on a lot of bad fucking like Tinder dates and I was like, what the fuck? Dude, I never got out there. This is gonna, everyone's gonna puke on themselves at how shocking this is gonna be. I didn't get one date off one of those apps where I had like Bumble for a month and a half. At the time I would do fine like in real life, but like that, that I got no dates.

I did also have an eating disorder. I'm laughing because it has, you have to laugh at, I was so skinny and I think that was maybe part of it too, but like, oh yeah. Oh, it was wild. I was like part of it too, but like for real I didn't know. Oh, yeah. Oh, it was why I was like 160 something like Wow But I'm glad you got through that. Hey, listen me me too. Yeah, and but no to your point It was an odd like because we're of the age where we could have been on them But like I really like maybe a month and a half and then you know Like met my wife and I'm like, well,

thank God, cause this wasn't working for me. Like, were you just doing dumb puns and shit? Like, were you being like, so not fun. I was trying to be funny and it was not funny at all. And it was like, why would I also wrote that I was a comedian. So like in LA, that means you're poor. And so it was, it was all bad advertising.

Like I didn't see a chance. And yeah, yeah, maybe matched with like two people. Oh, man. Yeah. Oh, well, yeah. Look, look at us. I'm still on them. I have a I cheat on my. Now I've gotten good at it, of course, since I've been married. But oh, man, it's yeah. Once I meet in public, I run, I run, I run.

I can't even, no. Guilt takes over. All right, let's take a quick break and we will come right back. And we're back. Do they have, I wonder wonder they should do like one for cheating spouses where it's no that that could actually be a slippery one where it's like it's a it's like a dating app but it's all fake AIs. Oh my god. So you can get the satisfaction of swiping and then chatting somebody up but that's gonna be bad because that's gonna lead to some weird parasocial shit. I mean, they're gonna cheat.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's so interesting. That's Ashley Madison. Oh, I mean, that's true because Ashley Madison was a bunch of nonsense. Like it was really, were you talking to, yeah, I think that was like one of the big things is that most of the people on there were not who you thought she was talking to.

Dude, that's crazy. The idea that like, like at like oh can AI stand in For bad so people can act on their bad behavior. You know that's so scary. That's actually bad. That's bad I take it back because every time you don't want anybody to get momentum with their bad habits, right? Right, right, right, right. You sort it out sort it out actually. Yeah strike that from the record my good man Put that in my bad ideas pile Strike that from the record, my good man. Put that in my bad ideas pile. Here's a good idea. Checking out train wreck poop cruise on Netflix.

Have you seen, did you watch it? I haven't yet, but I'm surprised I haven't. Yeah, it's- The way I immediately hit play, I was supposed to show my child the Miss Rachel Potty training special that was on Netflix. And then train wreck poop cruise. And in my sordid logic, I was like, I mean,

this is talking about poo poo and pee pee, but in a way that you don't want to experience. There's a lesson here. Yeah, like it is. Don't go on a carnival cruise, I think is the lesson for this one. So I fired it up. I got through 10 minutes and Her Majesty got up. She's like like what are you doing? And I was like this poop cruise member the poop cruise of 2013

They did a documentary on it before we met babe. This was who I was before you I was so into the poop cruise in the reddit posts about it So that the Netflix made an entire documentary take an hour long about the Carnival cruise ship This is from early 2013 where they got stuck at sea and then the toilets wouldn't flush and then started overflowing And then they had to give people biohazard bags to do poo poo in so the reason I maybe I won't give the I mean, I don't know you get the idea But they're their climax is like when the when the tugboats come climax is like when the when the tug boats come to like tow the boat away and

The movement of the tug boats just caused a slosh fest Inside the boat and I'm just gonna leave it there Suffice to say it was a real shitty cruise They wouldn't let this poop boat into ports to write like didn't some like they tried to bring it in, but they couldn't or something. Yeah, I think so. I didn't I haven't seen the whole thing yet because I still have been kept away from it. I know you'll find it. Yeah. Yeah. Wake up early one day. Wake up early. It has when it came out, this Netflix said they got 21.1 million views, which if you come if you even say one view equals a person and shit, it might even be two or three stoners gathered around be like It can be fucking 60 million

We don't know but if you put if you compare that to Jurassic Park rebirth that was 10 million tickets That's 10 million people so more. I mean I get it, bro That's this I think it's a whole shot in Freudia because there's like, the first one they did was the Woodstock 99 one. That one's fucking wild. I don't know if you saw that. That was a fucking nightmare. I did see that.

That was like poop on, poop crews on land. Like, by the way, I wanna just, I never read these comments in the chat. Brian, the editor, shit in Florida, is gorgeous, so bravo. You know what, Brian, I gotta say, man, game, recognize game, and to bring something from 420 Day Fiance, yeah, that's a bonus for you, bro.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Wait, we could've been using sound effects this whole time. Can I plug in one day? Can I just, one episode, just plug in with a sound board? Dude, you send it to me or I'll send you the app that I use. Oh, we should just fucking terrorize Jack one episode. That's what I'm thinking. Yeah.

But like, but also just be like, what do you, you hear what? No, I don't, I didn't hear anything. What'd you just hear? What did you just hear? Huh? You heard something yeah What Jack we're trying to do a podcast here. This is a fucking 90-day fiance close. All right, where were we?

Yeah, I'm so cruise. Yeah, poop cruise get on get in or get out man, but make up your damn mind Okay, cuz it's coming to a toilet near you And here's like another kind of sort of darker story, but also I guess One that's a bit heartwarming. So there's a Guardian story about Children are limiting their own smartphone use like the kids are like Yo, I need a break from this fuck. I don't feel good. Right. This is the sub headline from the Guardian quote teenagers increasingly taking breaks

as they control own use of devices rather than relying on parents to enforce limits. This is like this is a they're saying this is 12 to 15 year olds that they took that they surveyed here. In 2022, it was 18% that they were saying they were taking breaks. It's now 40%. It just goes to show how inherently good children are before they get fucked up, where there's, you know, like the, you hear it about like with race, you know, racism and like, you know, like othering people and homophobia. But, and it's also true with phones where it's like, yeah, we do not want these, these are bad.

So it's like getting burnt on a burner where your body like flexibly, you know, like jumps away from it. But we're so addicted to it. So they're not addicted yet. And now- And I think they probably because all of the message, I'm sure from like, you know,

millennials not so much, but Gen Z for sure, because they really got thrown in the deep end with social media like The message is out there consistently that like this shit is the devil like this is going to really affect your quality of life your happiness and Shout out to the kids for having that self awareness, but also like The fuck like I feel like you're lacking as a parent if they're like, I don't know, my parents said and I can just keep cooking with this shit, but I need to take a break.

It's like, yeah, parents who leave alcohol out all day, kids are saying, yeah, maybe a couple beers is fine, but maybe don't leave it out. Not the whole bottle, right. Yeah, but hey, I'd love to hear that there is just a, there is a movement of people taking up for their own sort of like well-being like that because I feel like every time you read these reports about like social media and what it does to kids happiness and self perception, it's just like fucking disastrous. So a little

bit of good news, little bit bittersweet, but hey, the kids, I think they're going to be all right. That's going to do it for it for us today Blake thank you for joining me you'll be back tomorrow well spoiler alert I'm trying not to do spoiler alerts so much or spoilers but here I am just spoiling it up every time I hear a poop cruise has a soiler alert. Oh, there he is, there he is. You know what, you know what Blake? I'm gonna hit you with one too. There you go. You can take that to the bank.

Anyway, join us tomorrow for that show. It's going to be fantastic. Until then, take care of yourselves, take care of each other. Get your shots, your vaccines, because literally, maybe they won't even be covered by insurance down the road. That just fucking- All the diseases are coming back so get those. They're all coming back dude. Yeah get one of those like weird Undertaker

outfits from like the Black Death. Do whatever you got to do. What else? Don't do nothing about white supremacy or xenophobia or transphobia. None of that. Stick up for people. Be a good person because we love you, take care, we'll see you then. All right, bye. The Daily Zeitgeist is executive produced by Katherine Law. Co-produced by Bae Wang. Co-produced by Victor Wright. Co-written by J.M. McNabb.

And edited and engineered by Brian Jeffries. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make

you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I knew I wanted to obey and submit, but I didn't fully grasp for the rest of my life what that meant. For My Heart Podcasts and Rococo Punch, this is the turning, River Road. In the woods of Minnesota, a cult leader married himself to 10 girls and forced them into a secret life of abuse. But in 2014, the youngest escaped. Listen to The Turning River Road on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jeff Perlman.

And I'm Rick Jervis. We're journalists and hosts of the podcast, Finding Sexy Sweat. At an internship in 1993, we roomed with Reggie Payne, aspiring reporter and rapper who went by Sexy Sweat. A couple of years ago, we set out to find him. But in 2020, Reggie fell into a coma after police pinned him down and he never woke up. But then I see, my son's not moving. So we started digging and uncovered city officials bent on protecting their own. Listen to Finding Sexy Sweat on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast finances, there is risk for financial abuse.

And that is why every single woman needs to be good with money. Listen to A Really Good Cry on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.