The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 1.10 What MatPat's Goodbye Internet Video Really Exposed & Hunter Biden Shocked Capitol Hill Today | PDS

Episode Date: January 10, 2024

Click my CoPilot link https://go.mycopilot.com/PhilipDeFranco or scan the QR code to get a 14-day FREE trial AND 20% off your first month of personalized fitness if you sign up before February 1st!  –✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - MatPat Announces Retirement  6:06 - Ecuador Gangs Promise a War Following President’s Crackdown Promise  8:25 - Sponsored by CoPilot  9:33 - 15 Republican Governors Reject Federal Funding for Summer Meals for Poor Kids 12:39 - Hunter Biden Makes a Surprise Appearance on Capitol Hill ——————————   Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxx Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Brian Espinoza, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Star Pralle, Chris Tolve  ———————————— #DeFranco #MatPat #HunterBiden ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sup, you beautiful bastards! Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show. This is the third show of the year and we've got a lot of news to talk about today. We've got YouTube staple MatPat retiring, which some are calling a troubling trend. We've got the Hunter Biden chaos on Capitol Hill. Ecuadorian gangs are going buck wild, taking over live TV stations, gang leaders escaping. And there's even more, so buckle up, hit that like button, and let's just jump into it. And the first thing that we're going to talk about today is the retirement of YouTube staple MatPat. And even if you're not personally familiar with him, this is an important story because it does feel like it's becoming part of a growing trend. He's behind the

18 and a half million subscriber, the Game Theorist channel. That's in addition to three other massively successful channels in different verticals, Film Theorist, Food Theorist, and the Style Theorist. And if you randomly hear an iPad kid over the next few days crying, it's probably connected to the video that got released yesterday, with Matt uploading a video titled Goodbye Internet, announcing that his last day hosting Game Theorists will be in March.

And in it, you know, saying that he's gonna miss doing this, but also adding that he and his wife, Steph, who runs things with him, always knew this time would come. We knew that we couldn't do this forever. We knew that, honestly, we didn't want to do this forever. For as much as I love you, and I love overthinking things, and I love theorizing, I don't love late nights. I don't love the fact that Steph and I have been work first for over a decade. With Matt also going on to say, you know, he wants to be able to turn off

the business side of his brain, actually like go to dinner with a friend and not talk new. But no, that was me. Oh no. He wants to be able to go to a dinner with a friend and not be thinking about business. Be able to enjoy things like it could be a movie or a game and not talk new. But no, that was me. Oh no. He wants to be able to go to a dinner with a friend and not be thinking about business. To be able to enjoy things. Like it could be a movie or a game and not think how can I turn this into content. To be able to spend more time with his kid because you never get that time back.

Though notably, he then goes on in the end of the video to detail other things that he'll end up working on. It's just that it's more behind the scenes, right? In the background, working with creative directors popping up on just a few occasions. But the big thing, and it's always the risky thing, is that he's gonna be passing the big hosting duties off. It's not going to one person but rather four. I would not wish my schedule on anyone. Like sure I'm willing to not sleep for the last 13 years of my life but I feel like

as old man YouTube passing this along to the next generation I should probably do my best to try and make it more sustainable for them. So in response to this, as expected, fans were shocked. They were devastated. Also, many people expressing their thanks for all the years of content and entertainment for the community, for people feeling like they have a place. But what I will say with this is as shocking as this news was for a lot of people, it's really not that shocking. Matt's video actually follows a ton of other creators who have announced similar things. Even reference the likes of Tom Scott, who posted a video last week with Tom there saying after a decade of doing this, he's taken a step back and maybe he will come back, maybe he won't. The dream job is still a job and it's a job

that keeps getting bigger and more complicated. I'm so tired. There's nothing in my life right now except work. Also looking into it, in addition to the video, he spoke to The Guardian. With him saying there he only barely avoided burnout. According to changes on YouTube as a platform impacting it. Especially as there's been this whole new emphasis on short-form content, right? It's the big competition with TikTok. And Tom's saying with that, it feels like a lot of people

who've been making long-form videos have recently announced not retirements, but reductions, step-backs, saying everyone I know is noticing their views slowly falling and therefore their ad revenue reducing. Between the decline in long-form viewers, the threat from junk zero effort, generative AI channels that are only going to get better and the sheer mass of competing video options.

I think it's going to be a difficult few years. And again, his words are true. He is just one of a bunch of other notable big creators that have stepped back. And as far as my takeaway with all of this, I absolutely get all of it. Like every single aspect. One, while the reception to Matt Pat's video is overwhelmingly positive. I saw some people clowning on him because he was crying. My reaction to that is, how the hell do you not get emotional? Like, I can't speak for Matt. He was one of the few old school creators still on this platform. I get it. In two years, in 2026, I will have been on this platform for 20 years. That's not only half of my life, it is my whole adult life. And when I started, like a lot of people early on, we couldn't even make money. Something either inspired us or made us happy or made us angry.

And we were like, I'm going to throw this on the Internet. And all of a sudden we had this community and we grew that community together. And it's part of the reason why, especially I think for a lot of us old schoolers, there's somewhat of a parasocial connection with a lot of people. So when you take that connection, or really, I don't see how you do anything for that long and then you change it up and not get emotional. Also regarding burnout and wanting work-life balance, you know, that's not unique to just online creators. But for people who are self-employed, they're the entrepreneurs, they run companies. 99.9% of the stress and problems in your life

are your own fault. You have complete control over them. Right, like I'm the one forcing myself to work this number of hours per week. I'm the one who has forced myself to shoot through being sick the past three days. Whereas people that work for me, rightly so, can take that time off. It becomes very easy to push yourself to an unhealthy place because you are incentivized and rewarded for it. And at the same time, in a lot of places, you're penalized for taking a break. And so whether it

be a number of things, a fear of failure, it's just so ingrained in us that success just equals more, more, more. You see a number of creators over the years just implode and then disappear. Or the unfortunate thing is I feel like, I don't know if it's become more manageable, but a lot of creators that you're just like, oh, I love their content coming out with videos that like every one to three years, like saying I'm immensely sad and it is directly connected to the thing that I'm putting out on this platform. And so I personally love and respect creators being open about this and having the guts to make a change. Because change is scary, whether you're leaving completely, you're taking a massive break, or you're replacing yourself. Because while the people replacing Matt, right, they've written, they have very close connections.

You never know how that swap's going to go. You never know how any change is going to go. But really, in the coming weeks and months, I would not be surprised if we saw a lot more people coming out with videos like this. But for the reasons Matt talked about in his video, the ones that I'm talking about here, and the others that Tom expanded on regarding the platforms changing, especially with the astronomical rise of the low-to-no-effort faceless channels. And then there's just the content thieves. I saw someone unironically make a video the other day where they're like, hey, you want to be big on TikTok and make some money?

And they just showed themselves stealing a joke from a comedy series, and then also stealing gameplay footage and pairing it and uploading it. And I was watching it and I was like, wait, the secret is just theft, but they're saying it's transformative because they're stealing two things and playing them at the same time. It makes you wonder what the hell is happening. But with all that said, I'd love to know your thoughts on this whole situation, the MatPat announcement, everything we talked about. Let me know what you're feeling in those comments down below. And then, things are crazy in Ecuador right now. The country's gangs promising all-out war after the president declared a state of emergency to neutralize them.

And that decision, notably, was made after one of the most notorious drug lords in the world managed to escape from a decades-long imprisonment. And what's really concerning is that the gangs right now are like, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. With it looking like they're putting their differences aside to fight the government's decision to go after them. And they've got no issue resorting to extreme violence. But some of the biggest examples being these large-scale prison riots all over the country. You've got a large number of guards being taken hostage. One case, they had a guard reading a message at gunpoint saying, you declared war, you will get war. Saying, you declared a state of emergency. We declare police, civilians, and soldiers to be the spoils of war. And then there was also what happened at this major TV station. You had hooded

an armed gunman bursting in on national television while they were live on air, and they held everyone hostage. They forced everyone to the ground. You could hear the presenter saying, don't shoot, please don't shoot. But then 15 minutes later, the feed cutting out. So the good news there is that no innocent people were killed. Although one guy did get shot in the leg, and another had their arm broken. But ultimately, security forces managed to get in and arrest the people that did this. But I mean, on top of all that, I mean, you have the gangs setting off explosives all over the country.

And this is the country's trying to mobilize thousands of officers and military to hunt down the drug lord. And so you had newly elected president Daniel Neboa saying that the country was in a state of internal armed conflict. And that wording there is very important because it specifically gives the authorities there

the ability to circumvent many civil rights and allows them to directly use the military for law enforcement. So all of this, it's not just gonna be a test for Neboa, who by the way is the ability to circumvent many civil rights and allows them to directly use the military for law enforcement. So all of this, it's not just going to be a test for Neboa, who, by the way, is the country's youngest ever president, but also for democracy as a whole in Ecuador. And while any time a government starts suspending civil rights, it's seen as a red flag,

you have others saying extreme situations require extreme solutions, arguing that the country has been facing pressure for years regarding gang violence, undermining institutions with bribes and violence, without reaching its peak last year when a popular presidential candidate was assassinated by a gang. But also what's wild and tragic about this is how quickly Ecuador went downhill. Because if you're not familiar, like for decades, it's been seen as one of the safest countries in Latin America. But ever since 2018, the murder rate has skyrocketed eightfold and it's now one of the

highest in the area. So it's not like all of this is something the people there are used to. And this doesn't just affect Ecuador. If things get much worse, there's going to be a lot of people leaving the country, especially after people like the editor-in-chief of one of the biggest news stations told the Associated Press, everything has collapsed. All I know is that it's time to leave this country and go very far away. All of this is still developing. Our eyes are on it. To stay in the loop, make sure you're subscribed.

And in the meantime, especially if you have connections to Ecuador, would love to hear from you in those comments down below. And then from that, we're going to talk about more news. But I got to take a second real quick to pay some bills. Because, you know, I can't believe that it's been a year since I started using and working out with the fantastic sponsor of today's show, Copilot. You know, even through the holiday season, I was able to stay on track with the support of my Copilot app and Devin, my coach.

Through travel, all the festivities, all the really like chaos to my lockdown schedule. But then all that same time, Copilot had my back. You know, because you can't always stick to routine. You know, because scheduled things can happen. Chaos can happen. Me, you, we can't always stick to a routine. But that's okay because my coach Devin is the king of going with the flow.

Changing it up for me when needed. Which actually makes it more exciting for me because it doesn't feel redundant. You know, I know some of you out there are making New Year's resolutions and some of you are just ready for change. But either way there, the first step is easy. You just start with an onboarding call.

You connect to a coach and they may customize workouts tailored to your needs. And then you just make sure you communicate your goals with your coach, which may change up. That's okay because they'll set you up for success. And remember, and this is true in multiple avenues, small changes that you make today can enhance your life in ways you never thought possible. And Copilot has helped me attain goals as well as shoot for new ones. So if you want to join me on my fitness journey, click my Copilot link or scan the QR code to get a 14-day free trial and 20% off your first month of personalized fitness if you sign up before February 1st. And then poor kids and kids with disabilities, they don't need money for food over summer break because America's kids are already too damn fat. That is literally an

argument a Republican governor just made. But that connected to her decision to reject a federally funded program to supply summer food assistance to hungry kids. Because as part of the 2022 budget, Congress created a program that's expected to provide $2.5 billion in relief to 21 million kids. And it starts in June. But that needs families being given $120 per kid to get food at grocery stores, farmer markets, other approved retailers. We're talking about households with incomes below the poverty level. People already getting school lunches for free or to reduce price. And supporters of this argue this is very important, right? A safety net for

our most vulnerable kids. It shouldn't just disappear because they're not also learning that day. But according to the agriculture department, 15 different Republican governors have rejected the aid. Well, they did so for a number of reasons. The most aggressively stupid one was hungry kids are already too fat, which will say, I know we're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but every photo that I have seen of this woman screams toxic almond mom. Like when you come home for Thanksgiving, she gives you a hug and then pinches your side. While I agree with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds that childhood obesity in America has become an epidemic, she is specifically using that to justify opting out of this program. Also, other Republicans have given different excuses. Nebraska

Governor Jim Pillen, for example, he said the assistance was, quote, unnecessary and is not adequate to meeting the needs of children. Handing out money is not enough to meet kids' needs. They need much more, which is why I will give them nothing. Wait, what? Nothing is less than something? Oh, God. My argument has fallen apart. But also, like, beyond being comically dumb at face value, experts say that the governors who are declining this aid, they are actively hurting vulnerable, hungry kids in need. That impact can be devastating. And remember that all of this is happening as food insecurity has increased significantly. You've had the rising cost of food.

You got pandemic-era programs winding down. Hell, in God's favorite country, nearly one in every five households lacked enough food in 2022. And in these states where Republicans have rejected the federal summer aid, that could get a lot worse. Like take Oklahoma, for example,

where than 350,000 American children have been receiving food relief over the last four summers. But that funding from pandemic programs, it dries up this summer. And the state's Republican governor has opted out of the new federal program. And they haven't talked about any other replacements. It's what's left nonprofits like food banks scrambling.

You have experts estimating that 300,000 kids won't have access to financial food benefits when school lets out. And that's something that we're gonna likely see in other states that have declined this aid, even if they have existing onsite meal programs. Because also according to the USDA, those sites are hard to access for many families, especially in rural areas. So we end up with a situation where only

about one in six kids who are eligible can actually make it to those locations due to transportation issues. And experts also focusing on Reynolds and Pillen saying they're just plain wrong, with studies of pilot programs showing that summer grocery aid decreased kids experiencing the most extreme hunger by one-third, while also actually expanding access to healthier food options. And Erica Kenney, she's an assistant professor at Harvard School of Public Health, she directly refuted Reynolds' claim about kids already being too fast, saying there's no evidence that a program like this has anything to do with childhood obesity.

It's absolutely true you can have obesity and be struggling to get food on the table for your family. It is not at all true that helping people who are struggling financially means they're going to eat more and gain weight. But ultimately for now that's where things stand and I don't really imagine things changing. I don't think Kim Reynolds is going to have a magical change of heart. I know a lot of politicians don't let facts get in the way of their goals, but you know I'm always open to being wrong. And then the Hunter Biden chaos today was wild. But before we jump into the dumpster fire I gotta give you some background on it. Today's drama wasn't about Hunter's criminal indictments relating to his taxes and gun purchase.

Instead, it was about his foreign business dealings in Ukraine and China, which Republicans alleged that his father was involved in while vice president. Though notably, and the key thing, so far they have produced no direct evidence of any corruption on the part of Joe Biden. You know, that didn't stop them from launching an impeachment inquiry. And so as a part of that, they're saying that Hunter's testimony is crucial. The House Republicans subpoenaed him for a closed door deposition last month. But instead, on that day, Hunter stood outside the Capitol, saying that he would only testify in public, explaining that he feared that the GOP would selectively leak or misrepresent his

testimony if it was done behind closed doors. And with that, citing past comments by both chairmen of the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees that it could take place in public. Yet both chairmen, James Comer and Jim Jordan, they've insisted, no, Hunter has to do a closed door. So today, both committees held hearings to vote on whether to recommend criminal contempt of Congress charges against Hunter. Initially, they kicked off as you'd expect. Republicans throwing around allegations of corruption

and subpoena defiance. Democrats then pushing back, calling the hearings a joke, accusing Republicans of hypocrisy for ignoring subpoenas themselves by the January 6th committee. Jordan, Perry, and Biggs defied legal subpoenas. But then, before opening statements even finished, everything went off the rails at the oversight committee. Jordan, Perry, and Biggs defied legal subpoenas. But then before opening statements even finished, everything went off the rails at the oversight committee.

Because the man himself, Hunter Biden, strolled in, flanked by his attorneys, and he planted himself right in the front row. With GOP representative Nancy Mace absolutely flipping her shit. So much so, it seemingly broke her brain and she went full social justice warrior. My first question is,

who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today? That's my first question. Second question, you are the epitome of white privilege coming into the oversight committee, spitting in our face, ignoring a congressional subpoena to be deposed. What are you afraid of? You have no balls to come up here. Mr. Chairman, point of inquiry. Mr. Chairman, if the inquiry. Mr. Chairman... If the gentlelady wants to hear from Hunter Biden, we can hear from him right now, Mr. Chairman. Let's take a vote and hear from Hunter Biden.

I think that Hunter Biden should be arrested right here, right now, and go straight to jail. Our nation is founded on the rule of law. Come on, come on. And the premise that the law applies equally to everyone, no matter what your last... Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Then you Democrat Jared Moskowitz interrupting her to ask this question. I don't know if there's a proper motion, Mr. Chairman, but I'll make a motion. Let's vote. Let's take a vote. Who wants to hear from Hunter right now

today? Anyone? Come on. Who wants to hear from Hunter? No one. Oh, there's one. Thank you. Though to be fair, another Republican claim House rules prevented them from calling up a witness without giving notice days in advance. But regardless of him not testifying, they were willing to go after him. And the last one up there was Marjorie Taylor Greene. And she was last because as soon as she got up, this happened. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Excuse me, Hunter. Apparently you're afraid of my words. I think it's clear and obvious for everyone watching this hearing today that Hunter Biden

is terrified of strong conservative Republican women. But then Representative Garcia responding to that, essentially saying there's no reason for Hunter Biden to stay if the GOP's not going to let him testify, and if it's just to allow, of all people, MTG to throw shit his way. I think it's really interesting to hear the gentlelady from Georgia speak about Hunter Biden leaving, and she is the person that showed nude photos of Hunter Biden in this very committee room, showing dick pics in this committee room of of Hunter Biden.

And AOC then adding on to that. The chairman said in front of the country several times to Hunter Biden, you can show up here in front of the world, in front of the public. Hunter Biden took him up on that offer. He said, I will show up in public. I will show up in public. He showed up here today. He showed up here in the past. And Mr. Chairman, I know you do your best with what you've got, but you've got members here that have submitted falsified evidence to the record.

You have members here that have submitted and mischaracterized closed door hearings. And people want to say back and forth at the end of the day. It doesn't matter what party has happened from. You've got members who've engaged in revenge porn in this committee. So it is understandable why Hunter Biden would want to testify in front of the public for the American people to be able to witness that testimony for themselves. But ultimately, that's where we are. You know, as of recording this, committees are expected to approve the contempt resolution, after which they'll then go to the full House for a floor vote. And at that point, if the House votes yes, it'll be up to the Justice

Department whether to pursue charges, which for Republicans is very much a win-win. Because either they take on the case, so the circus continues, or they don't take on the case because they don't think it has merit and Republicansans will accuse them of political bias so yeah you know uh fun times but that is where your wednesday dive into the news is gonna end but for more news you need to know that you might have missed this week i got you covered right here you can click or tap to watch or i got links in the description or if you're all caught up do not worry because my name is philip defranco you've just been filled in i love yo faces and i'll be right back here for you tomorrow