The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 1.9 Why People Are Freaking Out About Sofia Vergara, Gordon Ramsay, Jake Paul, & Florida Felons

Episode Date: January 9, 2019

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Sup you beautiful bastards, hope you're having a fantastic Wednesday. Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show and let's just jump into it. And the first thing we're going to talk about today is the most recent version of something from the past resurfacing now and a lot of people having a massive issue with it. And at the center of that story we have Gordon Ramsay and Sofia Vergara. And that thing from the past that has now blown up over the past several days is a clip from Leno where you have Sofia Vergara being interviewed and Gordon Ramsay further down the count. And we'll kind of go through the highlights of the clip.

In the first part she's commenting on a skit that had just previously played where she screamed and she says I never screamed like that in real life, you know, I was all acting. Really? Only in the bedroom? Well, you would never know. Then later on in the interview there's a photo shown of Sofia Vergara eating pizza and then this happens. And you seem like you're enjoying that. You had a whole wedge in your mouth at any one time? Yes, yes, yes. I have. You haven't heard of a knife and fork? No?

You don't eat pizza with a knife and a fork. You just pick it up and stick it in? Of course, you have to take it. At one point, she ends up just shouting in Spanish, this guy does not respect me. Good night everybody. At one point he then smacks her thigh. That's right.

No, no touching. So following this blowing up, we've seen a lot of people saying this is disgusting, that Gordon Ramsay is a creep, he's constantly inappropriate. But also at the same time you had some saying this is not a big deal or this might not be a big deal. Some saying you don't know if this was kind of a bit. They hug after and she's kind of smiling. But at the same time you had some saying that this is not a big deal or this might not be a big deal. Some saying you don't know if this was kind of a bit.

They hug after and she's kind of smiling. But at the same time you had people saying, you know, the hug, the smile, that could just be kind of trained behavior. That women in the entertainment industry, they learn to roll with things to maintain a career. This idea that if she had gotten very serious or chastised him or walked off the show, she would be labeled cold, not a team player, a bitch. And so as far as my personal opinion on this, it is hard for me to have an actual opinion. As of right now, neither Sofia Vergara or Gordon Ramsay or their people have released a comment in relation

to this clip having blown up. So I don't know their relationship, if this was a shtick of some sort. I really don't know how to feel. There's also been the topic of conversation of why did this clip blow up. I've seen a lot of people kind of chalk this up to the latest trend of just trying to vilify people for things that happened five, eight, ten years ago.

And in situations like this where Sofia Vergara herself has not publicly said anything, is this just another situation of people getting offended for someone else without them asking to? At the same time you have people saying, well, no, it's important to highlight things like this because that's the reason why it's so important that there be change in the industry. So just in general, there have been a lot of words and opinions flying around. And so I wanna pass the question off to you.

What are your thoughts around this? Because looking online, it appears that everyone feels that it is clear cut, but for two completely different reasons. And really not just different, I mean, completely opposite. So that's why I wanted to pass the question off to you. Then in quickie news slash an update to that bird box Challenge situation we were talking about earlier this week and as we discussed the bird box challenge was just simply someone trying to do an

Act or live their day wearing a blindfold and essentially to boil it down It was like people looked at the the Molly Burke videos that she did with like Shane Dawson Casey Neistat where they tried to wear A blindfold to get an understanding of where she was coming from what her daily life was like But with a Bird Box Challenge, many people kind of turned the stupid up to 10. And so unsurprisingly, one of the YouTubers that made news by turning that dial to 10 was the, if the act of biting into tie pods for attention

could be turned into a person, Jake Paul was in the news. And this because in his version of the Bird Box Challenge, which he uploaded to YouTube, he drove a vehicle and at times ran through traffic. So the fact that he was engaging in this idiocy, putting it out on the internet, that of course then uploaded to YouTube. He drove a vehicle and at times ran through traffic. So the fact that he was engaging in this idiocy, putting it out on the internet, that of course then began to spread. What we ended up seeing is as it gained attention,

YouTube then age-gated the video. And that appeared to be because of YouTube's community guideline reading. While it might not seem fair to say you can't show something because of what viewers might do in response, we draw the line at content that intends to incite violence or encourage dangerous or illegal activities that have an inherent risk

of serious physical harm or death. Adding videos that we consider encouraging dangerous or illegal activities include, among other things, instructional bomb making, choking games, hard drug use, or other acts where serious injury may result. So you know, driving with a blindfold on and playing in traffic checks off that box.

And the latest update to the story is the video has actually now been removed from YouTube. As of right now, it's unclear if Jake removed the video or YouTube took it upon themselves. But there you go. Can I say really on a personal note, it takes a special kind of stupid to completely squander all the goodwill

Shane Dawson gave you with a docuseries. And when I say that, obviously I'm not talking about just this instance. Anyway, new year, same shit. And then, even though it's very brief, we should talk about the massive update around Rahaf Mohammed Al-Qanun. She of course was the 18 year old woman from Saudi Arabia

that was trying to escape that we talked about on Monday. And if you didn't hear about that story, I highly recommend you watch the Monday video. She and others of course feared that she would be sent back to Saudi Arabia where she might be put to death because she renounced Islam. Well, we got the massive news

that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has referred her case to Australia for possible resettlement. And according to a statement from Australia's Department of Home Affairs, they will quote, "'Consider this referral in the usual way.'" And so according to the Australian government, Rahaf has now been declared a legitimate refugee.

And while this is fantastic news, and it makes me happy this morning to see Rahaf tweeting, "'Don't let anyone break your wings. "'You're free, fight and get your rights.'" That last part touches on an incredibly important note. What's happening with Rahaf is the outlier. She is incredibly lucky. As others have pointed out, she is not the first woman

to have to deal with this situation and she will not be the last. Among so many other things, of course it is batshit crazy that there is a place where if you renounce Islam, all of a sudden that is punishable by death. And unfortunately for people in the world, they're not in the same situation where we're just looking from the outside in.

This is their reality. And I think it's really important we highlight that. And also, I applaud those who live in that reality, who speak out, whether it be publicly or a little safer using fake accounts. You are not alone, and those who would aim to oppress you or kill you because you are different or you will not do it their way. They are wrong. And then let's talk about a story that is very important now for a select group of people and will be very, very, very, very important as we get into the 2020 election. And this story is about Florida and no, it doesn't have to do with any face bitery.

No, instead it has to do with on Tuesday, a historic amendment was added to the Florida constitution that restored voting rights to former felons. This measure, which of course we talked about before and after the midterms, was known as Amendment 4. And this was something that was overwhelmingly supported by voters in the midterm elections, grabbing nearly 65% of the vote. Now before moving forward, if you don't know, in the United States, most states actually have some kind of voting restrictions for people convicted of felonies. Most often the law just restricts people who are currently in prison from voting. Some states prohibit voting until a person

finishes parole or probation. But Florida automatically barred felons from voting even after completing their sentence. And as far as the state's clemency process, right? The ability for a felon to go, you know what? I've done everything right, I'm a good member of society, let me vote, that was known to be a pretty lengthy and difficult process. They required ex-felons to apply for re-enfranchisement from the governor and cabinet members.

And in this process, the governor could unilaterally veto any of these requests, so only a small number of people even apply. But this new measure changes that, and instead automatically restores the right to vote to people with felony convictions who have completed all terms of their sentences. And completion of sentence includes any period

of incarceration, probation, parole, financial obligations like fines or restitution. And also an incredibly important note here, this amendment does not apply to those with murder or felony sex conviction. And so overall, the move is expected to affect as many as 1.4 million former felons. But that is not the end of this story.

Florida's new Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, was also sworn into office on Tuesday, and he's already suggested that the amendment could potentially face challenges. DeSantis saying this week that he believes state lawmakers need to weigh in on how supervisors of elections should evaluate voter eligibility, telling reporters,

there's going to need to be guidance for that. It's not delaying it, the people spoke on it. But then adding, but I think it's got to be implemented the way that the people intended. And I don't think that they want to see any sex offenders fall through the cracks. But this is also not completely new information from Ron. Back in December, he said legislators would need to pass what he called implementing language in a bill that he would sign. But the issue there is that lawmakers aren't actually scheduled to convene for the new legislative session until March, so it may be some time before we see any changes. And meanwhile, you have advocates and groups like the ACLU

saying they oppose interference from the legislature in the language of the law because the measure was written to be self-executed. Neil Valls, who helped organize the campaign for the amendment with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, saying that the amendment voters passed was clearly written and in a way that needs no additional legislation or rulemaking.

And adding, we don't think there's any role for politicians in this process. In fact, that was part of the role of Amendment 4, to get elected officials out of the business of picking their own voters. But still you have some critics saying that they fear that the lack of specifics could lead to confusion with Amendment 4,

which might allow someone to register who had not completed the terms of their sentence. Saying that could potentially put that individual at risk since lying on a voter registration form in Florida is a third-degree felony. And you had Paul Luck, supervisor of elections in Okaloosa County and president of the State Association of Elections Supervisor, who told reporters that there were still a lot of unanswered questions. Like what agencies are responsible for checking if an individual has outstanding court costs?

Or what specific types of violent crimes and sex offenses are excluded under the law? And saying, clearly there are things we do not know and things we cannot know until someone provides us with better definitions. Whether it gets done by legislation, whether it gets done by administrative rule, or whether it gets done by the court, at some point someone is going to have to clarify the process. But with all of that said, as of now,

Amendment 4 is already in effect. Which also means that leaves Kentucky and Iowa as the two remaining states that bar former felons from voting even after completing their sentence. And also before three of you hit me with a well actually. Yes, Virginia technically does as well under its constitution, but former governor Terry McAuliffe and current governor Ralph Northam

have used their executive powers to restore voting rights to those convicted of felonies. But with that said, as far as the now in Florida, election supervisors began accepting former felons registrations on Tuesday. And for many former felons, this move is a huge deal. For example, you had Desmond Meade, president of the Florida Rights Restoration

Coalition he was convicted of drug and firearm offenses in 2001 since then he's worked on recovering from substance addiction eventually earned his law degree yesterday He registered to vote with his whole family and said quote feel validated. I feel like it's redemption I know I now have a voice. It's something I've wanted for so long It's almost overwhelming the feeling and so that's why I say this affects a certain group of people now, but of course we do need then to look into the 2020 election. Florida is a battleground state. In these last midterms, Florida races were so close

that three had to have recounts. And so there has been the question of, well, who does this benefit moving forward? And it appears that there is conflicting information out there. There's been some speculation that this will help the Democrats since black people who often vote Democratic are disproportionately disenfranchised in the state

But then we look at information like that from the New York Times where they say that the majority of the population with felony convictions In Florida is white that of course matters because white people in Florida are more likely to vote Republican And if you look to this last election according to the Washington Post 59% of white people voted for Rhonda Santas compared to only 39% for Andrew Gillum But also it's not just a black and white issue, and I mean that both metaphorically and literally. You get Neil Valls saying that nearly half of the individuals having their voting rights restored are black or Latino.

Right, and so that brings up the very interesting point of it's not just the raw potential to re-register. You then have to look into the rate and likelihood that someone cares enough to register to vote. Just because this could affect 1.4 million people doesn't mean we're gonna get 1.4 million new votes Once again, this matters immensely Florida has 29 electoral college votes That could be a big political swing in a state where in 2016 Trump ended up only winning by 1.2% over Hillary

Ultimately like with most of these stories we're gonna have to wait to see what happens here And that's where we're going to end today's show and remember if you like this video you like my daily dives into the news Let us know by hitting that like button. Also, if you're new here, you want more of these daily dives into the news as well as those extra morning news videos, hit that subscribe button, ring that bell to turn on notifications. Also, shout out and big thanks to Aaron Owings and all you other beautiful bastards supporting us over at DeFrancoElite.com. Without y'all, we wouldn't be able to sustain and grow in this very uncertain space. But with that said, of course, as always, my name's Philip DeFranco, you've just been filled in, I love yo faces, and I'll see you tomorrow.