The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 4.18 Disturbing Love is Blind Abuse Scandal, What AI Drake Really Exposes, United Controversy & More News

Starting point is 00:00:00 You might lose your mind over this one. With people going after each other's throats over this incredibly viral situation, where at the center you have pro baseball player Anthony Bass. And that's because Bass, over the weekend, shared this photo on Twitter, saying, The United Flight Attendant just made my 22-week pregnant wife, traveling with a 5-year-old and 2-year-old, get on her hands and knees to pick up the popcorn mess by my youngest daughter. Are you kidding me?

Starting point is 00:00:19 And while he seemingly was expecting everyone to be on his side, that is definitely not what happened. Responses and quote tweets galore, criticizing and mocking Bass. Mike Drucker responding, just because you're rich doesn't mean everyone's your servant. I hope this helps.

Starting point is 00:00:31 Another saying, and she should do it again. People criticizing his mindset, saying pregnancy and flying with kids is hard. However, it comes with the understanding that you are responsible for them. Flight attendants are not maids and the cleaning crew should not be expected to pick up trash simply because

Starting point is 00:00:43 someone did not want to do it themselves. An airplane is not your house. Others asking where his personal accountability or consideration for the low-wage worker was. But a lot of the general gist was, your child, your responsibility. Twitch best didn't offer many responses, but did comment that United does have a paid cleaning crew, and that's who he expected to clean up the mess. That also receiving more criticism, including from the likes of Hank Green, which you know the situation's blown up when one of the nicest people on the internet's dunking on you, with Hank saying,

Starting point is 00:01:06 And Jesus said, Clean up after my kids and do it quickly, for the plane turnaround is quick and the airline hired you. But, like I said, people going at each other's throats with not everyone against Bass. With how big this story got, you saw a decent number of people defending him, saying,

Starting point is 00:01:19 I think it's disgusting that the stewardess made a pregnant woman clean up a mess. If they're going to supply popcorn on the plane, be ready for messes to clean up. If you don't like it, don't serve popcorn. As well as arguing you pay for a service, the flight and airlines pay for cleaning service. If kids drop toys, parents should pick up. But if a passenger vomits, do they make that person clean it up? If you drop and break something in a grocery store, do they make you clean up an aisle? No. And as far as how all this is playing out, you had United replying to the tweet and Bass adding that they're now handling the situation internally. So with that, I gotta ask you, what are your thoughts here?

Starting point is 00:01:48 Is Bass in the wrong? Is Bass in the right? Why or why not? And then, I need you whiny little peasants to leave Pity City, please. Thank you. That is an only slightly paraphrased version of what this millionaire CEO said to her employees when they asked about their yearly bonuses. This is Andy Owen, the CEO of Miller Knoll, a massive office furniture company that's been kind of going through a rough patch, currently facing the reality that employees could lose their yearly bonus. And so in a virtual town hall meeting, Owen addresses this question. And she starts off calmly with a classic, do what you can, be kind, give good customer service kind of CEO script. And then she pivots. Don't ask about what are we going to do if you don't get a bonus? Get the damn $26 million. Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about

Starting point is 00:02:31 what you're going to do if we don't get a bonus. All right? Can I get some commitment for that? I would appreciate that. I had an old boss who said to me one time, you can visit pity city, but you can't live there. So people leave pity city. Let's get it done. Thank you. Have a great day. Oh, and that boom. Why? But you know, this clip winds up online. It goes absolutely viral and internet detectives dig up Owen's compensation package. And they found that it's really not a surprise. She's more concerned about sales than her employees. With her reportedly taking $5 million home last year,

Starting point is 00:03:08 with around 3.9 million of that being in stock rewards and incentive-based compensation. With all of that being on top of her fixed salary of nearly $1.1 million. And the thing is with this situation, it's such an unnecessary ugly L for her to take. Because one of the key things here is reportedly the company hasn't even determined bonuses for employees yet

Starting point is 00:03:24 and they won't until the books close in May. So she had the room to turn this into like, we're in it together rather than getting defensive and being condescending, especially for employees that you hired with a system of like dangling a carrot in front of them with having part of their pay being a bonus structure. And at the end of the day, what everyone ends up seeing is kind of a mask off situation regarding the CEO and the whole system in general. Also, while we're talking about companies hitting their quarterly quotas, I should mention over at beautifulbastard.com,

Starting point is 00:03:49 we are now restocked. We were temporarily out because of a fun manufacturing thing. So if you've been wanting to snag yourself some of the sports gear or emotionally exhausted or I love nabs or really so much more, all of that is available again over at beautifulbastard.com. And then, love is blind

Starting point is 00:04:01 and Netflix had a massive problem right now that's completely unrelated to that whole livestream fail. Though there were a few hours there that I thought my wife was going to destroy her laptop because it would not work. But, if you're unfamiliar, it's this show that debuted a month before the pandemic. With it quickly becoming a lockdown favorite. I mean, you had 30 million households tuning in to the first season. And the premise of this reality show is simple. You put 30 men and women on blind dates where they only talk to each other through speakers.

Starting point is 00:04:22 And then, if they're a match, they get engaged and they see their dates for the first time. And when you watch a show, it looks like a lot of people are just having an unmitigated good time. But now, according to an explosive report by Insider, some former cast members say the show is actually very traumatic, and they're claiming all sorts of mistreatment by producers who allegedly kept them from getting adequate sleep. Some of them so exhausted they actually fell asleep in the middle of their dates. A cast member saying the sleep deprivation was real. I feel like they do it on purpose because they're trying to break you. They want you on your edge.

Starting point is 00:04:56 And to that end, it's alleged that the producers constantly push alcohol on the cast, though more important supplies were often scarce. Things like food and water, with the producers allegedly intercepting deliveries of bottled water after the sinks weren't working and adding alcohol to the mix. And throughout the 10 days of filming, life was managed basically 24-7 by the producers and production assistants. With contestants spending all of their time on the windowless sets and only getting sunlight when they used a bathroom in a trailer outside. Or you even had three contestants saying they often lost track of time or what day it was. The production company dictating when and where they could sleep and eat. One cast member saying that after not getting enough food, water, or sleep, she was drinking

Starting point is 00:05:27 champagne when she fainted. But there, instead of fetching medical attention, the crew just gave her a COVID test and then immediately threw her into an on-camera interview. But beyond just being treated like a nothing disposable thing, former contestants say that the show failed to provide sufficient mental health services during and after the show. With several saying they were then left depressed and sought therapy after filming, when even quitting her job because she felt unable to return to her old life. As well as three others who say they had panic attacks while filming, including Brianna Holmes,

Starting point is 00:05:50 who actually ran off set to escape the cameras and collapsed on the stairs of the hair and makeup trailer, shaking and sobbing. With Brianna saying of the camera operator and producers, they literally chased me off the set to the trailers, cameras in my face. I'm like, this is too much. I don't want this.

Starting point is 00:06:03 I don't wanna be here. I don't want to do this. So she quit, saying the 20-hour filming days and the pressure to get engaged to someone you barely know in two weeks is overwhelming. You also had another cast member claiming producers pressured her to stay even after she confided

Starting point is 00:06:13 that she was having suicidal thoughts. With this happening right after she had a panic attack over her depiction on the show, with her hiding in the closet out of fear that her hotel room was bugged with hidden cameras. In Love is Blind, ultimately airing a scene suggesting she had a panic attack

Starting point is 00:06:24 because she was upset about her date speaking to another woman at the cast party. And all this obviously connected to allegations that the show seeks to exploit people's mental health and emotional distress for profit. With Nick Thompson, a season two contestant, explaining, you're thrust into the situation without any support and everything's amplified.

Starting point is 00:06:37 It literally ruins lives. And so actually last year, another former cast member, Jeremy Hartwell, sued Netflix and the show's production company, Kinetic Content, and accusing them of subjecting contestants to unsafe and inhumane working conditions by depriving them of sleep, not supplying enough food and water, and providing an excess of alcohol. Also arguing that Kinetic Content willfully misclassified contestants as independent contractors

Starting point is 00:06:55 instead of employees, meaning that their $1,000 weekly stipend translated to about $7.14 an hour, is less than half of the $15 minimum wage in California. Now, as far as Kinetic's response to all this, they've denied everything and told Insider, Well, being of a participant is of paramount importance to Kinetic. We have rigorous protocols in place to care for each person before, during, and after filming. We've also seen some fans defending the show, arguing the contestants knew what they were getting into and they did so voluntarily. The contract even warning that appearing on the show may open them up to public ridicule, humiliation, or condemnation. We've also had former contestants saying, it's just impossible to know exactly what you're signing up for until

Starting point is 00:07:27 you're in the thick of it. And at that point, it's already too late as the contract says that members of the cast actually have to pay $50,000 in damages to kinetic content if they leave the show without producer approval. But I do wonder if anything will actually change here because this isn't new for reality TV. Exploitation of cast for sensational content, that's reality TV. And it's not even like a, oh my God, imagine what could happen if something really went wrong. I mean, in 2018 and 2019, you saw two former Love Island UK contestants die by suicide. I mean, there was even an investigation about America's Next Top Model that just came out recently with former contestants saying they had onset panic attacks and sustained injuries while filming in unsafe

Starting point is 00:08:01 conditions. But with all that said, I will ask as someone that's never watched a show, especially if you've been watching the show, old seasons, new seasons, what are your thoughts regarding these allegations and the situation in general? And then, you know, finding a good doctor that you trust is a big challenge, but the process of finding that doctor who fits your needs shouldn't be a game of doctor roulette.

Starting point is 00:08:16 And that's where the fantastic sponsor and partner of today's show comes in, ZocDoc. Using ZocDoc's free app that millions of users rely on, you can find the right doctor that meets your needs and fits your schedule. You recently moved? The app helps you find expert doctors and medical professionals that specialize in the care that you need and deliver the type of experience that you want in your neighborhood. And ZocDoc frees up even more of your time by showing you when doctors are available, no more running around trying to fit your appointment during your lunch break. And ZocDoc is the only free app that lets you find and book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them, and treat almost every condition under the sun.

Starting point is 00:08:47 It really is so convenient. It makes finding quality care so much easier, saving you hours that you would have spent trying to find the right doctor. And that means even more when you're not feeling well. So just go to ZocDoc.com slash Phil and download the ZocDoc app for free. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today with many available within 24 hours. That's Z-O-C-D-O-C dot com slash phil. ZocDoc dot com slash phil. And then...

Starting point is 00:09:09 The children yearn for the mines. That's kind of the gist coming from Iowa Republicans right now. And this coming as Iowa's Senate debated massive rollbacks in child labor laws last night. What we're looking at is allowing 14-year-olds to work 6-hour night shifts, 15-year-olds to work in plants on assembly lines moving items up to 50 pounds, 16- to 17-year-olds would be able to serve alcohol, and maybe most notably allowing teenagers 14 to 17 to work at previously prohibited job sites like meatpacking, slaughterhouses, demolition, and roofing if they're in training programs. Roofing, excavation, and demolition are some of the deadliest occupations for adults to say nothing of teenagers. Roofers had the fifth highest rate of work-caused deaths

Starting point is 00:09:49 in America. That fatality rate is almost 10 times higher than a typical American job. No Iowa teenager should be working in America's deadliest jobs. It jeopardizes their lives and the lives of everyone else at that work site. The Democrats accusing Republicans of throwing kids in the line of fire to address worker shortages in these industries. An accusation that Adrian Dickey, the Republican proposing the bill, tried to refute, saying, I never even considered that to be an issue when this bill came in front of me. It simply is providing our youth an opportunity to earn and learn at the same time frame as his classmates do while participating in sports and other fine arts. Essentially framing this as just expanded options for teens to find jobs.

Starting point is 00:10:25 And adding that parents would still need to give permission to their kids for these jobs. But I mean, the debate last night went from tense to just stalled completely after Dickey refused to accept questions from Democrats who quickly slammed the move as totalitarian. This is completely unprecedented. And we're told that this is a new policy

Starting point is 00:10:39 from Iowa Senate Republicans based in response to a Supreme Court ruling here in the state of Iowa, that used debate on the Senate floor to strike down a law that Republicans had supported. So now what we're being told is that Republican senators are not going to answer questions about legislative intent. Dems then holding several closed-door meetings, deferring the bill as the night stretched on, offering several amendments, such as increasing workers' compensation for minors injured on the job. Also striking out that alcohol provision, but the Republican majority said to hell with all that and just managed to pass the bill as is just

Starting point is 00:11:11 before 5 a.m. this morning. And understand, it's very likely going to become a law with the House also debating a similar bill. The two would then need to be reconciled, and if they are, it'll head to Governor Kim Reynolds, who has said that she's in favor of opening up child labor laws. And as far as what everyday local people believe, they're pretty split. With a poll conducted by the Des Moines Register finding that 50% of Iowans support the legislation, 42% oppose it, and 8% are unsure. So pretty even split, which is why I want to ask you, where do you land on this? And then, music as you know it's done. It's over. And I say that because over the last few days, you may have heard a song by Drake and The Weeknd going viral called Heart on My Sleeve. And in it, they sing about Selena Gomez, who previously dated The

Starting point is 00:11:43 Weeknd. And we saw a blow up on TikTok with videos being viewed 15 million times, even getting over 600,000 streams on Spotify and other 275,000 views on YouTube, according to Billboard. Though the number is everywhere, it could be much higher. But here's the thing, that song was not actually made by Drake and The Weeknd.

Starting point is 00:11:57 It was made by AI. With it being posted first on TikTok by a username ghostwriter977. With the song now being pulled from streaming platforms, also the upload of it on YouTube was taken down, with there notably being a message citing a copyright claim from Universal Music Group, with the BBC reporting that there are active efforts

Starting point is 00:12:11 to remove this from YouTube and on TikTok. But really, if you search for it, you're gonna find it, because most people are reposting it going like, oh my God, I can't believe this is a thing. Universal's also released a statement regarding the AI-generated music, saying, it begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on, the side of artists, fans, saying, "...it begs the question as to which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem

Starting point is 00:12:25 want to be on, the side of artists, fans, and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud, and denying artists their due compensation." And adding, "...these instances demonstrate why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the use of their services in ways that harm artists." And keep in mind, this song with these two artists is just the latest. Or with tons of AI covers going viral of Ariana Grande singing songs by artists like Kanye West and Justin Bieber. But also I gotta say the future of all this is not solidified yet.

Starting point is 00:12:49 And I mean that both in what AI generated music is going to look like in the future, as well as what is the point of view and tone going to be from the music industry? Which is also something music critic and YouTuber Anthony Fantano hit on when he first heard this new song. I don't know who this is not gonna be good for entirely right now at this moment, but

Starting point is 00:13:07 I don't think it's very, I don't think it's very good. There's a lot of people talking about like, oh yeah, this is going to like, you know, turn the industry upside down. The labels are in trouble now. And for sure, it's got them sweating a little bit. If it didn't, I don't think they would be going to the lengths that they are to have this song taken down off of streaming and everything. But once they like figure out the recipe for this thing, just like with streaming, it's

Starting point is 00:13:33 going to be a payday for them. There's going to be so many new Juice WRLD songs and like you're not even going to know where they're coming from. I promise you. And what he's talking about there should be considered because if there is money to be made, the music industry is going to grab that bitch. I mean, think about it. How many artists or companies sell their their old catalog?

Starting point is 00:13:51 It's not crazy to then jump to the idea that people are going to sign away their future AI song rights or companies are going to leverage that. Because like we've seen in the past, sometimes there are technological jumps that it fucking just completely flips an industry and you can't fight it so you have to evolve with it and that will be a good and bad thing it just depends on for who and then your favorite show or that movie that you're looking forward to might be about to get hit with a delay that's because hollywood's getting incredibly close to having a massive writer strike on its hand with the writers guild of america just passing a strike authorization

Starting point is 00:14:20 vote with nearly 98 of members approving a strike, and the WGA represents TV and film writers. Now, it is important to note that right now, this does not 100% guarantee a strike will happen, but it does mean that when the writers' contract with studios expire on May 1st, they can take to the picket lines. But between now and then, the WGA will still be negotiating with studios with the union leadership, adding, Writers have expressed our collective strength, solidarity, and the demand for meaningful change in overwhelming numbers. Armed with this undeniable demonstration of unity and resolve, we will continue to work at the negotiating table to achieve a fair contract for all writers. Right, and as far as the specifics, there are several issues at hand here, but a lot of it really boils down to how streaming has changed the industry for

Starting point is 00:14:54 writers. With streaming popularizing what's been called mini-rooms, which actually has no one set definition, but in many cases they involve a studio getting a small group of writers to develop and write a series in a very short span of time before it's even picked up. And because the studio technically hasn't picked the show up yet, they can justify paying writers less than a normal writer's room. Plus, with many rooms convening for only a short amount of time, it creates instability for writers who have to be on the constant lookout for their next gig. And very importantly, writers are also seeking to correct how residuals have been affected by streaming, as those are often how middle-class writers survive. Because when something they wrote airs on TV or was sold on DVD, they'd get a cut.

Starting point is 00:15:23 But streaming has essentially killed that and made it far less lucrative. So in recent years, it's just become increasingly difficult for everyday writers to make a living and land a decent paycheck. With Eric Haywood, a member of the WGA's negotiating committee, saying, Writers are working more weeks for less money. And in some cases, veteran writers are working for the same money or in some cases, less money than they made just a few years ago. Now, as far as the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the studios, they said this whole strike vote was inevitable as part of the WGA's plan, saying their goal is to reach a fair and reasonable agreement, but then kind of jabbing the WGA, saying that's only possible if the Guild is committed to turning its focus to serious bargaining. But the WGA then pointing the finger right back at them, saying, hey, you haven't offered any meaningful responses to our core economic issues.

Starting point is 00:15:59 You know, it's been so long since the last writer's strike, but I mean, this could be huge. Some of you in general, or maybe if you've been with me since then, you remember back in 2007, 2008, Hollywood was essentially shut down for a hundred days. It cost the Los Angeles economy $3 billion. I will also say though, selfishly, it was a great thing for online content creators. People started seeing content online. Our numbers went up. You started seeing really interesting projects like Dr. Horrible's sing-along blog. But again, that is a silver lining to a situation that left a lot of people in some hurt. Which is also why the LA Times even just put out an op-ed saying, we can't afford another writer's strike. Not Hollywood, not LA, not the country.

Starting point is 00:16:33 And they're condemning the studios and saying they need to stop screwing around and come to the table with reasonable responses to the WGA's core demands. But if the strike does actually happen as far as where you'll see it, immediately you'd see late night shows hit. And likely it wouldn't be for like a few months where you'd see your standard scripted series being hit. But there we're seeing reports that the studios are actually prepping for a strike. Stockpiling scripts, getting reality TV ready.

Starting point is 00:16:51 But for now, we're gonna have to wait to see how this standoff plays out. Sexy Phil, he's not sexy. Sexy Phil, he's sexy.

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The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 4.18 Disturbing Love is Blind Abuse Scandal, What AI Drake Really Exposes, United Controversy & More News

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