The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 5.8 "HE HAS A TOXIC SAVIOR COMPLEX!" Mr Beast Controversy Has People Split, Texas Updates & Today's News

Starting point is 00:00:00 Today we're talking about what's really going down with this wave of backlash at Mr. Beast following his Curing the Deaf video, what Jenna Ortega's catching strays, what Dems are turning on Biden, the new eye-opening information coming out of Texas right now, and so much more news today. So welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show, and let's just jump into it. Starting with, Mr. Beast is facing backlash again. So this time, the criticism is different from the most recent controversy, which was Jimmy has a trans friend. Oh no, he's indoctrinating the youth by seeing a friend as a person. But no, rather it's because he put out a video

Starting point is 00:00:28 titled 1,000 Deaf People Hear for the First Time. And while with everything that Jimmy does, like people have big reactions, what was actually kind of standout is that you had deaf people specifically among those being the biggest critics. As a Mr. Beast explains in the video that his team got $3 million

Starting point is 00:00:40 to spend on new hearing aid technology that'll analyze a person's specific hearing needs. And he gives these hearing aids to people of all ages, kids, adults, people from other countries, all over the world. Also on top of that, some are gifted like $10,000 or tickets to a Taylor Swift concert. Mr. Beast even closing the video by noting

Starting point is 00:00:54 that hearing isn't the only way to connect people, that sign language is a powerful tool. And so he's gonna be donating $100,000 to organizations that teach people sign language. And while in the comments, you had tons of people praising him, you also had The Independent putting out an op-ed from writer Liam O'Dell titled,

Starting point is 00:01:06 Deaf People Like Me Deserve Better Than Mr. B's Latest Piece of Inspiration Porn. And in it, it's saying that Jimmy's video amounts to nothing more than harmful sensationalism by glossing over the complications deaf people have with hearing aids. And going on to write, it amplifies the dangerous misconception

Starting point is 00:01:18 that hearing devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants are cures or fixes for deafness. They aren't. And adding, there's nothing in Mr. B's video which acknowledges the fluctuating relationship we deaf people have with hearing and listening. It is not a binary process where we suddenly go from deaf to hearing,

Starting point is 00:01:31 but rather these devices are, as the name suggests, there to aid hearing. And arguing, the video fails to properly emphasize the element of choice deaf people have around whether they want to use them. Some will try hearing aids or receive cochlear implants only to find they aren't the right fit for them. Others will decide not to explore them entirely

Starting point is 00:01:44 and some individuals won't be eligible for them altogether. And the author adding that even though Mr. Beast likely had good intentions, even the most casual and well-meaning actions can be harmful to deaf and disabled people. And with that, you had plenty of people on Twitter seemingly agreeing with those concerns, saying that his video is misleading, that he's just another celebrity using a marginalized group to get clout rather than sharing actual deaf awareness. Of course, you had many, many people on Mr. B's side saying it's unfair for people to criticize him every time he tries to do good. But even if the solution in this video is not the solution for everyone, it's likely

Starting point is 00:02:11 changed so many people's lives. And so that's why, of course, with everyone, I'd love to know your thoughts on this story. But also specifically, if you or someone you know is any degree of hearing impaired and definitely if you're deaf, which side note, the quick turnaround to these videos, the closed captioning on these, I know it can sometimes take a few hours. We're still trying to work on that. But I would specifically love to know your thoughts here in those comments down below. And then, it's a big announcement.

Starting point is 00:02:31 Some of you already know. This week, I'm doing something different for you. Because in addition to your regular Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Philip DeFranco show, you're also getting an extra 4 to 10 minute bonus morning news video every morning. It'll look like this. This is actually this morning. It'll be going live at 9 a.m. Eastern, 6 a.m. Pacific. That way you can start your day and end your day getting filled in.

Starting point is 00:02:48 So yeah, if you haven't already today, check out that video. I'll also link to it down below. And I hope you enjoy the videos because there's always more that I want to talk about. And then the fallout from the writer's strike has begun. On the logistical and business side, Deadline reported that some studios are suspending

Starting point is 00:02:59 their overall deals with TV writers and producers, meaning that tons of writers and showrunners that had deals to make shows for certain studios just got letters saying that their deals are suspended amid the strike, with some also specifying that the compensation they're scheduled to receive has been halted as well. The studios that have issued these suspensions include Warner Bros, Universal, CBS, and Disney, with Netflix possibly following in the coming days. And all that happening is some studios are facing severe backlash for demanding that showrunners work amid the strike,

Starting point is 00:03:20 with Disney and Warner Bros specifically sending out letters saying that they are still contractually obligated to perform non-writing duties many showrunners would argue they don't have any non-writing duties because at every stage and level of producing writing's involved but disney's letter going as far as to say you are not excused from performing your duties as a showrunner and or producer on your series as a result of the wga strike your personal services agreement with the studio requires that you perform your showrunner and or producing duties even if the wga attempts to fine you for performing such services during the strike. And saying your duties aren't excused or suspended unless we tell you otherwise might explain why we're seeing some contracts getting

Starting point is 00:03:51 cut. Also on top of this, we're already seeing programming interrupted by the strike. The MTV Movie and TV Awards, which I'm told is still a thing, happening last night, even though host Drew Barrymore dropped out last week in support of the writer's strike. So instead of doing a live show, it was a pre-taped event that the Daily Beast described as an awkward and nearly starless flashback filled broadcast and actually of the stars who did appear via video to accept their awards plenty gave shout outs to writers girls seeing headlines pop up about big shows stopping production amid the strike including stranger things with creators saying on twitter writing does not stop when filming begins while we're excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew it is not possible during this

Starting point is 00:04:22 strike we hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work. Until then, over and out, WGA strong. But with that, we've also seen some big names getting dragged into the conversation. This including Jenna Ortega, with writers actually taking aim at her over previous comments that she made about writing on Netflix's Wednesday.

Starting point is 00:04:36 Right in that, because on a podcast, she said she did a lot of rewriting on the show. I don't think I've ever had to put my foot down on a set in a way that I had to on Wednesday. Everything that she does, everything that I had to play did not make sense for her character at all. There's no way, there was down on a set in a way that I had to on Wednesday. Everything that she does, everything that I had to play did not make sense for her character at all. There's no way there was times on that set where I even became almost unprofessional in a sense where I just started changing lines.

Starting point is 00:04:54 And then I would have to sit down with the writers and they would be like, wait, what happened to the scene? And I would have to go through and explain why I couldn't do certain things. And those comments critical of the show's writing earned her some, you know, some love people saying queen, but also backlash. And now, during this strike, you have writers making jokes about it, saying she should join the picketing. One saying, rewriting is writing. See you at the line, Jenna. One even holding a sign that said, without writers, Jenna Ortega will have nothing to punch up. So there you also had tons of people defending her, saying it's not fair to make her the butt of the joke here when this is something a lot of actors do. There are

Starting point is 00:05:20 plenty of script notes on set to better fit the character they've built. She shouldn't just be singled out for that. Also, I will say with this whole strike situation, one of the biggest controversies involved two people that are not writers. I don't know if you saw, I mean, the situation got pretty viral, but a political commentator, Hassan Piker, actually went out to see the picketing. He's live streaming the whole thing, did it with Adam Conover, who, by the way, is a bam. Well, this is getting general attention and things were popping up like, oh, look, Hassan bought everyone pizza. What ended up getting the most attention was a stream getting interrupted by a troll. We love landlords.

Starting point is 00:05:47 We love landlords. We love them a lot. We're all against unions. They're not fair to the corporate companies. This is a crazy protest. Which I know everyone else has asked, how is that guy everywhere? But honestly, that's where I'm gonna leave that part.

Starting point is 00:05:59 It became this whole other sideshow situation. Because at the end of the day, the only thing that matters in this particular situation are the writers striking for literally just a little bit. The situation and industry have evolved, so should the contracts. But we'll continue to keep our eyes on this and see how things play out. And then, bow down to your new king or else. That's what some are saying the vibe is after this week's huge cosplay convention, otherwise known as King Charles' Coronation. Notably, as London was filled with people from

Starting point is 00:06:24 all over the world gathering to witness the festivities, there was also anti-monarchy protests being held, which led to 52 people being arrested on Saturday. And the Metropolitan Police saying that those arrests were for things like public order offenses, breach of the peace, and conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. And noting that these arrests came after police warned its, quote, tolerance for any disruption, whether through protest or otherwise, will be low, and that we would deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining the celebration. And with this, you had plenty of news outlets noting that these arrests came after the passage of the Public Order Act, which severely restricts protesting rights and became a law just days ahead of the coronation.

Starting point is 00:06:53 And while you had the Washington Post saying that it's unclear how many of these arrests were for violating this act, these arrests have resulted in the law facing heavy criticism, including from the head of an anti-monarchy group who was among those arrested and him tweeting, Make no mistake, there is no longer a right to peaceful protest in the UK. I've been told many times the monarch is there to defend our freedoms. Now our freedoms are under attack in his name. With him also saying that he believes that these arrests were premeditated by the police. You also had the UK director for Human Rights Watch tweeting, People are being arrested on the streets of London for peacefully protesting against the monarchy. These are scenes you'd

Starting point is 00:07:20 expect to see in Russia, not the UK. It's disgraceful, not dazzling. For his part, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has sided with the police so far. With all this, I will say congratulations to King Charles. Your cosplay was on point. I hope you had a good time, even though you looked like you were sad, like you lost a bet and had to become king. It just, I don't know, it must be exciting to be born better than everyone else. Because that's all royalty is, right?

Starting point is 00:07:40 Like, I get some people fucking eat that shit up. I just don't get it, and I know that I might be in the minority here. And then the Democrats have a Joe Biden problem in that not many people like old Joe with his approval rating, not only just now hitting an all time low dropping from 42% in February to now 36%, but also a new Washington post ABC news poll has him trailing seven points behind former president Trump. And while obviously there are a lot of different factors at play here, a big focus has been on age and health, with Axios reporting that only 32% overall think Biden has the mental sharpness it takes to serve effectively as president, which is down from 51% when people were polled three years ago. And on physical health needed to govern, just 33%

Starting point is 00:08:16 think Biden at age 80 has it versus 64% for Trump, who's 76. Now, obviously, with all this, we're talking about a poll so far disconnected from when the actual election is going to happen. I mean, the Republicans haven't even had their primary yet. But it doesn't change the fact that you should hear the alarm bells ringing right now. And then Floridians may be driving on radioactive roads soon. This because the Florida legislature just passed a bill that would allow radioactive waste from fertilizer to be used in road construction projects. This even though the EPA prohibits exactly that, citing an unacceptable risk to construction workers, public health, and the environment. But also the thing is, we still don't really know what to do with the waste

Starting point is 00:08:47 called phosphogypsum, where we need phosphate to produce many fertilizers, even though it leaves behind this waste. And 70% of US phosphate mining is done in Florida. So normally we just dump it and we're like, you know, the kids and the grandkids, they'll deal with it. But I mean, more than a million tons of this shit are already stored in piles across a state that are hundreds of acres wide and hundreds of feet tall. And these sites are prone to spills and sinkholes that reportedly threaten Tampa Bay and a local aquifer. Which is why a joint statement from conservation groups opposing the bill argues, putting radioactive phosphogypsum in roads would let the fertilizer industry off the hook for safely disposing of the millions of tons of dangerous waste it creates each year

Starting point is 00:09:18 while generating another cash stream for industry giants. And so for now, we're going to have to wait to see if Ron DeSantis signs the bill. And then, you've heard farm to table, but have you heard about chef to you? Imagine award-winning chef's meals being delivered right to your door. Well, if that sounds good, that's why you need to know more about today's sponsor, CookUnity. CookUnity connects a diverse group of talented chefs who cook delicious, inventive meals from sustainable ingredients in regional microkitchens, not warehouse production facilities. I'm talking meals you'd find in restaurants delivered to you fully cooked. You just heat them up.

Starting point is 00:09:45 You know, so far we've had Chef Ann Thornton's garbanzo and yam coconut quinoa, which was creamy and packed with flavor and the savory and hearty adobo flank steak by the James Beard nominated chef, Enot Admoni. And of course I could not order the Kraft cheeseburger from New York chef, John DeLucci. Y'all, with an ever-changing menu,

Starting point is 00:10:00 CookUnity offers a range of meals to fit most dietary preferences and the subscription is super flexible, making it easy to pause, skip weeks or cancel any time. And another cool thing about the service, they text you a heads up before they deliver the meals so you can be sure that someone's around to accept them. So go to cookunity.com slash DeFranco, or just click the link in my description and use code DEFRANCO50 to get 50% off your first order of CookUnity meals to try them out yourself. And then Phoenix, Arizona is the latest frontline in America's war on homelessness. Because downtown, you'll find an enormous encampment

Starting point is 00:10:27 known as The Zone with over 900 homeless people sprawled out over some 10 blocks. And last year, you had a group of local business owners suing the city and state court, arguing that it has a responsibility to fix the problem. With plaintiffs like the Old Station Sub Shop, which opened nearly four decades ago, saying they've seen conditions worsen drastically over the past few years, with its owners reporting damaged property, needles, and human excrement. With the decreased foot traffic and increased security costs, it's become unaffordable to continue doing business there. So this lawsuit has been described as a last-ditch effort to save their livelihood before they're forced to sell to

Starting point is 00:10:53 whoever's willing to buy the devalued property. With this, as vacant office space in the area nearly quadrupled from 2020 to 2022. So what we saw is in March, a judge ruled in favor of the business owners, giving Phoenix until July to bring the area into compliance with public nuisance laws. So this week, city officials would begin clearing out the zone. But with most shelter beds taken each night, it's unclear where people are actually supposed to go. So you've got the city moving to convert more hotel rooms and vacant buildings into shelters as well as build an outdoor campground with security restrooms and hand washing stations. But those aren't going to be available right away. And even if they were,

Starting point is 00:11:21 many of the zone's inhabitants don't want to leave. Like one 37-year-old woman who ended up homeless after her husband died last year and she couldn't pay the bills on her own, and she refuses to go to a shelter with rules and a curfew because she says she relies on drugs to get through each day, saying plainly, I'm just trying to keep myself high so I don't have to deal with the pain. Plus, many are reportedly in that zone camp because it's right next door to the non-profit human services campus, where they notably have access to shelter beds that are full on most nights, food, water, and healthcare, all of which are critical during Arizona's scorching summers. Which is why we're seeing that nonprofit CEO arguing that as people are pushed farther from their services, more of

Starting point is 00:11:51 them are going to die or get sick. Pointing out that more than 700 people experiencing homelessness died last year in Maricopa County, according to officials. Which is why you have critics saying this only pushes the problem out of sight. Which is also exactly the reason given by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, for vetoing a bill that would have banned tents on public land. With this situation, you also have others fearing that those displaced from the zone will just end up in the city's parks and other neighborhoods instead. And arguing instead, the solution is to tackle the real problem, rising housing prices. Because reportedly, many unhoused people actually have jobs or receive government assistance, but they still can't afford rent. So there's a situation where the homeless population in the Phoenix area has grown by 46%, and this as a city has half as many shelter beds as homeless people. But also for the business people getting squeezed here, they feel like they

Starting point is 00:12:27 have no choice, and the lawyers here say that their lawsuit could be a model for cities across the country. A prospect that many businesses are going to find interesting, but also many activists find scary. But also a key takeaway here is we've already seen some states move forward with laws clamping down on the homeless. So we have some insight, like Tennessee, which banned anyone from pitching a tent on public land outside designated campsites last year. A move that's been criticized as essentially criminalizing homelessness. This on top of similar bills in Missouri, Georgia, and Texas. And as it turns out, behind many of these efforts is an Austin-based think tank known as the Cicero Institute,

Starting point is 00:12:53 which was created by the billionaire and co-founder of the tech giant Palantir, Joe Lonsdale. And it's spent the past several years pushing states to adopt its model legislation that punishes public camping with jail time and fines. With critics arguing this is absolutely horrible because a criminal record actually makes it harder for people to find permanent housing and employment, not easier. With this news, and as we wait to see what happens in the Phoenix area this week, I have to ask you, what are your thoughts here?

Starting point is 00:13:13 And then, state Republicans are once again kicking lawmakers out of their legislature, though I will say this time, it's for a way better reason than a trans person said something they didn't like. With the Texas House Committee recommending on Saturday that state representative Brian Slayton be removed from office after investigating

Starting point is 00:13:26 an alleged sexual assault against a 19-year-old aide. With him finding that Slayton had invited her to his Austin residence, gave her alcohol, and then had sex. And with that, Slayton's lawyer is not denying the allegations instead, arguing that the committee shouldn't even be investigating the allegations since they happened at his Austin residence

Starting point is 00:13:39 rather than at work. But that said, with this situation on top of facing expulsion, the committee's pretty sure Slayton also committed three Class A misdemeanors, right? Providing alcohol to a minor, abuse of official capacity, and official oppression for intentionally subjecting another to sexual harassment. And honestly, he's lucky that's all because they also concluded that the victim, quote, could not effectively consent to intercourse and could not indicate whether

Starting point is 00:13:57 Slayton's conduct was welcome or unwelcome. Which, I mean, let's call a spade a spade here. That sounds like a really long way of saying that he sexually assaulted her. That said, it's unclear right now when exactly a vote on his expulsion is going to happen, but fellow Republicans have already submitted a resolution to get him out. And then, immigration and the border. We've been saying for weeks, going to be massive news starting especially this week. And we're already seeing it because major Texas border towns have declared a state of emergency ahead of Title 42 expiring this Thursday. We talked a little bit about it last week, but those are the provisions that President Trump put in place that limited immigration during the pandemic. With its expiration just a few days away, border towns fear that they're going to be overwhelmed by a huge influx of migrants. And those fears aren't exactly unsubstantiated, with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol saying that they've already seen a substantial rise in encounters at the border,

Starting point is 00:14:36 and that upwards of tens of thousands are already at the border. Although I've seen some conservatives claim that it's hundreds and hundreds of thousands. Now, for its part, the Biden administration has tried to reassure border residents, but the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorca stressing in Brownsville late last week, we have a plan. We are executing on that plan. So far, that plan includes sending troops to the border alongside putting deals in place with Mexico to more or less extend some of the provisions of Title 42.

Starting point is 00:14:58 But keep in mind, this is a developing situation, and I'm going to keep you updated on it this week. Also on the subject of border towns, we need to talk about what happened in Brownsville yesterday, because at least eight people were killed and 10 injured when a Range Rover plowed into a crowd of migrants that were waiting at a bus stop across from a homeless shelter that helps migrants in the city. Now, there's still a lot of questions surrounding the situation as authorities have been slow to release information. Some of the things we know, that the driver was a Latino man and he was initially arrested on charges of reckless driving, although that's now been expanded to include eight counts of manslaughter and 10

Starting point is 00:15:24 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Now, currently, it is officially unclear if this was intentional, an accident, if the driver was hammered when this happened. Some witnesses reported that while trying to run away, he cursed at them and looked impaired. The police also waiting to get the results of a blood toxicology report. You know, that alone would be a tragic enough way to end the show. But obviously, we can't talk about Texas today without mentioning the shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets in Texas on Saturday, where at least eight victims, including children, were killed with about the same amount injured. Also, it could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for the fact that an officer was already at the mall for an unrelated incident,

Starting point is 00:15:53 with him then responding to the shooting and killing the gunman. As of right now, you have investigators trying to figure out why the gunman attacked this mall. But you had right-wingers quick to claim that it was a gang shooting or due to cartel violence because the man looked Hispanic. But current evidence suggests that it was actually motivated by far-right and white supremacist ideology as he was wearing a patch of red RWDS, which is short for Right-Wing Death Squad, probably a reference to various Latin American dictatorships that hunted down leftists within their country. And social media accounts tied to him back that up. He was clearly a far-right Latino neo-Nazi, sporting a huge swastika tattoo on his chest and the SS symbol on his arm. And a Latino white supremacist might sound like a contradiction to some,

Starting point is 00:16:26 but Latino is just a cultural identifier, and white Latinos can be just as racist and bigoted as any white supremacist. Also with this situation, we're kind of seeing the same song and dance from both sides on the gun issue. And that's not saying that both arguments are equal, it's just that it's happening again. You know, with this, we saw the Biden administration renewing calls for stricter gun reform, especially on so-called assault weapons. But then on the other side, you had Governor Greg Abbott telling Texas this morning

Starting point is 00:16:47 that it was too early to draw conclusions or make policies. And when asked what more could be done to keep AR-15 style weapons away from the shooter, he said, The first step to leading to some type of resolution here, as well as providing information about the response needed from the state of Texas, is to know exactly why and how this happened. I believe in the coming days,

Starting point is 00:17:08 the public will be much better informed about why and how this happened. And that will inform us as Texas leaders about next steps to take to try to prevent crimes like this from taking place in the future. You know, not really answering the question at all. And you know, I just,

Starting point is 00:17:22 I don't know what to do with this news. Because it feels like over the years, the only thing that's changed is like my opinion on the matter. I normally have felt like there's almost no way that things are going to change. But now I feel like things are definitely just not going to change. Both sides are on completely different planets on this issue. And no amount of hearing stories about or, in this instance, seeing fucking video of dead children seems to be moving the needle for anybody. And unfortunately, that is the note that we're ending today's show on.

Starting point is 00:17:47 But what I will say here, remember today and this week, in addition to getting your full Philip DeFranco show, which is what you're watching right now, I've been uploading a morning news video. I uploaded the first this morning. It's about America's secret wars. Link in the description and also on the screen here.

Starting point is 00:17:58 But as always, my name's Philip DeFranco. You've just been filled in. I love your faces and I'll see you tomorrow.

Your Ad Here

The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 5.8 "HE HAS A TOXIC SAVIOR COMPLEX!" Mr Beast Controversy Has People Split, Texas Updates & Today's News

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.