The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 6.13 Jessica Biel Definitely NOT Anti-Vaxxer wink wink, Chernobyl Influencer Fact Check, & More

Starting point is 00:00:00 Sup you beautiful bastards, hope you're having a fantastic Thursday. Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show. Before moving forward, be sure to hit that like button, otherwise I will de-vaccinate you, un-vaccinate you. I've developed the technology, it could very easily get in the wrong hands. So respond not to this threat, but this promise accordingly.

Starting point is 00:00:15 But with that said, let's just jump into it. And actually the first thing we're gonna be talking about today is we have more anti-vax news that is out there, this time with an odd centerpiece. Today the focal point of this news surrounded actress Jessica Biel. And the story starts with an Instagram post from Robert F. Kennedy.

Starting point is 00:00:30 This picture and the caption, "'Please say thank you to the courageous Jessica Biel "'for a busy and productive day "'at the California State House.'" And it turns out they were there to lobby against a California vaccination bill. And the bill that they were reportedly lobbying against is SB 276.

Starting point is 00:00:43 And the reported goal of this bill is quote, "'To crack down on doctors who provide what sponsoring Senator Richard Pan calls fake medical exemptions.'" And the bill notably is co-sponsored by the California Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics California, and Vaccinate California.

Starting point is 00:00:57 And as far as what is a fake medical exemption, you get these situations where you have private Facebook groups of these anti-vaxxers and they're like, hey, if you wanna get a medical exemption for your kid, go to this specific doctor. Right? Doctors who are alleged to have been abusing the vaccination exemption process. And so instead, with this bill, an exemption would need to be approved by a state public health officer. With the goal being to crack down on exemption abuse. Right? And I mention that to give you some background and some context of what is actually happening.

Starting point is 00:01:23 But main point, this post goes up, people start picking it up, and it goes viral. Jessica Biel all of a sudden trending everywhere. People calling her anti-vax, people saying she's joining the likes of Jenny McCarthy. All while the United States is experiencing the worst measles outbreak in the past 20 years. Following this, Jessica Biel turned to Instagram,

Starting point is 00:01:39 posting this photo with the caption, "'I am not against vaccinations. "'I support children getting vaccinations, "'and I also support families having the right "'to make educated medical decisions "'for their children alongside their physicians.'" My concern with SB 277 is what she wrote initially, which is not the right bill,

Starting point is 00:01:53 but my concern with SB 276 is solely regarding medical exemptions. And she goes on to claim that her friend's child has a condition that warrants vaccine exemptions and claims that this bill would impact him. And if you look at that post, a lot of the top comments are critical of her decision or critical of just the anti-vax movement in general.

Starting point is 00:02:07 And you know, in general, looking at her post, she has this kind of light language. But the argument against what she's talking about here is still incredibly valid because no one's talking about no medical exemptions. What's being talked about is a crackdown on the abuses of the system. Parents that don't want their kids to get vaccinated.

Starting point is 00:02:22 So they start doctor shopping and visiting as many doctors as it takes or going to special groups and learning of which doctor they can go to to get that special pass. To get that doctor that's like, no worry, I got you. And there are reports coming now of an anonymous staffer in these meetings.

Starting point is 00:02:35 And they reportedly say that Kennedy and Beale both talked about their personal belief that vaccines are both dangerous and ineffective. Staffer also alleged, quote, that Beale seemed to indicate she'd then visited multiple doctors to find one who was comfortable with her preference, saying quote,

Starting point is 00:02:47 she practically admitted to doctor shopping, which SB 276 is trying to prevent. And also, I wanna note here, I'm gonna link to the full text of this bill, because I've seen a lot of people trying to go against it, mischaracterizing the bill, changing the words of what's being said in this bill. Because what it is trying to do is not stop all exemptions,

Starting point is 00:03:03 right, that is a constant lie that I keep seeing. It is trying to create a standardized form for medical exemptions because right now it is being abused. It's creating a situation in this country more and more where it's not just the child in question that is at risk, but it is the community at large. And I don't ask you to take my word on it because I'm just some fucking stupid person in a room talking to myself. And it's why I've hated in the past, why the Jenny McCarthy's of the world and the Jessica Biel's of the now can add weight to a ridiculous argument in the face of just overwhelming evidence and science.

Starting point is 00:03:34 She says she's not anti-vax, but what she is arguing for, what she is lobbying for is anti-vax. It enables it, it allows it to thrive. It is a Trojan horse. And it's not even a new Trojan horse. As Brandy Zadrozny explains in a tweet, "'Important for those not versed in anti-vax talking points. "'Anti-vax activists say, quote,

Starting point is 00:03:50 "'I am not against vaccines, preferring language "'like pro-choice or skeptic, et cetera, et cetera.'" And so Beale's Insta post isn't a walk back and it isn't setting the record straight. It's a basic confirmation. But that's it, and let's note that Jessica Beale is courageous. Sure, it can be brave or courageous to stand up

Starting point is 00:04:04 for something stupid, good job. Anyway, moving on. And then let's note that Jessica Biel is courageous. Sure, it can be brave or courageous to stand up for something stupid. Good job. Anyway, moving on. And then let's talk about why Ukraine, but more specifically Chernobyl, is in the news. Now a little background for those without an HBO subscription and or those who did not pay attention in history class. In April of 1986, a nuclear reactor malfunctioned at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, causing radioactive particles to cover the surrounding area, making the surrounding 1,000 miles toxic. Within a few weeks of this incident, at least 30 plant operators and first responders

Starting point is 00:04:28 had died from the accident. And to this day, there is still debate on the total possible deaths from cancer caused by the radioactivity. A Belarusian study has reportedly estimated that 115,000 deaths will be connected to this incident while the World Health Organization has estimated just 9,000.

Starting point is 00:04:41 But of course, this was a massive disaster. Even saying just 9,000 is crazy. But why are we talking about this today? Well, last month HBO aired their new limited series, Chernobyl, which is based on Chernobyl. The name checks out. And as soon as the show premiered, the number of trips to the site reportedly jumped up.

Starting point is 00:04:56 According to Reuters, the director of the tour company Solo East said he saw a 30% increase in tourists this past May and a 40% increase for tours for the rest of the summer. With one tour guide even telling the outlet many people come here They ask a lot of questions about the TV show about all the events people are getting more and more curious Which brings us to this past Sunday when a Twitter user posted photos of different quote-unquote Influencers posing at the Chernobyl plant and in the nearby town of Pripyat with the caption meanwhile in Chernobyl Instagram influencers flocking to the site

Starting point is 00:05:21 Of the disaster they provided four examples of this alleged action. This tweet went viral with currently over 13,000 retweets, 46,000 plus likes. A lot of people jumped on board. I saw some friends commenting and promoting it. I saw the likes of Chrissy Teigen retweeting it with the caption, Oh my fucking lord. Although she has since deleted it, but I have not seen any post afterwards as to why. Although maybe it's because of where this story goes. But also you even had the writer and executive producer of the HBO series, Craig Mazin, tweeting in response on Tuesday, "'It's wonderful that Chernobyl HBO has inspired

Starting point is 00:05:49 "'a wave of tourism to the zone of exclusion. "'But yes, I've seen the photos going around. "'If you visit, please remember that a terrible tragedy "'occurred there. "'Comport yourselves with respect for all who suffered "'and sacrificed.'" Which I will say, I do agree with that sentiment and I'll touch on that more later,

Starting point is 00:06:02 but it does turn out that only one of those photos was taken by a supposed Instagram influencer. And it's also not as simple as what people would assume or associate with an Instagram influencer. The first photo, which shows a woman in protective gear, was the lone influencer. In her caption, she notes to her 322,000 followers about the terrible tragedy that took place there.

Starting point is 00:06:19 She told Business Insider that she was upset at being included in this post, saying, "'Because of the engineering work of my boyfriend, "'we were able to get a special admission "'to go inside control room four, "'which is actually not accessible for visitors. "'I left those stories online "'because they are full of information

Starting point is 00:06:31 "'and I really want to spread them, "'but I don't want to be seen as an influencer "'going to Chernobyl because it's trendy now.'" That's not true. And according to The Atlantic, the other three Insta users were identified as Instagram influencers. Their follower counts ranged from just 200 to 1,500,

Starting point is 00:06:43 although since the article, they have spiked. Also, the photo of the man holding a Geiger counter wasn't even taken from an Instagram influencers. Their follower counts range from just 200 to 1500, although since the article they have spiked. Also, the photo of the man holding a Geiger counter wasn't even taken from an Instagram user. Turns out it was actually taken by an airline pilot named Patrick Smith back in October of 2006. And also of note, the photo of the girl in front of the burnt bus, she also had a caption about the importance of Chernobyl,

Starting point is 00:06:58 calling it an eternal monument to the horrid cruelty of the Soviet regime. And so it's kind of on that note that I want to end this story on. The documentation of going to the siterid cruelty of the Soviet regime. And so it's kind of on that note that I want to end this story on. The documentation of going to the site of a tragedy and taking a photo of it or taking a selfie of some sort, I ultimately go back to Craig Mazin's tweet, which isn't to say don't document, don't take pictures.

Starting point is 00:07:16 I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I think it furthers the story of what happened there. We end up all being these weird documentarians. But also don't go to the site of a horrible, horrible tragedy so you can take a booty pic. Just a possible idea. Like in the past, I've gone to places like Auschwitz, the concentration camp.

Starting point is 00:07:32 I took photos. I don't remember if I put anything online, but if I did, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. You should be respectful of what happened there. But if you're gonna take a photo of yourself dabbing or take a video of yourself flossing at a site of a tragedy, or take a photo like booty pic McDooshbag over here,

Starting point is 00:07:46 then no, I think I kinda, I won't cry if you got punched in the throat. I'd just be respectful, but also I will say, that's my personal opinion. I know there are gonna be people that don't have any issue whatsoever with any of the photographs. I know people are gonna have issues

Starting point is 00:07:57 with every single photograph. But with this story, I wanted to, one, help curb any and all of the fake news associated with this, including the mischaracterization of certain people, and two, then pass the question off to one, help curb any and all of the fake news associated with this, including the mischaracterization of certain people, and two, then pass the question off to you, what are your thoughts regarding this whole situation, whether it be the spread of the tweets or the actual act of taking photos at these sites?

Starting point is 00:08:15 Any and all thoughts, I'd love to hear from you in those comments down below. And then let's talk about this news coming out of Memphis, Tennessee. Last night, officers in the United States Marshal Service encountered a man who they say was wanted on multiple felony warrants, with multiple reports saying that man

Starting point is 00:08:26 was 20-year-old Brandon Weber. And according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the marshals attempted to stop him as he was getting into a vehicle, but according to a statement, he then reportedly rammed his vehicle into the officer's vehicles multiple times before exiting with a weapon.

Starting point is 00:08:38 The officers fired, striking and killing the individual. No officers were injured. And while no authorities have confirmed the second part, Weber's family members, who were allegedly witnesses to the shooting claim that He was shot nearly 20 times and once people heard about this incident There was a lot of unrest in Memphis specifically we saw this in the Fraser neighborhood Which is where all this took place protests reportedly began at a nearby convenience store later that night

Starting point is 00:08:57 But the situation seemed to quickly escalate as reports came out the protesters were throwing objects including rocks at police vandalizing a squad car breaking breaking windows of a fire station, tearing down a concrete wall, with officers reportedly using tear gas to control the crowds. Now as far as how many people attended, the numbers here vary. You had CNN reporting that there were over 100 people,

Starting point is 00:09:14 however, at the same time, you had attendees alleging there could have been as many as 300. And one of the reasons this story ended up gaining even more national attention is according to Memphis police, at least 25 officers were injured along with two journalists. And reportedly, while most of the injuries were minor

Starting point is 00:09:26 Six people were also taken to the hospital We saw the mayor of Memphis Jim Strickland posting on Facebook addressing this incident saying as I monitored tonight's fatal shooting involving the US Marshals I was proud of our first responders I'm impressed by their professionalism and incredible restraint as they endured concrete rocks being thrown at them and people spitting at them Let me be clear the aggression shown towards our officers and deputies tonight was unwarranted. We also heard from Memphis Police Director Michael W. Rowlings. We've been very supportive of protests, but we will not allow any acts of violence, we will not allow destruction of property, we will not allow acts of vandalism to occur.

Starting point is 00:10:03 But at the same time, we also heard from Tammy Sawyer, who was the commissioner for Shelby County, as well as a mayoral candidate for the city of Memphis. She ended up responding to the news by, one, actually attending the protest herself, and then two, posting to Twitter saying, "'I'm home from Frayser. "'I went because this is my district.

Starting point is 00:10:16 "'I went because I stand with my people. "'People are hurting.' "'And as Stephanie Love said, "'tonight we don't need a march, we need answers. "'Don't allow a one-sided narrative "'of what happened to prevail.'" Also adding, "'Don't judge Frayser "'without asking a a community how it feels to mourn their youth over and over again. What do people do with their pain and trauma when it gets to be too much,

Starting point is 00:10:33 when a city has ignored them, when their loss is too great and they can no longer yell at the sky? I was in Frasier tonight because Brandon Weber was shot 16 to 20 times in his family's front yard on the same day as the Pulse nightclub shooting anniversary, and on the same day that the DA chose not to charge another police officer for murdering a civilian. Every life loss should matter, every single one. How many times will this be okay? It cannot continue to be. And as far as where things stand right now, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says that they are still investigating Weber's death. We've seen the NAACP say they would be monitoring the situation. Yeah, ultimately that is where we are right now. While we wait to see

Starting point is 00:11:04 what other information comes out, it's been interesting to see some of the debate around this because kind of unlike in other police shootings, there is a conversation of race, but it seems to be more about police versus just the civilian population. And I think that's largely because in Memphis, the black population there is around 63%

Starting point is 00:11:22 and the actual police department itself is around 50%. With all that said, that is where we are right now. And of course, I pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts around this? And that's where we're going to end today's show. Remember, if you like this video, we'd love if you took a second to hit that like button. If you're new here, definitely be sure to hit that subscribe button. Also, ring that bell, set it to all to get notifications for these videos. Also, on that note, if you miss either of the last two Philip DeFranco shows, you want to catch up, you can click or tap right there to watch those right now. But with that said, of course, as always,

Starting point is 00:11:47 my name's Philip DeFranco, you've just been filled in, I love yo faces, and I'll see you tomorrow.

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The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 6.13 Jessica Biel Definitely NOT Anti-Vaxxer wink wink, Chernobyl Influencer Fact Check, & More

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