The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 8.11 Disgusting Lil Nas X Situation Exposes A Lot, Creepy Cameron Herrin, Free Guy, & More News
Episode Date: August 11, 2021Start your free trial today: http://www.Squarespace.com/Phil & enter offer code “Phil” to get 10% off your first purchase! TEXT ME! +1 (813) 213-4423 Get More Phil: https://linktr.ee/PhilipDeFranc...o -- WATCH Newest Podcast: https://youtu.be/1Hy6BKjjAQQ WATCH Full “A Convo With” Podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/ACW LISTEN On The Podcast Platform Of Your Choice: http://LinksHole.com WATCH the ACW Clips channel!: https://youtube.com/ACWClips -- 00:00 - Cameron Herring Gets Adoring TikTok Following 03:28 - The Green Knight Goes Online for One Night Only 04:41 - Lil Nas X Declines to Talk About Homophobia in Rap 06:30 - Sponsor 07:22 - Senate Passes $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan: 09:47 - Fires in CA, Russia, Greece, Algeria & Kuwait -- ✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ Young Man Serving 24 Years for Vehicular Homicide Gets Supporters on TikTok: https://www.tampabay.com/news/crime/2021/08/05/cameron-herrin-went-to-prison-for-a-tampa-crash-were-the-tweets-that-followed-real/ “The Green Knight” Goes Online for One Night ONly: https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/10/22618625/a24-the-green-knight-screening-room-streaming-august-18th Lil Nas X Declines to Talk About Homophobia in Rap For His Own Safety: https://variety.com/2021/music/news/lil-nas-x-montero-industry-baby-1235038104/ Senate Passes Biden’s $3.5 Trillion Budget Plan: https://www.npr.org/2021/08/11/1026635503/senate-passes-3-5t-budget Former College Professor Accused of Setting Fires Near Dixie Fire: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dixie-fire-gary-manard-arson-accusation-california/ Fires Spread Across Kuwait, Algeria, Greece, & Russia: https://roguerocket.com/2021/08/11/russia-battles-blaze-larger-than-all-current-wildfires/ ✩ STORIES NOT IN TODAY’S SHOW ✩ Chet Hanks Goes on Anti-Vax Rant: https://roguerocket.com/2021/08/11/chet-hanks-rant/ County That Hosts the Arizona Bowl Cuts $38,000 in Funding Following the Game’s Barstool Partnership: https://roguerocket.com/2021/08/11/arizona-bowl-barstool/ —————————— Edited by: James Girardier, Julie Goldberg, Maxx Enright Produced by: Amanda Morones Art Director: Brian Borst Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Cory Ray, Neena Pesqueda, Brian Espinoza Production Team: Zack Taylor ———————————— #DeFranco #LilNasX #CameronHerrin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcript
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Sup you beautiful bastards.
Welcome back to the Philip DeFranco Show,
the number one online news show
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to feed the algorithm gods and let's just jump into it.
And first up today in news that just makes me want
to dunk my or someone else's head into a deep fryer,
let's talk about Cameron Harris.
So Cameron in 2018, he was 18 years old
and he was racing a Mustang that he had just received
from his parents and he hit a mother and young daughter, killing them both.
Reportedly Cameron was participating in a street race.
He was driving 100 miles per hour.
With all this, he ended up pleading guilty
to vehicular homicide and in April,
he was sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Now, what we're seeing is that Cameron, who is 21,
he has strangely gotten a substantial group of fans
and supporters on TikTok. Like even though he has no videos to view, he has strangely gotten a substantial group of fans and supporters on TikTok.
Like even though he has no videos to view,
he has 2 million followers.
Videos with the hashtag Cameron Heron
have been viewed 1.8 billion times
and the hashtag justice for Cameron
being viewed 26.3 million times.
Right, and when you go through these videos,
a lot of them just include footage of him in court
with a sad face or a heartbreak emoji.
But the main idea being that these people think
that a 24 year sentence is just too harsh.
Saying things like one hour of fun,
24 years behind bars, feel sad for him, drive safe.
Others saying things like innocent and handsome also.
Several outlets reporting that a number of people
talk about his eyes calling him too cute.
A change.org petition to lessen his sentence
has 28,000 signatures.
And he also has people supporting him on Twitter.
With his mom even going on to tell the Tampa Bay Times
that there is, quote,
almost like an obsession, an unhealthy obsession,
with her son.
And adding that some people have actually called her
in the middle of the night primarily
from Middle Eastern countries.
And also saying things have turned scary
with people stalking friends and family on social media,
hacking accounts, and even flooding prisons with phone calls.
And so with all of this weirdness, right,
you have the Tampa Bay Times taking a look
to call into question how real the obsession is.
Speaking to Shelby Grossman
at the Stanford Internet Observatory,
who said that it looks like these posts come from a mix
of people who are genuinely sympathetic towards Cameron
and other, quote, suspicious accounts
strongly resembling those used
by Middle East digital marketing firms.
Right, like on one hand, there is evidence
that some people are real, including the phone calls
and the fact that some have sent photos of their IDs
to the Tampa Bay Times to confirm that they were real
after the Twitter accounts were taken down.
With also a spokesperson for a company
that basically sells TikTok bots saying
that they looked at the videos about Heron
and say they looked legitimately viral.
But on the other hand,
you also had another expert noting to the Times
that some websites with articles about him looked fishy,
with some content looking hastily put together
or even spelled wrong,
indicating it was part of a hired campaign.
Even with that, the Times notes that the motive here
is really odd and hard to understand.
And Heron's attorney himself speculating
that maybe this just took off
because his sentencing was on YouTube,
but also insisting that none of this activity
originated with him or the family.
So it's this weird random story,
but if there is a place I can end on,
if you're someone that is stanning Cameron,
he's too pretty for prison, please get your head examined.
He drove his car through a woman
and her 21 month old daughter.
There is no sympathy coming from me.
Or how about this?
We get rid of the prison sentence,
but we put him in the middle of the street
and put them on the opposite end of the situation.
We see how he holds up against a Mustang.
There's a conversation to be had around accidents happen,
but I don't consider you driving
a hundred miles per hour as an accident.
It's not a whoopsie, it's a legal age adult
saying fuck everybody else.
And all we're seeing with this situation
is the law saying fuck you right back and good.
But because of the Philip DeFranco show,
that's the story, my opinion,
and I pass the question off to you.
Whether you agree or disagree with me,
because sometimes with stories like this,
my emotions get the best of me.
What are your thoughts regarding this?
Then in very interesting movie and entertainment news,
we're seeing either a very, very interesting test
or the flailing of an industry that is horrified right now.
We're coming out of the pandemic,
we've seen just a slew of different narratives.
The perceived successes and failures of the hybrid model,
movies going online at the same time
as they're going into theaters. That in part seeming like the reason we saw Black Widow had one of the hybrid model, movies going online at the same time as they're going into theaters.
That in part seeming like the reason we saw
Black Widow had one of the worst second week collapses
in box office revenue for any Marvel movie.
You have Scarlett Johansson suing Disney,
box office numbers not really where people
would love to see them.
So now the latest change and test that we're seeing
is that A24 is taking The Green Knight starring Dev Patel
and making it available online,
but for just one night only during its theatrical run.
So the movie came out July 30th.
It's been reviewed well so far.
It's made a modest $12.6 million.
And with that, there is concern because of course,
we're seeing a surge of the Delta variant right now.
And so A24 is like, okay, let's test this.
August 18th, you can purchase this
for a four hour window, $20.
Let's see what happens
because it's kind of exclusive, time sensitive.
Do we see a surge of buys?
Also, by making it available very easily
in a digital form, does that lead to a surge of piracy?
But in a little over a week, we'll be able to see
if this is a boom or a bust,
especially as we're seeing theatrical only releases
like Free Guy coming up this weekend.
There's a lot of hype around it.
It's a Ryan Reynolds movie.
And it's gonna be interesting to see any
and all of these numbers.
Then in celebrity news, it's got people talking.
We had Lil Nas X making some headlines
and it is interesting.
You know, when you see Lil Nas X in his music videos,
on social media, he's really unapologetically himself,
completely fine with getting in your face.
If you swing on him, he swings back.
But in this new variety video,
you can tell that there's a lot of concern,
there's scary situations, there's fear.
Or with the magazine specifically asking him
about anti-gay statements that have come out
from a variety of rappers recently,
to which Lil Nas X responded,
"'The honest truth is I don't wanna speak
"'on a lot of the homophobia within rap
"'because I feel like this is a very dangerous playing field.
"'It's more for my own safety rather than anything else.'"
Also adding that several days
after he dropped the Montero music video,
someone literally screamed and chased after him
while he was driving away in his car,
adding that he's now had to actually get security.
But that said, and I would say that it's kind of
the silver lining to the story, I don't imagine
that we're gonna see a different Lil Nas X anytime soon.
There's always gonna be ignorance,
there's always gonna be bigotry,
and the only thing we can really control in this world
is how we respond to it, who we want to be.
And to that point, Lil Nas X told Variety,
"'Honestly, I believe the pandemic helped me
"'get out of the idea of trying to please everybody,
and the idea of, he's a cool gay person, he's an acceptable gay person.
I used to see things like that as a compliment, but it's not.
And saying, it just means you're a people pleaser, and adding that this whole moment made him want to be even more authentic,
let people know who he really was.
You know, ultimately, I think this is an important story when it comes to the LGBTQ plus community,
I think it's an important story when you're thinking about the world of rap,
but I also think it really hits on a universal note.
People suck.
As long as humans exist,
ignorance and bigotry will be a thing.
That's a very unfortunate thing.
So really the only thing you can do is focus on yourself,
how you hold yourself in the face of adversity
and how you react to dumb bullshit.
Dumb and hateful and at times scary bullshit.
Be unapologetically used while at the same time
choosing and picking your battles
and try to lead with love when possible.
But from that, let's take a second to pay some bills
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Then let's talk about this very big news,
but also news I've seen a lot of confusion around.
All right, so yesterday we talked about how the Senate
passed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package.
And pretty much just hours after that,
early this morning, Democrats also managed to pass
a $3.5 trillion budget plan with a vote of 50 to 49.
But by no means does that mean this is a done deal,
and I'll explain that in a second.
Right, so as far as what this budget would do,
among other things things would provide funding
to expand Medicare, combat climate change,
boost federal safety net programs,
especially those aimed at children and low-income parents,
also including provisions for universal pre-K,
new family leave benefits,
also aiming to help immigrants obtain a pathway
to legal permanent residency.
And to pay all of that,
the plan seeks to rewrite tax law
by increasing taxes on profitable corporations
and the wealthy,
AKA a slew of policy proposals in this budget
that Republicans firmly oppose.
That is why we saw that 50 to 49 vote.
Now, as far as why this isn't a done deal,
I mean, from here, the plan heads to the House
where it will likely receive final congressional approval.
And if and when that does happen,
that means that then the Senate can pass an official bill
on the budget through simple majority
following negotiations with the House.
And so in turn, that means that feasibly,
Democrats could pass this without any Republican support. But as we've talked about numerous times now, on the budget through simple majority following negotiations with the house. And so in turn, that means that feasibly Democrats
could pass this without any Republican support.
But as we've talked about numerous times now,
that's a challenge in its own right
because several Democratic senators have expressed concerns
about the plan's price tag.
With that, of course, including Democratic Senator
Joe Manchin, who said,
"'Given the current state of the economic recovery,
"'it is simply irresponsible to continue spending
"'at levels more suited to respond to a Great Depression
"'or Great Recession, not an economy economy that is on the verge of overheating.
But still we're seeing Senate Majority Leader,
Chuck Schumer signaling that he hopes to have the official
bill of the budget plan drafted by the week of September 15.
Also responding to Manchin's concerns
at a press conference saying,
"'Look, there are some of my caucus
"'who might believe it's too much.
"'There are some of my caucus who believe it's too little.'"
And adding, I can tell you this,
in reconciliation, one, we are going to all come together
to get something done. And two, it will have you this, in reconciliation, one, we are going to all come together to get something done.
And two, it will have every part of the Biden plan
in a big, bold, robust way.
But also with that said,
do not expect for this to be over anytime soon.
This process, whether it fails or not,
it will take several months.
And to complicate matters even more,
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said
that her chamber will not pass
the bipartisan infrastructure bill
until the Senate passes that official budget bill.
Right, and that is actually largely an attempt
to make sure that it passes at all
since progressive Democrats in the chamber
say that they'll refuse to approve the infrastructure bill
unless a budget package is simultaneously approved with it.
And they have the numbers,
they have a caucus that is big enough
to ensure that it would fail.
And meanwhile, you have some moderate Democrats
not wanting to couple these things together,
calling for an immediate vote on the infrastructure bill.
So, you know, ultimately the perfect setup
for another shit show.
Then let's talk about fires,
because when I say that the world is on fire,
I'm not just speaking metaphorically anymore, unfortunately.
Starting more local, we have updates
regarding the Dixie Fire that's been ravaging
Northern California for about a month now.
It's the second largest wildfire in the state's history.
As of this morning, it's seared
through about half a million acres.
It's only about 30% contained.
But also, as you have brave crews battling the blaze,
we're also seeing reports about an arrest of a suspect
who allegedly set a series of additional fires
around the area.
And that person is 47-year-old Gary Stephan Maynard,
who's a former part-time college lecturer
in Sonoma State's Criminal Justice Department,
who was reportedly living out of his car
and traveling alone across Northern California.
And if the court documents are 100% accurate,
this guy is a next level scumbag.
According to the documents, he entered the evacuation zone
and then began setting fires behind the first responders
that were fighting the Dixie fire.
Right, so in addition to trying to enlarge the Dixie fire,
threatening even more lives and property,
it increased the direct danger to the first responders.
With the document saying that Maynard's fires were placed
in the perfect position to increase the risk
of firefighters being trapped between fires.
With this, reportedly Maynard has denied setting any fires
following his arrest.
Investigators also saying that he became enraged
and started kicking the jail cell door.
But ultimately right now he's currently charged
with willfully setting the ranch fire in Lassen County
and he could face up to five years in prison
and a $250,000 fine.
But like I said, it's the world that is on fire.
It's not just California.
Last week, Kuwait experienced a massive fire
after the world's largest tire graveyard lit up.
You also have Greece currently dealing
with at least 586 wildfires throughout the country
during one of the worst heat waves in decades.
In a televised address on Monday,
the prime minister went on to tell the nation
that 63 organized evacuations had to take place
as the fires approached towns and villages.
So far, hundreds of homes have been destroyed.
And with all of this, the government's response
has been seen as inadequate by some,
leading to protests outside of the Greek parliament
on Monday.
And with this, you have scientists believing
that Southern Europe will experience wildfires like this
more often as the region has increasingly experienced
larger droughts.
But it's also not just Greece.
Algeria is now in its second day
of combating large wildfires, and it's going very poorly.
So far there, at least 65 people have died in blazes
about half of which are soldiers who were deployed
as emergency firefighters.
These fires are centered around a region
around 60 miles east of the Capitol
that is notoriously tough, remote, and has dry terrain.
And the locals there are at least partially concerned
that the fires were started by arson
with the country's prime minister saying on national TV
that the 30 fires ravaging the region
were highly synchronized and adding,
that leads one to believe these were criminal acts.
Very unfortunately, this story could just go on and on
because you have places like Italy, Turkey, Spain, Peru,
and Lebanon also battling very large blazes.
But the last one that we need to address
is the one that's been ravaging Russia for weeks now.
Right, so the fires there are mostly confined to regions
that we would call Siberia, which is a blessing and a curse.
The region is heavily forested
and droughts lead to massive forest fire season,
similar to what happens in parts of California.
But unlike California,
Siberia is sparsely populated with few population centers,
meaning that there's only been a few evacuation orders.
And as a matter of fact,
most of the fires aren't even fought by firefighters
and just allowed to burn out
as part of the natural life cycle of the region.
But you have scientists now concerned
about the scope of this year's fires.
Like much of the world, Siberia has become increasingly dry during the fire season, which exacerb of the region. But you have scientists now concerned about the scope of this year's fires. Like much of the world,
Siberia has become increasingly dry during the fire season,
which exacerbates the problem.
And its fires are so big that massive clouds of smoke
can cover the region for weeks,
which has its own ecological problems.
And now this year's fires are so massive
that for the first time the smoke from them
has managed to cover large sections of the North Pole.
And that's a major red flag because it means
that the fires are going further and further north
and the northernmost fires actually threaten
to disturb the region's permafrost.
As we talked about recently,
melting permafrost from climate change
and now these fires can release massive amounts
of trapped greenhouse gases like methane,
which exacerbates global warming in a way
that quickly makes the entire situation one
that we have less and less control over.
And ultimately with this story
or really anything else that stood out to you today,
I'd love to know your thoughts in those comments down below,
because yes, this is a new show,
but it's also a conversation.
Whether you leave in that comment down below or not,
as always, thank you for watching, liking, subscribing,
these daily news videos.
My name's Philip DeFranco.
You've just been filled in.
I love yo faces and I'll see you tomorrow.