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Welcome back to our VIP video series "Off the Beaten Path," featuring my friend Christian Toto of Hollywood in Toto! Christian and I start off our week by discussing stories and ideas that may fly under our radar, in culture, politics, sports, and more. Plus, Christian previews his latest podcast at HiT.
Why do people tune in to sports? Christian and Ed make the argument that its true value is in escape – but the sports leagues and the media that cover them want to use them for politics instead. We discuss what the NFL tried to do with the Bad Bunny halftime show, and what they actually accomplished. We then discuss the demands of sports reporters at the Olympics for political declarations, and what athletes should do instead. What about the ads? A few of them offered fun, but most of them had the joke spoiled by earlier exposure. They may have been less political than the competing NFL halftime shows.
All of this forced politicization has had a terrible impact on America's social fabric. Bill Maher has fewer friends, as do we all, thanks to the cult of politics. We also discuss clickbait, journalistic ethics in the coverage of the kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie's mother, and Koo Stark.
Watch it all and join us in the comments!
