Well, my friends, I had the absolute pleasure of crashing The Daily Whatever Show on Friday with Dana Dubois and Lawrence Winnerman!
These two smart, funny, slightly unhinged—in a fun way! Not a Trump Smash because my wang shrivels when queried by tough female reporters way—voices are exactly what Blue Amp Media needs more of!
So luckily, I just went ahead and hired them and now, as well as doing this great show of theirs, they’re helping us grow The Blue Amp Media Cinematic Universe! Sometimes, my friends, the world works out.
Dana and Lawrence aren’t just great hosts—they’re builders. What they’re creating with The Daily Whatever Show is the kinda community that doubles as group therapy for people who read the news while possessing a functioning conscience. Sure, they (we) swear a little too much, and we all still must laugh while democracy is on fire, or we’ll just cry.
But that’s not an easy balance. And damn, my friends, they pull it off!
It was Effed-Up Friday, which means each of us brought with us our pick for the most deeply deranged news story of the weeks. Folks, this competition was fierce!
Sure, not Stephen Miller’s wife running away to join the Elon Musk circus fierce, but nonetheless, there was tension in the air.
So, yes, we had to discuss the requisite stories of Pete Hegseth The Pirate of the Caribbean, Donald Trump getting better sleep during meetings than Mel Brooks’ 2000 year old man—and looking older too!—and Trump completely prostrating himself before Vlad Putin’s moobs….but I decided to step out of usual politics mode for my magically delicious F-ed up news descriptor.
Some serious moobage here
I went with…well, let’s call it a more digestible story. At least for those of us listening to the tale, and not trying to actually consume this news. I’ll explain.
A man in New Zealand, based on seeing the film Octopussy (great flick, btw! My hot take? Roger Moore was outstanding as James Bond) stole a Fabergé egg, swallowed it whole. He then was arrested—you know, thievery and such are illegal—and spent six days under police supervision while officers waited for him to, uh… make it reappear!
Diamond-encrusted! Fully digested! A crime, a medical emergency, and a workplace HR violation for those cops, all rolled into one. Bet those cops loved telling their friends and/or significant others what the main case they were pursuing was for six days…
Lawrence followed with something far darker—and scarier: The Heritage Foundation openly threatening the entire state of Indiana after Republicans there refused to ram through extreme-gerrymandered maps. Roads, funding, military bases—basically a mob boss ransom note, but on really pretty letterhead. It was a sobering reminder that authoritarianism doesn’t always whisper. These days it tweets.
And then Dana dropped the hammer.
Her story—about the grotesque martyrdom-industrial complex springing up around Charlie Kirk, including a literal bottle of “I Am Charlie Kirk” red wine—wasn’t just absurd. It was revealing.
The instant myth-making. The guilt-free—even eager—monetization of death. The way propaganda is packaged, sold, and distributed by a deeply, morally-damaged right wing media complex, and swallowed whole by so many of its viewers, readers and clickers.
(Really right wingers in general ever since they took a guy who hung with lepers and thought rich people sucked and turned him into an supply-side, AR-15 Jesus.).
It was sharp, unsettling, and par for the course with this cultish crew.
The audience agreed. Dana’s story took Effed-Up Friday honors, for good reason.
What made the whole episode a blast wasn’t just the stories—it was the chemistry. Dana’s clarity, Lawrence’s instincts (and don’t forget beard! The man has game!!), and a shared refusal to treat insanity as normal. That’s corporate media’s job.
Not treating any of this shit as normal? That’s our secret sauce. That’s this community.
I laughed. I swore. I learned new phrases I’ll never unlearn, and more about the human gastrointestinal system than any of us should ever be forced to grasp.
The Daily Whatever Show isn’t just fun—it’s necessary in these times.
Welcome to the family, you two. This is what building something real, constructing an actual edifice for sustainable independent media, looks like.
Thank you Rix Quinn , Brain of J-Hawk (he/him), LeftieProf, Yanni Hamburger , Adriana Gigliotti , Melody Engle , Ana Van Winters , Andrew Dolkart , Angy , Anita Poe , Anna Wick , Arnold L. Manheimer , Audrey , Barbara Graham , Barbara Ida , Barbara J. Wright , Barbara Brunner , Becca , Beth Allison Podmore , Barbara Noti , Brian Zwicker , Carmen Aguilar , Caro Henry , Carole W , Carrie , Neurodivergent Hodgepodge , Char Sundust , Catherine Pla , Christiane mccafferty , Clark Bergman , Cliff Schecter , Cris , Jeanne Ellen Russell , Courtney 🇨🇦 , Craig Navratil , Linda Mundy , Damon Kenner , Dana DuBois , SMARTACUS , Dar Gfree , Dave wilkin , David Bowles , David martin , David Sisson , Debbie Bowers , Deborah Fritts , Deborah Faber , Deborah Taylor , Debra Dee , Diane Hillmann , Di Lynn , Don , Mama Dukes , Ellen Apperson Brown , Emmorette Strand , F Hamilton , Frances , Greg Kosmicki , Gary Fisher , Ginia B , GP , Hayley G , Hope Crescione , Ida Requiem, Melissa Corrigan, she/her , Jack , Janet McCaffrey Schloss , Jason Odell , Javier Mendez , Jay DeBoer , Jeanne Clarke , Jenny Smedley , Jessica Bee 🍁 , Jessica Mary , Mike , Joanna , Jools , Charlie Love , Julie , James Koepfler , Karen , Karen Marie Shelton , Karen Wilson , PhemK , Kevin Alexander , Kristine Swanson , Laura crawford , Laura Shanny , Laura Tompkins , Laurel Fairchild , Lauren Rubin , LisaF , The One Minute Daily Boost , Lizzy B , LJ , Lori , LorenaG , Luca , Lawrence Winnerman , Yanni Hamburger , Maggie , Margaret E Anderson , Marianne Streisel , Marijane , Mario G. Rivera , Marjory Button , Martin M Deneroff , mary , Mary Corrado , maryfetter , matt , Maura , Melanie Dufour , Mikey , Millicent , Maureen Drews , MNeal , WasX , Bee's Free Verse/True Verse , Nancy Salmon, Nick Paro , Nicole Tollefson , Patricia Mayne , Patrick: Restacks for Truth, , Jim Dandy , Phillip Sisson , Pmk , Polly Walker Blakemore , Gwenny , Musings on Interesting Times , Don Johnson , Noble Blend , Renee Lozano , Renee McMillan , Rick , Ronald Wilkinson , roz gold , Rhea Yamashiro , Sandra , Sara Cuckler , SaraG , Shannon Edrie , Wayne , pakcanislupus , Sherrie R , Sheryl , Siubhan Duinne , LeftieProf , Gordon Soukoreff , Steve Setera , StrongHeart , Stuart Cohen , Henry W MCGUIRE , Heaven Stellitano , Susan Walecka a, Susan Walker , Sushipheliac 🍣🍥🍣 , Sylvia renteria , Thomas Howe , Tish , Thea J. , Techis , JDHarder , Thomas Cowdrey , Tim , Tina Taylor , Tom Ross , Tricia , veth Thomas , HoldingTheLine , Will , Susan Crabtree , You Ready Grandma a, Lisa Pires
