Into It: A Vulture Podcast with Sam Sanders · Vulture & New York Magazine

Hasan Minhaj’s Broken Truths, and Taylor Swift’s Broken Google

September 22, 2023·40 min·3 clips

Hasan Minhaj's daughter was never hospitalized for anthrax exposure, despite his emotional stand-up story.

Host Sam Sanders and guest Jay Jordan analyze major pop culture stories from the week, including Disney's business strategy and controversies involving Hasan Minhaj and Ryan Murphy. Sanders is a veteran culture reporter, and Jordan is a TV writer and comedian who provides sharp commentary. Disney announced a $60 billion investment over ten years to expand its theme parks and cruise lines, pivoting from its money-losing streaming service. The company revealed a $115,000, 24-day private jet tour visiting all twelve Disney parks worldwide, with stops including the Taj Mahal and the Pyramids of Giza. Jay Jordan humorously critiques Disney's plan to offset streaming losses with park revenue, questioning the logic of relying on "extra turkey legs" and expressing skepticism about the quality of Disney's gumbo. The conversation touches on Splash Mountain's controversial origins and Ron DeSantis's complicated history with Disney, including his wedding at Disney World. A New Yorker investigation found comedian Hasan Minhaj fabricated key personal stories in his stand-up specials, including an anthrax scare involving his daughter and a racist prom date rejection. Minhaj defended his stories as using comedic tools like hyperbole, though the article detailed specific falsehoods presented as factual, emotionally charged events. Jordan distinguishes between acceptable comedic exaggeration and Minhaj's specific, serious lies that bolstered his credibility in news-adjacent roles on "Patriot Act" and "The Daily Show." They discuss how such fabrications could harm marginalized performers by casting doubt on genuine stories of discrimination. Actress Angelica Ross publicly accused producer Ryan Murphy of ghosting her after he promised an all-Black season of "American Horror Story" starring her, Keke Palmer, and Gabourey Sidibe in 2020. Jordan suggests an all-Black season could explore historical events like racial massacres or a lighter, humorous tone akin to the film "Soul Plane." Taylor Swift prompted a global Google puzzle crash by fans solving word games to reveal song titles from her re-recorded "1989" album. Jordan critiques the marketing stunt as an unnecessary "treasure hunt" for music already anticipated. The episode maintains a conversational and humorous tone, blending casual banter with critical analysis of industry trends. Sanders and Jordan employ witty metaphors and pop culture references, creating an engaging and informal discussion. Fans of witty, fast-paced cultural commentary and debates about media ethics would enjoy this episode. Listeners seeking deeply serious investigative reporting or those uninterested in celebrity and entertainment industry gossip might prefer to skip it.

As heard by us

A brisk culture chat that turns this week's pop-culture noise into a comic tour.

Sam Sanders moves through a pop-culture roundup that jumps from Disney's $115,000 private jet world tour to Hasan Minhaj's made-up parts of his personal history and then to Taylor Swift's Google puzzle rollout.

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Want celebrity chaos with a smarter laugh track?

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