Trend & Stimpy 4/9: Michael J. Fox, Amazon, ICE, RIP Forestry Service

·27 min·2 clips

CNN accidentally published Michael J. Fox's obituary, then deleted it—what does this reveal about media practices?

The episode begins with Jack O'Brien and guest co-host Pallavi Gunalan joking about a cat possibly poisoning a dog, setting a comedic tone. They then dive into news topics, starting with CNN accidentally publishing and deleting an obituary for Michael J. Fox, leading to a discussion on pre-prepared obits and media ethics. The hosts reflect on Michael J. Fox's career and cultural impact. Next, they address Amazon bricking Kindles from 2012 or earlier, criticizing it as digital book burning and linking it to corporate obsolescence and ad revenue. After a break, they analyze a chart shared by libertarian David J. Beer, showing a spike in ICE arrests of non-citizens without criminal convictions, prompting concerns about immigration enforcement. The conversation shifts to the U.S. Forestry Service being closed or weakened, with hosts humorously tying it to cultural identity and environmental protection. They end with Pallavi promoting her upcoming shows and podcast, and Jack closing with reminders about vaccines and kindness. Throughout, the hosts blend humor with critical analysis of current events.

As heard by us

A Kindle complaint swells into a funny, suspicious call for digital revolt.

The episode builds its joke around a small, very current betrayal: old Kindles still do the job, and that stubborn usefulness starts to look like a problem Amazon would rather solve.

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Why you'd press play

You want a Kindle rant about ads in books, Amazon rage, and a tiny spark of revolution energy.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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