Topic: Mac Cheese

A segment dedicated to high-tier donors features the knighting of Sir Lauren, Sir Crazy Carl, and Dame Catty Bones. The hosts read personal notes from producers, including a touching tribute from Catty Bones to her late husband. New "Red Knights" are inducted into the "Order of the Heart," receiving signet rings and certificates of authenticity.

A Black Friday promotion involving a 65-inch television-sized box filled with 65 boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese for $19.37 caused consumer outrage. Shoppers reported that carts were emptied and supply vanished within seconds of the online launch. Critics labeled the event a clever but frustrating marketing stunt that left many fans disappointed.

The show acknowledges major donations from "Sironimus of Dogpatch" and "Dame Catherine," the latter contributing via Bitcoin. Amidst the donor thank-yous, a news item is shared regarding Kraft's release of an apple pie-flavored mac and cheese available at Walmart. The hosts express disgust at the new product, labeling it a "nasty" take on a holiday classic.

A discussion of shifting economic conditions highlights the return of "Mac and Cheese" times as consumers move toward budget meals like Hamburger Helper. An anecdote regarding the Fredericksburg Food and Wine Festival in Texas illustrates a disconnect between high-end events and declining consumer revenue. Local business owners report that while foot traffic remains high, actual spending has dropped significantly as visitors are "just looking."

A retrospective on General Mills' attempt to remove artificial dyes from Trix cereal reveals that consumers rejected the "boring" natural colors, forcing the company to revert to synthetic dyes. The discussion covers how brands like Kraft and Mars use different ingredients in Europe versus the U.S. due to regulation and consumer perception. The hosts recall historical marketing tactics, such as putting towels or toys inside product packaging.

Kraft created a grilled cheese-scented incense, which the hosts criticize as a "cheap" chemical scent. They suggest a pivot to "Mac and Cheese candles" as a superior home fragrance product.

Several high-value donors are recognized, including Hayes and Sir Lawrence of Dystopia. A note from Sir Lawrence celebrates his wife's mac and cheese and mentions his latest gun purchase. The hosts also acknowledge February 2nd as the 120th birthday of philosopher Ayn Rand.

Eloise of the Woods describes her experience working as a 24-7 stakeout guard for ballot boxes in Vancouver, Washington. Another donor points out that investors are accidentally buying "Blue Sky Digital" stock, a penny-stock crypto company, thinking it is the social media platform Blue Sky. The segment concludes with various "karma" requests for jobs and health.

The hosts predict McDonald's will launch a "Big Mac & Cheese" product. In a personal segment, they debate a potential move to Dallas if certain professional opportunities arise, though one host expresses a strong preference for staying in Austin.

Bitcoin has surged past $34,000, while the hosts observe a cultural shift toward "slave foods" like mac and cheese and the rising trend of entomophagy (eating insects). They note that mac and cheese is being normalized through luxury shops, while bug consumption is being marketed as a sustainable "functional food" for the future.

Surotaku becomes the Duke of Northeast Texas, requesting mac and cheese at the roundtable. Dame Bessie and Sir SkyWright also contribute toward their PhDs. A "gotcha" occurs when Dr. Kelly in British Columbia donates $1,000 in Canadian dollars (worth ~$730 USD) via an old legacy account to secure his PhD. The hosts agree to honor the donation but note the difficulty of shipping diplomas to Canada.

The hosts present the "Gimmo Nation National Anthem," a satirical song about being "distracted slaves" of legacy media. The segment includes a mock advertisement for "Mac and Cheese by Ayn Rand," framed as essential survival food for the burgeoning police state. This section highlights the show's use of musical satire to critique consumerism and government reliance.

Fox News' "The Five" features a segment on the Kraft Flavors Club, which allows fans to test new macaroni and cheese varieties like Buffalo and Pizza. The hosts criticize the segment as "outrage television" mixed with cheap native advertising, noting Greg Gutfeld's apparent disdain for the ad.

Nico Seim is announced as the winner of the art contest for Episode 1518, titled "Q Yoga," featuring a joke about climate-friendly macaroni and cheese. Other submissions involving Amazon Alexa and Kevin McCarthy are reviewed. The segment also explains the importance of podcast chapters and the No Agenda Art Generator for preserving the show's visual history in RSS feeds.

Sir BNA from Nashville and Sir Otaku from Texas discuss the potential for civil war if Donald Trump is formally prosecuted following the FBI search. The donors express concern over the current political trajectory and the potential for civil unrest. The hosts provide a "deconstruction" of the media's role in fueling these tensions.

Kraft Heinz is increasing production shifts at packaged food plants to meet a spike in demand for macaroni and cheese. The hosts note that International Mac and Cheese Day coincides with Bastille Day, July 14, 2022. A classic George Carlin monologue is played to illustrate the American obsession with fast food and processed cheese products.

Donations are acknowledged from producers in California, Vermont, Tennessee, and the Netherlands. Many donors chose amounts reflecting the date (7/14) or "boob" numbers (8008). The hosts thank the "silent" producers who contribute under $50 to maintain the show's operation without traditional advertising.

The hosts engage in their traditional end-of-show process of selecting a short audio clip (ISO) to close the episode. After reviewing several options, they settle on a clip of Joe Biden saying, "Gotta go get some mac and cheese," which is then layered with other sound effects for the final out-cue.

The hosts review the listener-submitted artwork for the previous episode, "Harp at Home," created by Capitalist Agenda. The art features a "troubling" smiley-face macaroni and cheese character, referencing the recent Kraft brand name change. They also discuss other submissions involving "Hookers on Ice" and January 6th themes.

The hosts highlight "shrinkflation" in Kraft Mac and Cheese products, noting that the cheese powder packet has been reduced from 1.3 ounces to 0.8 ounces. They recall their long-standing theme that the "slaves of Gitmo Nation" would eventually be forced to subsist on cheap, processed foods.