Topic: Mentalist

Donald Trump attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner for the first time as President, breaking a long hiatus following his 2011 humiliation by Barack Obama. The event featured a mentalist instead of a traditional comedian after previous roasts by Jimmy Kimmel. Rumors circulated regarding Grindr's potential sponsorship of the event, though these remain unverified.

The hosts discuss a potential "shout-out" in the television show *The Mentalist*, where a character mentions "a dude named Ben." They speculate that a listener in the Writers Guild may have inserted the phrase as a nod to the podcast's recurring memes.

Recent episodes of popular television shows "Dexter" and "The Mentalist" are noted for propagating police state themes. "Dexter" featured a "see something, say something" message with unusual audio cadence, while "The Mentalist" explored the concept of "pre-crime" and arresting individuals before they offend. These instances are viewed as examples of media being used to normalize surveillance and preventative policing.

A scene from the television show The Mentalist features characters identifying themselves as members of the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The hosts use this to discuss "badge conditioning," where the public is trained to comply with anyone presenting a badge, regardless of the agency's legitimacy. They note that many people are unaware the CBI is a real division of the California Department of Justice.

A discussion of the CBS drama "The Mentalist" focuses on its premise of a psychic consultant working with the California Bureau of Investigation. Frustration is expressed over a fifteen-minute news interruption during a rerun of the show to cover Ted Kennedy's death. The interruption is attributed to corporate decisions at Viacom and criticized for disrupting family viewing.