Topic: Showtime

The Showtime series The Loudest Voice, starring Russell Crowe as Roger Ailes, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the creation and operational philosophy of Fox News. Ailes' strategy focused on visual entertainment, specifically the presentation of female anchors, to capture a conservative audience he believed was underserved by left-leaning networks like CNN and MSNBC. The network's success as a profit-driven machine transformed the landscape of television news by prioritizing audience sentiment over raw information.

Adam Curry discusses the Showtime series Billions, specifically a scene where a trader expresses fear over Russian hackers crashing the market. The hosts critique the direction of the second season, noting a decrease in the "kinky" content that they believe contributed to the show's initial success.

The hosts discuss a new Showtime documentary about John McAfee, which reportedly contains "gruesome" or "sick" content regarding his sexual behavior and activities in Belize. While Dvorak was hesitant to play a specific clip on air, they decide to provide a link in the show notes for interested listeners. They briefly mention McAfee's past run for the Libertarian Party nomination.

A clip from the television show "Shameless" features a character being introduced to a group of people using highly specific gender and sexual identity labels, such as "triracial cisgendered girlfag." While Dvorak initially takes the scene seriously, Curry argues it is a "high comedy" mockery of modern identity politics. The segment leads to a joke about a "decoder app" and badges for people to display their complex pronouns and identities.

John C. Dvorak discusses a documentary titled San Francisco 2.0 which examines how tech companies and rising real estate prices are impacting the city. He criticizes the film's claim that tech companies believe they do not have to follow government rules. The discussion touches on extreme housing situations in the city, such as high-priced bunk bed rentals.

A clip from a Showtime special on the AVN Awards features adult film performers claiming that their activities could lead to "world peace." The hosts mock the "screwy worldview" of the industry and the absurdity of the performers' logic. This segment is presented as a "low point" in the show's media deconstruction.

The 20th annual Adult Video Network (AVN) Awards, recently broadcast on Showtime, are criticized for poor production quality and the perceived lack of intelligence in its presentation. A clip from the ceremony features hosts discussing performances by Tyga and Zumanity by Cirque du Soleil. The industry is faulted for failing to find articulate representatives for its major awards show.

President Obama sits down with Thomas Friedman for the finale of the Showtime series "Years of Living Dangerously" to discuss climate change. Obama uses a medical analogy to criticize climate skeptics and emphasizes that extreme weather events are shifting public opinion. He frames climate change as the most significant long-term challenge facing the planet.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is featured in a Showtime series titled "Years of Living Dangerously," where he campaigns for green energy and climate change awareness. The hosts mock his "crusade" and his use of the catchphrase "terminate climate change," while speculating on the high appearance fees involved in such celebrity-driven environmental advocacy.

The Showtime documentary series "Years of Living Dangerously" is critiqued for its celebrity-driven approach to climate change advocacy. The hosts investigate the funding of "Climate Central," an NGO featured in the show, finding ties to the Rockefeller Brothers, NASA, Google, and the World Bank. They note that the organization is late in filing its Form 990 tax documents and question the objectivity of its experts.

Senate Democrats staged an all-night filibuster to urge action on global warming, a move praised by Ralph Nader. Simultaneously, Showtime promoted "Years of Living Dangerously," a documentary series produced by James Cameron featuring celebrities like Matt Damon and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The hosts characterize the media blitz as an "alarmist" spectacle designed to create a sense of emergency.

The trailer for the Showtime series "Years of Living Dangerously" is reviewed, featuring dramatic footage of wildfires and melting glaciers. The hosts argue that the series is a high-budget propaganda effort. They pivot to a 2014 Federal Climate Change Expenditures Report, which details billions of dollars in government spending on research and "clean energy" technology.

A lewd clip from the television series "House of Lies" is played to illustrate the show's portrayal of the high-stakes management consulting and sales world. The scene features Kristen Bell's character confronting a former executive over his history of sexual harassment. The hosts praise the writing and the "reprehensible" nature of the characters.

A discussion of the Showtime series "Masters of Sex" leads to a comparison between 1950s "duck and cover" civil defense drills and modern school shooting protocols. The hosts argue that these drills serve to terrorize and train the population in obedience, utilizing crisis actors and emergency power simulations.

The hosts claim that the writers of the TV show *Dexter* are listeners of No Agenda, citing the use of the phrase "hookers and blow" in a recent episode. They jokingly request "Dexter" baseball caps and other swag from the production team in exchange for the shout-out.

The hosts briefly discuss the AVN Awards, noting the shift toward categories like "Best Porn Star Website." They mock the presentation of the awards and the commercialization of the adult film industry as seen on Showtime.

The hosts compare the "historically inaccurate" Kennedys miniseries on ReelzChannel with the premiere of "The Borgias" on Showtime. They praise Jeremy Irons' performance as Pope Alexander VI and recommend the show for its high production values and portrayal of the "original crime family."

New community initiatives are announced, including custom No Agenda dice and potential digital stickers on the social network Get Glue. The hosts share various listener anecdotes, including a report from "Maynard" in Australia and a story about a listener's mother naming her laundry room "Gitmo Nation Stain Removal."

The hosts discuss the premiere of the reality television show The Real L Word, criticizing it for a lack of compelling content despite provocative billboard advertising in Los Angeles. They express disappointment that the show failed to live up to its marketing promises during the hour-long debut.

Showtime's new reality series, "The Real L Word," is discussed as a marketing-driven show that features "hot looking" actresses rather than a realistic portrayal of the lesbian community. The hosts compare the show's promotional style to other reality programs like the Tyra Banks Show.