Topic: Slammed

Michael Eric Dyson delivered a fiery speech at Aretha Franklin's funeral that included sharp criticisms of Donald Trump and a perceived slight toward Barack Obama. Dyson used alliterative insults to describe the President, calling him a "lugubrious leech" and a "doppelganger of deceit." The oration emphasized Franklin's activism for figures like Angela Davis and her deep roots in the black community of Detroit.

A report highlights how AT&T and other major carriers are moving customers to more expensive plans without their explicit permission. The hosts compare this to historical "phone slamming" tactics and call for greater accountability for telecommunications CEOs.

The media narrative surrounding Montana Republican Greg Gianforte's "body slam" of reporter Ben Jacobs has focused on blaming President Trump's rhetoric for creating a culture of hostility toward the press. Critics point out that networks like CBS News edited audio clips of Gianforte's apology to manipulate the public's perception of the event.

During a special election in Montana, candidate Greg Gianforte was accused of "body slamming" Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs after being asked about the CBO score for the healthcare bill. The hosts discuss the lack of video evidence and suggest the term "body slam" is a sensationalized description of a physical altercation. They compare the incident to previous claims of violence against journalists by the Trump campaign.

During the reveal of the new Apple MacBook Pro with a "Touch Bar," employees at the Apple campus reportedly snapped their fingers instead of clapping. The hosts compare this behavior to 1950s beatniks at a poetry slam. This brief tech update is followed by a mention of a Reuters poll showing that half of Republican voters would reject the election results if Hillary Clinton wins.

A 14-year-old student from a private school in Atlanta gained national media attention for a slam poetry piece titled "White Boy Privilege." During a CNN interview, the student credited a school course called "Race, Class, and Gender" for his awareness of social hierarchies. The hosts analyze the clip as an example of modern educational trends focusing on self-loathing and systemic guilt.

Adam Curry describes a "mind control" experiment where he intentionally highlighted the media's repetitive use of words like "slammed" and "hammered." He notes that listeners now associate these sensationalist headlines with the podcast. The hosts criticize the New York Times and BBC for adopting tabloid-style language in their political reporting.

The Republican primary debate on CBS competed for viewership with the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, featuring the slam dunk competition. Despite the counter-programming, the debate pulled a 9.3 household rating, equating to roughly 14 million viewers. CBS reportedly generated significant ad revenue from the event, which was highly anticipated following Scalia's death.

John C. Dvorak details ongoing issues with AT&T (formerly SBC) regarding "phone slamming" and the unauthorized addition of services like call waiting and long-distance plans to his bill. Despite setting up a security password to prevent unauthorized changes, Dvorak discovers that low-level call center employees can bypass these protections. He suspects the persistent interference may be motivated by personal grudges from disgruntled tech users.