Chapo Trap House

Will talks to Anny Viloria Winnett, a UAW 4811 ASE Trustee, Graduate Student Worker at the UCLA School of Public Health, and an organizer involved with UCLA’s pro-Palestinian encampments. They discuss last week’s violent assaults on the UCLA encampments, first from a group of Zionist vigilantes and subsequently by the LAPD. They then discuss the university’s response, keeping the movement resilient and safe in the face of such opposition, and some answers for all the media who want to know “why are you here?”

Tom, Tarence and (welcome to the show!) Aaron from the Trillbillies join us for another week of horror and spectacle around the War in Gaza. We touch on the ceasefire agreement being rejected basically as we were recording, some of the clumsy NYPD PR response to last week’s Columbia raid, and the pundit class tantrum over being denied free access to interviews with protesting students. But we also have some levity, in John Fetterman’s freakout over vat meat, the Biden admin’s flaccid signaling over marijuana legalization, and Patrick Bet-David’s praise for future God-Emperor Barron. Find Trillbillies wherever you get podcasts, and subscribe here: https://www.patreon.com/trillbillyworkersparty

Will & Hesse talk to Radu Jude, the director of the new comedy feature Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World. The film features an overworked production assistant as she drives around Bucharest shooting videos for a large multinational company as a satire of the malaise and indignity of modern life. Will, Hesse and Radu discuss the film’s send-up of TikTok masculinity influencers, the relationship with earlier films edited into the movie, the various versions of Romania Jude depicts and much more.. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World is now in theaters and will be streaming on MUBI starting May 3.

Alex joins us again to catch up on the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests and the range of responses to them, from blatant attempts to provoke the protesters, to complaining about encampments ruining your teaching of silence. Then, Kristi Noem killed her dog, the defrocking of an AI priest, and Trump expressions that live in our heads. Tickets to Will & Hesse’s Movie Mindset screening & talkback of Death Wish 3 in NYC on May 4: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chapo-trap-houses-movie-mindset-screening-of-death-wish-3-w-will-hesse-tickets-877569192077

Welcome to Movie Mindset season 2! Will & Hesse look at two films somewhat bookending the career of the great James Cagney: Lloyd Bacon’s Footlight Parade (1933) & Billy Wilder’s One, Two, Three (1961). The first is a pre-code musical spectacular, allowing Cagney to show off his song and dance skills as a promoter of live “prologues” for movie houses, the later a cold war screwball comedy, together they show the insane range of Cagney across a career also notable for roles as gangsters and tough guys. But here, we get to see his work making the most racist and offensive musical numbers imaginable to a depression-era crowd, and joke-a-minute comedy chops as a beverage exec trying to keep his boss’s daughter from eloping with a Communist while opening up east Germany to the wonders of Coca-Cola. Tickets to Will & Hesse’s Movie Mindset screening & talkback of Death Wish 3 in NYC on May 4: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chapo-trap-houses-movie-mindset-screening-of-death-wish-3-w-will-hesse-tickets-877569192077

Will interviews Basil Zacharia Rodriguez, an activist and student at Columbia University involved with Columbia Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) about the ongoing demonstrations taking place there. They discuss the goals of the protests, the media response, and the University’s economic interests in both Palestinian occupation and displacing New Yorkers in Harlem. Then, Amber and Felix join to continue the discussion of the media freak-out over campus activism, as well as the trial of Donald Trump, and two reading series exploring the sexual pathologies of Spectator columnists and Rabbi Shmuley. Tickets to Will & Hesse’s Movie Mindset screening & talkback of Death Wish 3 in NYC on May 4: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chapo-trap-houses-movie-mindset-screening-of-death-wish-3-w-will-hesse-tickets-877569192077

Alex is back on with us today to catch up on MMA libertarians, bad DJs, and a rudely interrupted Billy Joel. We then discuss Iran’s weekend missile attack on Israel, and get Donald Trump’s somber and thoughtful remarks on the hallowed battle ground of Gettysburg. All this and some Valerie Bertinelli news on today’s show. NYC, MAY 4th: Join Will & Hesse for a Movie Mindset Season 2 kickoff screening & talkback of DEATH WISH 3 at Littlefield, tickets now available: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chapo-trap-houses-movie-mindset-screening-of-death-wish-3-w-will-hesse-tickets-877569192077

Will, Felix and Amber are here to look at a startling rise in assault in Gay City. Then, a more serious look at the Israeli bombing of World Central Kitchen staffers, and how it seems the ongoing tragedy in Gaza is only made legible to certain parties in Washington and the media by association with celebrity chefs. Also in this ep: more lying SEALs, a UK nudes phishing scandal, bizarre stories out of Ye’s DONDA Academy, and takes on Reacher and Shōgun. NYC, MAY 4th: Join Will & Hesse for a Movie Mindset Season 2 kickoff screening & talkback of DEATH WISH 3 at Littlefield, tickets now available: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chapo-trap-houses-movie-mindset-screening-of-death-wish-3-w-will-hesse-tickets-877569192077

Will, Felix and Amber dish on the news of the day, including the resurgence of Havana Syndrome, Erdoğan’s historic losses in recent Turkish elections, and that obnoxious article about Stanford campus activism. But honestly most of this is just riffs on Liam Neeson and Steven Seagal. Tickets to the Jaques/Chapo/Seeking Drrangements show at the Lodge Room in LA, Thursday April 4: https://www.lodgeroomhlp.com/shows/show-pig-a-live-comedy-podcast-spectacular-with-seeking-derangements/

Alex is back to look at a number of topics including: Putin’s ancient vault, the Brain podcast sex freak, UN supports ceasefire, Jewish Heaven, Trump bankrupting the RNC, Catturd’s dogs, and Royal maladies. Finally, a reading series on the Ancien Cajun, James Carville, and who still has lessons to impart on the best way for Democrats to win from that one time he let Ross Perot hand him an election. Tickets to the Jaques/Chapo/Seeking Derangements show at the Lodge Room in LA, Thursday April 4: https://www.lodgeroomhlp.com/shows/show-pig-a-live-comedy-podcast-spectacular-with-seeking-derangements/

Episode 1 and Fortune Kit’s Charles stops by the show today to look at a few real life individuals who remind us of E1 characters, including the streamer Destiny, who we’ve all seen clips of getting yelled at by Norm Finkelstein last week. We also check in on New York’s bling bishop, the Stonetoss doxxing, South Dakota Governor Kirsti Noem, and some “new” edgy Christians who like boobs, beer, & swearin’. Finally, Charles brings us some updates from one of Fortune Kit’s favorite guys, the king of “what’s a song that’s made up of notes?” vapid twitter engagement prompts, Eric Alper. Find Episode 1 & Fortune Kit wherever you get podcasts. Find Charles’ band Solipse’s music: https://solipse.bandcamp.com/track/looking-glass And the music from E1, including from The Ballad of Brewer Grouse: https://episodeone.bandcamp.com/album/the-ballad-of-brewer-grouse

We catch up on the biggest winners, losers, snubs and looks of the Illuminati Humiliation Ritual commonly known as the 96th Annual Academy Awards. Then speaking of Humiliation Rituals, we discuss the State of the Union, the response from GOP Senator Katie Britt, Mitch McConnell’s sister-in-law being killed by her own Tesla, and how Zionists are having a hard time finding a date on the apps. Catch Will, Amber & Felix on stage (and Chris at the bar) along with Girl God and Jacques from Seeking Derangements at the Lodge Room in LA Thursday, April 4: https://www.lodgeroomhlp.com/shows/show-pig-a-live-comedy-podcast-spectacular-with-seeking-derangements/ NYC people: keep an eye out for a Movie Mindset season 2 kickoff event. Not fully confirmed yet, but I’d keep May 4th open for now.

Will and Hesse review the top films of 2023 in this special Movie Mindset Oscars Preview. We go through the major Best Picture nominees, give our takes on each, and give our picks for winners in the major categories, plus some discussion of notable snubs. Also, a little preview of Movie Mindset Season 2, launching April 24th. We’ll have a blog post with a full official Season 2 schedule (plus where to stream/watch/consume options for each film) up sometime next week.

Organizers Layla Elabed and Waleed Shahid join us to discuss their recent successes with the movement to vote uncommitted against Joe Biden in the ongoing democratic primaries. They lay out their goals, how they’ve been organizing, what they feel they’ve achieved so far, and what they hope to accomplish going into the Democratic convention. If you’d like to know more or learn how to get involved, go to: https://www.listentomichigan.com/

Contributing editor for the New Republic and columnist for The Guardian Osita Nwanevu returns to the show. We look at a new New Yorker piece on Joe Biden’s last campaign, and the president’s defiant refusal to change gears, adjust policies, or really do anything to address rather dismal polling ahead of the election. Then, switching to the republicans, we look at the increasingly weird and anti-social tact of American conservatism and ask: can the modern right be assimilated into American culture? Find Osita’s newsletter here: https://www.ositanwanevu.com/ And check out the Flaming Hydra collective (featuring a lot of great writers & friends of the show) here: https://flaminghydra.com/

Blowback’s Noah Kulwin joins Will in talking to filmmakers Christian Hansen and Zachary Treitz about their new Netflix series “American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders”. Centered around the mysterious death of journalist Danny Casolaro, the sprawling story eventually touches on everything from spy software, the CIA, Native American Reservations, the mob, Iran-Contra, rail guns, and more. Catch American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders streaming now on Netflix.

Alex joins us once again to look at the news of the day, starting with a more serious look at the recent self-immolation in protest of U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell. After that some lighter fare, with some stories of the bad Biden dog, Elizabeth Warren smoking weed with Ed Markey, and an article chronicling Biden’s stroke game going back to the 70’s. Finally, we read the big new piece on Bari Weiss’ University of Austin and its “Forbidden Courses”. Check out Fortune Kit here or wherever you get pods: https://soundcloud.com/fortune-kit And the FYM podcast here or wherever you get pods: https://chapofym.podbean.com/

Friend of the show & tech journalist Ed Zitron stops by to check in on the state of the internet. Have they cracked AI video yet? Does the VisionPro herald an en-goggled future? Just how stupid is Elon Musk, actually? We explore the end of the era of techno optimism and as our most advanced internet tech seems to aid less and abuse more. Subscribe to the Better Offline podcast here: https://www.betteroffline.com/ Find Ed’s newsletter here: https://www.wheresyoured.at/tag/newsletter/

We give our annual post-Super Bowl report rating the spectacle and the ads, including the increasing, and increasingly funny, conservative opposition to the whole idea of “football”. Plus, a review of a tough week for Joe Biden, including a new round of trepidation about his age and fitness. Finally, we look at an amazing profile of Bill Ackman, a man who manages to be such an intense Wife Guy he’s ruined his wife’s life.

Today, executive director of the Electronic Intifada Ali Abunimah joins us to discuss the war in Palestine. We cover recent attempts to delegitimize and destroy UNRWA, atrocity propaganda, evolving capabilities of Palestinian resistance, changing attitudes towards Israel in the U.S., and the life, career and death of Palestinian author Refaat Alareer. Find the Electronic Intifada here: https://electronicintifada.net/ And on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@TheElectronicIntifada You can find Gaza Writes Back, the short story collection edited by Refaat Alareer, here: https://justworldbooks.com/books-by-title/gaza-writes-back/