- Sup, you beautiful bastards?
Today. we're talking about Matt Rife fighting a 6-year-old,
though luckily, just with words for now.
Elon Musk just reinstated Alex Jones on Twitter
and everyone's got an opinion.
We've got the continued fallout
from that disastrous antisemitism hearing.
The SmileDirectClub disaster has their customers
doing anything but smiling.
But then, we actually also have some good news today.
We're gonna talk about all that
on today's brand new Philip DeFranco show.
Your daily dive into the news.
So buckle up, hit that like button,
and let's just jump into it.
Starting with Matt Rife is beefing with a 6-year-old?
That's the question I was asking myself this morning
when I came back from my two days away from the internet.
Matt for some reason was the first headline I saw.
And I was just like, why, how?
Like, did Matt lose a Spelling Bee?
But as it turns out,
you know he had the previous controversy.
You know, he made a domestic violence joke
in his Netflix special.
A lot of the women who watched him not liking that.
And then his response to the backlash was,
"If I offended you, here's a special needs helmet."
He also then went on Jordan Peterson.
Then this part ended up being connected
to influencer Bunny Hedaya
because she let her 6-year-old son
respond to one of Rife's jokes
where he mocked girls who were into astrology.
Nothing to do with the stars, man.
Just because Jupiter has a ring and you don't doesn't mean-
- Actually, it's Saturn that has the rings,
and it has more also, and you're mean to girls.
- With Bunny then saying
even though she doesn't post a lot about her son,
her followers know that he loves space
and a lot of people tagged her in the Matt Rife clip.
So, that video was actually posted
to TikTok and Instagram like weeks ago.
Then, Bunny posted a new TikTok over the weekend.
Well, she said she thought the original video
was kind of this lighthearted little whatever.
It's my kid being quippy.
Saying Matt Rife wasn't even tagged.
It was stitched to Netflix.
And apparently Matt Rife did not like this video.
Bunny saying that Rife comments that him posting
a screenshot of the alleged comment reading,
"Jupiter also has a ring.
O! And Santa Claus isn't real.
Your mom buys you presents with the money
she makes on OnlyFans.
Good luck."
That comment does not appear to be there now.
So, the first thing she calls out is his claim
that she makes money on OnlyFans.
- I don't even show my body.
For you to assume that every single woman online
makes money by showing their bodies,
which like if that's what you do, girl.
Do you, like, love it.
I have never made a single dollar from a man.
Audience is female, female, female, female
and a little bit of the gays and theys.
You can't accept the fact that people
may like women for their personalities.
You know we know you don't have one.
- And in response you have people criticizing Rife.
Saying things like, "He just digs himself deeper.
What kind of 'man' beefs with a literal child?"
As well as, "Matt Rife is behaving more like a 6-year-old
than an actual six-year-old."
Also with this, you had some bringing up
that this is not the first time he's ever gone after a child
with people pointing back to a joke that he made
about a birthmark Mason Ramsey had
or the viral yodeling kid.
Though also at the same time
he had some people defending Matt Rife.
Like if you go to his Instagram.
Others calling Bunny posting a video of her kid like this.
Kind of weird.
You also have others saying they don't like Bunny or Matt
saying the whole thing feels like a weird cringe fest.
You got a child getting bullied.
The other person's saying I'm richer than you.
But yeah, with all that said,
what are your thoughts on this weirdness?
And then, Alex Jones is back on Twitter.
Something that just last year seemed unthinkable.
Not just for what he did to those Sandy Hook parents,
but also because of Elon Musk's opinion on it
with him tweeting about Alex Jones being banned
on the platform last year saying,
"My firstborn child died in my arms.
I felt his last heartbeat.
I have no mercy for anyone who would use
the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame."
And while his ex-wife
called the first part of that tweet a lie,
it appears at the very least
the second part of that tweet definitely was.
'Cause over the weekend he ran a poll asking,
"Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform?"
And as far as his complete 180 on this writing,
"I vehemently disagree with what he said about Sandy Hook,
but are we a platform that believes
in freedom of speech or are we not?
That is what it comes down to in the end.
If the people vote him back on,
this will be bad for X financially,
but principles matter more than money."
And ultimately the results came in 70% in favor.
And so, Jones got his account back
with Musk even welcoming him back
by throwing a little party,
holding a Spaces event with Jones,
Andrew Tate, Vivek Ramaswamy,
Donald Trump's Former National Security Advisor, Mike Flynn,
and a whole slew of others.
And according to Twitter's metrics,
over 10 million people have listened to the conversation.
Though it's also hard to tell how accurate
or inflated that number is.
But that said, there were a few standout moments.
You had Ramaswamy forgetting to mute his mic
and taking a big old piss.
You also had Tate praising Elon.
- [Andrew] Elon is a hero. Absolutely.
And the risks you are taking Elon,
I don't think many people at home actually understand
the gravity of the risks you are taking.
- Alex Jones also addressing his comments in Sandy Hook.
and also claiming that moving forward...
- [Alex] I plan to be extremely careful,
and that doesn't mean that I'm letting the sensors
dampen what I say or what I do.
I just realized anything I say or do,
they're gonna try to twist.
And so, I'm really gonna try to not let Elon's gamble down
or any of the people that supported me has gamble down.
- But as far as what it's actually gonna look like,
you know, that remains to be seen.
We'll have to wait to see how it plays out.
But in the meantime, as far as reactions?
Of course, obviously there are plenty of people
that are happy about this move and Alex Jones' return.
We also have plenty of people calling Musk
a hypocritical saying that he's a coward,
that he's scared of this far right audience
that he's accrued over the last few years.
And people arguing,
"Elon is lifting up conspiracy theorists and criminals,
giving them his platform while admitting
it will be bad for business.
Free speech does not apply to social media and companies.
Elon is choosing to ignore the terms of service
he holds others to in favor of right-wing propaganda
under the guise of freedom.
Sandy Hook happened.
Elon is a hypocrite.
Alex Jones is a trash human being.
Twitter/X is failing because of Elon."
Another saying, "Defamation is not free speech,
which is why judges in different states
have come to the same conclusion.
Alex Jones violated his victims' First Amendment rights
and he owes them $1.5 billion."
But with all that said,
and I wanna pass the question off to you.
What are your thoughts here?
What's your opinion on Elon Musk bringing Alex Jones back?
And then, what the actual hell
is going on with SmileDirectClub?
That is what people have been shouting from the rooftops
because SmileDirectClub is shutting down
and its customers are pissed.
For those that don't know
that the company sold teeth aligners
which is a cheaper, faster alternative to braces.
It was founded back in 2014
and the way that it would work?
Customers would make a mold of their teeth
using an at-home kit sent by the company,
or they'd go and have their teeth scanned
at a retail location.
The mold of the scans would then be reviewed
by orthodontists and dentists
within the SmileDirectClub network.
And customers would then pay around $1,800 for the aligners.
And all in all the treatment would take
between four and six months to complete
with online check-ins with dentists throughout.
And all of this while also promising
a lifetime smile guarantee in the form
of free touch-ups after your treatment.
So, very interesting. Sounds great on paper.
But it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for them.
Their services have been criticized for years
by dental professionals and they've had to spend
a lot of time and and money battling lawsuits
accusing them of false advertising
and violating FDA regulations.
In fact, they're earlier this year they had to settle
a lawsuit with the DC Attorney General's Office
'cause they had a non-disclosure provision
in the return policy that the AG said,
"blocked harmed customers from filing complaints
with regulators and law enforcement."
And this on top of the little thing,
the company has never actually been profitable.
In fact, they had $900 million in debt this September
when they filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy
with then their last ditch rescue plan failing,
and now they've announced they're shutting down.
So, what that also means
is that their lifetime smile guarantee?
That's done.
Any outstanding shipments, those have been canceled.
And anyone who wants to continue treatment
should reach out to a local dentist.
And all of this is there's currently
no information about refunds.
Though the company's saying there will be more information
to come once the bankruptcy process determines next steps
and additional measures customers can take.
But then also, here's the really fun thing.
If you started a payment plan with the company,
you are expected to finish your payments
until the full amount is paid
despite the company essentially no longer existing.
So, you currently have people essentially donating
to the we can't run a fucking business fund
because there are reportedly customers
who started their payment plans
but haven't even received their aligners yet.
One of those poor souls telling the BBC,
"It's not right that I'm expected to pay
such a large sum of money even though I didn't receive
any treatment or merchandise from them."
And then beyond like the money question,
many customers are mad about the lack of communication
from the company.
With one such broken tooth, Tina telling the BBC
that she only found out that the company
was shutting down from TikTok.
And understand, this wasn't a unique situation.
- I had to find out through TikTok
that I no longer can get my retainers.
The teeth that I paid for and adjusted through plastic
that literally hurt so much, I can't keep them.
- I've been using SmileDirectClub to straighten my teeth.
They're almost all the way straightened.
I needed an extension, so I had my scan today.
I drove 30 minutes to the place.
There's no one here.
And I'm like, oh my god, that's crazy
'cause I just seen a TikTok last night
that said SmileDirectClub shut down overnight.
But I'm like, that's not possible
because I just talked to 'em like a couple days ago
and I had an appointment today.
That's not possible.
It's just, you know, misinformation on TikTok.
There's no one here.
So, I called the SmileDirectClub support line
and it says unfortunately they have shut down.
- But for now, we'll keep our eyes on this.
We'll see if more information comes out, hopefully.
And in the meantime, especially if you're someone
who has experience with SmileDirectClub,
I'd love to hear from you in those comments.
And then as most of you know,
I found Seed's DS-01 over a year ago,
which has had a huge impact on my gut health this year.
So, thank you to the science team at Seed
for developing this product
and being a fantastic partner and sponsor of the show.
You know Seed's DS-01 is a 2-in-1 prebiotic and probiotic
that combines 24 select bacterial strings
in a new class of non-fermenting prebiotic compounds.
With clinical and scientific studies showing it
to support benefits for gastrointestinal function,
gut barrier integrity, cardiovascular health and more.
And believe me, I felt the difference firsthand.
Plus probiotics and prebiotics are a science.
It's important that they're developed, manufactured,
and vetted with scientific rigor and precision.
And Seed is the only one I trust.
And with the holidays upon us
and all that yummy food that goes with it,
it's a good time to start taking care
of your gut microbiome,
especially 'cause this month
Seed's offering you beautiful bastards
25% off your first month.
You'll receive this 30-day supply
refillable glass jar and travel vial.
And after that, they send sustainably packaged refills.
So, y'all just go to seed.com/defranco
and use code DEFRANCO25 at checkout
to get 25% off your first order
of Seed's DS-01 daily symbiotic plus free shipping.
And then, I can't believe it happened again.
But we actually have some good news today.
The FDA just announced that they are following
the UK's lead in approving gene editing therapies
for sickle cell disease.
And the two treatments are Casgevy which we actually
just talked about last week, and Lyfgenia.
And I'm not gonna rehash the whole deep dive we did.
I'll link to it.
But the broad strokes is that Casgevy uses CRISPR-Cas9
to cut out bad genes and replace 'em with better ones.
Right it all sounds very science fictiony
but it actually works.
And Lyfgenia is new, new.
I mean the UK hasn't even approved that yet.
And while it also relies on gene editing,
instead of using CRISPR
it uses what's called lentiviral vectors,
which is really just a fancy way of saying
that it uses a family of viruses
that are able to insert and modify bits of DNA
specifically chosen by scientists.
And in both cases they help the body change
the shape of a patient's blood cells.
That said though, there is one main limitation.
They're only approved for people above the age of 12.
But still you got the FDA excited about the possibilities
with the Director of the Office of Therapeutic Products
there saying, "Sickle cell disease is a rare,
debilitating and life-threatening blood disorder
with significant unmet need,
and we're excited to advance the field,
especially for individuals whose lives
have been severely disrupted by the disease
by approving two cell-based gene therapies today."
And adding, "Gene the holds the promise of delivering
more targeted and effective treatments,
especially for individuals with rare diseases
where the current treatment options are limited."
And again, I have to repeat this.
Part of the reason this is so amazing?
These are still incredibly new technologies,
meaning that gene editing technology
is as bad as it will ever be.
And with this, we are just seeing
like the scratching of the surface
of how meaningful life can be changed for so many people.
We just need to in the meantime,
not kill ourselves in other ways
and let something good fucking happen for once.
'Cause it really looks at least in this avenue
that things will only get better from here.
And then, now the other shoe is dropping right now
regarding this whole Harvard, Penn, MIT situation.
Which one, if you didn't see my previous video on this,
how dare you have a life outside of my videos.
But two, don't worry.
This is why God made my annoying ass.
I'll give you a top level TLDR.
And then I'll tell you the new stuff 'cause it's big.
Right 'cause there was this viral clip
where they were accused of evading questions,
specifically about whether calls for genocide against Jews
violated their school's respective Codes of Conduct
with all three essentially responding
that it depends on the context and if the rhetoric
amounts to a threat or bullying.
And arguing with that, that they have to weigh actions
against protections for free speech.
They had some defending them,
others going after them calling for them to resign.
And actually, over the weekend we saw
Penn's president Elizabeth Magill resigning,
notably just one day before the school's Board of Trustees
was set to meet.
Possibly she saw the writing on the wall.
And that move announced by the board's president Scott Bok
who said Magill voluntarily tendered
a resignation and added,
"The world should know that Liz Magill is a very good person
and a talented leader who is beloved by her team.
She is not the slightest bit antisemitic.
Working with her was one of the great pleasures of my life."
And then, going on to say
that Magill will actually remain in the role
until an interim president is appointed.
And then, after that she'll still stay on
as a faculty member for Penn's Law School.
But then interestingly, just less than an hour later,
Bok also announced that he was resigning.
Also with all this, it definitely needs to be noted
that you know, obviously there's a lot
of attention on this situation.
But Magill's resignation also comes
amid mounting concerns about her leadership.
In fact, reportedly this wasn't her first
or only brush with accusations of antisemitism.
Right back in October, Magill receive backlash
over a Palestinian literary conference
that was supposed to be on the school's campus.
An event that reportedly aimed
to celebrate Palestinian culture,
but it was also criticized by people
who claim that some of the invitees
had a history of antisemitic remarks and behavior.
Though you also had others denying those claims,
arguing that the people who pushed them
were just trying to crack down on Palestinian speech.
And ultimately, Magill allowed the event to take place
though her response actually drew backlash from both sides.
But all of that taking us to her resignation.
And according to the New York Times,
this makes her the first university president
to step down in connection with the uproars
that have engulfed campuses since the Hamas attack
and Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza.
And now that there's blood in the water,
it's just ramped up the pressure
for the presidents of Harvard and MIT
to also step down or get fired.
Though notably there, MIT's president Sally Kornbluth
appears to have the backing
of her school's Board of Trustees
with having expressed their quote,
"full and unreserved support" for her.
She's also notably the only one of the three
who didn't backtrack on her comments
and apologize in some manner.
And all this is Harvard's president Claudine Gay.
She has so far not indicated that she's going to resign.
Though there's also before a meeting at the board
that could decide her fate.
And while she too has faced a ton of calls
for resignation or termination,
there's also a huge group of people
who have rallied to her defense, Harvard faculty.
And that in the form of a petition
that urges in the strongest possible terms
to resist political pressures that are at odds
with Harvard's commitment to academic freedom.
And according to Harvard student newspaper,
that petition has over 650 signatures as of this morning.
You know, right now you got a lot of people paying attention
to this situation for a lot of reasons.
You know, some just to see what happens.
But then also people wondering
what kind of precedent all this sets
with some arguing that Magill's resignation,
whatever we see come from this,
it could undermine the rights of both students
and professors while giving power to lawmakers and donors.
With the likes of Keith Whittington,
a professor of politics at Princeton University,
telling the Washington Post
that this could have catastrophic consequences
for academic freedom in the US.
Arguing, "A lot of people are going to learn the lesson
from this that we ought to crack down.
We're just gonna see universities lean further
into the idea that when there's any doubt
we ought to try to punish people for their speech."
You have some saying we're already seeing that.
With Axios reporting that the board of advisors
at Penn's Wharton Business School,
they actually recently proposed a sweeping policy
that would discipline students or staff who quote,
"engage in hate speech whether veiled or explicit."
Just yesterday you had a Penn professor of law
and philosophy writing an op-ed in the Post,
encouraging the restriction of free speech
to protect students and calling on university presidents
to quote, "rethink the role that open expression
and academic freedom play in the educational mission."
And with that, we're also seeing increased pressure
from lawmakers where you have the likes
of New York's Democratic governors sending a letter
to state college and university presidents this weekend
vowing to take quote, "aggressive action"
like pulling funding.
If the schools quote, "fail to clearly and unequivocally
denounce antisemitism and calls for genocide
of the Jewish people."
But for now, we're gonna be keeping
a close eye on the situation.
We'll talk about new development
because this is still a developing situation.
I do not think in any way
we have seen the end of the fallout.
What are your thoughts on the resignation,
the further calls for resignation and termination,
and everything else we're seeing?
And then, before we talk about yesterday today,
I got a quick little announcement
for just you most dedicated at the end of today's video,
and/or Greg who accidentally left the video playing.
As of this morning, I am clearing out
the Beautiful Bastard warehouse.
Long story short,
we start getting hit with some storage fees.
I am not happy about the price.
I figured if anyone's gonna fuck me,
it shouldn't be some faceless corporation.
It should be you.
That's why I launched
the Broke Bastard Belated Birthday Bash.
Right now a number of things are already selling out,
but you can snag a mystery shirt,
which normally sells for $30 to $40 or just $10.
Hats for $8.
$90 bag for $30.
The tie-dye fleece that was selling for $75.
I'm just gonna take a loss.
You can get a for $12.
Keep Going bullet journal, normally $25, it is $3.
Candles, key chains, more. Take it.
I'm taking this thing to zero
and we already got a new plan for January.
Grab it while you can over at beautifulbastard.com.
Link in the description.
But enough of me selling you.
Yesterday today.
And there we saw a lot of back and forth
regarding the Panera controversy.
People saying, "The most common criticism I see
about the Panera story is, 'well, they're called charged-
that should indicate the caffeine content'
but honestly they're also flavored with other ingredients.
And even I thought to myself when they came out,
'oh, like charged as in flavor shots'
not, 'oh cool, I can OD on caffeine with this lemonade.'"
And the conversation around the flavors specifically
was all over the place.
Noting that Monster energy and Red Bull
have a specific chemical-y taste,
which sets off alarm bells for them as energy drinks."
But this, it just tastes like lemonade.
Also, a lot of y'all were chiming in
on that sentencing story
where that jerk who threw a burrito bowl at someone's face,
they now have to work in fast food.
Like, that was actually part of the punishment
handed down by the judge.
But some of the most popular comments reading,
"I have to say I agree with the judge's sentencing.
Working in retail for many years,
I've seen my fair share of customers like this woman.
It's the perfect karma for entitled people
being forced to spend a day providing the service
they so demand."
Others adding, "If she gets fired,
she should spend the remainder of the sentence in jail."
Also, funny/depressing enough.
And highfructose saying, "It's worth noting
that the judge in the second story recognizes
that the conditions faced by retail fast food workers
are somewhat equal to jail time."
To which cubone responded,
"She may sue the court for cruel
and unusual punishment after her first shift."
Though I also found myself agreeing with Soggy saying,
"I feel bad for whoever has to work with her."
And we'll say, I'm very interested to see your thoughts
on the updates today because regarding, you know,
the three university presidents?
Regarding the situation it was on Thursday.
You had people like EtherImperial saying,
"Honestly, with regards
to university presidents' statements,
I see that as a group of intelligent people
who are well aware, they are dealing with someone
looking for talking points to use and twist the truth
to serve their narrative.
Their answers are quote, 'safe' and measured.
The kind of answers to give to someone
not concerned about the truth."
And eva1937 writing, "I always find congressional hearings
in other panels so frustrating because sometimes
it's so evident that certain congresspeople
are only looking to get certain phrases
outta the interviewees."
And some saying,
"Stefanik trapped the presidents into no win scenario."
Saying, "She's asking for a yes or no answer.
where if they say yes, they violate the First Amendment,
and saying, no, sounds terrible."
But that is where my Monday dive
into the news is gonna end for you today.
As always, thank you for being a part
of these daily dives into the news,
trying to make sense of this crazy world.
Also, a reminder, thanks are selling out right now.
Go to beautifulbastard.com,
get it on this just ridiculous sale.
With that said, as always, my name's Philip DeFranco.
You've just been filled in.
I love y'all faces
and I'll see you right back here tomorrow.