ranting about guadalajara & scandoval

My name is Ty French, and this is my podcast. That's what it's called. Ty French Podcasts. Ty French Podcasts. Ty French Podcasts. Ty French Podcasts. Ty French Podcasts. Ty French Podcasts. Hello, hello, hello. Welcome back to the Ty French Podcast. My name is Ty French, and this is my podcast. And that's why it's called the Ty French Podcasts. How are you? I hope everyone is having an amazing Wednesday, or whenever you're listening to this, a glorious day, a glorious morning. I hope everyone is having an amazing week. I hope everyone had an amazing week and an amazing week last week. I am exhausted. I'm so tired. I've just been go, go, go, as you guys are fully aware because I won't stop complaining about it. But last week was really just one for the books. It was so fun. It was so eventful. But there was just so much happening. If you guys listen to Friday's episode, you guys know that last week, I was in Guatemala. And Guatemala, am I okay? You guys, that's how tired I am. I was not in Guatemala, in fact. And it's actually really annoying that I got that wrong because the whole reason I was excited to go is because it's one of my favorite words to say. So that is my bad. I was in Guadalajara. Guadalajara. The one that only iconic. Guadalajara. I am obsessed. I went so quick, so fast for a tequila brand that I've worked with called El Desoro. And let me just tell you, I loved El Desoro before I went. And you know Tequila loves tequila. Tequila tequila. But wow, I learned so much going to Guadalajara and seeing El Desoro's distillery and just going behind the scenes of the tequila making process and being with the whole team and just everything. It was unreal. And I just feel like I have so much to say about it. Also going to Guadalajara with my best friend, Jose Vagarolla, our totally random queen, who was also birthday. It was last week. Happy birthday, shout out Jose. It was just so much fun. We seriously had a ball. So we got there on Tuesday. And immediately just wow, the hotel we stayed at, I have no idea what it was called or I would share. If any of you guys want to know, I do send me a DM and I'll figure it out. But it was so stunning. The bed in the room was this like sage green placard at mid-century modern bed. And I might need to email the hotel and ask them where they got it because I need it from my room. It was so iconic. It was so pretty. I don't know what I expected from Guadalajara, but it wasn't what I got. That is for sure. But so the first thing we get there, we have a few seconds to freshen up. They had a car pick us up and then we just got ready and went to a welcome drinks dinner situation. And we went to this restaurant that was all bones on the wall. It was all neutral, all bones on the wall. It was so chic, so cute. And the food was so pretty good. If there's one thing that I love about Mexico, which guess what, there's multiple. And I cannot narrow it down to just one. But I will say Mexican food is just it. Like Mexican food is my life. And growing up in Arizona, like you get really good Mexican food. And we get really good Mexican food here in LA as well. But I grew up going to Mexico. I don't know if I shared this on the podcast last week when I said I was going to Guadalajara, my favorite city in Mexico. But I grew up going to Mexico two, three times a year, every single year growing up until I was in high school. Growing up in Arizona, it's just like so close. And my family likes to do like four wheelers and dirt bikes and dirt bikes and dirt bikes. And we, you know, there are six kids in my family. We weren't very rich. And our thing was we always just drove our motor home to Puerto Pinasco, otherwise known as Rocky Point. And that's just what we did. We did that for Thanksgiving. We did that for Christmas. My dad rode in the Baja 500 or whatever the race is called. Yeah, so Mexico just holds a really nostalgic, exciting, lovely place in my heart. So it was really fun to go. And it was fun to go with Jose. He says he doesn't love Mexican food. But that little bitch, I converted him. He now loves Mexican food. We had some of the best food I've ever had there. It was amazing. But anyways, we did this welcome dinner situation. I've talked about it a thousand times on the podcast before. But when you go on these trips, you just meet so many fun creators that you've either seen on Instagram before or you would have never otherwise had met and this trip was no exception. It wasn't a very big group. It was maybe like seven of us. And everyone was just so lovely and so nice. And being with Jose is just always a treat. Then the first night we get there, we went to, and guys, don't give me a bad review if I say things incorrectly because you know that I am not, I can't speak Spanish. So you know, it's just, I'm not going to say it right. But we went to Lucho Libre, which, oh my gosh, you guys, I have no words. I have no words. I mean, Lucho Libre is like their version of wrestling or like MMA or the WMB or I don't really know what it's all called. But like, you know, like, it's like choreographed wrestling. And they have those, you know, like, I mean, this is so dumb to say, I don't know if this reference is bad, but you know, like nacho Libre, they have the mask and the costume and everything. That's Lucho Libre, I think adjacent. Anyways, I don't know if nacho Libre is exactly Lucho Libre, but I think it's the same family. Anyway, so they have these costumes on. And the team, the El Tosaro team, gave us warnings before we went to the show because I guess there's this whole, like, Lucho Libre, like, what's the word I'm looking for? There's this whole, like, tradition or, what's the word I'm looking for? There's just like, there's certain groups of people that go and you yell each other. And there's like a flirtiness, there's a banter. Maybe that's the word I'm looking for. There's a banter, maybe that's the word I'm looking for. There's a banter that you do back and forth with these teams. And, you know, it's like shit talking to the other teammates. But you're kind of all mixed in in the crowd. So it's not like a football stadium where, like, I think, actually, I don't know, I've never been to a football stadium. Like, on football games or basketball games, like, don't they split you up by teams? Like, one team has one side, one team has the other side. If that's not true, R-E-P to me. I'm obviously not a sport guy, I'm new to this. But anyways, you're mixing with everyone. But it's like very common to sit and talk shit. And, as I said, I don't see Spanish. And I was living. I was having so much fun. And I'm probably, I'm not exaggerating. I'm probably, well, so there's only so many white people in there to begin with because we're literally in Guadalajara, we're in Mexico. But I'm probably the only bleach blonde gay white boy in this entire arena. And I'm not shining away from that. I was living for it, but there were all these people behind us that I thought were, you know, every time someone said a comment to me, I was like, I might have just been hate-crime, but I don't even care because I'm so drunk and we are just living in this moment. There are, when I tell you, these grown men, huge men, some of them chubby, some of them fit, grown ass men, jumping, leaping from the sides, tackling each other, doing back flips, like full on wrestling. I was obsessed. Like, I'm screaming at the top of my lungs. Me and Jose are like slapping each other. I spilled my drink all over in his lap and it's a nice white linen suit. Like, we were having a ball. And the people behind me kept saying stuff and, you know, Jose speaks Spanish. He is from, oh gosh, I always get it wrong. This is going to be so bad. He's from El Salvador. He's El Salvadorian. You know, which has similar culture, both speaks Spanish, but, you know, there's differences between both, for sure. But he is very fluent in Spanish, whatever. And he kept telling me what the people were saying behind us. And he just told me they were calling me blondie. And so I thought they were, you know, cheering me on as the blondie just having so much fun at this experience. Then later come to find out they're, no, they're calling me the gay blondie white boy. And before we went in and they told us that, you know, you're supposed to shit talk. There's this banter that goes on between the crowd. The only word that they told me, or that they taught me, was put up, which I think is like the feminine version of a slut. And he's like, you know, that's like a common word. That people, you know, chant out. And I'm learning this from the Altesoro team, people. Okay, so if that is incorrect or politically incorrect, I'm learning this from the source, from the locals. Okay, I didn't just pull this up on the internet. So I'm just yelling the entire time. They told me a lot of other phrases, but I'm not very smart and I was drinking a lot of tequila. I really don't remember Puta. And that's literally what I screamed for two hours straight. This whole entire time we were out there, Lucho Libre, just calling everyone a slut. And I had no regrets because it was fun. And then when I found out that they were calling me the little gay white blond boy, I did not feel bad about calling him a slut at all. But it's funny because like it sounds worse than it is. I get that, but it's like fun, you know. And, but anyways, I'm going, I'm rambling, I'm ranting. But the whole time while they're like chanting this to me, I'm thinking, like Jose didn't tell me that until the very end. Like I'm thinking that we're, you know, besties. They don't have it a ball of a time. Like Smiling, they keep yelling blondie to me and blah, blah, blah, blah. Anyways, at the end of it ended up being so much fun. They came up and asked for a selfie with me. And once again, I don't know if they were hate-crimeing me and they were posting that, making fun of me. But in the moment, it made me really feel like just part of what was happening and that they were like in all the effort and the screaming that I was giving to the crowd. Anyways, if you guys ever have the chance to go to a Lucei Libros show, please go. And now I'm literally like, sorry, I'm going to go to wrestling matches. I'm going to go to football games. If this is how people feel at football games, now I get it. I'm sorry, JC and Chelsea. Now I get why you guys are so into the suns because it was so much fun just to be rooting on these people. And here's where it's different than basketball in sports. And maybe that's why football would maybe be more my alley. These people are jumping from the ropes doing bat flips on the ceilings as grown 250-pound men landing in each other, wearing speedos and freaking costumes and capes. It literally was like watching a drag show but of straight men. Well, I'm assuming they're straight. It was like watching a drag show of grown straight men in speedos, tackling each other. That's literally what it was. And they had ring girls who are there to just hype up the crowd and dance. And there was this one girl. None of them literally did anything to hype the crowd but there was this one girl that I posted on my story that was literally a mood. Like middle-aged woman just feeling herself dressed like she's going to a Vegas pool party. It was literally one of the best nights of my life. Like I will forever go or find a Luce Libert Show when I'm in Mexico now. I don't know if they're in all parts of Mexico but I know the place that we went to was like a special, like there was a lot of history in the Luce Libert space where we were at. I can't remember what it's called. And you know, I would say it incorrectly anyway. But if any of you guys are going to Guadalajara anytime soon, hit me up. I will send you the deeds. That's another part. I think I've talked about the Tom Podcast before but that's another good part about going on these influencer trips to places that you would maybe be more like weary if you're a solo traveler or if you're younger or if you don't know where you're way around. Like even the first time I came to LA, I was like, I'm never moving here. I'm so scared of it here. Like you just, you have to know the place to really get the full experience and that's what's so fun about going with a brand that just has everything hooked up. Like we walked straight and we had our seats already figured out. They got us drinks and like they told us, you know, what to say and just, you know, the appropriate way to act and it just made it so much more enjoyable because we didn't feel like we were like just, I don't know, not where we should be. I don't know if that makes any sense. But it was so fun. I have videos of it pulled up right now that I'm rewatching and I'm just, I'm literally screaming all make. If you guys didn't see my Instagram stories and you want to know what I'm talking about, I'm going to make Instagram highlight on at Ty French of all the videos of the trip in the Guadalajara Instagram highlight. If you guys want to see the videos I'm talking about, but I cannot even tell you, wow, wow. I've been rambling on that for way too much but it was so fun. Anyways, so then the next morning we have a very early morning we went to, you guys know I can't say this. La Altena. La Altena. La Altena. Yeah, I don't know if that's what you're going to have to say. But anyways, it's El Tosoro's tequila distillery. So this might be a, I mean, not a sneak peek because it's literally not happening anytime soon. But the whole tequila name kind of came from a few years ago. I really just kind of birthed this dream that one day I want to have my own tequila brand and I want to call it tequila. At the same time, I was doing drag. And so that kind of became my drag persona. And then that kind of just became my drunk persona. And that's how we kind of landed at tequila. But before that, I didn't even really drink tequila. I was a vodka drinker. But once I had come up with this stunning idea of tequila, I was like, okay, I need to learn everything there is to know about tequila. I need to learn how to like it. And you know, just learn the good ones, the bad ones. Anyways, so I've always been really interested in tequila for the last like five years. I've really been wanting to learn the ins and outs of how it's made. And I have done like a ton of tequila tastings. And I'm just so fascinated with actually learning and seeing behind the scenes. And this was my first tequila distillery that I've done to. And I was just like soaking in every single minute. Seeing the entire process was just so fascinating. And learning the stories of this family that has started this 85 years ago. And now it is run by the daughter of the man who originally started it. And I'm sure, you know, Kendall Jenner talks about it a lot. But being a female in the tequila space and the alcohol space is very, very hard. And so I don't know, you know, you know, you know, Tyquila loves to support female entrepreneurs and female business owners. And also family businesses, family businesses, and also small businesses. Our team is so small, all the employees, I can't remember the exact number, but like it shocked me. Like it was like something ridiculous like between the actual distillering, the team, the bottling, everything, everything was like 80 people or something, 60 or 80 people. It was nuts. They took us to the whole entire process. And they do so many things that other brands are not doing and are cutting the corners to make it, you know, faster, cheaper, more effective. But then the taste is a little bit different. They really pride themselves on being like an artisanal tequila brand. And I feel like, you know, it's easy. We're not in the one percent. Okay. So when it comes to buying a cheaper bottle versus a $75 bottle or whatnot, you're obviously always going to go for the cheaper bottle. And that's always what I've done. No, don't get me wrong. I don't go for no Jose Cuervo. But I usually get like Esplan or something like that. But, you know, if I'm going to like a friend's housewarming, I'll maybe get Costa Migos or this or that. But after going through and seeing the whole process and seeing, you know, out in the agave field, how they get the agave out and then cooking them and then putting them in the barrels. And it takes six years by the time they grow the agave for it to even be ready to be distilled. Like six years. The whole process is literally insane. And after seeing, you know, how they don't cut corners to really get the best of Kila and its female-owned family operated, spending the family ever since her father started it. And they literally never get rid of employees, the people that have been distilling the like actually like down in the warehouse, that's the word I'll call it, in the distillery like actually making the tequila. It was his father who started it with her father and then they now do it and then they're now raising their kids to do it. They don't have anyone else. They don't have this like huge corporate like thing happening. And it was just so beautiful. And now I really feel like I will only be purchasing Altasoro tequila. Also, it tastes so good and I'm not just saying that. It really is one of my more favorite tequilas. And let me tell you, there was a lot of tequila being had. And I didn't ever get a hangover. Like ever. Like they just really take their time and they're really artisanal with it. And I, this sounds like a big old ad for Altasoro. And I promise you, it's not. I was just seriously so freaking fascinated with seeing this all. And I'm sure a lot of you guys listening to this are females. And we got to really support female own businesses when it comes down to it. And if you guys have an option to do that, then why wouldn't you? And obviously I'm not going to say names or whatever. They told us a lot about other tequila brands and the corners they cut and what they add and the sugars and this. And that's why you get hangovers and that's why anyways. I really cannot champion enough how amazing Altasoro brand is. And go give it a try. Let me know what you think. Anyways, so then after we toured the whole facility, we had a salsa-making class with these gorgeous, gorgeous gals. I can't remember the name of their group, but it was this girl who was worked with Altasoro a ton. But then also she partnered with them and they made a salsa-making book. And that really just gives this group of women financial stability. And it really helps their families where they live because a lot of their jobs are seasonal. And Altasoro is really just highlighting this also female own business. And she literally is the most amazing salsa or mole. Is it mole or chile? She taught me the difference of them both, but I can't remember. One of them is because it's salsa if it has tomatoes in it. And it's chile or mole if it doesn't, I don't know what the difference is there. Don't get on with you guys. I've got a lot of information right now about this trip to tell you guys. But anyways, it was, I've never heard of putting tequila in salsa. Maybe I've been at a restaurant and they've done that and I just wasn't aware of it. But which maybe they would have to be because then they would have to ID me. But anyways, we put some Altasoro tequila in the salsa that we made. And you guys know I don't like to cook. I postmates every single day, okay? But I truly feel like I can cook salsa now. And that might be my one party trick. And that might be the one thing that I bring to barbecues or bull days or to the beach. And she gave us all her cookbook. Maybe I'll post it on my story and do a link with it. So you guys can get it yourselves. But it was so easy to make and it was so informational. I feel like salsa just seems like so intimidating. But also try and put some tequila in it next time for my girl to drink alcohol because it was delicious and you can't even tell. So I feel like that should be a little party trick for my two little tyrants. Then her and her team made us lunch. And we ate it under this like gorgeous canopy. Just at the like in the grass fields. And it was so good. Like I said, Mexican foods. So good. We were eating so freaking good. The only thing that sucked about going to the distillery, that was probably the worst part of the trip. And this is no hate, no shame to the Altasoro team because like I get it. It is what it is. But like we were staying in Guadalajara. But then we went out to their distillery, which was like a two and a half hour van ride away. And I'm talking to a half van hour ride in like a bumpy small roads. Not life is a highway, smooth sailing. So we left at like 7 a.m. And by the time we got there, I was like ill. Like I was like RIP. Then by the end of the tour, we were good. We had had some drinks all day. We were walking around. We were so excited about everything that we saw. And we learned. Then the van ride back was also just so annoying. Like I was like, oh my gosh. Someone could be a helicopter out of here. Like this is I can't. We were so tired. We'd be out in the sun all day out in the heat. And we've been drinking all day. And the van ride back. I was like literally killed me. But anyways, we got back to our hotel finally. We had a quick little minute to change up. Fresh and up. Get changed for dinner. And we went to this place for like street tacos. When I tell you. They were the most amazing tacos I've ever had in my entire life. The most amazing street tacos. Guess how much they were. 50 cents. You heard that right. 50 cents. They were so good. And it really just was like, wow. Okay. So I need to move out of Los Angeles immediately. Because in LA, a taco, a single taco can cost up to $10. And it doesn't taste nearly as half as good as that. So it really just questioned everything. I'm not kidding. I literally probably got eight. And Jose got also ten and a thousand cheese crusts. And then also ice cream. But it was fine because guess what? It was his birthday at midnight. And we were celebrating. We were having the time of our life. We went to this bar after. And it was kind of like what do they call it? Words like hidden. Speak easy. It was like a speak easy. I don't tell from the outside at all. And then you go through this hallway, security pass you down. And then get in. It's super cute. Elf Sora just had us hooked up. We had our own little section on a little table. And then all of a sudden, they had a band start playing. I know there's like a specific name with the type of band, but I can't think of it. They had like legit, you know, like trumpet, saxophone, tuba. Like a full on band. But they were playing. Like toxic by Britney Spears, firework by Katy Perry. Total Africa. Like all of these amazing songs that you would normally hear at a club, but it was like an actual band. It was so freaking groovy. It was so viby. Me and Jose were le thing. That is so Jose type of thing. I'm not normally the type of person that likes a live band. But wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Like, let me clarify. I like a live band, but not like in a bar setting like that. Let me clarify that. But no, it was a ball of time. And we were just drinking, drinking, drinking, drinking. When I tell you, there were bottles and bottles and bottles on the table. Just, and no one else was really drinking that much. But Taikila, if there's one thing, if the Taikila is free, Taikila is going to be drinking it. And then I get a text from one of my best friends, Mary. It's out now so I can say this. But she got engaged. She got engaged to one of my favorite people ever. Her fiance, I can't believe I was saying fiance, is one of my favorite people. Mary's one of my favorite people. And literally when I tell you, I started sobbing at the club with the client. One, I feel like I wouldn't have cried anyway. But like also, yes, the amount of Taikila shots they had definitely was affecting the amount of tears that were shooting on my face. I was just like so happy for her. It made the night just even that much more special. Like, I was just like, shots for Mary. Like, it was so fun. And then it was supposed to be birthday at midnight. So then we just had to cheer and scream for that and take shots. It was all around just like, actually, one of my favorite days on a trip I've ever been on. And there were so many different levels to it. Learning everything about the Taikila, you know, the lows of the sprinter van, my friend getting engaged. The best talk I ever had. Like, it was all around just an amazing day. So I had to end the day by going back to my hotel room and throwing up a few times because I had a few too many shots. But, you know, it happens to the best of us. I was fine. It's almost something that's almost better to get it out than to keep it in. The next day was kind of on the more chill side. We went to an amazing breakfast at this place that like makes everything out of corn. And that sounds really gross, but it was so yummy. I was obsessed. If you guys want the name of the restaurant, I will post it. And then we just went and then we explored a little bit of old town Guadalajara, which I'm so glad we had time to die. I didn't think that we were going to be able to actually go out and explore, you know, the touristy things of Guadalajara. But I did. And now I can say, I went, I saw, I conquered, and I'm a Guadalajara. Guadalajara and Guadalajara and King. I'm a Guadalajara and King. I am obsessed. It really just lived up to the hype. You know, I was, I talked about Guadalajara as almost this state of Atlantis for so long. Almost as this, you know, foreign world that it was like a, it was like a, a neverland for me. It was just an idea. Guadalajara was an idea. It was a state of mind. It wasn't necessarily a location for me. And then I went and it really just lived up to the hype. And I'm just, I'm so happy because that doesn't happen a lot of the time. But we went inside like the really old cathedral there. Literally stunning, gorgeous. We went to this guy. He was like a famous architect. He was like one, he won this like architect award. He had this gorgeous house win. So that for a little bit. I don't know. I'm butchering all the names of this. But if you guys, like I said, if you guys want to know or like see what we actually did, I'm going to have my whole highlight on Instagram. But all in all, it was just a fun day. And then we went back to our hotel. We quickly changed. And we went back home. We hopped on a flight. And El Tastora was so nice and put us in first class. Which is just really just chef's kiss. And on Jose's birthday, it was just all in all just a fantastic day. And a fantastic trip. Thank you so much to the El Tastora team. Honestly, I know this whole ramble was way longer than I intended. But and it all stayed up with like one big ad, but it really wasn't. Well, I mean, I guess it kind of is because they paid for it all. But they're not sponsoring this episode. Okay. Then to add to my exhaustion of this trip, you know, Tuesday to Thursday, a quick trip. A lot, a lot was granted into it. A lot of tequila was happening. Then what happens? I get back and on Friday, it is LA Pride. Friday Saturday, Sunday. I didn't get to go to We Hope Pride because I was in Salt Lake City as you guys have heard on the podcast. So I was just really, I wanted to go all out for LA Pride. But after this trip, I was just like, oh my God, I'm dead. Like, what more do you guys want from me? I really can't. I've been drinking all week. I'd been taking a break before. And this, the Guadalajara just really took it out of me. But, you know, it was Jose's birthday weekend still. It was LA Pride. I didn't get to celebrate We Hope Pride. So I was just, you know, I just was sucking up bitch. We're going for it. Friday, we went to the festival. And here's the thing. Meg was cute. It was cute. It was fun. We went to a pregame at my friends house before. We did a little cake for Jose. And I had an amazing night. It was super fun. But like the actual LA Pride festival itself wasn't that fun. I don't know. It was just a weird part of town. It was hard to get ubers and stuff. So I only stayed for a little bit of Megan. Then I was like, I'm so scared that we're not going to be able to get home. So me and just my friend Jason left the rest of the group and went back to We Hope and met up with some of our other friends. And just had a ball of a night. It was seriously so much fun. But then Saturday, my friend had to go away party at his apartment. And then when everyone went to go to the festival to see Mariah Carey, which you know I wanted to see Mariah Carey and King Princess. I just, I don't know. I was so exhausted and we'd been drinking. And I was just like, I'm not going downtown. Sorry. I'm not dealing with it. I can't do it. I'm staying here and I'm just going to the bars. Like, I'm going to celebrate Pride by own way. You know, I'm using my own happiness. And that's what we did. It was still super fun. I had a fun weekend. But I didn't really feel like Pride. It just kind of felt like a normal weekend of barrel rat activities. Like I didn't go to the parade on Sunday or anything. So I don't know. I still feel like I haven't had my Pride experience, which is a bummer. Because obviously Typhoon's Pride. But, you know, I saw that a fun weekend. All in all, it was a fun weekend. Also, speaking of Pride, I did want to say just a huge shout out. A huge thank you to everyone for their super kind words on last week's episode about growing up gay and Mormon. And I just had such a beautiful response and so many beautiful, amazing messages from you guys. It truly, truly means a lot to me. Just, you know, whether you related to it because you're gay, whether you're related to it because you grew up Mormon, or because you, you know, have had friends who have gone through something similar with children or anything. So many powerful messages and that's truly all I wanted. All I wanted was people to, you know, just go away with a little extra love in their heart for not me, but just for the community and for Pride and for those around you and just everyone. So I'm so, so happy that it resonated with you guys. If you guys haven't listened to it, make sure you guys go give it a listen because it is a really special episode. I meant to say that at the beginning of this episode. But this was meant to kind of just be a quick little life update for you guys. I rambled about Guadalajara a little too long. Like, that's why I was just so excited. I had to talk about Guadalajara with my gals, okay? Oh, also I wanted to say that if you guys went to the YouTube channel to watch this episode, I felt ugly and tired and I didn't want to sit down to record it. So this episode is audio-only and you know what? I love doing the video and I'm going to continue doing the video. But it's not like a lot of y'all are really watching the videos. So if I'm having a really just slow day and I'm feeling ugly, then I don't feel like y'all are missing the video too much. Also, song of the week. Even though we're 30 minutes into the episode this week is World Class Center. Slash, I'm a freak by Lily Rose Dept from HBO's new show The Idol. You guys, this song is so catchy. I'm obsessed in the dance. Okay, also we need to talk about The Idol for just a quick, quick little second. I feel like it's getting so much bad press. I feel like everyone said it was going to flop. But the premiere episode of The Idol now outpaced the premiere of Euphoria and The White Lotus in viewership. 3.6 million viewers so far. That is insane. Like I did get around to watching it. I watched it yesterday and it's getting a lot of bad press right now. You know what? You know, everyone's really upset about the weekend or able the sex scene where he's describing just what he want. I don't want to say it like without being too explicit. You know, there's a scene. There's a scene and we all know the scene I'm talking about. But I said this before. I think maybe this was on last week's episode. You guys, we are adults and it literally is the... Can we just paint a picture of who created the show? First off, Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria. Have we all watched Euphoria and how he is depicting these people? Need I remind you, these people are in high school love. These are high school eras and it's already so sexual. It's so drug oriented. There's a lot that's happening and I do agree a lot of it's really graphic and a lot of it is not relatable to high schoolers. But I do think that there are areas in the world and in Los Angeles and just whatever, that is a reality for high schoolers. High schoolers do Molly at their school fairs. I had friends who did Molly when they went to the state fair. I had friends that went to rehab. I don't think that that is a reality for everyone and it's not the standard experience of a high schooler but I don't think that that invalidates that that is some people's experience. TV show about this experience. So it doesn't have to be representative of high schoolers and I agree that you can argue that it's glamorizing certain activities or drugs or this for high schoolers and that's a whole other conversation for sure. I'm not saying that it's good. I just think not every show, like if it's a show about people in high school it's not a show about everyone in high school. I don't know but my point with that is that this is how he's depicting people in high school and this show is about a pop star in Hollywood and her being taken advantage of. So let's just paint the picture of, if he is having high schoolers do one thing, what did you expect his depiction of a huge major pop star in Los Angeles being taken advantage of? What's going to be? Let's just think about that for two seconds. Of course it was going to be graphic. Of course it's going to be all these things. Also, Abel slash the weekend, like his songs are about freaking cocaine and doing bumps off of like a girl's back after having sex with her. And then he has a song where he's like, at you, I'm not a teen choice. I'm not a peach boy. I just want to award for a keen teen. What do I have to say? What's the lyric? Basically he's like, I just want to freaking award a kid's Teen Choice Awards for talking about taking cocaine off of a girl's back. This is also his music. This is also his rap. So when these two people come together to create a show about Hollywood about the industry and meet our mind you, he is one of the biggest pop stars in the world right now. So I think he might have more of a grasp on what this situation actually is like. And that might be uncomfortable for people like us because we view Hollywood so differently. But I am actually really intrigued to see his perception of a female being taken advantage of in this industry. And I think there are a lot of scenes that make people uncomfortable. But I would argue that that is the point. That's the point. I think he's drawing on his relationship with Selena Gomez. I think he's drawing on his relationship with Bella Hadid. I think he's drawing on his relationship with not in his relationship with Britney Spears with Lyndley Lohan, with Paris Hilton with all of these girls that we now in the most recent years have seen come out and share all the behind the scenes that we didn't know that were happening when they were growing up or when they were famous. And I don't think he's idolizing it. I don't think he's glamorizing it. People can argue that he's sharing it from a male perspective. But I think maybe that's the point. I think he's wanting us to feel uncomfortable about how the industry that is legitimately male treats and takes advantage of these women. That's the whole point of the show, I think. So I don't know. I think a show is art. And sometimes art does make you uncomfortable. And that does not mean that that art is any less cinematically beautiful or welcome in society. I don't know. I don't know what I'm trying to say. Like, hello, did we all watch Game of Thrones? And they're fucking each other's brothers and sisters and killing and this and the red wedding. And we got to the end of the movie. And he freaking sliced the love of his life. So, it's sure being uncomfortable and there's so much misogyny and whatever. But it's like that is reflective of the world world that we live in. There is people in the music industry that are misogynist and that probably treat and talk to women like that. And I think him putting in the show is not like glamorizing it for the male gaze. I think he's wanting people to feel uncomfortable that this man thinks that he can come in find a vulnerable woman that has a lot of access and power to have a lot of influence in the industry and he knows that he can manipulate her and take advantage of her. That's kind of where I'm taking it so far. Obviously, I felt very uncomfortable in those scenes and I didn't think I would because, you know, we're adults, we can watch x-rated things. I've seen a lot of scary shows or shows that make me uncomfortable. You know, don't breathe. It was one of the most uncomfortable shows I've ever watched. But I think I'm looking at it just from the perspective of like he is trying to teach us how the industry just manipulates and treats these women that we just all idolize and call pop stars. So anyways, I'm really excited to see where the rest of it goes. I am literally obsessed with the cinematography, the color grading, the styling, the outfits, the music. Like I just gave that the song of the week, the song. Like everything about it is so beautiful that that, I don't know, as an artist, it's like photographers seeing just that alone. I'm like, even if the storyline made me uncomfortable, I'd watch it just for that because it's like so cinematically beautiful. But I'm excited to see where the rest of the story goes. I don't know, we'll see. But I had to just share my opinion on that because I feel like a lot of people are hating on it. But I also love the weekend. I love Little Rose Depp. I love Choice of On in it. I wasn't sure how he was going to be in acting, but I think he did so good. The casting feels fun. I feel like there are parts of it that feel a little bit more campy and funny and like not so serious. So I don't know. To me, it feels like there's a balance, at least as of now. But we will see where that goes. Okay, moving on. I know this episode is just a rant of a ton of random ass shit. We had a lot to cover. You know, the trips, the pride, the this, that, the last thing that I need to cover in today's episode. I've been building up for a while and I'm glad that I waited to talk about this until everything was out because I feel like I have maybe a different impression that I had the last few weeks. But we are closing out Scandival. We are closing out Phantom Pump Rules, all the drama that this brought, Rachel Raquel, Tom Schwartz, Katie Tom, I'm done. I'm over it. I'm so sick of it. I cannot handle hearing any more information about this. And I'm sure you all feel the exact same way. But I just had to, you know, I had to come on and give my closing thoughts. First, let me just say, the uncensored longer versions on peacock were everything, like watching them all actually say the swear words and the words that they say that normally are bleeped out. I know a lot of people get uncomfortable with swearing, so I understand, you know, obviously why things are bleeped out. But for me, swearing is just like ingrained into my language. I try to, you know, censor a little bit here on the podcast for you guys because I know some of you guys listen in the car with your kids and stuff. But I, that is just like a part of my language. I think it's more about your intent and things that you say. Like, I think if I were to look you dead in the face with hatred in my heart and call you and be like, I hate you, that is more powerful than me being like in a joke or laughing and be like, oh my gosh, whatever, fuck you, like you're so dumb. Like, those are two different things but some would argue that saying the effort is worse and that that's still inappropriate. So I don't know, language is just up for interpretation with me. But actually seeing what they say because I think sometimes they bleep it out and I'm assuming they're, you know, maybe saying bitch or fuck. Or I mean, I don't know. But the amount of times they said the C word and I don't know, there were so many things. And hearing Andy Cohen say it too because normally he's so much more put together. You know, you can't swear on what happens live. So they don't really, I feel like he doesn't really ever swear that much. But I don't know, it was so iconic and I'm glad that I watched the uncensored versions. I had seen them all like when they initially came out and then I just rewatched them all today to really get just, I don't know, all my final thoughts and seeing it just all straight through, not like three weeks apart, but it is so crazy to watch it back. Like if you guys have only saw it once, I implore you to watch it all the way back now after seeing the last 10 minutes of the final episode where Raquel basically admits that everything that they had just said was a lie. She admitted that, you know, the whole time, Tom is just arguing that it was only one time so that makes a big difference. They weren't fucking, like it wasn't this a big affair, it was a one night stand and then they took a beat and then you know, it picked up after filming had completed. That was the whole, he went on this for three episodes, three parts of it. And then for her to just debunk that lie, and so I knew that that was coming, but then rewatching the three episodes today, knowing that it's just like truly mind-blowing watching him sit and lie to everyone and to Andy and to himself and to producers and to Raquel and just this narrative that it was only one time, like it's truly, truly diabolical. Like it is, it's a match, I mean it's a masterclass for acting, like he's a great actor, I truly believed him because at that point, it's like what else did you have to lose? Like we all already know that you're a dirt bag. Like at this point, just tell the truth and get it all out, say your piece, move on with your life. Like that'll at least help you sleep at night. But then you came in light again, it's just like, it's insane, it's literally insane. But anyways, one of my points that I wanted to say, this is maybe a hot take. But everyone calling Raquel Rachel is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I'm sorry. Like I'm just imagining if one of my friends who I knew had a different name, let's say Jose. If Jose's real name was Pedro and I'm only calling them because of our last totally random episode. If you know, you know. But okay, if his real name was Pedro or maybe I'll roll reverse it. Okay. My name is Ty. And let's say my real name is Randall. But I go by Ty. And Jose knows this. And I screw over Jose. And you know, but he's only ever known me as Ty. At screw over Jose, we get a big ol' fight. And he then starts calling me Randall, not Ty. That in no way makes me uncomfortable, feel annoyed, or whatever. That just makes me have the ick for him. Like I just like, then he looks so stupid because it's like, I don't know if this is making any sense. Maybe it is better to do the roll over, roll over. I don't know. I just think the amount of energy it takes if you know someone as a certain name. Like it takes a while to learn their new name. I know because my best friend, Billy, previously was Maddie. And there was a time, there was an adjustment period where, you know, sometimes I would slip and still call her Maddie. And it's still an adjustment period. Sometimes I refer to her as Maddie and like I have to check myself, you know. But it's a conscious effort in my mind to, you know, call her by the correct name. So for you to go out of your way to then call someone the incorrect name is just proving that they are on your mind, like they're running through your mind more than they should. And it almost like makes you look dumb. I feel like all these people on the podcast, La La, and all these people calling her Rachel thinking they're like, ooh, burn. You called her Rachel. Who cares? She doesn't care if you call her Rachel. Like she, that's still her legal name. Like she, I don't think she's over here being like, oh, no, everyone's calling me by my dead name. Like no, that is not the issue. You're calling her a FNC word and a cut and a pussy and a, and a, like, you don't need to then call her Rachel. I just feel like that is giving me the ik or everyone that's calling her Rachel. I feel like it just is like, not cool to dead name someone because they were a bad person. It's not cool to mispronounce someone if you think they're a bad person. Just because someone does something bad to you doesn't mean that you should like invalidate like their identity and how they choose to like be called. I don't know, maybe because I'm just sensitive because like I do have friends who have changed their name for obviously like different reasons. I don't know, it just feels like that feels low and it just makes me feel like that. You're putting too much energy into it where your energy should be painted. Otherwise, your energy should not be towards making sure I call her Rachel instead of a Kell because that's a burn. It's like, ew, who cares? Who cares who you call her? Like, let's focus on the task at hand, you know? Anyways, so that was just bugging me the entire reunion when they were, that's when that bugging me through this whole scandal. Like people get on and they're like, okay, so here's what's even worse. If you say Rachel, like whatever, like that gives me the egg, but whatever. But then if you say Rachel, aka Requel, oh, like that is the dumbest thing I've ever, like I see TikToks all the time when people typing out things about Requel and then they'll be like Rachel and then in parentheses, but Requel. And I'm like, sir, we knew what you were talking about, but you now just had to type her name twice just because you wanted to slide in a little joke that you know that that's not her original birth certificate name. What? Like who cares? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, I don't know. But anyways, the fact that Ariana is still living in the house is just mind boggling to me. And this is one of those other things where it's like, it's almost like you're putting, it's not that I don't, I don't think she should be the one to have to move out. I think literally like Tom should have to move out immediately, but I just think like the fact that they're living together, it's just making it so much harder to move on and to heal because you once again, you have to think about, you know, leaving your room to go to the bathroom, you have to think about leaving to go to your gym, to go to work, to go to an interview, to you know, you've been shooting so many ads. Ariana is in every fucking Doriselle, Kleenex, tissue, every other is, and they're filming at her house. So it's like you have to coordinate that with Tom or with Tom's assistant. And it's just like, that is just adding so much pressure and keeping that negativity in your life that I truly feel like you're not gonna be able to like, mentally move on or being a really healthy headspace with that still happening. So I just really hope for her sake that he gets the F out. And honestly, she's making so much freaking money with all these ads at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if she could just buy some out of the house, which I guess maybe she wouldn't wanna do that because who would wanna live in that house anyway? After all that we have learned has come out about it, but the fact that they are just living in the same house still is absolutely mind-boggling to me. I feel like the anger that Ariana has had this entire reunion is 100% valid. Everything that she's saying, there were a few lines in there that felt like a little rehearsed and a little like icky and cheesy. But I would do the same thing. I agree with everything she said. She 100% should call her out and call her nasty, call her horror, call her this, call her that. That is so deserved coming from Ariana. However, I think everyone else's anger and lines and just everything that they got in was just like a little much. It just also was giving me the egg. It feels like everyone's dog piling onto the situation because they've just been waiting for sand of all to fuck up or, you know, James just wants any excuse for people to villainize Raquel because he doesn't want her around the group or on the show and I'm not discrediting what they have done by any means. But I just, I really do agree with the fact that they are arguing and saying that, you know, you can't point out that everyone is the cheater on the couch because that was when we were kids and that was years ago when we weren't best friends and whatever. Yeah, 100%. It's a different scenario. Every cheating scenario is. Every breakup is different. Everything is different. Not every scenario is going to be the same. However, that does not absolve you from the hypocrisy that is calling someone a cheater and disgusting and dangerous. When you've done it, time and time again, multiple times. Like, James cheated on Raquel multiple times. James cheated on Christian multiple times. Lala was a mystery. Like, that's what I'm going to be careful with that word. Lala, you know, has been in a situation that, whatever, people do not seem as kosher. No one here is innocent. No one here is the poster child of how to be in a good relationship or how to be a good person. So while I think it's different and while you can stand up for your friend and you can stand up for Ariana and Ariana should be able to say whatever to help the hell she wants. Even if she, you know, the she treated with Christian and Dodie and that, I don't care about that. Like, I would act that way too. It was still so fresh. This was only three weeks after she had found out. But everyone else jumping on this, it's just like, really, let's start pointing fingers here then. But I just didn't like how every time there was a question that was asked, no one could even talk. I believe we got through three episodes of the reunion and I didn't learn anything more or any opinion that I wanted to know than I did going into the reunion. I had heard everything that they had said on every single podcast known to man. I had heard everything that they said online, on Instagrams, on Instagram lives, on TikTok. The only new information that we got was the last 10 minutes of her cow admitting that everything was alive. Everything else, we literally had learned. We had learned on the blogs. We had learned on Instagram live. Everything, like, they are just repeating themselves over and over and over again. And they're not saying it eloquently or they're not even getting their point across. They're just like yelling and pooping brain and this and mustache with a brain. Like, those are funny here or there. Those jobs are funny and like, that's what makes memes and that's what makes a good reunion. But when it's just like, constant for three full episodes, like, after watching them all back today, back to back, by the end, I was just like, oh my gosh, like, shut up. You guys look like idiots. You guys are saying that's when I was a kid and I'm grown up, I'm an adult or whatever. Well, then act grown up because you literally are acting like children. You're acting like middle schoolers. Like actual children. I get it. Cheating is terrible. I just don't think that. We all know a cheater. We all know, like, someone who has been cheated on or has cheated or whatever. And it's like, I'm just trying to imagine sitting in a restaurant or, like, at home with someone and getting that level of angry and yelling at someone, that it wasn't my relationship. That's why I think like, Ariana has every right to act like that and to, you know, scream and yell and whatever. But, like, Lala and James, it's like, whoa. I don't know what I'm trying to say. Like, I just feel like it doesn't make them look good. Like, Katie is coming out of this looking on top. Like, she's sitting there. She's delivering every line with a stern face. She's saying what she needs to say. She speaks when spoken to. When it involves her, she says what she needs to say. And she came out looking like a queen. Lala just comes out looking like angry. Just angry. And like, you should be angry. But I feel like even Sheena really held herself up great and like, obviously she was in the trailer for the last half. But I feel like she, like, said what she needed to say. She had her zinger. She yelled at SantaVall, all the things. But she didn't, her is felt like it was coming from like a true place of like friendship and hurt. And like, Lala's and James just felt like it was coming from a place of ha ha. Gotcha. Like everyone sees your dirtbag. Yay. And I'm happy about it. But it had nothing to do with them. Like, Sheena, like, that was her friend. And she was, you know, there when it Raquel had dropped the bomb. And it just felt like that was her story to tell. That doesn't feel like it was necessarily Lala and James is a story to tell. But then why were they speaking the entire reunion? Like, I didn't even get anything out of Ariana or Tom's hit of all. Like the fact that they both had one-on-one sit-downs and that was supposed to be this like huge reveal, this huge thing. We saw, I don't know, five minutes out of four hours. Like, we didn't learn anything in that one-on-one sit-down. We barely even got to see anything. The whole first episode of the reunion should have been half Tom, sand of all, and Andy Cohen's sit-down, and half Ariana Maddox and Andy Cohen's sit-down. And then the second episode should have been the whole group of Sheena. And then the third episode should have been the whole group of Raquel. Like, and then maybe half just Raquel and Andy's sit-down. But I feel like I get now the why they edited that out because she was lying about it the whole- she was lying about everything. So what, we don't need to see any of that footage. I will say the only time that I really liked when everyone went off that I really felt like, I don't know, that was fine for me. Was the very beginning of the first episode when Tom starts to break down and cry and they just aren't even having it. They're like, no, not gonna happen. Not gonna happen. We're not starting with this show of yours. Of the crying and the I feel bad. Those type of zingers and those type of getbacks, I get. Don't even try and sit here and apologize to us. And whatever. But it's just like after by the time the third episode came, I was like, oh my god. Can Andy get a question in? Can they answer the question? Like, we understand that he's a dirt bag and that he's a shit human being and we're all pissed at him and yada, yada, yada, yada, yada. But we're here to learn the answers. And we're here to hear what he has to say. Can I hear what he has to say? Because I left the reunion not hearing anything else from him or learning anything from him that I wanted to. I think it's gonna be very interesting next season. Like, this whole like, is he coming back to the show? Is she coming back to the show? Who knows? But at this point, it's like, how can they do the show without them? Whether they're the villain or not. It's like, sorry. I feel like everyone's so upset with them and are, you know, never gonna see him again, never gonna film with them again. And I give that for sure in a reality sense. But in a reality show sense, it's like, how are you not? How are you gonna do a reality show and not film with them? But to that point, I understand like, not wanting to film with them. But how do you continue this show without Tom Sandevol and Raquel? Like, if they don't come back to the show, then what is the show? Because the entire storyline, the entire everything of the show and the reason the ratings are so good was because of this scandal. So if next season, we don't get Tom Sandevol and we don't get Raquel, it's like, what is the show? Like, we want to see the fallout of all this. We've been so invested. We've invested so much time and hours into this that if next season comes and no one's gonna film with them and then they're just not on the show, it's like, are we just gonna fall back into the old ways of Vanopomp rules where it was kind of just falling off and it was about to end because it wasn't really that good. Like, this is why the show is so good. And I feel like reality stars are so good and a unique breed of people because they go through these things and they learn and they know that they just have to forgive and they have to move on. And there has to be some form of, you know, we have to just be okay with being in the same group and being filmed in the same scenes because that is literally the job that's the name of the gig. You know, Housewives, Andy Cohen has said this in his book, I believe, that what makes a good housewife is that she is able to apologize and accept an apology and move on from things that are actually like really heavy. Because if you're not, it's like, what is the show? How do we move on? How do we continue filming? How do we continue production? But then one thing that I thought was interesting during the, I think it was the second episode of the reunion is when he threw his big temper tantrum and he didn't want to film anymore. He wanted to talk to Raquel without his microphone. And it's at that point where I feel like, okay, you signed up for this, you did the deed. We're all here to see it unfold and unravel. We want the truth. We want the details we deserve to have that. No, you don't get a break. You don't get to have a conversation with Raquel off camera at the reunion. Like, you should have done that yesterday when you weren't in front of a million cameras. Like, you are here to work, to film. Everyone's in there. Everyone's miked. Like, I do not appreciate that. He was so rude to production. He was so rude to the cameraman, to the microphone people. Like, you don't get to do that. You don't get to yell at me and be like, chill, man, I need my effing mic off. Like, I need a break. I need a break. No, you don't get a break. Like, sorry, we are actually all on the clock. We are all working. We all have jobs. And if you want to take a break and you want to take off your mic and run off off the clock, off hours, then you're fired. Like, if you're not willing to show up for the show, the way that the show has showed up for you for all these years, then maybe this is your time to go. And maybe there isn't a place for you on the show anymore because you have to be willing to just let it all out. That's the only way that a reality show series is going to be successful. And that, I don't know. I, not that I'm writing for him out. Like, I'm definitely team Ariana. And I just don't necessarily want to like, not see them on the show next season because I just think it's important to finish this story. I don't think the story is finished. And I want to see the fallout of that. Like, that is just what the show has been. I want to see how the relationships evolve and grow. But if now it's coming out that you're lying about everything and you aren't willing to film certain things or certain conversations, then maybe the show will be better without you next season. Honestly. One of the most annoying parts of the reunion was James getting up to leave every two seconds. Like, we get it, you're angry, whatever. I'd rather you get up and leave than getting physical. But like, come on. Like, you were acting like a child. I've loved James all season. Like, I love his temper to Andrew. I'm like, his one lineers are so funny. The warmer the mustache, all these things. Like, I feel like I see him grow so much. And then he, I don't know, there's constant yelling and getting up to leave and the comments and the bitch and the that. And then I'm like, okay, you are proving to your new girlfriend. You're proving to the audience. You're proving to Lisa. You're proving to Andy that you actually really haven't grown that much. Like, you keep saying you cheated when you were a kid and you were 22 back then or whatever. It's like, well, you're proving to me now that you actually haven't grown up or matured that much, really. When the third episode started and Raquel came out, you could tell production was going to sit Raquel next to Tom Sandoval and immediately, immediately Ariana is like, nope, nope, not happening. Not happening. She can sit on the end. And that is so iconic. One, that is so iconic. Like, good for her and good for her that she stood her ground. Two, I get it. Like, it's production. They want the memes. They want the clickbait. They want the whatever. But like, as a show that's been, you know, the producers have been like so on Ariana's back. And like, have just seen this relationship and have been with this couple and with this group of people for 10 years. And then for them to do her dirty and make her not only sit in front of Raquel and sit in front of Tom and face her in front of all these cameras in front of everyone and answer these hard questions, but then to sit Raquel next to him. And in between the two Tom's at that, it's just like, f off, like, don't play this game with me. Like, I understand we're on a show, but like, please be respectful of me. Like, let's give a little bit of grace and understanding to Ariana and everything that she's having to go through. Like, I would want to sit in a room with my ex-boyfriend in front of all these cameras and talk about this stuff three weeks after it happened. Let alone have his mistress sitting right next to him. Like, that's not gonna happen. And even if I do have to sit with him in the same room, like, at least don't put them next to each other. Like, please have a little bit more respect for her. Tom and Raquel are just adamant that it was only one time we weren't fucking and that that changes the whole thing. And everyone else was like, no, it doesn't. Like, that actually doesn't change things. You had an affair. Whatever. It completely changes the relationship, the friendship, whatever you guys had. But then, to learn that they were lying and Raquel had come out and said like they were, it was a linear affair. And that right after the girls trip thing when they first hooked up, then it was this linear relationship. It's so mind-boggling to watch this whole thing unfold. And I wish that production would have sat down with another one-on-one, sit down with Tom after Raquel had admitted that. Maybe they asked and maybe he just denied. But I really feel like they should have pushed for him to come and like, really get to tell his side of the story then because, and throwing out the whole other one-on-one, sit down. Like, we didn't need to sit and waste our time with these one-on-one, sit-downs and these three reunion episodes only for you to tell us the last five minutes of the episode that everything we had just watched over the last three weeks was bogus and was a lie. Like, okay, then bring Tom Sanable back and make him answer for that. Like, or maybe they did, but I just can't imagine that if he knew that that was going to come out that he wouldn't want to come and have the last word because he is a narcissist. But as of a bombshell that was, I really don't think that that was like as big of a bombshell as they were leading up to it. Like, people were literally thinking that Raquel was pregnant. They were saying that this bombshell was going to, you know, determine whether or not maybe the whole cast wanted to return to film. Um, I'm just going to confuse why that would have changed their mind. If anything, I feel like it maybe would have changed their mind in a better way. You know, Lala went on watch what happens live and said that she has, you know, maybe a little bit more sympathy for Raquel after seeing that interview, I think. This is maybe a hot take. And people were really upset with Raquel about not showing emotion in this whole situation. But, you know, the whole time on the show, she was crying over not being Miss America, not being in these pageants and all this stuff. And so people were like, oh, but now you cheat on your best friend and you have no tears. There's no crying. There's not a frown that you're laughing about certain things. But to a certain point, I actually related to that. And I could see that I truly thought that what Raquel was saying was truthful. And I, what, like her apology, I felt like was sincere. Even though it wasn't being met with emotion because that's kind of how I am. That's all my siblings are. Like me and my siblings are not emotional people. And we can be emotional. And I can for sure cry about certain things and I have empathy and I have sympathy for a lot of things. Like I cry watching a tick talk about a father walking his daughter down the aisle. Like that stuff gets me like all immediately start crying. I cry at freaking desperate housewives when freaking Juanita gets stuck in a car with the two gay guys. Like I cried the dumbest things. But when I met with a real challenge and I'm really confronted with something, especially from someone I care about, it's really hard for me to not just meet it like very factual. And it's really hard for me to show my emotions when I'm in that type of a situation. So I really felt for Raquel. I felt like I could see that the wheels were turning in her head and she was really trying to just like not seem like a victim. And I felt like that was actually better than her coming on and just sobbing the entire episode and being like, I'm so sorry for giving me. I don't know what I was doing. Like I actually appreciated that she kind of like stood up for her decision and she apologized for it. She said it was incorrect. I'm not giving her a pass by any means. I'm definitely team Ariana. I just want to highlight that. But I appreciate coming and sitting and saying, yeah, you know what? I was a piece of shit human being and I'm sorry. And I effed every single person in my life over. And I have no excuse. I was madly in love. And he told me to lie for him. And that was that. And I really appreciated that approach because she wasn't playing the victim. She wasn't saying what was me. She said, yeah, I fell in love and I screwed every single person in my life over. And whether you agree with that or not, which obviously we all do not, okay, great. Thank you for admitting that. At least she admitted it in Tom Frickin didn't admit it. Like Tom is coming out of this looking like a whole freaking mess. But I felt like I left the final episode. I was already kind of feeling that way and sympathetic towards Raquel because of her not showing emotion. But then in the last episode when she really broke down, I really felt that because then yeah, if I was alone and like I really, I feel like Tom really gasped at her, really manipulated her, knew she was vulnerable and really had coached and trained her to say what he wanted her to say. And that she thought at the end of this that they were going to be together. And I've been in toxic relationships before and I understand how blinding that can be and I really felt for her. Even though I could tell that she was still in it and she was still being manipulated, I could just see that like she, by the end of the reunion, I think she probably went home and was like, I just got fucked by Tom Schwartz or Tom Sandivall. Like I just got screwed. And like once she started unpacking all the things, I mean, you even heard her after the van, like after the first episode, she was like, wait, after now hearing Ariana her opinion and when you guys were intimate and all these things, like I didn't know that. Like she was lied to as well. Not that it makes it better, but I truly think that she did not know the extent of how badly she was hurting everyone. Because Tom was literally gasping and manipulating her and that doesn't make, give her an excuse or make anything right. But I think we all know that, you know, maybe she's not the smartest in the book. And she was already in a very vulnerable, emotional state in her mind. And I think we can all relate to being in a toxic relationship and being blinded and believing what this man is telling you. Now we all don't go fuck that man's girlfriend or our best friend. That's besides the point, I'm not giving her a pass. I just like, I've been so sick and tired through this whole scandal of all of people just really dog piling on her. I think we watch, this might be a bad comparison because obviously these girls didn't do anything wrong. But we watched what the media and online bullying and people's mental health have done to people like Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Amanda Bines, all of these people that we literally like just, whether they did this or not, anything or not, just like tear down online, tear down online, we know how bad that can get. It is not normal. It's not normal for people to cheat on people's partners. But like guess what? Like we all know someone who has been affected by cheating. People get divorced, people do this. People will cheat on their wives if they have 10 children. But does that person deserve death threats? No amount of human is supposed to be able to handle the scrutiny of millions of people telling them that they're garbage, they're whore, they're a terrible person. They don't deserve to be alive. And watching this all unfold the last few weeks, like it has truly been like actually scary for me because I feel like as someone, like as you guys heard in the last week's episode, like who has been in a dark space and has struggled with mental illness, like that is a very scary place to be. And I didn't have anyone online at that point. I didn't even have social media. Like I can't imagine we already knew she was in a vulnerable state. And then for all of this to happen, you to lose all your friends for the entire world to turn on you and tell you that you're a dirty, whore you deserve to die, all of this, whatever. Um, every single day, like I saw a new article, I was like, oh my gosh, are you guys okay? Like do you want this girl to kill herself? Or do you want her to end up like Britney Spears? Freaking cracked out on math, dancing and living. Like what do you want? What do you want? What do you want is the end result? Uh, this is not our responsibility as viewers or as whatever to attack people and to like judge people this much. She's getting the judgment from her friend. She's getting the judgment from her family. She's getting the judgment from the people that she's hurt. That is what you should do. That's, it's normal as a human to deal with the consequences from the people that you hurt. It's not normal to deal with the consequences from millions and millions of people and like watching that unfold was just like, really scared for me because I was just like really scared of, okay, what if we hear the next article that you know what, she read an article that went too far and she harmed herself? Or you know, would you guys all be happy with that? Like what did you want? What did you want? What did you want? You want her to feel bad? You want her to feel gross? Guess what? She already does. I can guarantee you she already does. So I just think this is a big wake up call. I think the last few minutes of the reunion was a big wake up call to people that were like, okay, wow, like she really was manipulated. She really does feel bad. And she really does need some mental help. Like she is in a dark space. And I recognize that that didn't really show in the first few episodes. But I am at least glad for her sake and for the cast sake. And for the audience's sake, that we did see that little side of her to really understand like, okay, we all need to back up and like touch some grass for two seconds. Like we don't know these people. We are not a part of this group. We can watch for the entertainment with the bag of popcorn and chat about it in our friend groups over brunch about, oh my gosh, I can't believe that. They did that. But we need to learn like when is is acceptable or when we've taken it too far because I think this whole situation has gone literally insane. Like I agree with Tom Sanable, honestly. It's like, why is this on CNN? Like this is a big drama. But like you don't see Lisa from Real Housewives of Miami and her husband getting CNN coverage and her getting a glamour magazine cover and all of these things. It's like, it's different. I get it. I get it. It's just like, okay, we need to recognize it. Like we're watching reality TV. We need to touch some grass. Okay. I'm glad this is coming to an end. I set it in my initial scandal episode that I hope that they were in love and I hope that they end up together because that would be the only thing that would really make this not even okay but just like whatever because that happens to people all the time. People get divorced after they have tons of kids and they meet a second love of their life and they end up with that person for 20 years until they pass away. It's like, that's not conventional. It's not right. It's not how it should go. Sometimes there is a love story at the end of that and that should at least, I don't know. I think it does make it feel better. I'm sorry. I don't know if that's a rude thing to say but I was glad that they admitted on the final part of the reunion that they were in love and that this was just like an undeniable love story that they couldn't deny. And they went about it wrong entirely. A million times percent. Even if they had gone about it kosherly and didn't hook up and they broke up and then a few months later they started dating on a hook top. That would still be not right because they were friends. It's never going to be a good situation but I am really interested to see, once again, this is why I think I hope that they are on next season because I want to see how this all plays out. I want to see if they end up together, if they really are in love and sail in the sunset and have kids and whatever. Or if Raquel comes back and it's like, yeah, you know what? I do feel played and I do think that Scandal Ball is dangerous and I do think that he manipulated me, took advantage of me, and because she didn't even say that in the last part. She betrayed him and gave up his whole line, his whole stick, but we don't know if they're still dating. We don't know if she's angry at him. We don't know if she resents him from making her lose all of her friends in her life and I don't know. So I really hope for our sakes and honestly for her sakes to share more of her story and for everyone's sake that they are on next season, I hope everyone is settling down. I wish only the best for Ariana. I'm team Ariana all the way, but I'm also team mental health and we need to be reminded that this is a TV show and it has nothing to do with us and we need to touch and grasp me as well. I also need to go touch some grass. Sorry for that huge Scandal Ball ramble. I'm sure it was all over the place. I'm sure it's nothing new that you guys haven't heard. I just had to get out all my last Scandal Ball thoughts in one final area. I hope that nothing else comes up and that I don't have to make another episode about it, but I'm glad we're moving on. Anyways, thanks so much for listening. I hope you guys liked my little Guadalajara recap. I hope you guys liked my Pride recap. Thanks so much for listening to last week's Pride episode. It was a really special episode to me. If you guys have not listened to it, definitely go check it out. Make sure you guys subscribe over on YouTube, the Typhoonch podcast, YouTube channel. Make sure you guys give this podcast a rate and review down below. Only nice things. Thank you. Only five stars for your little tie rat. Your camp rat king. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for next week. You