Thirsty Topics podcast
A weekly podcast dedicated to trending topics on social media, pop culture and entertainment. Lawrence and Meryl have healthy discussions with multiple perspectives.
Thirsty Topics podcast
From Secret Weddings to Weight Loss: This Week's Entertainment Buzz for 4/23/25
Lawrence and Meryl dive into celebrity relationships, viral challenges, and technological advancements that are making headlines this week. They explore everything from Birdman and Toni Braxton's whirlwind marriage to the amusing but terrifying reality of alligators ringing doorbells in Florida.
• Toni Braxton and Birdman had a secret wedding last August but filed for divorce days later before reconciling
• Tyra Banks is launching an immersive theater experience at her ice cream shop Smize and Dreams in Australia
• Former child star Haley Joel Osment made offensive anti-Semitic remarks while intoxicated, raising questions about alcohol as a "truth serum"
• Red Robin's $20 bottomless burger pass promotion crashed their website and sparked customer accusations of a scam
• Florida residents discovered alligators climbing doors and ringing doorbells during mating season
• ChatGPT helped cure a Reddit user's five-year jaw problem in under a minute, showcasing AI's positive potential
• AI can also be dangerous when it "hallucinates" information, as demonstrated when a customer service bot invented a fake company policy
• Lizzo reduced her body fat by 16% and lowered her BMI by 10 points through lifestyle changes
• BookTok has accumulated 370 billion views and is transforming the publishing industry with dedicated displays in major retailers
• The Whitney Houston Challenge has gone viral, with participants attempting to time the beat drop in "I Will Always Love You"
Check out Meryl's upcoming comedy shows on May 2nd in Dana Point and May 28th at the La Jolla Comedy Store!
Hello, and thank you for listening to Thirsty Topics podcast! I'm Lawrence Elrod, and every week Meryl Klemow and I dive deep into the stories that matter, the conversations that shape our world."
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Hello everyone, welcome to this week's episode of Thirsty Topics. I'm Lauren Zellrod.
Speaker 2:And I am Meryl Clemo.
Speaker 1:Hey Meryl, how are you doing today?
Speaker 2:I am so good the sun is out. Here in California We've had one day without a fire or an earthquake.
Speaker 1:That's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2:Or a tsunami. Yeah, we're good. Today is good.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice Talk about good. I don't know if a lot of people know this or not, but it was just revealed that Birdman and Toni Braxton had a secret wedding last year in August.
Speaker 2:So cute.
Speaker 1:So what was interesting is, I want to say, within a day or two, maybe even a week, they filed for divorce. Oh, and then you know, they reconciled and everything's fine now. But now you know, I guess people are saying they're not wearing, they're wearing their wedding rings anymore, they're not together, so it's not really sure, um, whether they're still together or not, if they're having issues, if they work their issues out or not. I don't know. What do you think about this?
Speaker 2:Oh no, I think Toni Braxton, when you say that she goes, remember a few weeks ago we talked about En Vogue and kind of like how they're doing. I feel like mentally I put Toni in like the En Vogue category. Now I may be completely wrong and she may be like selling out amphitheaters left and right and still touring very heavily, but I feel like I think of her as someone that's wonderful, who I love so much, but like maybe is doing casinos and is maybe not selling out like she used to. So in a good way, I feel like we've. She hasn't been in the headlines, to my knowledge, over the past couple of years, so I feel like, in a good way, she's kept this whatever is going on pretty private.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. I mean, I know they've been dating for a while and then they broke it off and then got back together. And then I was checking my notes and I noticed that when they divorced it was literally days after they got married and then reconciled after that. But I don't know. I mean it kind of goes back to what we talked about as far as um relationships in hollywood, you know, whether they really work out or not. I mean, I know it's very difficult, but I would kind of think that, being that both of them are in their 50s, they would kind of know what they want. Or am I being a little bit too optimistic?
Speaker 2:um no, I think you're being completely realistic and I I also just looked at birdman and like good for him if that is his desired look, I love that. But I did not know that. Her husband looked like that. He has like a bunch of tattoos on his face and imagine, like I just think about getting those tattoos when you're in your 20s or 30s or whatever, and then all of a sudden now like being 50 or 60 and like regretting that maybe he doesn't at all. But um no, I also think too, maybe the weight of getting married sometimes. I think it happens a lot of times where, like on their wedding night, a lot of couples will just kind of be like, oh my god, what did I do? You know the whole thing was leading up to it. I feel like a lot of times people are excited about the wedding and excited about the idea of getting married and then all of a sudden you do and like one thing happens and maybe you find out something that you're like wait what?
Speaker 1:That's true. That's true. I mean with the stardom, their busy schedules, there's a whole lot that goes on. I mean mean birdman obviously does a lot in front of the mic and behind the mic as well, so he's pretty busy. So I could see how sometimes you could get that kind of crazy. But I would have to say, to divorce after a couple days, then get back together kind of makes you wonder, um, you know if, if, if they should have maybe I don't know taken a little slower, maybe wedding counseling before they got married yeah yeah, and again, this is from the outside, looking in.
Speaker 1:Obviously we don't know what, what happened to bring all this to to pass, but it just basically makes you just just wonder, you know.
Speaker 2:You're right, and I was going to say like cause. Remember when this happened with Kim Kardashian, I thought she was married to Chris Humphries, or something, for like four days or like 17 days.
Speaker 2:And I feel like that's understandable when you're in your twenties and it's like you do things impulsively, like Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, and you just meet and fall in love. But I think when you're in your 40s and 50s now I feel too tired to like go through all that. It would take me a year just to get divorced because I takes me a long time to do a chore. But, um, yeah, I agree with you and I wonder too. It's like you probably have with these two people. You probably have really passionate artist type people. So it's like if one thing goes wrong, I can see it being like the wedding's off.
Speaker 1:you know we're done. Yeah, that's true. You know, as you get older too, you do get a little bit set in your ways, whether you realize it or not. So, oh yeah, who knows what it is, but we'll definitely be watching.
Speaker 2:Exactly, toni Braxton is 57 and also she is an example of people that are hot at any age because she looks beautiful. That is so true. She's cool, and it says that she was married before Keri Lewis, married 2001 to 2013. So it's like you took all this time off and then you got married again a decade later.
Speaker 1:Well, you need a little bit of a break exactly.
Speaker 2:I don't, luckily, like. I don't know any people like that in my life. I think everyone all my friends are like not too poor, but it takes a long time to plan a wedding. So by the time you plan it, you're pretty sure that you want to like stick with it at least for a month.
Speaker 1:That's true, that's true.
Speaker 2:Well, we'll see. Oh, okay, I'm digging back into another iconic woman and I'm so excited about this one. Okay, so Tyra Banks, our girl Tyra Banks, wants to bring immersive theater to a local ice cream, her local ice cream shop, which I just think. This is so cool. So here's some of the details. It's called Smize and Dreams.
Speaker 2:You know, we know Tyra for like her smizing on America's Top Model, of course, smiling with your eyes, and I didn't know that she lives in Australia now, and so Tyra was just on the Today Show and she was talking about what her life is like now that she moved to Sydney, and this was, in part, to launch her ice cream brand, smize and Dreams. She was saying that she just decided to make the leap, and her approach to this, which I love so much, is she wants it to be an immersive experience where the workers, the people that work there, the employees, are like theater. You know you could do basically you're acting out a role. So she said one employee could be like in wicked, acting out a scene, and another employee can be like doing a shakespeare moment. Um, I guess you'd have to get everyone on the same page, otherwise that would look pretty chaotic. If someone is like in a james bond moment. But uh, she hopes to bring it to america in 2026.
Speaker 2:One of the first pop-ups uh for in australia is going to be at the sydney harbor, and I think this is amazing. Like I am fully excited for this. I would love to go try out some flavors and just see. Like I wish more employees were able to just kind of act how their you know personality is, as long as they're doing a good job. And also, like I just feel like ice cream needs to be fun again, and I think this is a great way to do it, because I think so many shops are just kind of bland and I feel like you know back in the day, more ice cream parlor type vibe. So I love this.
Speaker 1:I think it's a great way for people to get discovered.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it's a great way for people to get discovered, because it's actually a great idea and a number of ways the the.
Speaker 1:The one way is I can see the ice cream shop doing really well on areas that have a theater district like New York. Um over in California, you know all the theater districts me scooping and smizing, there you go, and then Chicago has a has a good, healthy theater district. You'll be catching me scooping and smizing. There you go, and then chicago has a has a good, healthy, uh theater district as well. I see that doing very well, I think. If it was, if it's done correctly, I think it'd be a huge hit me too.
Speaker 2:Me too, I want and this has the making of, maybe she's also planning like another reality type show, because this also seems like something that should have its own channel, and like the drama of the ice cream shop. Um, yes, I think that's really cool that she lives in Australia as well, and I feel like I would trust Tyra with coming up with some really ridiculous and good flavors.
Speaker 1:I wonder what made her move to Australia, though.
Speaker 2:I know I wonder if it's like taxes or something, also something that was funny that I didn't see anyone comment this year. But I feel like a lot of you know, over the years she kind of has gotten a little bit of like backlash for america's next top model, just because a lot of it was very severe on the models about their weight and you know there's like a lot of clips kind of saying stuff to her. But I think that's funny that now her brand is going to be more ice cream, because I feel like the tyra of last decade would have told the girls to lay off the ice cream and yeah, it's totally opposite from what you know.
Speaker 2:The show exactly, exactly, exactly, and I've seen even people you know I I think that was what was happening back then and I I feel like she wouldn't be the same now. It's like we all learn and grow, so I'm not, I'm not holding that against her today. That's true.
Speaker 1:But you know what, if they did bring it to the States, and they brought it to Chicago, yeah, I would get some ice cream and go there to watch a little mini show.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know, but but I could also see. I feel like it would have to do like wizard of oz and someone is doing like annie yeah, that would look a little weird right, yeah, but I think it's cool and I think it provides.
Speaker 1:I wish there was more just uh, excitement around fun brands like ice cream maybe she's trying it over there just to test the waters first before bringing to the states maybe yeah, that's what she said.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she thinks she's gonna do it for a year there and before bringing it to the States, maybe yeah, that's what she said she thinks she's going to do it for a year there and then bring it to the US.
Speaker 1:Well, I am looking forward to have some of that ice cream. How about you?
Speaker 2:Me too. I want to smize all day long there you go, there you go, talk about interesting.
Speaker 1:Do you remember the movie the Sixth Sense?
Speaker 2:Yes, very much so.
Speaker 1:Okay, do you remember the little boy that had the classic line? You know, I see dead people, of course.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry.
Speaker 1:No, I said I see ghosts. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:Oh no that was I see dead people.
Speaker 1:Was it dead people? It's been so long. Yes, I see dead people, unless it's like a.
Speaker 2:Mandela effect and they changed it. But as far as I know I think it's I See Dead People.
Speaker 1:Yes, you're right, I See Dead People. Well, you know. Obviously that's an old movie, so he's an adult now. Well, he was arrested for intoxication.
Speaker 2:Oh no.
Speaker 1:And you know he was kind of acting belligerent. Oh no, he issued an apology saying that he felt really bad. That's not him. You know basically all people. You know he loves everyone, he doesn't hate anyone or anything like that. I guess my question is when you see a star because, if you think about it, mel Gibson had the same issue years ago, the real anti-Semitic stuff he was saying, I mean it was like really out there, and then they sober up and go oh you know what, I was drunk, I didn't mean that. What is your take on that?
Speaker 2:I mean I feel like there's no amount of alcohol someone could like pour down my throat to have me start saying mean things like that, you know. And so I mean I think I feel like day to day he's probably when he's sober he probably isn't a terrible, terrible person and maybe he, maybe he does think some like weird dark things, and it just came out I have I also bet he's going through kind of maybe some tough times, which is like absolutely not an excuse, but I feel, like anyone like that, you have to be kind of like out of it to begin with. So I feel like it's not like a mental breakdown, but it's almost like a weird like divvying off. I don't even know. Did he say mean things about your people or my people, or all the people? I don't even know what category he was insulting.
Speaker 1:I have to take a look and see, because I don't want to misquote it, but it was definitely a derogatory statement that he made. Derogatory statement that he made, wow, it was offensive. But I don't know. I guess to me alcohol is like a truth serum. Yeah, you ever been out with someone or been around someone that goes oh you know, I didn't mean anything, I said that was the alcohol talking. I'm a firm believer that alcohol is a truth serum. Alcohol gives some people the courage to say what they would never say.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:If they didn't drink.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's like deep in their subconscious. I feel like there's been moments where, if you drink, you could start saying bad things about like the person in general not, but like to insult an entire race or gender or creed. That has to be going on in your mind, you know what I mean, because I can see getting into a fight with like someone and being like you're annoying, you're stupid, you're whatever, but like to just start saying slurs, seems so weird. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I think personally, when a person and depending on how bad it is like I say, you know, if you say, hey, dude, you're stupid, I don't like you, or whatever, that's one thing. But then when you start going into the, the attacks on on a particular group of people, or even gender or anything like that, I don't know.
Speaker 2:To me maybe that was inside of that person and that alcohol gave them that courage to say it out loud there's going to be too many jokes about him seeing dead careers and him not seeing black people, which is crazy too, because I think he was one of the stars in my mind that I hadn't heard a lot about him. It seemed like he had survived being a child star in a good way, he seemed to be someone that to me.
Speaker 1:I thought he had a good head on his shoulders, but I wonder I have to look it up, but it wasn't anything racial or anything like that. But it was definitely very offensive though. Oh my gosh and you know, again you apologize, you know that's not him, that's not his character, but it just makes you want that yeah character, but it just makes you want that.
Speaker 2:I feel like he's going to do what every Hollywood person then does, which is check himself in for exhaustion and go to rehab. You know what I mean? The PR book is always the same.
Speaker 1:That's true.
Speaker 2:Maybe he'll get help, but that is sad and weird. The Mel Gibson thing was crazy Him on the floor with hamburger dripping out of his mouth, talking about Jewish people and stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thank God he wasn't that out of it, cause I mean Mel. Gibson way, I mean I was like way over the top.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then remember Michael Richards from free or from Seinfeld Kramer.
Speaker 1:When that happened, that was another one too, yeah. And it's like these people just like snap and it's it's so weird. But you know what's so crazy about that and I know we're a little bit off subject, but you know the guy from kramer when he did that, you know, and and again, it's not unusual for people to go and heckle a comedian. It's some people get off on. It's just stupidity, but you know it happens from time to time, you know. But when he talked about Hanging someone from a tree, that's crazy.
Speaker 1:It was like way, way over the top.
Speaker 2:I know, and to even go there you have to already be in such a weird place, you're already at an 8 or a 9, and to get there at a 10 Is so weird.
Speaker 1:I'm sorry there's. I mean, I guess, as a person of color, there's no amount of apology that you can say, because that's what I was going to ask.
Speaker 2:So like, what, like what could haley joel osmond do nothing like? Would he just go away for a while? Is that what like what you would advise him on?
Speaker 1:I think what he's probably going to do is keep a low pro and then he'll come back, because I don't even think he's doing anything in Hollywood now, is he?
Speaker 2:I haven't seen anything Not that I heard of. Yeah, not that I heard of.
Speaker 1:So I mean, looks like he's living a good life and just got drunk and said some stupid stuff, but thank God it wasn't like Kramer. I mean, that was just, and the funny thing about it is, from what I hear you know, he has good relationships with black comedians, so that actually made it even worse.
Speaker 2:like I know, I know I don't get that, I just don't get that yeah, but that was like way over the top. I was stunned when, when he said that yeah, me too, and the only thing that I feel, like he he did at the time too was just basically having to say like sorry, I'm so depressed, I'll like go get mental help, and you know, you can't really just say whoopsies or, you know, like I don't know. It does seem like, with all these things, drugs and alcohol seem to be heavily involved in this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I mean when he went that dark? I don't know and I could be wrong, but I think that was in his heart for him to go that dark, because he's not the only person that's ever been heckled and probably will not be the last.
Speaker 2:Right. Why can't they just be normal? Anytime I get buzzed, I just look at my ex-boyfriends on Facebook. I don't think bad thoughts about it.
Speaker 1:Now the funny thing is, there's some comedians that you might not want to do that with, because they'll be like, oh okay, and you're going to be part of the show.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Because I've seen that happen too.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, exactly yeah, seen that happen too. Oh yeah, exactly yeah. And then, as you're watching, you're going. Why did he do that? Yep, nope, but in, like in, I think it's hayley joel, I think that's his name. Like in his case, that that has to suck too, because especially when, like it's not like, he's in a movie premiere next week, like that's going to be in his news cycle for a while, you know. So it's like now you, if, if I was his publicist, I'd be like what the heck? Like now you, if I was his publicist, I'd be like what the heck. We barely get any stories already, and now we're dealing with this.
Speaker 1:Well, I do commend him for coming out right away to apologize, though he didn't wait to do that, so that was a good thing.
Speaker 2:I don't know him at all, but he seems like someone that would feel bad and would feel bad.
Speaker 1:But yes, yes, still very odd, super weird, yeah, that's true. So okay, merle, so you know, don't go out drinking the same crazy stuff.
Speaker 2:Okay, I was gonna say I won't I turn into more demonic on myself. I would be like not about other people, just more myself. Um, but yeah, I would probably like, like I said, if I was, I don't drink, I hardly, hardly, hardly drink. But if I was ever to go haywire it would be like probably more about like just one person, it wouldn't be about like an entire you know, sector of people, but um yeah yeah, I'm taking a look here and what he did was, um, he made a, uh, anti-semitic slur.
Speaker 1:And what he did was he made an anti-Semitic slur Aye, aye aye While he was being arrested by the police.
Speaker 2:That's so weird, which is already like. Once again, as a Jewish person, I'm like, yeah, I mean, we already know anti-Semitism is always on the rise, but it's just crazy, yeah, especially when people do it, they know better exactly, and I hate to remind him that hollywood is run by lots of jewish people, so he's barking up the wrong tree if he's gonna like make a bunch of jewish agents mad and everything yes, he better be careful about that, because that is true for real like every lawyer agent, you know, publishing person that, like he works with, I'm sure is not happy with it, but oh well, um well, one deal he won't be getting, like with many other people, is the Red Robin bottomless burger, because this I don't even know about.
Speaker 2:This I don't I actually don't even know if we have Red Robin where I am. But, um, they had a bottomless burger pass and it crashed the website. Customers call it a scam. One person said it was literally easier to get tickets to Taylor Swift than it is for me to get a Red Robin burger pass. Wow, so excuse me, coughing up a storm.
Speaker 2:On April 17th, the chain's $20 bottomless burger pass, which give holders a burger served with bottomless sides during the month of may, went on sale. Uh, there were so many sold out in moments that it just like was rerouting people. The page was crashing, everyone was setting up alarm, an alarm and it just like was completely, you know, it got too much traffic and it basically crashed. And then people said, uh, they don't believe red robin, because red robin said like, oh yeah, we did have a lot of purchases, but, like we don't know how many, we're still counting it and I'm like this isn't an election. You know like you should have the the stats right then.
Speaker 2:And there, um, someone said red robin has probably never had, more than four years, four users on their site at the same time, so they weren't ready for this, which is like super funny. Now another person said they did get through, but then they showed that the purchase page showed a subtotal of $680 when it's just supposed to be a $20 purchase. So Red Robin apologized for the mayhem and they're just saying like we're working to get it better. It seems like just kind of a nightmare situation. I also feel like the bottomless burger. I mean, I guess that's a good deal to get free sides, unlimited sides, that seems like a good deal. I thought it meant like you get one burger like all you can eat burgers, which would probably be even more.
Speaker 1:When I first heard that, that's what I thought too, because there's Red Robins in the area where I'm at Right now. With the Red Robins, you get unlimited fries. You can get as many refills on fries as possible.
Speaker 2:This sounds like they're adding other stuff besides fries to it, yeah, which is cool if it's unlimited mozzarella sticks or salad or you know what I mean. I'm sure whatever sides it is can be exciting, but like I definitely feel, like I mean you better get your money's worth.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm a little surprised at their website. Their website crashed, though.
Speaker 2:It said, after 12 seconds the whole website crashed and they had millions of people going on Like. I think they also should have Thought ahead, like anything like this is gonna get a huge amount of traffic and I just don't get it.
Speaker 1:So what did they? So what you have to do?
Speaker 2:sign up for some kind of Groupon or some kind of Now they said good luck, we'll get to you when we get to you. And basically Now they said good luck, we'll get to you when we get to you. And basically they're going to hold a contest where like a few people can win this as well.
Speaker 1:But that's going to be like a handful of people out of millions of people. Okay, not the greatest promotion in the world.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and I'm looking now at some of the sides Like as much as I want to pay $20 for like a never-ending steamed broccoli, it's just there's not really. You know, there's like queso fondido and then garlic parmesan broccoli, but also the sides are not that poppin'. There's mac and cheese, garlic fries, but I thought it was better.
Speaker 1:So there's really nothing over the top.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It's not like a baked potato or mozzarella sticks or anything like that. So I mean, not that I'm being picky about it, but um yeah, I thought it was like a bottomless burger meaning that's what I thought too yeah wow, I guess people really want those sides, with all the uh, the prices going on now, huh exactly it's like for 20. Just buy like 100 potatoes and however runny that would be, and just make some fries that.
Speaker 1:That's true.
Speaker 2:People getting upset as well. It's just ridiculous. I think, Red Robin, this only brings them more issues.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's true. Let's hope they fix their problem and don't take themselves out of business. Exactly they need to get.
Speaker 2:Haley Joel Osment as their new spokesperson. There you go. Well, let's hope they fix their problem and don't take themselves out of business.
Speaker 1:right, exactly, they need to get Haley Joel Osment as their new spokesperson. There you go. Talk about crazy. And this is another reason why I will never move to Florida.
Speaker 2:It's actually going viral now, but there is an alligator that was climbing up the side of a door and was ringing the doorbell.
Speaker 1:No, no no, and then as he slid down, I guess his buddy came. You know, there was another alias. There's two alligators in someone's front door oh so I guess some of the people in the neighborhood was saying well, it's mating season right now. They're looking for a warm, cozy spot to mate. I'm thinking they picked someone's house, seriously.
Speaker 2:I think that's kind of cute. I guess maybe because it's not on my driveway, but I feel like I would let them in and take them on as pets.
Speaker 1:I don't know, like I said before, anytime I have to go out and protect something that won't eat my dog or something like that, yeah, yeah, I might not want to live there.
Speaker 2:I know it's so. It's so annoying and sad that alligators and crocodiles can't be nice because I think they're so cute. It's like the same things as hippos, where it's like why can't they just be our friend, Like.
Speaker 1:You like the deadly animals? I see I do I do.
Speaker 2:It's so tragic that they would like chop me up in a second Because, like, I think alligators are so cute or I don't know which one is more smiley, the alligator or the crocodile, but there's one that one of the two looks a little bit more like happy and they have like a rounded face. But I mean that is just crazy. Here around here we have like bears and mountain lions that get on people's properties, but alligators are like look, if you walk outside and you're not paying attention, it could be blending in with the grass, it could be by your pool.
Speaker 1:That's outside your house.
Speaker 2:I mean not alligators, but my friends have had a mountain lion on her house. Okay, yeah, like her ring camera.
Speaker 1:What part of California? That way I make sure I don't come there.
Speaker 2:No, I'm just kidding the people here are the scariest part in most of Hollywood. But like, yeah, my friend on the ring camera would just have a mountain lion like walk across it and it would show like motion detected and it would just be like a big random mountain lion walking, just walk, walking, just casually. Yeah, but I think alligators are so cute. But yeah, if I had a dog and it was happening to me that there was ringing the doorbell, I would.
Speaker 1:I would not do it yeah, so just make sure we look before we walk out.
Speaker 2:And I would also think you know like we keep our windows open a lot. I mean, I know in Florida you probably have an AC on, but also sometimes you want to open the window and an alligator probably could just like chomp through a screen.
Speaker 1:I would never open a window.
Speaker 2:I couldn't live like that. I could be just in AC all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I would be a little bit terrified to go to sleep with windows up, Because I could just imagine just waking up and, you know, someone just saying hello.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it's freaky.
Speaker 1:Yes, that was, but I still. I mean, I think it's a little scary that an alligator is climbing up the side of a door in the first place. So it's like, were they going for something and they just happened to ring the bell, or did they really know how to ring the doorbell? Either way it's kind of scary, you know.
Speaker 2:It is. It's freaky too, because it's like we like to just think of them in the water or just kind of basking in the sunshine. The fact that they could climb and like those little hands are just so weird.
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely. I remember this story. I don't know if we talked about it on our show or not, but it was this I think we did this woman who just started working, I think, at some kind of zoo or something, and they were feeding the baboons and you know, you have to put, put it in, make sure that the baboons are back. And there was one that was a little bit the bowl was a little bit further in. She was the the new zookeeper. She was new. She was going to reach her hand in to grab it and the other zookeeper grabbed her and said don't ever do that again. And we just bend over and take a look and there was a baboon sitting there waiting.
Speaker 1:No, I'm sorry, not a baboon, a chimpanzee that was sitting there waiting and they said that the chimpanzee because they're a lot like human as far as the fingers, emotions, showing facial expressions, and it looked like the chimpanzee was disappointed that the zookeeper the new zookeeper, you know didn't reach her hand in there, because you know they can literally rip your arm off, literally.
Speaker 2:You know they're incredibly strong, but it's also kind of scary that that's smart, though. You know, I know, and they seem like devilish in the way that they know that something would be bad and hurtful and if they're in a bad mood they would do that like.
Speaker 1:They do seem like they have some like vengeance yeah, but I mean it's kind of scary to think that. Okay, what would have happened if that other zookeeper wasn't around to grab her and stop her from reaching her hand in there?
Speaker 2:Oh, that is so freaky. And yeah, I mean, I've seen clips where they try to pull their leg and even if they're not trying to be malicious, they like grab onto their leg and never let go and then all you get is a few biting and grabbing and it can be really dangerous.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but the idea that that chimpanzee actually looked disappointed, that's kind of evil, you know.
Speaker 2:Exactly. See, I don't find them half as cute as alligators, I'd rather have like a million. I feel like if alligators were cuddly I would have four just crawling around right here.
Speaker 1:Just mental note do not put your hands in any animal cages.
Speaker 2:Exactly Never, ever, ever. I barely like. I'm such a dog person. I love dogs so much but now in my adult years, honestly, when I'm on a walk, I don't even like. If a dog comes up to me, of course I will like very happily pet it, or I'll always ask permission to pet it, but I don't really even go up to like any animal without just like the right invitation.
Speaker 2:I used to be way more like going up to dogs and just saying hi, but I feel like I'm way more like giving every animal their space.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, you just don't know.
Speaker 2:That's the problem, especially on walks and everything. So yeah, if you see an alligator crawling on your neighbor's lawn, say something.
Speaker 1:Yes definitely.
Speaker 2:I feel like that should be like a ring camera commercial. They should make that for Florida or something I don't know. They need to do something with that.
Speaker 1:You know what? That'd be a great commercial.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like you never know who's going to be there, okay, well, my next two are going to be about AI and ChatGBT some interesting stuff.
Speaker 2:So we're going to start off with some good stuff that ChatGBT has done lately. Linkedin co founder, reid Hoffman, recently shared a viral Reddit article where a user claimed that ChatGBT helped him resolve a chronic medical issue in under a minute after five years of unsuccessful treatments. So, basically, the Reddit user had experienced persistent jaw clicking that was likely due to a boxing injury, and they went to go see specialists, ent people, they got MRIs and all this stuff and then, on a whim, they typed it into ChatGBT and AI suggested that the jaw disc might be slightly displaced and movable. And then they recommended or the ChatGBT recommended a mouth opening technique and they did it and within a minute the entire thing was solved. And, like he had this five year issue and he said after five years of just living with this, this AI gave me a fix in a minute Unreal so it. It sparked people commenting like you know what they cured with chat GBT and it's pretty amazing.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's actually great. I mean, I think AI, you ai, you know, for one, it's here to stay. It's not going anywhere, but I think, if used correctly, um, I think it's, it's great, I think it's going to help a lot of things. Um, you know, even when I do my postings, um, and I do a lot of posting on social media, I use, um, you know, I use some software to help me do that, because there's no way humanly possible to do that by myself, exactly. But all but all I use it for is just scheduling and, you know, kind of putting it together.
Speaker 2:But it's all my material, it's not anything made totally yeah, my next, my next article is going to go into the not so good part, parts of it, and so but, for one, like I think, exactly like I think medical experts will still need humans around and we still need the medical experts.
Speaker 2:But this kind of stuff is amazing. Like one thing that I found ChatGVT really good for is like meal plans or recipes, and you know it doesn't replace a dietician or anything. But you could really get super granular and be like I weigh this much, I'm this tall, you know I don't like to grocery shop and also here's, here's what I have in the house. Can you help me? Like it really is a super computer when you almost give it like those types of things oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Like I said, and again, if you use it like a tool, like what you you're saying, it's great, it's absolutely great. But it's when you try to use it to replace a human to do certain things, I think that's when things go haywire.
Speaker 2:Exactly, there was one week I think I had like just come from New York or something, I don't know. I was in like a good mood and I just wanted to like be pampered and be fancy. But I so I messaged AI and I was like I'm, I don't have like a huge budget, but I want to eat, like I'm rich this week and can you help me. And sure enough, it was like you wake up in the day and have you know, lemon water, like I basically said, like I want to eat as I'm in a spa, but I created myself for the weekend it it got it perfectly that it was like speaking to me, like that, so you can really create your own dream situation. Um, now, have you ever messaged chat gbt about any health things?
Speaker 1:I guess you don't need to tell us that, but like you know what I never have, but I could definitely see that being a, you know, because I mean, obviously it's not going to ever replace doctors, but at least it'll get you in a direction of, okay, you know what, let's look at this, this, this and this, or, you know, let's talk about this, so it gives you something to talk about when you do go to the doctor, you know yeah, that that's one reason.
Speaker 2:Like I am, I like I forever tiktok is like my, one of my like top favorite things on earth, just because, like the other day, I had like some sinus blockage and I went on TikTok and I searched like sinus clearing and sure enough, it's like all these homemade recipes that actually work and people talking about it and stuff that like some stuff I already know, and then some stuff from actual doctors that are on TikTok and it's just like it's so interesting and I think the visuals of TikTok help me and it's like people recommending what products they get and I just think that's so cool.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely, definitely me, and it's like people recommending what products they get and I just think that's so cool. Oh, definitely, definitely. Like I said, I think that um, um, chat, gpt and other ai, uh, uh, assistance and stuff like that that's out there, I think, is going to get better and better over time and, um, you know, as long as they don't start trying to attack us like the alligators I know my next one we'll hear about.
Speaker 2:It's my turn again. We'll hear about the not so good Evil sides.
Speaker 1:All righty, well, you know what? Let's talk something fun. Yeah, have you heard of the Whitney Houston Challenge?
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, the like, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, yes, oh yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, yes, I tried to do it last night and I was woefully wrong Every single time. It is not easy.
Speaker 1:You know what's so crazy? It looks like oh, I can do this, it's so easy, not even remotely close.
Speaker 2:Oh my god it's so hard. It feels so far Like it takes so long, but yet you wait too long. Then it like comes in.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. It's that perfect timing and you know. It also lets you know how talented she is to hit that perfect pause, hit that bump and then go in like there was never a break exactly that's. That's talent.
Speaker 2:That's hard to do well, I guess, if people don't know what it is, it's uh, it's I will always love you, right? That's the song, like so, it's like we all know. I mean if you, if you're our age, you know the moment when it like before it's that whole, like it's quiet, then it's like and uh, you know so. When the beat drops. And people are trying to guess when the beat drops, I might pound their, their hand down, and it's funny watching everyone rush it and do it too soon. I need to count how many seconds are exactly there, because I really wonder.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, because it's funny, because as you wait in there you're thinking you're timing it right and it's like real silent for like a matter of seconds boom and yeah, I'm not gonna go any further than that because I don't want to scare people away.
Speaker 2:But you know I I was trying it for so many times yesterday. It was stressing me out and I genuinely was making myself nauseous from like the stress. I mean I can't. I can't like ruin my mood over this and so, um, it's really tough and it's funny. It's funny watching people do it.
Speaker 1:Yes, actually, I would love for our viewers and our listeners to try the Whitney Houston challenge. Let us know how it is. How did you do? Share it with us, too, on social media. That'd be kind of fun for us too.
Speaker 2:I think that's. I don't know when the song came out, but I was like either in middle school or high school, I don't know. But I feel bad for my parents having to listen to me, probably in my room, like trying to scream it and I was probably like upset over some boy or something.
Speaker 1:Ah, the fun of growing up, huh.
Speaker 2:Exactly, exactly. Well, yeah, we'll definitely have to try that. Okay, I'm going to. You'll notice that I'm going to skip one and then I'll get back to that one. So my next one is going to be the, as promised, the negative side of GBT and AI.
Speaker 2:Recently, an AI customer service chatbot made up a company policy and created a mess. When an AI model for a code editing company cursor hallucinated a new rule, users revolted. So the AI powered editor cursor noticed something strange. Machines were like instantly logging them out, common workflow was like kind of being disrupted and a lot of programmers are saying like our, our customer support is acting really different. We don't know what's going on. Um, and then an agent named sam you know sam, in quotation marks because it's an ai person told them it was an expected behavior under a new policy, but no such policy existed. Sam was a bot.
Speaker 2:The ai model made the policy up, sparking a wave of complaints and cancellation threats documented on Hacker News and Reddit. So this marks the latest instance of AI hallucinations causing potential business damages. This is, quote, creative gap filling a response where AI models invent plausible but false sounding information. So you know, we just talked about the medical advancements of it. This can be terrifying, because could you imagine if this was like predicting a surgery or saying the steps for, like some you know, a heart monitor or something huge? And this is where the like scary zombie apocalypse could happen, when AI takes over and just hallucinates these weird things just hallucinates these weird things.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and that's the problem is that that's a great example of using AI to replace as opposed to help. It's a difference, yeah exactly.
Speaker 2:There was an instance I guess this happened with Air Canada where the airline's AI agent incorrectly told someone they could book a regular price flight and it became a mess. So it was like it became a legal issue because the AI said one thing which is not true and then the yeah. It's very interesting because we've never had stuff like this before, where it's like if AI does something, whose fault is it? Is it legal?
Speaker 1:Oh, yeah, but here's the thing the AI belongs to that company, so they're not getting away from that legal fault, Exactly Because, again, you own that AI. So again you can't just let it go off on its own, because if it does damage you, the business owner has to fix it, Exactly.
Speaker 2:Okay, I have some has to fix it Exactly. Okay, I have some personal tea to spill about this.
Speaker 1:Uh-oh.
Speaker 2:This is juicy. I'm very excited to share this. Hopefully none of my work clients will be listening, but you know one of my jobs is I write a lot for different podcasts and stuff.
Speaker 2:And so I promised myself I will not put it all onto AI, but I definitely have it help me sometimes. Some of my clients know this, some of them don't, but like I'm not hiding it, I will tell anyone at any time, like it will be my brain. But I have AI help me Now. Last week, one of my clients I have to admit I was rushing, I didn't really feel that well, I have no excuses, but for whatever reason, I put an episode in and it spit out the show notes for me, ai and then it went to print and everything and I got in big, big trouble because AI made up like all these laws for, like, it just made up these show notes and I, without checking, I copied and pasted them in and it's for a client that has a lot of like legal things and it ended up becoming a really has a lot of like legal things and it ended up becoming a really big.
Speaker 2:I got in big trouble and like I never I feel like I never like mess up at work or I never like you know for like the first time ever I was in trouble, basically, and I felt really bad and AI, I couldn't believe it and I then I was typing to it I'm like how can you do this to me? And so I said explain why you did this, I don't understand. And it said, oh, I just thought the laws that were already mentioned in this podcast episode seemed like this was the inevitable next step for the company, and so it just made it really like, ratted me out.
Speaker 2:And it made up laws about stuff that was happening in like Arkansas and Kansas City that were not true at all. And then it was my idiocy that I didn't double check it. So one of my friends I was talking to like a journalist friend and he was saying you always, always have to tell AI like, be factual, be truthful, don't make stuff up. And he was like you have to say this, otherwise it's happening to people left and right where it will just make stuff up. But I felt so bad last week I honestly had like a pit in my stomach because people were like mad at me and it was a whole big thing wow so you literally have to tell ai, okay, do not lie, be factual exactly especially when it comes to these things especially.
Speaker 2:Like I feel like it could summarize pretty well. Like it could summarize, I feel like if it was to make the show notes, I feel like it could summarize pretty well, like it could. I feel like if it was to make the show notes for for us it wouldn't just make us stuff up what we're talking about, but when it's like history or law things, or like this was a lot about bills being passed and like, uh, congress and stuff, it just made, it made it up out of thin air.
Speaker 2:It was crazy. And so my clients were like, where did you even get this from? And then, not only did I have to admit that I wasn't proofreading, but I had to admit that I was using AI, which was very embarrassing.
Speaker 1:Ooh, okay, that's some tea. Yes, yes, well, I think we learned a lesson about using AI, right?
Speaker 2:Exactly so the lesson and we all make mistakes and like this is just, this is a new frontier that we're all learning, and like I never would have thought that it would pull stuff out of thin air and just make it up. So that's just. Heed my warning from other people at my mistakes be your lessons. Where just you can, you know, just always ask is this truthful, is this from the transcript? And you know, now I'm going to ask it like please triple check that everything mentioned here was correct.
Speaker 1:And the scary thing is it probably looked really real too.
Speaker 2:Oh, it completely did, which is why I just sent it along. I didn't like, honestly, even if I reread it, I don't even know if I would have caught it, because in my mind it just was like, okay, this seems like everything else that they've talked about. It's not like an industry that I know about a lot. So I just kind of moved forward with it. Wow, and I apologized to my clients and they never wrote back. No problem, it's okay. So they're still mad at me.
Speaker 1:They'll be okay, they'll forgive you.
Speaker 2:Exactly, it's not life or death. I'm not fixing anyone's jaw issues, so it's okay.
Speaker 1:There you go. Talk about fixing. Now I'm quite sure everyone knows who Lizzo is.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Lizzo just announced, and actually if you get back pictures and videos, she just shed 16% of her body fat.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 1:And she also reduced her BMI points BMI is body mass index by 10 points, which is huge.
Speaker 2:That is huge. That's like half a person almost. Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:So I commend it. And you know some people are giving her a hard time because she was like, well, you was always pushing body image. You know you're you're selling out by losing all this weight. And that's not true, because you know she may have did it for her. She did it for herself, you know. Yeah, it could have been medical, we don't know but I think the message she tried to get across and I think she even touched on this is that you know she's talking about being being happy in your own skin.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Regardless of what body type you're in. That's what that means, you know, because I know she was on Saturday Night Live, she had performed on there. You know, uh, because I know she was on saturday night live, she had performed on there and, um, you know, like I said, you know, I I commend her. You know, she, yeah, you know she didn't. And, uh, in the article she said that, uh, she did not use any any, uh, weight loss surgery or anything like that. She just basically, um, you know, washed her meals um, reduced stress. A lot of people don't realize, yeah, because you know I'm a lot better now, but I used to stress eat, in other words, when I get stressed out.
Speaker 2:I would eat, oh my gosh, especially at night, right, but I?
Speaker 1:would eat the absolute wrong things at the wrong times, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and potato chips at night are like the most. And you know, a cheeseburger at 11 30 at night probably isn't the greatest oh no, and it's so crazy because, like, we eat these things to make us feel better but then they end up making us feel even then it adds more problems than what we even have you know. But yeah, I really like definitely grapple with nighttime eating and stuff. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:so I tip my hat off to her and, uh, I say if you're going to do something, do it for yourself, because it doesn't matter what you say or do. It's crazy, but it's always going to be somebody out there that's got something to say.
Speaker 2:Exactly Wait. So she didn't say anything about like she didn't use like Ozempic or Manjaro or anything. Really, oh my gosh, see, that's surprising Cause. Like I would not judge her for it at all, but she seems like someone that like right off the gate, would like would do that because I know, I know in a in a good way, she like, I feel like she like came on the scene and was body positive but then I feel like she just you know people are allowed to change and I feel like she probably also got done. Didn't really love always being like all people talked about was her weight and like you know the fat, you know she sings and she's fat, like I'm sure she was kind of making a mockery of herself and at one point probably didn't really like it, and I think I think good for her. She has the right everyone has the right to feel good about their body and how they look, no matter what?
Speaker 1:Oh, I agree, I agree. Like I said, I tip my hat off to her, you know, whatever makes her happy, I don't think it's anyone's business, you know.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and.
Speaker 2:I feel like like women like Meghan Trainor, I know, got a lot of flack as well, cause I think she did go on some like Monjorno or something, and she said she said, yes, I've been on this and people are like, oh yeah, but you have these songs like all about the base and you know you're you didn't like, you actually didn't like being overweight and it's like no, maybe they liked it at a certain point, but then when you that's like, when that becomes your whole identity to other people, maybe you are like, okay, that was this time of my life. Now I'm ready for the next time. Like I've definitely had times where I'm kind of like happy to be a big back or something, and then other times I'm like, no, I think this is actually not me. So we have the right to kind of change how we view our own selves and our bodies.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I totally agree with that.
Speaker 2:Okay, my last one is the power of book talk. Why book talks book community is driving a new era in publishing. Now, yesterday when I was shopping in Target, I actually saw we were by the book section and I saw excuse me, I saw a shelf that was devoted to BookTok, which is books that are just popular on TikTok and from the TikTok community, and I thought that is so crazy that now it's made its way to like a huge display at Target pushing it. So that just shows the power of book talk, which has accumulated 370 billion views and over 52 million creations jumping on board. Um, everything from bestsellers to little independent authors.
Speaker 2:Uh, book talk thrives on community driven content, so it's a lot of reviews from people, people just sharing book recommendations. It's kind of like a book club, but you know, a really big one and I think that's so cool. Like I've ordered a few books that I've seen on BookTok. I think it's getting a little tough because it's almost getting now just how everything else does, where now people are getting like paid to say their opinion and you know, now it's like the big people are coming in. But I think it's super cool.
Speaker 1:I mean it is. I mean it just also shows that you know reading is still a fun thing that some people like to do, you know it really is now do you read books?
Speaker 2:that's so funny that I said that like that you know I probably should, but I really don't.
Speaker 1:I I read a lot of stuff, obviously. You know social media, obviously. But you know I read other articles. You know business related articles, stuff like that going on in the news. So do I read books? I haven't read a quote unquote book lately. I still read every day, but I just read digitally now, day by, just read digitally now. But you know the other thing too, what I like about that, about that particular segment there is I love the fact that you are to be able to get certain books that you can't get now, especially with all the crazy things going on with telling people what they can and can't read.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I think that's a great way to circumvent that, you know that's very true, that's absolutely true.
Speaker 2:Now, I always try I'm I'm so bad at like, if I have extra time I'll just go to social media again and check and check it. But I'm trying to like I have an actual physical book, book like right next to me that I and every now and then I'll just say, okay, I'm just going to read like four pages today and then, sure enough, it's like once you turn off all the distractions and you get really immersed in your book and you start thinking about it. But I'm trying to like I have to physically have a book next to me and remind myself actively to go to it instead of checking like TikTok for the 80th time. But once I'm reading like and I'm also not ashamed Like I read stuff that is probably meant for like 21-year-old women. You know like I read a lot of the beachy reads and romance stuff. But to me, like, if you're just reading in general, like I think reading a handheld book is so good for you, no matter what it is.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely, definitely. I mean, the one thing about it is that it opens up so much imagination.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know a good book and this happened to me. You know you get immersed in reading something. You're in that story.
Speaker 2:It really is it like soothes your brain? I feel like it really calms our nervous system.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely, definitely, Something that I think that probably should be pushed a lot more, more than it is right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I also think anytime I work at a coffee shop, I feel like a person sitting out in public and just reading and looking unbothered is like the next level of cool, like I don't know, just look so French or something. So I feel like I always wanted to be like the type of person that just sits somewhere and reads a book and I'm like, oh, I'm too busy, I can't do that. I'm like, no, it turns out I actually can be, you know like for eight minutes a day or something.
Speaker 1:Oh, definitely, definitely, definitely.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I think the book talk is really cool and there's something for everyone, like you said, where, like, for me it's kind of the romance, you know, whatever easy to read things. But for other people they want to read more like politically engaging books or just more thoughtful books, and I love it. I think it's a great place for authors to come and do some free advertising.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. I agree on that. Talk about free advertising. What do you have coming up, Meryl?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, Thank you. May 2nd I will be at a place in Dana Point and then then I'm going to push my. The show I really want to push is May 28th at the La Jolla Comedy Store, so I'll be promoting that for a while. May 28th Comedy Store.
Speaker 1:Perfect, perfect and this show every day, nice. I hope everyone gets out there to support Merle. We definitely appreciate that and thank you for supporting our show. As we're doing, we're trying to grow and bring on more entertainment, more creative things. Anything that you would like for us to talk about in particular? Definitely let us know.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And, like I said, stay engaged. Keep having those thirsty topics. I'm Lawrence Elrod.
Speaker 2:I'm Meryl Clemo.
Speaker 1:Take care everyone.
Speaker 2:Bye-bye.
