Thirsty Topics podcast

Storm, Scandal, And Spotlight for 10/28/25

• Lawrence Elrod & Meryl Klemow

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Sirens, stadiums, and spotlights collide as we trace how power, money, and fame shape what we fear, what we cheer, and what we let slide. We open with Hurricane Melissa’s race toward Jamaica, placing the storm in context—why building standards and uneven shelter access matter, how warning fatigue breeds complacency, and what real preparedness looks like when the difference between “overreacting” and “too late” is a single night’s surge.

From there, we dig into the allegations rocking pro sports: a gambling probe tied to organized crime and a separate case hinging on an injury that shifts odds. We talk integrity in a betting-saturated world, how a tiny number of bad actors can drain trust, and why the fix isn’t outrage but clear rules, independent enforcement, and transparency. Then we pivot to the culture war around the Super Bowl halftime headliner, examining language politics, brand risk, and why the NFL’s decision signals a bet on global pop and planned spectacle over panic.

Money threads through every segment. Shohei Ohtani’s headline-grabbing contract becomes a case study in modern sports economics, from rapid revenue recapture to the strategy behind massive deferrals. We show how a single athlete transforms ticket sales, merchandise, and international reach, and what that reveals about league scale and owner incentives. Alongside the economics, we address the human edge of fame: Britney Spears’ public volatility and the uncomfortable incentives of memoirs and social media, and the chilling moment a reporter is swarmed mid-broadcast—why it wasn’t harmless, and how newsrooms should respond.

If you care about safety, fairness, and the stories we reward with attention, this conversation offers context you can use and takes you won’t hear on highlight reels. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves sports and culture, and drop a review with the topic you want tackled next—what deserves accountability most right now?

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

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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."

Please help support our show by following us and telling others about our show. New podcasts weekly.

SPEAKER_01:

Hello everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of Thirsty Topics. I'm Lauren Selrod. And I'm Merrill Climo. Hey Meryl, how are you doing this week?

SPEAKER_00:

Hi, I'm so good. It's always so funny when I see our videos on TikTok. I'm like scrolling and then I give myself a jump scare. I'm always like, why is that people too close to the camera? I'm like, oh, that's me. Okay. But I love it. I'm so happy to be here again in real form with you.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, I am definitely happy to be here as well. How was your weekend?

SPEAKER_00:

It was really good. We had some friends in town. Um, I gave them the wrong directions. So I told them the wrong restaurant on a Friday night, and though they still I don't about dinner, so it was it was a fun but expensive weekend.

SPEAKER_01:

Ah, okay, okay. Well, at least you had a good time, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, how about you?

SPEAKER_01:

Well, actually, we went to a uh a Halloween party at a neighbor's house. Cool.

SPEAKER_00:

What did you go as?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh I went as Dr. Elrod. So I had me some scrubs, I had uh my lanyard with my Dr. Lrod on there, and I was good to go.

SPEAKER_00:

That's so cool. Well, if I had to get surgery from like a pretend doctor, you're there one that I would choose.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I appreciate that. I'll I'll borrow someone's ID to make myself legit.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you. Exactly, exactly. It's like last week or two weeks ago we talked about the the nurse that was like threatening all the patients. Yeah, I feel like I would trust you over her.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, you know the scary part is how long she was doing that before she was caught, though. I know. And it's like um when they tried to verify her credentials, I'm just still shocked that okay, she couldn't provide any any kind of documentation for the last name and they kind of let it go for months.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

Just makes you wonder, huh? Yeah. All right, Merle. Well, I'm gonna let you start this week.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, awesome. Well, I picked a timely one. Hopefully, by the time that people hear this, it will have simmered down a bunch. But um, people are talking about Hurricane Melissa, which is uh, you know, obviously a hurricane, it has now intensified to a category five, and it's threatening Jamaica with catastrophic flooding. Uh, it's the most powerful storm to hit the region since 1988, and it could uh inundate some of the areas of eastern Jamaica with up to 40 inches of rain. Now, obviously, like, you know, people and infrastructure in Jamaica aren't really set up the way that we are a lot of times, in terms of like shelters and just buildings that are able to withstand a category five hurricane. So I've been watching on TikTok. People have been um just kind of like hunkering down and hoping for the best, but also a little bit preparing for the worst. And so it was like sweeping across southeastern Bahamas and making its way all across um the southwest area of Jamaica, Kingston.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it is pretty sad. I mean, the interesting thing is that um, you know, they have these these hurricanes um that happen every single year. And, you know, I've been to Jamaica greater some years ago, and you know, a lot of the tourist areas, you know, you really don't have to worry about it that much because you know, those are concrete stone type buildings and high rises, but you kind of feel for the locals that maybe don't have the ability to have that kind of structure, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Absolutely, and I feel like I feel like a lot of times those if in case of an emergency, those shelters and everything will be first used by the tourists and taking up a lot of resources of the people. So yeah. Remember, like, was it last year? There was was it Milton that everyone was like so scared about in Florida? And I remember being so so so terrified. And that one, I mean, it was bad, but it wasn't like catastrophic the way that the experts predicted. So I'm hoping that this one will go this way, and I feel like it's better to be like over worried and prepared than it is to just like not think anything of it.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, absolutely. I mean, I would rather be over prepared and not need it versus underprepared and go, oh my god, you know?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah, exactly. I feel like they there was a tornado warning here like a year or two ago, and no one took it seriously, and then it did not help that nothing happened. Because my I was I seriously was texting my friends, and I have I have texts from my friends that are like, so anyway, are we gonna go to the movies? And I was like out and about like driving to Chili's and then not nothing happened, and I'm like, this is not good for like our like the boy that cried wolf.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that probably is not a good thing.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. So we'll see. Um, but you know, they're taking it very seriously. I know the uh the local government and community development are really telling residents to fill up on gas, uh, get your generators, board up the windows, all that stuff.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, yes, we'll definitely pray for them.

SPEAKER_00:

Yep, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I'm actually pretty surprised that we're even talking about this, but uh head coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers was arrested for gambling uh investigation tied to organized crime, aka the mafia. Also, Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier was also charged in a separate gambling case. So basically, for Chauncey Billups, it was alleged that they had these high-dollar poker games, and it was totally rigged by the mafia. So basically, what his role was allegedly is to get people to come in, you know, high rollers. They play these high dollar poker games, but everything was rigged from the way the cards were shuffled, the table was even rigged to where I guess there was a way you can actually see what the cards are when they're sitting on a table.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_01:

And I'm sitting there thinking, and then for the separate one, uh, this is with um uh with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier. He was he was arrested allegedly for kind of faking an injury during a game. And a few things to kind of I guess do something with the odds or whatever, like him faking an injury, so he's taken out of the game, stuff like that. And you know the sad part is if this is true, it would be really, really sad for both of them, and probably for the game itself, because these are mil multi-millionaires, these are just everyday people. Yeah, it's not like, and I'm not saying it's it's a reason, but it's one thing if you're struggling, you don't have any money, whatever. These are multimillionaires, they're playing a sport that you know young kids grow grow up and still have a dream of getting into the NBA, you never will. And to do something like this and just ruin your whole career to me is just unbelievably crazy. What do you think, Meryl?

SPEAKER_00:

I think I think I mean, I always like, of course, my conspiracy mind, anytime like I see the Super Bowl or any sports things or any even like any match or tennis match or something, I'm like, I really wonder if it's already staged and like the players are um like there's already been bets behind it and just like everything, you know. They obviously like the world is a stage, and so anytime I see something, I'm like, okay, maybe people are like rigging things or like not making plays or making touchdowns like despite something. So I do think a lot of times like these things are maybe not rigged, but like tilted in certain ways. And I agree that I do think, like, especially high-stakes poker and tournaments, like I it doesn't uh that usually isn't the most like wholesome category to begin with. So I think of anything, nothing against gambling or whatever, I think it's fine, but I do think if it's if it's going to happen in any category, like sports, betting, and gambling always seem like kind of the trifecta of um misbehavior.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I definitely understand. I I just don't understand it. You know, you're making a lot of money, you got a great career. I just don't get it. Why, why take the risk?

SPEAKER_00:

You know, do you do you think maybe, I mean, A, do you think they may be threatened if they don't, or if it's kind of or promise things if they do? It's like, okay, we know this person will not catch a pass or fake an injury or something, and then you get like rewarded down the line. I don't know, maybe that's with like a commercial or like some type of other like industry puppet string kind of thing.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't know, it's interesting. I know that obviously in the sports world, this is being talked about everywhere. And um on on um, I believe it's ESPN, they had Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barclay, and I think one or two other uh sports announcers on there talking. Uh and you know, basically they were saying how you know they were just stupid for what they're doing. And it's kind of a shame what they did to themselves, their family, BA for what they did. Um I don't know, it's it's just crazy, you know, and again, it's not to be real, it uh be be legitimate. This is just craziness because again, you know, you you've got the type of job that most people in the sports world would love to have and to destroy it over something stupid. And I don't care if it was a million-dollar game, you making millions per year, you got a great pension, great and and think about it like this, Merle. When you stop playing or when you stop coaching, you could possibly become a comment uh commentator on something. Exactly. So it's basically almost like a job for life, if you think about it.

SPEAKER_00:

Totally. And I think, yeah, you're right, where a lot of players have like a long legacy ahead of them, and doing brand deals. Like I feel like in this day and age, whether it's online or on commercials, who was it? Uh wait, was Tom Brady Deflate Gate? Yes, he was. Yeah. So that would be one, and then Brett Farber too. I feel like there are certain people that I could think of that have had like a lot of bad press that we all just seem to forget about, or it kind of doesn't. I mean, we all meaning like the average. I don't I don't think that much about Tom Brady, but like um, I think sometimes people do forget, but you're right that why would you throw something to like a certain way when you can just keep on the straight and narrow and have like a really good long career?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so we'll see how this goes, but um I'm quite sure that uh we'll probably hear more about, especially being that there were over 30 people uh also arrested in this ring.

SPEAKER_00:

So yeah, I want I need a Netflix documentary about it immediately.

SPEAKER_01:

You know, someone's gonna do that, right?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, exactly. But that person will probably be paid off or whatever. It's always that saying, like follow the money. So I just think too, I don't know. Do you ever think the Super Bowls, like how could it even rig like a big baseball or football game? Because so much of it seems like left up to chance and just like human error, but but something like it, you're right, where an injury or like an actual event happening is like a way that you can kind of tilt things.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yeah, that's why a lot of a lot of professional um organizations, sports organizations watch real closely what's going on. Because here's the thing about it you know, let's say you have uh a referee who you know is doing something and making calls to affect the game. So yeah, I mean, I think it's one of those things where greed is always gonna be there. Most most players and coaches aren't gonna be this dumb to do this, but unfortunately, every so often you're gonna find some idiots that for whatever reason decide to give it a try.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. Yep. And it can go so deep that maybe they have like dirt on a player or something, and that you think a lot of times people are like, you're either going to do this or we're going to like expose you in this way or tell a story about you that's not even true, or you know, like I think things can get very like dirty in that realm.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, the scary part about what you said, Meryl, is that could be true. That's the scary part.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, we'll keep an eye on that, but I'm all for the conspiracy. I watched the Super Bowl and I'm like, he could have caught that. I don't know. Um, okay, the next one, my next story. I'm going to say this. I have an unpopular and unlikable opinion. So I'm already preferencing this with please don't hate me, and it's okay if everyone could disagree with me. Um, it's about Britney Spears and her ex-husband, Ketter, Kevin Fetterline, has popped up yet again with like a new memoir uh all about her and him, and um just about how like the children, he definitely exposes everything about how Britney's children uh don't really or like can't be a part of her life anymore because they're like too scared and they kind of don't know what's going to happen with their mom. And you know, obviously it's very tragic. Um he definitely alleges drug use and um he describes her as being financially and emotionally controlled by those closest to her. So, like, you know, there's kind of a he said, she said with like her memoir and his memoir, uh, it doesn't help, I think, that like Britney on social media just seems very unhinged. And like my opinion is that like if you're a true Britney fan, you wouldn't just look past like how she obviously looks like not well in her things. And like, I don't know, I feel like a lot of the Britney like very, very fans seem to look past it and it's like she's dancing and doing what she loves, and it's like, no, anyone like sane can look at what's happening and say, I don't think she's like fully healed or back to being like completely fine. Um, but I also think that Kevin Veterline just needs to kind of like go away and live his life, and you know, if you if you're doing what you say, which is wanting to be a good father, like why are you gonna dredge this all up together? Um, with you know, for the boys. So the whole thing just seems like a mess. But like I still stand by what I said a year ago, which is like I think Brittany needs to be taken like off social media, none of her posts make sense, they all seem like so weird, and I think we need to stop like glorifying acting like this because it's like it's sad and it's kind of implosive.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, you know what? I'm gonna take a really crazy approach to this. Yeah, what if, and again, some people are gonna disagree with me, but what if Brittany knows what she's doing and she's playing, you know, using social media as a puppet.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, that I I get like if it's the best performance art I've ever seen, because like I mean, she's like lost me as a fan. Like, not not that that would matter what she is. Oh, beyond. Yeah, I I find it like very irritating. And like at one point, I feel like I had empathy for the situation, but now it's turned to just like I mean, I don't I don't follow her, but anytime I look, I'm like, this is annoying, and like I feel like it's kind of tinking her legacy and it's like making it look tragic. But like I don't know, basically, I I totally get that, but I don't know like what she would be getting out of looking insane and like spinning around and kind of looking like drugged out on her Instagram would really get, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I know what it'll give, it'll give millions of people watching her.

SPEAKER_00:

I know, I know, but I just view it as like I mean, I guess if she does want millions of people viewing her as like like kind of looking in a train wreck kind of way, but I feel like we're all wanting the like Britney in Vegas performing, or you know what I mean? Like the we want her to look good and uh, or at least I do, like I would like to see it where she would like kind of come back to the Britney we all know and love, but I don't know, it hers me watching her.

SPEAKER_01:

So I don't know, maybe I'll reach out to her and she'll come on our show.

SPEAKER_00:

A hundred percent. She'll spin around and stuff, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I feel like I'm the only one. Everyone is like Queen Britney, all this kind of stuff. I think she had her moment, and now I think she needs to be taken off social media and like sent to a place or or have people around that like really, really help her. I think she needs like deep healing, and that's what like that's what I feel.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I mean, unfortunately, um, I just saw recently of a video of someone who I guess was behind Britney when she was driving, and it looked like you know, she may have been, you know, maybe driving drunk because she was kind of swerving on the road.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Going against uh the double lines. And I guess my question is if you're really this concerned, why don't you call the police instead of put this on social media?

SPEAKER_00:

Totally a hundred percent. I agree with that too. And like I was definitely part of the like free Britney movement, and you know, I wanted her, I do think she's been treated like horrendously, and I don't feel like I don't think any of this is her fault at all. I think she was like a really sweet girl that just got caught up in like having the wrong people around her, so I don't think she's a bad person at all. But now it's like the free Britney thing happened and she got her conservative ship taken away, and now it's like even worse. It just seems like nothing's really changed, and she's still kind of like speaking in riddles and just whatever. But um I I don't know, like I do believe, I think Kevin Fairline is slimy, but I do believe what he says about like that we don't even know half of the half of it, and just like we would, you know, we'd be shocked about what's happening behind the scenes.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's true, but I think he needs to be a little careful because there may be some stuff we don't know about Britney that hasn't came out, but there may be stuff about him that hasn't came out either.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, oh I'm sure, I'm sure. It'll be interesting to see like as her sons get older, because then I'm sure her sons are gonna publish a memoir at some point too. And like if they I will I believe them, and if they're say, oh, we were like nine years old and we were watching our mom do this and that, like I I will believe them, so yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's that's that's true. Well, some people are gonna love this story, some people are gonna hate it, but we're polarizing this week. The NFL uh will not replace Bad Bunny as the half-line head halftime headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl. Now, of course, there was big outrage, especially from conservatives, about Bad Bunny, you know, doing a halftime show, saying that he doesn't even speak English, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And basically, um, the commissioner of the NFL said that we stand behind our position and we are not changing. Good. Now, I think you know, Jay-Z may have hinted that you know they may be some surprises. Because usually when there's a halftime show, sometimes there's one or two artists that weren't scheduled to be on there or weren't announced to be on there, and they were like, yeah, so they may do something like that, but I think they're doing the right thing because if they were to take them off, then they're submitting to political pressure, and they should not do that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I agree. I a hundred percent agree. I think if someone has an issue with it or you don't like him, just don't watch, you know, like it's totally okay. Like, I've had I've had people in the past before like where you can just tune in or not tune in, or like have it be background noise, and that that's ridiculous just because someone like does or doesn't speak a language, or like in your mind isn't American where they actually are, you know, like it's so weird, and that just goes to show that like that is a huge issue still, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

That's true, and it's a shame that it is an issue because you know the thing is that hey, he has a right to at the Super Bowl, they want him to perform, and again, the Super Bowl has had RB, they've had pop, they've had rap. They've you know, they gaming all different types of genres, and there's something wrong with having him sing because guess what? You may not be a big uh bad bad bunny fan, but he does have millions of fans out there, he's not a person, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. Was it was before Kendrick, was it Usher two years ago? Uh yeah, it was Usher, yeah, like Usher roller skating stuff, and that's the kind of thing is like at first I wasn't even that excited, and then I saw Usher's performance and I loved it. We were like screaming at the party and dancing and stuff, and then like Kendrick's obviously had like a lot of you know, we a lot of social discourse and public discourse. I didn't like love that as a Super Bowl performance, but like that doesn't matter, and millions of people did, and I I could still exist, and like you don't have to be upset about it, you can just move on. And so um, I think like I think the same thing is people will like I'm sat as the kids say, you know, I'm interested in in seeing it, and so you can who knows, like he may surprise us with it being really high energy, or he may it may be awful, it may be boring, but um, I think we should give him the respect of like just saying, Okay, let's you know, show us what you got kind of thing, just like we would with anyone.

SPEAKER_01:

I agree, and people keep forgetting that whatever he does is not gonna be a surprise to the NFL because you know they have to approve what he's gonna do on stage.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

People keep forgetting that. So whatever his performance is, they're going to know before he hits the stage.

SPEAKER_00:

So it's not gonna be, you know, yeah, and then we was it was it also before that? Was it Rihanna that was like when she was pregnant and stuff?

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay, see, that's so funny, and I have been like a critic. Like, I love Rihanna, I absolutely love her, but I thought that performance was I mean, she's pregnant, so she couldn't like fly across the world, but but I thought that was a tiny bit like boring and not giving enough. So, like I feel like no matter what the performance, we don't know exactly how it's gonna go, and everyone will feel different. Like, I have friends that thought the Rihanna performance was one of the best, and so I feel like we all see things differently, and that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, absolutely, and regardless of who you put on stage, everyone's not gonna like their person.

SPEAKER_00:

That's just a fact the J Lo and Shakira one. I I liked it. Oh, now I'm fired up again. You know who it should be Britney Spears just proving us all wrong and suddenly.

SPEAKER_01:

You know what? I would love to see that. I would love to see that.

SPEAKER_00:

It's her like spinning across the touchdown line. Um, well, I think we'll we'll be interested in that. Now, another sports-related thing, and of course I have to or I get to deal with it a lot here in Los Angeles, is uh a lot of Dodgers talk, you know, they're the playoffs and everything. So um I thought this was super interesting where the Dodgers reportedly earned the entirety of Shohei Otani's 700 million contract back in the first season. Um, he hasn't even finished his second season yet with the Dodgers, and Shohei is already providing surplus value to the franchise just 22 months after signing a 10-year$700 million contract in free agency. So he's made that back through ticket sales, merchandise sales, and worldwide marketing deals.

SPEAKER_01:

Wow.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

But you know what that does, Meryl? That kind of gives you a little bit of a picture of how much money these owners actually make.

SPEAKER_00:

I know.

SPEAKER_01:

They make a contract like that. They they they're making billions upon billions of dollars.

SPEAKER_00:

So much. And I remember um, wait, I just had it because I thought it was super interesting. Oh, yeah, he he signed one of the most unique contracts in sports history when he signed on um, it was a 10-year contract and 700 million, but he uh he presented the idea to structure it with over so it's 680 million being deferred over a 10-year period from 2034 to 43. So, like, you know, obviously he's seen some of that money yet, but like come 2034, that's gonna be a rich, rich man. And so you know, so that's I think that's so interesting, like betting on your I mean, no pun intended, which I mean, but like betting on yourself uh almost a decade, like a decade later. And and also like if you're his wife or you're his like that's just so crazy knowing that in like 10 years it's gonna get like really, really good, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, he's got he's he's making money for his great, great, great, great, great, great, great great grandchildren.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly. And I think that's good too, because it's not like he's not being like, I need the money right away, and like blowing all of it and you know what I mean, like in houses and just living large. I mean, I'm sure he is now. Like, it's crazy that he could he could just exist now after like of the interest of what he's making, you know.

SPEAKER_01:

It's so so true. But uh wow, the the the the money that these players are making today are is unbelievable.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, and I know they just said that he had like a per a perfect game a few games ago, which were like in baseball. So, you know, I do like I I whether or not he's like on you know the winning team or the team that people like, like I respect his his hustle, and like I don't know, he just always seems so focused during the games, and um, it'll be interesting to watch.

SPEAKER_01:

I agree, I agree a hundred percent. Well, my final um topic today. Um, this actually comes covers two different things. You you have you heard about the the 6-7 craze?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes. I still don't quite understand it, but I have.

SPEAKER_01:

I don't think they understand it, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_00:

No, I don't get it.

SPEAKER_01:

But recently they just took it up to a different notch. There was a young reporter, uh sports reporter, that was in the middle of her interview, and you know, she was doing her report, and a bunch of these young men surrounded her, you know, doing uh six seven, six seven, six seven, one idiot in front of the camera. And you know, she was a trooper, she did her job, whatever, but you could kind of see her tearing up a little bit. She didn't pull out cry, but you could see her tearing up, and I'm sitting there thinking, this is not cute. This is I know. Yes, and you know, the other thing that's a little shocking, I would think that all of their reporters would have a security around them at all times, at least one person.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

I mean, what are your thoughts about that, Merle?

SPEAKER_00:

I mean, it's funny because I think back to like my middle school or teenage days, and like I could see a scenario where like a few of my friends were just like giggling and or surrounding like a newscaster and saying stuff, but those men young men like did seem like a pack of coyotes, like they didn't really seem as like nice, and and they weren't like giggling and uh they seemed like a little bit threatening for sure. So I think I mean A, I think the six seven thing is so ridiculous, but B, um yeah, I think that she had every right to feel threatened and just like it was not appropriate.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm just surprised they didn't cut that that newscast and just go back to the station and be like, hey, you know what? Security, you need to help us out over here.

SPEAKER_00:

Something I know, I know. I wonder if they knew at the time they'd have like a viral moment, or maybe they wanted to keep rolling in case like something did happen and they'd have footage. Um, but yeah, it's scary and creepy.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and the thing about it is that with them being that close to her, I mean, thank god nothing happened. But what if them decide to grab her or hit her or do something? You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00:

She should press charges. Like, I mean, if they were to grab her, like assault her in any way, absolutely charges.

SPEAKER_01:

I just hope that um they give her a little bit of security because that's just ridiculous. No one needs to be harassed like that to just to do the job, you know.

SPEAKER_00:

I think people tend to think of like local news anchors as kind of like clowns, or you know what I mean? Like like props almost of like haha, they're not human, then I think uh definitely going too far.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I agree. So like I said, I'm glad that she wasn't injured, but um when you saw that when I saw it to me, when I saw the tears in her eyes when it started at that time, I was thinking, this is not funny, guys. This is not funny.

SPEAKER_00:

I know, I know, and I feel like their parents need to like reteach them like how to be gentlemen out in the world for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, I agree 100% on that. Well, talking about things coming up, what do you have coming up, Beryl?

SPEAKER_00:

Woohoo! Um, well, I keep on promoting it a lot, but now I'm uh I'm excited, but I'm thinking about all the things I want to promote. Okay, I just got on a really fun show um November 12th. I'm back at the La Jolla Comedy Store. I know I'm gonna talk about it a lot, but I'm back November 2012 um at the La Jolla Comedy Store, and I'm hosting, and the headliner is Tom Arnold from like Roseanne and everything, so that will be super cool.

SPEAKER_01:

That is gonna be super cool.

SPEAKER_00:

And he's really nice too. I've done a bunch of shows where he's like been the headliner, and he's um, if anyone is wondering, the T, he's very nice to perform with, and he's extremely funny and cool. So if you're not gonna come for me, which I don't understand why that wouldn't happen, then um then come for Tom Arnold.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, definitely if you're in the area, definitely come out and support Meryl. Come out and uh get a chance to see Tom Arnold as well.

SPEAKER_00:

Double exactly it's amazing how many of my family family and friends care when I'm like on a show with someone big. They're suddenly they're like very interested in my career.

SPEAKER_01:

No, I'm very interested. They just don't know how to show it. That's all. Exactly. That's true, that's true. Well, everyone, we had a great time. Um, I thank everyone for watching us, listening to us, and following us. I'm Lauren Selrod. I'm Merrill Climo. Have a great day, everyone.

SPEAKER_02:

Bye bye.

Head Shot

Lawrence Elrod

Host
Head Shot

Meryl Klemow

Co-host