This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason Senior Editor Robby Soave to discuss the $1.5 billion renewal of South Park and why the show remains one of the most important libertarian pop culture creations of the past 30 years. They reflect on its enduring relevance, its crude but effective political metaphors, and its broad appeal across ideological lines. The panel also revisits the fall of Gawker and what it revealed about public trust in media, then turns to President Donald Trump’s new AI executive order and the growing tendency to frame tech policy as part of the culture war. A listener question sparks discussion of Trump’s deregulation record and how it connects to the One Big Beautiful Bill, followed by a look at the latest developments around a potential government shutdown.
00:59—South Park’s renewal and the political implications
08:19—Late night TV, the Paramount merger, and cord cutting
17:20—The legacy of Gawker‘s collapse
28:15—Trump’s anti-woke AI executive order
36:05—Listener question on Trump’s deregulation track record
42:24—Are we heading toward another government shutdown?
50:52—Weekly cultural recommendations
Mentioned in This Podcast
“South Park Libertarians,” by Nick Gillespie and Jesse Walker
“The FCC’s Paramount/Skydance Decision Aims To Reshape Broadcast Journalism by Bureaucratic Fiat,” by Jacob Sullum
“Meet Stephen Colbert’s Biggest Fans: Congressional Democrats,” by Robby Soave
“By Settling Trump’s Laughable Lawsuit Against CBS, Paramount Strikes a Blow at Freedom of the Press,” by Jacob Sullum
“Gawker Was Killed for Publishing Embarrassing Truths. That’s Bad News,” By Brian Doherty
“Gawker Documentary Fails to Make Case for Publishing Sex Tape,” by Glenn Garvin
“‘Woke’ AI Is the Latest Threat to Free Speech,” by Elizabeth Nolan Brown
“Baseball, and the Vanishing Art of Forgiveness,” by Matt Welch
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- Producer: Paul Alexander
- Video Editor: Ian Keyser
