Well, the year is coming to an end, and let’s kick off our year-end fundraising extravaganza! I will be periodically posting some merch and patron links on the screen. I’m going full retard on the PBS ness of it all. 

As you all know, TIR is entirely listener-funded. We don’t take corporate money—yet. But hey, at this point, I am not above accepting some venture capitalist funds. If lizard man Peter Thiel wants to drop some change this way, I WILL TAKE IT! Seriously, though, we’re gearing up to celebrate five incredible years of bringing you top-tier shows spiced with the finest dick jokes in podcasting.

To finish the year strong, we’ve lined up an all-star roster of guest hosts. The Green and Red Podcast will be here to dig into the biggest environmental stories of the year. Champagne Sharks is making a triumphant return, and the Antifada crew will also be in the mix. So if you like your podcasts smart, sharp, and a little chaotic, now’s the time to help us grow—so big that maybe, just maybe, we too can be part of the Vanguard’s podcast drama wars.

In actual news, a suspect is now in custody for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The accused, Luigi Mangione, has become something of an antihero heartthrob online. There are memes, thirst traps, and even some wild right-wing takes—I saw one guy call him “a real-life Batman.” (Spoiler: that guy doesn’t know who Batman is.)

But, following the Robin Hood-like response across the political spectrum for Mangione there has been a backlash. Following the murder, a Florida woman named Brianna Boston used the same chilling words reportedly etched on the shell casings found at the scene of the crime—“Delay, Deny, Depose.” Boston was arrested for making terrorist threats after her claim was denied while she was on the phone with Blue Cross. Boston was just venting after having a claim denied and posed no threat, but will this be the move of these companies moving forward?

One thing this incident has done is reignited public outrage about the deadly inefficiency of the American healthcare system. Michael Moore was inspired to drop *Sicko* on YouTube for free, it feels like we’re in a moment worth examining.

So let’s talk about it. What does Luigi Mangione’s viral antihero status say about the state of the public’s frustration with corporate healthcare? Is this a sign that Americans are reaching a breaking point with the “profits over people” model? Or is this just another fleeting moment in the outrage cycle, destined to fizzle before it can spark meaningful reform?

Meanwhile, local news outlets are amplifying stories about families suffering under Medicaid cuts and unaffordable premiums. But can the spotlight on healthcare—even one as darkly sensational as this—actually push us closer to socialized medicine? And what does it say about the system that it takes extreme events, like the death of a CEO or the arrest of a desperate woman, to bring these issues to the fore?

Let’s dive in. And don’t forget to drop a Super Chat! Help us grow, so one day I can afford the kind of healthcare coverage these CEOs would deny me.

Jason laments about the current state of healthcare in the US, and then takes a deep dive into what it's like to live in a high crime area.

We take a look at some of the Jay-Z accusations and umm... Then we look back at some classic Richard Pryor stuff from his variety show! Enjoy

The term "hair metal" is often loaded with contradictory emotions. For some, it carries a pejorative tone, evoking images of overproduced, superficial music that prioritized style over substance. For others, it symbolizes a golden era of hedonism and carefree excess—a nostalgic portal to the cultural climate of the 1980s. Whether you're a Gen X'er reliving the glory years of 1981-1987 or a Gen Z'er discovering the era's flamboyant spectacle for the first time, hair metal offers an intriguing entry into a bygone cultural zeitgeist.

Hair metal is best understood as an amalgamation of diverse influences: the shock rock theatrics of Alice Cooper and KISS, the virtuosic intensity of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), and the pop hooks reminiscent of 70s classic rock. The genre's genesis can be traced to Los Angeles in the late 1970s and early 1980s, amid the decline of hardcore punk and new wave. Unlike the disaffected rebellion of punk or the cerebral stylings of new wave, hair metal embraced a more commercial, hedonistic ethos that resonated with suburban youth.

Van Halen’s meteoric rise in the late 70s, driven by Eddie Van Halen’s guitar innovation and David Lee Roth’s charismatic theatrics, laid much of the groundwork. Yet, it was Quiet Riot that first achieved mainstream success with 1983’s Metal Health, the first metal album to reach #1 on the Billboard charts. Their cover of Slade's “Cum on Feel the Noize” exemplified the blend of hard rock bombast and pop sensibility that defined the genre.

Simultaneously, Ozzy Osbourne’s Blizzard of Ozz (1980) featuring Randy Rhoads, redefined what metal could be—dark and heavy, but also catchy and accessible. This formula of blending metal’s aggression with pop hooks became the template for hair metal’s commercial domination.

Unlike punk’s overt challenge to conservative politics, hair metal offered rebellion as a commodified spectacle. It was less about collective resistance to authority and more about personal indulgence. The Reagan and Thatcher years saw the rise of neoliberal individualism, and hair metal became the soundtrack to this ethos: drugs, sex, and flashy excess. Bands like Mötley Crüe, with albums such as Shout at the Devil (1983), exemplified this aesthetic, blending occult imagery with glam decadence.

However, by the late 80s, the genre began to cannibalize itself. Bands influenced by early hair metal—such as Poison—were producing sanitized versions of the form. By 1988, hair metal had become a bloated commercial enterprise. Simultaneously, the rise of bands like Guns N' Roses and Faster Pussycat, who rejected the cartoonish glam aesthetic, signaled a shift. Mötley Crüe’s 1987 album Girls, Girls, Girls symbolized this transition—gone were the lace and makeup, replaced by leather and a grittier image.

The genre’s decline was swift, for many hastened by the rise of grunge and alternative rock in the early 90s. While I don’t discount the raw authenticity of bands like Nirvana, and how it  stood in stark contrast to the excesses of hair metal; By 1987 most of the “hair metal” songs were pop music with distorted guitars. Def Leppard’s 1983 Pyromania was to be their “Thriller”. This was less an authentic genre, and more a media moniker, and everyone with a Marshall stack and hair spray wanted to use that moniker to get in the business.  By the early 90s, the genre was relegated to nostalgia tours and retro compilations, a relic of a pre-grunge world.

Why Didn’t California Vote To Raise the Minimum Wage?

In the recent November election, California voters surprisingly rejected Proposition 32, a measure aimed at increasing the statewide minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2025. This decision occurred despite prior legislative successes, such as the passage of a bill raising fast food workers' wages to $20 per hour. The rejection of Prop 32 reflects a broader trend in voter priorities, as economic concerns have overtaken issues like systemic racism, which dominated public discourse in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests in 2020. 

Polling data from the Associated Press at the time of the election indicated that a majority of Californians cited the economy as their primary concern, with worries about inflation and rising costs playing a significant role. Opponents of Prop 32, including the California Chamber of Commerce and other business groups, warned voters that such an increase could lead to higher prices and economic instability—a message that appears to have resonated widely.

Simultaneously, growing public frustration with corporate power and wealth inequality has fueled more radical critiques. The recent assassination of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson prompted a flood of online commentary expressing disdain for the perceived exploitation by corporate elites. United Healthcare, in particular, has faced criticism for profiting at the expense of denying essential care. Despite widespread economic precarity—evidenced by the rising number of "ALICE" (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households—and persistent issues like housing insecurity, public responses suggest a declining collective empathy for the economically vulnerable. For example, San Francisco recently announced the closure of its only RV parking site for unhoused residents, underscoring this shift.

This growing tension highlights a paradox: while frustration with corporate greed is palpable, there is little evidence of a coordinated working-class movement capable of enacting systemic change. The rejection of Prop 32 raises critical questions about public attitudes toward economic justice, the influence of corporate lobbying, and the potential for a renewed push for labor rights and equity in the post-George Floyd era.