Politics, Pop Culture, and the Death of Fun :: Ep 46 Circling the Drain Podcast
On this episode of Circling The Drain, Johnny B, Jay Harper, and Jim talk about how political division has seeped into every corner of entertainment and media. They trade stories from talk radio, debate Trump’s influence on patriot events, and unpack why fans are turning on artists who get too political from the stage.
The guys also reminisce about women who changed rock (Linda Ronstadt, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Amy Lee), underrated girl and boy bands, and classic film stars and directors. They hit on the Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean controversies, the 250th celebration tied to Trump, CMA Fest politics, and how talk radio and cable news are burning people out. It’s part nostalgia, part media critique, and part “can we please just enjoy a show again?”
Includes:
– Behind-the-scenes stories from talk radio and WTN
– How politics hijacked July 4th and the 250th celebration
– Country music’s culture war: Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Beyoncé, CMA/ACM awards
– Why conservative talk radio has become an echo chamber
– Classic crushes and icons: Linda Ronstadt, Bridget Fonda, Cher, Marilyn Monroe
– Film noir, Turner Classic Movies, and Spielberg’s new UFO film
– Trace Adkins, Taylor Sheridan, and dream casting for Yellowstone-style shows
– Behind-the-scenes stories from talk radio and WTN
– How politics hijacked July 4th and the 250th celebration
– Country music’s culture war: Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Beyoncé, CMA/ACM awards
– Why conservative talk radio has become an echo chamber
– Classic crushes and icons: Linda Ronstadt, Bridget Fonda, Cher, Marilyn Monroe
– Film noir, Turner Classic Movies, and Spielberg’s new UFO film
– Trace Adkins, Taylor Sheridan, and dream casting for Yellowstone-style shows
Timed Highlights:
0:00 Lioness, Linus and dad-joke cold open
0:45 Johnny B, Jay, and Jim check in and bust chops on age and birthdays
2:50 Sharing birthdays with Tom Cruise, Andrew Garfield, Demi Lovato, Amy Adams, Scorsese, and Danny DeVito
4:10 Jim’s last-minute save as a baseball PA announcer and learning the lingo on the fly
7:50 Mercy rules, softball vs baseball pace, and why tournament ball can be brutal
8:45 Rush’s new drummer on tour and pulling off Tom Sawyer live
10:15 Blink-182’s drummer, plane crashes, DJ AM, and guilty-pleasure pop bands
12:10 Boy bands, Backstreet Boys, The Bangles, Go-Go’s, and needing more women drummers and guitarists
14:15 Linda Ronstadt, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Amy Lee, and greatest female rock vocalists
15:59 Linda Ronstadt stories, studios in Nashville, and realizing you’ve been sitting next to a legend
19:10 Aging icons: Linda Ronstadt, Cher turning 80, separating politics from performance
21:14 Trump, De Niro, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp and when politics ruins the art
22:38 Trump’s 250th celebration, Martina McBride and Bret Michaels backing out
25:00 Can we have a non-political patriotic event anymore? Remembering the 1976 Bicentennial
29:30 Covid money printing, tariffs, gas prices, and why voters always come back to their wallets
31:00 Bruce Springsteen, the Black Crowes, and crowds telling artists to “shut up and play”
32:10 CMA Fest, Justin Pearson, and bringing politicians on stage to rant
32:58 Music Row’s political disconnect from the country audience
33:37 Morgan Wallen being ignored by awards shows despite massive popularity
33:58 Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” Columbia courthouse, and outrage over the video
34:51 A billion streams, Congressional recognition, and producing the songwriter podcast
35:58 10–15 years of politics dividing entertainment
36:34 Steve Earle, protest songs, and when stage rants kill the vibe
37:10 Dixie Chicks backlash, Natalie Maines, and radio phones melting down
37:50 Playing Dixie Chicks on classic country formats and the name-change wars (Dixie Chicks, Lady A)
38:33 College indoctrination, Jim Breuer’s bit, and “racist, sexist, gender” on repeat
39:40 Campus politics then vs now, old-school professors who actually debated
40:59 Talk radio turning into an echo chamber and worshipping Trump
41:38 Jim getting heat on WTN for criticizing Trump’s spending
42:21 Audience demanding red meat and nothing but politics
44:16 Burnout from politics on air: filling in at WTN and being exhausted by the news cycle
45:18 Fox News running nonstop in the background and how it shapes older viewers
48:54 Family stories: visiting parents and in-laws who live on cable news and Trump
49:53 Streaming instead of news: Turner Classic Movies, film noir, and great writing
50:47 Classic Hollywood glamor, Bogart and Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and missing wit in modern movies
52:00 Marvel highs and lows after Endgame and Spielberg’s new disclosure/UFO movie
53:23 Emily Blunt, Monty Python references, and “huge tracts of land”
54:02 Whatever happened to Bridget Fonda and why she left Hollywood
55:00 Privacy, health, car accidents, and what aging looks like in the spotlight
57:17 Growing up a Fonda, Hollywood burnout, and punning about “Fond of Fondas”
57:37 Sound drops, Kelsey Grammer’s legendary stage fall, and physical comedy clips
58:15 Trace Adkins’ accident, almost losing a leg, and that unreal voice in headphones
59:44 Deep-voice envy, timbre, and why Trace belongs in a Taylor Sheridan series
1:00:36 IndyCar in Nashville, Alex Palou, short shorts, and being surrounded by race fans
1:02:06 Hospital stories, heart issues, and future guest John with his Muscle Shoals lineage
1:03:26 Why it’s fun but risky to wade into politics on a usually non-political show
1:04:10 Nearing episode 50 and the idea of “drinking before vs after” each podcast
1:05:21 Racing, upcoming events in Nashville, and guests missing the studio driveway
1:08:24 Directions, flagpoles, and the perils of running a hidden hilltop studio
1:09:21 Joking about fans “clogging the drain” and possible spin-off names
1:10:00 Where to find Circling The Drain across platforms and video/audio
0:00 Lioness, Linus and dad-joke cold open
0:45 Johnny B, Jay, and Jim check in and bust chops on age and birthdays
2:50 Sharing birthdays with Tom Cruise, Andrew Garfield, Demi Lovato, Amy Adams, Scorsese, and Danny DeVito
4:10 Jim’s last-minute save as a baseball PA announcer and learning the lingo on the fly
7:50 Mercy rules, softball vs baseball pace, and why tournament ball can be brutal
8:45 Rush’s new drummer on tour and pulling off Tom Sawyer live
10:15 Blink-182’s drummer, plane crashes, DJ AM, and guilty-pleasure pop bands
12:10 Boy bands, Backstreet Boys, The Bangles, Go-Go’s, and needing more women drummers and guitarists
14:15 Linda Ronstadt, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Amy Lee, and greatest female rock vocalists
15:59 Linda Ronstadt stories, studios in Nashville, and realizing you’ve been sitting next to a legend
19:10 Aging icons: Linda Ronstadt, Cher turning 80, separating politics from performance
21:14 Trump, De Niro, Sean Penn, Johnny Depp and when politics ruins the art
22:38 Trump’s 250th celebration, Martina McBride and Bret Michaels backing out
25:00 Can we have a non-political patriotic event anymore? Remembering the 1976 Bicentennial
29:30 Covid money printing, tariffs, gas prices, and why voters always come back to their wallets
31:00 Bruce Springsteen, the Black Crowes, and crowds telling artists to “shut up and play”
32:10 CMA Fest, Justin Pearson, and bringing politicians on stage to rant
32:58 Music Row’s political disconnect from the country audience
33:37 Morgan Wallen being ignored by awards shows despite massive popularity
33:58 Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” Columbia courthouse, and outrage over the video
34:51 A billion streams, Congressional recognition, and producing the songwriter podcast
35:58 10–15 years of politics dividing entertainment
36:34 Steve Earle, protest songs, and when stage rants kill the vibe
37:10 Dixie Chicks backlash, Natalie Maines, and radio phones melting down
37:50 Playing Dixie Chicks on classic country formats and the name-change wars (Dixie Chicks, Lady A)
38:33 College indoctrination, Jim Breuer’s bit, and “racist, sexist, gender” on repeat
39:40 Campus politics then vs now, old-school professors who actually debated
40:59 Talk radio turning into an echo chamber and worshipping Trump
41:38 Jim getting heat on WTN for criticizing Trump’s spending
42:21 Audience demanding red meat and nothing but politics
44:16 Burnout from politics on air: filling in at WTN and being exhausted by the news cycle
45:18 Fox News running nonstop in the background and how it shapes older viewers
48:54 Family stories: visiting parents and in-laws who live on cable news and Trump
49:53 Streaming instead of news: Turner Classic Movies, film noir, and great writing
50:47 Classic Hollywood glamor, Bogart and Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, and missing wit in modern movies
52:00 Marvel highs and lows after Endgame and Spielberg’s new disclosure/UFO movie
53:23 Emily Blunt, Monty Python references, and “huge tracts of land”
54:02 Whatever happened to Bridget Fonda and why she left Hollywood
55:00 Privacy, health, car accidents, and what aging looks like in the spotlight
57:17 Growing up a Fonda, Hollywood burnout, and punning about “Fond of Fondas”
57:37 Sound drops, Kelsey Grammer’s legendary stage fall, and physical comedy clips
58:15 Trace Adkins’ accident, almost losing a leg, and that unreal voice in headphones
59:44 Deep-voice envy, timbre, and why Trace belongs in a Taylor Sheridan series
1:00:36 IndyCar in Nashville, Alex Palou, short shorts, and being surrounded by race fans
1:02:06 Hospital stories, heart issues, and future guest John with his Muscle Shoals lineage
1:03:26 Why it’s fun but risky to wade into politics on a usually non-political show
1:04:10 Nearing episode 50 and the idea of “drinking before vs after” each podcast
1:05:21 Racing, upcoming events in Nashville, and guests missing the studio driveway
1:08:24 Directions, flagpoles, and the perils of running a hidden hilltop studio
1:09:21 Joking about fans “clogging the drain” and possible spin-off names
1:10:00 Where to find Circling The Drain across platforms and video/audio
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Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co
