Badlands Media

Burning Bright and Chris Paul sit down for a spirited Thanksgiving-week discussion of Planes, Trains and Automobiles, unpacking John Hughes’ classic through humor, film analysis, psychology, and cultural commentary. They break down the movie’s “comedy of errors” structure, the over-the-top schmaltz of its emotional beats, and how Steve Martin and John Candy embody two archetypes forced together on a chaotic hero’s journey. The hosts dive into the film’s mythic storytelling roots, its portrayal of 1980s Americana, the contrast between Neil’s polished corporate frustration and Del’s messy human warmth, and the way both men represent missing pieces in each other’s lives. Along the way, BB and Chris veer into side-rants about Reagan-era prosperity aesthetics, the lost art of character-driven movies, airline misery, AI shaping society since the 1950s, the asymmetry of technology, how modern films misunderstand character, and even how turkeys, pardons, Venezuela, and election narratives tie into today’s psyop-ridden media landscape. A sharp, funny, reflective episode blending film breakdown, cultural analysis, and classic Badlands banter.

CannCon and Ashe in America open this episode of the Badlands Book Club with the beginning of Chapter 11, Part 1 of The Fourth Turning, diving into Strauss and Howe’s blueprint for how societies and individuals should prepare for a coming crisis era. They read through and discuss the authors’ seasonal model of history, focusing on how America should “move with” the current unraveling, avoid outdated behaviors from prior eras, and begin quietly preparing for the demands of the next Fourth Turning. The chapter explores the dangers of linear thinking, the need to recognize the signs of a secular winter, and the importance of personal responsibility, civic renewal, cultural uplift, and institutional pruning before a crisis takes hold. Along the way, Ashe and CannCon relate the text to modern politics, media dysfunction, generational shifts, and the hijacking of societal cycles by today’s ruling class, layering in humor, eye-rolls, personal stories, debate, and real-time reactions. They also discuss upcoming Book Club selections, holiday plans, and viewer chat, making this a dense but lively walkthrough of one of the most consequential chapters in the book.

Ghost opens Episode 59 with humor, Encanto music, and a reminder of how absurd the global news cycle has become before diving headfirst into Venezuela’s rapidly escalating geopolitical storm. He breaks down Nicolás Maduro’s explosive claim that U.S. banks and intelligence agencies—not Latin America—are the true center of global drug trafficking, then contrasts that with the U.S. designating the “Cartel of the Suns” a terrorist organization and launching deadly boat strikes across the region. Ghost analyzes viral clips of Maduro dancing, the wave of flight cancellations after FAA warnings, and the massive U.S. naval buildup near Venezuela, questioning who is actually pushing for conflict. He explores the contested Guyana oil fields, Chevron’s strategic legal maneuvers, British intelligence suddenly halting information sharing, and how the battle for Essequibo ties into global power plays involving China, Russia, Exxon, and 5 Eyes. Ghost highlights the propaganda, psyops, neocon pressure, CIA narratives, and media manipulation fueling panic—while emphasizing how every faction is playing its own game. A sharp, funny, and deeply detailed breakdown of a chaotic moment where nothing is as it seems.

Jon Herold unpacks a wide-ranging and often hilarious news day, starting with his newly minted title as the “world’s foremost Q promoter” after a New York Times piece took his comments wildly out of context. He breaks down the Epstein-file discourse, clarifies what he actually said, and roasts Will Sommer while embracing the absurdity of becoming media-designated “Q adjacent.” Jon then covers mixed signals surrounding the supposed shutdown and surprise “revival” of DOGE, Trump pardoning a turkey, stock market chatter, and reports that Ukraine has agreed to the core terms of a U.S.-brokered peace deal. He reacts to snowfall at home, Thanksgiving week family time, and the DOJ’s election-related narratives before diving into Emerald Robinson’s sprawling 2024 “steal prevention” thread, which he finds intriguing but deeply suspicious. From Musk rumors to Smartmatic whistleblowers to cyber ops, Jon raises red flags while analyzing what doesn’t add up. Additional topics include Trump’s Genesis Mission executive order on AI, the slowing housing market, Fed speculation, terror-designation reviews, Mark Kelly’s UCMJ scrutiny, a mysterious new DoD content-blocking directive, Speaker Johnson’s Nick Fuentes comments, and the surreal “everyone’s alive in Bismarck” running gag.

CannCon and Ghost unpack a massive news day on Badlands Daily, beginning with breaking reports that Ukraine has tentatively agreed to a U.S.-brokered 19-point peace plan, sparking heated analysis of leaked terms, neocon backlash, and Putin’s strategic posture. They dig into Colonel McGregor’s warnings about NATO collapse, Zelensky’s looming exit, and the deep corruption unraveling inside Ukraine’s government. The conversation shifts to the Comey case dismissal on a technicality, DOJ moves to release Epstein–Maxwell grand jury materials, and Cash Patel’s tight-lipped update on the J6 pipe bomber investigation. The guys cover a major 1,500-pound meth seizure, Chicago’s exploding school travel scandal, refugee re-interviews, and the stunning announcement that retired Navy Captain Mark Kelly may face UCMJ consequences for seditious messaging. Ghost dives into Maduro’s accusations against U.S. banks laundering cartel money, FAA flight warnings over Venezuela, F-35/F-15 weapons deals, and growing instability across South America and Eastern Europe. It’s a high-velocity episode loaded with geopolitics, corruption, law-fare, and the shifting global order, all delivered with classic Badlands candor.

In this intense and unsettling episode, Jon Herold and Zak Paine continue their deep dive into the world of human hunting, forced organ harvesting, and elite-level criminal networks. Picking up the thread from last week, they unravel the horrifying story of the Kosovo “Yellow House,” where kidnapped civilians were reportedly dissected for their organs under the protection of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The hosts examine eyewitness accounts, UN reports, and the stunning lack of prosecutions, even as the alleged perpetrators rose to positions of political power. They also expose shocking modern-day parallels, from U.S. prison cases where families received bodies stripped of organs, to hospitals harvesting unidentified patients, to the mysterious Maltese death of teenager Mike Mansholt. With their signature mix of dark humor, sharp analysis, and incredulity at the media’s silence, Jon and Zak spotlight a global system of corruption that authorities continue to ignore, and ask how these atrocities can happen in plain sight.

In this packed return episode, Ashe in America and Abbey Blue Eyes dive straight into a whirlwind of topics, from JFK’s assassination anniversary and the documentary Everything Is a Rich Man’s Trick to the unsettling ways government, intelligence agencies, and media manipulate public perception. The ladies explore how disinformation, staged narratives, emotional manipulation, and Hollywood-style storytelling have been weaponized for decades, weaving these themes into modern examples like J6 and media-driven political psyops. They then shift into a fascinating and at times alarming discussion on the rapid evolution of augmented reality, neural-tech, surveillance eyewear, and the eroding line between real and artificial experience. With humor, honesty, and their signature sister-energy, Ashe and Abbey tie everything back to discernment, faith, and navigating a world where you’re never supposed to know who’s acting, or what’s real.

In this chapter, Ghost turns his attention to Dmitry Medvedev, exploring how his rise, presidency, and partnership with Vladimir Putin reveal critical patterns in modern geopolitics. Using Medvedev’s biography as a lens, Ghost walks through Russia’s post-Soviet power struggles, the Aluminum Wars, Gazprom restructuring, oligarch crackdowns, and the emergence of competing factions inside the Kremlin. He breaks down Medvedev’s technocratic “Strategy 2020,” the Russian-Georgian war, the tandemocracy with Putin, national security reforms, and the deeper geopolitical echoes between Russia, the West, and today’s shifting alliances. Through Medvedev’s story, Ghost highlights the recurring historical “reruns” that shape current events, showing how this era set the stage for today’s multipolar world, and why understanding Medvedev is essential to understanding Trump, Putin, and the broader sovereign movement.

Ashe in America, Abbey Blue Eyes, Christy Lupo, and Jackie Espada return for a hilariously chaotic episode of Alphas Make Sandwiches, starting with tech trouble, backseat kids, and Jackie’s coughing fits before diving into holidays, gift shopping, and the eternal battle between “girl math” and real budgets. Abbey shares her panic over last-minute Thanksgiving hosting, Ashe rants about customer-service nightmares and missing packages, Christy brings the idiom of the week (“Know your onions”), and Jackie delivers a migraine-survival segment packed with electrolytes, oils, and pressure-point hacks. The girls spiral through topics like buggy Amazon drivers, 200-item carts, late-night anxiety, CleanTok cleaning obsessions, lip-flip Botox disasters, church outfits, Soft Disclosure skincare, and stomach-virus horror stories, punctuated by barking dogs, rogue children, and relentless giggles. It’s peak AMS energy: unfiltered, funny, chaotic, and comfortingly relatable.

CannCon, Alpha Warrior, JB White, and Cam Cooksey deliver another unfiltered, out-of-control episode of Y-Chromes, kicking off with Thanksgiving plans, punctuality roasting, and a deep dive into smoked turkey technique—complete with butter-loaded culinary debates and Chef Kuso inspiration. The guys react to Alpha’s infamous Jerome stunt, relive wild OnlyLands moments, and bring the clips: Bad Lip Readings, brisket critiques, Popeyes turkey takes, and the chaos of Florida wildlife, snowbirds, and buffalo ants. NFL picks dominate the mid-show with competitive banter, strategic sabotage, and fantasy-league grievances as they argue injuries, upsets, and humiliation rituals. From high-school basketball loopholes to gator encounters, Matt Rife crowd-work, and viral animal moments, the crew blends comedy, culture, sports, and absolute nonsense into a Thanksgiving-week special packed with laughter and brotherly abuse, Badlands-style.

Jon Herold breaks down a whirlwind news day as he opens with the bombshell dismissal of the James Comey and Letitia James indictments, questioning the legality of Lindsey Halligan’s appointment and what the ruling means for future challenges. From there he dives into the unexpected shutdown of DOGE, unpacking the official explanations, the community’s reactions, and whether the move signals bureaucratic failure or a deliberate shifting of strategy. Jon reacts to Trump’s surprise call with President Xi, MTG’s resignation letter, Thomas Massie and General Flynn publicly rejecting “4D and 5D chess,” and the growing sense that certain actors are intentionally trying to demoralize the “trust the plan” crowd. He navigates the internal fractures within MAGA, foreign accounts steering the America First narrative, evolving Q skepticism, and the increasingly obvious role of social media ops amplifying division. With commentary on Trump’s tariff post, sports takes, election fraud urgency, Bitcoin momentum, and Nick Fuentes being elevated by establishment voices, Jon ties together a chaotic landscape where psyops, perception, and narrative warfare matter as much as the headlines themselves.

CannCon and Zak Paine dig into a packed news cycle, starting with Marjorie Taylor Greene’s surprise resignation and what it signals for Georgia politics and wider MAGA strategy. They trace how Venezuela has become the centerpiece of a global struggle involving drug networks, election interference, and deep-state ratlines, as U.S. naval power builds in the Caribbean and intelligence chatter heats up. The hosts expose the coordinated push by Democrats, including Klobuchar and Slotkin, to undermine military command by seeding doubts about “illegal orders,” tying it directly to Trump’s actions against cartels, foreign interference, and the intelligence apparatus itself. From Rasmussen drops to Maduro-era revelations, the looming terrorist designation of Cartel de los Soles, and the Venezuelan connection to global election manipulation, CannCon and Zak connect the dots between recent strikes, State Department signals, and Trump’s call to focus America’s “energy and might” on election fraud. With commentary on Comey’s legal troubles, the military vaccine fallout, and the unraveling networks behind the global criminal state, this episode pulls together geopolitics, domestic subversion, and the fight to reclaim U.S. institutions.

JB White rolls into Episode 48.1 fired up and unfiltered, weaving together SEC football heartbreak, Jacksonville Jaguars frustration, and the nonstop political and geopolitical chaos he calls “flooding the zone.” From a Tennessee beatdown to Trevor Lawrence meltdown analysis, JB uses sports as the warm-up before diving straight into cultural battles, corporate overreach, Crisco controversies, and the importance of healthy skepticism in a capitalist system. He highlights shifting political winds, 86 Democrats suddenly voting against socialism, Trump’s master-class handling of New York’s new mayor, and the broader affordability messaging redefining the landscape. JB also explores global realignment from Venezuela to Argentina, Bitcoin corrections, DeSantis chatter, Disruptors-in-Chief (Trump, Musk, Saylor, Besant, Vance, Rubio), and the strategic signals America is sending in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Blending humor, faith, sports, memes, and geopolitical clarity, JB captures a moment when everything is accelerating at once and nothing can stop what is coming.

Alpha Warrior, Brad Zerbo, and Josh Reid tear into a packed night of geopolitical shifts, media meltdowns, and deep-state panic as they break down the accelerating collapse of the old narrative structure. From the establishment’s failed attempts to spin Trump’s global influence to the desperate psychological projection pouring out of politicians and pundits, the crew maps out how every “crisis” seems to boomerang back onto the people manufacturing it. They dig into foreign policy reversals, intelligence-community infighting, the unraveling of propaganda networks, and the rising momentum behind a multipolar world that Washington can no longer control. With sharp analysis, hard laughs, and the signature late-night energy that defines the show, the guys connect the dots between collapsing psyops, shifting alliances, public awakening, and the strategic patterns driving the chaos behind the headlines, reminding listeners why nothing is as it seems, and why the timing matters more than ever.

Burning Bright returns with The Narrative Ep. 47: Arctic Alliance, joined by special guest Matt Ehret for a deep-dive into the shifting geopolitical landscape. The episode opens with BB’s trademark cultural commentary before steering into a sprawling conversation on U.S.–Russia dynamics, the evolving multipolar world, and why Americans may need to rethink everything they've been taught about global alliances. Matt shares insights from his recent trip to Russia, the cultural pulse inside the country, and the growing appetite for collaboration over conflict. Together they explore Putin’s relationship with history, the controlled-opposition dynamics shaping East–West tensions, and how Arctic development could unlock a future of cooperation rather than catastrophe. From the failures of past global revolutions to the potentially transformative impact of a U.S.–Russia–China Arctic corridor, this episode pushes beyond headlines and narratives, inviting listeners into a hopeful, complex, and often hidden story about what comes next.

Jonathan Drake delivers one of his most hard-hitting episodes yet as he continues dissecting Lysander Spooner’s No Treason, shifting from moral critique to the deeper question Spooner demands we confront: Who actually rules us? Jonathan walks through Spooner’s brutal distinction between the “boots on the ground” willing to enforce tyranny and the true ruling class, the financiers who bankroll governments, wars, and oppression for profit. Using Spooner’s fiery language, Jonathan exposes how the power to borrow and tax created a system where governments exist not to serve the people, but to guarantee endless revenue to international moneylenders. Through vivid examples, biblical parallels, historical quotes, and blistering analysis, he maps out a centuries-long pattern of manufactured crises, perpetual debt, and engineered wars designed to consolidate control. Jonathan also shares personal updates, responds to live chat, and previews next week’s dive into Spooner’s devastating explanation for the real cause of the Civil War. A dense, riveting continuation of Spooner’s demolition of constitutional mythology and the financial machinery behind global tyranny.

Jon Herold and Chris Paul unpack a wildly chaotic news week dominated by the political establishment’s increasingly desperate attempts to control the narrative. They break down the renewed hysteria around the Epstein files, why ABC is panicking, why Democrats are suddenly scrambling to distance themselves, and how Trump’s timing continues to force their hand. The hosts examine Netanyahu’s high-risk political maneuvers, Israel’s deepening strategic crisis, and the media’s contradictory framing around both U.S. foreign policy and the Gaza response. Jon and Chris also tear apart the forced “MAGA is divided” storyline, exposing coordinated influencer psyops, synthetic outrage cycles, and the hall-of-mirrors effect created when media and partisans all react to each other instead of reality. With humor, receipts, and classic Devolution analysis, they map out how the old structure is collapsing under its own contradictions, and why the public is waking up faster than the narrative managers can adapt.

Alpha Warrior sits down with Kaity, “Defender of the Republic,” for her most personal and unfiltered interview yet, tracing her journey from a tough childhood in Brooklyn and the Bronx to becoming one of the most recognizable patriot voices online. Kaity opens up about surviving dangerous neighborhoods, battling a teacher who said she’d “never amount to anything,” navigating early adulthood, enduring traumatic medical experiences, and rebuilding herself through grit, humor, and a relentless work ethic. She and Alpha dive into motherhood, vaccine regret, COVID-era awakenings, the media’s role in destroying friendships, and how her viral videos were born from heartbreak and conviction. Kaity shares her love of sales, self-reliance, patriotism, accountability, and the mission that fuels her daily: protecting America and empowering others to fight deception. The conversation moves through emotional stories, comedy, family memories, patriot philosophy, and even flat-earth debates, before ending with a rapid-fire round that reveals her quirks, courage, and heart. A raw, inspiring, deeply human episode.

Cam Cooksey leads a heartfelt, free-flowing episode centered on the anniversary of JFK’s assassination and what that moment meant for America’s awakening. He opens by connecting with the live chat, sharing personal stories, college football banter, and updates on new Badlands sponsors before shifting into the deeper theme of the night: truth, transparency, and the spiritual battle underlying our modern political reality. Cam plays JFK’s famous “Secret Society” speech, using it as a launch point for a wide-ranging discussion on censorship, propaganda, government overreach, and the parallels between 1963 and today. The phones light up as callers share memories, faith testimonies, conspiracy analysis, and concerns about current events, from assassination attempts to corruption inside federal agencies. Throughout the episode, Cam returns to the grounding message that real power comes from God, prayer, community, and standing firm in truth. Both intimate and expansive, it’s a night of reflection, revival, and real conversation.

Brad Zerbo and Jaytriot dive into a full-blown Thanksgiving-week celebration of collaborations and mashups, exploring some of the most surprising pairings in music history. From Run-DMC and Aerosmith’s culture-breaking “Walk This Way,” to Public Enemy and Anthrax detonating the first true rap-metal crossover, the hosts trace how these unlikely unions reshaped entire genres. They showcase viral mashups like Bob Marley fused with Billy Idol and Slayer reimagined on banjo, bringing both laughter and genuine admiration for the creativity behind them. Brad and Jay share personal concert stories, debate the evolution of rap and metal, wander into classical influences on heavy music, and even highlight Pavarotti performing with Bono and Jon Bon Jovi. The episode winds through punk pits, metal symphonies, techno threads, and childhood nostalgia before closing with the iconic Bowie/Bing Crosby Christmas duet and its hilarious modern recreation. It’s a wide-open, energetic hour of music geekery, surprises, and pure audio joy.