The Spectacle Podcast: The Official Podcast of The American Spectator

The premier of the latest season of The Bachelorette was suddenly canceled due to recent and previous domestic violence allegations against Taylor Frankie Paul, who Disney and ABC had selected as the show’s star. Taylor Frankie Paul’s rise to fame has been fueled by her toxic tendencies, some of which are documented on the Hulu show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. On this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast, hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss footage of the incident, which involves Paul throwing metal chairs at her boyfriend and her daughter. Ellie and Lyrah call out Disney for selecting Paul despite her criminal history, and also go through the problems that are displayed by Paul and her group of friends known as MomTok. Tune in to hear their discussion!

A demonstrator at the “Hands off Iran” protest in Philadelphia was caught on video cheering for American troops to be returned “in a casket,” and called for the Iranian regime to bring the U.S. “to its knees.” The Spectator P.M. Podcast hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo criticize the protest and the protester’s speech for cheering for the death of Americans. They discuss the Left’s lack of insightful thought on the Iran war and their hatred of President Trump. Tune in to hear their discussion!

The trend of “looksmaxxing,” which involves men hyper-fixating on their look to become physically attractive, with some going to extreme measures by hammering their cheekbones or breaking their jaws. On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss how the trend is attributed to the lack of meaningful relationships between men and women. They point out how influencers like Andrew Tate and Clavicular are cautionary tales of what happens when men emphasize looks over character and concrete skills. Melissa and Scott survey what’s going on amongst young men and women, pointing out the return of blue-collar jobs and traditional values that are appealing again. Tune in to hear their discussion!

Traveling Americans are complaining about the extra-long TSA lines at airports across the country, which is due to a partial government shutdown. This particular grievance leads The Spectacle Podcast hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay to one idea — to get rid of the TSA altogether. Melissa and Scott discuss the impact Americans are experiencing from the shutdown, criticizing both Republicans and Democrats for their response. They explain the absurdity of the TSA, deeming it a theatrical system that serves no purpose in protecting Americans from terrorist incidents. Melissa and Scott also propose suitable replacements to TSA, such as implementing private security companies and utilizing AI. Tune in to hear their discussion!

While Cubans continue to struggle without power, the Leftist organization Code Pink took a trip to provide “humanitarian aid” to stand in solidarity with the people to go against the Trump administration. Code Pink’s “humanitarian aid” took the form of music festivals and an art mural, while they stayed at a five-star hotel that was one of the few places in Cuba with power. The Spectacle Podcast hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss the poor optics of Code Pink’s virtue signaling amidst Cuba’s country-wide blackout. They accuse the organization of trying to leverage the Cuban people’s struggles for their political benefit — a common motivator for left-wing activists. Scott and Melissa express their frustrations with the hypocrisy of Leftist activists and bring up Code Pink’s potential relationship with China from Shanghai tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham, who is the husband of Jody Evans, Code Pink’s co-founder. Tune in to hear their discussion!

It’s no secret that the Left employs disinformation to distract the American people from knowing the truth, and the Trump-Russia Collusion hoax is no exception. On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, host Scott McKay is joined by Drew Allen, the host of The Drew Allen Show to discuss … Drew talks about his new book being released this week, Clinton Hoax, Obama Coup: The Declassified Story Of The Trump-Russia Delusion, which details how Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton conspired a coup in an attempt to squash Trump from winning the 2016 presidential election. Drew offers special insight into his book and how the Benghazi incident during Obama’s administration led up to the Trump-Russia collusion hoax. Scott and Drew also touch on how the Left is known for weaponizing information to go against Trump — such as the Steele dossier and the Epstein files — but will ignore credible evidence just because it is contrary to their claims. Tune in to hear their discussion!

The people of New York City who voted for Zohran Mamdani hold high hopes that his socialist policies will make the Big Apple appealing again. However, his first couple of months in office have already shown how leftist politics and Islamic ideology are not compatible for the American people. The Spectacle Podcast host Scott McKay is joined by special guest Drew Allen, host of The Drew Allen Show, to discuss Mamdani’s horrid leadership and how it is ruining New York City. Scott and Drew point out recent events and controversies surrounding Mamdani, such as the recent terrorist attack in front of Gracie Mansion, his wife’s social media activity, and his comments to support Palestine at a party celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. They also explain how the Islamic religion is violent and anti-Christian, which goes against Western culture and America’s foundational values. Tune in to hear their discussion!

The Cuban people have had it with the ills of communism and how it has hurt their country, and they are making it known that they are in desperate need of change. Drew Allen, host of The Drew Allen Show, joins The Spectacle Podcast host Scott McKay to discuss the nearing end of the Castro regime in Cuba. Scott and Drew discuss recent key events that indicate this change, such as major blackouts, riots, and negotiations with the United States. Drew compares the policy positions of Donald Trump and Barack Obama, and explains how Obama is largely responsible for boosting the communist regime in Cuba. They also give historical context for how Cuba has crumbled, which serves as a lesson on why communism fails every time it is tried. Tune in to hear their discussion!

The online gambling industry is projected to amass over $1 trillion by 2028 — at the price of many young men’s lives. On this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast, hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss online betting and go through testimonies of recovering men who are bringing awareness to the addiction. Ellie and Lyrah talk about the concerning statistics about online gambling and its overconsumption by young men, especially for sports. Tune in to hear discussion!

While Kamala Harris’ continues her tour for her book 107 Days, the possibility of her being a contender for the 2028 presidential election makes Democrats shudder. The Spectator P.M. Podcast hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss Kamala Harris’ potential bid for the presidency. Ellie and Lyrah explain how Harris is irrelevant to the Democratic Party and what her chances are for securing the nomination amongst other presidential hopefuls like Gavin Newsom. Tune in to hear their discussion!

Is LGBTQ out of trend for young adults? A further look into the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System found that young adults ages 18–24 are identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual in smaller numbers. Find out why on this episode of The Spectator P.M. Podcast, in which hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo analyze the data and explain how young adults are recognizing the consequences of the transgender movement and LGBTQ ideology. Ellie and Lyrah point out the social factors fueling this change, such as increased parental involvement in education and awareness by detransitioners and people who have left the movement. Tune in to hear their discussion!

Zohran Mamdani’s wife, Rama Duwaji, has been receiving backlash for liking posts on Instagram that supported Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Spectator P.M. Podcast hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo point out Duwaji’s status as a public figure, contrary to Mamdani’s claims that his wife is a “private person.” They also discuss Mamdani’s decision this week to host anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil for dinner. Ellie and Lyrah also discuss the recent attempted terrorist attack in front of Gracie Mansion by two ISIS-inspired teenagers. Tune in to hear their podcast!

Social media users were frazzled with the appearance of ‘Jim Carrey’ at the César Awards, lighting up conspiracy theories that he was cloned. On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay decipher Jim Carrey’s face and the facts to determine if that was really Carrey or not. Despite Carrey’s make-up artist claiming that it was not Carrey but the artist, his publicist clarified that it was indeed Carrey at the award show. Melissa and Scott also dig deeper, explaining how people cannot trust what they see online due to deep fakes, AI, and other forms of deception. They also discuss AI imagery as a form of art and how it is used at The American Spectator. Tune in to hear their discussion!

A psychology study found that kids raised in the 1960s and 1970s are more emotionally resilient than any of the following generations, due to how they were raised. Join The Spectacle Podcast hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay as they discuss the truth behind these findings and go back to the good ol’ days. Melissa and Scott share experiences from their childhood where parental watch could be described as ‘reckless’ in today’s standards. They also discuss the other factors behind the emotional vulnerability of younger generations, such as the reliance on technology and the educational system. Tune in to hear their discussion!

Operation Epic Fury is unleashed in Iran, which led to the death of Iranian regime leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei and resulted in six American military casualties. On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay discuss the implications of war against Iran and debate whether U.S. involvement is warranted. Melissa criticizes the U.S. for its current actions, expressing her concerns about a lack of a clear mission and the potential for more loss of American lives in this conflict. Scott offers the historical context and current arguments supporting the bombing of Iran, such as Iran’s nuclear weapons and drone capabilities, the U.S. partnership with Israel, and China’s involvement. Melissa and Scott also discuss what’s at stake for the Trump Administration and caution against prolonging this conflict. Tune in to hear their discussion!