Scott Galloway · 43:48
Or young comedian. It feels like it feels like these things kinda come and go. And what do you think... What advice would you have for a young journalist? Do you think this is an effective means of... I mean, you're doing it anonymously, but is this a is this a potential good weapon in someone's quiver to advance their career in journalism? Like
Guest · 44:09
So I I kind of think it is. I mean, I I think that actually there are some, I guess, I don't know if they're younger anymore, but, like, one of the journalists who actually done a lot of tweets that are sort of similar in style to mine is Dave Weigel. And I think at least for me, it bought me a lot. It bought a lot of credibility with me as a reader. I didn't really know who he was. You know, I'd see him on Twitter, he'd be making these really sharp points, making fun of making fun of media framing. And I sort of thought, you know, this guy is really pretty sharp. I can really trust him, read his stuff. So, yeah, I I think I've done properly. It would be a good thing for for... I think some people do anyway.
Kara Swisher · 44:49
Already. Reminds me a lot of fake Steve Jobs, you know, which was really impactful more than... You know, it was very, very funny, and he was anonymous for a while. But I remember thinking it was super impactful that... Or Spy Magazine when they used to have those columns where it really did skewer the media in a way that made you think, Wow, we really have got to stop doing what we're doing, especially as things become more dramatic. And I know it's meant just to be funny, and sometimes I just laugh at them. But it's a really interesting thing to really... All of those things made me, as a journalist, rethink what I was doing constantly, constantly, especially fake Steve Jobs.
Guest · 45:30
Yeah. I I I totally agree about fake Steve Jobs. Yeah. That's and that's kind of the tone that I wanna... I mean, not all the time. Sometimes I do wanna be mean, but that's basically the tone the tone that I like to try to have. You know?
Kara Swisher · 45:42
Yeah. So last question. How long are gonna keep at it? Does it get exhausting? How many do you put out
Guest · 45:46
a That's hard. So actually so I actually... The thing that really keeps me going, I'd say, is I... My wife has a lot of suggestions about it. I have a bunch of friends that text me stuff. And then probably most importantly, I have a co writer who probably does about DMs me about 20% of the things that I write, but also alerts me to lots of stories and stuff like that. So I think as long as people are still, you know, helping me out that way and prodding me to do it, I'll stick with it for quite a while. I don't do as many tweets as I used to. I I... Something about how crazy Twitter got sort of depressed me, and I don't spend as much time on it as I used to.
Kara Swisher · 46:21
Yeah. Well, I think that's the way it is for a lot of people. Are you happy now for Travis and Travis, Kelsey, and Taylor? Gives
Guest · 46:28
you Very lot happy. That's a good that's a good... Is
Kara Swisher · 46:33
there any journalist you're ready to go at you haven't besides Maureen and
Guest · 46:36
That's a good question. Well, so by the way, I don't really feel like I'm going at Maureen.
Kara Swisher · 46:40
I don't.
Guest · 46:41
I just think funny. What I'd like to do is make fun of the really bad New York Times calmness more. Like, I think I don't even really mind Maureen Dowd at all. I'm not a huge David Brooks fan, but I don't think he's the worst. I'd like to make fun of Brett Stevens and Pamela Paul more because I think that their... Some of their stuff is really, really terrible.
Kara Swisher · 47:04
Well, they're right there. Right there. Well, none of us will bring it up with Maureen. I'll tell you. I know her, but none of us mention it to her. I just have to say. We're like we're like, should we say? We should say. We don't know. We're not gonna ask her. She's a really lovely person, actually. Doug J, I love New York Times pitch bot. I think it's really funny. So keep the headlines coming, and we really appreciate it. It's a public service.
Guest · 47:29
Thanks for having me.
Scott Galloway · 47:30
Thanks, Doug J.
Kara Swisher · 47:31
Scott, thanks for indulging me. I love him. I think he's so funny and witty. And when you... It just may... He's not mean, and it's really funny, think. But I think he does toe the line of meanness. He's not mean. There's a lot of really mean people on Twitter. He's not one of them. It... It's an enjoyable part of Twitter, and I hope he keeps there, but I don't know. He... I don't know. We'll see. One more quick break. We'll be back for wins and fails.
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— Predictions segment begins —
Kara Swisher · 49:05
Okay, Scott. Let's let's hear some wins and fails. I'm gonna go first because we continue to search for the origins of Joey Bagga Donuts. Many of you have written to let us know the phrase goes back further than Mike Brabiglia. Comedian Don Herrera was talking about him back in the eighties. Let's listen.
Speaker · 49:22
When I was a little kid, I lived in South Philly. I'd see the guys in the corner. I learned from them. I'd see them. Hey, Louie. How come you didn't come around? Everybody was around. Hey. Little Petey, Big Petey, Regular Petey, Joe Bag of Donuts was here, Jimmy the woman, Nikki potato salad, squid lid, mussels marinara, irregular peaty, Carmela lemon cola, orthopedic, repeat. How come you don't come around? A
Kara Swisher · 49:45
few of you also said Joey bag of donuts is a Wall Street phrase going back to the nineties. And, of course, you can forget, as we said, Vinny Bagadonis referenced my cousin Vinny. We got more mail over this week than any other single issue. So we're never gonna find the origins of Joey Bagadonis, but Scott, you keep saying that. So that's our personal fail. But the win was those two pair of interviews with Yoel and Linda.
Guest · 50:11
I think
Kara Swisher · 50:11
it was really well done. I think it showed a lot of stuff that people needed to see and how difficult what's happening there is. That was... I would say it was a win. Scott?
Scott Galloway · 50:25
So my win is as a native son of California, I I think we didn't have an opportunity to highlight the passing of senator Dianne Feinstein. But senator Feinstein, you know, one of the first first female Jewish senators ahead of the curve on assault weapons, ahead of the curve on women's rights, ahead of the curve on reproductive rights, was very... Like, was pro LGBTQ publicly before it was cool. And she really lived up. She was a brave woman. And unfortunately, legacy is a touch tarnished. But when you look at her accomplishments, she just served the country and the state so steadfastly and was, you know, was courageous. This was a woman who was brought to power by a murder. And I think I think she... And personally, the thing that saddens me about this is she was also a moderate. She absolutely had a deep appreciation for the power and importance of business in the private sector. And it feels like there are so few people in the senate who recognize that in order to have the empathy and programs that we need to help our our less fortunate, we need a private sector that is vibrant and that can chug along and create tons of shareholder value. And I feel as if the number of people that I loosely describe as moderates is just declining. And especially someone who has that kind of courage and respect. She was a lion in the senate. A grandmother, you know, married three times, born into wealth, but didn't... You know, always advocated for the poor. I think she just a real iconic figure.
Kara Swisher · 52:28
You know who gave an actual... You know, there was a big controversy when she hugged Lindsey Graham during the senate hearings of someone... I guess it was one of the supreme court judges. He gave a very good eulogy of her. For a minute, the old Lindsey Graham was back, who you wasn't being a Trump suck up. They had a very close relationship, and he gave a wonderful eulogy forum on CBS, the morning show on Sunday. And I thought he really articulated well, I know it's not popular to quote him, but he used to be quite sensible, and I felt for a minute like, Oh, look, there he is, and there she is. It was a different time. Everything's gotten so and it reminded me. And I know people will be mad at me for saying this, but he was incredibly articulate and smart about the bipartisanship. Even he seemed nostalgic for it, and here was a friend of his died and who he became friends with, and they were able to do legislation together. It was interesting. He paid compliment to Ted Kennedy and her as the lion and lioness of the Democratic Party and that they got stuff done across party lines in cooperation. And it was really an interesting... I urge you to go watch it because usually lately, most of the stuff that comes out of his mouth is just blather, but I was like, oh, that Lindsey Graham. There he is. Like, it was interesting, but I thought you're right. She's a she's a legend. I I I agree with you, and I'm sorry for her final years.
Scott Galloway · 53:55
But good people, you know, plant trees the shade of which they will never sit under. She was an incredible advocate. There are hundreds of thousands of acres of what I believe is the most beautiful ecosystem in the world, and that's California Desert. And she was a tireless champion for protecting California Deserts. You know, there's just a lot of stuff that people don't... Won't remember, but will... You know, that she had a real impact on. Anyways, my win is is is the late great lioness of the senate, Dianne Feinstein. My fail is... So on Sunday, Tottenham Spurs played Liverpool. And as is often the case in sports, it's one one, and they're playing not to lose, push everyone, shove everyone to the the to the defensive end of the field, and, of course, they own goal, and they lose. And there's just so much analysis around sports history that when you play not to lose, when you're, like, go defensive, you almost always lose. And my sports analogy here is that I think the Democrats with Biden are playing not to lose. And let let me just say it now. We are really risking a lot with Biden, and I'll I'll be very overt here. I think... And I think there's several people, but I'll just mention one. I think you put governor Newsom on a debate stage with Donald Trump, and people look at him, and they look at Donald Trump, and they hear what what governor Newsom says, I think he's a lock. And I think you put Biden on a stage for six to nine months against Donald Trump, oh my gosh. We're playing not to lose. We're playing not to lose. So I I just think as a as a party, if we're really serious about the best odds for winning... And I I do every day... Say this every time. I think this election is massively important. I think if we if we reelect an insurrectionist who's a criminal, it's just... I mean, there's a lot here. We should not play to lose.
Kara Swisher · 56:03
Maybe we'll get lucky and Trump will go to jail and Biden will decide to do the right thing. Maybe, you know, that
Scott Galloway · 56:10
Not gonna happen by the election.
Speaker · 56:11
Don't I
Kara Swisher · 56:11
don't understand. Could be. Could be. Who knows?
Scott Galloway · 56:14
But what... Anyways, I'm I'm
Kara Swisher · 56:17
really very frustrated.
Scott Galloway · 56:19
I'm really worried here.
Kara Swisher · 56:20
What about Beto? Maybe Beto will come back, Scott. Your favorite
Scott Galloway · 56:23
You mock me.
Kara Swisher · 56:24
I mock you because you were wrong as you kept picking loser
Scott Galloway · 56:28
after loser. I'm terrible with the politics, though.
Kara Swisher · 56:30
Yeah. Well, then maybe we should listen to you. Anyway, we'll see. I think you're right to articulate this. A lot of people do for sure. I'm I'm gonna support you except your Beto choice was idiotic and remains that way years later.
Scott Galloway · 56:40
Let me put it this way. The the the first presidential debate, the Republican nominee, Donald Trump faces off against what are you excited to see, and what are you nervous as shit
Kara Swisher · 56:50
to see?
Guest · 56:51
Get it.
Scott Galloway · 56:51
Biden or Newsom?
Kara Swisher · 56:52
I get it. I get it. It's like watching the Linda Reckerino interview.
Scott Galloway · 56:56
Tune in, and you're like, I can't wait to have America see Newsome face off against Trump. If it's Biden, we're all like, oh, fuck. Let's just hope he gets through it.
Kara Swisher · 57:07
I get it. But, you know, here... This is where we are. This is where we find ourselves. But, yes, I get it. I get your worries, Scott Galloway, but we'll see where it goes. You never know. Look what happened. We didn't have a government shutdown. Everyone thought there was gonna be one. Anyway, politics is certainly not boring anymore. Anyway, we wanna hear from you. Send us your questions about business tech or whatever's on your mind. Go to nymag.com/pivot to submit a question for the show, or call 85551 Okay, Scott. That's the show. We'll be back on Friday, for more. I'm sure there'll be... Ted McCarthy might be out of a job by the time we talk, but we'll see. Maybe not. Who knows? Who's to say? We'll be back on Friday for more. Scott, read us out.
— Predictions segment ends —
Scott Galloway · 57:43
Today's show was produced by Lara Nayman, Zoe Marcus, and Taylor Griffin. Ernie Intertot engineered this episode. Thanks also to Drew Burrows, Neil Savaria, and Gaddie McVane. Make sure you subscribe to show wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you for listening to Pivot. From New York Magazine and Vox Media, we'll be back later this week for another breakdown of all things tech and business. Cara, have a great rest of the week.
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