Podbit · Pod Save the World
After Shakira, Dua Lipa, and Rod Stewart all refused to perform, Qatar turned to Morgan Freeman — the man who was the face of the US bid that lost to Qatar, and who famously dropped his script mid-presentation. Roger floats the theory that Freeman was always on Qatar's payroll and dropped the script on purpose.
Where this was said
At 14:13 · chapter starts 10:25
With perfect comic timing, the conversation turns to Sepp Blatter's eleventh-hour confession: he told a Swiss newspaper that awarding Qatar the World Cup was a mistake. But the catch is striking — Blatter cited Qatar's small size as the problem, not the thousands of migrant worker deaths or the human rights abuses. Tommy and Roger both note the glaring omission. Roger draws a parallel to figures like Bill Barr or John Kelly having 'belated moments of lucidity' long after their window for change had closed. Blatter also validated the story about a suspicious pre-vote meeting at the French presidential palace involving Qatar's crown prince, Michel Platini, and President Sarkozy — where a $14.6 billion fighter jet deal was conveniently discussed alongside changing France's FIFA vote [1]. The overall read: this is less a genuine reckoning and more a legacy-burnishing operation timed to rain on Gianni Infantino's parade.
Robby Hoffman isn't fearless — she's terrified all the time. The difference is she does it anyway, because not doing it feels worse than the fear itself.
John Mulaney texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere saying he'd been a fan for a while and wanted to make a Netflix special with her. Robby called it 'shocking, horrifying, anxiety-inducing, surreal and thrilling' — and said yes.
Mulaney is buttoned-up, suit-wearing, classy. Robby is gritty, raw, and undefined. Together they made the collab nobody expected. Batman and Robin. Eminem and Dido.
Music had Pope Gregory forcing notation. Comedy has had 'magical thinking' — he's just got funny bones. But jokes work through discoverable, teachable mechanics. Writing down the rules doesn't kill the magic; it gives more people access to it.
Howard Ashman had one insight nobody else had: animated Disney films should be Broadway musicals. The third song of every great musical is the character sitting alone explaining what they want. That's 'Part of Your World.' That structure — combined with Alan Menken's compositions — generated Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, and turned Disney Animation into the most profitable creative engine in entertainment history.
The Lion King musical has been running for 30 years across Broadway, London's West End, and global touring companies. It has grossed over $11 billion in total revenue — more than Avatar, more than Avengers: Endgame, more than any album, more than any video game. It generates an average of $350 million in revenue every single year. Disney owns it outright.
The anonymous French artist Invader has hidden 1,500 pixelated mosaic artworks across Paris alone, with thousands more scattered across 80+ cities — affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. He might be even busier than Banksy.
The Flash Invaders app turns city streets into a treasure hunt, letting players scan Invader's hidden mosaics for points. Players have collectively logged over 47 million flashes. Unlike most mobile games that glue you to a screen, this one forces you to look up and engage with your surroundings.
New York draws thousands of young, talented performers every year chasing Broadway stardom — but the hard truth is that most of them never make it. Zelig Williams was one of the rare exceptions.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.