Podbit · PBD Podcast
Russell Crowe got visibly emotional explaining that Gladiator's enduring power came from its moral code — a man single-mindedly avenging his murdered wife and child. He says the sequel failed because it destroyed that moral sentiment. The clip resonates deeply with the panel's broader concern about Hollywood losing its storytelling soul.
Where this was said
At 1:26:15 · chapter starts 1:25:40
Patrick Bet-David introduces the story of Angie Baez, who had recently been promoted to executive director of community and industry engagement at JPMorgan Chase after serving as a DEI executive at The Infatuation, a restaurant review site JPMorgan acquired. Surveillance footage caught her emptying a New York Knicks-branded trash can onto the street and walking away with it as a souvenir. JPMorgan fired her. The panel riffs on the absurdity: Humberto notes her salary was likely $250,000 to $450,000 a year, making the theft completely irrational. Tom Ellsworth imagines Jamie Dimon's reaction upon learning the company had acquired the website — and its employee — and quips that she had made a permanent public record of her actions. Jeff Snyder predicts she will be fine because thousands of New York nonprofits will see her as exactly the kind of person they want to hire, and her notoriety as the 'Knicks trash lady' will actually help her.
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.
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