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Netflix Chases YouTube, Meta's AI Photo Grab, and Disney Fights the FCC
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Cannes Lions: A Soulless Corporate Boondoggle?
At 4:01 · chapter starts 2:58
The episode kicks off with Kara pressing Matt on his newsletter takedown of Cannes Lions, which he had called a 'soulless corporate boondoggle' — a phrase that apparently set off a firestorm among attendees, with Ben Smith reportedly raising it on a panel with Alex Cooper. Matt clarifies: he doesn't oppose boondoggles per se, he objects to the festival calling itself a creativity showcase when it's really a platform for ad executives to sell inventory. He compares it unfavorably to the Cannes Film Festival, which at least centers the art. The conversation drifts warmly into a tangent about yacht parties — Kara's sole yacht experience with Sears investor Eddie Lampert, her unexpected discovery of Spike Jonze and Guy Oseary in a cabin, and both hosts' gentle opinions on the Cannes social scene.
Several state attorneys general, led by California's Rob Bonta, are finalizing an antitrust lawsuit challenging the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, likely to be filed within days.
