TRASHFUTURE Gossip Girl
Dec 9, 2025
The hosts dive into Nigel Farage's controversial youth, revealing his troubling flirtation with far-right politics that has surprised the media. They riff on Bashar al-Assad's curious ties with Russian celebrity culture, and Fred Durst's failed attempts at obtaining a Russian passport. The absurdity of Trump receiving a FIFA Peace Prize gets a good laugh, while the dangers of gamifying news through prediction markets are dissected. The dynamic interplay of politics and media credulity is explored in relation to Farage's enduring influence.
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Political Prizes As Influence Tools
- FIFA awarded Donald Trump a symbolic "peace" medal that the hosts mock as cynical political flattery.
- Gianni Infantino used praise and trinkets to influence Trump rather than direct bribery, illustrating modern soft-power rewards.
Prediction Markets Gamify News
- Kalshi and Polymarket integrate real-time prediction markets into mainstream news feeds to gamify events.
- That gamification risks shaping news narratives and incentivising manipulation of real-world events for profit.
Treat Market Odds As Speculation
- Expect prediction markets to encourage speculative, sensational coverage during breaking events.
- Avoid treating early market odds as reliable facts; wait for verified reporting before forming conclusions.
