The Prevailing Narrative with Matt Bilinsky

Despite being both anonymous and controversial, Niccolo Soldo (not his real name) has built up one of the most popular pages on Substack and interviewed some of the leaders of media and industry.He joins me to discuss many of the wide ranging and fascinating topics he covers on his Substack:- "Turbo America": His contrarian theory that America is now actually more powerful than ever.- History of AIDS: Niccolo is one of the world's leading researchers on the history of AIDS, and recently penned a brilliaint 8-part retrospective.- The Rise of Vladimir Putin & the Russia/Ukraine Conflict- MAGA & BLM: The failed American populist movements of the late 2010's.- California in the 60's & 70's: Why is the west coast both the engine of culture and social movements, and a hotbed of con men, grifters, and charlatans?- The Sexual Revolution and its Fallout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ex-Head of Amazon Studios, Roy Price, discusses decision-making at Amazon, challenges faced by entertainment executives, and the cultural gap in the media industry with insights into the future of streaming, potential industry consolidation, and the evolution of crypto assets and digital content.

Joe Biden delivered his 1st post-mid terms State of the Union. Does he benefit from our low expectations? How real are his (claimed) accomplishments? Are the Republicans botching a response? (some are, some aren't)Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Armie Hammer, & Salman Rushdie all back in the news this week. Has Cancel Culture faded? Was it real in the first place? Why or why not?Exploration of 2 great pieces on identity politics - 1 by Thomas Chatterton Williams and 1 by Andrew Sullivan. Contrasting a focus on identity (Identarianism) vs. universal values (Universalism) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By now we're all familiar with the Fyre Fest debacle and the man behind it all - Billy McFarland. Billy has paid his debt to society with 4 years in prison...but now has to pay his debt to Fyre Fest victims to the tune of $26 million (non-dischargeable!!!).Billy appears to be taking responsibility for his mishaps, and is saying all the right things. But he's had a habit of saying the right things and doing the wrong ones. Will his actions match his words this time and lead him down the Road of Redemption? Only time will tell. He joins me for a raw, candid interview including:- More inside scoop on Fyre Fest.- The character failings he believes led to his downfall.- The lessons learned in solitary confinement. - His early days as an entrepreneur pre-Fyre.- Why he is SURE he can make your brand go viral. - Is Ja Rule ducking Billy for a fight? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2017 explosive claims dropped about NXIVM and its leader Keith Raniere. Lurid tales of sexual abuse, blackmail, financial impropriety, and even physical "branding" with hot irons. The court system agreed and sentenced Raniere to 120 years in prison. NXIVM member Nicki Clyne was front and center for it all. She claims the accusations against Raniere and NXIVM are predominantly false and obscured by media hysteria. She joins me to present her case and an insider's account of what really transpired at NXIVM.  Hear her out and come to your own conclusions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Marty Callner has directed the most iconic figures of the past 50 years - Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Cher, Brittney Spears, Aerosmith, Whitney Houston, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, George Carlin....the list goes on and on. The NY Times has called him "the most influential director you've never heard of" and that is quite the under-statement as Marty revolutionized THREE different entertainment mediums - music videos, comedy specials, and sports broadcasting. Marty directed award winning music videos, basically invented the filmed comedy special, and created HBO's groundbreaking football series "Hard Knocks". Truly a career without equal and he joins me to discuss it all.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4:00 - The ChatGPT app rocked the tech world just before the holidays, providing us a glimpse into the commercial capabilities of Artificial Intelligence. Former Twitter engineer and machine learning expert Nikolai Yakovenko joins us to break down this technology and its anticipated impact on our lives.47:16 - Aaron Sibarium has been documenting the Woke takeover over critical institutions ranging from medicine and education to corporate American and finance...and even law. How the Culture Wars are impacting more than just "culture".  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To start off 2023, all anyone can talk about are the revelations from Prince Harry & his wife Meghan Markle....or how they're tired of hearing about them. Kinsey Schofield has researched the claims made by H & M and we put them under a microscope, and discuss how this saga speaks to larger issues in current media and culture.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

End of the year controversy and arrest for provocateur Andrew Tate. The popularity of online personalities like Tate and Jordan Peterson (for different reasons) expose a vacuum in healthy representations of masculinity, and serve as a broad canvas for Culture War paranoias/suspicions.6:17 - Dan Holloway is an Army veteran and shrewd student of these dynamics, and he joins me to discuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congress is about to vote on a $1.7 TRILLION Omnibus Spending Bill which is receiving lot of criticism. I analyze the Bill. An investigation into CLEAR, the TSA, and the current state of the airport security experience. Perry Rahbar defied tough market conditions and sold his Fin-Tech start-up DV01 this year. He joins us to discuss many entrepreneurial lessons learned and the global economy. American birth and marriage rates are plummeting. A Special Guest joins to discuss the social and economic factors driving these new mating/family norms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices