Blocked and Reported

This week on Blocked and Reported: hockey. First, Jessica the ‘80s Baby investigates the NHL’s ill-advised attempts to harness hockey’s thirstiest online fans. Then, Katie explains the AI scandal tearing apart the Heated Rivalry fan fic community.

The NHL bans Pride Tape, setting off a backlash from players and fans—NPR

The NHL is trying to capitalize on hockey romance — but so far it’s missed the mark

When A.I. Invaded ‘Heated Rivalry’ Fan Fiction, the Meltdown Was Epic—The New York Times

Heated Rivalry is at the Center of Fanfic’s AI Reckoning—Fansplaining

‘Wake Up Call:’ Fanfiction Writers and Readers React to AO3 Outage—404 Media

This week on the Primo show, the blue tsunami. Featuring: socialists versus normies, trans issues on the ballot, how the online right is coping, and how and when the Dems mess this one up (sorry).

This week on Blocked and Reported, Jesse and Katie discuss how RuPaul made drag mainstream, the legend of problematic queen Sharon Needles, and the Pittsburgh drag bar caught in an accidental blackface scandal. Plus, a fond farewell to the Last Ditch.

Village Underground with Jeff Maurer

Next In Line Comedy with Jeff Maurer

RuPaul Apologizes for Drag Race “She-Male” Segment in Response to Transphobia Criticisms—Slate

Dragged Into Debate: Reality-TV Fame Puts Spotlight on Sharon Needles’ Controversial Act—Pittsburgh City Paper

Sharon Needles’ Racist Aftermath—HuffPost

World of Wonder: Get Sharon Needles’ Title Revoked—Change.org

Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Sharon Needles Controversy—Queer Space Magazine

Queer/Bar Re-Opens This Weekend With Sapphira Cristal—Seattle Gay Scene

After Blackface at Blue Moon, black Performers Are Asking Pittsburgh’s LGBTQ Community to Do More Than Be Outraged—QBurgh

Hexxus “Toxic Love” Open Stage Performance—Facebook

$20 Million Suit Says Bay Area School Forced Boys Out Over Face Mask Photo—San Francisco Chronicle

This week on Blocked and Reported, Jesse and Katie dig into Initiative-638, the Washington ballot initiative that would bar male athletes from girls’ sports. Will it mean genital exams in the school gym, as the No campaign claims, or just a checked box on a form, as the Yes side argues? Plus: the Camas cross-country walkout, the short life and shorter death of Marsha’s, and a mysterious campaign impersonating a trans rights group in Texas.

Jesse’s upcoming live shows:

New York: Village Underground with Jeff MaurerPhiladelphia: Next In Line Comedy with Jeff Maurer, Tuesday

Indiana ACLU in turmoil: Leadership change leads to attorney resignations—IndyStar

Transgender ballot initiative could require genital exams for WA secondary school students—KUOW

Medical Eligibility Form—WIAA“The fun wasn’t there anymore”: Teen runners say media circus over trans teammate ruined the season—LGBTQ Nation

Camas cross-country girls runner forced to bunk with trans-identified male student during away meet—The Post Millennial

AG Brown leads coalition supporting Minnesota’s trans-inclusive policy for youth sports—Washington Attorney General’s Office

Children’s Sexual Development and Privacy: A Call for Evidence-Based Ethical Policy—Clinical Pediatrics

Ursula: Allowing a trans student to race against girls in Camas only fuels hate toward the trans community—MyNorthwest

Trans advocates, GOP rep want answers after Texans get texts impersonating group—KXAN

Texas transgender rights group says it didn’t send texts that prompted call for an investigation—The Texas Tribune

TENT’s statement—Transgender Education Network of Texas

Texas Families Got Mail From a “Texas Transgender Student Union.” The Trans Group It Promotes Says It’s an Impersonation.—The New Transsexual

False pamphlets causing backlash and confusion, Texas transgender rights group says—The Texas Tribune

Mystery transgender mailers sent to Texas students traced to newly formed Wyoming company—CBS News Texas

West Texas DA opens forgery investigation into disputed transgender mailers—The Texas Tribune

This week on Blocked and Reported, Jesse and Katie head to Madison, Wisconsin, where a fatal police shooting in July sparked a protest encampment in the vein of CHOP/CHAZ. You will be shocked to learn that the protest zone quickly turned into a homeless camp, complete with a needle exchange. Plus, Jesse’s old beef is new again.

How CBS News’ Middle East …

This week on Blocked and Reported, Katie is joined by Brad Polumbo to discuss a revelatory panel on fat liberation held at Harvard Medical School, featuring New York Times contributor Roxane Gay, fat activist Ragen Chastain, and Da’Shaun Harrison, the socialist commentator who recently went viral for arguing that GLP-1s are “fascistic.” Plus, for Primos, Brad answers your questions.

Brad vs Everyone

Normal Gays

Roxane Gay calls to free Luigi Mangione at Harvard Med School event | Fox News

This week on Blocked and Reported, Katie is joined by Brad Polumbo to discuss a revelatory panel on fat liberation held at Harvard Medical School, featuring New York Times contributor Roxane Gay, fat activist Ragen Chastain, and Da’Shaun Harrison, the socialist commentator who recently went viral for arguing that GLP-1s are “fascistic.” Plus, for Primos, Brad answers your questions.

Brad vs Everyone

Normal Gays

Roxane Gay calls to free Luigi Mangione at Harvard Med School event | Fox News

Jesse’s 70-minute conversation with the man who uncovered* James Talarico’s hidey hole in an Ohio psych ward. Note: Listen to the episode first!

*Did not uncover

This week on Blocked and Reported, Jesse and Katie break down the viral rumor that Texas Senate candidate James Talarico was secretly being treated at an Ohio psychiatric hospital. Featuring: attempted HIPAA violations, deeply amateur flight tracking, Jesse’s adventures in X Space…

This week on Blocked and Reported, Jesse and Katie go to Baltimore, Maryland, where the Baltimore Rock Opera Society fired its brand-new executive director following objections to her Burning Man cornrows. This one features a bizarre, never-before-reported internal memo that lays out exactly what happened. Then, Mattress Girl revisited, and the surprising trajectory of Emma Sulkowicz.

Baltimore Rock Opera Society

Backstage as Baltimore Rock Opera Society prepares its latest: “Valhella”—Baltimore Brew

Baltimore Rock Opera Society 990 filings—ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer

After cornrows controversy, Baltimore Rock Opera Society’s new leader is out—The Baltimore Banner

Baltimore Rock Opera Society leader defends Burning Man cornrows that she says got her fired—The Baltimore Banner

Accusers and the Accused, Crossing Paths at Columbia University—The New York Times

Columbia Student: I Didn’t Rape Her—The Daily Beast

How to Make an Accused Rapist Look Good—Jezebel

Emma Sulkowicz’s annotated Facebook messages—Scribd

Nungesser v. Columbia University complaint

Columbia Settles With Student Cast as a Rapist in Mattress Art Project—The New York Times

Discredited, the Legend of Mattress Girl Just Won’t Go Away—Reason

Allegedly False Rape Accusations as Sexual Harassment for Title IX Purposes—The Volokh Conspiracy

In Landmark Case, Jury Says Falsely Accused Males Are Victims Of Sexual Harassment—The Daily Wire

‘Mattress Girl’ Emma Sulkowicz Walked Into a Libertarian Happy Hour. No, This Is Not a Joke.—Reason

Did Emma Sulkowicz Get Redpilled?—The Cut

Thank you everyone who joined my live chat with Sarah Hepola about her new book, her old book, drinking, sex, consent, and more. The entire two-hour conversation is available for Primos only. To listen to (or watch) the whole thing—and get many more perks—join us.