All About The Joy
All About The Joy is a weekly hang-out with friends in the neighborhood! We share insight, advice, funny-isms and we choose to always try and find the positive, the silver lining, the "light" in all of it. AATJ comes from the simple concept that at the end of the day we all want to have more JOY than not. So, this is a cool place to unwind, have a laugh and share some time with friends!
All About The Joy
War Crimes at Sea, Teen Social Media Crackdown & Hallmark Comforts
Part 1 - Politics US
A cabinet official leaks sensitive strike details on a personal Signal account, a suspected war crime at sea ignites bipartisan scrutiny, and Trump drops 158 posts to flood the news cycle. We connect the dots between bad judgment, broken incentives, and a culture that rewards noise over integrity—then pivot to how ordinary people can still choose clarity, community, and joy.
We unpack what the Pentagon’s inspector general actually found, why firing on survivors violates both law and conscience, and how institutional timidity lets reckless decisions stand. From Congress to corporate suites, too many stakeholders run a personal cost-benefit analysis and call it leadership. We talk candidly about due process, soft power, and the growing distance between American ideals and American behavior that allies can’t ignore.
Part 2 - Social Media Australia Doings
The conversation shifts to Australia’s under-16 social media ban: bold signal or blunt tool? We weigh the mental health upside against enforcement pitfalls like age verification, privacy risks, and teen workarounds. What works better is intentional digital life - parent-guided norms, critical thinking, and open talk about algorithms, creator incentives, and AI fakery. For today’s kids, the phone is the new street corner because the real one is empty; rebuilding offline freedom matters as much as any app rule.
Part 3 - Hallmark Update with Andrea
To close, we check in on small comforts with Hallmark and holiday movies - why cozy tropes help our nervous systems, what makes a good one (chemistry, clean writing, a near-kiss well-earned), and where the genre needs to grow. Authentic diversity isn’t a checkbox; it’s the texture that keeps stories honest!
Heavy news and light stories can live side by side. Hit play, share with a friend, and tell us: what’s your go-to comfort watch this season? If this resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and join the conversation.
Thank you for stopping by. Please visit our website: All About The Joy and add, like and share. You can also support us by shopping at our STORE - We'd appreciate that greatly. Also, if you want to find us anywhere on social media, please check out the link in bio page.
Music By Geovane Bruno, Moments, 3481
Editing by Team A-J
Host, Carmen Lezeth
DISCLAIMER: As always, please do your own research and understand that the opinions in this podcast and livestream are meant for entertainment purposes only. States and other areas may have different rules and regulations governing certain aspects discussed in this podcast. Nothing in our podcast or livestream is meant to be medical or legal advice. Please use common sense, and when in doubt, ask a professional for advice, assistance, help and guidance.
Hey everyone, welcome to All About the Joy. This is Culture and Consequence with Carmen and Andrea. Okay. All right, go ahead. Proceed with your bitching. That's how we're starting today. I wasn't even bitching. I was being bitchy. Okay, you were being bitchy. I just want to make sure we got it full on in the recording. You know what I mean? Hey, your hair looks good today.
Andrea:I cut and colored it myself over the weekend.
Carmen Lezeth:What do you mean you cut and colored it yourself?
Andrea:I mean you locked yourself to the hairdresser, or no, I did it myself. Really? Yeah. But honestly, I I love the lady who does my hair. Um she's an artist. She's really expensive, and I just could not swing it. And it was time, I hadn't I hadn't got my hair cut since April.
Carmen Lezeth:It's so much money. It's you know what to me, I mean, it's not even the money part. Yes, it's the money part, but it's the time. Yeah, it is I don't want to be there for four hours, dude. I'm there for six, seven hours. Yeah, no, that's crazy. So for me, it's yes, it's the money, and that's why I've stopped doing it too. I I told you, well, I I don't know. I I guess it was the other uh it was uh Rick and Cynthia we were talking about, you know, because I've gotten all the blonde in my hair or whatever, but my hairdresser also gave me coloring and the solution to do myself the roots so that I don't have to come in all the time. Because I think he was annoyed that I was like, oh, why do I have to be here all the time? I totally admit it. I really think he was like, look it, we don't want you here either, bitch. Like, I make enough money on the bring your colour, get the fuck out. I totally admit that. But um well, cool. Well, yeah, so we're gonna talk about some boring stuff first. It's not even boring stuff, but let me just give some updates on what's going on today. The big story today is about Pete Hegzith, right? Right now, Pete Hegzith. I'm gonna do quotes, uh, Secretary of Defense, which they have fucking tried to rename Secretary of War, right? The War Department. I mean, this tells you everything you need to know about where our country is going, where we go from being a defense department to being one that's kind of pushing war. I, anyways, okay, I'm sorry. I'm getting off topic. So the first thing is Signal Gate. I'm just gonna read the summary. Um, the Pentagon's inspector general found that Defense Secretary Pete Heggseth, every time I I can only see him on Fox News. I'm sorry. I can just, you know what I mean? Like the incompetence of this talk show host is anyway. Okay, again, sorry. Violated policy by using the encrypted messaging app signal on his personal phone to share sensitive details about a planned U.S. strike in Yemen. While the report concluded, he technically had authority to declassify the information. It warned that his actions risked exposing operational plans and endangering troops if intercepted. The Pentagon insists no classified material was leaked, but the episode has raised serious questions about judgment and security. Okay, that's just number one. We don't have to talk about each individual thing. I'm just gonna give you the second one. Right, but they just found they Andrea, you know our government has to spend lots of money and tax dollars to do a whole conversation, get a committee together so the Pentagon's Inspector General found, right? I mean, there was a whole investigation, so that's what the big topic is. I mean, how dare you?
Andrea:If you were a regular guy in any of the militaries, you would have been fired and probably in jail within a week.
Carmen Lezeth:Or if you're working at any company, if you were part of any industry whatsoever, you would have been out. It wouldn't have even been questioned. But this is what this government, our government, is now. This is what we do. Uh boat killings, because we are the murder of war. Hegzeth is also under fire for allegedly ordering a second strike on a suspected drug trafficking boat in the Caribbean after the initial attack left survivors. Reports claim he directed forces to kill everybody, which resulted in all 11 people aboard being killed. Critics say this could constitute a war crime under critics say it is. Okay, wait a minute. You know, let me let me just back it. Let me just read the news, okay? Critics say this could constitute a war crime under international law while Heggseth denies giving such an order and calls the reporting inaccurate. The incident has triggered bipartisan scrutiny and comparisons to past military abuses. Um, that's gonna be our first topic. And for me, I just want to say this part. I am shooketh at the lack of our own common sense stuffage, right? Like all these committees, all these allegedly, no, it's so obvious to me what he did, but I'll let you speak.
Andrea:There is I don't know what it's called, but there is a in the you know military code of conduct, there is a specific rule for this actual very particular incident that you cannot, you know, on boats, people who are survivors, you cannot fire on them, kill them, and so this very particular thing that they have done is actually outlined as a thing you cannot do by our own military.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, I also want to stress you are absolutely right. That is absolutely true. Basically, if somebody survives the initial bombing and they're clinging to the edge of the boat, you are supposed to try to save them. Okay, or let them be or something. But if we just back up and first say, um, we're also not at war. Right. I mean, the fact that we're just sending you know what, this is what we've become. And what scares me is that Trump supporters are like, they know that there are drugs on the boat. The majority of drugs do not come from Venezuela, like that's the other part of this. It's all bullshit.
Andrea:Even if there were drugs or people or arms on the boat, you are not supposed to blow it up.
Carmen Lezeth:But you can take them in, right? You bring them in and you give them due process, right? And and and but what's happened now is that especially like Trump supporters or people on the right or whatever, extreme people have just decided that killing people is the way we do things. Like we don't want to give due process to anyone except Americans, and even then you're kind of subjective because if they're not white Americans, we we find other reasons to not want to give those people due process. In the constitution, due process is for everyone. It's not about being a citizen or of a color or of a gender, or it's and that's what used to make our country great was that we had actual morals. Oh my god. Yeah. So the last thing I'm gonna say about Pete Hegset, and we can move on to our next incompetent human being, um, is that I really can't get over how incompetent he is. I mean, I know the entire all of them are, but he's extraordinarily incompetent. And the fact that he is in that position, it makes me think of you remember Dan Quayle and how much fun we used to make of Dan Quayle.
Andrea:Yeah, good old Danny. And now I feel bad because Glory Days, potato. I know. Um But I mean, you know, again, we'd go back to Dan Quayle today if we could, right? 100% bring him on.
Carmen Lezeth:Just so weird.
Andrea:Yeah, I mean, uh it like it has to be demoralizing for a lot of people to have this person leading the defense department. Um, on the other hand, um, and I've talked about this before, I find it really well, of demoralizing for me and and shocking that you know, our brave military, our thank you for your service, our best military in the world. Not one of these motherfuckers can stand up to him. The one guy, the one guy who did he resign. He resigned, right? And I understand he's not gonna go out and do like the press tour and say, like, they asked me to do this, and you know, all of those kinds of things, but like where is the courage? Uh it ain't nowhere in this fucking room. I can tell you not this room, but like collective United States military. Uh like I just don't know what's going on there. I don't get it.
Carmen Lezeth:But I think that's a lot of Congress, this administration. There's just a weird thing happening where people are just corporations. I mean, I don't know why anyone still has an iPhone or anything to do with Apple. Like, and I know, I know it's not like easy to throw away a $2,000 phone or whatever, but it's like I I don't even own an iPhone. And I was like, what is Tim Cook doing? Why is he capitulating and giving him whatever the fuck that thing was he gave him? Like, why? And giving them all he gave him like a glass Apple thing. I don't know what it was. I was just like, Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave. And then I'm like, but this is the country we are now, which is so small. We're such a small, pathetic country now. You know what I mean? Like, I'm not saying we're we we're still huge.
Andrea:I'm saying our morals, our core, like who we used to believe we were is there are a lot of everyday people who are standing up in many ways all over the country. I think our leadership just absolutely sucks.
Carmen Lezeth:I know, but without power, it's really hard. I I agree with you. There are a lot of people standing up and doing the right things. And but you know, like I keep holding on to people like Gavin Newsom or the guy from Chicago. What's his name? I always want to say spritzer, but that's not right. What is it? Spritzker. Spritzer. You know, like I mean, we need we need leadership, we need people out there, but I I don't know that we have it in our current crop right now.
Andrea:And I, you know, like that's been my thing for many years. You cannot be hero worshiping any politician, right? Because it's it's I don't know, not to sound like so, so, so left wing, but like it's someone like you. Go ahead. It's money versus not moneyed. Yeah, that's really what it comes down to. Like, yeah, you're right. Let me just try to protect the status quo as much as possible. Let me give the gold bars to the president so that I can still have my you know, acquisition that I want to have, or you know, whatever it is. Meanwhile, everybody else is like, don't fucking kidnap my neighbors, and also I can't afford a steak.
Carmen Lezeth:You know what I mean? Like or done you're you're absolutely right. And I wish a lot more people, especially people who continue at this point, people who continue to support Trump. I'm just we I've been here for a long time, but I'm just like, I still don't get it. But people who are still in that camp, it is not about you. He does not care. That entire administration, rich people do not care about poor people. And when we're talking about rich people, like just because you think you're making $400,000 a year, that's not rich, bitch. Yeah, people are so confused. This is about really the top one or two percent of people, and uh it's just extraordinary to sit back and watch.
Andrea:I still think, going back to your point, like there's a lot of people who consider themselves rich and they're a part of it and they don't want their taxes raised, and da-da-da-da-da. And it's like, like you said, it's it's not you. You will be thrown under the bus at any moment, easily, you know, and and you're not as rich as you think you are, I guess.
Carmen Lezeth:No, if you're not in that one or two percent, and you know, and then I think about all the people that we quote unquote admire or think highly of, and they're also not saying anything because why would they, right? Like we're talking about the Oprah's or the Warren Buffett's or the Mark uh Cubans, although he does say some stuff, or Barack Obama, or whatever it is, all the you can we can name so many people that actually have power who dabble, dabble a little bit, say a little bit, and then they just move on and live their lives because they don't have to deal with this drama every day. The the drama of Pete Hegzeth is a great example. Like, is that affecting me personally today? No, but it is affecting me personally when I call and talk to my friend Scott in Spain, or I'm talking to someone in Australia. You know what I mean? Like when I, or if we travel, which you know I ain't traveling till this administration's done because I don't want to get deported, even though you know what I'm saying, because I'm brown. Um, it is affecting us globally because people have lost all respect for the United States. In the midst of trying to have all of this respect forced upon people by power and strength and by bravado, we've lost all credibility.
Andrea:I can't imagine why any country would ever trust us again. Like really can't. Yeah. You know, we had Trump won, and then Biden came in, and you could tell there was like a lifting, and people, you know, and he was, you know, foreign relations guy for a long time, so there was definitely an improvement. And then to go and re-elect Trump, it's like okay, you know.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, so let's talk about Donald Donald Trump. Um, just for a second, and then we'll get to Joy. Yay! Um, on December 2nd, Donald Trump flooded Truth Social with 158 posts in a single day. And it was like at two in the morning or something, like one in the morning. And then usually high volume, even for him. The content was a mix of reposts, personal commentary, and attacks on political opponents, with recurring themes around defending his administration, criticizing ongoing investigations, and amplifying uh supportive voices. While much of it looked scattered, ranging from memes to policy claims, the overall thrust was deliberate to dominate the news cycle, overwhelm critics, and energize his base by sheer volume. Analysts noted the timing was tied to mounting scrutiny over Pete Hegzett's controversies, uh, suggesting Trump was using the barrage both as a distraction and as a show of force. In short, it wasn't random, it was a calculated flood meant to control the narrative. I personally think he just losing his mind too. You know what I mean? But well, there's that for sure. Losing it. No. So you didn't know about that, right? Because you were traveling or something.
Andrea:I didn't know about that. I just haven't been checked in. I wasn't traveling, but uh like, yeah, I didn't know anything about it.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah. No, so it was just weird. I I found it, you know, like again, I'm going back to this thing where I think um it's not even that the bar is low. The bar does not exist. It does not exist with the Trump administration. Uh, he's been falling asleep like on camera, like, not even like just a little knot, like literally falling asleep. And again, you know, we we we got rid of Biden for this, right? Biden was deranged and losing it in an old man and blah blah blah. And Trump is doing the exact same thing, and even worse, in my opinion, and consistently doing it and acting like a crazy man and you know, nothing. It's just it's fine. It's always a pass.
Andrea:I don't, I uh I don't get it. I don't get it, I don't get it. I it's very do you remember the story? I had these books when I was little, they were like Disney books, and they had all of these, like you know, Princess and the P and you know, and the one that I think of, I'm sure, is the Emperor Has No Clothes, right? And so, and it was like a tiger or something, was the Emperor, and he would walk down and he didn't have his robe and everything. And I just remember being really little and being like, Why is nobody saying anything? And there's like one little kid who points at him, like the Emperor has no clothes, and it's just like we all know, we all see what's happening with our own eyes, and there's this very, I think, deliberate, intentional attempt to try to force us to believe we are not seeing what we are seeing, it's very like 1984, you know. Um, and I don't really understand talking about the book, yes, yeah. The book, Orwell.
Carmen Lezeth:Not not the time, not the year, actually, the book.
Andrea:Well, I could talk about that too, but I just want to be clear because people will not know that it's 1984, the book, but um yeah, I just it it I I don't understand what the reasoning is behind it, you know, like the media likes to have Trump around, like that's a great story. We could talk about that forever. Like we they lived off of that with Biden for the whole fucking summer. We we could live off of that for a little while, just like tell the truth. I don't like it's so much.
Carmen Lezeth:I think it's also because people are benefiting from his bullshittery, which is weird, right? Because I I know my I am not even lying. If Barack Obama or Bill Clinton had done anything I didn't agree with, we would vocalize it, we would talk about it, we would be angry about it. Like, I am just not that tied to a personality. We can even talk about like celebrities. There are very few celebrities that I would have been like, oh yeah, whatever you believe or say, I'm all for.
Andrea:Like, why? There's not a single person on earth that I would say that about, right?
Carmen Lezeth:Like, I mean, maybe, maybe, maybe Prince and George.
Andrea:No, Prince had some issues, I will say.
Carmen Lezeth:Like, I'm kidding, but I'm trying to think of the because the weird way in which we've become, not we, not you and I, but we as a society have become okay with what Trump is doing and all of his minions and all the bullshittery is so weird to me. And I'm trying to figure out where along the way did we become this, where everything he does is okay. Everything he does is okay. It's not just his sycophant followers, the media, the corporations, everybody. And now even the Pentagon, the military people are like, Yeah, I don't really know.
Andrea:I mean, I know obviously the way like with the major sort of cultists, like it became their whole personality, you know, like really, there are people like that's all they're about. Yeah, right. I don't think that's the case for a lot of the media and you know, military and things like that, but they've they've made the calculation. Like you said, like do I benefit more with him or without him? Oh my god. And it I believe that it's a very like personal calculation, right? Which is sick. It's just sick. It's really like you can look at it, I believe, pretty objectively, and say, the world, definitely the country, the world, etc., is really not better off with him. Look at all of these things.
Carmen Lezeth:No, it's not. Even in your personal life, I don't care. You know, listen, grocery prices, it's so petty. Like, I don't even care about grocery prices. Grocery prices are up, everything is more expensive. You know what I mean? Like, if you're not feeling that in your own life, then you are on purpose being oblivious. I'm sorry. They just reduced fuel standards yesterday.
Andrea:So, like, they want our cars to be less efficient, so we have to buy more gas. Can you imagine? Like, can you imagine that? It doesn't, so which of course then's like more pollution, you know, you know what I mean? Client, like, there's all of these and it's like it doesn't, it just does not make any sense in terms of wanting to do well and improve the lives of people. So if you are a supporter of his, or even maybe not a supporter, but you're totally fine with it, you're essentially supporting all of those things that make people's lives objectively worse.
Carmen Lezeth:I don't think people like regular human beings understand the trajectory of the logic of like when this happens, then this happens, then this, there's a domino effect. And I know, look at I'm I'm I'm just saying in in a really Americans are really dumb. I'm sorry. We are really there's an education problem, there's also a very selfish problem. You know, it's all about me. What's happening to me in my life right now? So if for some reason in your life your groceries haven't changed, you think, no, everything's fine, everything's fine because you're not even thinking about the bigger picture. Because everywhere else on the planet, grocery prices have changed, you know, like it's it's that kind of simple thing. It's like not having this even ability to be compassionate about other people enough to not make it all about yourself. I don't know. It's so depressing. All right, let's talk about something else. Let's talk about a different country. Let's talk about a different country. Um, so I know you may not know about this, but I'll just we it's just an overall topic. So Australia, by the way, if you've not been to Australia, you should all go and visit. Um, starting December 10th, so in a few days, Australia will enforce a world first law banning social media accounts for anyone under the age of 16. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, Facebook, Threads, Reddit, Twitch, and X must block underage users or face fines up to this is Australian money, $49.5 million. And I didn't do the transformation, but that sounds like a lot of money, okay? The government argues this protects teens from harmful content, addictive design features, and mental health risks. Critics say it's a blunt measure that could isolate young people or push them towards riskier online behavior, but supporters see it as a necessary step to rein in big tech. It's a historic move. What do you think, Andrea, with children?
Andrea:Okay. Um, I only read the article that you sent me, so that's all I know about this. That's which is just an overall conversation. Yeah. Um well, okay. I'm gonna start with this. I think social media should be banned for everybody. I hate social media. I think it's a net negative. I really truly do. I know that there are some positives. I have experienced those positives. I know that it helps a lot of people. I think if you weigh it all out, it is significantly more harmful than it is good. So I'll just lay that out there. That's my two cents. Um reading this article, I this isn't an actual ban. Um and it's meant to be enforced, like there's no enforcement mechanism except for the companies. Um and they don't really have a real incentive to keep young people off except for these fines, but they have these few different ways that they can get around it, which if you look at what they are, like send in your ID or allow us to do AI facial recognition, which they're probably already doing, allow us to infer it from your activity, which of course they're already doing, right? To me, those are reasons why you shouldn't be on already. But whatever. So they can just say, Oh, yeah, we did this thing, we tried, we made our best effort to try to keep these young people off. Um, and so they can get it around the fines in that way. So I think it it sounded to me like uh, you know, hey, look, we're doing something, but it's not really anything. Um, but I do agree with the critics, which is if you don't allow kids to use this, they will go to other places. I don't know if any of you listening, watching have ever been a teenager before, but um, they will do stuff, particularly if you tell them not to do that thing, right? They will figure out a way around it, whether it's getting themselves back on these platforms or finding something else that's sort of outside the norm where there could be um a lot of other much more nefarious things happening. So that's where I'm at. Interesting.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, so I know I have a different viewpoint. Um look it, I've always said this. I do not understand why kids cannot go outside and play. I I just and I'm not I'm not a parent, so it's all you people, all you parents who got into this weird place, and I'm just gonna say it straight up. I don't care if I get backlash, I might get it from her, but um this weird place where your children are so precious, they can't go outside and play because some harm will come to them no matter what. I don't know if it was television, your own personal experiences, the books you're reading to become parents. I I don't know where along the way, but parents have gone out of their way to seclude their kids and make them stay inside all the time. Or if they're gonna do a play date, it's by a parent who's hovering over them with other parents while they're being watched. But it's just a weird way to grow up. And if there's one thing I have heard from all the children I've been blessed to have in my life, it has always been, boy, when you were growing up, you got to do basically freedom. Like freedom to become a kid, you know, and questions like, is it true that you would, you know, be told, make sure you come home before the lights went down and nobody cared where you were? And I think that's part of the problem. I'm gonna say some more about this. I think the other part of this is, and I've seen this with my own eyes. And again, I am making, well, I am making a judgment, but I'm not a parent. But when you put your kid, it happened to me too. I was put in front of the TV. I was a latchkey kid, so I would come home and I was told I could watch certain TV and certain, you know, certain shows or whatever. But there was also a fierce discipline. I knew if I tried to watch Speed Racer instead of some other show, you know, that I was supposed to watch Sesame Street or whatever, I'd be in trouble. So I had the fear of God in me. And we didn't have, you know, cameras in the house or anything. I just knew, you know. But I was left alone a lot. And that was kind of the bad part. But then I was also let to go outside and play and do stuff. So it was a lot of negative stuff going up, but a lot of positives to it too. But I think what happens with kids today, they're put in front of screens, they're given phones at the age of I don't even fucking know, but like nine, eight, nine, ten years old. And then parents complain about them being addicted to social media. So again, I I Andrea is just waiting patiently. So I disagree that social media is bad. I I have a different viewpoint that like any other tech, whether it's a fucking microwave versus an oven, whether it's, you know, whatever tech it is we're using, at some point, or color TV or versus radio or whatever it is, every generation has their time period where they learn how to use new tech and then it becomes part of the background. That's what you hope it does. Um, I don't think social media is entirely bad. I think people don't know how to use social media. I think most people don't know how to use social media. So um I think, and then I'll just agree with you on this part. I think the more you ban something, the more likely they will find a way. Because I don't think that's the right way to go about it either. That it just isn't. And just like alcoholic sites, like if you go to any alcohol site, you have to put in your your birth date. You could, I could put in any birth date. You know what I mean? It doesn't matter. But again, like what you said, there they they can say, look at we're not we're not advertising to, you know, advertising, they advertise plenty, but you kids can't come on our website and order alcohol. Yeah, you can. You just lie about your age, you know what I mean? Like and grab somebody's credit card or whatever. So yeah, go ahead.
Andrea:I agree with you about sort of the state of being a young person today and how they don't get to play outside. I think I've said this to you many, many times. It's one of like the saddest parts about being a parent now is that the kids just don't have that level of freedom to go outside and they they don't go out because there's nobody else out there. You know what I mean? And I don't know, you were saying like when did it start? Why did it why did it happen? I don't know, but like you send your kids outside, they're like, all right, you know, I'm gonna like dig in the dirt or whatever, but there's no no one else is coming out to play kickball or whatever, you know, they're the only ones out there. Um, so it is just a really weird thing, this lack of freedom that they have. Um, and I think it has really wide-ranging effects, just from you know, being able to stand up for yourself, being able to make decisions about, you know, like one of the things you talked about was play dates. And I always say, like, yeah, it all has to be arranged by the parents, right? Whereas when we were kids, you go over to someone's house and you're bored, tired, you don't like what's happening, you don't like the kid who just showed up, you leave. You leave. You get to, you know what I mean? And that's all of that social stuff that happens, and some of it's not good for sure, but you figure it out, and that's part of like, at least it was part of our growing up process that we don't have. And I think that there is, you know, it teaches them a level of discernment that you know that they don't really have. Um, and that plays into sort of how things are with social media, but um, yeah, I mean, I look, uh, all of my feelings about it are still there, but I 100% agree. Banning it is not gonna do anything, right? And I realize my position on it is like old woman with a horse and buggy going like, I don't want these new fangled automobiles, you know. But um, but that's the way I feel about it. And you know, um, but I know it's not going anywhere. I just think that you know, these companies and the people who own them and run them are fucking terrible for society and for individuals.
Carmen Lezeth:So and I and look at it, I agree with you there. I I think also adults um have problems with social media, it's not just kids, right? I mean, people don't know how to use so I can't tell you how many times I'll go look at Instagram and I'll have like 17 emails and uh DMs, right? Direct messages from people who are just reposting things that they think I'm interested in. Like it's become a joke. I tell people to stop sending me all of these videos. So what happens is like let's say somebody sees a clip of you and me, right? Because I send out uh clips of us on social media, and let's say they think your mom might like it or whatever, so they're resending uh a clip, you know. The the problem with that is I don't have time, first of all, I don't have it on my phone. Like, that's the first thing people should know about social media. If you take it off of your phone, you're not going to be on it all day. Because it is addictive. It is addictive. It's fun to keep seeing what people are doing or whatever. And I'm like, I first of all, I don't have the time. And secondly, I don't want to be addictive. I want to see people I want to talk to, I want to set up time to have. If I'm gonna be using social media like we are now, I want it to be intentional with the people I know or want to get to know. Or I think we have to look at it with the benefits, understand how it is manipulative. Look, it I know I keep using the microwave as an example, and it's because I don't use a microwave. And the and it's not for any other reason except that I don't, I'm not a big cook, but if I'm gonna cook, I'm gonna use my oven and I'm gonna use the stovetop, right? But if I was continually using the microwave to make eggs, to toast my bread, to right. If I was continuously always just using the microwave, that is bad food. It's yucky food. You can't use the microwave that way. Okay, and I I don't use the microwave, so every time I once in a while, I'd be like, okay, that's that don't put bread in the microwave. You know, I'd be like, okay, got it, understood. You know what I mean? That's what I'm talking about. I hate to be so like small and petty about it, but the microwave is the best example I can use. Like, it's not as you know, harmful to me or whatever as maybe social media is to our young kids and to adults, but it's kind of the same idea. You know, I had to learn how to use it, especially if I choose not to use it. That's okay. I don't have to use it. But when I do use it, I know what it's for now. I get it. And if I don't know, I I research it, you know, or I call someone who knows how to cook and I say, should I do A, B, C, and D? And I think that's what we've lost. We've lost the ability to kind of conceptualize that this is a piece of tech and how do we use it in our home? Because it's not doing the same thing that television did or microwaves did or whatever. It it hasn't plateaued. We haven't figured out how to use it correctly yet. And I think it's going to take a much longer time for people to figure that out. But in the meantime, the thing I do like about what Australia is doing is it's making us have the conversation. I do. I know what you're saying, but they only have so much power and ability to do this without anybody else doing it. And that's why I appreciated what they're trying to do. It's to make us have these conversations.
Andrea:Yeah. And I, well, look, I I do think it goes back to the parents, right? I mean, what you're talking about in terms of usage, right? My kids are on social media, right? I don't like it. I'm on social media, right? Like I don't want my kids to be on it. Even if you don't want to be, you are because I tag you all the time. Right. But I do have myself very specific ways that I use it and don't use it. And I, you know, and I'm not mother of the year, I don't have any of this figured out, but I also talk to my kids about it ad nauseum to the point where they don't want to hear it anymore, about being critical about it. This is what these companies are trying to do, this is how they're trying to do it, this is why, this is what the creators are trying to do and how and why. And so when you are using it, you need to be aware of that, right? And we have those kinds of conversations about it. They will always come and show me, hey, look at this, you know, and then there's a couple of times where they will show me something, I'm like, that's AI. And sometimes I show them things and they're like, that's AI.
Carmen Lezeth:That's a whole other conversation that maybe we can have another time about AI and how that's really making it harder.
Andrea:You have to be in conversation, and this goes back to one of our many running themes, which is you have to be thinking critically and be intentional about things.
Carmen Lezeth:If you're a parent and your kids on social media, I just want you to understand that for kids, that's their going outside. That's why they would rather be on their phones than sitting with you at dinner and or watching TV with you or a movie. Because we used to be outside all day. We would like I, as much as I loved the adults in my life, I didn't want to sit with them and watch a movie. I would rather be outside hanging on the street corner, doing my thing, talking to my friends about nothing. That's how they socialize. That's how they're socialize. Yeah, yeah.
Andrea:And that's uh it's not to make excuses, it's just factual. Yeah, it is that's the way that it is right now. Yeah. So like it or not.
Carmen Lezeth:All right, let's get back to the good stuff because Andrea, let's talk about your Hallmark issues. Okay, so how was your week watching Holly? Um, what is it? Uh, Hallmark Christmas movies, right? I sent you some. You sent me some. Well, I saw, did we talk about the Henry Winkler one on the show? Henry Winkler. Well, you and I no, no, I don't think we talked about it last week, did we? No, no, I think we didn't talk about it last week because last week was Thanksgiving, right? I think you saw it in between, didn't you? Yeah, yeah. So what was your feeling about it? I think we emailed each other because you told me I watched it. But why don't you give our audience your flavor on the and I forget the name of it?
Andrea:I don't know.
Carmen Lezeth:It doesn't it doesn't matter what the names are. It's like it's like oh wait, no, no, there's a song. It's the Henry Winkler one with uh Warren Christie, and we'll just put his picture up just so everyone can get a look again. There he is, yeah, yeah, yeah. And um, okay, what was your feeling? It's something to do with Christmas, and it's the Henry Winkler one from 2008.
Andrea:Yeah, yeah. So the yeah, it it was good. I liked Henry Winkler's character, and I like I think I'd said to you, I wanted more interaction with the two of them. I thought their interaction was really cool and funny. Um, and it was, you know, it was pretty good, I thought. As far as the genre goes, um, there weren't any parts that were completely and totally cringe, but um right, but it's kind of like the standard Hallmark movie, you know.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, what else have you seen, or what else have you been feeling about Hallmark? I've watched one for people who don't realize you're new to Hallmark, that's why we're we're kind of talking about it. You're I'm new to the family, yeah.
Andrea:I mean, I was I'm pretty deeply in the Netflix Christmas movie world, so I've got several of those that I've seen, and a new one yesterday that was really terrible. But um what was it? I don't know. Um but it was one of these ones. Okay, this actually this is a question that I have. All right, it was one of these ones where like the girl is engaged and her fiance dumps her, so she hires an actor to go home with her for the holidays and pretend to be her fiance because she doesn't want her family to and I'm like, and this is kind of a theme in a lot of these movies, right? There was one I watched where um it was kind of like oh, it was like uh the Christmas contract or something where the girl was going home and for some reason her best friend's brother went with her and acted like and it's like what is going on with people's families that They mean to have a fake fiance. Like, I don't understand that, but that's definitely an ongoing theme in these movies. So that was the one I watched last night. Was you know, and so she hires the actor, the fiance comes back, right? Lo and behold, she's fallen in love with the actor, and he's fallen in love with her and her family, of course. Um, Shelly Long was the mother, and she was a fucking bitch, I have to say. Like, some of this is why I'm like, is this what's happening at the holidays for people?
Carmen Lezeth:Aren't some of the ones with with like the like where you I mean, those are kind of the ones I always send you where there's somebody who's an old school actor, you know what I mean, in it because I love those. Whether Tenry Winkler or the woman from I forget what that show is. I sent you another one, and you probably haven't seen it yet because I don't think it's come up.
Andrea:Oh, there's one.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, I think I knew Sean Cassidy's mother, whatever her name was.
Andrea:That's the one you told me to record, and I forgot to record it.
Carmen Lezeth:But that's okay. But what's her name though? Shirley Jones. Right. So there's one that she's in that I sent you. I love those are the ones I love when you see those. So Shelley Long. Yeah, I know which one you're talking about.
Andrea:And she was so mean to the daughter. And I'm like, okay, well, this is why they're hiring actors to pretend to be their fiancé. She's like, Don't blow this. You know, 30, 30 is long, you know, you're whatever, you're well past 30. Like, you need to, and I was like, Well, some of those are also old, I think. Yeah, that one was a little older. Um, because I watched one last night on Hallmark with the commercials and everything that was pretty stupid, but um, it was about a lady that was like a glassblower. Have you seen oh, that one was so bad. I was so bad.
Carmen Lezeth:Okay, wait, isn't that really bad? So bad. It's so bad, and like, and then and then she's like, she's going to um, she's hiding who she really is as a designer, so she creates a different name. Right. I think what drives me like at least they're trying a different storyline.
Andrea:I think that's something that's true. Well, and I get like, you know, I don't know what year that was made, but as I was like recent, like 2023.
Carmen Lezeth:That's recent.
Andrea:Was it? Okay. I try to like figure it out sometimes by like the makeup and the hairstyles. And I look at it and I'm like, and I just, you know, it's like a little game that I'm playing with myself as I'm like, okay, that's pre-COVID. Like, look at those eyebrows.
Carmen Lezeth:Uh I mean, maybe, but I you know what? Because I you know what? I don't know. I I should be careful. People don't think I'm like a Hallmark expert. But I think it's recent, and the reason why is because the guy in that, the way he looks, the guy, the guy. Yeah, I'm like, I can't even remember the guy, but yeah, but he's a he's a regular. So here's here here's what I want to explain to you, which you're already trying to figure, you're already figuring out. Hallmark, I'm not saying this is what they do, but this is what it feels like. I'm not sure. But Hallmark seems to make contracts with their actors, so they are the same actors and all of the movies. You're gonna see the same guys, and I was just on somebody's Instagram, one of the one of the guys on the show who I don't follow on Instagram. Uh totally follow on Instagram, but it's so cool because all of they're all friends, yeah, they're not even on the same movies, but they're just and you can, and I was going through it for you know, because I was uh researching for this topic of conversation. But it's so cool because like they're all really, really good friends, and it's kind of goes back to that whole Hollywood system when the studio I was just thinking that.
Andrea:It's like studios. Oh my gosh, that's so it's kind of cool.
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, in that sense, it seems kind of cool. But what ends up happening is every time you see an actor on a on a movie, I'm like, oh wow, okay. So this is a recent one because I can see how much he's aged, right? That's why I know that this is a more recent one. I don't know if it's before. When I say more recent, I mean like five years, you know, three to five years. Because that's some of them you can see them when they're really young. You know what I mean?
Andrea:Yeah, I think that one with the actor fiance was from like 2011 or something. It was pretty old.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, there's a lot of themes, like I the okay, the ones I can't stand. I just have to say this, and I've watched them, but I can't stand them. The whole princess thing, you know, like somebody is royalty and then they find a commoner who's a seamstress or a I don't know what like what is our obsession with royalty? It's a weird one, and falling in love.
Andrea:There's a Brooke Shields one where she's like goes to a castle in Scotland, and like I think the guy who has the castle is like a Duke or something. I mean, it's just still like but it's fun to.
Carmen Lezeth:I mean, I think what's really great about it, again, it goes back to this thing for me, like food. I know that macaroni and cheese is probably not the best thing for me to be eating, but boy, when I eat it, it feels really comfortable, you know what I mean? And I smile and I laugh. And what I like about it is I don't have to put too much brain information into it. Like I went and saw um Wicked for Good the other day, which well, I saw it when it first came out, and I loved it, but I was totally into it. And I was like, you know, and it I loved it, but it took a lot.
Andrea:But Hallmark movies are just it's like you can have it on in the background and you know, be doing something else. And I, you know, at this point now it's like a little bit of a game, like, okay, do we have a dead parent? Or if they're not dead, are they on a cruise this year?
Carmen Lezeth:Oh, the cruise is a new thing, by the way. This is this is like a new the cruise thing is driving me up a wall. That's happened too many times now.
Andrea:Yeah, you know, but there's all those sort of tropes where I'm like, okay, check.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, yeah. Um I've noticed like the bakery stuff has kind of like you're like if you're watching bakery things, those are older Hallmarks. Like now, now it's like a restaurant or a you know, we we own a restaurant, our family owns a restaurant, or they own a store, a country mart, or something. You know what I mean? Like they're trying to change it up a bit.
Andrea:There was one I watched, I think this was a Netflix one also, um, where she had a candy store slash bakery, I guess. And it was the the love interest was an actor who was in town shooting a movie or something like that.
Carmen Lezeth:Because he's trying to be learn to be a ranch hand or something. Well, no, I saw that one. I saw that one too. Okay. I think I watched that one over the weekend. I'm confusing them now. That's so funny.
Andrea:No, but this one was actually really funny because the the the story was that he got really bad service and he gave her a bad review. So then they were like going back and forth on the review, like it was like a Yelp type of thing or whatever. So it was like modern because they were oh they were like the Yelp thing or whatever, like oh that's funny.
Carmen Lezeth:Yeah, oh god. They are fun though, and I think um I I I think I told you there's also there's a lot of free ones on YouTube, so you don't have to have Netflix or whatever. For some reason, Hallmark, all of these kind of there's also like the Great American Channel or Great American Family, whatever. There's a lot of them that they put some of the older movies out there for free, which I didn't notice until I was like, let me try to find some for you that you might want to enjoy. Um, and let me ask you this: what do you think makes a good Hallmark movie at this stage while you're kind of dipping your toe into it?
Andrea:Well, I'm you know, I'm beginning to be a connoisseur. So what makes a good one? Um definitely good actors and good writing, right? Like just some not super canned dialogue, I think, is helpful. Um but I think I think you have to have some of the tropes, right? Like you can't just do something completely new because that's not what we want. We know we definitely need the almost kiss and you know, all of those kinds of things. So I think I don't know. That's a really good question. What to think about that? But I am a little over the princess y stuff. Yeah, that's it. Um I don't mind a bakery, I'm fine with a bakery. Um you know what I well, I one of my favorite ones that I just saw this year was um single all the way, so it's like a gay um story. Oh, yeah, I did see that one. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I like that that because it's something different, you know. I'd like to maybe see something where it's flipped and like it's more about the guy and his whole thing, you know. Um yeah, I don't know.
Carmen Lezeth:They're fun. Yeah, um, I, you know, look at I I know what I don't like in some of the Hallmark movies. Um, and that's basically when when it's done badly, when you can just, I mean, how do I say this? Because I don't want to diss all the actors and writers and all the people on these crews, because they just churn these movies out, right? This isn't like, you know, they're not trying to do Shakespeare. But I know for myself, I have no like I don't have a preference as to what the storyline is because I'm watching it not just as background, but as not heavy information. So yeah, the bakery or even the princess thing. I mean, I've watched them, but it kills me because I'm like, why? Like I would never want to go to a castle and you know what I mean, whatever. Um, I think the thing that bothers me probably the most is the lack of diversity all the time. Yeah. So now that they aren't like, and I don't just mean we need more black people or we need more, like, I don't want black people who are acting white. I'll give you an example. I'll give an example. I'll give you an example. So they do have what you mean, but go ahead. But I'm gonna explain it. Okay, so like I don't want just like a black person who's okay, she's gonna get ready and and she's gonna go to bed, and though she's gonna go to bed and she's gonna lay down and like this. Because the truth is a black woman gonna put on a silk wrap on her head. Like, that's a simple thing. That's like a simple thing. That's and it's not that it has to be cultural, but it has to be real to all of us. You know what I mean? It's kind of like you see the you you see the two couples who are like the the the the the two men who are uh a gay couple, you know, like and I love that they let them kiss or whatever, but that would be weird if they were just like like you're you don't want to hide what the truth is. So I always think about that. Like, can we let people of color can and like Asian people are not represented in Hallmark movies? I would love to see some name, you know. Then this isn't about DEI and all your fucking woke bullshittery. This is about reflecting all of us in these really fun, simple ways, you know. And like, I'm not saying all, by the way, I'm not saying all black people wear silk wrap. I'm not saying that. I'm saying there are simple things that I notice when they do kind of install a person of color. And I'm like, okay, she would never do that, she would never wear that. That is not even true. And what it does is it takes me out of the movie, it takes me out of it, you know what I mean? Um, and I also think it's not true. I mean, a lot of it is not true because not everyone works at a bakery, but you know what I'm saying. Yeah, you know, um so that would be kind of something I love that they Hallmark did what they did, and I hope they get all their viewers back, you know, not the viewers that don't want to be there. And that's kind of the politics behind stuff that you don't know. Yeah. Um, that uh we'll talk about some other time. But you mentioned that last time. No, but I mean, like I'm I'm gonna tell you like some ghetto version. I'm I'm uh, you know, down a bit for you know, you but in my ghetto version, you know. But yeah, no, I'm glad you're enjoying it, and we'll touch base with you, you know. We don't always have to talk about a homework, but I'm always curious what you're watching.
Andrea:So I haven't even watched, you know, we all have our like sort of traditional Christmas movies that we watch, right? Like, I haven't watched any of those at all. I watched the sound of music the other day, I was in tears because I haven't seen it in so long.
Carmen Lezeth:Oh my god, it was so beautiful. But you're saying you haven't even watched some of those yet.
Andrea:I haven't watched any of those. We always watch White Christmas, which is like a little bit of a hate watch for me sometimes. But I know, I know. But um, and I do like it's a wonderful life. The kids don't like it, but I still watch it. And then also kind of dated, but it's still good. I still will watch some of the um like the Rudolph ones, those like Claymation. I don't think it's called whatever they are, the puppets or I just love those.
Carmen Lezeth:So you know what though? Can I say there's something also weird about this? Might just be a me thing. I want to turn on my TV and it be on and be like, oh my god. As opposed to having it recorded and then watching it. Like, is that weird? Like, I like some things that are just live happening. Does that make sense?
Andrea:Yeah, well, I remember like with all you know, like the peanuts Christmas show or whatever. Like, there were like it was like it was on it's gonna be on uh on you know Wednesday the 18th at 8 o'clock, and you either sat down and watched it or you miss it until you missed it. Yeah, like that was it, you were not gonna see it. And there was like one of the Rudolphs was my favorite, the one with like the heat miser or whatever. Oh that was my favorite one.
Carmen Lezeth:And if I missed it, heat miser and Mr. Hot. Right, uh Mr. Sun.
Andrea:I love that one. Yeah, yeah. If you missed it, it's like I you don't get to see it for a whole year. Like it was such a big deal. Like you had to be prepared.
Carmen Lezeth:Um, Mr. Hundred One. They call me Heat Miser. Whatever I touched didn't melted in my clutch or some. I'm too much. Okay, we're gonna end on that because that's gonna be in my head the whole time. Thank you. That was so much fun. Now that you know, now I have to go find that movie. That was fun. Yeah, um, all right. Well, everyone, thank you for hanging out. And um, remember, at the end of the day, it really is all about the joy. We'll see you next time. Bye, everyone. Thanks for stopping by, All About the Joy. Be better and stay beautiful, folks. Have a sweet day.
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