In 2021, actor Armie Hammer’s career crashed into the side of a mountain. The recently separated star had a series of high-profile projects lined up when an anonymous Instagram account called House of Effie began posting eye-popping messages of violent sexual fantasy that purported to be from Hammer. “I am 100% cannibal,” read one. More women joined the fray, bringing accusations of coercion, power abuse, and eventually rape. The Internet, no surprise here, was riveted. Cue the cascade of clickbait articles and a high-profile documentary, but along the way, there was one side of the story curiously missing: Armie Hammer’s.
Journalist Jamie Kirchick changed that with his barnburner profile, “Armie Hammer Breaks His Silence,” recently published in Graydon Carter’s magazine, Air Mail. Kirchick comes on the podcast to talk about a scandal gone wild, a media in absentia, kink shaming, the parts of those salacious messages we never got to see, the problem with the court of public opinion, and whether consent can ever be taken back. It’s a hell of a story.
Sarah wonders how many #MeToo stories are “justice of the heart” campaigns and asks whether the sexual revolution is moving forward or backward. Nancy wonders whether the spurned lover, no longer the object of affection, tries to recapture satisfaction by inflicting pain.
In the bonus: gamifying your healthcare, Nancy reveals her big TV commercial break, how to eat a cupcake, MILF Manor gets real (silly), the brilliant and controversial third episode of HBO’s The Last of Us, and a whole bunch of hotness in our hot boxes.
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Up next week: Kornacki!
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