Episode 62: Corruption in the Senate | TikTok Ban | Book Review: Catch The Sun By Jennifer Hartman | Will Drake Sue NFL? | Rednote | Diddy Documentary | AITA
Hosts: Stefanie Navarro & Meredith Hill
Run Time: ~60 min
Theme: TikTok bans, conspiracy theories, impulsive shopping logic, Super Bowl lawsuits, cultural revelations, and a book club read that wrecked us in the best way.
🎧 In This Episode:
It’s chaos as usual under the big top. Stefanie and Meredith dive into the brief TikTok blackout, share what they’ve learned exploring RedNote (China’s version of TikTok), and unpack how Congress’s shady stock connections are fueling the app wars. Then it’s a classic Girl Math vs. Logic bro-down that leaves one AITA guy sounding real bitter about his wife’s sales strategy. They close things out with a raw, emotional breakdown of Catch the Sun—a rollercoaster of trauma, healing, and the power of complicated love.
💬 Topics Covered:
📵 TikTok Ban? Not So Fast…
– How Congress may be profiting off the ban, and what shady connections Meta, Google, and Amazon have to the vote.
– RedNote (aka “China’s TikTok”) has become an unexpected cultural exchange and chaotic rabbit hole.
💸 Girl Math vs. Husband Logic – AITA Edition
– If you saved $100 on a $200 dress… did you just spend $100 or SAVE $100?
– One husband’s outrage sparked a hilarious (and totally valid) defense of Girl Math. Spoiler: We’re Team Wife.
🌏 Cultural Misconceptions, Language Learning & Food Revelations
– What Americans are discovering about China, RedNote etiquette, and real Chinese food (hint: it’s not General Tso’s).
– Also, is it a requirement to post pet pics on command? Cat tax is real.
🎤 Super Bowl + Music Industry Drama
– Drake files a lawsuit over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and its artwork.
– Could the NFL and Universal Music Group get dragged into a major legal mess?
📺 What We’re Watching:
– Upcoming Diddy documentaries
– 50 Cent’s rumored tell-all
– Reactions to James English’s podcast and the Beckham affair episode (plus bonus Scottish accent confusion)
📚 Book Club – Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann
– A YA-leaning novel that felt anything but young.
– Heartbreak, trauma, childhood friendship, survival, and a twin brother betrayal that rocked us.
– Deep themes: wrongful conviction, grief, and what healing really looks like.
– Final rating: 8–9/10 — we felt this one.
📖 Next Week’s Read:
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding – A woman tries to end her life… and what follows is a tangled mess of abuse, manipulation, and a chilling escape plot.
🧠 Quote of the Week:
“If you spend $150 on a dress that was $400, you didn’t spend money—you SAVED money. That’s just Girl Math.”
— Stefanie (and every woman with a Marshalls receipt)
📢 Announcements:
- Our VIP Circus Crew is coming soon with full video episodes, bonus content & more
- Watch for our upcoming guest episode featuring the hilarious Tracy Chisholm
💥 Don’t Forget:
- Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen
- Leave a review (your thumbs work, we checked!)
- Follow us on TikTok & Instagram @thisismycircuspod
- Share this episode with your petty bestie or book-loving soul sister
🎪 Until next time, keep the face plump, the receipts justified, and the kids only mildly feral.
This is our circus—and these are definitely our monkeys. 🐒
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