Joe Escalante, Live From Hollywood

Joe Escalante's weekly fingering the pulse of the business end of showbiz, live and direct from Boston (hence the audio quality)!!! This week: two Box Offices splashes in what may be the biggest Memorial Day for the theater industry. Thank you Mission Impossible and Lilo & Stitch! You've given Joe hope for the movie theater industry! Also, the latest from Cannes, with a bunch of movies that you'll never see. The best movie is an Iranian film from a guy named Jafar... Joe is afraid of Jafar.  Celebs behave badly, and Diddy is still behaving badly. A vape shop got sued by Toys r Us. Disney got sued by a guy thinking a time travelling surfer named Bucky is the same as Moana. Welcome to Hollywood, where everybody stole somebody's something.

Joe Escalante's weekly cannonball into the business end of showbiz. This week: the latest numbers from the box office, and ways to get more people into the theaters. Also, HBO finally realizes that they are actually bigger than Cinemax, Diddy and Harvey Weinstein make their weekly appearance on "Celebs Behaving Badly," and Joe is joined  by Rob Wallace, the "OC Movie Fiend," to discuss the local movie theater scene. The guy has a spreadsheet on the best seats at the movies, but he's not gonna share it... It's the front row, isn't it...

Joe Escalante's weekly 2-hour tour into the business end of showbiz. This week: the latest from the Box Office (Thunderbolts* is killing it, Sinners and Minecraft are still pulling in numbers). Also, Jon Voight has a plan to revive Hollywood, after production companies havce begun shipping filmmaking overseas. Joe discusses the latest legal issues surrounding rights to make money off of Superman. Diddy is still in jail. And Joe accidently stumbled into the hidden world of a high-stakes international Chinese pigeon racing ring, after a tattoo'd racing pigeon mistook his laundry room for the finish line. Joe named the pigeon Chiang Kai-Peck.  

Joe Escalante's weekly trip into the business end of showbiz. This week... Joe talks about the controversial Kneecap performance at Coachella, and defending the band amid the backlash against the political statement they made on stage during their performance. Also, the latest numbers from the Box Office (Sinners takes the top spot over... Star Wars: Episode 3???). Joe also talks about the film industry leaving Hollywood for more affordable pastures. And, in the latest edition of Celebs Behaving Badly, former NFL Champ and Podcast sensation Shannon Sharp is in a world of trouble after bein accused of sexual assault, and Diddy is still in jail. Also, the latest from the Billy "The King of Kong" Mitchell's defamation case, and getting lost at Disneyland.oh, it's Bat Day at Disneyland today. Goths of the world... ASSEMBLE!!!!

Joe Escalante's weekly journey through the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe is snowed in in Denver after a freak snow storm, but nothing will prevent him from delivering the latest news from Hollywood. Joe was at Coachella last week, and, to Joe's disappointment, it was nothing like the Fyre Festival...Also, The Sinners are #1 at the Box Office, with The Minecraft Movie right behind. Joe loves the kids going crazy for the Chicken Jockey in theaters showing Minecraft, and feels that movies that build similar traditions within their fanbase may be the thing that saves the movie theater industry... They just gotta be prepared for the clean up! Also, a ton of celebs behaving badly this week: Diddy, Weinstein are back in court. And Drake is trying to take everyone except Kendrick Lemar to court for defamation.  

Joe Escalante's weekly dip into the shark infested waters of the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe is live from Coachella (check out the Yo Gabba Gabba tent!)!!! Joe marvels at Weezer's bass player's fortitude after playing Coachella right after his wife had been shot by police in following a hit-and-run incident. Joe also reviews the latest numbers from the Box Office (Minecraft is on top, and highly recommends it). Joe is blown away by The Penguin Lessons (there's a sentence I'd never thought I'd write...). And more people are complaining about musicians not getting paid enough for their songs getting streamed. Joe thinks it's weird.

Joe Escalante's weekly dip into the business end of showbiz. This week: Celebs Behaving Badly, featuring Paul Rodriguez and Kim Delaney (NYPD Blue). Also, the latest numbers from the Box Office: Snow White may not be as woke as conservatives seem to think, but that's not stopping them from tanking the film. SNL's Colin Jost takes aim at Joe's mortal rival, Paddington Bear.We discuss the film "Arcades and Love Songs," and asks if elderly gamer geeks are capable of rocking. And Joe is keeping a watchful eye on the Limp Bizkit $200M lawsuit against Universal Music.

Joe Escalante's weekly visit with the business end of showbiz. This week: Snow White is too woke...  OR IS IT???? Can it be that the anti-woke hype-train ran over a perfectly fine Disney movie, or are people just too tired of the live-actioning of classic animated films? Also, Joe is buying a  Disney home, and gives you the details on how you can secure your own space in the Disney neighborhood!! Je goes into the latest numbers from the Box Office, and rock bands virtue signalling by blaming Trump for not getting into the US.

Joe Escalante's weekly plunge into the business end of showbiz. This week: studios are looking to create more immersive experiences focused on their more popular shows and movies. They've done this before with shows like Stranger Things, so expect more of the same. Also, the latest from the box office (Novocaine hits #1), and the legal ripple effect stemming from the death of Gene Hackman. And Joe speaks out against bad lawyers becoming the tools in the Tool lawsuit.Shakespeare went woke. Joe isn't pleased...

Joe Escalante's weekly graceful swan dive into the business end of showbiz. This week: We're a week away from the Oscars, which can only mean one thing... the SAG Awards!!! Joe ranks the nominees for Best Picture in order of preference. He really didn't like Emilia Perez... speaking of which... Karla Sofía Gascón is not showing up to the SAG Awards amid the controversy of past tweets that came back to bite her. We'll see if she shows up to the Oscars next week. Joe explores that story as it develops. Also, James Bond has been sold to Amazon... Tech companies are taking over EVERYTHING!

Joe Escalante's weekly plunge into the business end of showbiz. This week: in anticipation of the upcoming Academy Awards, Joe and the crew go over their individual favorite movies of 2024. Joe has been ranting and raving about Wild Robot since he saw it, so obviously, that's his pick for #1... Producer Nikki is all about The Substance. Engineer Sam picked Monkey Man as his favorite of 2024. Joe ios excited about the upcoming Oscars, and is looking to rank the Best Picture nominees.  

Joe Escalante's weekly exploration into the business end of showbiz. This week: The Grammy's are tonight, and Joe hates them. Maybe it has something to do with there being no category for Best Punk Album. Then again, maybe Joe is too punk for your stupid music award show. Fun fact: did you know that there are 94 categories that get Grammy awards... including Best Album Notes... Jeez, no wonder why Joe hates the Grammy's... Anyways, Joe, Producer Nikki, and Engineer Sam, er, Scorpion talk about the latest Box Office numbers, and go through the Oscar nominees for Best Picture (The Brutalist may get it).

Joe Escalante's weekly spelunk into the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe, Nikki, and Sam talk about the impact of the wildfires on the communities hit hardest, talking about how many people are not planning on returning, and the trauma that comes with rebuilding. On a lighter note, we take a look at the latest box office numbers, and talk about the films seen this week. Joe also looks at the recently released nominations for the upcoming Academy Awards (we all like Timothee SportChalet for Best Actor). And the latest from celebs behaving badly... Professor Emeritus Michael Jackson makes an appearance this week!

Joe Escalante's weekly sojourn into the oily depths of the business end of showbiz. This week: TikTok got banned (thanks, Congress!) and then unbanned (thanks, Trump!). Also, a bunch of TV political hacks are getting positions in Trump's White House. Not like it hasn't happened with other politicians on both sides of the aisle...And, the latest numbers from the box office (One of Them Days and Mufasa reign supreme), Joe's approval of the new film, Better Man, and his nostalgia for old-timey Lancelot Link-style animal actors...  Producer Nikki talks about her horrible movie-going experience with other inconsiderate audience members. 

Joe Escalante's weekly dive into the business end of showbiz. This week: saluting our first responders during the tragic fires that are currently burning throughout Los Angeles. Joe talks about the impact the fires have had on the business end of Hollywood. It's hard to ask an actor to work on a project when their house just burned down. Also, Joe and producer Nikki explore and critique each others' Letterboxd film reviews. Nikki may be the only person who does not love Timothee SportChalet... I think I'm spelling that right...

Joe Escalante's weekly dive into Hollywood's backside (business end of showbiz). This week: a look at the Golden Globes and the politics of award shows. Joe explains the reasons why no one wanted to see an anti-Trump movie (there are millions). Also, the latest from the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni issues... it's a mess. At least the movie is finished filming, but damn...And... are eco-friendly touring practices taking over the music industry? Joe complains about musicians like Billie Eillish and Coldplay planting trees and trying to save the environment, while riding private jets.

Joe Escalante's weekly dip into the business end of showbiz. This week: the latest from the Kendrick Lamar/Drake lawsuit. Don't know why people call it that, when Drake is suing everyone except Kendrick Lamar... Also, the latest from the box office, and how things got so bad on the set of a Blake Lively's film that they had to call together a crisis meeting to stop the director from showing random people porn on his phone. And Adele is getting sued by a Brazilian guy for stealing a song that he may have taken from the Phantom of the Opera... or not... We'll let Joe decide before the courts decide.Joe didn't see any movies this week because he was managing Sublime in Cancun, and planning a Christmas show for his own band. Someone will watch Sonic 3 by next week, I promise.

Joe Escalante's weekly cruise through the business end of showbiz. This week: the latest box office numbers (Moana 2 is #1), Joe's favorite places to golf in SoCal, and is the film industry going anti-woke??? Also, the latest from the George Stephanopolis/ Donald Trump defamation suit. Trump wins, again! 

Joe Escalante's weekly drive-thru the business end of showbiz. This week: the latest box office numbers. Moana 2 is out, and Joe tells you about the best way to see it... Movies in D-Box theaters turn mediocre movies into memorable experiences. Joe really enjoyed it at the Cinemark Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. Also, Joe watched Tropic Thunder, noting how, after Trump's election, people are allowed to be offensively funny again. And a bunch of badly behaving celebs had court cases... Jonathan Majors settles... Does that mean we get Kang back??? Eh, maybe in another multiverse...

Joe Escalante's weekly fight against the business end of showbiz. This week: Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul was a legal fiasco, but at least we got to see Mike Tyson's butt! Also, we learn about Joe's personal experience with the fight game, as a manager for a Tijuana fighter who took a dive. Also, Wicked is ruling the box office. It's pretty good, just be prepared for 3 hours of it. And the latest on the bottom falling out on the post-election ratings for CNN and MSNBC. Fox News is fine, because old people haven't stoppped watching them in two decades... 

Joe Escalante's weekly plunge into the business end of showbiz. This week: Brady MacDonald joins Joe to discuss the latest festivities from Disneyland, incuding comparing Disney Japan to our own Disneyland (aside from the $68 ticket price in Japan)... Zipedeedodah is still played out there, in case you were curious... Also, does Disneyland's new pricing plan stink of elitism, or is it a good idea? Shorter lines are always cool, but paying more for something that is already a huge expenditure may not be...

Joe Escalante's weekly exploration inside the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe reminisces about the days of his youthful innocence, running around Disneyland.. Be like Joe... Don't do drugs at Disneyland. Also, the latest numbers from the Box Office (Wild Robot is still running wild), Joe's obsession with the Netflix series about the Menedez Brothers, and how he would have litigated the case against them. Needless to say, don't let your kids watch The Menendez Brothers...

Joe Escalante's weekly plunge into the depths of the business end of showbiz... This week, in a podcast-exclusive episode, Joe talks about how to get banned from radio-play in Vegas. Also, celebs not named Diddy behaving badly, and celebs named Diddy behaving badly.Also, Joe discusses the glory that is seeing "Blazing Saddles" at the Cinemark Bella Terra in Huntington Beach. However, he missed the glory of seeing "Megalopolis" at the the Cinemark Century in the OC. He ended up accidentally seeing the BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR. Go see "The Wild Robot."

This week, on a podcast exclusive episode of Live from Hollywood, Joe Escalante interviews Michael Fowlkes, the writer/producer/director of the 12-part documentary series, "The History of Sportfishing." They discuss how the project went from a small, "Endless Summer" style documentary, to an extensive, spiritually driven 12 episode saga. For more info, check out their page.https://thehistoryofsportfishing.com/

Joe Escalante's weekly exploration into the dark caverns of the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe talks about Anna Delvey's inclusion on the next season of Dancing with the Stars... I mean, why not have a fake german heiress who went to prison for four years one the show? Who cares about the special accomodations made to allow for her travel from New York, where she is currently under house arrest, to LA, where they tape the show. Also, Joe tells us why Burt Reynolds was always a stand-up individual, despite his financial woes. And it's not because Burt gave Joe a belt buckle... And the latest from TNT's legal struggles with the NBA...RIP Inside the NBA...

Joe Escalante's weekly jaunt into the business end of showbiz. This week: the latest from the civil brawl between Disneyland, Disney+ and wrongful death lawsuits. There was also an actual brawl in the VIP section at Fantasmic. Personally, I'd also pay extra to fight strangers inside the Happiest Place on Earth. Also, Joe takes issue with the one guy who dared to show up at, according to Forbes, the most exclusive club in the world, while wearing pajama bottoms. THE AUDACITY!!!!Also, Joe gives his two cents on the recent celeb-fueled DNC, and the treaacherous world of being a personal assistant in Hollywood. 

Joe Escalante's weekly march through the business end of showbiz. This week... Joe talks about why you shouldn't die at a Disney park while subscribed to Disney+. Also, in a special episode of celebs behaving badly, Hollywood mogul Casey Wasserman is exposed as a philandering narcissist... just like ever other Hollywood mogul. And the sad case of the death Matthew Perry, and the enablers who saw him spiraling, yet continued to feed his addiction.Hollywood is soooooo glamorous, isn't it?

Joe Escalante's weekly dive in to the business end of showbiz. This week: Youtubers are suing OpenAI (makers of Chat GPT) for skimming their videos, not for the content users have produced, but to identify and recreate speech patterns so that AI can learn how to destroy us even faster! Also, Joe interviews the cast and crew from the film "Kneecap." And Engineer Sam and Producer Nikki find out that their Olympic dreams may still be alive, thanks to Australia's recent discovery of Breakdancing as an Olympic sport. Sam remembers back to the 1984 Olympics here in LA, and how the 1984 Opening Ceremonies may have been the first time Breakdancing was introduced on a worldwide stage. I'm guessing the footage of that Opening Ceremony finally made to Australia, and they just found out about it.   

Joe Escalante's weekly sojourn into the vile den of the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe interviews the director and stars of Joe's new Oscar favorite, "Kneecap." Also, the latest from the box office... Deadpool is number 1, and Disney is having to get creative with how they promote an R-rated film to kids at their theme parks. And more celebs behaving badly!!!

Joe Escalante's weekly plunge into the deadly waters of the business end of showbiz. This week... the latest from the box office (Deadpool/Wolverine is living up to the "biggest blockbuster of the Summer hype). Also, Joe is enamored with "Twisters," especially after it pissed off climate change activists. It speaks to a bigger problem Joe has with movies nowadays: he's tired of being preached to. And a "Facts of Life" reunion got squashed by "a greedy co-star" from the show... Joe and Sam think it's Blair... 

Joe Escalante's weekly visit to the business end of showbiz... This week: Joe's back in town!! He's still jet lagged from jet-setting across the world, but he's back to talk about Tenacious D's apology for unfortunate comments made at Kyle Gass' birthday show in Australia (too soon, maybe?). Also, the latest from the box office... Joe really did not enjoy "Fly me to the Moon"... after how many frequent flyer miles he's gathered in the last month, I don't think he'd enjoy anything about flying... And Joe and producer Nikki go crazy over their early pick for the Oscar for movie of the year, "Kneecap." Please, let us all bathe in the glory of the "Hock Tuah" girl getting a manager. She may just be the reincarnation of the Iron Sheik, and I, for one, am all for it.

Joe Escalante's weekly dive into the business end of showbiz. This week... Joe's still in Spain... So Engineer Sam and Producer Nikki take over, talking about the latest Hollywood legal news involving the Beastie Boys suing Chili's over the use of Sabotage, Fox sues Moe's Tavern over Simpsons merchandice, and the Alec Baldwin "Rust" case gets dismissed. Also, they discuss Redbox declaring Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and the upcoming broadcast deal for the NBA, and the potential loss of an American institution, TNT's Inside the NBA. 

Joe Escalante's weekly plunge into the business end of showbiz... This week: Joe is in the beautiful city of Pamplona, Spain for the Running of the Bulls. I'm sure he's avoiding more bulls*@% over there than he endures in Hollywood. So, Producer Sam and Associate Producer Nikki take over the show and talk about the latest from the box office, and the recent influx of great horror films in the theaters. Also, drone camera operators are looking to unionize, "The Boys" 4th season, and Diddy avoiding the feds by taking to the high seas... ok, it was just white water rafting, but still...

Joe Escalante's weekly swan dive into the business end of showbiz... This week: Joe regales us with the story of being crowned Imperial Sovereign of Los Alamitos last week. Ok, he was inducted into the Los Alamitos Hall of Fame (along with the bass player from the Silversun Pickups!), but still...Also, a look at the box office (shout out to the Cinemark Bella Terra in Huntington Beach, and the AMC 16 in Burbank), an unpacking of the first Presidential Debate, and America's Greatest American, Mark Wahlberg, opened a new high-end Mexican spot in the OC. Joe gives his reviews. And Joe gets to explore his favorite topic in the world... ANTI-TRUST LAW! This time, Joe goes into the possible anti-trust issues and SoCal theme parks. 

Joe Escalante's weekly journey into the business end of showbiz. This week: Inside Out 2 dominates the box office, Army Hammer is not, I REPEAT, NOT a cannibal, and Sony bought out all of the Alamo Drafthouses. Will this spark a trend of film companies buying out more theaters? Will streamers, looking to screen their films and make them Oscar-eligible, follow suit? Joe knows.

Joe Escalante's Weekly dive into the business of showbiz. This week: Joe is joined by Mr. Broadway-Pants (Joe's nephew Kevin) to talk about the 2024 Tony Awards. Also, Joe discusses his frustration at the fact that there is no longer a movie theater in Big Bear, which explaining why he didn't see any movies this week. However, Joe talks about special deals at the movies (AMC, Regal) aiming to reconnect the theaters to a younger audience. And Producer Nicky tells us about her amazing experience jet skiing from Long Beach to Catalina Island.

Joe Escalante's weekly journey into the dark side of the business end of showbiz... This week: Joe welcomes new associate producer Nikki Strubinsky to the show. Also, Netflix is fighting a major lawsuit stemming from the show, Baby Reindeer. The latest numbers from the box office (Joe recommends The Dead Don't Hurt), Irving Azoff is in some legal trouble after booking his own band at his own venue... The problem is that Azoff's band (The Black Keys) weren't good enough to sell out Azoff's venue. 

Joe Escalante's weekly observations of the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe pays tribute to Al Ready, a mentor to Joe and a Hollywood legend (created Walker: Texas Ranger, among several other classics). Joe went to the movies and LOVED The Fall Guy. Also, we all highly recommend the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, "The Two Escobars" about the Pablo Escobar and the 1992 Colombian national soccer team. Also, Madonna getting a class action sued for starting shows 4 hours late... Madonna, you're starting to get up in the years, and it's time to go to bed... for everyone...Also, Joe Escalante's being inducted into the newly minted Los Alamitos Hall of Fame. Congrats, Joe!!!

Joe Escalante's weekly visit to the business end of showbiz... This week: Joe goes deep into the AI wars, with Scarlet Johansson suing the makers of ChatGPT for using a very close likeness of her voice reading their AI stuff. Also, the latest from the box office: Furiosa takes the number 1 spot, and Joe could not be happier! Something that Joe does not like is the idea of a movie based on the super-private, ultra-secret Club 33 at Disneyland. He's just miffed because he's a member, and what's the point of a secret, members-only club if everyone knows about it???  

Joe Escalante's weekly pulse check from within the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe's box office breakdown, the mixed reviews of Coppola's experimental opus, "Megalopolis," straight from the Cannes Film Festival, and Joe's brilliant legal plan to save the career (and, possibly, the life) of Sean P. Diddy Combs. Also, Joe explores the film, "The Long Game," about Latino golfers getting discriminated against in the 1950s, and his new streaming obsession, "Sugar" on Apple TV. Joe talks about what is changing in Hollywood that makes it so an award winning film actor like Colin Farrell can go from leading in Hollywood blockbusters to making millions per episode on a streaming format.

Joe Escalante's Weekly look at the business end of showbiz. Joe talks about the legal dangers of stagediving. Also, the latest look at the box office... The new Planet of the Apes is AMAZING!!! And Joe talks about the life and work of Roger Corman, and Joe's connection to the B-Movie film legend.Happy Mothers' Day!

Joe Escalante's weekly spelunking into the business end of showbiz. This week: buying TV networks and mingling with stars (somewhere in all of this is Les Moonves)... Also, the latest box office numbers, and the best way to make it into Hollywood (here's a hint... LEARN TO WRITE!!!), and Joe flexes some legal muscle, talking about the new non-compete laws. Some people think it'll help people in the long run. Joe thinks companies will figure out ways around it. FASCINATING! Also, "Quiet on the Set" has Nickelodeon on its heels. Everyone is distancing themselves from the fallout of the child s@x abuse allegations made in the documentary. Joe gives his two cents... 

Theme park reporter for the OC Register Brady MacDonald joins Joe to talk about the latest from  Disneyland. This week: Joe talks about ways to cut down on crowding in the park, including no strollers, no bags at all, and no diapers (because diapers will be free!!!!). Also, Disney guests are abusing the disability pass. This used to go by ignored, but now they are punishing the liars with a lifetime ban from the park. And, California Adventure is finally getting a parade again (first time since the pandemic!)!! Take that, line skippers!!!

Joe Escalante's weekly exploration of the business end of showbiz... This week, he's live right behind the main stage at the coldest Coachella ever (and you could tell!)!!! He was backstage for the first big gig for Sublime, and saw the No Doubt reunion. Also, the latest legal battle from the shoot that happened on the set of Rust... this time, the medic is suing for pain and suffering. Joe just thinks she was doing her job, but whatevs... Also, there a writer who wrote an article in the early 1980s about the Top Gun Academy in San Diego who thinks he should have gotten paid for the sequel... Good luck with that!And Gascon has another issue on his hands, this time from a star of Game of Thrones. May want to ACTUALLY investigate that one... And Shohei Otani... damn, bro. $16 million... And we're didn't even even in May!

Taken from a talk given by Joe to the Southeast District Bar Association in Los Angeles in March of 2024. See the pictures Joe is referring to on the Joe Escalante Live from Hollywood Facebook Page. 

This week on Joe Escalante's weekly dip into the business end of showbiz... Joe is Big in Japan! He just flew in from Tokyo, and boy, are his arms tired (HEYO!!!!)... He saw Sumo wrestling live!!!! Ghostbusters got a new movie on top of the box office! Elon Musk isn't thrilled with Don Lemon for calling out hate speech on the platform formerly known as Twitter, and Joe brags about being a member of some exclusive clubs here in SoCal, while taking shots at other lame-ass members of other lame-ass exclusive clubs. We're looking at you Soho House... A club you gotta pay thousands to be a member of, and still wait 4 hours for a table??? I'll take my Domino's Pizza club and their free emergency pizza over that, any day of the week.

Joe Escalante's Weekly dive into the business end of showbiz. It is Oscar Sunday!!! Joe goes over his picks for Best Picture, and his own top 10 films of the last year. Also, the latest from the Rust case... The armorer was found guilty of manslaughter. And there is a major controversy brewing with one of the films up for several awards tonight... Plagiarism??? Joe goes in deep on The Holdovers controversy. Pleadse forgive the audio quality... due to demonic forces chasing Joe's audio equipment, we had to improvise a solution. Even with two cans and a pice of string, we will bring you what you want... Joe Escalante!!!!

Joe Escalante's weekly journey into the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe has plenty of celebs behaving badly... Alec Baldwin is on trial, P. Diddy is sexually harassing other men, Oprah is off the board of Weight Watchers for taking a diet drug (THE AUDACITY!!!). Also, the latest from the box office, and a rundown of the nominees for Best Picture at the Academy Awards (it's Oppenheimer).

Joe Escalante's weekly look into the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe saw the Bob Marley bio-pic and spills the beans about a new Sublime bio-pic project he's working on. Also, candidate for LA District Attorney Maria Ramirez joins Joe to discuss the hotly contested race to unseat George Gascon as Los Angeles District Attorney. They discuss the rampant crime issues in LA, placing the blame for the rise in crime and loss of moral at the DA's office squarely on the shoulders of Gascon.They talk about ways to keep the city from becoming like how San Francisco currently is. Maria also talks about her life growing up in LA, and her desire to see the city find more effective ways to protect itself from unchecked criminality.Go Generals!

Maria Ramirez joins Joe to discuss the hotly contested race to unseat George Gascon as Los Angeles District Attorney. They discuss the rampant crime issues in LA, placing the blame for the rise in crime and loss of moral at the DA's office squarely on the shoulders of Gascon.They talk about ways to keep the city from becoming like how San Francisco currently is. Maria also talks about her life growing up in LA, and her desire to see the city find more effective ways to protect itself from unchecked criminality.

Joe Escalante's weekly escapade into the business end of showbiz. This week: Joe talks about the precursor to the Oscars, the BAFTAs (it's a British award show). Poor Things and The Holdovers look like they are poised for Oscar night success, even though Joe can't understand why. Also, is ESPN/Disney/Fox creating a sports programming monopoly? Are you ready to pay $40 to watch your favorite sports team? And one of Joe's old bosses, Les Moonves, keeps finding himself in the Celebs Gone Bad section of the show.