The Snark Factor

Fingers Malloy

The Snark Factor is a weekly show that airs on WAAM Talk 1600AM, 92.7FM Ann Arbor. You'll hear unusual takes on the latest news and entertainment from host Fingers Malloy. Sarah Smith and The Snark Factor Players join in on this unique talk show.

  1. 6D AGO

    Manufactured Chaos and the Trust Collapse

    This week on The Snark Factor, Fingers Malloy and Sarah Smith dig into the ongoing chaos in Minneapolis and the bigger problem underneath it: the argument isn’t even about what happened anymore — it’s about who gets to explain it. They break down how modern “protests” become coordinated disruptions, from encrypted group chats on Signal to the manufactured tactics of whistles, bullhorns, and traffic blockades. They also explore why the flashpoint appears concentrated in Minneapolis while other parts of the country are handling ICE cooperation and transfers without the same street-level disorder. From there, the conversation moves to the collapse of trust: viral footage, the constant question of “is this real,” and the way misinformation floods the public space so thoroughly that people struggle to verify anything before reacting. Fingers and Sarah argue that the public is being baited into rage, because anger is the easiest fuel to control. The episode also covers the “Pig Face” case out of Arizona — a story they use to discuss gangs, territory, private property norms, and the cultural mismatch arguments that emerge when communities feel order breaking down. They connect the issue to DHS priorities and the narrative battle over what immigration enforcement actually targets versus what people are told it targets. In the second half, they pivot to day-to-day pressure points: Real ID hitting its next enforcement phase, the mood inside the Washington, D.C. political bubble, and why federal systems often feel insulated from the consequences everyone else lives with. They also react to a chart of price changes since 2000 — with medical care, childcare, college, and hospital services exploding upward — and argue that government involvement is the common thread in the biggest increases. The show wraps with a rapid-fire run through property taxes, permits, insurance traps, utility bill spikes, and the rising sense that bureaucracy is designed to grind people down — plus a detour into egg prices, butter prices, and why arguing with people online is rarely worth the energy. On this episode: Minneapolis unrest and the coordination behind it Signal, group messaging, and “manufactured chaos” tactics Trust collapse, misinformation, and the anger trap The “Pig Face” story, gangs, and property norms Real ID enforcement and the TSA fee conversation Price changes since 2000 and why the public feels squeezed Property taxes, permits, utility spikes, and the bureaucracy spiral Follow Fingers on X. Follow Sarah on X. And get the weekday 3 in 3 on Substack via FingersMalloy.com — like it, subscribe to it, send it to a friend… and if you don’t like it, send it to someone you hate.

    50 min
  2. The Snark Factor 3 in 3 Week in Review: Trust Gaps, Control Myths, Confident Nonsense

    6D AGO

    The Snark Factor 3 in 3 Week in Review: Trust Gaps, Control Myths, Confident Nonsense

    Three stories. Three minutes. Every weekday. Here’s what survived the week. This Week in Review pulls together a run of stories about trust, control, and the quiet confidence institutions keep asking us to accept. We start with investigations that matter less than who’s allowed to run them, as lawmakers argue credibility while millions meant for the homeless quietly disappear into luxury homes and private jets. Oversight isn’t the problem. Belief is. From there, control becomes the theme: Tax season promises relief, then hands you new forms. Real ID tightens security while making movement more expensive. Technology offers dignity and choice, right up until it asks a machine to make the most human decision imaginable. California spends $236 million to help 22 people and calls it leadership. Health experts warn that everything you enjoy eating is destroying your gut. Your car shakes after a snowstorm—not because it’s failing, but because ice is stuck where it doesn’t belong. Meanwhile: The U.S. quietly positions itself closer to conflict with Iran. Kids can’t read cursive, but are still expected to sign their names. Major restaurant chains file for bankruptcy while insisting nothing changes. Washington avoids a shutdown the same way it always does—delay, duct tape, and confidence. AI agents promise efficiency while quietly introducing new risks. And adulthood officially begins at 32, complete with blowout parties and the realization that nobody actually knows what they’re doing. The through line is simple: Everyone wants certainty. Very few want questions. Most systems just ask you to go along with it. Sign here. If you want this every weekday, it’s Three Stories. Three Minutes. The Snark Factor 3 in 3 posts Monday through Friday, exclusively on Substack. Subscribe at FingersMalloy.com to get each episode as it drops. This is the Snark Factor 3 in 3 — Week in Review. I’m Fingers Molloy. Let’s talk Monday.

    16 min
  3. JAN 18

    Health Care, Hill Reality, and Why Nobody Wants a Bad Time

    Sarah Smith is off this week, so Fingers Malloy is joined by Amy Miller, a former senior Senate aide and longtime D.C. insider, for a rare thing on The Snark Factor: A calm, informed, no-hysteria conversation about health care policy. Yes. Really. Amy pulls back the curtain on how Capitol Hill actually works—committee power, donor pressure, political fear, and why “good policy” and “winning elections” rarely sit at the same table. Together, they break down the latest push around health care reform, prescription drug pricing, insurance subsidies, and the middlemen nobody likes but everybody has. Along the way: Why Appropriations, Finance, and Judiciary are the real power committees What Republicans say they want to do on health care—and what they’re afraid to touch How COVID-era subsidies quietly rewired expectations Why pharmacy benefit managers keep showing up in every reform conversation The political math behind “lowering costs” without detonating an election year And why the Senate is designed, above all else, to avoid “having a bad time” It’s wonky by Snark Factor standards—but in the best way. Also: a quick heads-up at the end about lost audio, where to find the longer versions of this conversation, and why not everything fits into a radio segment. More writing, audio, and the weekday Snark Factor 3 in 3 live at FingersMalloy.com. And if you want lighter, louder, and occasionally beef-related content, check out Eat, Drink, Smoke wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening. Courage.

    26 min
  4. The Snark Factor 3 in 3 — Week in Review: A Calm Look at a Loud Week

    JAN 18

    The Snark Factor 3 in 3 — Week in Review: A Calm Look at a Loud Week

    Four weekdays. Twelve stories. One calm look at how strange things actually got. In the very first Snark Factor 3 in 3 — Week in Review, Fingers Malloy pulls together this week’s daily three-minute episodes into one sharp, measured scan of the news cycle — minus the yelling, the panic, or the fake urgency. This week includes: Why a criminal investigation involving Jerome Powell somehow made central banking interesting — and why markets hate that feeling How Bitcoin ATMs became scam magnets, and why “just use the machine by the beef jerky” should always be a red flag A push to ban social media for kids under 16, and the awkward moment where lawmakers try to legislate parenting A nationwide Pecorino Romano recall upgraded by the Food and Drug Administration to its highest risk level — and why this is your sign to stop chewing FBI-style communication tricks that actually work in real life (and don’t require a badge) Why global powers are suddenly talking about Greenland, sugary drinks are getting cheaper, and some people are still threatening fast-food workers over refunds Retail sales, streaming wars, nose-picking science, and the quiet reminder that not every headline is a crisis — but none of them are nothing either This is what 3 in 3 is meant to be: Not hot takes. Not outrage. Just context, perspective, and one steady thought at a time. Three stories. Three minutes. Every weekday. This is The Snark Factor 3 in 3 — Week in Review. I’m Fingers Malloy. Let’s talk next week.

    12 min
  5. JAN 11

    Two Things Can Be True at the Same Time

    This week on The Snark Factor (WAMM Talk Radio), Fingers Malloy and Sarah Smith try to make sense of a world where the “big story” can change between Thursday’s recording and Sunday morning’s broadcast. They dig into the online frenzy over Venezuela, the endless cycle of narrative-building, and why “two things can be true at the same time” might be the only usable philosophy left. Then they tackle the Minneapolis ICE shooting—how partial clips shape public reaction, what the video appears to show, and why politicians and activists pushing civilians into confrontations with federal agents is a dangerous game. And because you can’t do hard news forever, Fingers takes a sharp left turn into his most honest confession yet: playing hooky at 7 a.m. at Harrah’s, drinking coffee that tastes like “wax, powder, and shame,” overhearing the single most cursed sentence ever spoken on a casino floor, and leaving with two allegedly worm-free hot dogs. Show notes (with timestamps) 0:00 – Quick plug: Eat, Drink, Smoke with Tony Katz 1:06 – Show setup: recording Thursday / airing Sunday; “what changes in between” 2:30 – Venezuela reaction + social media panic; skepticism vs celebration 9:40 – “Two things can be true at the same time” becomes the theme 15:35 – Minneapolis ICE shooting: what the video appears to show + the narrative war 19:22 – “Blue/gold dress” comparison: same footage, different “truths” 23:07 – Reset: hard news fatigue; FingersMalloy.com + podcast cadence 24:39 – Fingers plays hooky: 7 a.m. casino trip + video poker + cigar etiquette 36:13 – Overheard: “Older men give you worms… pinworms” 38:07 – Ford “eyes-off” autonomous driving + parallel parking disappearing 41:39 – Driver-assist paranoia: lane assist fights you, alarms everywhere 46:37 – Close + plugs: FingersMalloy.com / Three in Three / podcast platforms

    48 min

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

The Snark Factor is a weekly show that airs on WAAM Talk 1600AM, 92.7FM Ann Arbor. You'll hear unusual takes on the latest news and entertainment from host Fingers Malloy. Sarah Smith and The Snark Factor Players join in on this unique talk show.