NOPE Rachel Dodes and Brian Hecht

This episode speaks for itself.

We decided to pull together a Year in Review episode, but first had to address some pressing Nopes, like GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who is quite possibly a Russian agent. Also: the woman who breastfed a hairless cat on a Delta flight. The fancy building in Tribeca infested with rats because it has no fire-proofing in the walls, which might be an even bigger problem. And finally, an online magazine published an article with the following headline: “Joan Didion didn’t play golf, but her writing had qualities for which all golfers should strive.”

This week we shut down Mark Meadows and his run-out-the-clock hail Mary strategy to evade accountability for his role in Donald Trump’s attempt to overthrow the government. Former Senate candidate Max Linn, the first person to get COVID in Maine, died in a hot tub following a dispute over (what else?) cryptocurrency. Our roving Australian correspondent, playwright Glace Chase, explains why “Throat Goat” was trending on Twitter and what this all has to do with former first lady Nancy Reagan. And finally, 40 camels in Saudi Arabia were disqualified from a beauty pageant after it was revealed that they took performance-enhancing drugs: Botox and fillers.

This week, just in time for Thanksgiving, we review the bountiful cornucopia of unusual characters running for governor next year, including Dr. Mehmet Oz (Pennsylvania) and Matthew McConaughey (Texas). We also shut down a sociological study that revealed why men resist recycling: because they are afraid people will think they are gay.

This week, we shut down heiress Ivy Getty’s San Francisco wedding, featuring a Galliano dress made of shards of glass, IV bags for guests and a City Hall ceremony officiated by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Meanwhile in New Zealand, the winner of an annual Bird of the Year competition was a bat, and a couple discovered the world’s largest potato in their backyard. Two new Manhattan buildings–30 Hudson Yards and One Vanderbilt–are fighting to see which edifice’s observation deck reigns supreme.

We’re reeling and retching after watching the internal Facebook music video about health insurance open enrollment. But we attempt to collect ourselves and shut down anti-goverment militia members who happen to work for the government as well as anti-mask/anti-vaxx NYC police officers marching for “freedom of choice.” Also: we discuss why guns are ever allowed on movie sets amid the golden age of CGI.