10 chapters across the catalog
The hosts analyze the Disney film *Zootopia*, specifically the villain Dawn Bellwether, a sheep who rises to power by manipulating fear between "predators" and "prey." They draw parallels between Bellwether's "meek" but "cunning" persona and the public image of Ketanji Brown Jackson. They argue that Disney films often contain sophisticated psychological archetypes that influence both children and parents.
Charlamagne tha God and T.I. discuss the historical impact of Joe Biden's legislative record on the Black community. The conversation identifies NBA Youngboy as a modern cultural figure comparable to Tupac Shakur for the current generation. Concerns are raised that "drill rappers" will become the new "super predators" used to justify harsh criminal justice policies.
A 2018 clip features prosecutor Kristen Gibbons Feden discussing the initial conviction of Bill Cosby. Feden describes Cosby as a "sexually violent predator" and praises the bravery of Andrea Constant. The hosts critique the interview, questioning how a fair trial was possible during the height of the Me Too movement and noting that the prosecution actively sought out the victim rather than the victim initiating the criminal case.
A look back at the 1990s "super predator" scare illustrates how social scientists and criminologists can misinterpret data to create damaging public alarms. The segment suggests that the same "ivory tower" academics who got the youth violence wave wrong are now crafting the propaganda found in modern museums. This serves as a cautionary tale about trusting academic narratives that claim to be based on objective data.
The hosts discuss a social media interaction regarding Joe Biden's historical use of the term "predator" versus "super predator." They critique how "fact-checking" is often used to protect narratives and suggest using the phrase "I'm surprised you used your privilege" as a rhetorical tool to disarm bad-faith arguments.
Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykins proposes bringing United Nations peacekeepers to Chicago to combat violence, a move met with local political resistance. The hosts link this proposal to the "super predator" narrative of the 1990s, suggesting a cyclical return to aggressive policing models. They discuss how flawed mathematical models have historically influenced criminal justice policy.
The narrative connects the 1990s political concept of "super predators" used by Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden to the "thug life" terminology popularized by Tupac Shakur. The hosts examine how these synonymous terms were used by politicians to justify the 1994 Crime Bill while ignoring the perspective of those living within that environment.
Hillary Clinton's infamous 1996 "super predators" speech is compared to Joe Biden's 1993 rhetoric. Both promoted the 1994 Crime Bill and the expansion of police forces to combat gangs. The hosts discuss how the Democratic Party abandoned its focus on rehabilitation in an effort to "out-crime" Republicans, leading to the mass incarceration of black youth.
Congressman Bobby Rush's 2016 apology for his vote on the 1994 Crime Bill is reviewed alongside the roles of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The hosts argue that the "super predator" narrative was a calculated political tool used by both parties. A clip from New Jack City is used to argue that the drug trade is a "big business" protected by the same power structures that benefit from prohibition.
Hillary Clinton's 1994 "super predator" comments and her lobbying for the three-strikes crime bill are revisited as evidence of harmful Democratic policies. While media outlets like The Young Turks used this history to support Bernie Sanders during the primaries, they later urged black voters to ignore it and support Clinton in the general election. The ADOS movement rejects this cycle of "millie-mouthed" promises, demanding payment for services rendered before offering further political support.
