ICYMI · Slate Podcasts

Thank God For Petty Drama

January 28, 2026·37 min·3 clips

Brooklyn Beckham accuses his mother of dancing inappropriately at his wedding, sparking viral AI memes.

This episode of ICYMI, hosted by Kate Lindsey, features Slate writer David Mack to analyze recent low-stakes celebrity and internet scandals. They explore three specific stories of public figures airing grievances or facing backlash in early 2026. The conversation focuses on how these petty dramas provide a distracting joy during a tense news cycle. The first story involves Cole Walliser, the operator of the red carpet "glam bot," who faced criticism after a behind-the-scenes video with Jennifer Lopez at the Golden Globes. Walliser defended Lopez, explaining red carpets are work for celebrities, but then emails surfaced from 2019 showing him giving a rude quote to a woman named Ginka inquiring about booking his services. He quoted her $300,000, which other sources like a judge from *America's Next Top Model* claimed was an inflated price to deter her. The second story covers Brooklyn Beckham's Instagram stories accusing his parents, David and Victoria Beckham, of trying to control his image and ruin his relationship with wife Nicola Peltz. He claimed "Brand Beckham" prioritized photo ops over family and alleged an inappropriate mother-son dance at his wedding, sparking widespread memes and AI-generated images. The third story examines the podcast "Empty Netters," where hosts Dan and Chris Powers gained fame for their earnest reactions to the gay romance series *Heated Rivalry*. Leaked texts showed Dan Powers initially trashing the show, calling its creators "cowards" and saying it "panders" and "checks inclusivity boxes" for "blue-haired Twitter." A surprising insight is how the glam bot scandal flipped the narrative, with Walliser becoming the perceived elitist after defending a celebrity. The Beckham drama draws direct parallels to Prince Harry's exit from the royal family, framing it as another child of an institution rebelling. The podcast text leak revealed that Dan Powers' negative messages were sent *before* he fully watched the show, according to his 17-minute YouTube apology video. However, he never addressed his specific use of terms like "checking inclusivity boxes" in that apology. The incident highlighted a common fear for marginalized communities: that supportive allies might be performing insincerely. The hosts note the irony that a niche scandal about a gay hockey show podcast has become a larger conversation about authenticity. The tone is conversational, analytical, and often humorous, treating the dramas with a mix of genuine interest and ironic detachment. The style is recap-oriented, breaking down each scandal's timeline and public reaction with specific examples. This episode is perfect for listeners who enjoy deep dives into niche internet gossip and the mechanics of celebrity PR. It might disappoint anyone seeking high-stakes news or those with no patience for influencer and nepo-baby discourse.

As heard by us

A small wedding story becomes a funny internet-culture discussion about memes, AI images, and public embarrassment.

ICYMI turns a small wedding anecdote into a story about how fast an online joke can take on a life of its own. Kate Lindsay keeps circling back to Brooklyn Beckham, Nicola Peltz, and Victoria Beckham, along with the awkward dance-floor detail, the AI images, and the memes that…

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You want the Beckham feud explained through the memes.

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