--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Welcome to Today Explained. I'm Sean Rameswaram. Today, we're talking about a very interesting story involving Jeff Bezos, Donald Trump, the Washington Post, and the National Enquirer.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, let's start with the basics. Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man, has been in a very public feud with the National Enquirer over a story about his alleged affair with a former TV anchor. The Enquirer published a series of embarrassing texts and photos, which Bezos claims were obtained through extortion.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Now, Bezos has responded to the Enquirer's claims by publishing a blog post on Medium, where he accuses the Enquirer of trying to extort him. He's also released a series of emails that he claims show the Enquirer's parent company, American Media, trying to silence him.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, let's talk to our guest, Diana Moskovitz, a senior editor at Deadspin. Diana, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: So, let's start with the basics. What's the context of this story?
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: So, the National Enquirer published a story about Jeff Bezos' alleged affair with a former TV anchor. The story included a series of embarrassing texts and photos, which Bezos claims were obtained through extortion.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And what's the significance of the Enquirer's parent company, American Media?
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: American Media has a history of using a tactic called "catch and kill," where they obtain embarrassing information about celebrities and then use it to blackmail them into giving them access or interviews.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's fascinating. And what about the connection between American Media and Donald Trump?
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: Well, it's been reported that American Media has a close relationship with Donald Trump, and that they've coordinated with his presidential campaign to pay hush money to women who claimed to have had affairs with him.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Wow, that's a lot to take in. And what about the significance of Jeff Bezos' response to the Enquirer's claims?
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: Bezos' response is significant because he's essentially called out the Enquirer for trying to extort him, and he's released a series of emails that show the Enquirer's parent company trying to silence him.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And what does this say about the power dynamics at play here?
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: I think it says a lot about the power dynamics at play. Bezos is one of the richest men in the world, and he's not afraid to use his power to push back against the Enquirer. It's a reminder that there are powerful mechanisms in place that can silence people, but there are also people who are willing to push back against those mechanisms.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's a great point. And what about the potential implications of this story?
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: Well, I think it has the potential to expose a lot of the behind-the-scenes machinations of the Enquirer and American Media. It could also have implications for the relationship between the Enquirer and Donald Trump.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And finally, what do you think happens next in this story?
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: I think it's hard to predict, but I think it's likely that the Enquirer will try to push back against Bezos' claims. It could get ugly.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Well, we'll be keeping an eye on this story. Thanks for joining us, Diana.
--:-- Diana Moskovitz: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And now, a quick word from our sponsor. Quip Electric Toothbrushes has sent us a million of their toothbrushes to our listeners. You can get one at getquip.com slash explained.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: And finally, we want to remind you that Pivot, a podcast from Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, is worth checking out. This week, they're talking about Facebook's 15th birthday.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: That's it for today's show. Thanks for listening.
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--:-- Sean Rameswaram: [to the phone] Hello? Tim from Brooklyn. I have to admit, I'm in Manhattan right now. I gotta go. No, come back. This week, you joined a million other people and now have a Quip electric toothbrush because I sent you one because you kept asking. But you didn't immediately use it. Have you used it yet?
--:-- Tim from Brooklyn: Yeah, I have used it. For my trip to Manhattan, I used the Quip toothbrush.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: How did it go?
--:-- Tim from Brooklyn: It was great. It did all the work for me. And you do have, we should remind listeners who may have missed it, that you do have a broken wrist as well to add a wrinkle to the story. The listeners of the pod will remember that I have a broken wrist and can only use my non-dominant hand right now. But, you know, using the clip, got a little bit of vibration in there. Sensitive vibration, yeah?
--:-- Tim from Brooklyn: Yeah. And I feel good about it. I'm going to go to the dentist soon again, and I feel like she's going to be impressed by my teeth. I feel like using this differently with the little pulses that tell you when to move sections of your mouth. That's helpful. Probably actually going to clean my teeth properly for the first time in years.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Love a happy ending. And getquip.com slash explain for anyone who doesn't have a podcast fairy godfather out there.
--:-- Tim from Brooklyn: Yeah, I'm going to try this with other products and things that I need to see if it works. You'd probably get a mattress at some point. Yeah, I can get another one. Put it on top of my current mattress.
--:-- Sean Rameswaram: Today, today explain. Today explain.
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--:-- Sean Rameswaram: I'm Sean Rameswaram, and this is Today Explained. Thanks for listening.
