Overview of 900. Chris & Jason
This episode of How Long Gone features Chris Black and Jason Stewart in a loose, wide-ranging conversation from Los Angeles. It’s a freewheeling mix of personal anecdotes, celebrity gossip, pop-culture criticism, and reactions to current news (Epstein files, leaked emails, protests/strikes). The tone is conversational, humorous, and often skeptical — they riff on everything from bagel runs and hotel valet work to ticket pricing, masked performers, and the effectiveness of social-media-driven activism.
Key topics discussed
- Personal / local stuff
- LA weather vs. New York cold; COVID experience and recovery.
- Rearranging rooms, gym updates, and home/feng shui banter.
- Chris’s day valet-ing at several LA hotels (Beverly Hills Hotel, Hotel Bel Air, Chateau Marmont) and celebrity sightings (Reese Witherspoon, Sharon Osbourne, Jason Isbell).
- Health & remedies
- "Germ warfare" elixir shot at Erewhon: ingredients recited (colloidal silver, reishi, elderberry, oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract, astragalus, echinacea) and their distasteful efficacy.
- Brief mentions of IV drips and cold-brew.
- Pop culture / music / live events
- Ticket pricing and demand (Harry Styles example); ideas for democratized/cheaper live-viewing experiences.
- Grammys and related parties.
- Musicians: Frank Ocean, Kanye West, J. Cole, Pusha T, Pharrell, Ti, Mike Epps, Cat Williams, Playboi Carti / “fake mink” chat.
- Discussion of rappers/performers doing spectacle vs. music (visual productions, Sphere shows).
- Celebrity gossip and optics
- Epstein files/leaked emails, reactions to the Gates email story, and broader fallout on public trust.
- Ellen von Unworth shooting Melania Trump; debate about the ethics/optics of taking such assignments.
- Bella Hadid’s acquaintance arrested (mugshot observations).
- Sexy Red performing at a pro-Trump wedding and the reaction — discussion of whether artists understand politics or are just getting paid.
- Social media, activism & politics
- Reactions to strikes/protests organized over social platforms: skepticism about efficacy, concerns about those who can’t afford to participate, and criticism of performative grandstanding on Instagram.
- Broader worry about the erosion of trust if more institutional wrongdoings keep surfacing.
- Jabs at both sides of performative outrage / culture wars.
- Nightlife / parties
- Pitchfork party, MMA rave (octagon fights + DJs), and the Horse Girl performer (masked act) — curiosity about masked performers’ logistics and persona.
- Discussion about the culture of attending events as a community (e.g., watching fashion shows at bars).
- Email & communication styles
- Observations about terse, typo-ridden “boss” emails as a status move; debate on curt vs. cordial correspondence.
Notable moments & quotes
- On leaked emails and societal effects: they worry this kind of thing undermines trust — “If the population really knew what was going on … we will have full skepticism — no trust of anything.”
- On performative activism: criticism that Instagram grandstanding and last-minute calls to action are ineffective and sometimes harmful to lower-income workers.
- On celebrity/PR decisions: “If you need bread, you need bread” — empathy about creatives taking controversial gigs for money, balanced with critique about optics.
- Funny/salient lines:
- “Know thine enemy.” (on staying aware of culture/music even if you dislike it)
- “Girls for the win” cited as an eyebrow-raising snippet from leaked correspondence.
- “We need martial law” (said jokingly as a satirical reaction to the current chaos).
Main takeaways
- The episode is primarily entertainment-driven: lots of anecdotes and gossip, with intermittent deeper reflections on civic trust, media, and the performative nature of online activism.
- Chris and Jason are skeptical about quick, social-media-driven solutions to systemic problems — they emphasize the unequal costs of protest and the limits of virtue signaling.
- Pop culture remains central: ticketing economics, spectacle-driven performances, and the blurred lines between art/commerce are recurring themes.
- Sponsors are embedded throughout the episode (Quince, Squarespace, Superpower, BetterHelp) and include promo links/codes.
Practical notes for listeners
- If you want highlights: focus on segments about
- COVID/germ shot story (health anecdote + ingredient list),
- Ticket pricing/Harry Styles discussion (thoughts on live-event access),
- Epstein files/leaked email reactions (political fallout),
- Horse Girl/performer-mask discussion (oddities of nightlife),
- Strike/protest critique (social activism and impact).
- Tone: casual, comedic, opinionated — treat pop-culture claims and gossip as conversational commentary, not investigative reporting.
Sponsors & promo links mentioned
- Quince — Quince.com/howlong (free shipping, 365-day returns).
- Squarespace — Squarespace.com/howlong; use code howlong to save 10% on a website/domain.
- Superpower — superpower.com; use code HOWLONG for $20 off (lab biomarker testing).
- BetterHelp — betterhelp.com/howlong (therapy service, 10% off).
Final verdict
This is a light, chatty episode best suited for listeners who enjoy celebrity gossip, LA party anecdotes, and sharp, humorous takes on cultural news. It mixes surface-level celebrity banter with occasional, pointed observations about activism, institutional secrecy, and the current media landscape.