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The B.E.E. Podcast - 11/29/20 - Gigi Levangie - SILVER (Patreon)

Published:
2020-11-30 00:07:44
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2026-06
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Content

Bret receives a tempting offer during an unexpected phone call and navigates a minefield of paranoia in Part 7 of The Shards. Writer Gigi Levangie and Bret discuss coming of age in working class Hollywood, nursing an aversion to authority and the sometimes strange struggle for script credit.

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Comments

Courtney

Thank god.. I’ve been refreshing Patreon all day 🙏🏼

Jorge Castillo

This is the best BEE’s since Lunar Park.

Alex Waller

These conversations that glorify Gen X and crap on Millenials/Z are my least favorite aspect of the podcast. There's just a glaring dishonesty and refusal to look at some very real issues that newer generations have to deal with. Bret and Gigi could be ironic gen x-ers and actually had the opportunity to make a living off of it in creative fields. Just try that today and see where it gets you. I agree, it was great when you could build your life like but that's just not an option anymore, it's just too corporate with too much gatekeeping. Plus, seriously guys? You think kids don't party anymore? Its been a few years since I was in high school but there was definitely partying then and I'm sure not much has changed.

John

I wish there was a space to discuss The Shards in depth. Are there any BEE subreddits?

John

Ok, I understand that Bret isn't much into politics, so I take his political comments with a few grains of salt. And, I agree with him about the many annoying aspects of "woke" culture, and on not freaking out on people with views to the right of mine. However, and I'm laughing as I type this, he can't actually believe Adam Schiff is anywhere CLOSE to senator Joseph McCarthy. That is a WAY out there comment, even for Bret. I think Schiff has done an excellent job, and has always struck me as honest, and having our best interests at heart. This week, Trump's increasingly unhinged ranting about imaginary election fraud reminded me of the end of McCarthy, when he started claiming the US Army had been infiltrated, and was being run by Communists. Basically the same claim whackadoodle Sidney Powell is making about the 2020 election now. Also, Trump shared a right-hand man with McCarthy in Roy Cohn.

Fernando

Great guest Brettster & Adam I love how you keep circling your particular set of obsessions

Trey Karn

Stopped listening to this one after 15 minutes. Gigi and Bret’s conversation was so out of touch and so boring. It’s as if they both have stopped evolving and simply don’t care to take a look at the real issues plaguing kids these days. Perhaps those issues didn’t exist in their view when they were growing up but they are there now. Their parents and grandparents though exactly the same things about Bret and Gigi when they were adolescents. The ossification of thinking is what was troubling for me to hear from these two middle aged writers.

Benjamin Terpstra
>>48629696

Have you read 'Blacklisted By History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies'? Turns out his accusations were either true or misreported by far-left journalists.

Dive

The shards is becoming an addiction.

Michael Walsh

"I want to be the old man on the porch". Everybody get off Bret's lawn.

Tom

I couldn’t listen to the ranting about millennials in the interview, for the first time I actually turned it off. I’m a millennial and so are all my friends and none of us are like this. Every other week the conversation drifts to how young people demand this and that, we demand participation awards, our parents coddled us and helicopter parented us, etc. That may be true for a portion of millennials but I fear Bret has a warped view of millennials due to Twitter (hint: it’s not real life.) He also seems to take everything that Todd says and does and paint all millennials in the same light. Anyway, aside from that: I LOVE The Shards. Can’t wait for the next one.

Darren Ankenman

Joey Silvera and Expensive Tastes , a fun weird little google search

Alex Waller
>>48674994

Same here, they're all just false stereotypes. Not saying Gen X had it easy but the road to getting on a life/career path that leads to a well rounded/healthy life is significantly harder than what Gen X had to deal with. Again, I'm not saying it was easy, but they didn't have to come of age when a huge part of the economy was either gig or service related, and with increased security, isolation, and digitalization became harder to chase down desired jobs/careers when the recruiting process becomes less personal and becomes more about vague typecasting. I'm not saying things are hopeless, they're far from hopeless. But the road to getting where you want to go is simply different and has bumps in it that someone who got started in the late 80s/early 90s never had to deal with. Millenials want to be full fledged adults every bit as much as Gen X did, but modern times has put more hurdles in the way to getting there.

Callan Wilks

For every Rufus Wainwright, Walter Kirn, Eugene Kutyalenko (whatever his last name) you get your Durkhin’s and Gigi’s - boring as batshit. All I got from this guest is she’s able to talk to anyone from her valet driver to Dustin Hoffman (she has a valet driver and knows Hoffman!) she tried to hook up Lady Di (she knew the peoples princess!) and made 7 figures from some show. The false modesty is strong in this one.

John
>>48629696

Benjamin, I've heard Ann Coulter say this, and it's just insane. McCarthy was an awful human being who ruined countless lives, and was reckless and drunk with power. He started the anti-conmunist portion of his career claiming there were 205 communists working in the state department. Untrue. He went on a campaign to root suspected homosexuals out of the US government. He went on a campaign to have certain books by "controversial persons" removed from libraries. Of this, President Eisenhower said "give no credence to McCarthy's book burning. Never be afraid to go to the library and read your favorite books." Were some of the countless people McCarthy named actual communists? Likely. Broken clock right twice a day, and all that. He eventually accused FDR, Truman, AND Eisenhower of having communist sympathies, or actually being communists. Shades of what happening right now in GA. This man was a disgrace, and represented the worst of America.

Kristeen
>>48690449

I do think this is a female issue: the feeling of always having to prove it. (So, I give that "humble" bragging some space.) I sometimes find myself verbally PROVING it and I repulse myself and attempt to stop.

Kristeen
>>48690449

Although, Gigi might balk at this idea.....since she APPEARS to believe there's no special challenge in being female in the entertainment/art/creative world. Which is also a front to survive. I know because I do that myself, too.

Kristeen

I think we all know MeToo has more than one side to it. There is the very real workplace sex pest/assault/discrimination (that might not be the violent attack in a parking garage type of rape but still is WRONG and scarring and WHY can't we change this even if it is TRADITIONAL casting couch scenarios) aspect....and then there is the other face to it: opening up space for other kinds of people because these men just won't do it in the legitimate on their own kind of way. Gigi says these women are "destroying families" ...well, how many talented people and families have these men destroyed? Countless. There are always casualties in war and this is a war. Also....as Gigi says "there are other jobs". A lot of very successful men have gotten to where they are by any means necessary, using questionable tactics. So, now others are doing that. So what? I have a problem conjuring a tear for these millionaire men with "picadillos"???? and royal highness behaviour who have had their say and space to reign and say it for decades, nay centuries. A few feelings might get hurt. Wah.

Erick

Gonna listen right after I finish Cleared Hot podcast, can't wait!

Erick

Here we go!

Billy Vega

Great shards section Horrible out of touch bashing of millennials ! But at the same time, no millennial could write something Shards level. I guess different gens produce different talents and the boomer/gen x eras were good for the arts ! Millennials are better for tech development and what not

Erick

Never knew who this woman was, I loved her! I love the pulp fiction installments of Bret's story. Great pod!!!

Tom
>>48674994

I just don’t agree with his evaluation of millennials and after four years of listening to the pod, I voiced my opinion. I guess that makes me an overly sensitive millennial though, right? It’s the millennial paradox! Edit: bro you can’t delete your comment about me being an overly sensitive millennial who can’t take criticism; now I look like I’m talking to myself

CRAIG A SCHWARTZ

Raymond Chandler's at his finest in his 2nd novel (FAREWELL, MY LOVELY; 1940); but he can't hold a candle to Dashiell Hammett—whose Continental Op is maybe the greatest "sleuth" ever created (never once been seen on film!) The Op's exuberant cynicism at a world bursting with criminous evil is such a tonic to Marlowe's dreary small murders & world-weariness (where I much prefer Ross McDonald's Lew Archer novels). Altman's THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) is an improvement on his last and longest novel; Gould at his best adding some much-needed humor to Phillip. So yeah, Chandler is fine—but Hammett is indispensable!

BUtterfield8
>>48674994

The shift from manufacturing to services was already very much underway for GenX. You can see it in this infographic https://fredblog.stlouisfed.org/2018/08/the-rise-of-the-service-economy/ Same with gig economy. People in the 90s had definitely figured out that they could employ people as contractors and not pay benefits if they were careful about their hours. It is certainly true that these trends accelerated further for millennials, but GenX absolutely had to deal with these challenges. There were articles everywhere around 1990 about this broken generation that would never have good jobs.

Alex Waller
>>48674994

I'm sure the trends were well underway by then but as you said they weren't as bad plus the economy was a lot healthier in the nineties. Just think if you're a person in a creative field and publishing etc is booming, there's book publishers, magazine publishers, comic publishers, indy record labels, everyone is doing well (well, marvel did have problems then), everyone needs a full staff and freelancers are in demand. This is before the era of over security and you can just walk into anyone of these places and try to get work. Not to mention young directors in hollywood, along with young writers and young producers are actually having huge success with their independent projects and can actually make a career and open doors for others, same with animation such as the success of Nickelodeon at the time with young people having lots of freedom to make cool stuff. It's just different now, again I'm sure it wasn't paradise then and now isn't a hell scape but it's just a different world in a lot of ways. I'm sure there is a conversation to be had about some things that Gen X got right that Millennials can learn from, but it can't start from a place of just praising one and trashing the other. Plus, Bret should know that the millennials he encounters in his LA subculture are a VERY limited sample size of the generation whose views and lifestyle should not be taken to represent the whole

Mike Ryan

I'm here for a few reasons, not least because of the literature. The book recommendations, writers as guests, discussion of the state of literature and the business of publishing, and now the installments of The Shards.

Michael Zaccur

The Shards is so riveting ! I dare to say it’s Bret’s best book after American Psycho. His honestly portrait of lost male adolescence and young gay man sexuality is so open and thrilling. I hope we can get a physical copy of the book .

BUtterfield8
>>48640982

I don't know about that. Gigi said that she took her kid out of Brentwood Prep and put them in public school because she wanted them to be exposed to other things. I wanted to hear more about how that went and if the kids objected (surely they would have). I think they also spent a lot of time on the victimhood topic which seems to be a big issue for kids today. What do you think the "real issues plaguing kids these days" are? When I was growing up, I don't think anyone was very worried about issues plaguing kids aside from the very underprivileged or sick.

Kovitch

Brilliant episode - and great to hear praise for Tom O’Neil’s ‘C.H.A.O.S’. For anyone interested in Manson and/or LA at the fag end of the 60s, this book is essential. Maybe Tom will be a future guest?

Jonathan Davis

Stop making me sad that the 80s is over, Bret.

Dan Zilic
>>48629385

Ha, you ask and BEE (or his social media team) deliver. See you on Reddit.

Trey Karn
>>48640982

A lot of things, but I would say the constant pressure to perform or the perception to perform. The unspoken social contract that to move forward in life and one's class if to take out a huge amount of debt to attend college and feeling that moving forward and getting started is extremely difficult, owning property and simple feelings of stability. It feels like a continual rat race. Maybe the new generation simply doesn't want to indulge in that. If that's the case then they may have a point. That's what I hear from some and what I hope for.

Lucas

Excellent Shards installment. I don’t like Bret’s politics but couldn’t stand Gigi’s. Couldn’t believe she really said that we give homeless people “everything they want.” Truly ridiculous. Turn off the Fox

T

Great guest!

Nick Gaztelua

Totally hooked on The Shards. Wish I didn’t need to wait 2 weeks for every 45 min episode. Then again it’s format is quite faithful of its pre-digital era. Demanding patience from the listener and in a sense tapping into the pre-digital era. No binge listening here. It’s (perhaps accidentally) faithful to the era which the story is set. Anyway - great listen and can’t wait to hear more. Wish I was 17 in 1981 LA.....

Nick Gaztelua
>>49014272

Drunk when I wrote this. Ignore the terrible repetition. You get the message. Peace x

Stephanie Myers
>>48821591

What was the other book he mentioned with this one? Do you remember? I want to add both to my reading list.

Kovitch
>>48821591

Ed Sander’s ‘The Family’ is the other great Manson book.

Gabriel Jones

The Shards is great; the millennial bashing is grating...another incredibly boring guest, couldn't finish the interview.

Stephanie Myers
>>48821591

No it wasn’t a Manson book - he said he was reading these two books at the same time and I can’t remember what the first one was. I will add the family to my list though sounds interesting!

Tremontirocks

I like Bret, but he’s the biggest whiner in podcasting. In that respect, Gigi fit right in.

Bridget H Burns

Thanks for turning me onto “Sudden Rain”, echoing other listeners: Eagerly awaiting each passage of “The Shards”. I’ve been visiting my mom in a nursing home off Ventura Blvd. and feel a new appreciation and association when I pass Haskell Ave. I enjoyed Bebe and found her to be honest and refreshing.

Damien Smith

Oh man I just discovered "Nowhere Girl" last year and same.

Steven Vaughan

Have to agree re Hollywood. I was looking forward to watching it but the last episode in particular was a painful experience.

John Whieldon

Ah, yes; an intelligent, well-read, accomplished, and fiercely non-conformist woman with something interesting and original to say. Boring! Nuance is BORING. For fuck sake, Bret! Bring us EXCITING interviews with vacuous, vapid zombies who deal in Woke platitudes and say what they're supposed to!

CossRooper

I am a millienial and I have literally never met anyone that resembles the Millenial caricature Bret and Gigi were lampooning in this episode. They are reacting against an extremely vocal, extremely POLAR minority that exists almost entirely on the internet. In my opinion, this minority is furthermore amplified by alarmist mainstream media who need the most inflammatory content to fuel their last couple of dying years.

CossRooper
>>50134988

With all of that said, HOT DAMN i am enjoying the Shards. Thank you Bret and Adam.

Paul Kennedy

I’ve just subscribed and I’m a little confused by the notes. Where is the first episodes of The Shards? This says part seven but seems to be first mention of it. V excited to start

spider
>>56903004

to find them, type "the shards" in the search box on the right and it will list all the episodes. at first it's confusing because the titles of the episodes never include the words "the shards", instead they name a guest, but in the hashtags under each episode you will see "TheShards3", 4, etc, meaning each new episode of the shards is included in each new podcast which begins by that new episode and the episode is followed by an interview with whatever guest

Dirk
>>56903004

Click the hashtag #theShards, then sort by oldest first.