Let’s Talk About Why That Adorable Jim from ”The Office” Is Spying on Us

Journos

In this episode, we start by reflecting on the mystery that is "Gazpacho Police." It's either a flub by Marjorie Taylor Greene, or the stunning reveal that the US Capitol Police's jurisdiction includes soups. Mistake or political ploy, it gave the news media something to freak out about, and the Right something new to fundraise around, probably.

But we're not here to talk about cold starter dishes. The MTG outburst reminded Brandon and Stephen that the government may indeed be spying on us, as was confirmed by the reveal that the CIA is indeed still spying on us. Will anyone care? Or are we still so tired of hearing about Edward Snowden that we'll just let the CIA have its fun? What's the harm? What's on streaming?

These days, we prefer our CIA to be presented to us via the boyish good looks and gun-show biceps of John Krasinski's Jack Ryan. The Amazon Prime show is coming back for a third (and fourth) season, so we had to drill down into the popularity of the most expensive CIA commercials ever. Focusing on the further adventures of "Jim from The Office" may take our minds off the fact that the show has a pretty troubling POV on places like Yemen and Venezuela.

But as long as heroic, nerdy Jack Ryan continues to bang-bang and keyboard-keyboard so winningly, we can forget about the real explosions being covered up by all the teevee ones.

Blow on your soups to warm them up, folks, because here be the real Gazpacho Police.

JOURNOS is produced by Heather "Eagle Ears" Wilson.

Notes and Things

Wyden & Heinrich's press release // One redacted-ass letter // CIA and NSA contract with Amazon Web Services // The Toronto Star thinks Krasinski is "the hero we need" // The Atlantic on Jack Ryan as Reagan-era good guy // Some things to know about Yemen // A take on why the US should cut off Saudi Arabia // No but maybe for real // Venezuela isn't a Jack Ryan fan // Jack Ryan as government propaganda // Krasinski on The TODAY Show!