Martini Shot

Hollywood vs. TikTok

Walk up Madison Avenue, and there’s Hermès, Gucci and Tom Ford. Then, down in Soho is The RealReal, a luxury consignment store where you can find largely the same Gucci stripes, pebbled Hermes leather or giant Tom Ford zippers. The stuff is just a little used — and a whole lot cheaper. That’s the challenge Hollywood faces. A-list celebrities and studio-level comedy are just a click away on TikTok, YouTube or Instagram. It’s a little rougher around the edges, sure. But it’s free. So what’s Rob Long’s solution for Hollywood? Let him tell you. Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No One Knew How Johnny Carson Voted

Stephen Colbert’s out, Greg Gutfeld’s in, and late-night TV is a shell of its former self. Rob Long breaks down what went wrong, why Johnny Carson wouldn’t survive 2025, and how Kimmel, Stewart, Meyers, and Oliver turned late-night into political homework at bedtime — while fighting over the same half of the audience. But Rob doesn’t blame a certain president for the Late Show cancelation. He blames the thing that always forces showbiz’s hand: money. Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Will the Young Lions Finally Attack?

Recording from Botswana, Rob Long figured he was as far as he could get from the chaos of showbiz. But it turns out that the wild African plain is a lot like Hollywood. Directors? They’re the Cape buffalo: loud, bossy and always wearing a headset (he’ll explain). Buzzards are akin to agents (no disrespect to either). And writers are rhinos — kind of prehistoric, not always strategic and endangered. Hey, even the sound of relief when Superman pulled in a $217 million opening weekend has a safari counterpart. But on the savanna, respite doesn’t last. It’s always back to getting stalked and eaten. Kind of like Hollywood. And the old lions better watch out.  Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Never Talk Down to Your Audience — Even When They Have Terrible Taste

Some debates are nuanced. For Rob Long, this isn’t one of them: Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace is a disaster, from the pod racing to Jar Jar Binks. No amount of revisionist history can make George Lucas’ Star Wars prequel any less disappointing. Yet Rob once had a meeting with a brilliant, respected man who claimed it was his favorite Star Wars film. Did Rob laugh in his face? No. He smiled and moved on. Because a lesson, in Hollywood and life, is that even if you can’t fathom your audience’s taste, mocking them for what they like rarely helps. Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dumb Comedies Will Save Hollywood

As Rob marks a milestone birthday while traversing France, his thoughts drift — as they often do — from real life to showbiz. Gone are his days of being 24 years old, writing for 20 million viewers on Cheers. In their place: streaming “drops” that sound more like bodily functions than cultural events. But amid all that change, one rule still holds: If the laughs are flowing, showbiz is worth betting on. Transcript here. For more entertainment news, subscribe to The Ankler or apply to The Ladder, a members-only hub for early career entertainment professionals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices