1 00:00:01,440 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: LoVa Radio Radio Radio Commi's a myth and bullshit a 2 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 1: radio phonic novella Look a Radio hosted by Malamo Mores. 3 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: Welcome back to season five of Local Radio Rosas. Listen 4 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:33,960 Speaker 1: at your own risk. Look at a Radio is a 5 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: radio phonic novella, which is just a very extra way 6 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: of saying a podcast. I'm Fiosa and I'm mala. Thank 7 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: you so much for tuning into one oh seven. We're 8 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: happy to be back. We're happy to be back. We 9 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: hope you've ben been enjoying our last few We spoke 10 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:04,200 Speaker 1: with Prisca, the founder of Latina Rebels, about the Satanic Church, 11 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: and we low key discovered that we might be undercover 12 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: Satan is still exploring that new avenue of our lives. 13 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:15,559 Speaker 1: We hope you liked our conjuring episode with Albert Arco. 14 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: This is a little bit of a different episode. We 15 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:23,760 Speaker 1: are going to be diving into some hot goss that 16 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: kind of set the internet on fire last month. We 17 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: have an inside source who's going to bring a little 18 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: bit of depth to that story. But we're going to 19 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 1: talk about that after some updates. Yes, so today just 20 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:39,840 Speaker 1: some quick housekeeping. We want to remind you all that. 21 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: If you're not already follow us across all social media accounts. 22 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: Were on Instagram, we're on TikTok, We're on Twitter, and 23 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: we're even on clubhouse. And if you are looking for 24 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,279 Speaker 1: a findom drain and aspire to be our human wallet, 25 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: you can escort yourself right on over to our venmo 26 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: at look a Dash Radio and drop a donation. 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New shows, new projects, lots of 45 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:04,640 Speaker 1: new things in the works over the next couple of months. 46 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: We're excited to launch. We are working on some top 47 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: secret things and we're excited to share. Um. Until then, 48 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: we are a weekly show now FI in case you 49 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: haven't noticed, and remember to subscribe on all social on 50 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,399 Speaker 1: all listening platforms, and that way you get updated each 51 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: time that there's a drop, each time there's a cuppy 52 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: dealo drop um, and you can you know, listen immediately 53 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: wherever you are. UM. So that's exciting for us. We're 54 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: world weekly show. Now, we have new projects, new everything 55 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: coming um. Yeah. So just you know, keep watching what 56 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: we're doing. Keep listening, Yes, yes, keep listening. Go to 57 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: our website look at our radio dot com and sign 58 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: up for our newsletter Bestito so that you get all 59 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:54,680 Speaker 1: the up to date info on new episode drops, new projects, 60 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: discount codes, merge behind the scenes things, all that good stuff. 61 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,360 Speaker 1: So to get into the gartnet of today's episode, we 62 00:04:04,640 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 1: are going to revisit the hot Cheeto scandal of so 63 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: Last month, a young white tech reporter by the name 64 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: of Sam Dean published an article with the Los Angeles 65 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: Times alleging that one Richard Montagnez in fact lied about 66 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 1: his decades long public facing claim to have been the 67 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: originator of the chip that we now know and love, 68 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:42,119 Speaker 1: the flaming hot Cheeto. This article caused a lot of conversation. 69 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: I might have shared a tweet or two based on 70 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: what I read in this piece, and I think Viosa 71 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: was kind of one of the first ones that really 72 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,680 Speaker 1: planted doubt into my heart about the validity of this story, 73 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: because I think you texted to me and I quote 74 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: in all caps like Richard invented hot Cheetos. I don't care, 75 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: like I don't care. I don't care, like I don't 76 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: care what they say Richard invented hot Cheetos. What were 77 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: your reactions when you first read this piece of supposed journalism. Well, 78 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: I remember I was having my morning though it was Sunday, 79 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:26,799 Speaker 1: I was scrolling on Twitter, and all of a sudden, 80 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: I see Twitter. No one intended up in flames quite literally. Um, 81 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:40,719 Speaker 1: because this writer, journalists allegedly states that Richard mcclanez didn't 82 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:45,239 Speaker 1: create hot Cheetos, And like, I mean to me, obviously, 83 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: I'm from l A. I think like his story is 84 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,640 Speaker 1: like a known story, right, because it's like literally what 85 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 1: the Republicans, what the bootstrappers like love to like claim? Right, 86 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: It's like they're they're pride. What is that saying. It's 87 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: like their claim to fame, right, It's like the rags 88 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: to riches. It's a bootstrap. He was a janitor and 89 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 1: he worked his way up and created a product for 90 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,320 Speaker 1: a giant corporation. Is a very successful man. He's a 91 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:17,240 Speaker 1: motivational speaker. He goes like on the speaking circuit, like, 92 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: and he has a book coming out and he also 93 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: has a major feature film, And so I just thought 94 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:28,919 Speaker 1: it was highly suspicious that this doubt was being placed 95 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,520 Speaker 1: now all of a sudden, when he is about to 96 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: launch a book or about to release the book, and 97 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: also his film that is being produced by Evan Longoria, right, 98 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: and it's like going to probably be like an all 99 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: star Latin X cast. And so I just thought it 100 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:46,120 Speaker 1: was highly suspicious. And I was like extremely disappointed that 101 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: there were a lot of people that I follow that 102 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:51,160 Speaker 1: our mutuals on Twitter that were quick to believe it. 103 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: There were no questions. I'm like, did you even finish 104 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: reading the article? Like? I thought that there were so 105 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 1: many red flags So while reading it, one that he 106 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: was never quoted, and to that he's been saying this 107 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: story for decades and now people are doubting it, and 108 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: so I thought that that was ridiculous. It's like, where's 109 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: the loyalty? Um? And but you had like something similar, 110 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:23,760 Speaker 1: But you saw different types of people reacting to the story, right, Mola, 111 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: So tell me a little bit about that. Yeah, there was, 112 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: you know there when we get into this in our 113 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:34,480 Speaker 1: interview with a woman named Rachel Reyes, whose identity will 114 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: be revealed at the appropriate time, you just have to 115 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: You're just gonna have to listen to the whole episode 116 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: to find out who's Rachel and how she fits into 117 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: this whole scenario. But when I first saw the article, 118 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,240 Speaker 1: I saw it being tweeted out by Elie Times journalists 119 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: because I follow a lot of journalists at the Early Times. 120 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: I like the Eli Times. I'm a subscriber, I support 121 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:01,280 Speaker 1: I read the articles. You know, the USA and I 122 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: are lums of the l A Times. You may or 123 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: may not have seen our feature on the front page 124 00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,239 Speaker 1: of the calendar section. Kim Control's photo was smaller than ours. 125 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: I would just like to point that out. Um, So 126 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: you know, we have love for The Times. It's our 127 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: local paper, so we read it, we're here for it. 128 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: And so I see these reporters, um really celebrating the 129 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: piece and saying, you know, this is an extraordinary piece 130 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: of investigative journalism. A lot of white women journalists and 131 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: like media types quote tweeting and just really happy about 132 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: this sort of like downfall of Richard Montagnes and using 133 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:45,079 Speaker 1: really strong language like calling him a liar and a 134 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: fraud and all these things, you know. And it just 135 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 1: made me hesitate to jump on the train, because if 136 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: there is like a train, a runaway train on fire, 137 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: and it's mostly women and Chicanos on it, I don't 138 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: want to be on that train, Like bat is a 139 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: dangerous train leading to nowhere. I will wave good luck 140 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,839 Speaker 1: you guys, you know what I mean. But I had 141 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,199 Speaker 1: to take a day to read it, to think about 142 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: it and kind of see how other people were responding. 143 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: And so one of those people who responded reached out 144 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 1: via d M a young woman named Rachel, because she 145 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: has a little bit of an inside scoop into the 146 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 1: journalists who wrote it and maybe some of the motivations 147 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,319 Speaker 1: behind pursuing a piece like this at a time like this, 148 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 1: in the way that it was pursued and the way 149 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: that it was written. We don't want to make up 150 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 1: your minds for you. Go read the l A. Times piece. 151 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: It was published in May. Sam Dean is the author. 152 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:48,560 Speaker 1: N PR put out a Planet Money episode the exact 153 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: same week, a couple of days before, with an interview 154 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 1: with Richard Montanez speaking, you know, for himself about credit 155 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: on his own behalf to a major news out let, Mirror. 156 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,319 Speaker 1: Days before the Times feature comes out. There have been 157 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: since the initial reports, um updates and statements from PepsiCo, 158 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: from Freedo, Lay and PR put out more statements, The 159 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: l A Times put out more statements. You know, There's 160 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: been podcast episodes, so there's plenty of you to go out. 161 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,760 Speaker 1: There's plenty of content for you to go out and 162 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 1: read to help inform your thinking. Um. So yeah, just 163 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: putting that out there. Yeah, I think, you know, before 164 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:30,960 Speaker 1: we get into our interview, I do want to add 165 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: some some takes that I did see on Twitter floating 166 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 1: around from other journalists or just readers of the paper, 167 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: was this is what l A Times spent their resources 168 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: on when they're active. There's an active gang in the 169 00:10:46,320 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: Shariff's Department of l A County. Right. Latino staff writers 170 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: are not paid the same way that they're white counterparts are. 171 00:10:55,920 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: There's so many different things that can be addressed within 172 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 1: the l A Times. And so that was one take 173 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: that I saw, and I think that that's a valid 174 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:07,439 Speaker 1: concern and a valid thought to have. Um, that this 175 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: is what a major publication is spending their time and 176 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: resources on to discredit a you know, very like powerful 177 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: rags to riches story, um from a Latino in our 178 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:23,839 Speaker 1: community that has been doing this work for decades now. Um, 179 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,560 Speaker 1: and didn't actually reach out to him. I don't know. 180 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I don't really call myself a journalist. I 181 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: am a writer, but I do think that that's journalist 182 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: journalism one O one, one oh one and if and 183 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 1: again following along on Twitter, right. Um. It's interesting too 184 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:41,319 Speaker 1: because many of the l A Times journalists are also 185 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:43,679 Speaker 1: very active on Twitter, so they share just a lot 186 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: of their their thoughts in the behind the scenes, which 187 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: I love and I think it's great and I like 188 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: to know who's writing at the paper and like I 189 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:52,679 Speaker 1: think it's cool and like I sweep you know. Um. 190 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: But a little bit of what it also did with 191 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: this situation was kind of reveal some of like kind 192 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 1: of confer that there were reasons for us to feel 193 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: weird about the piece, right. There was inconsistencies in the 194 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: way that our l A Times journalists were tweeting about 195 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: this investigation and the making of this piece. We'll talk 196 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 1: a little bit more about that in our interview with Rachel. 197 00:12:16,120 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: But um, it's something that you can look at yourself 198 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,120 Speaker 1: to write, especially if you like follow like the writer 199 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: Sam Dean and uh the other journalists who seemed to 200 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: have a major part in this whole thing, although he 201 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:31,959 Speaker 1: didn't write the thingano Um, they each sort of we're 202 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: talking about how this was like a year long investigative piece, 203 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,760 Speaker 1: but then once there was some pushback, never mind, actually 204 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: it only took like a month. Actually it only really 205 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:47,079 Speaker 1: took three weeks. Um, you know, just kind of weird 206 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:50,679 Speaker 1: stuff that I would just kind of expect better of 207 00:12:50,760 --> 00:12:53,080 Speaker 1: the paper of Record, you know what I mean, I 208 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: expected to be a little more air tight, and there 209 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:00,560 Speaker 1: seems to be holes. So without further do, we're gonna 210 00:13:00,559 --> 00:13:03,679 Speaker 1: welcome our guests. We hope you like this interview. Let 211 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: us know what you think before we bring her on. 212 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: I do want to add, never did I think that 213 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: local would ever do hot cheeto content. Okay, we have 214 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: been like some of the some of the first to 215 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:19,400 Speaker 1: be like no more hot Cheeto concert. Y'all Latin X 216 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:21,080 Speaker 1: folks on more than hot Cheetos, and we get that, 217 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:23,600 Speaker 1: but that is not what this episode is about. It's 218 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: about archive, it's about oral history, it's about storytelling. It's 219 00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: about our community. It's about entrepreneurship. It's all of the 220 00:13:30,600 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: above and more of it and ship hey look on 221 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: more is We have a quick announcement about our I 222 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: Fund Women campaign. As you may have heard, we're raising 223 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: one hundred thousand dollars to cover the startup costs of 224 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: look At productions and pay our team. We are well 225 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 1: on our way to reaching our goal, but we still 226 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: need your help to get there. If all of our 227 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: listeners and one friend donated five dollars, we would meet 228 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: our goal well before ninety days. Consider becoming a funder 229 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: of look at our productions and contribute on I Fund 230 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: Women dot Com, Forward Slash Project, Forward Slash Look Dash Productions. 231 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: All right, look on more is. We have a very 232 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 1: very spicy interview for you today. This has been several 233 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,120 Speaker 1: weeks in the making, but it's never too late to 234 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 1: talk escandal. So we want to welcome to the podcast Rachel. Yes, Rachel, 235 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 1: say hello to our listeners. Hello, thank you so much 236 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 1: for having me. Yes. We slid into Rachel's d M 237 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: s um shortly after the l A Times expose about 238 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: the alleged hot Cheetos fraud aired. Right after that happened, 239 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: Rachel actually slid into my d M s um and 240 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:40,320 Speaker 1: shared some very very interesting tidbits, and we wanted to 241 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: invite her on the show to really kind of round 242 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: out the conversation. And Rachel also wrote a very fascinating 243 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: piece on Knock l A in response to the l 244 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,520 Speaker 1: A Times expose. So, Rachel, can you please introduce yourself 245 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: and kind of tell us a little bit about your 246 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,240 Speaker 1: relationship to this story. I am a community and worker 247 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: organizer here in l A. Born and raised in the valley, 248 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: loved this city, um, and so I do a lot 249 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: of organizing all over the place. UM. But I work 250 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: for a nonprofit at the moment and I'm focusing on 251 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 1: worker organizing. UM. But in my spare time, I do 252 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:20,520 Speaker 1: organizing at a local level, a little bit of electoral work, UM. 253 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: Some agitational work as well on the side of local politicians. 254 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: So my hands in a lot of pots. UM. But 255 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,200 Speaker 1: I was, you know, lucky enough to go to Hawaii 256 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,760 Speaker 1: last month to see one of my close, close friends 257 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: from college get married. And while I was there, I 258 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: was sent an article from the l A Times about 259 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 1: how cheetos and they're supposed origins and who actually invented them. 260 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,120 Speaker 1: And on the day that I left is actually when 261 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: the story was published. So when I landed back in 262 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: l A that night, I was checking my phone as 263 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: I was waiting to get picked up um at Elie exit, 264 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: and I saw your tweet actually Mama, about the hot 265 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: cheeto scandal. And I was like, oh, wait, this is 266 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: someone that I actually cared to pay attention to you, 267 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:12,920 Speaker 1: So let me go to her page and let me see. 268 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: So I actually read your tweets and I was like, oh, 269 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:21,080 Speaker 1: this story is saying that you know, Richard Montonis didn't 270 00:17:21,080 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: invent hot cheetos. And then it occurred to me that 271 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: everyone I had, like five people sent me this article 272 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:29,359 Speaker 1: and I hadn't clicked it. Um. It was actually written 273 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:32,159 Speaker 1: by my ex boyfriend. So then it all kind of 274 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: started to click. Like, oh, okay, so folks are sending 275 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: me this article, I thought because it was about hot Cheetos. 276 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: I love hot chios, big fan. Like, I don't know 277 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:45,200 Speaker 1: if you can see. I did watch but read figures 278 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: I had today, so I was like, oh my god, 279 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 1: Oh my god, that like this makes so much sense. 280 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: And then I was like, oh no, So that's when 281 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: I dan to like, Okay, I don't know who wants 282 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 1: to tell, but I didd this man. He knows I 283 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: love hot Cheetos, and now we have this bizarre expose. 284 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:12,919 Speaker 1: One of my friends, Liam reached out to me. He 285 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: is um an editor at not l A. He was like, hey, 286 00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,159 Speaker 1: do you want to write a response because you know 287 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: you have a very personal connection being that you love 288 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 1: hot Cheetos, you know you're from l A, and you 289 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 1: also like know this writer personally. UM, And I was like, yeah, sure, 290 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 1: I don't want to drag this man. I have no 291 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:34,240 Speaker 1: interest in that. But my feelings over the course of 292 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:37,120 Speaker 1: a week really evolved from like this was a personal 293 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: attack to this also feels like an attack on our 294 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: city and our people and like Latin next people in 295 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 1: general and working class people. Um. And it just felt 296 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: very weird and out of his lane as a white 297 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: man who writes about tech. UM. So I felt like 298 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: I needed to respond because someone needed to UM, and 299 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 1: I felt like it was appropriate to to do. So 300 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: what would you say? What if the response has been 301 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 1: to your knock l a article, Because I can see 302 00:19:10,760 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: the Internet at large, you know, responding in all kinds 303 00:19:14,960 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: of different ways, right, UM, I can see folks having 304 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 1: an AHA moment because of your article, and it's connecting 305 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 1: dots for people. That's how I felt, um in hearing 306 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 1: from you and understanding the context in the background. But 307 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:31,480 Speaker 1: I can totally see you know how the internet is, 308 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 1: you know how people are. I could totally see people 309 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: trying to poke holes and and you're trying to make 310 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: this about yourself or your embellishing or whatever. How what 311 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 1: what have the response has been? Like? I So I 312 00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: will say that I am private across social media because 313 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,040 Speaker 1: I just am at the moment um and I haven't 314 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: seen any negative responses because I also have that filter 315 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: on Twitter that's like, don't really high replies from people 316 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:02,119 Speaker 1: I don't follow up. Um. So I'm sure there have 317 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: been negative responses, they just have not been brought to 318 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,960 Speaker 1: my attention. Um. But when that article was published and 319 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: the next few days, I was getting a lot of 320 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:12,880 Speaker 1: d m s and a lot of loves, like by 321 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: a text just telling me that folks really liked the article. UM. 322 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: And my biggest concern, um, as you alluded to, was that, 323 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: you know, we live in a missasonist society, that people 324 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: were going to call me bitter or whatever. And I 325 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:31,959 Speaker 1: was very keen on that as well, Like I didn't 326 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,479 Speaker 1: want to come off that way. But at the end 327 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: of the day, I felt so deeply troubled by the 328 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,920 Speaker 1: article that I needed to respond to it. Um. So 329 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:45,320 Speaker 1: I wanted to write it in a way that, yeah, 330 00:20:45,400 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: connected the dots a little bit more. Um because at 331 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: the end of the day, like, yeah, I didn't want 332 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:54,159 Speaker 1: to talk shit, but at the same time, like I 333 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:56,880 Speaker 1: couldn't help, you know, very carry Bradschel, I couldn't help, 334 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: but wonder is this about me? Um? So I did, 335 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: how you know, and I wanted to stay in the article. 336 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 1: We dated, we had a personal relationship like that is 337 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: how I know this person. Um. But beyond that, it 338 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: grew to be. Um, it's just it's bigger than that, 339 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:18,120 Speaker 1: you know. And I I'm not sure if I would 340 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: have responded this way if it was any other you know, 341 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,000 Speaker 1: run of the mill white l A Times reporter. Um. 342 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,200 Speaker 1: I would like to think so, because I still love 343 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: hot Cheetos deeply and they're a big part of like 344 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,159 Speaker 1: who I am as a person. Um, So I might have, 345 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: but I definitely felt an impetus. And if people think 346 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: I'm bitter or whatever making him about myself, that's fine. Um, 347 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,119 Speaker 1: that's your opinion, your entitle to it. This is my opinion. 348 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: That's why it was written as an opinion piece. So um, 349 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:51,919 Speaker 1: freedom of speech, yes, right, we love that. I'll have it. 350 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: We have it or exercising it. Question. So when you 351 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 1: first read the l A Times article all the way through, 352 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 1: were there was there anything in particular that really jumped 353 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: out at you or that really caught your attention? What 354 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: was your initial experience reading the article? It really jumped 355 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 1: out to me that no one in this article had 356 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 1: any clue who returned Moltenus was and like had not 357 00:22:17,480 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: worked with him. They were peppered all over the states. Um, 358 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: and that was baffling to me. I think there was 359 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:29,359 Speaker 1: like one person quoted that did I've forgotten all this 360 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,320 Speaker 1: information because I have a million other things to care about. 361 00:22:31,359 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: But there was like one person in particular who had 362 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:40,040 Speaker 1: met him um, and everyone else quoted was like just 363 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: had no idea who he was, which seemed odd to 364 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: me because this is not a new claim. He didn't 365 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:51,440 Speaker 1: come out this year saying that he invented hot cheetos UM. 366 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,160 Speaker 1: And it's definitely a story that I remember from when 367 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: I was like a teenager, so this is like, this 368 00:22:57,040 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 1: is like common knowledge. Um. So I found that troubling. 369 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:04,919 Speaker 1: And also it felt like it was a really shoppy article. 370 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:08,159 Speaker 1: Dam is a good writer. I've read some of his 371 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,800 Speaker 1: stuff and enjoyed his other articles, but this was very 372 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:14,960 Speaker 1: like what am I reading? Like. It was very all 373 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,679 Speaker 1: over the place. The timeline was kind of funky, and 374 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: every two paragraphs there was like a subheader and it 375 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,639 Speaker 1: was like, Okay, we're introducing something different, and I was like, 376 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: why is it read this way? Um? So that was 377 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:30,159 Speaker 1: kind of funky, UM, just weird editing UM. And I 378 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:32,520 Speaker 1: mean also it just struck me that this is not 379 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:38,960 Speaker 1: his fat at all at all, not even a little 380 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:43,840 Speaker 1: bit like not at all. So Sam Dan, not your 381 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: best work, not your lane. I love. I love the 382 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:53,680 Speaker 1: editorial critique, like I really appreciate, down to the to 383 00:23:53,720 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 1: the misplaced subheadings, like I was a high school newspapers. Oh, 384 00:24:00,280 --> 00:24:04,600 Speaker 1: I look for these things. I think about these things. So, yes, 385 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: he didn't, like you mentioned, he didn't quote the journalists, 386 00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 1: didn't quote anyone that actually knew him. And what I 387 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: find really fascinating is, like you said, this story has 388 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 1: like circulated for over a decade, right, and this isn't 389 00:24:19,359 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: something that we know that Friedo lay Now. PepsiCo is 390 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: like a giant corporation and the amount of times they 391 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: probably have sent season to cease and assist letters, and 392 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:35,560 Speaker 1: like they're gonna let this man claim that he created 393 00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: hot Cheetos when he actually didn't just doesn't make any 394 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,160 Speaker 1: sense to me, because we know how these corporations work. 395 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 1: We've gotten no, we've never got a season to this letter, 396 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,400 Speaker 1: but we have gotten like don't be using our copyroom 397 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: of music letters, you know, we've gotten one. And so 398 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:55,400 Speaker 1: all that to say, like it's really baffling that this, 399 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: like how did this piece of writing even get green light? Like? 400 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: How did get green light? I don't understand. The other 401 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 1: question I have is about in the l A Times 402 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: article and in different articles since then, the seeming to 403 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 1: me to me in my reading of the l A 404 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: Times article and subsequent articles, this lady who keeps getting 405 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: quoted seems to me to be like the whistleblower in 406 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 1: this situation. Um, it reads like she was living her 407 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 1: life out and about and she happened to come upon 408 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,040 Speaker 1: a story about Richard Montonia is like in variety or somewhere, 409 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: and she was just aghast and baffled, And how could 410 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 1: this guy just be running around town like spinning these 411 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 1: tall tales. I found this very fascinating, Like, first of all, 412 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,239 Speaker 1: who is this lady? Where I was like looking for 413 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 1: her on the internet. I couldn't find anything about her. 414 00:25:49,280 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 1: I found no trace of her green Field, Greenfeld. And 415 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: then her name is spelled differently in different articles and 416 00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,119 Speaker 1: some articles her name is Greenfeld, and other articles her 417 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 1: name is green feet Old. And I was looking her 418 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 1: up and I couldn't find her anywhere. Um, And that 419 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:08,439 Speaker 1: doesn't mean she doesn't exist, but I'm like, who is 420 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: this rando And why do we trust her all of 421 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: a sudden, above all and above the public record, you know? 422 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,719 Speaker 1: And where has she been? And if she's really so 423 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,359 Speaker 1: connected to hot Cheetos, then she would be connected to 424 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:23,440 Speaker 1: the people who eat hot Cheetos and the marketing and 425 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,120 Speaker 1: the lore and the forever twenty one line. And like 426 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: the Richard Montagnez like story, it doesn't like you're saying, 427 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 1: it doesn't add up, It doesn't make sense, um, And 428 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,160 Speaker 1: I want to know who this who is this woman? 429 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 1: Who is this mystery lady? And when I was listening 430 00:26:41,040 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: to the Goosavo Ariano l a Times podcast in which 431 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:49,520 Speaker 1: he interviewed Sam Dean, it was fascinating as well because 432 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: it sounded like Sam Dean said, oh, we got the 433 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 1: story and through a tip line. And so I'm like, 434 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 1: this Greenfeld lady literally call them? Did they? Did she 435 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: email the like? Is it her? Like? Literally her? And 436 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: and so that's one of my major questions to like 437 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: it revealed this source, like I don't show her what 438 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 1: I don't understand and why is the credibility like her 439 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: credibility intact? And like over Richard Montagnez, you know, what 440 00:27:20,040 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: I mean, m hm, And isn't I think her name 441 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:27,360 Speaker 1: is like Lynn, right, it's like Lynn Lynn Greenfield Linden. 442 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:35,200 Speaker 1: I felt that fascinating as well, because I was like, Okay, 443 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: you mean to tell me that someone I'm assuming she's 444 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 1: a white woman. I don't know, a white woman fresh 445 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 1: out of college gets a job at freed La and 446 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:48,680 Speaker 1: invents hot Cheetos, Like you want me to believe that 447 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 1: that is the story? Um, that should be the movie. Then, 448 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: that a white woman was so connected to these cultures 449 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,480 Speaker 1: that she like probably never interacted with UM, but was 450 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 1: able to create a billion dollar product and we never 451 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:07,640 Speaker 1: learned about that. That feels very girl Boss to me. 452 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 1: And that seems like something that would have came up 453 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: in that whole girl Boss you know moment that we 454 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:17,000 Speaker 1: had a few years ago. UM. And I also feel 455 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,439 Speaker 1: like if I had invented something and the second I 456 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: heard someone else claiming it, especially a man, I would 457 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:26,880 Speaker 1: have been standing alarms. And yeah, you're right. I think 458 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: the account is that she was like she's retired, She's 459 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:34,199 Speaker 1: like browsing the internet in two thousand eighteen on her 460 00:28:34,240 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: desktop and like finds out that this is the tale 461 00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:41,240 Speaker 1: being told and then freaks out and like you know, 462 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 1: does a whole investigation thing. Um, I don't believe it 463 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,840 Speaker 1: at all. I just I don't believe it at all, um. 464 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: And I feel like PepsiCo would have come down very 465 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 1: hard if someone was claiming that story. And I that's 466 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: that's what felt racist to me, UM, was that we 467 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 1: had a white writer believing who I'm assuming is a 468 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:05,480 Speaker 1: white woman. I don't know if she could not be white. So, like, 469 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: you know, show your slight, right right, I was looking 470 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: her up to try and find out is Lee Lynn? 471 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 1: And that is her name, Lynn Greenfeld again sometimes spelled 472 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: green Field, So I don't know month has spelled his 473 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 1: name the same way all over the place. I'm casting 474 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:29,440 Speaker 1: doubt now based on the misspellings alone, there's alleged woman Lynn. Yeah, 475 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 1: Like I don't want to just assume that she's white. 476 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: Although given the time period, given that she was a 477 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: junior employee with a freshly minted m b A. The 478 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: things that you're talking about the reasons why Richard's origin 479 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: story is so incredible and fascinating because he was in 480 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: a predominantly white environment and industry, right, what I just yeah, exactly, 481 00:29:54,640 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: she and it's definitely like you're choosing to believe someone 482 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: with an m b A, someone who's coming out of 483 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: the wood works very recently, over someone who has told 484 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: this story for a decade at least now, um, at 485 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,600 Speaker 1: a very interesting time before his book drops, before a 486 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: movie comes out about him. Um, the timing is also 487 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: very like strange. So yeah, I wonder who you know 488 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: dropped that tip in the tip line. And also it's 489 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,040 Speaker 1: confusing to me did this take a year to write? 490 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:31,440 Speaker 1: For three weeks to write? That was also something that 491 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: like was being contested on Twitter, So you know, I 492 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: don't know if you have insight. Yeah, that's true. Um, 493 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 1: you know, a bunch of the l A. Times journalists 494 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:44,320 Speaker 1: are very active on Twitter, like a lot of them. 495 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 1: They love to tweet, and we love to follow and 496 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: read their tweets and even engage with them. Right and 497 00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 1: as unaffiliated indie young bitches with Twitter accounts, it's it's 498 00:30:55,560 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 1: just interesting, right, So what Samdy and his friend Gustavo 499 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: Ariano at the Times we're tweeting about. And I feel 500 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: like those were the predominant sort of voices here really 501 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 1: like talking about the story. Obviously, casam Rode Gustavo seemed 502 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 1: to have like had a conversation with Sam about the 503 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,120 Speaker 1: story before I got written. Um Per their own tweets 504 00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: and their own um The Times podcast interview right and 505 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: like you're you're saying. At the beginning, they were talking 506 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: about how this was a year long investigative report, and 507 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:36,680 Speaker 1: I first felt some hesitation about really believing the story 508 00:31:36,760 --> 00:31:41,840 Speaker 1: because I just saw so many white ladies really excited 509 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:47,520 Speaker 1: and using like in their quote tweets, like the words lie, liar, fraud, 510 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:52,120 Speaker 1: like very strong language, very happy about it, about the fall, 511 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:55,959 Speaker 1: the alleged fall, the supposed fall of Richard Montagne's and 512 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: so right away, when too many white ladies are too 513 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: excited about it, I I'm like, we need to take 514 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 1: a minute here and really do our research and find 515 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 1: out what's going on, because I don't buy this. So 516 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 1: once people started asking questions and started sort of raising 517 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 1: alarms and pushing back, you know, and PR had done 518 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: reporting on their Planet Money podcast where Richard Monteniez went 519 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 1: on the show and spoke directly, and they addressed some 520 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: of the questions of of intellectual property and ownership and 521 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:33,160 Speaker 1: credit in that interview, and how dubious and sort of 522 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: difficult it has been for him to establish his credit right, 523 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:41,479 Speaker 1: And there was this weird back and forth with NPR 524 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 1: and the l A Times and like competing reporting and 525 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:47,680 Speaker 1: PepsiCo coming out with conflicting statements over the course of 526 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: two weeks. And so now you have the situation where 527 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: allegedly they say that the report took a year to report, 528 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:58,440 Speaker 1: then allegedly it only took three weeks. Then allegedly, well, 529 00:32:58,520 --> 00:33:00,760 Speaker 1: it doesn't actually take that long term report on something 530 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 1: like this. Then allegedly like Richard refused to come on 531 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:05,960 Speaker 1: and talk to us an interview with this, but he 532 00:33:06,080 --> 00:33:08,360 Speaker 1: was on Planet Money that same week, you know what 533 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: I mean, Like, it's not adding up the conflicting reports 534 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:14,600 Speaker 1: from PepsiCo. Between these two major news outlets, they have 535 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:18,760 Speaker 1: way less credibility at this point than Richard Montagnez. And 536 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:21,600 Speaker 1: Richard has been telling the exact same story for decades, 537 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: like very consistent, extremely consistent, and I've seen little consistency 538 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:32,720 Speaker 1: from two of our most important news outlets, not only 539 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:36,000 Speaker 1: locally but in the country. So it's been a wild ride. 540 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: It's been fascinating, And I thank you for taking the 541 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 1: time to share your story because I really do think 542 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: that it adds dimension to this whole thing. Yeah, thank 543 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 1: you so much. And I also just think for me, 544 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 1: I want to point out to that, like it highlights 545 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:56,959 Speaker 1: that we don't value oral storytelling, which is how a 546 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:00,360 Speaker 1: lot of folks keep record of their own personal history 547 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 1: and community history. Um. And I think that that's something 548 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: that like I didn't see talked about enough, but I 549 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: think is really important to note that, like oral storytelling 550 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: is really important and it is just as valid as 551 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:18,040 Speaker 1: like having receipts for everything. And this lady didn't have receipts, 552 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,239 Speaker 1: but you're choosing to believe her over the man that 553 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:23,600 Speaker 1: also didn't have receipts but has been telling the same 554 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,200 Speaker 1: story consistently, as you said, So I think like, if 555 00:34:26,200 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: we're choosing to not believe him, we also shouldn't believe 556 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: her either, because it seems that no one has receipts, 557 00:34:32,120 --> 00:34:35,920 Speaker 1: which is troubling. Yeah, and in and in a situation 558 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:39,080 Speaker 1: like this, what counts as a receipt, what is a receipt, 559 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:42,680 Speaker 1: what qualifies as a receipt and as proof? And I 560 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: fear too that there's a little bit of like moving 561 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: the the benchmarks and the goal posts here. You know, 562 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: whatever evidence Richard has shown over the course of the 563 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:57,520 Speaker 1: you know, his career, has have we now decided or 564 00:34:57,560 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 1: has the l A times decided that well, that's not 565 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,279 Speaker 1: an evidence, that's not enough of a receipt. We want 566 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:04,560 Speaker 1: a different kind of evidence now, maybe a kind of 567 00:35:04,560 --> 00:35:10,279 Speaker 1: evidence that has never actually existed, right, Like you know, 568 00:35:10,480 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 1: like what what do they want? Like what do they 569 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:15,799 Speaker 1: want to see you to decide what's real and what's not. 570 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: And that's also problematic because they have the power, they 571 00:35:19,560 --> 00:35:23,080 Speaker 1: have the backing of the institution. Yeah, that's like what's 572 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:26,520 Speaker 1: part of the gate keeping, right, is that they're deciding 573 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:30,520 Speaker 1: what is a source? Right? Who is the source? Who 574 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:32,839 Speaker 1: is the right kind of source? Um? And who is 575 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:38,520 Speaker 1: a credible source? Right? Um? And so yeah, absolutely, I agree, um. 576 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:43,279 Speaker 1: Not only valuing storytelling and oral history, but also like 577 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:47,040 Speaker 1: remembering like how why it's so important that we do 578 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: archive our work and we also archive like our family history, 579 00:35:50,840 --> 00:35:54,880 Speaker 1: our community history, the community work that folks are doing, 580 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,920 Speaker 1: because they'll come and say, you didn't do anything right, 581 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,400 Speaker 1: You didn't actually do ship it, none of it, you 582 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:04,839 Speaker 1: didn't create any of it, right, And so the documentation 583 00:36:04,920 --> 00:36:07,480 Speaker 1: is also important. Having our own receipts and whatever that 584 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,160 Speaker 1: looks like for for our people, right, what do those 585 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:14,319 Speaker 1: receipts look like for us? Yeah? I agree. I mean 586 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 1: we see it happening in our own city. Like if 587 00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,400 Speaker 1: you look at Highland Park, there are murals that have 588 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 1: literally been whitewashed, and gil Cydio, the city council person there, 589 00:36:22,040 --> 00:36:25,600 Speaker 1: has let had happened. Um, and those murals count as 590 00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 1: our history and now they're just gone and we can't 591 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:31,160 Speaker 1: get them back. Um. So I think it's like there's 592 00:36:31,280 --> 00:36:34,560 Speaker 1: levels to this, obviously, and so it's really important that 593 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:40,280 Speaker 1: we are connecting these these dots. Yeah, I gil gil Cydio. 594 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:48,120 Speaker 1: Another another Chicano acting up, Another Chicano acting up in 595 00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:50,560 Speaker 1: the city of Los Angeles. What are we gonna What 596 00:36:50,600 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: are we gonna do? If you guys, what are we 597 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:55,400 Speaker 1: gonna do with you? Elder Chicano is just running them 598 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:57,839 Speaker 1: back all over the place. We always got to clean 599 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:00,759 Speaker 1: up your messes, you guys, you guys see, you guys 600 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: see we're not even related to these ones and still 601 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: causing stress in our lives. How how do they do it? 602 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:10,920 Speaker 1: How do they manage? It's a talent. It's still alright. 603 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:14,439 Speaker 1: Rachel well, thank you so much for joining us and 604 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 1: for giving us some much needed depth and nuance to 605 00:37:18,840 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: this hot Cheeto conversation. Never did I think that we 606 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 1: would be talking about hot cheetos on look at that 607 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 1: our radio. But here we are, and in a very 608 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 1: important way. And so thank you so much for providing 609 00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:35,359 Speaker 1: this context, this story, your perspective. Work and folks, keep 610 00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:37,760 Speaker 1: up with you. And do you have any final thoughts 611 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:42,399 Speaker 1: you want to share with us? Final thoughts? I hope 612 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:44,399 Speaker 1: I never have to think about how she was again, 613 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 1: to be honest, because I like they were a snack 614 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: food to me. They were a comfort food to me. 615 00:37:50,480 --> 00:37:54,280 Speaker 1: Um And now here I am. I pre ordered Richard's book. 616 00:37:54,600 --> 00:37:57,520 Speaker 1: I'm going to see the movie. Those last two things 617 00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:00,200 Speaker 1: I was probably not going to do before you this 618 00:38:00,320 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 1: article came out. Um So, I love. I love being 619 00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:05,000 Speaker 1: able to talk about it now. This is just like 620 00:38:05,200 --> 00:38:08,480 Speaker 1: one funny tale in my life as far my first 621 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:12,680 Speaker 1: thirty years. Um So, this is great. Thank you for 622 00:38:12,719 --> 00:38:14,680 Speaker 1: asking me to be on here to talk about this. 623 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:17,560 Speaker 1: And yeah, if folks want to follow me for hot 624 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,800 Speaker 1: Chio's content, or just if you want to know anything 625 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:23,160 Speaker 1: about your rights in l A, if you're a worker, 626 00:38:23,400 --> 00:38:26,000 Speaker 1: talk to me. That's what I do. UM. You can 627 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:29,239 Speaker 1: follow me on Twitter, That's where I'm most active at 628 00:38:29,480 --> 00:38:32,960 Speaker 1: Rachel r A C h E L Underscore rayas r 629 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:35,720 Speaker 1: E y E S. I'm on there all the time. 630 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,520 Speaker 1: DM me. We can talk about your rights if you 631 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:41,319 Speaker 1: have questions, or we can talk about chios, or now 632 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:43,280 Speaker 1: that everything is open, we can go have some wine. 633 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:46,000 Speaker 1: You know, I would love I would love to take 634 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:49,359 Speaker 1: both you out for a drink. So I'm open. Let's 635 00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:53,000 Speaker 1: make it happen. This is a very good cocktail our story, 636 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:56,320 Speaker 1: so like definitely added to your repertoire of like things 637 00:38:56,400 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 1: to throw into the mix, like will say yes we 638 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: love a glass of wine. We're gonna have to take 639 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:07,839 Speaker 1: you up on that offer. Rachel Us, thank you once 640 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: again for stopping by Look at Landia and talking on radio. 641 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 1: This has been another episode. Thank you all for tuning in. 642 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:17,520 Speaker 1: You know the deal, you know, you know how to support, 643 00:39:17,600 --> 00:39:20,480 Speaker 1: you know what to do. Donate to our crowdfund campaign. 644 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 1: We're raising money to launch Look at Thought our productions. 645 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:25,760 Speaker 1: We're at I Fund, Women dot Com, Forward Slash Projects, 646 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:43,560 Speaker 1: Forward Slash Look a Dash Productions, Radio Radio, Radio com. 647 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:47,879 Speaker 1: He's a myth and Bullshit, a radio phonic novella look 648 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:50,480 Speaker 1: at a radio hosted by Malamo