Original subtitles

Hi there. Welcome to the show. Still taking place in this blank void. I've

nicknamed it Prince Philip's Coffin because it's a sad little box containing

a rapidly decomposing British man.

And look, in the wake of the shooting of Daunte Wright last Sunday, I can safely

say this week has been a fucking nightmare.

from the news that he was pulled over for minor traffic violations, including

having an air freshener hanging on his rearview mirror, to the 26-year veteran

of the police force who killed him, claiming it was somehow an accident, to

the local police department flying a thin blue-lined flag after the shooting,

which is just corn-fed, deep-fried bullshit.

This week sank into a depressingly familiar cycle, with the president

insisting on peaceful protest, which is so often just another way to prioritize

compliance over righteous dissent, and to protect... property over human lives.

And those calls were especially galling, given law enforcement's anything but

peaceful response, as police fired tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbang

grenades at protesters, creating more tension and anxiety in an already

emotionally exhausted city.

And look, we could keep up our part in that cycle right now.

I could cite statistics about police using excessive force. I could dunk on

all the appalling responses from conservative media figures.

I could reiterate yet again that what happened is completely wrong. But the

fact is...

We couldn't even finish writing about what happened to Daunte Wright before

the city of Chicago released video of one of their officers killing a 13-year

-old unarmed child, Adam Toledo, footage which clearly contradicted the picture

of an armed confrontation painted by the police and the mayor, as well as a

prosecutor who said that Toledo had a gun in his hand when he was shot, which

he did not.

And that revelation began the cycle of protests, calls for peace, and police

overreaction all over again. And here is the thing.

This show has been on the air for seven years now, which I know some might argue

is eight years too many. And in that time, we have repeatedly covered the

multiple ways police terrorize communities of color in this country.

We've done stories on police militarization, on their overuse of

municipal violations and raids, on their lack of accountability, and on how the

history of policing in America is inextricably linked with white

supremacy. And I could make the same arguments to you again now.

I could describe the problem to you, but I think you know what and who it is. I

could offer solutions, but I think you know what they are. I can offer you

anger, but if you are a sentient human being alive right now, and you are not

already full of that, I honestly don't know what to say to you. Because the

fact is, black people continue to be mowed down by the police that they pay

for. And if you've watched the news at all this week, you are probably

exhausted. Black people in America definitely are, not just from this week,

of course, but also from the, you know, everything.

The black writers on this staff set up an out-of-office reply that just says,

nah. And honestly, I kind of get it.

So given all of that, we thought tonight we would try and break our part in this

cycle and instead attempt to do something a little bit different because

we've decided to give anyone who needs it a chance to regroup.

And the next seven minutes are for anyone who's felt crushed by this week.

If you cannot watch those clips again, we're not gonna show them to you.

Instead, we're gonna hopefully provide some tiny pieces of stupid, silly joy

before we all plunge back into the fight.

And so that is why our first story tonight concerns a giant bunny.

Specifically, one that's gone missing. And if you're thinking, you're not

seriously gonna talk about a giant bunny right now, are you?

Well, you haven't seen the bunny yet.

Police are searching for a Guinness World Record holding rabbit. Darius, the

rabbit record breaker.

Last seen in his hutch cum shed last Saturday.

As the world's longest bunny, his owner is desperate to find him.

Annette Edwards tweeted, a very sad day.

There's a reward of £1,000.

Darius is too old to breed now, so please bring him back.

Yeah, that's right, America.

Big Rabbit got taken like in Taken. Look at that long lad.

And by the way, an appeal to the rabbit snatchers to bring him back with, he's

old, he's shooting blanks, he's useless.

Quit putting Darius' business out there in the streets. Even in middle age,

Darius is a hot rod who's got years of borrowing and banging left. Give him the

respect he deserves.

And the fact that this bunny behemoth is missing really sours this clip of Darius

and his owner from happier times.

He's now bringing out children's books.

He's doing a calendar.

He's doing a world tour.

There's no stopping Darius.

Well, I mean, it turns out there was one way to stop Darius and that's straight

up snatching all 51 extremely weird inches off him. I guess pride goeth

before the fall and aggressive commodification goeth before the jumbo

jackrabbit jacking. And the disappearance of this...

Absolute monstrosity was not the only blissfully stupid story this week. For a

few days, the internet lit up with a claim that Usher tipped Vegas strippers

in Usher bucks with his face on them, which on the one hand, is iconic, but on

the other hand, is fucking iconic.

And I wouldn't blame the dancers for being mad about ending their night with

a thong full of Usher selfies, although I do have to tell you at this point, the

strip club insists Usher didn't use fake money to tip the dancers, adding he

converted thousands of real dollars to tip them and Usher... that Usher was a

true gentleman. But to me, that actually makes this story even better, because

Usher was a true gentleman is now my favorite thing I've ever been legally

required to clarify.

And then there was this.

We're getting a look at what some athletes will wear at the Summer

Olympics in Tokyo.

Ralph Lauren unveiled these uniforms for Team USA.

This ensemble will be worn during the closing ceremony.

I'm just gonna say it, that's a terrible outfit.

They look like the cast of a CBS sci-fi drama that no one's ever heard of,

despite it being on the air for 16 seasons.

Also, why is the US Olympic team always outfitted by Ralph Lauren, which has

been handling it since 2008 and has consistently produced shit like this,

this, and this?

An outfit that doesn't scream, I'm going to the Olympics, so much as it screams,

you think I'm rich now? Wait till my dad dies.

I'm just saying.

It is a choice to take a diverse country of 300-plus million people and go with

the aesthetic of the bad guy in every 80s frat comedy.

Although, to be fair, our Olympic outfits weren't the only ones grabbing

attention this week.

Here's a Team Canada uniform.

Okay.

I love it.

You love it? I do love it. Yes, I do love it. It's billed as a twist on the

iconic Canadian tuxedo. Okay, that jacket is straight garbage.

It looks like Jay Leno got tagged by a street gang of eight-year-old girls.

And that jacket might look good on one person. The problem is, on a group of

hundreds, they're just gonna look like a high school production of Canadian

Grease. Although, I will say, I have always felt it's wrong that Canadian

tuxedo refers to head-to-toe denim and not formal wear designed specifically

for a fancy moose. This big boy knows what's up.

Blast me, King.

And if that wasn't already fun enough news from Canada this week, there was

also this.

This is a member of the Canadian Parliament who was caught naked... naked

on a virtual House of Commons meeting. He has since apologized, saying he'd

been changing into his work clothes after going for a jog.

Quite why he did that in front of a camera.

Who knows?

Now... Obviously, I feel terrible for that man. It was clearly a complete

accident, although I will say, he's got nothing to be ashamed of there. He's

keeping tight and he's keeping it right. He's maintaining while the rest of us

are gaining. A jog in the middle of the workday? That is hot male behavior right

there. I haven't taken a jog in the middle of the workday since September

11th. And by the way, if you think he looks good with his clothes off, wait

till you see him with his clothes on.

Hey, Canada, you might want to check your carbon emissions because it seems

there's a massive smokestack in your parliament.

And I have to say, it's truly delightful watching a news package that is just

timid man politely giggles over photo of naked pale guy, or as it's more commonly

known, hardcore Canadian porn.

And as if this story could not get any better, just watch his fellow MP address

the incident in the most exceedingly tactful way.

We've seen a member jeering, question period.

improperly dressed, that is, unclothed. We have seen that the member was in very

good shape, but I think that this member should be reminded of what is

appropriate and to control his camera. Thank you.

I mean, that is an aggressively Canadian response.

Say what you will about Canadians, and these outfits say more than anyone ever

could, but one thing you cannot accuse them of is being impolite, even in the

face of unrequested nudity.

And while I am really sorry that that happened to this guy, who seems to have

weathered the incident with very good grace, I honestly needed this story this

week. And I apologize for the fact that despite this being entirely

complimentary of him, the Daily Beast will undeniably write it up tomorrow

with the headline... when John Oliver eviscerates this Canadian's hog.

The point is, a bunch of fun, weird shit happened this week, and we wanted to

give you a chance to laugh at it, to give you just a breath at the end of a

truly demoralizing week.

So if you needed a break, I really hope that gave you one. And if you didn't

need a break, maybe ask yourself why the fuck not and think about that for a

while. Because the fact is...

It's once again been made painfully clear that we, and when I say we, I mean

white America, have to stop talking about fundamental change in policing and

actually make it happen.

Because this cycle of state violence against black lives has to be stopped.

So put on your shoes, leave the house, march in the streets, and demand a

better country. One in which black people are treated with fundamental

respect and one in which maybe the big news of the week genuinely could be...

impractically large rabbit goes missing and now this and now the commercials on

fox news in the middle of the night know exactly who they're talking to men over

45 do you have a frequent urgent need to urinate male sexual enhancement that

works the very first time Rev your libido and maximize physical response.

Reduce your urges to urinate. And be the man you want to be. Guys, are you done

with 2020?

And all the baggage that came along with it? Guys, what happened to your roar?

You can't get it back.

Guys, as we get older, we all lose testosterone.

Guys, got hair loss?

Guys, are you tired of frequent nighttime bathroom trips? Guys, it's

that time.

And nothing's happening. Guys, it's time to step up your game.

Guys. Guys.

Guys. Guys.

Waking up over and over to urinate is not okay.

Moving on. Our main story tonight concerns bankruptcy.

You probably know it from being the worst possible outcome on Wheel of

Fortune, aside from hugging Pat Sajak or winning a Mitsubishi Mirage. Or maybe

you're familiar with it through ads for bankruptcy lawyers like this one.

Once upon a time, there was a fair maiden named Mary.

Mary lived a storybook life, until her Prince Charming was smashed from his

steed. Then her castle came under siege, and the cries of assault were vexing.

Her champion had been gravely injured, and a pox had fallen upon her house.

I've helped thousands of clients like Mary, and I can probably help you get a

fresh start.

Wow, there is a lot there.

from an unmarked van fully mean-girls-ing Mary's husband to him

surviving what appear to be surprisingly minor injuries to that lawyer claiming

he's helped thousands of clients like Mary, meaning that in the Chattanooga

area, there are somehow thousands of women who've watched their husband get

shit-stomped by a cargo van and then take what can only be described as a

gatling gun of mail to the face. If that is true, they've got a way more

lucrative lawsuit than a bankruptcy case.

What that ad is promising, though, is really attractive.

A fresh start from your debts. And it's something a lot of people have turned

to. Over the past decades, the number of personal bankruptcies filed each year

has ranged from about 800,000 to one and a half million.

And many worry that once the current pandemic assistance stops, more and more

people will need the type of help that bankruptcy offers because...

Very basically, bankruptcy is a legal procedure by which those who are deeply

weighted down by debts can get out from underneath them and then have a chance

to start anew, which is good, although it does come with some consequences. It

will be on your credit report.

And there tends to be some social stigma attached, as exemplified in this clip

from Shark Tank.

Jeff, I understand your decision to go bankrupt.

Cleans the slate.

But it carries a weight. You'll never have a bank, Jeff.

Ever.

To me, you're radioactive.

There are a million people out there who are gonna get the wrong message from

what you're saying. No, they're getting the right message.

They should not go bankrupt.

Well, hold on, because that is a terrible lesson.

And you, Kevin O'Leary, are hardly one to be calling someone's decisions

radioactive, given that you invested in companies with business models like...

put your face on a potato, look like an idiot on a unicycle, and Toy Guru, the

Netflix for toys whose mascot always looked like it was searching for a place

to take a shit. And, which interestingly, filed for fucking

bankruptcy. So, I'm sorry, Kevin, but to me, that makes you radioactive.

I'm out.

But that broad brush stigmatization is common and completely misguided. Because

bankruptcy is not solely caused by bad decisions.

It's often caused by bad luck.

Unavoidable challenges like job loss, divorce, surprise medical bills, or

perhaps even, you know, a once-in-a-century global pandemic.

And despite bankruptcy often being characterized as an easy out, the way

it's currently set up, it's sometimes not an out at all, as this couple

learned. Before you're done and over with, you're definitely looking to spend

at least $1,000 to claim bankruptcy.

Um, we don't have $1,000.

So we... You're telling me you can't afford... We can't afford to go

bankrupt.

Yet we're $50,000 in debt.

So what do we do? Yeah, a lot of people can't afford to go bankrupt.

A true sentence that... that fundamentally doesn't make sense.

Like sonic drive-ins advertised in cities where there are no sonic

locations. Or the sequel to Now You See Me wasn't called Now You Don't. Or Elon

Musk doesn't fuck his cars. I mean, come on. That is the face of a man who's at

the very least measured the circumference of the charging point.

So, given all of that, tonight, let's take a look at personal bankruptcy.

Our modern bankruptcy code was enacted in 1978.

Interestingly... around the same time that the credit card industry began to

enjoy a period of steady deregulation, which worked out very well for them,

because they marketed themselves aggressively, and during this time,

consumer debt began to sharply rise.

And what the industry clearly wanted was people stuck in a lucrative cycle of

minimum payments, late fees, and interest hikes. What they didn't want,

spoiling that, was people cutting the cycle short...

through bankruptcy.

So, by the late 90s, they were lobbying senators like Chuck Grassley hard to

curb what they framed as bankruptcy abuse, basically arguing that people who

could afford to pay were using bankruptcy as an easy way to not pay

bills and then pass the costs on to the rest of us. And Grassley seemed more

than happy to repeat some of the industry's talking points.

There's not a single family in America, low income or high income, that is not

paying part of the cost.

of bankruptcy.

$40 billion cost to the economy every year.

$400 for a family of four.

Wow. The average family pays $400 a year because deadbeats abuse the system.

Grassley dropped that shocking fact with the confidence of a man who would later

tweet from his government account, Windsor Heights Dairy Queen is good

place for you know what.

The thing is, though, that $400 figure is total nonsense.

No one knows for certain where it came from, and despite it turning out to be

demonstrably false, the credit card industry pushed it hard to create a

narrative of widespread irresponsibility and abuse around bankruptcy.

But it's a little hard to take moral grandstanding from credit card companies

who were all too happy to help people get into significant debt, even if they

had just declared bankruptcy.

Barely out of bankruptcy court, Joan Burnett opened her mailbox, and there it

was, the chance for a shiny new credit card, the first of many.

It looked like an easy $3,000, and... I think I hung on to it for a day, and

then I thought, oh, no, you're not gonna be that crazy.

The banks are giving out credit with a reckless disregard for the consumer's

ability to repay.

Yeah, that Max Weinberg impersonator is absolutely right. And so, by the way,

was Joan.

whose self-restraint I really do admire there. Imagine the expenditures that I

could have avoided by simply saying, no, John, you're not going to be that crazy.

Ask yourself, do you really need this item?

But years of lobbying by the credit card and banking industry ultimately resulted

in a hugely significant 2005 bankruptcy reform bill, which made it far more

complicated to file for bankruptcy than it had previously been, which in turn

made it far more costly, which meant many people ended up in a situation

where they couldn't afford to go bankrupt.

And to understand our current system, a key thing to know... is that there is

not one main kind of personal bankruptcy. There are actually two.

Chapter seven and chapter 13.

Chapter seven... is what you commonly think of as bankruptcy. Your debts are

mostly wiped out, and while you can hold on to a few essential assets below a

certain threshold, the rest can then be sold to pay off your creditors. It takes

a few months to complete, but then you do get your chance at a fresh start.

Chapter 13, however, is different.

That is more of a reorganization of debt.

Basically, your finances get examined to work out how much you can afford to pay

into a repayment plan for three to five years. And if you make all the payments

in that plan, at the end of it, your debts do get discharged.

And this does have its benefits. You don't have to give up assets like a

house or a car. But, and this is a huge but, if you miss even one payment, your

case could be dismissed and the whole deal is off. You're essentially...

all the way back to square one. And the uncomfortable fact is, this happens in

most Chapter 13 cases.

Because only a third actually make it all the way to discharge.

And Chapter 13 is also actually much more expensive to file. Because while

attorneys charge on average about $1,300 to file Chapter 7, for Chapter 13, they

generally charge about $3,800.

So you might be thinking, well, if... Chapter 13 is more costly, more

difficult, and less likely to get you a genuinely fresh start. Why would anyone

choose it? Well, for some, it might be the right fit. Remember, it gives you a

chance to keep your house, which you might need to live in, and your car,

which you might need to work. But for many, many more, Chapter 13, despite

costing three times as much in the long term...

can actually seem like the better financial option when you file, because

Chapter 7 generally requires you to pay lawyers up front, whereas Chapter 13 can

be different, as law firms can be eager to point out to you. Is debt constantly

on your mind? Are you looking to get a fresh start financially?

Then call the bankruptcy attorneys at Wooten & Wooten. We even offer a no

-money-down Chapter 13 plan.

Okay, first, get the fuck out of my void, Wooten. I know I don't technically

own the concept of sad white emptiness, Jared Leto's got the market covered on

that one, but I will be damned if I let this adult who looks like he just made a

wish to be big steal my whole vibe.

But the point here is, if you are already in a bad spot with your

finances, which you probably are if you're considering bankruptcy, no money

up front might not just sound good, it might be your only option.

The worry is that some lawyers guide their clients to the more expensive

Chapter 13 when they'd actually be far better served with Chapter 7. And if you

know anything about America, it will not surprise you to learn that when

researchers ran an academic experiment, they found attorneys were more likely to

recommend Chapter 13 to a hypothetical black couple, called, by the way, Reggie

and Letitia, than they were to a hypothetical white couple called Todd

and Allison.

And putting aside the question of whether the researchers plucked Reggie

and Letitia from the big book of stereotypical, but hopefully not

offensively so, black names, the fact is, the study's findings do help explain

why nationally, the odds of black debtors choosing Chapter 13 instead of

Chapter 7 were more than twice as high as white debtors with a similar

financial profile.

So even bankruptcy discriminates against black people, which is coincidentally

the cover story on this month's issue of...

And the fact that people are often pushed into the form of bankruptcy with

far less successful outcomes mean that they can end up having to file

bankruptcy again down the line. And knowing that makes it a little hard to

see financial experts like Susie Orman broadly frame repeated filing as a moral

failing. Most people who claim bankruptcy once claim it twice.

So, if you are claiming bankruptcy, you have got to learn.

Because if you get yourself into that situation again, if you go out and you

rack up all this credit card debt and all this stuff again, and you have to

claim bankruptcy again, then I say, shame on you.

Wow. Susie is offering repeat bankruptcy filers the shame on you, normally

reserved for dogs who peed on the carpet, and nosy pharmacists in Magnolia

who've asked Julianne Moore one too many questions.

I have sickness all around me and you fucking asked me my life.

Have you seen death in your bed? In your house? Where's your fucking decency?

And then I've asked fucking questions.

What's wrong?

You suck my dick.

That's what's wrong. And you, you fucking call me lady?

Shame on you!

Shame on you!

But a few things.

First... Experts say that Orman's claim that most bankruptcy filers file twice

is just wrong, but much more importantly, even those who do end up

filing a second time often do so due to factors that have nothing to do with

recklessness. Like, for instance, getting pushed into a Chapter 13

bankruptcy that was not right for them. And there is something else that can

significantly limit the help that bankruptcy can provide. Because there

are whole categories of non-dischargeable debts. Debts that even

bankruptcy cannot get rid of. You typically can't wipe out debt from

criminal penalties, taxes, or child support through bankruptcy.

And there is another massive category, as this woman learned.

31-year-old Radmila Suleymanova graduated with a master's from New York

University in 2008 during the depths of the Great Recession.

Jobless, she quickly defaulted on her $80,000 student loan bill.

Oh, well, I'll just file for bankruptcy like everyone else is doing. Ha, ha, ha.

And then you realize, no, the only way to get away from your student loan debt

is to die.

Yeah. And to communicate just how bad student loan debt is as a generational

dead weight on millennials, I guarantee you, anyone with student loans watching

this right now heard $80,000 and thought, yeah, I don't know, I've heard

much worse.

Because yeah, she could have bought this entire three bedroom, two bathroom house

in Indianapolis, but who really needs a place to live when you have a framed

eight and a half by 11 piece of paper with your name on it? That can, just

like a house, keep you safe from the rain.

And if all that weren't bad enough, our current system adds insult to injury

through mandatory credit counseling courses, which can be exactly as

patronizing as they sound.

Even bankruptcy judges have called them inane and a procedural hurdle.

without value or consequence, with one even noting a course referred

participants to the local library for resources on bankruptcy and recommended

they seek a job making higher wages.

And I'm sure they had never thought of doing that before it was very cleverly

pointed out to them.

And if it seems that these courses may have limited value, one that we found

online even seemed to reluctantly acknowledge that fact.

Your attorney may have gone over your particular situation with you in their

office already.

Perhaps they explained why credit counseling will not work for you. Many

debtors, therefore, believe that this mandatory credit counseling exercise is

pointless. We hope instead you will take a more positive view of this mandatory

course. Oh, you hope so, do you? That's basically an admission that the whole

thing's a waste of time. Although, quick question here, why is the attorney there

cartoon me? He's wearing my glasses, he has my bangs, he's negging an unwilling

civilian while waving around a boring amount of paperwork. The guy is more me

than I am.

And while at best, an objectively hunky cartoon lecturing you on your finances

is annoying, at worst, it can be actively insulting because the

assumption in these courses is that you are in this position due to reckless

personal behavior.

But imagine how that argument feels if you, like this woman, went bankrupt

after having to leave your job to take care of your son who died from cystic

fibrosis. In September, we sat down to take the credit counseling course and it

was sort of a slap in the face, honestly.

And we have not yet finished that course.

We logged off and needed to walk away from it for a little while. And we'll

need to do it again after we actually go through the filing process and meet with

the judge.

It's a requirement after you file as well so that you can, I guess, get an

idea of how to not do the same thing again in the future.

So.

which is an incredibly hurtful idea that I'm not looking forward to. No, of

course you're not. Because having a course suggest that there is a way not

to have your child die again in the future is a fucking insult.

And it is terrible that she not only had to go through that, but then had to

rehash it in the Senate in an attempt to get that requirement changed, which, by

the way, it wasn't.

And the truth is, so much of what is wrong with our current bankruptcy system

stems from that 2005 law that I mentioned to you earlier, expanding the

non-dischargeability of student loan debt... That was in there. The mandatory

credit counseling classes, that was in there, too. The law also made bankruptcy

harder to complete, adding over a dozen ways that someone could make a technical

error and be dismissed.

It was a huge win for the credit card companies and for all the assurances

from Grassley and others that it would target high-income people abusing the

system without hurting those of lesser means.

After it passed, bankruptcy filings dropped disproportionately in poorer

neighborhoods, with filings there decreasing 32% more than in rich ones.

Showing that, as always, when things are designed to become harder for everyone,

for the rich, they just become a bit more expensive, and for the poor, they

become basically impossible.

So what can we do here? Well, ideally, the people responsible for that 2005 law

would acknowledge that our system badly needs fixing. And coincidentally, one of

the most prominent backers of that law is actually the fucking president now.

Joe Biden is from Delaware, home to some of the biggest credit card companies,

and his support was crucial in getting the 2005 law passed. And it is not like

he wasn't warned that it could lead to trouble.

When it was being debated, Elizabeth Warren, then a Harvard law professor

studying bankruptcy, testified about how medical debt ruins people's lives and

how this bill could significantly hinder their one remaining chance to get out

from underneath it. And Joe Biden kept shifting focus back to the poor

creditors who wouldn't get their money.

Until we fix the broken healthcare finance system, those families have to

turn somewhere.

And that means now.

they turn as a last-ditch effort to the bankruptcy court. And that means they

turn to asking the people that they borrowed money from to pay

for their health care costs, right? We're going to ask the gas company, the

drugstore, the automobile dealer to pay for the broken system.

Okay, but that's not really how this works, is it?

It's not like we're living in some small town in the 1920s, racking up debts to

the corner store for groceries, the butcher shop for meat, and the local

pharmacy for cough drops laced with weapons-grade cocaine.

No, we're living in a world where medical debt is out of control, and

people have envelopes rammed through their door every day, screaming that

they're pre-approved for a credit card. Oh, look, this one has Snoopy on it.

Now, the good news is, in December, Elizabeth Warren proposed the Consumer

Bankruptcy Reform Act, which would completely overhaul our bankruptcy

system. It would eliminate excessive paperwork needed for filing, thereby

lowering attorney costs, it'd make student loan debt dischargeable, it'd

get rid of the requirement for a credit counseling course, and it'd combine

Chapter 7 and 13 into a new, more flexible Chapter 10. It's a combination

that would be an improvement, sort of like Burger King's chicken fries.

Little bit chicken, little bit fries, all in a box that looks like I asked my

kid... to draw me from memory.

And while Biden has broadly expressed support for Warren's reforms, the fact

is, her plan is unlikely to pass in its entirety, because it would need ten

Republicans in the Senate to get on board, because Democrats like Joe

Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are still in a death cult over the filibuster for

some reason. But the fact is, something big needs to happen here, because we

badly need to get our broken bankruptcy system working again for people who

desperately need a lifeline.

And meanwhile, while we wait for Congress to act, the very least we can

do is offer an alternative credit counseling course that isn't quite so

insulting.

Hello there. I'm the Cartooniverse's steamiest wonk. If you're watching this

video, chances are you've hit hard times.

Maybe your husband was pancaked by an unmarked cargo van.

Or maybe you lost your job due to the coronavirus and that fateful day in 2019

when one bat fucked that other bat.

Either way, you're saddled with debt right now and you're looking for a fresh

start. Thankfully, you've found bankruptcy.

Lest that is, your debt is student loans, in which case you should think

about faking your own debt because odds are... You're as fucked as this bat.

Under current bankruptcy law, you're required to complete this credit

counseling course.

And the key thing I'm here to tell you is, there are two main kinds of personal

bankruptcy. Chapter 7, that's the thing you think of as bankruptcy, where

typically most of your debts can be discharged.

And Chapter 13, which you might assume works similarly, though anyone who's

been through it knows that it doesn't.

And if all this seems needlessly confusing, it's because it is. The whole

system is currently designed to be so discouraging that eventually you say,

fuck it, and give up. Ouch!

Are you okay?

So instead of watching a condescending series of videos about how to make a

budget, why don't we both make better use of this time and enjoy this video of

a man feeding a pack of raccoons individual hot dogs.

Yes!

Yes!

Yes!

Look, filing for bankruptcy will never be as enjoyable as a raccoon eating a

hot dog.

But at the very least, it should be that simple.

Bye.

That's our show. Thanks so much for watching. We're off next week, back May

2nd. Good night.

Yes!

Yes!

Yes!