<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spotify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a> revealed plans to cut headcount by 6% due to <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">macroeconomic</a> turmoil following similar moves from other prominent <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a> firms.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek informed staff members in a Monday <a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-01-23/an-update-on-january-2023-organizational-changes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">note</a> that the music and audio platform would reduce headcount to streamline operations. The announcement implies that 600 of the company’s 9,800 employees will lose their positions.
“While we have made great progress in improving speed in the last few years, we haven’t focused as much on improving efficiency. We still spend far too much time syncing on slightly different strategies, which slows us down,” Ek wrote. “And in a challenging economic environment, efficiency takes on greater importance. So, in an effort to drive more efficiency, control costs, and speed up decision-making, I have decided to restructure our organization.”
The note added that the growth rate for operations expenditures is significantly higher than the growth rate for revenues.
“That would have been unsustainable long-term in any climate, but with a challenging macro environment, it would be even more difficult to close the gap,” Ek continued. “As you are well aware, over the last few months we’ve made a considerable effort to rein-in costs, but it simply hasn’t been enough. So while it is clear this path is the right one for Spotify, it doesn’t make it any easier.”
The company’s third-quarter earnings report showed that total monthly active users increased year-over-year by 20% while revenue rose 21% over the same period. Operating expenses increased 65% as a result of “higher personnel costs primarily due to headcount growth.”
Share prices for Spotify rose 3.7% on Monday morning; the company’s stock has plummeted more than 47% over the past year, outpacing a 9% decline in the S&amp;P 500 and an 18% decline in the technology-heavy NASDAQ Composite.
Spotify is one of several technology companies to announce layoffs in recent weeks as a response to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/investor-tells-zuckerberg-to-cut-headcount-cool-down-metaverse-push-since-no-one-knows-what-it-even-means" target="_blank" rel="noopener">overzealous hiring</a> in the sector and broader economic woes. Microsoft <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/microsoft-announces-mass-layoffs-to-cut-costs-amid-economic-headwinds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the company would dismiss some 10,000 employees, while Google will <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-white-house-brushed-off-concerns-about-mass-firings-at-microsoft-and-amazon-now-google-is-laying-off-employees-too" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reduce</a> its headcount by approximately 12,000 positions, and Amazon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/amazon-dismisses-thousands-of-employees-in-bid-to-reduce-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plans</a> to dismiss 18,000 employees.
“Like many other leaders, I hoped to sustain the strong tailwinds from the pandemic and believed that our broad global business and lower risk to the impact of a slowdown in ads would insulate us. In hindsight, I was too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth,” Ek continued. “I take full accountability for the moves that got us here today.”
More than 46,000 workers have been discharged from prominent American technology companies in the first month of 2023, according to a <a href="https://news.crunchbase.com/startups/tech-layoffs/#:~:text=More%20than%2046%2C000%20workers%20in,person%20layoff%20announcements%20this%20week." target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Crunchbase, even after firms in the sector dismissed 107,000 positions last year. Spotify is headquartered in Sweden.
​​White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karine-jean-pierre-gives-non-answers-on-massive-tech-layoffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deflected questions</a> from journalists last week regarding the technology sector’s sudden increase in layoffs. One reporter noted that President Joe Biden has appeared “quite optimistic” in his latest statements about the economy and asked whether the dismissals are a “matter of concern” for the administration. Jean-Pierre responded that the commander-in-chief watches “anytime there are reports of Americans losing their jobs.”

Spotify – HealthKit

Spotify To Lay Off Hundreds As Big Tech Aggressively Downsizes

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Some of the top podcasts in the United States so far in 2023 on streaming sites like Apple and Spotify discuss things like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/faith">faith</a>, the Bible, and Christianity, beating out ones from The New York Times, NBC, and more.
In a <a href="https://twitter.com/AscensionPress/status/1610775929629941766?s=20&amp;t=eW4P90CS7C3R3Z16K2mzKA">tweet on Wednesday</a> from Ascension Press, it shared that the number one podcast on Apple is the Catholic media&#8217;s &#8220;The Catechism in a Year podcast&#8221; (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) [CIY].
&#8220;You people are crushing it with your CIY &amp; BIY listens!&#8221; the outlet tweeted. &#8220;Nearly a WEEK at the top of the charts and still going strong!&#8221;
&#8220;What&#8217;s your favorite takeaway so far? Tell us below!&#8221; it added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🎧 You people are crushing it with your CIY &amp; BIY listens! 🎧 
Nearly a WEEK at the top of the charts and still going strong! 🎉🎉
 What&#39;s your favorite takeaway so far? Tell us below! 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CatechismInAYear?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CatechismInAYear</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlanOfSheerGoodness?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PlanOfSheerGoodness</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BibleInAYear?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BibleInAYear</a> <a href="https://t.co/wGp8oNLE9A">pic.twitter.com/wGp8oNLE9A</a>
&mdash; Ascension (@AscensionPress) <a href="https://twitter.com/AscensionPress/status/1610775929629941766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://chartable.com/charts/itunes/us-all-podcasts-podcasts">Chartable.com</a> also showed that &#8220;The Catechism in a Year&#8221; was in the top spot on Apple Podcasts in the United States. It was followed in second place by &#8220;The Bible Recap,&#8221; with the third spot occupied by &#8220;The Bible In A Year&#8221; (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) [BIY]. Rounding out the top five was NBC News&#8217; &#8220;Dateline NBC&#8221; and The New York Times&#8217; &#8220;The Daily.&#8221;
The same faith-based podcasts made it into the Spotify list for Top Podcasts In The United States. At the time of this publication, &#8220;The Catechism in a Year podcast&#8221; (with Fr. Mike Schmitz),&#8221; held the number 2 spot.
In first place was &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience&#8221; podcast and &#8220;The Bible Recap&#8221; in third place. In fourth place was &#8220;Real Ones with Jon Bernthal.&#8221; And closing out the top 5 spot on Spotify was &#8220;The Bible In A Year&#8221; (with Fr. Mike Schmitz).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Catholic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Catholic</a> podcast by <a href="https://twitter.com/AscensionPress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AscensionPress</a> dominating U.S. charts early in 2023. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CatholicTwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CatholicTwitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PodcastRecommendations?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PodcastRecommendations</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/frmikeschmitz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@frmikeschmitz</a> <a href="https://t.co/OikvlJQekJ">https://t.co/OikvlJQekJ</a>
&mdash; Podbam (@podbampodcasts) <a href="https://twitter.com/podbampodcasts/status/1610532038196752388?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;CIY&#8221; is described as the sequel to the successful 2021 podcast launch of &#8220;The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz),&#8221; <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-catholic-podcast-the-catechism-in-a-year-hits-1-on-apple-all-categories-301712706.html">PR Newswire.com</a> noted. In January 2021, &#8220;BIY&#8221; kicked off and took over the #1 spot on Apple that month. One year later, the Bible podcast landed in the top spot again. And as of 2023 it occupies the #3 position in all categories as of this writing, the outlet noted.
&#8220;BIY&#8221; was also Chartable&#8217;s top global podcast in Religion &amp; Spirituality in 2022, and has been downloaded 430 million times, the outlet noted.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/patricia-heaton-says-one-year-ago-she-set-goal-to-read-entire-bible-reveals-how-it-went">Patricia Heaton Says One Year Ago She Set Goal To Read Entire Bible, Reveals How It Went</a>

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Top Podcasts On Apple, Spotify Are About The Bible, Christianity

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Joe Rogan has scored the number one spot in Spotify&#8217;s podcasts heard around the world for 2022 for his show &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience,&#8221; beating out the likes of Alex Cooper and more.
On Wednesday, the streaming platform released its annual Wrapped feature, which analyzed listener data from January 1 to November 26, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-rogan">Rogan</a> lead the pack both globally and in the United States, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/spotify-wrapped-2022-list-1235271898/">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
Behind Rogan was Cooper&#8217;s &#8220;Call Her Daddy&#8221; podcast in second place internationally and in the states, followed by newcomer Emma Chamberlain&#8217;s &#8220;Anything Goes&#8221; which scored the third spot globally, the outlet noted. That was followed by the platform&#8217;s original series &#8220;Caso 63,&#8221; in all languages, which was recently adapted into English with actress Julianne Moore and actor Oscar Isaac.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpotifyWrapped?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpotifyWrapped</a> is here 🎶 Update your Spotify app to get yours. Who is on your Top 5? <a href="https://t.co/6vCxM1Wc9I">https://t.co/6vCxM1Wc9I</a> <a href="https://t.co/tymL34iK7E">pic.twitter.com/tymL34iK7E</a>
&mdash; Spotify (@Spotify) <a href="https://twitter.com/Spotify/status/1597953645181648896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Closing out the top five lists for podcasts globally, was Ashley Flowers&#8217; &#8220;Crime Junkie,&#8221; which also scored the number three spot for podcasts heard in the U.S.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meghan-markles-new-podcast-archetypes-beats-joe-rogan-this-week-hits-number-one-on-spotify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meghan Markle&#8217;s</a> &#8220;Archetypes&#8221; podcast scored the top spot in Spotify&#8217;s podcasts with the highest first-week streams at launch in the states, the outlet noted. After Markle&#8217;s was David S. Goyer&#8217;s &#8220;Batman Unburied,&#8221; then Kim Kardashian&#8217;s &#8220;The System: The Case of Kevin Keit,&#8221; and once again &#8220;Case 63,&#8221; the English adaptation. Rounding out the top five list was &#8220;Back to the Beach,&#8221; a &#8220;Laguna Beach,&#8221; rewatch podcast hosted by Kristin Cavallari and Stephen Colletti.
Despite the Duchess of Sussex&#8217;s podcast&#8217;s initial success after its launch, some critics have panned it as &#8220;preposterous,&#8221; &#8220;self-aggrandizing,&#8221; and more, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meghan-markles-podcast-blasted-as-preposterous-self-aggrandising-and-so-much-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
One critic, James Marriott with <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/meghan-markle-duchess-of-sussex-archetypes-podcast-review-7x3b6vk7h">The Times,</a> wrote the former &#8220;Suits&#8221; actress&#8217; podcast is &#8220;almost entirely preposterous.&#8221;
&#8220;The podcast is a tastefully soundtracked parade of banalities, absurdities and self-aggrandising Californian platitudes,&#8221; Marriott wrote previously. &#8220;The effect of all the tinkly music and vapid conversation is to make you feel you&#8217;ve been locked in the relaxation room of a wellness spa with an unusually self-involved yoga instructor.&#8221;
The platform also released the top five artists streamed on Spotify heard around the world, with superstar singer Taylor Swift landing in second place, behind Latin artist Bad Bunny.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meghan-markles-podcast-blasted-as-preposterous-self-aggrandising-and-so-much-more">Meghan Markle&#8217;s Podcast Blasted As &#8216;Preposterous,&#8217; &#8216;Self-Aggrandising,&#8217; And So Much More</a>

Joe Rogan-2

Joe Rogan Scores Number One Spot In Spotify’s Podcasts Around The World For 2022

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Taylor Swift has returned to her roots. 
After releasing songs in the past few years with lyrics like “f*** the patriarchy” and “Why are you mad? / When you could be GLAAD?” her latest album is largely a return to pre-2018 Swift, one who <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/barack-obama?source=%2Fopinion%2Ftaylor-swift-is-now-obsessed-with-politics-and-it-shows">wasn’t</a> “obsessed with politics” and one who sang about universal experiences: heartbreak, longing, and falling in love.
Swift usually catches flak for being too formulaic: singing about break ups and romance, more break ups and more romance. There’s no shortage of that type of thing in her latest album, Midnights, which tells “the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout [Swift’s] life.” But there’s a reason this formula made Swift so popular.
Following two re-releases of older albums and the folksy Evermore and Folklore, Midnights sounds like the old Taylor: impishly self-deprecating and self-aware, filled with tales of regret and young love and revenge.
On “Anti-Hero,” the only song so far to get a music video, Swift delivers what is clearly meant to become a viral millennial anthem. “I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser,” she sings in the intro, building up to a self-effacing chorus: “It&#8217;s me, hi / I&#8217;m the problem, it&#8217;s me.”
Her lyrics stand out because of their relatability, not exactly their poetry. When she rhymes “devices,” “prices,” “vices,” and “crisis” in the space of three lines, followed by another three lines that manage to cram together “screaming,” “dreaming,” “leaving,” and “scheming,” it feels a bit overwrought.
But her 20- to 30-something millennial fans — who have followed the 32-year-old’s career since she released her debut album at age 16 — will relate to lyrics like “Did you hear my covert narcissism / I disguise as altruism like some kind of congressman?”
“Anti-Hero” may be the headliner, but it’s certainly not the star. Just three hours after Midnights’ release, Swift revealed Midnights (3am Edition), containing seven more songs — and the best one on the album.
If her lyricism falters in her songs designed for more popular appeal, it shines through at the most unassuming times.
For better or for worse, Swift’s music is usually about her: how a particular ex has broken her heart, the media abuses her, how she would be more successful if <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taylor-swift-id-be-the-man-if-i-were-a-man">she were a man</a>. But in “Bigger Than the Whole Sky,” Swift appears to take on the perspective of a grieving mother. 
“Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time / And I&#8217;ve got a lot to pine about, I&#8217;ve got a lot to live without,” she sings. 
While the song could be about any number of things, from mourning the person she could have been to the loss of a relationship, many listeners have speculated that it’s about grieving a miscarriage.
“I&#8217;m never gonna meet / What could&#8217;ve been, would&#8217;ve been / What should&#8217;ve been you / What could&#8217;ve been, would&#8217;ve been you,” Swift sings. 
The song resonated with many women: Lila Rose, president of the pro-life group LiveAction, <a href="https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1583564274655379456">tweeted</a> that the song had her thinking of her own miscarriage. “The missing never fully goes away,” she said. “Not sure if that’s what you intended the song to be about, Taylor, but thank you for writing this.”
Swift has never said anything about experiencing a miscarriage, but, <a href="https://twitter.com/SarcasticerVeg/status/1583364097415921664">according</a> to one listener, she “once said she wanted people to have a song for every moment of their life.” 
“Bigger Than the Whole Sky” grasps at the universality of grief — but only by describing a specific experience, so beautifully written that it could only be about something the author has seen up close.
Elsewhere on the album, Swift appears to sing about past relationships with celebrities from Calvin Harris to John Mayer. On “Lavender Haze,” she focuses on current beau Joe Alwyn, whom she has been dating for six years. If you’re thinking that’s a long time to be in a relationship with no ring in sight, you’re in good company. Swift responds to engagement rumors and questions by complaining about “the 1950s s*** they want from me,” singing, “All they keep asking me / Is if I&#8217;m gonna be your bride / The only kinda girl they see / Is a one night or a wife.”
“Lavender Haze” is a love song, with the title referring to a 1950s phrase <a href="https://www.nme.com/news/music/taylor-swift-reveals-mad-men-inspiration-behind-midnights-track-lavender-haze-3327307">describing</a> an “all-encompassing love glow.” Swift says in an Instagram video that the song is about ignoring the tabloids’ headline-chasing “to protect the real stuff.” It’s admirable that Swift wants to protect her relationship from the unrelenting gaze of the chattering class, but this song might have been more fitting a few years ago.
Now, it leaves one wondering what’s so retrograde about marrying someone you’ve spent over half a decade with. Is it the institution of marriage itself? Or is this about preserving her image as a pop star, which wouldn’t be quite the same if she were to become a “bride”?
Despite its drawbacks, Midnights is a refreshing return to form for Taylor Swift. Even her lust for revenge on “Vigilante S***” seems more subdued than it was in her 2017 album, Reputation. 
At her best, Swift isn’t trying to weigh in on political controversies or create high-brow art. She’s singing as a millennial woman for millennial women, even though her audience is much bigger than that. When she released Midnights, Swift <a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2022-10-22/taylor-swift-breaks-two-records-with-midnights-becoming-the-most-streamed-artist-on-spotify/">broke two Spotify records</a>, releasing the most-streamed album in a single day and becoming the service’s most-streamed artist in a single day.
Her music has always resonated with her listeners. She doesn’t have to change anything for that to remain true.
Madeline Fry Schultz (<a href="https://twitter.com/madelineefry">@madelineefry</a>) is the assistant contributors editor at the Washington Examiner.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

NSAI 2022 Nashville Songwriter Awards

Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’: Marriage, Miscarriage, And Two Single Day Records At Spotify

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Taylor Swift

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meghan-markle">Meghan Markle</a> said during a recent podcast conversation that she was an “ugly duckling” and a “loner” during her younger years. 
The former senior <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/royal-family">British royal</a> made the statements while speaking with “The Office” actress Mindy Kaling for her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spotify">Spotify</a> show, “Archetypes.” 
Kaling was discussing how she always tries to boost her 4-year-old daughter’s confidence because she remembers feeling like an outcast during her younger years. “I grew up always feeling ugly, overweight, &#8216;othered,&#8217; and so, with my daughter, I&#8217;m always telling her that she&#8217;s beautiful to the point where my friend BJ is like ‘You can tell her other compliments,’” Kaling explained, per <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-11184827/Meghan-Markle-reveals-ugly-duckling-latest-episode-podcast.html">The Daily Mail</a>.
Markle replied that she could sympathize with that because she was never considered the “pretty one” at school. 
“Were you not the pretty one growing up?” Kaling asks with obvious surprise in her voice. 
“No, oh God, no!” Markle replies. “Ugly duckling.” 
The Duchess of Sussex went on to describe how she had “massive frizzy, curly hair and a huge gap in my teeth. I was the smart one forever and ever and ever and ever &#8211; and then I sort of grew up.”
“I never had anyone to sit with at lunch,” Markle continued. “I was always a little bit of a loner and really shy and didn&#8217;t know where I fit in.”
The former senior royal grew up in California, attending Hollywood Schoolhouse and later an all-girls Catholic school, Immaculate Heart, in Los Angeles.
“And so I just became, well, I was like, okay then, I&#8217;ll become the president of the multi-cultural club and the president of sophomore class and the president of this&#8230; and French club,” she continued. “And by doing that, I had meetings at lunchtime, so I didn&#8217;t have to worry about who I would sit with or what I would do because I was always so busy.”
Markle must have outgrown her awkward stage during high school, or she was more popular than she’s letting on, however. It’s been previously reported that the 41-year-old mother of two was named homecoming queen while attending high school.
The biography Finding Freedom alleged that some classmates found Markle to be “fake.” 
“Meghan’s willingness to help others and her drive to excel meant she often was deemed ‘fake’ by classmates at school who felt it was impossible for anyone to be that ‘perfect,’” authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote.
A former classmate also <a href="https://people.com/royals/prince-harry-meghan-markle-high-school-yearbook-photos/">confirmed</a> that Markle was nominated for Prom Queen, though she did not win.

Invictus Games 2020 – Reception

Homecoming Queen Meghan Markle Complains About Being An ‘Ugly Duckling’ And ‘Loner’ In School

Homecoming Queen Meghan Markle Complains About Being An 'Ugly Duckling' And 'Loner' In School

Meghan Markle

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Critics haven’t been kind to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meghan-markle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meghan Markle&#8217;s</a> new podcast, “Archetypes,” but that hasn’t stopped it from eclipsing “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/daily-wire-backstage/the-joe-rogan-experience" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Joe Rogan Experience</a>” as the most-listened-to show of the week on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spotify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spotify</a>.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/meghan-markle-tops-joe-rogan-number-1-spotify-new-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that “Archetypes” topped charts this week in six countries, including the United States, taking down Rogan from the top slot he’s occupied for so long. Other countries where “Archetypes” soared to the top were Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
The show promised to reveal deeper truths about Markle, inviting fans to get to know the “real” her and not how the media portrays her. In a promo, the Duchess of Sussex said it would include “probably the me that they&#8217;ve never gotten to know — certainly not in the past few years, where everything is through the lens of the media as opposed to, ‘Hey, it&#8217;s me.’”
Markle debuted the project with an interview with her friend Serena Williams on the topic of ambition, calling it a “dirty, dirty word when it comes to women.”
The Duchess of Sussex said she started to notice negative connotations after she became romantically involved with Prince Harry. 
“Since I’ve felt the negativity behind it, it’s really hard to un-feel it,” she said during the episode. “I can’t unsee it, either, in the millions of girls and women who make themselves smaller — so much smaller — on a regular basis.”
Next week’s episode will include an interview with Mariah Carey.
Despite being so popular, many of the reviews of “Archetypes” have been less than favorable, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meghan-markles-podcast-blasted-as-preposterous-self-aggrandising-and-so-much-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Critics slammed Markle for using the interview process as a way to talk about herself. “Every woman has had a girlfriend like Meghan: the one who turns every confidence back to them and hijacks every distressing anecdote with one of their own — only theirs is longer drawn-out, more distressing,” the reviewer from The Telegraph wrote in part.
The Spectator&#8217;s reviewer agreed, saying it was “all about Meghan, since it takes 11 minutes for Serena to barely get a word in edgeways.”
“The podcast is a tastefully soundtracked parade of banalities, absurdities and self-aggrandising Californian platitudes,” The Times reviewer wrote of the new podcast. “The effect of all the tinkly music and vapid conversation is to make you feel you’ve been locked in the relaxation room of a wellness spa with an unusually self-involved yoga instructor.”
Listeners took to Twitter and expressed similar sentiments. If subsequent episodes of “Archetypes” are similarly received, there’s a good chance Rogan will regain his Spotify crown sooner rather than later.

The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Visit Fiji – Day 3

Meghan Markle’s New Podcast ‘Archetypes’ Beats Joe Rogan This Week, Hits Number One On Spotify

Meghan Markle's New Podcast ‘Archetypes’ Beats Joe Rogan This Week, Hits Number One On Spotify

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/meghan-markle">Meghan Markle&#8217;s</a> long-awaited <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/spotify">Spotify</a> show finally launched Monday, and critics have blasted it as “preposterous,” “self-aggrandizing,” and so much more.
In the first episode of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/meghan-markle-says-it-was-a-traumatic-day-when-archies-nursery-caught-fire">Markle&#8217;s</a> “Archetypes,” she interviewed tennis superstar Serena Williams in an episode titled, “The Misconception of Ambition with Serena Williams.” But many critics argued the show was more about the Duchess of Sussex finding another “way she can talk about herself” than anything else.
“The podcast is an interview with this inspirational sporting figure in name only,” Celia Walden of <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/08/23/meghans-podcast-just-another-way-can-talk/">The Telegraph</a> wrote. “If the rest of the season is anything like the premiere, what we&#8217;re really going to be listening into week after week is Meghan interviewing herself.”
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Meghan Markle&#39;s first Archetypes podcast SLAMMED by critics <a href="https://t.co/p4spQUbow9">https://t.co/p4spQUbow9</a>
&mdash; Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) <a href="https://twitter.com/MailOnline/status/1562365997742706689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“Even the anecdote about how Meghan first met her supposed interviewee — at a 2010 Super Bowl party — is somehow turned into self-aggrandisement,&#8221; she added. “Spotting Serena heading towards someone, Meghan wondered who on earth could have sparked this special woman&#8217;s interest, and — oh, my goodness! — it was her.”
“Every woman has had a girlfriend like Meghan: the one who turns every confidence back to them and hijacks every distressing anecdote with one of their own — only theirs is longer drawn-out, more distressing,&#8221; Walden continued.
James Marriott with <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/meghan-markle-duchess-of-sussex-archetypes-podcast-review-7x3b6vk7h">The Times</a> concurred that the former “Suits&#8221; actress&#8217; podcast is “almost entirely preposterous.”
“The podcast is a tastefully soundtracked parade of banalities, absurdities and self-aggrandising Californian platitudes,&#8221; Marriott wrote. “The effect of all the tinkly music and vapid conversation is to make you feel you&#8217;ve been locked in the relaxation room of a wellness spa with an unusually self-involved yoga instructor.”
<a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-problem-with-meghan-s-archetypes-podcast">The Spectator&#8217;s</a> columnist Steerpike wrote that Markle&#8217;s first show isn&#8217;t really about Williams at all and is in fact a show “all about Meghan, since it takes 11 minutes for Serena to barely get a word in edgeways.”
“It&#8217;s hard to believe that it took 28 people, including eight executive producers, to make the episode — plus Meghan herself, who is also listed as an &#8216;executive producer&#8217; in the credits,” Steerpike added.
<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/meghan-markle-podcast-archetypes-hilary-rose-6hr8kgc6l">The Times&#8217;</a> Hilary Rose went a bit further than the rest, stating that instead of listening to the 57 minutes and 28 seconds of “Markle&#8217;s syrupy California drawl,” she should have beaten herself “unconscious an hour ago with a copy of &#8216;Finding Freedom.&#8217;”
“It seems to be an allegory of all the many ways in which she, a fierce, strong, brave woman was wronged and traduced in the ten minutes she lived in the UK and was fêted as the best thing to happen to the royal family in years,” Rose added. “Her podcast is pure, narcissistic gibberish and next week she&#8217;s &#8216;in conversation&#8217; with Mariah Carey. Shoot me now.”
Taking a look on Twitter, many people felt the same way.
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🤣🤣 It’s not your ambition we dislike, Princess Pinocchio &#8211; it’s the vile way you trash the Royal Family whilst simultaneously exploiting your royal status for millions of dollars as with this podcast. <a href="https://t.co/53vVjo49zI">https://t.co/53vVjo49zI</a>
&mdash; Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/piersmorgan/status/1562065414137552896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Meghan Markle, taking a rare break from attacking the Royal Family and trying to destroy the British Monarchy, focusing instead on her favourite subject, herself. <a href="https://t.co/IuzLkHsTAM">https://t.co/IuzLkHsTAM</a>
&mdash; Nile Gardiner (@NileGardiner) <a href="https://twitter.com/NileGardiner/status/1562255648183689216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The fact that Meghan Markle is moaning that her ambition was frowned upon marrying into the royal family once again proves how out of touch she is with it’s purpose,the monarchy is NOT about personal ambition to achieve her own goals,it’s about duty and service
&mdash; Jordan (@Jordan43572657) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jordan43572657/status/1562436385717374976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Meghan Markle’s podcast is getting dragged and Meghan is being called a liar for the fire story. Could this be karma for her nasty PR games against Prince William? Change your ways Meghan.
&mdash; Verdad (@marinaverdadera) <a href="https://twitter.com/marinaverdadera/status/1562138202571526144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Meghan Markle 8-24-2

Meghan Markle’s Podcast Blasted As ‘Preposterous,’ ‘Self-Aggrandising,’ And So Much More

Prince Harry

Crosby, Stills &amp; Nash have ended the protest they began against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/just-in-spotify-to-pull-neil-young-music-after-ultimatum-letter-demanding-rogan-be-removed">Spotify</a> five months ago over the streaming service’s deal with podcast king <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-rogan">Joe Rogan</a>.
The aging harmony rockers’ music returned to Spotify July 2, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/business/streaming/crosby-stills-nash-spotify-return-1235110284/">according to Billboard</a>. They had pulled their catalog in solidarity with erstwhile member Neil Young, who was upset at Rogan’s penchant for interviewing guests with different points of view on COVID.
“They can have Rogan or Young. Not both,” Young wrote in a letter to his record company’s parent, Warner Records.
That prompted Crosby, Stills and Nash, who recorded albums as a trio and also with Young as a fourth member, to join the effort.
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In the latest sign that Joe Rogan beat back the cancel campaign from the left, Crosby Stills and Nash are back on Spotify. <a href="https://t.co/H8aHUnzhVu">https://t.co/H8aHUnzhVu</a> It follows the failure of the effort to cancel Justice Thomas at GWU&#8230;<a href="https://t.co/O5yIW2Kyf9">https://t.co/O5yIW2Kyf9</a>
&mdash; Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonathanTurley/status/1543974383777087491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“We support Neil and we agree with him that there is dangerous disinformation being aired on Spotify’s Joe Rogan podcast,” the trio said in February. “While we always value alternate points of view, knowingly spreading disinformation during this global pandemic has deadly consequences. Until real action is taken to show that a concern for humanity must be balanced with commerce, we don’t want our music — or the music we made together — to be on the same platform.”
But Rogan’s still on Spotify, and now mouldering Crosby, Stills and Nash hits like “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” “Our House” and “Teach Your Children” are back, too. A source told Billboard the band will donate proceeds from streams of its music to COVID charities for at least a month.
Young’s solo music remains off the Swedish company’s streaming service.
Rogan signed a $200 million deal with Spotify in 2020 and is the platform’s biggest star with 11 million listeners regularly tuning in to his podcasts.
“I’m very sorry that they feel that way. I most certainly don’t want that. I’m a Neil Young fan. I’ve always been a Neil Young fan,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-rogan-responds-to-neil-young-sings-his-music-im-a-huge-neil-young-fan">Rogan said in late January</a>.
Crosby, Stills and Nash sold over 20 million albums and toured together until 2015.
Stephen Stills, widely considered to be the most talented of the trio, is 77 and still tours. Graham Nash, 80, and the only British-born member of the group, has long been outspoken on a host of liberal causes. David Crosby, also 80, served time in prison of drug and weapons convictions in the 1980s. He had a liver transplant in the 1990s that fellow musician Phil Collins paid for and was the sperm donor for two children Melissa Etheridge had with her ex-lesbian lover, Julie Cypher.

David Crosby

Aging Rockers Quietly Crawl Back To Spotify After Short-Lived Joe Rogan Protest

Neil Young

Rock and Roll

Podcaster Joe Rogan spoke to director Mike Judge recently about the legacy of his movie &#8220;Idiocracy,” saying Judge nailed &#8220;the dumbing down of people&#8221; in his dystopian comedy from 2006.
During Spotify&#8217;s &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience&#8221; <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBu_RpKqCg8">podcast</a> Wednesday, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-rogan-lights-up-lori-lightfoots-call-to-arms-what-the-f-are-you-saying-youre-in-the-most-violent-city-in-this-country">host</a> spoke with the writer and film director about the things he got right about the future. Rogan said that looking at the state of things in 2022, the director only missed one thing in his assessment about the future — phones and social media. It starts at the 1:26 minute mark <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBu_RpKqCg8">here</a>.
&#8220;And it&#8217;s so interesting, looking at the world in 2022,&#8221; the podcaster explained. &#8220;It&#8217;s like the only thing you missed was social media.&#8221;
Judge agreed and said, &#8220;I keep thinking about all the stuff I missed.” He also noted how he felt as though the movie was cursed from the start, saying that &#8220;everything that could go wrong&#8221; did — including shooting the film in Austin during what was supposed to be a drought, but ended up being the &#8220;rainiest summer&#8221; in the city.
The director said he came up with the idea in 2001, looking at the approach of futuristic sci-fi movies showing a &#8220;pristine, advanced civilization.&#8221; Judge decided to flip that idea as he looked at things like &#8220;The Jerry Springer Show&#8221; and &#8220;giant Walmarts,&#8221; and wondered if humans went the other way.
&#8220;Like more crass, foul-language in the mainstream,&#8221; the director explained. &#8220;More like just everybody getting dumber and dumber, advertising everywhere.&#8221;
At one point, the creator of the animated television series &#8220;Beavis and Butt-Head&#8221; said he wished he could remake <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/idiocracy-new-peegasm-trend-stupidest-possible-paul-bois">the movie</a> and said he would definitely include a lot more shots of people on their phones.
&#8220;I probably would have had more staring at phones and stuff,&#8221; Judge shared.
&#8220;That&#8217;s the only thing you missed though,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/get-the-f-out-of-here-joe-rogan-says-health-dept-showed-up-in-his-studio-in-la-amid-covid-enforcement">Rogan</a> replied. &#8220;Dumbing down of people [in the future], you nailed.”
The two also talked about some scenes in the film that Rogan said stood out. The host spoke about &#8220;the very smart couple that&#8217;s holding off on having children,&#8221; while the dumber people just keep having sex. Judge joked that he felt like he &#8220;made the whole movie&#8221; just for that sequence.
A description of the 2006 film, per <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">IMDb</a>, reads, &#8220;Private Joe Bauers, a decisively average American, is selected as a guinea pig for a top-secret hibernation program but is forgotten, awakening to a future so incredibly moronic he&#8217;s easily the most intelligent person alive.”

‘Dumbing Down Of People, You Nailed:’ Joe Rogan Tells Creator Of ‘Idiocracy’ The ‘Only Thing’ He Missed About The Future

Joe Rogan Tells Creator Of ‘Idiocracy’ The ‘Only Thing’ He Missed About The Future

Movies

Social Media

Podcaster Joe Rogan praised those on the Right and Fox News — who he said &#8220;f***ing had my back&#8221; — after he was attacked by people on the &#8220;far-Left&#8221; for interviewing vaccine skeptics on his Spotify show, as well as things he&#8217;s said about COVID.
During &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience&#8221; <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0X2VD0o7wTQLlIqejxAvUr?si=hOPF67TjTyaL9gSrDbOn4A">podcast</a> Tuesday, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-rogan-warns-about-taking-away-guns-and-leaving-all-the-power-to-the-government-following-texas-school-shooting">host</a>, who said he&#8217;s &#8220;so liberal,&#8221; was talking to his guest comedian Fahim Anwar about this &#8220;narrative&#8221; that comedian Dave Chappelle&#8217;s jokes are &#8220;transphobic,&#8221; which he said just isn&#8217;t true. Rogan admitted he would never have imagined years ago that it would be conservative hosts, media outlets on the Right, and Fox News who would not only have Chappelle&#8217;s &#8220;back,&#8221; but his back also after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/left-wing-pressure-to-cancel-joe-rogan-on-spotify-appears-to-backfire-as-company-releases-new-numbers">he was attacked</a> over the information he shared on his show about COVID-19 and the subsequent vaccines. It starts at the 17:07 minute mark <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/0X2VD0o7wTQLlIqejxAvUr?si=hOPF67TjTyaL9gSrDbOn4A">here</a>.
&#8220;We live in this weird era where you can&#8217;t even make fun of a thing unless you’re a bad person,&#8221; Rogan explained. &#8220;You&#8217;re a hater. Like fun equals hate now.&#8221;
He noted how comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ricky-gervais-unloads-on-transgender-mania-in-nsfw-rant">Ricky Gervais</a> is &#8220;catching a lot&#8221; of heat for his latest special, “Supernature,” and said that it&#8217;s &#8220;really interesting&#8221; that it’s basically &#8220;left-leaning websites that have a problem” with Gervais and Chappelle, not the Right.
&#8220;Who would&#8217;ve thought that, if you look back on the early days, what we used to think of as conservative versus liberal, liberal was pro-free speech,&#8221; the host said. &#8220;People were open-minded, non-violent. And people were open to other people&#8217;s ideas.&#8221;
Rogan then pointed out that previously the &#8220;Right was like a suppressive, nanny state, condemned certain language, condemned certain behaviors,&#8221; Rogan said. &#8220;That&#8217;s not the case today. Today, the Left has gone so f***ing far Left, so radical, that the Right are the ones that are celebrating comedians, and celebrating Chappelle.&#8221;
&#8220;They had my back through all the crazy s*** that happened with me,&#8221; he added. &#8220;It was Fox News that f***ing had my back.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m so liberal,&#8221; Rogan continued. &#8220;I talk about it all the time. I am not a conservative … but I am pro-Second Amendment, and I am a hunter, and I am a cage fighting commentator, and I drink, and I smoke cigars, and I like to bow hunt.&#8221;

‘F***ing Had My Back’: Joe Rogan Praises The Right And Fox News Who Supported Him After Attacks From The ‘Far Left’

Joe Rogan Praises The Right And Fox News Who Supported Him After Attacks From The ‘Far Left’

Comedy

Vaccines

The political Left&#8217;s attempts to cancel Joe Rogan&#8217;s podcast on Spotify appear to have backfired as the company&#8217;s new quarterly earnings report revealed that the platform exceeded its expectations for new paying subscribers.
Spotify did not cave to pressure earlier this year to take action against Rogan over claims that he had spread misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic with comments that he made and with some of the people that he chose to bring onto his show.
&#8220;Despite the backlash, Spotify saw its paid memberships increase, and the platform now has 182 million premium subscribers — up from 180 million in the previous quarter and 15% higher year over year,&#8221; CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/media/spotify-joe-rogan-earnings/index.html">reported</a>. &#8220;Total revenue was up 24% over last year.&#8221;
The company noted that had it not pulled out of Russia following Russian President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s invasion of Ukraine that it would have done even better in terms of growth.
&#8220;Excluding the impact of our exit from Russia, subscriber growth exceeded expectations,&#8221; the company said.
The new numbers come as Spotify recently <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/04/21/why-spotify-dropped-its-deal-with-barack-and-michelle-obama/">declined</a> to renew its contract with former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama because the couple did not make enough appearances on the streaming service.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spotify-stands-by-joe-rogan-after-n-word-controversy-canceling-voices-is-a-slippery-slope">said</a> in a statement back in February that while he disagreed with some of Rogan&#8217;s past comments and he agreed with Rogan&#8217;s decision to remove some podcast episodes, he did not believe that silencing Rogan was the right move.
“I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek said. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope. Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress.”
Rogan recently claimed that he saw a major increase in paid subscribers due to the political Left&#8217;s attempts to cancel him.
&#8220;It&#8217;s interesting, but my subscriptions went up massively. That&#8217;s what&#8217;s crazy,&#8221; Rogan said earlier this month. &#8220;During the height of it all, I gained two million subscribers.&#8221;
Related:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rogan-torches-brian-stelter-cnn-do-you-listen-to-other-people-they-talk-very-differently-than-you">Rogan Torches Brian Stelter, CNN+: ‘Do You Listen To Other People? They Talk Very Differently Than You’</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rogan-torches-democrat-supporters-their-mental-illness-is-like-diarrhea-they-spray-on-twitter">Rogan Torches Democrat Supporters: Their ‘Mental Illness’ Is Like ‘Diarrhea’ They ‘Spray’ On Twitter</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-guys-out-of-your-fing-mind-he-cant-talk-right-anymore-joe-rogan-talks-biden-decline-history-of-lying">‘You Guys Out Of Your F***ing Mind? … He Can’t Talk Right Anymore’: Joe Rogan Talks Biden Decline, History Of ‘Lying’</a></li>
</ul>

UFC 272: Covington v Masvidal

Left-Wing Pressure To Cancel Joe Rogan On Spotify Appears To Backfire As Company Releases New Numbers

Cancel Culture

COVID

Misinformation

Pandemic

While he visits the Invictus games in the Netherlands, Great Britain’s Prince Harry spoke of his children, Archie and Lilibet, saying he wanted them to grow up “in a fairer world, a safer world, a more equal world,” adding, “It&#8217;s not going to be easy but I will never, ever, ever rest until I have as a parent at least tried to make the world a better place for them because it is our responsibility that the world is the way it is now.”
Speaking to two pre-teen reporters, he continued, “I don&#8217;t think that we should be bringing children into the world unless we&#8217;re going to make that commitment to make it better for them. We cannot steal your future,” <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10726939/Prince-Harry-tells-child-reporters-drive-make-world-equal-place-kids.html?ito=social-twitter_mailonline">the Daily Mail</a> reported.
Vis-à-vis safety and his children, Harry has challenged the U.K. government’s refusal to let him personally pay for police protection when he visited Britain, saying that the rule “does not make him feel safe,” and that his legal team stated Harry wanted to bring his children to visit the U.K. but believed it would be too risky without police protection, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/prince-harry-lawyers-feels-unsafe-bringing-kids-uk-82979402">reported</a> in mid-February.
As far as a “more equal world,” last December, speaking in an interview with the business magazine <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90702784/prince-harry-says-quitting-can-be-good-for-your-mental-health">Fast Company</a> about his role as chief impact officer with the tech startup BetterUp, which offers coaching and mental health services to businesses and individuals, Harry, who with his wife Meghan Markle reportedly has a net worth of $10 million, said of people who had resigned from their jobs, “Many people around the world have been stuck in jobs that didn’t bring them joy, and now they’re putting their mental health and happiness first. This is something to be celebrated.”
According to <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dawnchmielewski/2021/02/26/how-much-are-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-worth-surprisingly-not-that-much/?sh=3f73baf5c417">Forbes</a>, Harry and his wife “have relied largely on the estimated $10 million inheritance Harry received from his late mother’s estate. … Meghan Markle contributed an estimated $2 million in aftertax earnings from her work in films and television shows, most notably the long-running legal drama Suits. They bought a $14.7 million estate in Montecito” … and have “a surprisingly modest nest egg of roughly $5 million—at least for now. Their estimated net worth, including the equity from their Montecito home, is roughly $10 million.”
Page Six <a href="https://pagesix.com/2021/06/19/meghan-markle-and-prince-harrys-multimillion-dollar-spotify-deal-update/">reported</a> last June of the deal Harry and Meghan had made with Spotify: “Through their Archewell Audio imprint, the couple signed a reported $25M deal with the platform to produce podcasts and other programming &#8216;that uplifts and entertains audiences around the world.&#8217;”
Last year, Prince Harry told ITV, “I don&#8217;t think we should be pointing the finger or blaming anybody, but certainly when it comes to parenting, if I&#8217;ve experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering that perhaps my father or my parents had suffered, I&#8217;m going to make sure I break that cycle so that I don&#8217;t pass it on. &#8230; It&#8217;s a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway so we as parents should be doing the most we can to try and say ‘You know what, that happened to me, I&#8217;m going to make sure that doesn&#8217;t happen to you.’”

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