America Can’t Read, Apple Can’t Innovate, and Adrian Can’t Win at Fantasy | Midlife Crisis Ep. 25

This week, Adrian and Jeff kick things off reflecting on the heavy news surrounding Charlie Kirk and the state of online discourse, before diving into a conversation on declining U.S. high school reading and math scores and the role of tech and phones in classrooms. They explore OpenAI’s rumored job platform and discuss whether AI can fix a broken hiring process. The guys debate the growing trend of young adults having less sex, the downsides of dating apps, and the need to get out and meet people IRL. From there, they break down why Craigslist still rakes in $700M a year despite its 1990s design, the pickleball craze (and injuries), and why Apple’s innovation has felt flat since the Steve Jobs era. They react to Clips and Pharrell’s stunning Vatican performance, talk Emmys highlights (including The Bear’s record-breaking sweep), and celebrate Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle breaking Pokémon’s box office record. On the sports front, they recap Canelo vs. Crawford (and Adrian losing $20), NFL fantasy highs and lows, and why the Lions’ win had Jeff hyped. They wrap up with thoughtful hot takes about self-awareness, doing your own research before reacting to news, the mental health toll of social media, and a 5v5 draft of the most iconic award show moments (yes, including Will Smith’s infamous slap and Kanye interrupting Taylor Swift).