The Rumor Mill: June 20, 2026

This week on Rumor Mill, Joe and Nathan kick things off with a lengthy pre-show tease involving stories that may never make it to the public feed before introducing a brand-new segment-in-development: Dom Top Minute. From there, the conversation expands into the future of the podcast itself, with a major announcement about Rumor Mill’s next evolution. Plus: Joe and Nathan reveal plans to expand Rumor Mill beyond Drag Race into a broader pop culture and entertainment gossip show Discussion of the legal battle between outdoor apparel giant Patagonia and drag environmentalist Patty Gonia Why trademark law often forces companies to protect their brands—even when it makes them look like the villain The ongoing Heated Rivalry discourse continues as listeners weigh in with mixed reviews of the series A new conspiracy theory emerges regarding the mysterious Morgan McMichaels/Jewish drag performer controversy Nathan receives a glowing recommendation for Italy’s population of bald, bearded men Listener reactions to Drag Race France’s AI-generated promotional images spark a larger conversation about artificial intelligence and creativity Joe discusses how AI is currently used behind the scenes in podcast production and where he draws the line First-time callers from around the world share memories, stories, and appreciation for Afterthought Media Lori joins the show to finally clarify the infamous shark-surfing story from her childhood Movie Minute returns with reviews of Toy Story 5 and Stop That Train Patreon shout-outs, audience questions, and the usual Afterthought chaos close out the episode As always, the world’s greatest chat room keeps the conversation moving, listeners contribute theories and trivia, and absolutely no topic remains on track for very long. Support Afterthought Media: Patreon subscribers get bonus content, exclusive shows, live recordings, and all the stories that are just a little too juicy for the public feed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices