Mike Tyson, Bluesky & Christmas Adverts

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It was the event *few* were talking about yet they were talking loudly. Jake Paul took on Mike Tyson live on Netflix. Who were the big winners and losers of the night? The Guardian and others have said they’ll no longer post on Twitter / X and more are moving over to Bluesky. Is this a false dawn of a peaceful online place of hope that can no longer realistically exist? And, we need to mention the C-word again. The big retailers have rolled out their Christmas adverts. Which are good? Which are bad? Do they make any difference to where you choose to spend your all important Christmas pound?
Producer: Neil Fearn + Joey McCarthy
Executive Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport

Inside This Episode

Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul Fight:
The much-hyped fight between 58-year-old Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul sparked widespread discussion about the commodification of boxing. Hosted by Netflix, the event was criticised for being a “sad spectacle,” with Tyson throwing only 18 punches and Jake Paul claiming an easy victory. Despite being viewed as a non-traditional boxing match, it was a financial success, drawing the largest gate for a boxing match outside Las Vegas and significant online engagement, though Netflix faced backlash over streaming issues.
The Migration to Bluesky:
With disillusionment towards Twitter growing, Bluesky emerged as an alternative platform for social media users, promising a fresh start. However, concerns were raised about whether Bluesky would inevitably follow the same cycle of factionalism and toxicity that plagues many platforms. The hosts reflected on social media’s broader impact, describing it as a “time suck” that creates an illusion of influence while fostering division and burnout.
Christmas Advertisements:
Retailers like John Lewis, Aldi, and Greggs launched their holiday campaigns with highly anticipated Christmas ads, which have become a staple of the “golden quarter” in retail. These ads are seen as both morale boosters for company staff and key branding exercises, even if their impact on sales is unclear. A standout was Coca-Cola’s AI-generated ad, which scored highly on emotional engagement and raised questions about AI’s role in creative industries.
Legacy and Nostalgia:
Mike Tyson dismissed the concept of legacy, stating, “Legacy means nothing to me… we’re dust.” This sparked a broader discussion about society’s obsession with legacy and ego. The hosts also touched on the nostalgia for the optimism of the late 1990s, contrasting it with the disillusionment many feel today, amplified by the current social and economic climate.
Netflix and the Future of Live Events:
Netflix’s experimentation with live events, such as the Tyson-Paul fight and upcoming NFL Christmas games, signifies a pivot towards traditional TV strategies. However, their foray into live content has been marred by technical difficulties, as seen in both the fight and past events like the Love Is Blind reunion. Speculation arose about Netflix entering the news broadcasting space, leveraging its platform to capture real-time audiences.

Media Mentions

Movies

Rocky Balboa
Wyatt Earp

Television Shows

Drive to Survive
Love is Blind
Strictly Come Dancing

Live Events

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight
NFL Christmas Day games

Computer Games

Roblox (platform)

Hot Takes

“Jake Paul won over one of the most stultifyingly boring contests of boxing you could ever see.”
“It’s not just bleak; it’s savage farce.”
“Boxing has such a long history of this. This is just the latest circus act.”
“Watching a legend end their career like this is genuinely the plot of Rocky Balboa.”
“Twitter has devolved into ‘survival of the shittest.’”
“The audacity of Coca-Cola to recreate emotions through an AI-generated ad… eerie, yet effective.”
“You simply aren’t going to lie on your deathbed thinking, ‘I wish I spent more time on social media.’”

Who’s Who

Mike Tyson: Legendary boxer and controversial public figure.
Jake Paul: YouTuber-turned-boxer and social media personality.
Katie Taylor: Irish professional boxer and trailblazer for women’s boxing.
Tony Bellew: Retired British professional boxer and boxing analyst.
George Monbiot: British journalist, author, and environmental activist.
Wyatt Earp: Famous American lawman and referee of a controversial 19th-century boxing match.

Notable Numbers

£10 million: Amount reportedly earned by Mike Tyson for the fight.
90%: Proportion of the top 100 US cable TV shows last year that were NFL games.
14 billion pounds: Amount spent by UK retailers in the four weeks leading up to Christmas.
5.9: Top score on System 1’s ad effectiveness scale, achieved by Coca-Cola’s AI ad.