Ted Turner: Captain Outrageous

Corporate Gossip

Becca Platsky

Society & Culture, Business

4.9 • 655 Ratings

🗓️ 22 September 2023

⏱️ 74 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Content warning: this episode references child abuse and suicide

Ted Turner has more BDE in his pencil mustache than Zuck and Musk combined. In the span of 5 years he captained a champion sailing yacht through the deadly celtic sea, pulled out an underdog win in the America's cup, bought two professional sports teams, and created the first ever 24-hour news network: CNN. His life is what LinkedIn Lunatics fantasize about. He created TBS, TNT, TCM, Cartoon Network, AND the iconic environmental superhero cartoon, "Captain Planet." He is cherished by unproblematic icons Jimmy Carter and Jane Fonda and despised by degenerate psychopath Rupert Murdoch.

Turner disrupted the media industry and spent years on top, but like so many of the characters in our podcast, he couldn't conquer his inner demons. Deep pain from a traumatic childhood and unaddressed mental health issues destroyed his marriage and threatened his fortune. In this episode, Becca & Adam attempt to trace the life of the chaos cowboy while expertly pronouncing the word "documentary."

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Hosts: Becca Platsky (Becca@nitetoast.com) Adam Platsky (Adam@nitetoast.com)

Produced by: Michael Albanese @bigmanmike

Cover art:

Creative director @laurensubers
Photographer @danielcanophoto @instajasp
Props / Wardobe @__julesrose__ @mellerycellery
Makeup / Hair @mardeaubeauty

Timestamps:

8:40 - Corporate Gossip #1: In terms of Corporate Villains, David Zaslav, who we'll discuss next week, is the straight up evil, sociopathic type. But the other Corporate Villian in this story, Ted Turner, is more like the villain with a heart of gold.

36:50 - Corporate Gossip #2: Would you believe that the reason we have a 24 hour news cycle in America is because of Ted Turners undiagnosed mania?

48:10 - Corporate Gossip #3: Now it's time for Jimmy Carter to make an appearance as the empathetic king and Ted Turner's daddy figure (by the end of this segment, Jimmy Carter will be all of our dads).

59:10 - Corporate Gossip #5: As Ted's professional life is unraveling, Queen Jane Fonda throws in the towel and Ted lives out our collective fantasy - taking revenge on a boss that did you dirty.

1:04:20 - Corporate Gossip #6: Let's meet back up with Ted in present day as David Zaslav is meticulously picking apart his legacy with his hands and licking his little fingies like he's elbow deep in a pile of buffalo ribs.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome back to season three of the corporate gossip podcast. I hope you guys had a great summer. We spent ours in an Olympic-sized swimming pool filled with corporate tea. Before we start, I get to do my favorite thing, thank the people who supported the podcast since our last episode, or at least the people who left their name. We've got Whitney Fisher at Kenny V. 727, David Rawheiser,
0:24.0	Daniel Fosco, Anastasia, and Amy Wilson. Thank you. If you want to support the podcast and get a
0:31.5	shout out, you can do so at the Buy Me a Coffee link in our show notes. This season, we also have a
0:36.7	wish list you can fund, including
0:38.3	a tip jar for producer Mike, who has to sit in a room with Adam and I while we rant for hours at a time.
0:44.6	This season, we're also putting some extra content on Instagram. I know most of you follow us on
0:49.5	TikTok, but if you follow us at Corporate Gossip on Instagram, you'll see pictures from the episode and other extra content.
0:56.4	And one final reminder, if you haven't already, please rate and review this podcast on Apple and Spotify.
1:02.4	Okay, here's the show.
1:06.4	Far off the southern coast of England, a storm descended on the waters of the Celtic Sea.
1:11.6	Sloshing ocean and towering waves surrounded the 19 men aboard the Tenacious,
1:17.6	a 61-foot sailing yacht skippered by television tycoon Ted Turner.
1:23.6	They were among 303 yachts competing in the 1979 Fastnet race, and Ted Turner was defending
1:30.5	his record, having just won the America's Cup two years prior.
1:35.7	The crew, as battered as the sails rippling above their heads, were fueled by fear and adrenaline,
1:42.0	but their leader was steadfast at the wheel.
1:45.0	Just then, a rogue wave surged from the depths of the ocean floor.
1:49.0	The ship's navigator was thrown from the cockpit and slammed into the wheel with such force
1:54.0	that he bent the metal railing and lost his grip on the ship's only radio,
1:58.0	watching helplessly as it disappeared into the darkness.
2:01.6	The storm, which struck with the force of a B-52 attack, was unrelenting.
2:06.6	Punishing their boat with 70-mile-per-hour winds throughout the night as they fought for
	...

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