We meet Pao (she/they), the perfect ingredient for a fun interview from start to finish. She’s a young actress in Central Florida, who played the Cannibal Chef in Zero the Writer‘s play Who Mothered the Corpse?  at The Orlando Fringe Festival in 2023.

Welcome to our tenth episode! Thank you for following and listening to us in our intro season. There's more to come as the show continues evolving. We're having a blast making it, and hope you are doing the same while listening. 

Pao is one of Orlando’s up-and-coming, fresh and energetic talents. We learn about her acting, her family and her roots, and her personal views on sexuality and gender. This week of Orlando Pride, we share her message of positivity, acceptance and her go-getter attitude. She shares about her passion for acting and performing, and lets us in on what makes acting and inhabiting new characters so enticing. For Pao, experiencing new characters is a break from reality.

🚨The interview starts with an ASMR segment, but then goes back to regular conversation. Please keep in mind that the regular sound levels do come back ‼️ 🚨

Before the interview with Pao, Lex and Tony give an update on the state of Tony’s voice. He has an inflammation at the fold of a vocal cord, mostly an annoyance that’s very much in the way of everything ☹️. Tony has dealt with it before without surgery. Surgery would instantly fix the symptom, but not cure the problem which is chronic. We’ll keep you updated on his progress toward recovery. Send us good vibes and join us on instagram to keep up with us!

Lex, on the other hand realized he signed up for skydiving! This would happen sometime in March next year. We’ll keep you posted as we get closer to the moment of truth. 🚀 

Video excerpt courtesy of zero the writer. 

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Follow us on Instagram @TheLexTonyShow

Leader(s) drunk with power and wealth refuse to step aside. Can you blame them?!  They have everything they want and then some!

Does that sound familiar? Nope, we're not talking current world politics, tho that IS real life. Prime ministers, senators, presidents, queens, televangelists or popes, you name it, they all cling to power as if their lives depended on it, even when their domains are falling apart because of them.

*Spoiler Alert on the TV Show reviewed in this episode.*

But yeah, no, we're not talking about world politics. Foundation on Apple TV+ is an epic sci-fi show that you need to check out! The second season recently wrapped up with an ending that left us wanting more.

On this episode of The Lex + Tony Show,  we review the second season (only some spoilers included) and give you our ratings for the show overall with a side of our usual irreverent banter. Learn how this show rates on Visuals, Acting and Storyline and get the scoop on future seasons. 

If you like our content, subscribe to our podcast and leave a positive review. If you don't like it, nothing to see here, vaya con Dios! 

#opinions #trendingtopics #shows #tvfilm 

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Listen to the second part of our conversation with Pastor Sarah Robinson of Audubon Covenant Church. If you’re listening for the first time, we encourage you to listen to the first part of the conversation - and the other episodes too! :D

We start out by briefly talking about Pastor Sarah’s take on the unconditional love the church should have for all people.  She underscores that Love does not force. Love gives freedom. This is a message she embraces from a place of acceptance and a desire to see social justice in our community and world. Pastor Sarah is committed to so many causes locally, as Vice President of the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka, and abroad with missions trips to Kenya where she contributes her voice to the conversation around hunger, sustainability and climate change. 

We hear more about her approach to evangelicals who disagree with her stance as an ally and how she personally addresses the subject with her peers, friends and church members. 

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If extending love toward others regardless of their walk of life is crossing the line, then Rev. Sarah Robinson does so proudly - speaking publicly and calling out political agendas that target the LGBTQ+ community. She is an artist, advocate, servant leader, ally & friend. She is passionate about her ministry, centered on giving to, welcoming and affirming everyone.

When Lex + Tony heard Pastor Sarah speak at a rally, her powerful message for inclusion and against unjust laws targeting LGBTQ+, immigrants and minorities wowed them.

They knew they had to meet her, get to know her, and ask her how she can hold those views as a pastor. Members of the LGBTQ+ often face rejection, exclusion, conditional acceptance or calls to convert. Hearing such a loud and clear message of acceptance and allyship definitely stood out.

For Lex and Tony, church life in their youth was overshadowed by homophobia, intolerance and intimidation. No wonder, they both ended up as members of the “Nones”, a growing group of people who grow up in the church but who decide to leave; when surveyed about their religious affiliation, their answer is “None”.

Bringing up Church for Lex+Tony, is a huge topic because it’s personal. The guys share a little of their history growing up and some of the reasons why they left. It’s important to share their experiences to explain any trepidation about going back. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Meeting Pastor Sarah shows them that it is possible to be welcomed in Church and, more importantly, that there are still people willing to say and do the right thing - to stand up as allies especially in days like these. 

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Can a Christian, let alone a minister, go beyond just preaching compassion and actually practice it by being an outspoken ally to the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups? Is being an ally just crossing the line?

If extending love toward others regardless of their walk of life is crossing the line, then Rev. Sarah Robinson does so proudly - speaking publicly and calling out political agendas that target the LGBTQ+ community. She is an artist, advocate, servant leader, ally & friend. She is passionate about her ministry, centered on giving to, welcoming and affirming everyone.

When Lex + Tony heard Pastor Sarah speak at a rally, her powerful message for inclusion and against unjust laws targeting LGBTQ+, immigrants and minorities wowed them. 

They knew they had to meet her, get to know her, and ask her how she can hold those views as a pastor. Members of the LGBTQ+ often face rejection, exclusion, conditional acceptance or calls to convert. Hearing such a loud and clear message of acceptance and allyship definitely stood out. 

For Lex and Tony, church life in their youth was overshadowed by homophobia, intolerance and intimidation. No wonder, they both ended up as members of the “Nones”, a growing group of people who grow up in the church but who decide to leave; when surveyed about their religious affiliation, their answer is “None”.

Bringing up Church for Lex+Tony, is a huge topic because it’s personal. The guys share a little of their history growing up and some of the reasons why they left. It’s important to share their experiences to explain any trepidation about going back. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Meeting Pastor Sarah shows them that it is possible to be welcomed in Church and, more importantly, that there are still people willing to say and do the right thing - to stand up as allies especially in days like these. 

We hear the first part of the conversation with Pastor Sarah.

Stay Tuned for the Second Part - you do not want to miss it! 

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What would you do in the event of an alien invasion? Do you have a plan? Can governments step up to save humanity? Based on the new season of Invasion on AppleTV+, things don't look so good for humankind if aliens invaded Earth. Lex + Tony share an honest (and hilarious) review of the show. Listen to their reaction to the first episode, including the unexpected appearance of a former POTUS.

#opinions #trendingtopics #shows #tvfilm #LGBTQ+ 

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Every life is precious. There is zero justification for anyone's death. Yet it seems that with the disproportionate number of mass shootings in America, and shootings in general, we've grown desensitized. We hear or read about it and then simply scroll up to the next story, accepting this as our new norm. This is a mistake. We should all take some time to reflect whenever we stumble upon a story like Laurie Carleton's.

Laurie Carleton was a loud and proud ally to the LGBTQ+ community in Southern California. She  displayed Pride flags at her boutique store as a demonstration of her unwavering allyship. This past month, a man who had no business at her store, tore down the flags and, when confronted, escalated things to an altercation that then led him to take Laurie's life. This story is a literal example of someone taking the life of another because they disagreed over ideas. Lex + Tony take an opportunity to reflect on lessons of love, hatred, and our daily challenge to choose one over the other. 

We also meet Zoa Glows (she/her, they/them), a trans - nonbinary person who promotes messages of hope and love via social media. We learn about her story and how overcoming and defeating thoughts of suicide led her to realize that she was meant to live authentically - true to everything that makes her who she is regardless of how society perceives them. 

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Lex and Tony discuss the hot topic of Carlee Russell's alleged abduction, which turned out to be a hoax perpetrated by the "victim" herself. Lex reenacts the story from Alabama, accent and all, of how things unfolded. Lex and Tony debate the question: should Carlee face criminal charges, or simply a slap in the wrist and some mental health care?

Abductions are no laughing matter - a staggering 250,000 American women and girls go missing every year according to a PBS article, which also highlights the lack of media coverage for women of color. Carlee's hoax in Alabama could have negative repercussions to real cases of abductions and future coverage given to real victims. 

The media coverage of Carlee's hoax and its obsession over every little banal detail coincidentally relates to the conversation with Zero the Writer and Avery Angelici, in which they discuss the effects of the media spotlight on women in general, especially when they are in trouble. In the second part of the interview with Zero and Avery, Lex + Tony learn in raw detail about their experience as women in media - both online and offline - about unsolicited comments and sometimes creepy attention they've received. The kind of attention that makes them both miss the days of wearing masks during the COVID pandemic, which kept the weirdos at bay. 

Despite the risks, Zero and Avery are both determined to continue sharing their art through storytelling and we are excited to see what the future brings for them!  Listen to the second part of their interview on The Lex + Tony Show.

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Lex and Tony discuss the ongoing #strikes by screenwriters and Hollywood actors. They also share part one of an interview with two emerging artists: Zero the Writer and model/actress Avery Angelici. 

The guys dive into the reasons why writers started picketing back in May. Simply put, it boils down to job security and pay. Actors are joining in this month to demand pay security, but also because of the additional threat presented by AI. More specifically, actors worry that they will be replaced by AI. A fate that would trickle all the way down to camera people, stagehands, producers, and writers, leading to the end of the movie and TV industries as we know them. Lex and Tony talk about why we should care and what we could do as consumers. 

But what can we do, realistically? We can start by supporting local talent by showing up to their shows or buying their craft. Let's support our local actors, dancers, painters and other artists who deliver beautiful work from the soul, something that AI cannot, as it is simply improvising on, or regurgitating its training material.

In that spirit, Lex and Tony interview two local artists, Zero the Writer, a novelist, poet and playwright, and Avery Angelici, an actress and model. Both are emerging talents in our community who need our support as they hone their craft and put their work and themselves out there. Lex and Tony saw them in a play at the Orlando Fringe International Theater Festival earlier this year and loved their work. In the first part of the interview we meet Zero and Avery, we hear more about the play "Who Mothered the Corpse?", where Zero gets her inspiration for her material and how Avery portrays one of the characters in the play.

Stay tuned for part two of the interview. See you next week!

#opinions #podcasts #AI #protests

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