RADIOMarch 18, 2024

This “MIND-BOGGLING” Attack on Freelancing Has Mike Rowe Sounding the Alarm

Have you heard of the Corporate Transparency Act? How about the new gig economy guidelines that the Department of Labor just set? Because if you’re a gig worker, freelancer, or small business owner, your career could be in jeopardy. “Dirty Jobs” host and executive producer Mike Rowe joins The Glenn Beck Program to sound the alarm: “You want to set your own schedule? Forget it!” Mike and Glenn discuss how these new rules could affect 70 million Americans. Plus, they also debate whether our college system is beneficial, harmful, or unnecessary.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Friend of the program, Mr. Mike Rowe. How are you?

MIKE: First of all, with regard to your sponsors. Excellent choices. I love this foundation.

And at the risk of just shameless pluggery and wanton capitalism, this is an American Giant share.

STU: Oh, wow.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh. They have that shirt. I have that shirt.

MIKE: I think you wore it last time I was here. And I thought, what are the odds/but you know Byerd (phonetic), he's a friend of mine.

GLENN: I love him.

MIKE: And I've had him on my podcast. And he's featured in a new book that you'll love. If you haven't seen it, it's called flannel. And it's all about what it really takes to make this.

GLENN: Shockingly difficult.

MIKE: It is amazing, brother.

I mean, I know you know that. You gave me a shirt, ten, 11 years ago.

When you were doing -- what was it? Seventeen.

GLENN: 1791.

MIKE: I still have it.

It was like a canvas work shirt. Ever since then, man. I have been obsessed with trying to better understand the drama and the trauma of getting textile manufacturing back in this country. It's mind-boggling.

GLENN: If companies like Levi's would do 5 percent of their -- of their manufacturing here in America, America would change. It would change.

MIKE: For sure.

GLENN: No interest in it at all.

MIKE: When you really start to peel back the layers. I don't know if this is on your agenda to talk about.

It is -- I just did a whole thing on the toothpick.

Like the business. We used to be the toothpick Capitol of the world.

GLENN: We're very proud of it.

MIKE: A giant industry up in Maine. White birch.

I mean, there's -- the book on it is amazing.

And when you slowly see the way, that we basically give up on toothpicks.

You start to understand the way we gave up on textiles. And then you start asking questions, like, well, what hope does Detroit really have?

Like, if we can't get the splinter right. If we can't get the shirt right, right?

So there are no small things.

Anyway, what American Giant is doing, I think it matters. Because they're 13 years at it now. Right?

So good for you.

GLENN: I just -- I know. I love them. I love them.

So, Mike, let's just talk about the state of the world.

Because we are being boxed. If you are a small business guy, you have under 20 employees.

You now have a transparency act, where you'll spend two years in jail.

If you don't tell the federal government the Treasury crimes division, everything that they want to know.

I don't know how much that's going to cost the small businessman. And just time alone.

Plus, you have the Pro Act, which has now just been done with the Department of Labor. We don't vote on anything anymore, it's just the new guide lines.

MIKE: Yes, yes. New guidelines.

GLENN: What is that going to do -- when we think gig economy, we think, you know, Uber drivers, et cetera.

No. No. Truckers alone. Will we have groceries at our store?

MIKE: 50,000 in California alone. 50,000. I had a guy on my podcast, called Tom Otem (phonetic), who is one of these truckers. And he's been written about in the press, and I was just so interested in his story.

In fact, I interviewed him, while he was in his truck, driving across the fruited plain.

You know, he pulled over, and we had this amazing conversation. But people, I like to talk about it in terms of unintended consequences.

But I realize now, that I might be giving too much credit.

GLENN: Way too much credit.

MIKE: Right?

But I'm trying to stay in whatever lane is left to me.

But when I first say the --

GLENN: I'll be taking that lane away from you soon.

MIKE: It's getting narrow. It's getting narrow.

GLENN: Yeah. Very narrow.

MIKE: When I first saw this thing rear its ugly head.

To your point, it aimed toward the gig competent, and Silicon Valley, mostly Uber and Lyft.

And then it just grew and grew and grew. Graphic artists. Writers. Cinematographers.

Dancers. So many people.

And I'm like, how many are, actually, going to be impacted.

And then the question was, how many people are, actually, freelancing right now?

And the answer is north of 70 million in the whole country.

And so what the drafters of AB5 asked us to believe, initially, was that huge numbers of workers were being shamelessly victimized by greedy and rapacious capitalists, who should have hired them as employees.

And therefore, opened the door to benefits and so forth.

Now, did that ever happen?

Yeah. I suspect.

It's a big country. And there's exceptions to every rule.

But the number of people who were adversely affected, prior to this, versus the number of people, who have now lost the freedom to work, the way they want, is mind-boggling.

And it happened in California, of course.

And to your point. It's happened. And it's happening right now.

And when people realize what this means, you know, you want to set your own schedule? Forget it. You want to eat what you kill? Forget it.

We don't want to think that way anymore.

Because that person, might fail. And if that person fails. Well, then the narrative goes, we just can't tolerate that.

GLENN: I'm sure you've been to Buckingham Palace, and Windsor castle.

And I've been there for the first time.

And the new king has been in the castle.

And he has his whole wing by himself.

And he lands this giant helicopter, right there in his backyard.

And I've never been. Like, I've been to the American castles.

MIKE: Uh-huh.

GLENN: I have never had a problem with it. Never. I walked through that castle, and it pissed me off the entire time. Because I thought, there is no one in this country, that could ever build this, except the one who has cornered the market, you know.

MIKE: Right.

GLENN: There's no opportunity. None!

To actually become something, because the government has you so pigeonholed, and people just accept it.

And I don't want to be like that. I don't want to live in that kind of country. If there's no risk, there's no reward.

MIKE: Well, there's the four-letter word.

Risk, and maybe debt, the only four letter words, right now, that I think are truly for sale.

You know, we have to have honest questions about both of those things.

The willingness to accept risk, is the fundamental bedrock of freelancing.

STU: Right. And not everybody is willing to take that risk. Some people just want a stable job.

MIKE: And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

GLENN: Nothing wrong with that.

MIKE: It's so similar -- I think the reason why this has become such an issue for me, is because it translates perfectly, into a four-year education, versus a trade school.

This idea, that we have to put our thumb on the scale. This idea, that one has to be elevated at the expense of the other, is precisely what's informing the Pro Act.

We're not saying that it's -- that it's good to be an employee. We're saying, it's so good, that if you don't do that.

Then you're doomed. You're engaging in a level of behavior, that's so risky, you're actually posing some sort of existential threat, not just to yourself, but to your family, to your neighbor, and so forth.

So it's -- it's amazing how we can't simply put all the options on the table. And let the grownups decide, what fits best.

GLENN: I have to tell you, even in today's world, where universities are taking our children. And molding them into the exact opposite.

Woodrow Wilson said, the job of a university, is to make a man, the most unlike, his father as possible.

Okay?

That was his goal. And that's really kind of the goal now, I think, in many places.

And so many people, will say, because I've got two teenagers.

Are they going to go to college?

No. Probably not.

One of them, maybe.

The other one, trade school, maybe.

Don't know. Don't know. It will be up to them.

And what is the value of a big expensive 250 thousands of individuals dollar education, if you're not going to use it.

If you don't have something, if you're just like, well, I think I'm going to do this.

A, the world is changing so fast. We don't know what jobs are going to be there.

MIKE: I worry. Look, I'm the product of a liberal arts education. I got one. Is served me well. I'm glad I got one.

Did it lead directly to my chosen field?

No. It did not, but it comes in handy, every single day. And mine consists of two years of community college, and another two years at university.

When I finished at '84, the whole thing cost $12,200. All of it.

Today, same school, same course loads. Ninety-two grand.

Now, nothing in the history of this country, has increased faster than the cost of a four-year degree.

GLENN: Bitcoin. Bitcoin.

MIKE: Well, Bitcoin. Or, but that's fallen and headed back. Right? But, I mean, really, if you look at health care, you look at real estate, if you look at food, if you look at energy, the big four -- those things have all been eclipsed by the cost of a four-year degree.

Still, we can't help ourselves. Still, we tell this whole generation, if you don't get one, we're descried.

And that's criminal. It's a shame, because my liberal arts education right now is on this thing.

We have all of it. I have access to 98 percent of the known information right now. For free.

Okay?

But still -- still, we charge. During lockdowns.

Columbia raised their rates.

NYU raised their rates.

And we still paid it, right?

Look, it's easy to look at the Ivy League, especially now.

And point to all sorts of embarrassments.

GLENN: Yeah.

MIKE: But it's not even about that. It's just this bigger thing that is happening. Where a whole chunk of our workforce is tied to a whole chunk of our education system, that has become the proximate cause of derision.

GLENN: I said to my son, where did you learn that?

He said, oh.

I got a course on MIT. Online.

Oh, okay.

Yeah. I mean, you have the opportunity, unlike any human has had. And yet, it's a bad thing. I want to talk a little bit about what you're doing with Mike Rowe Works here in just a second.

So your big push for a long time is you can go to college. But you don't need to go to college.

And you've been, you know, it started with dirty jobs.

Now, you are -- I mean, your -- your foundation has raised a ton of money. How many people are you putting through college?

MIKE: So far, we have close to 2,000 who we have helped master a skill that is in demand.

Mike Rowe Works began really just as a PR campaign in 2008. Dirty Jobs was at its absolute height. The whole country seemed to be unemployed. But, you know, everywhere we went, we saw these help wanted signs. So it seemed pretty clear, there was some other narrative going on. And this idea, that you could fix unemployment by simply creating more jobs.

Was, actually, a canard.

You know, today we have close to 10 million open jobs.

We've got win $.7 trillion in student loans.

And we're still sending the same basic message that we always have.

This path is the best. Everything else will lead to some sort of vocational consolidation prize. That PR campaign morphed into a trade resource center.

And now we're a scholarship fund. We've raised about $9 million, giving it out.

GLENN: You're doing another million this year, aren't you?

MIKE: Yeah. Right now, as we speak, yeah, MikeRoweWorks.org. If anybody is listening with a kid or a grandkid or you yourself want to learn a skill that's in demand. We can help, and we have helped.

But it's really a means to an end, Glenn. The scholarship program in and of itself is great.

But what it's done for me, is it's given me a chance to circle back and talk to people, who five, six years ago, got a welding certificate with our help. Or a plumbing.

And when you ask them the question today, how is it going?

You get amazing answers. Like, now, some of them are still plumbing. They're in a strong union.

GLENN: Hang on just a second.

Still plumbing.

You know what plumbers make?

You do. Plumbers make a really good living if you bust their ass. They make a really good living.

MIKE: And if you're back to that freelance model we were talking about, you can work as much as you want. You can set your own schedule.

And you are busy. I know a lot of guys, both electric, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning. You can basically work anywhere in the country right now.

GLENN: I know. And I have to tell you, I had some. I was building a house. I had the plumbers there. I was talking to them.

The guy is like, I can't get anyone to help me. I'm aging out soon. I don't have to do this.

He said, I'm trying to get all the kids in my family. Hello. Good living here.

MIKE: Here's the math. For every trades people who will retire this year, two will replace them.

That's been happening for 15 years. Now you know where this is going. Right?

GLENN: Yeah.

MIKE: In fact, we're here right now. It's happening right now. So what I'm trying to do with my little slice of the internet is to make sure that I can tell the stories of the people that I just described.

Because, I mean, I can tell a decent story. But I'm not persuasive to a 25-year-old or a 20-year-old. They need to see somebody who looks like them, and talks like them. Who is living debt-free. And making 150 grand a year.

And I have a long list of those people. And they are very persuasive.

So, you know, going back to your first question. You know, how do I feel about the country? What do I think needs to happen?

I have a list of things. For me, somewhere near the top, is a persuasive campaign.

And that's not even the right word. But we need persuasive voices, talking in a credible way, about the value of all forms of education.

And the absolute criticality, of not ignoring the part of our workforce, that keeps these lights on.

Because it's only a matter of national security.

GLENN: Security.

MIKE: It really is, man. And here's the good things. And I'm not sure it's good. Sometimes things need to go splat. We talked about this before.

So rather than having a conversation about, okay. This company is trying to hire skilled tradespeople and they can't. And these people over here don't have a skill. We should get them together.

Yeah. Yeah, that's happening.

But now the real conversation is, how long do you, Glenn, want to wait for a plumber?

How long does Stu want to wait for an electrician when the lights aren't coming on?

GLENN: Yeah. There's a Simpsons on this very thing.

MIKE: There's a Simpsons on everything, and a South Park too!

GLENN: There is. There is.

Okay. Where do people go if they want to find out more about the scholarships?

MIKE: MikeRoweWorks.org.

We're always open. We will be taking applications through the middle of April.

We're giving away a million bucks in this trench, and we'll probably do it later this year.

You know, baby steps, man. You have to push the boulder up the hill.

GLENN: Mike Rowe, always pushing the boulder up the hill. Thank you.

MIKE: Any time, Glenn.

Exposing the dangerous roots of queer theory

In this explosive conversation, Glenn Beck and Liz Wheeler expose the disturbing roots of gender ideology and queer theory — and how these radical ideas are directly targeting children. From the shocking origins of queer theory, where pedophilia and child pornography were openly defended, to Planned Parenthood’s new role as one of the largest distributors of transgender hormone therapy, the truth is undeniable: this movement is not about freedom or equality, but about dismantling families, corrupting innocence, and profiting off of our children’s pain. What we are witnessing is nothing less than a satanic ideology dressed up as compassion — and it’s spreading like wildfire through schools, culture, and medicine. Parents, you need to hear this. The time to protect your children and fight back is NOW.

Watch the full episode HERE

Here’s how INTENSE JFK’s Presidential Fitness Test was

President Trump recently signed an executive order to reinstate the Presidential Fitness Test and the media is in a frenzy. But Glenn and Stu look back at the history of these tests, including JFK’s version of the Test that seems IMPOSSIBLE for modern Americans. But Glenn has a secret reason for why he’s confident in his pull-up abilities…

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: What is the -- what is the new physical -- the president's physical fitness, you know, plan?

STU: Well, the thing that RFK Jr and Hegseth were rolling out the other day. I don't know if it was the full test or anything, but they were issuing a challenge to America, to be able to do 100 pushups and 50 pullups within five minutes.

GLENN: That's crazy.

STU: Thank you! That struck you as also crazy.

I don't think there's ever been a time in my life, that I could do that. Let alone now with shoulder problems. And much too much weight.

GLENN: All right. But that was before I needed this walker.

STU: I don't think there was a time in my 20s or my teens, that I could do that. But that -- in five minutes? Fifty pullups?
GLENN: Both of them in 5 minutes.
STU: Yeah, both of them. So it's not like 100 pushups in five minutes. It's both tasks within five minutes.

GLENN: No. No. That's not true.

STU: RFK Jr. is just doing it in jeans.

GLENN: Yeah, well, RFK, he's -- he's a weirdo. I mean, he is. Come on. When it comes to fitness, he's a weirdo.
STU: Yes.
GLENN: I mean, he's done this his whole life. He's like 800 years old. He can still do it.

STU: Yes. Depressive, I will say.

GLENN: I don't know. He's a sex machine.

STU: Oh. That's been a problem for him. Yes, that's been an issue in his life. Yes.

GLENN: Okay. All right. Go ahead.

STU: Separate from the president's physical fitness test.

GLENN: Right.

STU: But, I mean, they don't, they don't really think we're going to do that, right?
Like, I mean, how long would that take you to do?

STU: I think for me, it would take a good month. I think a month, I could probably get two pullups a day. That would get me around, a little over 50. So I could do that. Plus, the pushups. A solid month, I could get that done.

GLENN: You could do more than two a day. You could do more than two a day.

STU: You know, Glenn, I've got to say. I think -- I will throw a number out there. No science behind this, so just as a guestimate.

I would say 40 percent of the population can't do any pullups. Maybe 30 percent. Thirty percent of the population can do exactly zero pullups. Precisely zero, so an infinite amount of time would be a correct answer for a third of the population.

GLENN: I think you're -- I think you're being -- I think you're being a little too optimistic. I think it's closer to 40 or 50. I think it's closer to 40 or 50. Maybe 60 percent.

STU: Right! Pushups are one thing. I mean, I think almost anyone can do a pushup. One --

GLENN: You can do a pushup. Yes. Yes.

STU: Singular pushup. And if you can do one, you can wait long enough, to do a second one.
And at some point, the hundred gets done. That's not the case with pullups. Pullups, you can sit there and think about how much you want to do a pullup for a really long time. But that doesn't make a pullup happen. If you've got a certain amount of weight on you. You're not doing a pullup. It's not occurring.

GLENN: I have no idea, how many pullups I can do.

STU: I have an exact number of pullups, you can do.

GLENN: Do you? You think so?

STU: Yeah. Yeah. I have the exact number. I have to calculate -- AI has been running a report on me. It came up with zero.

GLENN: Right. Right. Really?
I can do. I mean, this is so pathetic. Listen to this. I bet I could do three. You know, you could do three.

STU: In a row? Proper form.

GLENN: What do you mean in a row?

STU: I mean, holding on to the bar, without letting go, you're doing three. There's no way. I don't think so.

GLENN: I think I could do. Well, with proper form, I don't know about that. I don't know about that.

STU: I'm not saying it has to look pretty. You have to get your chin up above the bar. It can't be one of those things, where you're a quarter of the way up there.

GLENN: So I can do one and rest for ten minutes. I could do another one.

I think I can do that.

STU: If you -- I'm not saying, you jump up, and you pull yourself up as you're pulling up. Full hang --

GLENN: See, you may not know this.

But you know what, I've done the DNA test. Have you ever done the DNA test that tells you all about your genes and everything else? Mine came back with something remarkable, and I have to share. You might feel bad, next.
(laughter)

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GLENN: Everybody talks about the American dream as an opportunity. Here's the truth, for a lot of families. That dream is being eaten alive by interest rates and endless payments.

You work with you save. And the numbers seem to move forward, the way, you know, they should. This is where American Financing is different.

They're not a bank trying to push you into another product.

They're a salary-based mortgage consultant, that takes the time to look at your life. Your hopes, your teams. Your at the times. Your goals.

Then they build a plan around you. And if that means refinancing to knock years off your loan, they'll show you exactly how to do it. If it means consolidating high interest cards, so you can -- you can stop bleeding every single month.

They will make that happen. Their mission is really simple. Help you take control of your life. To help save you. Help you finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, because the American dream, that opportunity to do great things, it doesn't need to be reinvented.

It just needs to be made possible again. And that could start with American Financing. So call them. American Financing. 800-906-2440. 800-906-2440. AmericanFinancing.net.

STU: Coming up next, Glenn attempts live pullups on the air. Stay tuned!
(OUT AT 8:29 AM)

GLENN: You know no idea what who you're dealing with. No. You don't have any idea who you're dealing with here.

I got my DNA test back like 10 years ago. And we all -- we all took it, because we were looking for things. And so we all took it. My DNA test came back, and everybody in the family, their test made total sense. Like, oh, yeah. That makes...

Then we read mine. We have to find -- I have to find. See if Tania has it still. We should have had it framed. I swear to you, they -- they mixed me up with somebody else.

Somebody else is like, wait a minute. I'm this pathetic? Mine came out and said, you have the muscular structure of a -- of a -- something like a -- an elite athlete. You have the abilities and agility and everything else of an elite athlete. And I'm like, there's not a chance. I don't have any of that!

I don't even know if I have muscles. I have to check once in a while, and go, do I have muscles still?

Doctor is like, I don't know. Can I? Ask just press against my hand on the leg. I don't know.

You know, I don't know how to do that exactly. So --

STU: You sure it said elite athlete and not elephant? I mean, if they misspelled it.

GLENN: It was.

I was having eye problems at the time.

STU: No!

GLENN: I mean, we read it. And I was like Tania, I believe that for Tania.

Maybe they switched me and Tania. Because Tania is really strong. She'll kick your butt.

She works out every day. All of that. Me? Never. Never.

And it kind of makes me wonder, when I get to the other side, and the Lord went, okay.

So what did you do with your life again?

Because I gave this incredible body, and you wasted it the whole time.

And I'm like, you should have been more clear, okay?

You should have been more clear. I -- maybe I could have played basketball. But I tried once. And it was embarrassing. It was embarrassing. It was like sixth grade. And I'll never live -- I don't even want to think about my time on a basketball court. Okay? So don't -- don't start with me. You should have made it a little clearer. When I first started to do stuff. And I think that's fair. I think that's a fair argument. In my defense. In my defense, Your Honor, God, you should have made it a little more clear.

STU: Yeah. I mean, if they really wanted us to do this, then the 11th Commandment is 50 pushups, and -- or, 50 pullups and 100 pushups, right?

Like, put it in a commandment if you really want us to do it. You have to be more specific, we're Americans.

GLENN: Okay. So let me give you the top of the list for the JFK Presidential Fitness Test. Okay? This is what you had to do in high school. In high school.

Thirty-four pullups. Bar dips: Fifty-two. What's -- because I believe I did that. A long time. And I don't recommend it.

STU: It's not a barhop.

GLENN: Oh, it's -- oh, bar dips. Okay. Okay. All right.

Bar dips: 52. Handstand pushups: Fifty. What are handstands?

STU: Oh, my God. Handstands.

GLENN: I can't even stand on my hands. Is that I'm doing a handstand and a push up? Because that's not happening. You're not human.

STU: Yeah. You're balancing yourself on your hands. Your feet are above your hands on the wall. Like a wall. And you're doing --

GLENN: Oh, so you're balancing yourself. That makes it a little easier. Still impossible.

But a little easier.

GLENN: Impossible. You could do precisely zero of those.

Aright. So you had to do 50 handstand pushups.

Or one arm -- 30 -- no, sir.

Twenty-six one-arm burpees in 30 seconds. Is that a one-armed push up?

STU: No. Well, you're bracing your yourself like you're about to begin a pushup in a burpee with only one arm, which that's not that difficult.

But then you're doing. Then you're like, you move your feet towards your hands. And then you jump up in the air basically. And then you do it repeatedly.

GLENN: No, no, no. That's ridiculous. No.

STU: There's a law of gravity. You're not supposed to violate it. If it was a recommendation of gravity, then maybe jumping would be appropriate. But it's not. Follow the law.

GLENN: In 48 seconds, you had to do a 3300-yard shuttle. Now, I've been to the airport. I think I've done a 3300-yard shuttle, but it depends on who is driving. You know.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: Rope climb. Try this. Rope climb. Twenty feet, hands only! Sit start.

STU: That's what I remember from the president's physical fitness test. And I remember looking at that rope, like, no chance I could get up that thing.

GLENN: I remember looking up at that thing. Humiliation. Humiliation is coming my way. I'll never kiss a girl, because that ain't happening. I'll get maybe 10 feet up. Maybe. Maybe.

STU: And you were right for 24 years from that time, approximately.

GLENN: Agility run, 17 seconds. Extension pressups, what? What?

I'm sorry. Why am I so tired reading this?

Extension pressups. What's an extension pressup, 8-inch? You had to do 100 of them.

STU: Let's see. Exercise. An exercise for low-back pain involving lying on your stomach and pressing your upper body up with your arms while keeping your hips relaxed and down on the mat.

GLENN: Oh, I could do that know. 8 inches.

STU: The last part of it, relaxing down on the mat.
GLENN: That's what my doctor says I should be doing. What?

STU: I can do relaxed and down on the mat. That part of it --

GLENN: Yeah. I could do that -- I'm the only guy. I took yoga for a while, like three weeks. My wife is like, yoga. You could do yoga. Let's just do yoga together.

I did. And the yoga instructor said to me. Because we were doing a plank.

STU: Yeah.

GLENN: And she came and all I remember her waking me up. And saying, I think you're the only person I've ever -- ever taught that fell asleep in yoga. And I'm like, it's just so relaxing. Just let me sleep. Let me sleep.

STU: That's interesting, that you did yoga. Is there any footage of that? Any video that we could post? That would be good for --

GLENN: No. There's not. You had to do pegboard. Five trips of pegboard. And I think that's when you have the two pegs.

STU: Yes, it was a board.

GLENN: You have to take it out, and put it up, right?

STU: This is American Ninja Warrior. No way.

GLENN: There's no way. There's no way.

STU: This is amazing.

GLENN: Try this one: You had to do a 45-second handstand. I've never been able to do a handstand. Never!

STU: Never.

GLENN: And I'm an elite athlete. I'm an elite athlete. Try this one: A man carry, 5 miles.

STU: What? What do you mean a --

GLENN: Five-mile man carry.

STU: Is a man carry as obvious as it --

GLENN: I think it is.

STU: You're carrying --

GLENN: If I'm going to carry that man, you have to carry me that man for five miles.

I'm not sure, I can't carry any man for any miles. I mean, if I am -- if I am a firefighter, count on burning in the house. You're going to burn in the house. Because I can't carry you out. I can get in there and go, yeah, I will have to leave you.
I will have to leave you here. I can't help you, sorry.

It's also getting really hot in here. I have to go. You had to do a five-mile jog. An obstacle course.

You had to swim prone for a mile. You had to swim underwater for 50 yards, any strokes, two minutes. Deep waterfront, hang float, with arms. What? What is a deep water hang float with arms. Wait. Wait.

It's a deep waterfront hang float with arms and ankles tied for six minutes.

What kind of al-Qaeda PE class was this?

STU: Who has access to -- who has access -- like, you're in the middle of the country, you may not have a deep water body nearby. This is -- are you sure this is an actual test?

GLENN: This is the actual test. This is the actual -- what is a deep water front hang float with arms and ankles tied for six minutes? Can you look that up?

STU: A deep water hang float is an aquatic hang float done in the deep end of a pool with the aid of flotation device, such as a noodle or belt.

In this position, the flotation twice supports your upper body, while your legs and torso hang freely beneath you.

That can't be what it is.

GLENN: You can do that.

Deep-end of the pool.

STU: Can you bring a margarita?

GLENN: Man, this test is no big deal.

What! No way. No way!

Here's the last thing on the test.

A vertical tread in an 8-foot circle for two hours!

No way.

STU: Vertical tread in an 8-foot circle?

GLENN: So you're in the water and you're treading water in a circle for two hours. Two!

STU: This is not -- what?

This is not the test.

GLENN: It is. Now, I told you, this is the top of the test.

This is the top of the test.

So this is for the ones who could do all the other tests.

This was the top of the test. The bottom of the test is not that much better. Here's the entry, okay? Let's see. Pullups, 2/6/10. I don't know what that means. Pushups, 16, 24, 32. Bar dips, four, eight, and 12. Situps, 30, 45, and 60. Broad jump, 6-foot, 6, 6, 6. And 6, 9.

To jump 6 feet? I don't even know if --

STU: That one is possible, yes. Glenn, I know it sounds incredible. But, yes. That one is possible.

GLENN: Sounds incredible. You know, I think we should have the average person Olympics. I really do. I really do.

STU: Oh, I would watch that.

GLENN: I would watch that every time.

You see them coming. And you're like, hmm. That one -- three feet. I'm giving him 3 feet. 200-yard shuttle. Agility run. Rope climb, 18 feet, hands only. 880 yards in three minutes. A mile in seven minutes. Pegboard, six holes. A 50-yard swim. Forty -- 40, 50-yard swim in 36 seconds. Man carry, 880 yards. No, thank you! No, thank you!

Look at -- look at what we've gone down. That's the bottom of it. And I don't think most Americans could do that.

I couldn't. Well, I could. Because I'm an elite -- I have the body of an elite athlete.

STU: No. You could not. Now, of course -- let's just say, this is supposed to be for a high school kid. Right?

So this is the prime of your athletic life. Could you do some of these things? Probably.
GLENN: Go into high school.
Go into any high school, and ask them to do this. There's no way. And all of the kids would be.

STU: Well, that's kind of what the reaction would be.

GLENN: Don't get me wrong. I would have been there too. And my parents would have said, suck it up. Just do it.

So nothing has really changed.

STU: That's been the reaction to this proposal too, of bringing this back. Right? The media is covering this. Like, it's going to embarrass children.

You know, I mean, I do remember it being like, I can't do that. I'm not going to the top of that rope. That's not happening.

That's sort of life. Right? Sometimes you can do things. Sometimes you can't do other things.

GLENN: That's why you have to learn how to injure yourself.

You know, how many stairs can I throw myself down, to not do serious damage, but enough to get me out of PE.

STU: Yeah, you have to fake an why are. You have to learn from LeBron James. Act like you got hit in the eye. And fall down like you were just stabbed over and over again, like you were in an athletic competition.

GLENN: There's no way. There's no way.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

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