H3 Podcast Bans

## ANALYSIS: How many seconds does it usually take for realization/regret after Ethan makes a questionable comment?

by u/zqaxzq

In light of the just-missed button incident on Friday's podcast, I did a little analysis to see how long it probably would have taken for them to press the button after past controversial comments Ethan has made. Some of them were pretty objective while others could be calculated multiple ways, in which case I included a variety of possibilities.

NRA comment (May 2022)

* From the comment (beginning right after “someone should”) to Ethan realizing he fucked up: 3.0 seconds

Ben Shapiro holo\*\*\*\*t comment (October 2022)

There are a few ways that this one could be timed. It should also be noted for this one that they threw up the “technical difficulties screen” when Ethan first mentioned the holo\*\*\*\*t, but when they cut back to Ethan he went ahead with his joke about Ben anyway.

*So if you count from the place where he first starts to go goblin:*

* From the first “If there’s another holo\*\*\*\*t” to the “technical difficulties” screen: 3.0 seconds
* From the first “If there’s another holo\*\*\*\*t” to the completion of the joke and AB’s red X: 10.0 seconds
* From the first “If there’s another holo\*\*\*\*t” to Ethan backpedaling and Dan saying “Jesus”: 13.8 seconds
* From the first “If there’s another holo\*\*\*\*t” to Ethan asking if he can’t say that and Dan confirming he cannot: 20.1 seconds

*Or, if you count only from the mention of Ben and allow “If there’s another holo\*\*\*\*t and people start rounding up the Jews” to remain:*

* From “I hope Ben gets g\*\*\*\*\* first” to AB’s red X: 1.9 seconds
* From “I hope Ben gets g\*\*\*\*\* first” to Ethan backpedaling and Dan saying “Jesus”: 4.8 seconds
* From “I hope Ben gets g\*\*\*\*\* first” to Ethan asking if he can’t say that and Dan confirming he cannot: 12.0 seconds

Vatican comment (November 2022)

* From the comment (beginning right after “and if that means shutting down the entire Catholic church and”) to Dan’s supremely unimpressed face: 4.0 seconds

Accidentally saying part of the r-word instead of “ridiculously” on Leftovers (January)

*(Not really a controversy about this one, but I included this one because after it happened Ethan joked about wishing they already had the kill switch)*

* From the r-word to Ethan cutting himself off and processing it: 2.3 seconds

QT Chestnuts song (January 2023)

* From the first notes of the song to the first cut to crew members hiding their faces and Love being unimpressed: 10.4 seconds
* From the first notes of the song to Dan looking sort of perplexed and dumbfounded (probably he would have pressed the button at this point, and he could have been feeling iffy even before Ian cut to him): 24.4 seconds
* From the first notes of the song to Sam looking very unamused (first time on-screen that someone looked undeniably serious/angry): 30.3 seconds
* From the first notes of the song to Dan saying “yikes”: 73.6 seconds

/end of data

So basically, it usually takes less than five seconds.

The ones that took longer (Ben Shapiro comment and Chestnuts moment) were ones where Ethan wasn't the one who felt he'd said anything wrong. In those cases, it's hard to tell the moment it switches from the crew being sort of shocked/wtf about it to Dan actually putting his foot down. But that delay might go away if they all have the button in mind and are trying to play it safe.