Washed Weekly: Energizing The Boys
And now we're gonna bone on em.
Welcome to Washed Weekly — a weekly newsletter that will feature original columns, quick reads, exclusive product drops, and an offering of some of the best content we’ve created throughout the week that was. Read it, enjoy it, and pass it on to anyone you think will enjoy it, too. You can also check out the Washed network of podcasts.
Get A Load Of This Shit
This picture is a work of art.
It’s almost too much for me to comprehend. It’s too good. I mean, it’s bad, but it’s so egregiously bad that it’s too good. So audaciously selfish that, once you acknowledge that it’s totally devoid of consideration for your fellow passengers and flight attendants, and its sheer slobbentry and disregard for self respect sets in, it becomes a spectacle that begs for but a modicum of respect.
This scene has occupied too much of my psyche since I saw it Wednesday morning. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve truly never seen anything quite like it.
Just look at this man. This adult grown man.
If you’re unfamiliar with Ben Mintz, aka “Mintzy,” of Bartsool Sports, he’s the gift that keeps on giving in the online content world. Simply by being himself. The kind of guy who, if a camera is pointed at him at any given point in his day-to-day life, you’re likely going to get a laugh out of something he does. Purely organically.
Mintzy, along with a few other content creators from Barstool, have traveled to Turkey for hair transplants and to, of course, record content along the way. This picture was taken on the flight there.
It’s only fair to acknowledge that Barstool employees play in a different sandpit of professional work environments. They have a set of rules that don’t apply to typical corporations. It probably makes more sense to say that they don’t have to adhere to a set of rules that you’d find in your run-of-the-mill corporate job.
Where a traveling salesman for a large company might exit the plane on a business trip wearing a suit and holding a briefcase, Mintzy gets to wear a hoodie and sweatpants. And that’s the name of the game for a rogue media company like Barstool.
It’s only fair to establish those parameters when dissecting what’s going on here because a certain degree of decorum isn’t expected of him. But it is a fun exercise to imagine Mintzy behaving this way as if he were representing a large corporation on his way to close an important potential client. He’s not, though. He’s a content guy, and content guys are not corporate stiffs.
What I’m saying is the bar for professionalism at Barstool Sports is much lower than it is for a real job. So, considering that the bar for professionalism is much lower for Mintzy on his way to Turkey to get a fresh hairline, it’s somehow even more shocking that this behavior STILL exemplifies what I can only describe as the most egregious breaching of plane etiquette I think I’ve ever seen.
Let’s take a closer look.
The aisle angle shows that Mintzy’s feet are an estimated 14 inches into the aisle. Have you ever had your elbow bumped by a passenger walking up the aisle, or by a beverage cart? It’s a very innocent occurrence and usually one that’s the fault of absolutely no one, but you still apologize for it if for no other reason than to acknowledge the contact. It registers in your brain as you causing a slight inconvenience for someone, even though it’s not a big deal and happens all the time.
Now imagine your feet are protruding more than halfway across the only aisle that connects the front of the plane to the rear. Then imagine someone trying to get past you, or a flight attendant trying to push the cart by. Yikes.
He’s taken his shoes off. This one might spark some debate. Some are okay with it. Some are not. Personally, I think it’s acceptable to take off your shoes on a flight that’s longer than three hours, and if you do, you must be wearing socks. You also have to keep your feet near, or even on top of, your shoes for the duration of the time they’re off.
What we’re seeing here from Mintzy is certainly a violation, but considering the totality of everything going on here, him being shoeless is the least of my concerns. Hanging those bad boys out over the aisle is disgusting, and he’s giving smelly feet guy, but the simple act of removing his shoes during a transatlantic flight isn’t the real story here.
Notice that his seat is fully reclined. This is another controversial topic amongst travelers. You have people who recline, and people who don’t recline because they deem it inconsiderate of the passenger sitting behind them. Personally, I don’t mind people who recline. Especially on long flights such as this one. The seat was designed to recline. Go ahead and get cozy.
I will sometimes recline my seat super slowly hoping the person behind me doesn’t notice until later. Not sure if it works.
What’s hilarious in this picture is that Mintzy’s seat is fully reclined, BUT he’s not even taking advantage of it. He’s lying down flat on his back. His back isn’t on the reclined part. He’s reclining for no other reason than to very slightly violate his rear passenger’s personal space. For the love of the game.
Throw in some tasteful belly for the boys, and it’s perfection. It’s art. Never change, Mintzy.
What I’m Cooking, Drinking, And Watching This Weekend
by Dave
What I’m Cooking
Got a call from Flounder a couple days ago. You know who I’m talking about, right?
That’s him. He’s a call guy and a well-known terrible texter. You wouldn’t believe how bad he is. Vague and full of typos. But his calls are always welcome. On this occasion, we were discussing his attendance at our second ever Dallas meetup on March 7. He is a hard yes which is great news for the backers in attendance. Flounder is frequently requested at these things, so prepare to have your day made.
But what call with Flounder is complete without him attempting to sell me something? This time it was beef. Wagyu beef. Details are fuzzy, but from what I gather, he’s representing a certain beef company and wants me to try it. By try it he means go down to Central Market and buy some then talk about it on the show. Man, what kind of operation does he think we’re running here? Is he sneaky trying to get some free pub? Well, he’s going to get it. I’m either buying some steaks or a tri-tip for a very special Valentine’s Day smoke.
What I’m Drinking
I’ve already committed to a Friday lunch beer. Location TBD. We may just end up cracking a few here in the office. Saturday night is trending pinot. I’ve been very bullish on the WALT Blue Jay since that’s how we shut it down each night at my buddy’s ranch a few weeks back. Take me baaack!
TLDR: Beers Friday. WALT Saturday. A few Guinness in between.
What I’m Watching
This new Knights episode is carrying some serious hype. I don’t care if it’s only 20 minutes or 90, I need to see some heads busted and guts spilled on the field of battle. A Trial of seven for the fate of the realm, or the fate of Ser Dunk. I believe. KOTSK has delivered week after week. I look forward to all the characters I’ve taken a liking to not only surviving but winning in a triumphant manner that leaves us all in great headspace as we go to bed.
You know, I’m not sure what we’re doing on Industry at the moment, but I still like it. It’s weird, at times hard to follow, and of course it’s gratuitous. But I’ll be damned if I’m not giving them the benefit of the doubt. Eric’s back. All it took was a visit to the high-end escort living in his hotel as his ex-wife and daughter slept in his bed. Finance!
I’m Addicted To Energizing My Boys Every Morning
by Will deFries
Writer’s Note: Dave and Dillon, if you’re reading this, please stop reading now as this column may or may not contain spoilers for future in-office content opportunities.
In 2026, I’m on a male friendship crusade. Maybe it’s because I turn 40 on the second day of 2027 and I’m afraid of falling into the trap. Maybe my recent switch to cold brew concentrate has given me an infectious boost. Or maybe I’m having a mid-life crisis and channeling all my anxious energy into my absolute boys. Frankly, I’m not sure and I don’t care.
I often arrive to the office first. This isn’t some Austin grind mentality that I’m trying to flex. Honestly, I just feel more creative in the morning and like getting my work done then. Probably goes back to the days of Dave and I grinding at 8 a.m. for PGP while the TFM guys lumbered in at 9:48 a.m. Who knows. Anyway.
Here’s my normal schedule when I arrive in the office:
8:24 a.m. — Arrive at Washed Media HQ.
8:25 a.m. — Laptop open.
8:34 a.m. — Protein bar.
8:53 a.m. — Finish my coffee.
9:01 a.m. — Brett arrives.
It ain’t much but it’s honest. All the other guys then begin to trickle in between 9:30 and 9:39 (see: Randy). Because I normally have about an hour before any of the Circling Back boys get in the office, I’ve taken it upon myself in Q1 to up our in-office content. The best time to do it? Before they get in.
Here’s what I’ve done in the last couple weeks:
A good dap can switch the dynamic in any situation. I know I’ve written about this before so I’ll keep my additional comments to a minimum, but hitting a pre-9:30 a.m. “big dog” will never not feel good.
This week, I stepped things up a bit with some additional production courtesy of the 1990s Chicago Bulls.
These have been great reps for me to learn CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro, and some more apps that will only enhance our in-HQ content. More importantly, though, it’s gotten my guys just absolutely juiced.
While I’m keeping a private list of ideas to further puff their sails, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want some help from our readership in making sure that these guys are really getting taken care of. I refuse to reveal my favorite ideas, but here are some things that I’ve come up with so far that are further down the list:
Mist them down when it gets over 100 this summer.
Red carpet for The Oscars next month.
Wrestling intros with custom theme music.
Toss them beers.
Giving them each handwritten notes.
Get a Vegas sportsbook-style masseuse to come in.
Wand them down like we’re in TSA.
I come to you, the reader, to seek more ideas. I don’t want my boys to feel taken care of, I need my boys to feel taken care of. If you have any idea of something I can do for them before they get in, I’m all ears. DM me on Instagram, X (The Everything App), or Substack to help a player out. I’m serious.
Alright, let’s have a weekend.