How Did Rick Rosner Turn the Kennedy Center Controversy Into a “Spearmint Rhino” Satire—and What Did He Learn About Making a Political Podcast Work?

Rick Rosner explains the Kennedy Center’s role as a national performing-arts venue and the public dispute that followed Donald Trump’s late-2025 move to reshape its governance and attach his name to the institution. Rosner notes artist cancellations and Trump’s announcement of a roughly two-year closure beginning July 4, 2026, framed as needed renovations—an argument critics challenge given the Center’s 2019, roughly $250 million expansion. Rosner then pivots to humor, describing a parody tweet renaming the venue “Rick G. Rosner City of Industry Spearmint Rhino.” He also reflects on podcast lessons: structure, time limits, and additional voices reduce chaos, but limited staff constrains polish.

Rick Rosner: All right. The Kennedy Center is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.—a major national venue for high-end performing arts, roughly in the Lincoln Center category. It also hosts the Kennedy Center Honors, an annual event recognizing five honorees for lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts.

After Trump returned to office, he moved to take control of the institution’s governance, and the Kennedy Center’s board voted in late 2025 to add his name to the Center. That move was publicly contested, including questions about whether a congressionally established memorial can be renamed without legislative approval. Following this, multiple artists canceled appearances. Trump then announced that the Kennedy Center would close for about two years starting July 4, 2026, for major renovations, describing the building as dilapidated.

That claim is disputed. The building opened in 1971 and prominently uses Carrara marble donated by Italy. In 2019, the Center completed a major expansion costing roughly $250 million, largely funded through private donations. Critics point to that recent renovation in rejecting the claim that the facility is in serious disrepair.

One of my recurring jokes on Twitter is to recast events like this. So my tweet announced the closure of the newly renamed “Rick G. Rosner City of Industry Spearmint Rhino” for renovation—with an asterisk.

Jacobsen: What does the “G” stand for?

Rosner: Gerald. I was born in 1960, so I have one of those time-bound names that is no longer common. My mother’s middle name was Myrna, after Myrna Loy. The asterisk meant that I was not closing the place because I am a terrible person for whom no strippers will work. Spearmint Rhino is a well-known chain of strip clubs. It is a lame joke, but the structure is the same.

Jacobsen: What were your big lessons from the podcast the other night?

Rosner: I think the podcast works best when each side can make legitimate points that are not based on nonsense. I believe my points are generally less distorted. In the current environment, the right tends to rely more on misrepresentation. That said, Lance did find places where he could make points without misrepresenting the facts. Most of the points I make are backed by evidence. As a show, it works when it gives people legitimate ideas to explore or think about. That said, this assumes the show works at all, which is a big assumption. 

Jacobsen: Earlier versions of the show were much more chaotic. Over time, an evolving set of tacit rules has emerged, even though those rules are sometimes broken. As the boundaries become more consistently enforced, it allows you and Lance—when you get into shouting matches—to be more balanced.

Even the other night’s episode had a sharp rise in tension where things felt awkward. As it went on, the exchange became more back-and-forth and more balanced, with honest opinions being taken into account. Having an outside perspective helps. Cassidy, having her involved also helped. When it was just the two of you, the show felt torrid. Now it feels more controlled.

Rosner: We used to have no time limits, and we would yell at each other for up to two hours. When I started the show, I thought it would be funny to have a naked guy yelling about politics with a naked model. I never went fully naked, because that would not have worked on YouTube, but I was shirtless. It turned out not to be funny at all. It was miserable.

You are right that shortening it, breaking it up, and adding structure makes it less miserable. Having voices of reason, like yours, helps ground it. We are doing this with half a dozen people, but producing a well-run, consistently entertaining show usually takes dozens of people.

There are podcasts that manage with fewer people, but when I think about my time in late night television, Jimmy Kimmel Live! has more than 250 employees and support staff. We do not. As a result, what goes out is less polished and less entertaining. Mark is our producer, but the operation is still very laissez-faire.

To improve, we would need a producer to step in and analyze what works. Our viewership does not justify that. If we had 10,000, 20,000, or 50,000 viewers, it might justify bringing in a company. Some shows—Call Her Daddy, for example—were picked up by major podcasting companies. We do not have the audience size to justify that, though it would be nice.

Rick Rosner is an accomplished television writer with credits on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Crank Yankers, and The Man Show. Over his career, he has earned multiple Writers Guild Award nominations—winning one—and an Emmy nomination. Rosner holds a broad academic background, graduating with the equivalent of eight majors. Based in Los Angeles, he continues to write and develop ideas while spending time with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations.

Photo by Will Francis on Unsplash

Last updated May 3, 2025. These terms govern all In Sight Publishing content—past, present, and future—and supersede any prior notices. In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑ND 4.0; © In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen 2012–Present. All trademarks, performances, databases & branding are owned by their rights holders; no use without permission. Unauthorized copying, modification, framing or public communication is prohibited. External links are not endorsed. Cookies & tracking require consent, and data processing complies with PIPEDA & GDPR; no data from children < 13 (COPPA). Content meets WCAG 2.1 AA under the Accessible Canada Act & is preserved in open archival formats with backups. Excerpts & links require full credit & hyperlink; limited quoting under fair-dealing & fair-use. All content is informational; no liability for errors or omissions: Feedback welcome, and verified errors corrected promptly. For permissions or DMCA notices, email: scott.jacobsen2025@gmail.com. Site use is governed by BC laws; content is “as‑is,” liability limited, users indemnify us; moral, performers’ & database sui generis rights reserved.