Blocked and Reported

Episode 298: Miss Finland And The Slitty-Eyed Picture

March 9, 2026

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  • The hosts opened the episode by discussing a listener question posed to Helen Lewis regarding a hypothetical body swap scenario, which Jesse found amusingly unanswered. 
  • The initial segment covered several updates, including the social media reaction to Lindy West's New York Times essay on polyamory, the ongoing legal drama of internet troll Chuck Johnson, and the financial fallout from the CHOP/CHAZ protests in Seattle. 
  • The main topic of the episode, 'Miss Finland And The Slitty-Eyed Picture,' began with the story of Miss Finland Sarah Jaffe losing her title after posting a photo with a racist gesture, which escalated into an international incident when Finnish politicians from the right-wing Finns Party defended her with similar gestures, prompting backlash from Asian social media users and eventual apologies from the Finnish Prime Minister. 
  • The discussion pivots to the history and current economic struggles of Nauru, detailing its past phosphate wealth, mismanagement, and reliance on hosting offshore detention centers. 
  • The official Nauru tourism Twitter account in Japan became involved in the 'Miss Finland And The Slitty-Eyed Picture' controversy by demanding an apology from the Finnish embassy, leading to a spat with a former Finnish embassy staffer. 
  • Japanese social media users overwhelmingly sided with Nauru against the Finnish embassy, viewing the Finnish response as hypocritical given the initial incident involving the Miss Finland contestant. 
  • The diplomatic incident, which started with a private photo, was resolved after the Finnish embassy distanced itself from the former staffer's comments and apologies were issued. 

Segments

Helen Lewis Interview Follow-up
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(00:00:16)
  • Key Takeaway: Helen Lewis refused to answer a hypothetical ‘body swap’ question involving Jesse and Katie during a previous interview.
  • Summary: Jesse expressed frustration that Helen Lewis, despite covering controversial topics, avoided answering a specific listener question about swapping bodies with the hosts. Katie revealed that Lewis answered the question privately off-mic, stating she didn’t want to hurt Jesse’s feelings. The hosts used this anecdote to promote their premium content where such discussions occur.
Lindy West Update and Social Reaction
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(00:03:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The viral reaction to Lindy West’s New York Times essay on polyamory resulted in widespread pity across social media platforms, contrary to the hosts’ predictions of either harsh criticism or feminist praise.
  • Summary: Lindy West’s essay detailed her initial devastation regarding polyamory before eventually joining a ’thrupple,’ which sparked controversy online. The hosts noted that the reaction on X (formerly Twitter) was predicted to be harsh, while Blue Sky users were expected to offer praise, but the actual outcome was widespread pity for her situation. The segment also referenced a controversial argument West’s partner allegedly made regarding monogamy being akin to slavery.
Chuck Johnson Legal Rollercoaster
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(00:09:55)
  • Key Takeaway: Internet troll Charles Johnson was repeatedly released from and returned to jail while facing defamation lawsuits and claiming to be a confidential informant (CI) for the FBI regarding Jeffrey Epstein.
  • Summary: Johnson, known for making false accusations, was recently released from jail after being held for failing to comply with court orders related to a $70 million defamation judgment. He claimed his legal troubles stemmed from his work as an FBI CI, a claim partially corroborated by a London Times article that identified him as the source in an FBI report alleging Epstein worked for Mossad. Johnson is currently involved in a separate labor dispute lawsuit where Taryn Southern is represented by Matt Bruding.
CHOP/CHAZ Lawsuit Settlements
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(00:16:11)
  • Key Takeaway: The City of Seattle has paid out millions across multiple lawsuits stemming from the 2020 CHOP/CHAZ zone, including a recent $30 million award to the family of a teenager killed there.
  • Summary: The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) resulted in multiple legal actions against the city due to violence, including murders and rapes, within the cop-free area. The family of Antonio Mays Jr., one of two teenagers shot and killed, was awarded $30 million after a jury found the city negligent in emergency response. Other settlements include $3.65 million for local businesses and $10 million for protesters claiming excessive force.
Bryan Johnson NDA Dispute Update
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(00:19:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Bryan Johnson’s former employee Taryn Southern filed a new labor complaint against his company, leading Johnson to subpoena communications from Substacker Raspy Aspy, who had analyzed the arbitration documents detailing Johnson’s alleged coercive behavior.
  • Summary: The dispute centers on Southern’s claims that Johnson forced her out while she had Stage III breast cancer and pressured her into a separation agreement with a $500,000 NDA penalty clause. Although Johnson won the arbitration on contract terms, he framed it as exoneration, which prompted Raspy Aspy to publish findings contradicting Johnson’s narrative. Johnson is now attempting to obtain Aspy’s communications via subpoena in the ongoing NLRB case.
Finnish Beauty Queen Racism Scandal
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(00:27:30)
  • Key Takeaway: Miss Finland Sarah Jaffe was stripped of her title after posting a photo with a racist gesture, an incident that escalated globally when Finnish right-wing politicians defended her with similar gestures, leading to international boycott threats from Asian nations.
  • Summary: Sarah Jaffe, who is half Kosovan, faced backlash for a photo captioned ’eating with a Chinese,’ which she claimed was added by a friend during a headache. After her initial defense failed, the Miss Finland organization revoked her title. The scandal intensified when Finns Party politicians, including MP Yuho Rola, posted their own ‘slitty eye’ photos in solidarity, drawing severe condemnation and boycott threats from Japanese and Chinese social media users.
Nauru’s Economic History
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(00:48:34)
  • Key Takeaway: Nauru briefly became the world’s second-richest nation per capita in the 1970s due to phosphate deposits, but government mismanagement led to financial ruin.
  • Summary: Nauru, a small island nation, once held immense wealth from phosphate deposits, second only to Saudi Arabia per capita in the 1970s. The government mismanaged this wealth, losing millions financing a disastrous musical about Leonardo da Vinci and even selling passports to individuals linked to al-Qaeda. Today, its economy relies on hosting an offshore detention center for asylum seekers for Australia.
Nauru Japan Twitter Account
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(00:50:05)
  • Key Takeaway: The official Nauru tourism Twitter account for Japan posts cheerful, localized content but shifted focus to demand an apology regarding the Miss Finland incident.
  • Summary: The Republic of Nauru Government Tourism Bureau maintains a Japanese-language Twitter account (@nauru_japan) that typically posts feel-good content like local food (bento) and scenery. This account unexpectedly engaged in the diplomatic dispute by demanding an apology from the Finnish embassy concerning the Miss Finland controversy.
Diplomatic Twitter Clash
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(00:51:24)
  • Key Takeaway: A former Finnish embassy staffer accused the Nauru Japan account of being rogue Japanese staffers, which the Nauru account officially refuted, asserting its government representation.
  • Summary: A former staffer at the Finnish embassy in Tokyo, using the handle Hatoliko, called the Nauru account’s demands misguided and claimed it was run by local Japanese staff acting independently. The official Nauru account confirmed its status and invited the critic to contact the Nauru foreign minister directly.
Japanese Public Reaction
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(00:52:38)
  • Key Takeaway: Japanese commentators strongly supported Nauru’s intervention and heavily criticized Finland’s embassy actions as hypocritical and discriminatory.
  • Summary: Japanese social media users sided firmly with Nauru, viewing Finland’s actions as an overreach and questioning Finland’s moral authority on human rights issues. Commenters compared the Finnish embassy’s blunders unfavorably to those of the Chinese embassies.
Incident Resolution and Aftermath
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(00:53:49)
  • Key Takeaway: The diplomatic conflict ended after the Finnish embassy disavowed the former staffer, and the Miss Finland title was awarded to the first runner-up.
  • Summary: The Nauru-Finland conflict concluded when the Finnish embassy confirmed the critical staffer was rogue and subsequently deleted his account, leading to further Finnish apologies. The original Miss Finland was replaced by the first runner-up, Tara Latonin.