On Sunday, September 6, SHAKE IT OFF WITH MERT & LUCAS, LIVE! digs into Stephen A. Smith’s Thumbs Down Award and the limits of Black public discourse, Brendan Mahan’s battle against the “Wall of Awful,” AOC’s political shape-shifting, and one mother’s relentless fight against the fentanyl crisis.
Hour 1 — Stephen A. Smith’s Thumbs Down & Overcoming the Wall of Awful
Episode 113 opens with the National Association of Black Journalists awarding Stephen A. Smith its Thumbs Down Award for a pattern of comments on prominent Black women including Jasmine Crockett, Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris, and Joy Reid—comments the group called disparaging and harmful. Smith rejected the rebuke as a personal hit job, vowed a strong response, and the clash has ignited fierce debate over the limits of internal Black criticism, free speech, and who gets to define acceptable discourse in the Black public sphere.
Then Brendan Mahan, ADHD expert and host of the ADHD Essentials Podcast, joins the show to discuss his new book Overcoming the Wall of Awful: Why It’s Hard to Get Things Done with ADHD, Autism, and Anxiety (and How to Do Them Anyway).
Hour 2 — AOC’s Shameless Flip-Flopping & Anne Fundner on Fighting Fentanyl
The second hour takes a hard look at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political opportunism—from questioning the morality of having children amid climate disaster and demanding actual police defunding, to freezing her eggs and dismissing her earlier era as “Woke 1… crazy,” all while eyeing higher office. The hosts argue this reflects selective adaptation for electability rather than genuine evolution.
The show wraps with Anne Fundner, the “Angel Mom” whose 15-year-old son Weston was poisoned by fentanyl-laced pills in 2022. A 2024 RNC speaker and founder of the Forever Weston Foundation, she discusses the fentanyl crisis, peer pressure, and her fight for stronger borders and awareness.
About the Hosts
Lucas A. Ferrara — New York attorney, law professor, award-winning film producer, and editorial strategist. Lucas brings legal precision and narrative muscle to every exchange, cutting through spin to reach substance.
Mert Roberts — A seasoned commentator whose wit and grounded analysis keep every conversation unpredictable, alive, and unmistakably human.
Tune In
LIVE on AM970 Radio or the AM970 mobile app
Sunday, September 6 | 7–9 PM Eastern
Replays stream everywhere: Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spotify, and more.
More info: shakeitofflive.com
Some shows chase the noise.
This one follows the fault lines that still shape the country.
You can also find the show playing here:
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To view a list of some of Lucas's other projects, click here: https://linktr.ee/lucasaferrara
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