ESPN Quietly Putting New Pro-Michelle Obama All-Women's Digital Show On TV

When we questioned the upside of ESPN's new all-women's show, "Vibe Check," featuring three mean girls known for their animosity toward Caitlin Clark, woke white knights in the media argued the network was burying the program on the Disney+ streaming service.

"The show isn’t on ESPN. It’s on D+ which means the only people watching it will have to purposefully go search for it and seek it out to watch it in their time," said Ringer host Van Lathan in response to our article.

Lathan tried to argue that the program was merely accessory content and that ESPN wasn't replacing current television programming for it. But that's not true. Despite promoting the show as a Disney+ exclusive, the show also quietly airs daily on ESPN2.

It's not just that ESPN is wasting valuable real estate on a show hosted by Elle Duncan, Chiney Ogwumike, and Andraya Carter. The network is also feeding sports fans content that has nothing to do with, well, sports.

Through two weeks, the cast's most viral moment is a segment in which Duncan fawned over former first lady Michelle Obama with guest Robin Roberts. According to Duncan, "everybody" loves Michelle and is a dream guest for the new show.

Of course, not everybody loves Michelle Obama. She's actually quite polarizing. She's worth hundreds of millions of dollars, has never held a real job, and is launching a podcast where she endlessly complains about her life, America, and her (seemingly estranged) husband.

But that's not the point. The point is that ESPN has a publicly-acknowledged "ban on politics" policy, yet actively promotes a show that violates said policy.

Viewers don't tune into ESPN to hear about the Obamas. Or to see one of the hosts prancing around the set like a drunken college student and doing pushups mid-segment:

Cringe.

And while viewers can – and will – turn the channel when "Vibe Check" airs, it's frustrating to talents internally that the network chose to promote this specific project.

ESPN2 used to be a minor league system for growing and developing future hosts. Names like Mike Greenberg, Stephen A. Smith, and Max Kellerman started on ESPN2 before moving to the main channel. However, instead of trying to find the next Stephen A., Greenberg, or McAfee, the network is wasting time slots and resources on a preachy, finger-wagging all-women's show.

As a factual matter, the vast majority of ESPN viewers are males. Historically, male viewers are drawn to former players they rooted for on the field or guys they'd want to watch a game with, such as Chris Berman, Scott Van Pelt, and Stuart Scott.

And yet, ESPN opted to build a show around hosts known for protesting GOP legislation, advocating for abortion, smearing little girls who wear Caitlin Clark jerseys, and praising Lia Thomas during Women's History Month.

In all likelihood, the show will fail and ultimately worsen the perception of women in sports. Talented female broadcasters like Charissa Thompson, Erin Andrews, Laura Rutledge, Sage Steele, Michele Tafoya, Jane Slater, Katie George, Kay Adams, and Ashley Brewer will suffer because these pinheads are singing songs, dancing, and talking politics on ESPN.

The only people who will benefit from this project are the male executives who greenlit the program to advance their own careers. The "I am the guy who launched the first all-women's show at ESPN" label holds great value within Disney, no matter its success — or lack thereof.

Anyway, expect "Vibe Check" to soon make its way into the main ESPN lineup. Possible "Around the Horn" replacement?