‘The Challenge: Cutthroat’ Episode 9 With Justin Hinsley

Death, Taxes, and Bananas with Johnny Bananas

Johnny Bananas interviews Justin Hinesly to dissect the recent drama from 'The Challenge: Cutthroat.' The pair discusses Justin's gameplay s

Key takeaways

• Justin Hinsley describes his Season 42 approach as 'being comfortable being uncomfortable' despite entering as a 'hothead.'
• The tension with Anna Leigh stems from the team picking process where Justin prioritized working with Chris Underwood over her.
• Justin recounts a physically grueling challenge involving a sprint through the crowded streets of Bangkok.
• The hosts analyze the gameplay of Big Brother's Dee, comparing her manipulative tactics to reality TV veterans.
• Justin details his unexpected victory in an elimination against Chris Underwood despite being physically stuck in a box.

Main topics

• The Challenge: Cutthroat Season 42
• Justin Hinsley's elimination win
• Anna Leigh beef

Notable quotes

If you have the face of a princess with the personality of an ogre, it is what it is.

Conclusion

An engaging deep dive into the strategic and social complexities of hi

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:05) Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Death Taxes and Bananas podcast. If you haven't done so already, you can subscribe to us on YouTube by hitting the subscribe button, youtube.com slash death taxes and bananas. Follow us on Instagram at death taxes and bananas and our TikTok. Just kidding. We don't have one of those, but we do have Spotify. So go look up. Spotify, Death Taxes and Bananas or wherever podcast, wherever you get your podcast from, you'll find us there as well. Oh boy, we got a lot, lots to unpack here, ladies and gentlemen. So let's just dive right back into it. My guest today went from throwing people in the air on a cheer mat to getting thrown off semi-trucks, buildings and whatever other OSHA violation the challenge decides to cook up. He went from Navarro cheer where sticking the landing is literally the job to the challenge where sticking the landing means surviving elimination after elimination when you get called out. And one thing my guest has proven over these past two seasons is that underestimating him has become a very bad strategy because twice. People have looked across the house and decided Justin was the guy they wanted to see in elimination. And twice, Justin has sent both of these people packing. So today we're talking about being underestimated, stirring the pot, team orange, his beef with Annalie. Chris Underwood playing chess or possibly checkers and one of the wildest episodes of the season. So without any further ado, I would like to welcome back Justin to the Death Taxes and Bananas podcast. Give it up. Speaker 2 (2:18) Go, baby. Thank you for having me. That was a really good introduction. I like the way you talked about me. Speaker 1 (2:23) Hey, man, you're welcome. I know you're a words of affirmation girly, so I just wanted to throw those out Speaker 2 (2:27) there. Speaker 1 (2:27) I want to keep Speaker 2 (2:27) telling me how amazing I am. You can keep going. I Speaker 1 (2:31) mean, you look great. We don't have to Speaker 2 (2:32) stop there. You've been Speaker 1 (2:33) doing berries lately or what? Because you look fantastic. I might Speaker 2 (2:36) go to berries once or twice a week. Speaker 1 (2:38) Three times, four times. You're about to hit your home. I Speaker 2 (2:40) sure am. My God, I'm so excited. It's going to be so awesome. I'll bring a cake and some confetti and pop it in the class. Speaker 1 (2:47) Well, next time you go out to Florida, we're going to have to get you in the rumble, dude. Speaker 2 (2:50) Dude, I'm actually coming to Miami in January for a bachelorette trip. Speaker 1 (2:54) Yeah, you are. Speaker 2 (2:55) Never. I've never been to Miami before, but I'm going on a bachelorette Speaker 1 (2:58) trip. Well, you would have, you know what? You would have been out here if you would have came to our reunion party instead of the one you guys hosted in LA. Speaker 2 (3:06) This is true. However, I think I would have rather slammed my head on a wall than be with some of the people that were there. So I think I was where I was supposed to be. Oh, Speaker 1 (3:13) you want to name some names? Speaker 2 (3:15) I don't know. I don't think that I like Fiona very much. And if anybody doesn't know what I'm talking about when you're, oh, Fiona. Do you remember that one day when we were in the house and we were giving everybody Disney characters? Speaker 1 (3:25) Yep. Speaker 2 (3:26) So Fiona was Speaker 1 (3:29) the princess from Shrek. Speaker 2 (3:32) Yes. And Speaker 1 (3:32) that is Justin's pet name for Annalie. Speaker 2 (3:36) Yep. And she was not happy that I gave it to her. But when you have the face of a princess with the personality of an ogre, it is what it is. Oh, Speaker 1 (3:43) that's that's that is a very strange dichotomy, I must say. While we're talking about pet names for people, people who you are familiar with, do you happen to remember someone that I referred to once upon a time as an empanada? Speaker 2 (3:57) Oh my God. I think so. And I think if I remember correctly, she just got the boot from big brother last night. Speaker 1 (4:03) Funny. I mean, I have to say, listen, I, I loved and hated watching this season of big brother. I mean, I didn't watch it, you know, I didn't watch it on a regular basis. I got most of my information from like the T pages and the BB feeds and that sort of thing. Oh, same. Speaker 2 (4:21) Everything that I got was coming from social media that I was saying. Speaker 1 (4:24) Are you at all surprised that the game that she played this season, which kind of seems to be the same, the same strategy and the same, you know, gameplay. Are you surprised it didn't work out for her this season? Basically, get rid of the strong girls, manipulate the guys and Paula, take your way to the end. Speaker 2 (4:46) Honestly, I am kind of surprised that she didn't make it to the finale because I mean, master manipulator, that girl knows what she's doing. She's so good at getting everybody to listen to her, believe her. She is convincing people that she is throwing under the block hundreds of times to continue to keep her. And it's like, how are you convincing people to do that? Like this girl is just, I mean, her brain works in very different ways and it's, it's impressive to see, I will say. Master manipulator. And Speaker 1 (5:16) the other thing about it is it's not like she hides it, right? She puts it right out. No, she doesn't. She tells you what she's going to do and then she does it. Speaker 2 (5:24) Yep. She lays every card out. Like she is, she's a down bitch and she says what she does and she does what she says. Speaker 1 (5:30) Did you see any parallels this season on, you know, Big Brother to kind of what you witnessed on season 41 when you played with her, which is. the kind of, you know, I'm going to hitch my wagon to who I deem to be the stronger guys in the house. And I am going to do whatever I need to do, use whatever methods of manipulation I need to use to kind of like ride their coattails till a certain point and then give them the throat chop when I get the opportunity to do it. Speaker 2 (6:06) I was watching a clip earlier. I want to say it was from the last episode. She was talking to Mallory and or melody i don't know i don't Speaker 1 (6:14) know Speaker 2 (6:14) the name melody melody yes yes i get so confused but she had said she had a conversation with her and it literally felt like i was back in the challenge house having a conversation with her because when every time like something would happen i was on like not feeling very good she'd come up to me she has that way of talking to you and that voice where she'll look at you and be like asking you like how are you how are you doing but it's in the way that she says it in the way that she articulates the words that come after it so that she can get the information she wants. Speaker 3 (6:39) And Speaker 2 (6:40) then she tells you everything that she wants you to hear, but not what you actually like need to hear. And then she uses it. And I saw her do it with her. And I was like, wow, I've had those conversations in the house with her. So it's like, I literally felt like I was like back in that same spot. Do Speaker 1 (6:54) you think that there was something to be said though? The reason maybe her powers didn't work on you is because she's not necessarily your cup of tea? Speaker 2 (7:04) I mean, it's possible. Your flavor? She is not my flavor. It's not sugar Speaker 1 (7:10) in the tank. Speaker 2 (7:12) No, not enough. It's not what I woke up next to this morning. I'll tell you that. Speaker 1 (7:16) Ooh. Do tell. Was that what I saw running around behind you? Speaker 2 (7:21) No, that's just my dog. That's just my baby dog. Oh, Speaker 1 (7:24) okay. I just thought it was a really hairy guy. Speaker 2 (7:26) Oh, no. He left this morning. I had to kick him out. Speaker 1 (7:29) Now, having you on today, and obviously, like, this is... Oh, look at this. Look at this little golden retriever. I have to say, of every dog breed, I've met an asshole dog of every single breed at one point or another. I have never met a golden retriever that wasn't just the sweetest dog and had the greatest personality ever. You can just tell. Speaker 2 (7:54) She is the absolute light of my life. She is the best. Nothing makes her mad. She doesn't bark. She doesn't cry. She just wants hugs all day long. Just hugs all day long. Speaker 1 (8:06) And to piss on Chris's grave, probably. Speaker 2 (8:10) Actually, I did that for him. So you did. Speaker 1 (8:13) Okay. So it's, it's kind of interesting timing. I feel like with kind of, and I kind of didn't really put the two and two together until today kind of parallels between in a weird way, what you've kind of experienced on the challenge and then kind of what drew, it seemed like experience this season in the big brother house, where I feel like they were, you guys were both underestimated, right? I feel like your first season coming on to 41 Rogan immediately singled you out and was like, I don't need to worry about this guy. Let me just, you know, put him in. I'll take care of him. That didn't work out. Same with Chris. And I feel like with drew, it almost seems like. And Gabe Speaker 2 (8:53) at the stake, your claim. Speaker 1 (8:55) And Gabe, exactly. Stake your claim as well. And drew this season. It seemed like the same where. It felt like to me, Dee again set her sights on the other people in the house, men and women, that she felt like were going to be a bigger threat to her game and were going to be more difficult to kind of manipulate to do her bidding. Whereas with Drew, I almost feel like she didn't necessarily see him as a threat the entire season. Multiple times she did things that I think are what ended up costing her. to be evicted. And it almost seems like in a weird way, he was underestimated by her in a similar way that you have been underestimated as well. Do you see that parallel? Speaker 2 (9:42) Yeah, I can see that. I think Drew is so young, too, that he has that young kid facade. He has his first big show. He's just happy to be there. He's having the best time of his life. And I feel like sometimes when you walk into something, being you and just being good, people underestimate that and take that as a negative. And I feel like for him, he walked into the house. He's being Drew. He's being a kid. He's got his emotions. And some people see his emotions as a downfall. got his girl. He was upset that she was leaving. He's crying, you know, and I've seen so many people talking about how the tears are so this, this and that, but it's like, he's young. He is on a show. Entire world is like watching him. He has no idea what people are saying. You know, he's just living. He's just living. And I came into the house and all I wanted to do was live. I just wanted to live, see what was going on. And I feel like people do take that as a negative and they'll use it and be like, oh, well. He doesn't look like he's so tough and strong and macho because he has emotions and he's a small guy. So I'm going to, I'm going to go use this against him. Speaker 1 (10:41) Or, or just overlook you altogether. And that's what I'm saying. It almost seemed like she didn't feel like it almost seemed like she didn't feel like she needed to put the same amount of work or manipulation into him. Cause I feel like she felt like she aren't either a, he wasn't a threat and was never going to be, or when the time came, he was going to be the easy one to kind of. steamroll. And I'm not going to lie up until before the eviction last night, I, he did a great job. And I don't know if this was by, if this was by design or not, but he did a great job at not letting you know, which way he was going to go. Is it going to be dad or is it going to be D and it literally, it looked like she was really getting in his head and he was going to make the decision to keep her. And she was going to use. I, Speaker 2 (11:26) for a second, when I actually, the last episode before she got evicted was one of the actual only episodes I've watched fully, fully. And I really thought that she was going to convince him to not vote her in or evict her. I Speaker 1 (11:38) mean, she was really thought it was Speaker 2 (11:39) going to happen. She Speaker 1 (11:40) was even going as far when, and this is another thing, like she, she has this way of like planting seeds where she's manipulating you with, with it just sounded like it's just, uh, just casual conversation. Like, yeah, you know, I saw it on one of the feeds earlier. Yeah. The people after I get off the show that I like, I'm going to really help them with, uh, with opportunities, you know, outside of this. And for a kid like him, that's 22, that's never been on TV. That's these kids die to get off the show and have some sort of. So I fall back on and brand deals and that sort of thing. So it was almost like in a weird way, it was like, if I like you after this show, and if you do what I want you to do, then I will take care of you out. Yeah. It was almost like a real, you know, it was kind of like, yo, fucking. You know what you got to do. But I got to hand it to the kid. I mean, he literally looked the death star of manipulation straight in the eyes and did not get into the force. It was impressive. I Speaker 2 (12:36) know. I also liked the way that he said it. In the words of Jeff Probst, the tribe has spoken and you have been evicted. It was good. That was good. But Speaker 1 (12:45) now it's going to be interesting to see how this whole jury situation is handled because now she's... I believe on the jury and now it's all about jury management, which is something that is such a different thing to have to deal with. Then on the challenge, the challenge is like, you know, you run rough shot over, you know, people in the house. If you, once they're gone until the next season, you don't have to worry about them. Maybe Cedric should have done a little better jury management last season because this season was, was, was not in it. Pretty bad for him. Mm-hmm. Speaker 2 (13:16) Right. See, terrible, but. Speaker 1 (13:19) All right. So moving on. Coming into this season, Justin, obviously, what were your big takeaways from season 41 and the way that your game ended? Because, I mean, you were right there, dude. You seem like you got through pretty, I don't want to say effortlessly, but it seemed like you kind of got onto the show. You kind of found your stride. You obviously had to go in and you had to, you know, show up and show out the first elimination, which you did. Speaker 1 (13:50) But leaving 41 coming on to 42, like what were your expectations? What'd you take away? What'd you take away from season 41 that you brought onto this one? Speaker 2 (13:58) The biggest thing that I took away from season 41 was the feeling of being uncomfortable, of being comfortable being uncomfortable. I think that was the biggest thing that I had to take because there are so many times in that house where you get put into uncomfortable positions, whether it's on the challenge or dailies or eliminations or conversations, you know, and you have to figure out how to pivot and go around in whatever situation is happening. And I think that's the biggest thing that I took away because. Sitting in the house with so many individuals, especially like you guys, you guys have played for so long. You know how to work around people, what they're saying, how they're communicating. And that was hard for me my first season. I had to learn what not to say, when not to say it, when to say it, the strategy, the politicking, all the things. I think that was the biggest thing that I took. And coming into 42, I don't actually think that I listened to anything that I took. or followed what I was going to take because I came in guns fucking blazing as a big ass hothead. So, I mean, my takeaway, it didn't, didn't match up with how I played. I honestly walked in and I was like, I'm just a fuck it. Fuck it. I'm making TV this season. I don't care what happens. I don't care what I do. I'm here. Speaker 1 (15:09) And I got to tell you, dude, that is the best approach to have because, and, and I wish there were certain people. Even coming into this season and even some people who've been on the show season after season that are take Brad, for example. Okay. Brad has been on since the dawn of time. And he needs to understand at this point that it's like, dude, like the, you really need to remind people. You need to prove why you can't just live. I guess, unless you're Cara Maria, you can't just live off of what you've done in the past forever. You have to continue. you know, doing things. You have to continue showing up. You have to competing. You have to continue making good TV. You have to do one of these things. You can't just show up and just exist and be there. Speaker 2 (15:55) Yeah. I Speaker 1 (15:55) think you coming on this season with that mindset. I mean, you had Riley, I feel like the same thing. And I remember telling her, I'm like, Riley, you could be gone like tomorrow. Okay. This is your audition. If you ever want to come back on this show, you got to start. doing something to move the needle. I wish, Speaker 2 (16:16) yeah, I wish she would have done something more. I mean, I watched the season and I'm like, I forget that she was even on the show. I know. And like, I wish she would have done more because I feel like she had it in her to do more and like make good TV. But yeah, Speaker 1 (16:27) I Speaker 2 (16:27) don't know when you're hanging out with, um, redheads, I guess no good things come to you. Oh, Speaker 1 (16:32) you're, you're faves. Yeah, I know. I've had to deal with fucking Wes Bergman the entire life. I feel like my entire, my entire challenge career. Um, so, okay. So, And I like that approach, obviously, like I said, that you took because you brought that in. There's a lot of people that if they're going to. like your arch nemesis, for example, Derek from last season, Derek is Derek is someone that he'll stir the pot kind of like in secret and Kiki or whatever the hell they call it, but we'll never own up to it. You're the exact opposite. We'd come back from challenges and you'd be like, all right, give me the fucking info. Let's do a, let's do a quick debrief. Cause I want to take this shit around and I just want to start lighting people on fire. Like you didn't care. Like you went out of your way. To be like, give me the info. Like I will, I will, I will spread around. We actually came up with a, um, with a, with an agent name for you. Speaker 2 (17:28) Secret agent. Speaker 1 (17:30) Agent 007. Speaker 2 (17:32) Yep. I was a secret. I mean, when I, I'm going to do it with my chest, obviously, like if I'm coming in and I'm going to stir the pot and I'm going to say some shit, I'm going to own up to it. I don't care if I'm doing it in secret. There's no point in doing it in secret. Cause one, we're in a house where all we can do is talk to each other. It's going to get back. And there's cameras everywhere. Like I'm not going to go fucking stir the pot for nothing if I'm not going to get anything out of it. So I'm going to stir the pot and I'm going to own up to it. Speaker 1 (17:58) Exactly. I got to lose. And from one pot, Hey, from one pot, stir another game, game, recognize game. Um, and not only, I mean, a lot of, Speaker 2 (18:07) a lot of my pot stirring help was, was because of you. I got to say, listen, dude, you're, you're learning. You reminded me every day. And I was like, okay. Speaker 1 (18:17) And that's what I'm saying. I feel like I see a little bit of you in me. Speaker 2 (18:23) Am I the next challenge? Oh, Speaker 1 (18:25) I meant physically, but, um, Speaker 2 (18:27) what Speaker 1 (18:27) come again? I don't know. Speaker 2 (18:29) I think, I think my abs are a little better right now than physically. I Speaker 1 (18:33) mean, these old things. Speaker 2 (18:36) Yeah, those things. I was going to try and count, but Speaker 1 (18:41) they all Speaker 2 (18:42) look like one. Speaker 1 (18:43) That's what a weekend in Arizona will do you. Okay. Speaker 2 (18:47) But Speaker 1 (18:47) again, man, you didn't come into this game just with the desire and the want to make good TVs through the pot. You also came into play. I mean, that was obvious right out of the gate. You absolutely beasted that run through the streets of Bangkok, which I still talk about OSHA violations. I remember standing on that building and TJ being like, all right, you guys, you're going to sprint down these stairs and you're going to run through the streets of Bangkok. Now, what I'm thinking is like, all right, they're going to let us run a block. They'll probably pick us up, repo us somewhere else. I'm like, there is a 0 % chance they're going to unleash the whatever, 30 of us wild animals. Onto the streets Speaker 2 (19:31) of Speaker 1 (19:32) Bangkok. While Speaker 2 (19:33) everybody is fully awake, out and about, living their lives. Speaker 1 (19:39) Streets Speaker 2 (19:39) are packed with people. Speaker 1 (19:41) Cars, massage bleachers. Everywhere. Cars, Speaker 2 (19:44) bikes. The amount of people I had to dodge, like literal bowling ball pins, it was crazy. Speaker 1 (19:49) I Speaker 2 (19:50) was sprinting around people. Speaker 1 (19:52) I mean, you sprinted around me. I'll tell you what, I emptied the gas tank going on those stairs and running for like the first like mile. I'm like, all right, this can't be more than a mile. I was wrong. Five. I honestly Speaker 2 (20:00) didn't think it was going to be more than a mile either. Speaker 1 (20:02) Unreal. Speaker 2 (20:03) That was at least a 5k. Speaker 1 (20:05) So you come up, I mean, listen, dude, you come out on top. You're one of the ones to, you know, first three to finish the puzzle. We go into team picking. TJ drops this. I mean, this crazy twist on us where. You're not picking your own team. You're going to be picking the other teams. And like, this is the first time because bro, and this is coming from someone that has been in this game for, I mean, dude, I don't need two damn decades. And I'm used to like having to think on the spot, but when he dropped that and the three of you were sitting there, I'm like, how the fuck is this going to go? You're going to pick the other teams. And you, and you, this is one of the times that I was like, all right, this dude is a gamer was when you and Chris immediately just snapped into. You were like, all right, I got you, you got me, and all the shit is going on to Annalie. Speaker 2 (20:54) Yeah, I mean, so Sydney and I conversated prior to team pickings, and we knew that if we couldn't end up on the same team together, we would just end up on two teams that work together. So we knew that, and I knew that she wanted to be with him. So there was a preconceived idea that there was going to be two teams working together and one very disposable team. Now, when TJ dropped that bomb, me and Chris had zero conversations prior to this. We didn't have any, like, we're working together, like, let's this, this, and that. Like, it was a straight up fly on the moment. TJ dropped that bomb and I immediately just looked, whoever was closest to me, and I said, looked at him and I was like, me and you, let's work together. Now, had Anna Lee been next to me, I would have looked at her and I would have been like, hey, like, I'll help you, you help me. Speaker 1 (21:38) It's just so happy that we... Speaker 2 (21:40) It just literally get away from me, but it just so happened to be that Chris was next to me and she got fucked over. Speaker 1 (21:47) Is this where, cause we're going to get into the you and Anna Lee beef cause it is thick and hot and deep. Um, or was that my weekend on Saturday? Uh, mine Speaker 2 (21:57) too. Speaker 1 (21:58) Um, was, is this kind of the, the, uh, the Genesis of the you and Anna Lee beef is cause I remember her walking away from that feeling some sort of way. I remember like, yeah. Because it Speaker 2 (22:10) - I mean, she walked away very upset because we came into the game, we were going to play with each other. Like, we were fully going to play the game with each other this season. We had multiple conversations. We were super excited to be together. So I think that's definitely- You Speaker 1 (22:20) and Annalie knew each other prior to coming on? Speaker 2 (22:22) Yes. Okay. Like, phone call prior to coming on. Like, she was calling me, asking me for a packing list. Like, what do I bring? What do I not bring? Like, I was giving her the ins and the outs of people, telling her about, like, the days, how the show works, how- you know, our off days. Like, what do we do during this? Like, I was giving her all the, all the, everything that she needed to know. Speaker 1