The Debaters - Should we trust influencers? Are electric vehicles the way to go?

Episode Date: March 5, 2026

Are social media influencers trustworthy authorities? Elvira Kurt argues yes, and she’s prepared to influence us but Andrew Johnston downvotes that idea. Next, we’re debating the switch to electric vehicles. Jacob Samuel’s on board but Julie Kim believes we Musk not do it!Featuring: Elvira Kurt, Andrew Johnston, Jacob Samuel, and Julie Kim.

Hi, Steve Patterson here, and I love a good argument. So here we go. Is Manitoba a prairie province or a maritime one? It might sound like a joke, but University of Manitoba researchers are seriously exploring how a changing Hudson Bay could reshape Canada's economy. Dr. Fay Wang and his team are studying how increased Arctic shipping could be done responsibly and sustainably. Learn about Manitoba's surprising place in global trade by checking out the University of Manitoba's podcast. What's the big idea? This is a CBC podcast. Hey Canada, we're just dropping by to say hello from Vancouver, home of the Hullo Fast Ferry. It's the debaters. The debaters where comedians fight with facts and funny, and this audience picks the winner.

Now here's a man who we think is a hull of a guy, Steve. We are back here in our favorite West Coast home, Vancouver, North Band, to be specific. A place that is music to our ears. If you're looking for something unusual to do, you can join a heavy metal choir in Vancouver. I would love to be that choir's conductor. All right, let's start with the tenors screaming into the microphone. And the altos, you join in and scream slightly lower into the microphone,

and on the refrain, sopranos will jump into the mosh pit. Time now to meet two debaters who are raised. ready to test their medal. So, this comic tried to fasten two ropes together, but it was all for naught. It's Toronto's Alvira Kurt. Very favorites. Making away to my mouth.

And this comic once attended a funeral and had a coffin fit. Making his debaters debut, it's Andrew Johnston. Across the stage, taking the podium to my right. Steve. All right, debater. Your topic is one that will have you under the influence. Social media influencers. Are they trustworthy?

Okay. This is going to be a tough job for one of you. The debaters has an amazing social media staff. Shout out to Chloe, Emily, and their team. They're here tonight. Thank you. They are hardworking, talented people promoting our content, and they're smart enough to reject my social media ideas.

But if you do follow us at CBC debaters, you might get to see me telling you to follow us at CBC debaters. The circle of online life. Now it's time for a debate that we think will cast a wide internet. So, whereas they're regular people who share authentic, relatable content and form long-term bonds with their followers, be it resolved that social media influencers are trustworthy authorities. Elvira, you are arguing for this. You've got two minutes starting now. Alvira Kurt. Nature to trust influencers. Our faith in them can be traced back to the original influencer. God. Nation. Night. like share.

And for centuries, that's all there was. In this country, those dark ages lasted until a new sphere of influence arrived, the CBC. Influencer culture, I can look back and see that most of my life was a wasteland. I came of age without knowing I can cook turkey in a cardboard box. Throw my hair with a carrot. Like an idiot, I never once put a toilet seat into my dishwasher to clean it proper. I have seen the light. ...and autonomy are out.

Kim Kardashian and her big old balloon lips and Brazilian butt lift are in until she tells me otherwise. And if you don't like it, you can kiss my apps. Thank you. Here a Kurt, ladies and gentlemen. Yes. Now, here to TikTok about his dislike for influencers.

It's Andrew Johnston. Prepare for a vibe shift, folks. Although Alvira might be under the influence of online influencers, I'm here to tell you, I'm not accepting any of her cookies. To use some influencer lingo you might be familiar with Elvira, your entire argument is wrong core. So, oh my God, stop what you're doing right now. Stop scrolling and listen to me because I'm about to hard launch my take.

Online influencers are an offline influenza on our eyeballs at small and our culture at large. Anyone! Anyone who is taken in by these front-facing fraudsters needs to un-like, unsubscribe and touch grass ASAP. I prefer my snake oil salesman and women, the old-fashioned way, in the form of late-night infomercials. Remember late-night infomercials?

Remember the paid infomercials of your tuck-to-o-washed? in the early hours of the AM where they belonged, infomercials were harmless. At least back then we knew the sham wow was a sham. We knew JoJo's psychic alliance was neither psychic nor alliance. And no one actually bought the Thymaster, all right? It was just a way for a closeted 25-year-old Elvira to watch Suzanne Summers do keegals.

You know, you know what you did. You know what you did, and you knew why you did it. Now, nowadays, I've got these squawking heads with a heavy filter and all the charisma of J.D. Vance, inserted into my scrolling without my consent, trying to sell me skincare products I obviously don't need, when I just want to watch Housewives clips in peace. And don't get me started on their pollution of daily life. You cannot go out to eat these days without,

some dullard next to you, live streaming their brunch journey from table to turlet. It's how we say toilet in Brockville. I, that's regional. In short, POV. I'm P-O'd. Thank you. Yeah. Andrew Johnson, ladies and gentlemen.

All right. We got ourselves a debate and it's time now for the bare knuckle round. We're debating whether we can try. social media influencers, so you two snap chatterboxes need to hashtag it out. Don't sit there like bumps on a vlog. Show your opponent your meme streak, or you'll end up being chat bought out by this audience. Time for YouTube to get us all Pinterested, starting now. Oh, shout GBT is cute.

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. First of all, if this matchup, if queerness was contagious, this matchup would be a super spreader event, okay? True. But respectfully, Elvira Kurt is an icon. She is a legend and she is the moment.

All right, but yes, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. But, respectfully, respectfully, respectfully, what and whom is a lesbian of a certain age being influenced by? Is Chantelle Ibert selling energy drinks? Like, does K.D. Lang have a new protein powder? Is Rosie O'Donnell TikToking about lesbian bed death? She actually is. It's really interesting.

I am so down for a K.D. Lang protein shake. Are you insane? And what are you saying? A lesbian of a certain age, you just referenced Jojo the psychic and sham wow. You are... We're literally the same age, fella. I went to the library and read micro-fee-sh, boo. Library was, gives you away, sis.

Trying too hard. I feel like you're asking for recommendations, isn't that it? Your follower count is low. It's higher than yours. To see if my nipples actually did fall off. I do have a polymarket thing open right now on that, and any day now. We're going to need a little more about social media influencing and a little less nipple references, please.

I feel like we're very on topic right now, but, yeah. I feel like we're on topic also. Listen, I am all behind influences. I can't get enough of this new way of being. It was not possible when I was a kid to be an influencer. I grew up with a rotary phone. Do you know how hard it would be to film yourself? Perfect.

With a tea, yes. Okay, bear a knock around. We're debating social media influencers on the debaters, and if you're listening to it on the radio, we have a pretty good idea which way you would vote. It is time now for the firing line. In my hand, I have a list of questions on social media influencers, brought to you by the number one online fishing tool,

Clickbait. What is it called when a brand sends free products to an influencer in hopes that they'll feature it? Alvira. It's called Visiting the White House. Enjoy that one. Yes. Yes, take a bow.

Five points. Big one. Andrew. Littering. All so good. Two points. When a brand sends free products to an influencer in hopes that they'll feature it, it's called product seeding.

Oh, wouldn't have guessed that. It is a cheap, way to get free product. Also, if you're listening, Guinness Brewery, I like Guinness. What did a 2023 study from theconversation.com say is one of the main difficulties of being a social media influencer? Andrew. Not receiving enough love as a child. Good. That's good. Two and a half points. Alvira. Remembering which way to turn the camera. Like, Like is it landscape or portrait?

I would imagine that's one of the hardest things. Good guess, but no. One of the main difficulties of being a social media influencer is the struggle to meet the ever-changing demands of seemingly random algorithms. That is the firing line, everybody. Well, it is almost time for our scintillating centennial theater audience to vote.

But first, here again, to say why he can't stand influencers, not even for an Insta. Let's hear again from Andrew Johnston. Well, I guess I'm in my algorithm and blues era because if Alvira thinks that she is starting to go-fund me to help with her terminal illness of being terminally online, I will not be donating. Sorry. Not sorry.

Sorry, but I'm not. I'm not. Sorry, but I'm not. No, no. If too much of your meantime, is taken up by screen time. If the majority of your relationships are parasocial and your girl dinner consists of you

buzz feeding the algo, the only fit check you're going to check out of me is this fit I'm about to have about this entire argument right now. For those of you listening at home, I just tore up my pages

that had a fit. I would urge online influencers to walk towards the ringlight and go straight to HTML. Thank you. Andrew Johnson, with a dramatic closing argument, providing his own special effects and play-by-play. Now, here to remind us why it feels so special to be able to say,

I'm with the brand. Let's hear again from Alvira Kurt. Most deprived people. I grew up listening to only one source. My parents, ew. Hopefully, my children have complete strangers they can turn to. Tripe and SpawnCon advise them on every aspect of their developing lives. How I envy them.

My children and the influencers. My 10-year-old self had no idea I needed a skincare regime to maintain. my youthful glow. Today I see a 10-year-old slathered in snail mucin, and I think, you slippery little winner. That's what influencers do. Share everything they know all the time about so many things none of us were wondering about. To which I say, thank God.

Thank you. On behalf of influencers, right audience, it's time to vote. By applause, who listened to Alvira's insight on influencers and felt they were with the in-crowd, Elvira Kurt. And who agreed with Andrew that influencers are incompetent andept and ineffective Andrew Johnston? The audience has spoken. It was a hard-fought debate, and Alvira, you did it. The winner is so. everybody. Hey debaters listeners, well, there's no debating it. We'd love it if you could hit the follow button on our podcast. That way you won't miss an episode. And if you already follow us,

thank you. Hi, Steve Patterson here and I love a good argument. So here we go. Is Manitoba a prairie province or a maritime one? It might sound like a joke, but University of Manitoba researchers are seriously exploring how a changing Hudson Bay could reshape Canada's economy. Dr. Fay Wang and his team are studying how increased Arctic shipping could be done responsibly and sustainably. Learn about Manitoba's surprising place in global trade by checking out the University of Manitoba's podcast. What's the big idea? You know that feeling when you reach the end of a really good true crime series? You want to know more, more about the people involved, where the case is now, and what it's like behind the scenes. I get that. I'm Kathleen Goldhar and on my podcast crime story,

I speak with the leading storytellers of true crime to dig deeper into the cases we all just can't stop thinking about. Find crime story wherever you get your podcasts. I just have one question for the rest of the audience. Are you ready to meet your next pair of debaters? Yes, yes. This comic imagines if an earthquake hit the Royal Canadian Mint, it would shake his moneymaker.

It's Vancouver's Jacob Samuel. Yes. Come on, have Jacob. Thank you so much. Hello. Welcome, my friend. Hi, Steve. And this comedian thinks an unstable weaving machine presents a looming threat.

It's Vancouver's Julie Kim. Julie Kim. Back again, making her way across the stage to my right. Hi, Julie. Hi, Steve. Hi, everyone. Your topic is one that we hope you'll get a charge out of. electric vehicles.

Listen to the intrigue already. Electric vehicles, are they the way to go? Our work is done. I personally, I don't want to get on either side of this debate to give an advantage, but I do think it's time for our country to start manufacturing our own environmentally friendly vehicles that don't run on gas or electricity. And I already have the perfect vehicle manufacturer that speaks to the nature of things here in Canada. Suzuki.

They could name the car, David Suzuki, and it should be powered by disdain for fossil fuel manufacturers and, frankly, pure animal magnetism. Time now for a debate that, ironically, should be a real gas. So, thank you. Your groans are energy to me. We'll save that for later. Whereas they're better for the environment, save money on gas,

and are only becoming more and more popular, be it resolved electric vehicles are the way to go. Jacob, you're arguing for this, please, my friend. You have two minutes, starting now, Jacob Samuel. It's time to get an electric car. Because in general, electricity, better than gas. Electric lighting was a great invention. Gas lighting is why you need therapy.

Look, it's simple. Electricity good, gas bad. When you go to a fun place, you say, it feels electric. When you fall in love, there's a spark. And one of the fastest ways to lose that spark is if one of you has gas. Trust me.

Switching to electricity just makes things better. That's a fact known by anyone with a toothbrush or an eel. Electric cars, lower carbon emissions, and air pollution. I'm obligated to say this, because we are taping this show right now. in North Vancouver. And if I don't, a man in an Arcteric's jacket will repel from the ceiling

and confiscate my yoga membership. All the best features of cars are already electric, the stereo, the air conditioning, that indicator light you always ignore. I'd just say bring those wires down to the wheels. I don't know how cars work. Okay, but what's bad about electric cars? Range anxiety.

Oh no. my battery might run out. I'm so nervous. You know what's worse than range anxiety? Having to drive 500 kilometers to visit my in-laws anxiety. An electric car is the perfect excuse

to get you out of driving places you don't want to go. Which is most of them. Sorry, Alberta family. I don't know if my weak lightning car can make it this year. Oh no. Thank you.

Jacob Samuel, arguing on behalf of electric vehicles. Now here to tell us and show us why she's a gasoline, mean, debating machine. Let's hear from Julie Kim. Evie drivers think they're so great. They look dumb. Whenever I see one, I think, ooh, there's David in his appliance. Who has time to wait for their car to nap and recharge? Not me.

I have a life. I'm a working mother. I'm too busy bearing the mental load and being very resentful for it. Evie ownership is historically male-leaning in the 40 to 55 age range, and of course they are most likely to be white people.

I know where I am. During a bunch of entitled dads who would rather play with their cars than their children, thus reinforcing the patriarchy, and now the patriarchy has a charging schedule. I'll be right in to, contribute to an equal partnership, honey, right after this software update.

Ugh. EB owners are also higher-income folk, privileged enough to bear high upfront costs. It's absurd to argue four electric cars in this country at this time and in this economy. Who can afford a Nissan leaf when a head of romaine is $7? EB batteries struggle to charge and stay charged in cold climates. Energy per kilometer increases and range goes down. Evies are bad in the cold, and Canada is 80% cold. This is sexist, it's racist, and it's classist.

I will not stand for it. Thank you. All right. Julie Kim, Julie Kim, coming out swinging. It's time now for the bare-knuckle round. We're debating whether electric vehicles are the way to go. So lithium up. It's your e-mission to amp up and deliver a direct and current argument that you might think of as an eye for an eye, bread.

Time for a musk seed debate. Starting now. All right. Look, everyone, I know. Your first instinct is going to be to side with Jacob. He's giving measured, non-threatening, and he's soft and practical. He's the Toyota Barclay. Yes of people.

I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought there. I've been married for a few years. This is the first time I've heard a woman call me practical in a while. Even, yeah, I am soft, but here's a hard fact for you. Julie claims that electric cards reinforce the patriarchy. So now allow me to a mansplain why that's wrong. Working on your car has long been a pillar of toxic masculinity, but electric cars have fewer mechanical parts,

so now husbands can no longer hide in the garage to avoid their responsibilities. Firstly, we all know you were never fixing the car, all right? Men are never fixing the car. They're emotionally decompressing near tools. Right? Well, ha, ha, ha, ha. No more recreational maintenance and fake mechanical retreats. now you have to go to therapy if your battery doesn't die on the way there.

Yeah, I just want to state for the record that all my breakdowns on the way to therapy have been non-mechanical. And look, it's true, EVs can lose their charge and they take a bit longer to recharge, but you can do it, you can recharge them at your house, and that's amazing. Like, I think refueling is like intercourse. It's more comfortable to do at home than in the open air, beside a busy intersection. All right. All right.

That's the bare-knuckle round, everybody. Time now for the firing line. In my hand, I have a list of questions on electric vehicles brought to you by the Maple Leafs. Their contribution to the Stanley Cup environment since 1967 is a net zero. Finish this slogan from Tesla.com.

The future is what? Jacob. Not for you, peasant. Audience is giving you two and a half hypothetical points. Enjoy them. Julie. The future is full of children only fathered by Elon Musk. Also good.

One and a half for that. According to Tesla.com, the future is sustainable. Dot, dot, dot, dot, on Mars. It's just sustainable. I made up the on Mars part. According to BC Hydro, if you switch to an electric vehicle,

not only will you be saving on future, and fighting climate change, you'll also receive what extra perk in British Columbia? Jacob? The extra perk is that the BC Conservatives will never knock on your door. That's pretty good. Pretty good.

According to BC Hydro, when you switch to an electric vehicle, you're saving fuel costs, fighting climate change, and you can drive in designated HOV lanes. It was a long walk. It was a long walk to that one. Which is what happens if your car runs out of charge. if your car runs out of charge. Ford sells an electric version of its popular F-150 pickup truck.

What's it called? Jacob. The Ford F-1-50, because that's how much it costs for one charge. A dollar-50. One charge. I'm not sure that's true, but they believe it. That's okay. Julie?

The electric version of the Ford F-150 is. called, the Ford, no one respects me on the job site. I will give you one point for the bang-on impersonation of a male voice. The electric version of the Ford F-150 is called the Ford F-150 Lightning. Lightning. We also would have accepted the Ford F.U gasoline. That is the firing line, everybody. Well, it's nearing that magical time when our Centennial Theater

Their audience places their votes, but first, here again to tell us why she's so driven in her opposition to electric vehicles. Let's hear again from Julie Kim. All right, we are here in British Columbia, Canada. The most progressive province, the left coast. People here hug trees and they care about the unhoused, like not in their neighborhoods, but hypothetically. Look, let's not pretend this is environmental. EVs do not eliminate harm. They relocated.

Land degradation, water depletion, toxic waste from all the mining, extraction and manufacturing, and the emissions. Like, EVs are all like, I didn't fart, it was the supply chain. Evies are a sneaky farter. And we cannot let a sneaky farter get away

without blame. Listen, one day maybe EVs, you will be superior, but for now you are the greater of two evils, so just admit that your poop stinks too. Thank you. Julie Kim, coining a new phrase that I hope catches on. Thanks, Julie. Now, here to tell us why electric vehicles are his hybrid and butter. My words, not his. Let's hear from Jacob Samuel. Folks, it's time to make a switch. Sure, electric cars may not be perfect for the

environment but they are better than what we have now. And don't we owe that to our children? And our children's children and the evil AI that will rule them all. Probably using electric cars to round us all up, but at least in a way that is mostly carbon neutral. In 1965, a year in which many of you were alive. Bob Dylan became an icon because he went electric. And Bob Dylan also said, and I quote, the future for me is already a thing of the past. And that's the kind of thing you say when you have brain damage

from inhaling fumes from gasoline. So let's stop poisoning ourselves and adopt electric cars because of the times they are a charging. Thank you. Jacob Samuel. Nice job. Both debaters, it is up to the audience to decide by applause. Who thought that Jacob's electrifying plug for electric vehicles went the distance, Jacob Samuel?

And who agreed with Julie that electric vehicles are totally revolting Julie Kim? That's a well-fought debate on both sides. But I got to give this one to Jacob Samuel. Well, that's all for this week. I'm Steve Patterson saying if you do drive an electric vehicle, I'm happy for you. I just wish you are as quiet about it as your vehicle is. I'll argue with you again soon, Canada. Good night. The Debaters is created by Richard Side. This week's episode was produced by Nicole Calendar, Chloe Edbrook, Dean Jenkinson and Graham Clark, with continuity by Graham Clark, Diana Francis, and Gary Jones. With technical production by James Ferrella and Keenan O'Connor.

Story editing by Gary Jones With special thanks to Katie Ellen Humphreys, David Pride and Emily Ferrier. Executive producer of CBC Radio Comedy is Lee Pitts. And thanks to everyone at the Centennial Theater in North Vancouver. For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca.com.