Trillbilly Worker's Party - Episode 368: It's Only Drowning

Episode Date: November 21, 2024

This week we're covering all the latest in literary news, followed by updates on Trump's cabinet picks, Oklahoma's attempts to teach the Bible in schools, and an article in Politico about why the Democrats don't need to abandon their celebrity donors just yet Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/trillbillyworkersparty

Well everybody's favorite literary star Sherman Alexi has been Cancelled but y'all forgot about that one, huh? That's a deep cut Sherman Alexi did get canceled it. He did yeah, I What I looked it up one of the I think they're there I'm not gonna like minimize it or make light of anything But one of the things he did get canceled for was consensual sexual relations that ended abruptly so he ghosted I guess he ghosted okay. Yeah, yeah, they canceled they canceling people for ghosting they canceled him for ghosting

But he did do all this stuff. Let's not I'm not gonna minimize. He did do He's canceled they're canceling all the literary greats they canceled earn his himmingway They can't know the Juneau. Yes. Did you hear about what Herman Melville did? Nah, he's handsome. He didn't catch the whale what Melville there he he Did tax fraud. He did tax fraud? Herman Melville. He pulled the Wesley Snipes? Wesley Snipes, I don't know if Wesley Snipes did tax fraud or just did it pay his taxes.

That's what Herman Melville did. He just did tax fraud and he's super canceling. I got an idea for a new TV show. It's called Catch catch a literary predator. What it is is, is representatives from the estate of, you know, Ernest Hemingway or F. Scott Fischer, now Cormac McCarthy, they, they pop up in this like, you know, what looks to be a normal suburban home. And the first thing they say is, you know, oh, you know we're in Pennsylvania and the age of consent

is not what I am. And then that's when the literary figure in question says that you know well That's okay, because I'm a mid-century literary man and Anyway, Chris Hayes walks around the corner and says Hmm. What are you doing here Cormac? I think it should be someone else I think it should be someone who's got it at least an MFA or some sort of graduate degree in literature because like we're trying to catch a literary predator like the thing here is you're scouring through their body of work to determine if the clues were there all along. I gave you the clues that were there all along and so where would

a where would Nabokov fall into this you know given a given Lolita and probably other words. That's a good that's actually a good It's a guy I love that I was reading through Nabokov's List of his favorite writers the other day and there's some good shit on it. Did we read this on the show? I would have remembered such a thing. I think Yeah I would remember this. What's on his list? I Would have remembered such a thing I could never remember what the fuck we cover on Brother when we get off five minutes after have no idea what we talked about so he said um it is like that you know

Let's see Jane Austin. Just one word great Balzac though he said mediocre fakes realism with easy platitudes and like damn I fucking love balls act that really hurts Vladimir I like both sector I did too Honoree honoree they bulls act He Tia salient not quite first rate Buzak He TSA liit not quite first rate Feodor doskavsky

Dislike him a cheap sensationalist clumsy and vulgar a prophet a claptrap journalist and a slapdash comedian some of his scenes are extraordinarily amusing nobody takes his reactionary journalism seriously Which is interesting because no book off was also a reactionary He hated the fucking Bolsheviks his family fled brush stars, Russia actually because they were like, you know caked up They were as aristocrats You know that reminds me of one of my of my favorite writers are Jorge Luis Borges Finding out that he was a rabid anti-communist was very disappointing. Yeah, but at least he didn't groom anybody This is true. Well, we know of I guess Hold your horses boys. I'm gonna go ahead and tell you some some tough medicine

Probably probably Almost ten out of ten of these guys we mentioned probably had Relationships with that were not quite above board. Yeah Well, that's that's the thing we could We could you know go in on the Cormac McCarthy thing we could also just go through Nabokov's entire McCarthy thing, we could also just go through Nobukov's entire List of his favorite and least favorite writers Ernest Hemingway a writer of books for boys certainly better than Conrad Loath his work about bells balls and bulls

Of it that's a deep cut that is rights for little boys. So we just got it like yeah, you know kind of true Sigmund Freud a figure of fun loathe him vile deceit Freudian interpretation of dreams is charlatanic and satanic nonsense He like how he's like the literary John Carpenter just like just we'll talk shit about any Yeah, that's actually a great comparison Yeah, Thomas Mann dislike him second-rate ephemeral puffed up Does he like anyone he does he does like? Kafka he called the metamorphosis the second greatest masterpiece of the 20th century fair enough behind Lolita or No, I think he's.

His estimation. Ulysses was his, no, yeah, Lolita. He voted for himself in the voting booth. Like Obama giving himself a medal. Yeah. He liked James Joyce, he hated Finnegan's Wake, and also Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, but thought Ulysses was the greatest masterpiece of the 20th century

Gonna be honest here fellas. I've not read any Joyce. I need a need a need to take care same same here, bro The portrait of the artist is a young man Oscar Wilde anyway No Or what am I thinking of I'm thinking of what's the? What is the Oscar Wilde? Yeah Man three guys named with history with English minor

Portrait picture of Dorian Gray is what you're thinking your picture Dorian Gray is it's the three writers who have no idea about literature As a whole world to discover boys as A whole world to discover boys In a previous a lot of books to read in a previous generation. We would be like well Read and be able to weigh in on all this but like are we're just poisoned by spending too much time online So we don't actually like better our craft or broaden our reading Is calcified like right now? I don't have much left to give Yeah My mind is calcified right now. I don't have much left to give. Yeah. The Cormac McCarthy thing.

Alright, I'm putting you two to the fucking... Come up with a take right now that's not going to piss a single person off. Do it. That's not going to piss a single person off? Yeah. Well, I was going to say I've not read any Corm back McCarthy either, but that would definitely piss people off. So oh Wow, so you're you escape say, okay you you escape from this I was gonna I was gonna walk in here and try to do the thing like I tried to tell y'all I done tried to

Tell y'all I've done told y'all it was there the whole time, but y'all didn't do the reading Sister Hillary tried to warn us about Kermit McCarthy. Here's what I'll say about it. Here's my take on it. I probably wouldn't have ran off to Mexico with a 16 year old girl. I probably would have avoided doing that. Yeah. That's my take that's your take So so so wait, so I mean I'm really late on this one But so is Cormac McCarty getting canceled because he ran away to Mexico with a 16 year old girl

It's more layered than that air what like all of this stuff It also has to have a meta discourse now because like the writing industry and publishing industry is so bottom of the barrel. The story cannot now just be like Tormund McCarthy was a potential groomer, alleged groomer and pedophile. But now the story has to be, of course, we have this story in Vanity Fair and the story becomes about the story.

You know what I'm saying? It's like- It becomes about the story. You know what I'm saying? It's like- Right, right. It becomes about the story and it's also like kind of a meta narrative or discourse around it where, you know what I mean? Where people are either trying to call people out or trying to, you know what I'm trying to say?

The reason why is because the way this article is written, and I got bad, bad vibes from it, but the way the article is written is that like If if this is true, which I take it to be true I mean, it seems like people have known about this person for a while Augusta Britt is I think her name It seems like it's a massive story in the literary world So that 9-eleven bro that should be the story like the author though keeps inserting himself at every The story like the author though keeps inserting himself at every point of the way to be like I'm a great writer I got this scoop that no one else could get she wanted to talk to the star Yeah, like and it's like yeah, it's like I got a quantum theory of his books and all this stuff It's like dude shut the fuck up. No one cares about you. The story is this you know

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, Let the story speak for itself instead of trying to interject yourself into it, right? Yeah. Sir, I, listen sir, I knew Gay Talese. I served with Gay Talese in the ventilation ducts of a Denver hotel. You sir, are no Gay Talese. Oh my God. Hotel you sir are no gate to lease oh

My god Yeah, I'm not even gonna comment on the pros of the writing It's just that like as a stylistic thing you could tell and I think someone pointed this out partially But I'm just gonna go ahead and connect the rest of the thought here you could tell that like this was a bombshell story and You could tell that the writer was like I must write it However, I want to or else I'm gonna take it somewhere else and they were like, alright fuck fine Right it however you want and like they just gave him every inch on that because they knew it was a huge story right, right

God man, I'm gonna think it's gonna be awesome. This guy's the bad boy of letters in a couple years, you know Vincenzo Barney, is that his name? Yeah, that is a hell of a name. I have to say Sound like you should be making films like in the 60s or something Right Blow up Vincenzo Barton. Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. He sounds like the director of blow up The race hustler from Vincenzo the latest picture from the visionary mind of Vincenzo Barney comes 42 year old lidbury icon a 16 year old

unexpectedly sitting at a hotel pool Yeah, it's just a weird. It's a weird story. I just I couldn't even finish it. I was just like Anyways, we can move on Just wanted to clear the air But so yeah, so like uh so what's going on boys? There's a few things to cover this week. I might start off with a little bit of a light a Little bit of a light fare to get you started The ICC has issued arrest warrants

And Benny Gantz The on war crimes charges I Texas the on war crimes charges Thank you your man's on sex crime charges They're getting him on war crimes charge and and there was serious cope from the State Department there were like no No, press briefing today. I'll do Matthew Miller not get out there. He went out there. No. They said they weren't gonna do it They need to do Biden and Blinkin' X, man. They also did three top Hamas leaders,

one of which is dead, so I don't really know what they were doing. Yeah, what are you gonna do, exhum his body? Oh, the ICC's calling it down the middle, they said. They're trying to call it down the middle. Oh, boy. Yeah. So.

But when the charges are, the charges are of forced starvation right? Yeah, and yahoo has prevented aid from getting into Gaza right exactly I wonder I wonder I wonder Since I'm not like I'm not a legal person. I don't have a legal mind I wonder why why that charge specifically and not like you know what I mean like Why why that charge specifically and not like you know what I mean like like? What like out of all the other war crimes and crimes against humanity right that is real is committed I wonder what it was about that specifically you know that allowed them to kind of latch on to it. You know Yeah, I think it's like the facade is maintained if you can like get aid in as right

It's like oh, we're like destroying destroying I mean like fifty thousand people are dead like just that's the New York Times number So you know it's got to be like three times that they're like 80% dog shocking percentages like literally 80% or something like that is just women and children like they are fully like that is just women and children. Like they are fully genociding an entire people. And so I guess like maybe the international community can like play dumb as long as they're letting aid in. But if they're not letting aid in, then they're just like, okay, well now you're going to make us issue the arrest warrants. God damn it. Like it wasn't necessarily because of the hundreds of thousands of people that you killed,

right? Right now. Now you're being a little too brazen about it by denying them food. You know well We could have looked around that it's good when you all broke procedure and protocol And put the fucking onus on me that we got to step in here and do something mm-hmm Yeah, I mean it's um also not lost on anybody that like we and Tom brought this up on the patreon this past week, but like Biden is allowing long-range missile strikes in like Moscow now and They're just a hundred percent trying to like scale up some massive Escalation you know what I'm saying escalate some massive

You're gonna try to start World War three give a give one last encore on the way out. Yeah, well He's down there currently in the jungles of Latin America. It's kind of Kind of gotten fat and became like Kurtz. That's what I was telling Terrence about the other day. Yeah You know heart of darkness shit, uh-huh But technically still the president United States even though he's got like you know All these followers in them in the tongues uh-huh oh the press and everyone follows him into the jungle These are so resigned Yeah, I've been just going.

He's just so resigned. The world's dumbest war criminal for sure. Yeah, he's like we live as we dream alone. And I mean, also too like like a war criminal firing off of like, you know, like 12 collective neurons, you know what I'm saying? like its brain is like just just mush you know See now will crimp well I get the irony is that like a Tweet you saw going around after the election was like enjoy the Collapse of your liberal international order

Think about I mean yeah, y'all gonna. Yeah, you're gonna miss the liberal international order when it's gone and I'll quote I'll quote I'll quote the man of the hour Cormac McCarthy on this one if the road that led you here damn Damn We can't even do it can't even can we do Anton Shagr still or is that Is that done too That's a good question. I Mean, they're in touch. You're yeah, I don't know I mean like he did kill you Lou Ellen or no, he didn't actually I think cartel guys killed the well and so But he was going after the well and in well andlewellyn's a stand-in for Cormac McCarthy because he was married to a 16 year old teenager And so that makes Anton Chagr a good guy when you think about it

Okay, and and Cormac McCarthy's mind he was taking society's bullets Mm-hmm because they wouldn't just they just wouldn't let they wouldn't approve of yeah his worldview I have to say okay I thought I said my last word in court in McCarthy but I have to say I wasn't even remotely surprised like if you read any of his books you're like this guy's a sick fuck this guy this is from the mind of a sick fuck yeah read sutri and just come out of that thinking that this guy's this guy's okay oh man um all right let's see what else we got here today I'm sorry I threw all this together last minute I've had a busy week um you got more Trump

appointments wait before we get to that before we get to that I want to read this story from the hill do you know who Mark Wayne Mullen is okay so he's from Oklahoma he's a senator from Oklahoma he like doesn't him and Matt Gaetz have beef and he gates have beef and He currently like Oklahoma and Yeah, currently Oklahoma and Texas have like they're trying to implement these like Educational standards where they like teach the Bible in school now And

So Mark Wayne Mullen actually isn't a big fan of this And so Mark Wayne Mullen actually isn't a big fan of this He said that letting Oklahoma public school educators teach the Bible is a quote slippery slope If the teachers may not be believers themselves He says he wants to see his kids to know the Bible But I want it to be taught by someone that was taught the Bible themselves, too I think it's a slippery slope when you put it in the hands of teachers that may not be believers That's going to be teaching the word that can easily be taken out of context.

Why did I think when he said slippery slope, why did I think that he was going to say, well, we shouldn't be teaching dogma in schools at all. No, that's not it. No, it's actually the real problem is that the people who would be doing it is what he has a problem with. Yeah, in my experience, people with the name Mark Wayne Mullen don't really err toward reasoned arguments about things. Yeah, let's see.

And I've known several. If you just leave it in the hands of a public school teacher that may not be able to actually teach it to them because they weren't taught it themselves, then it could cause a tremendous amount of confusion The GOP senators remarks come a week after Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters did not shoot down the idea of a national mandate to require Bibles in schools Look, I believe that if you're teaching American history

The Bible absolutely has to be included and we cannot allow left-wing activists to sit here and say we don't like Christianity You have to have it in the classrooms. We will ensure that history is taught in every class That means kids will know American exceptionalism that means kids will know the role that faith played We will be unapologetic about that here in Oklahoma Look I think I think I Think if no, I think if they're gonna if you have to teach The Bible right if you have to teach about the history of America, then you might as well just throw in like

Zoroastrianism or some shit like that, you know? Like just all of the faiths, yo. I think of belief systems. I think that's what you have. My thing is this, is you realize like, we basically live in the world's biggest Potemkin village because there's just nothing about this country that's like substantive.

It's just all artificial and myth and propped up on like just this like elaborate interwoven. And it could have been any, I was talking to Terrence with us several weeks ago, it could have been any faith, right? Like it's just Christianity just kind of like got tabbed as like the one like, okay, we're gonna use that one to prop up the whole sort of myth about this place and everything and how that God wanted us to kill the natives and enslave African people and do all these horrible things.

And it's justified because there's slavery in the Bible. So that must mean that it's sanctioned or whatever. It's just weird that like for a country that really has no war legacy to speak of, like it's told to us that we won World War II and liberated people from the Nazis and all this kind of stuff. There's just nothing about any of our foundational myths.

We were talking a couple weeks ago about you know, about George Washington and his, you know, we were taught he had wooden teeth. You know what I mean? The truth is he had slaves teeth. You know? Right, right, exactly. The thing is, is when you think about land in America, I don't know if people realize like,

the entire legal framework around land is Obviously, it's a social constructs right like all law is a construct but like when you Think about like what backs that up? So how did you get land in the first place? generally how you did it was if you were a lone settler and you would go out and you would stake out a spot of land and your title to that land was how well you could hold off Indian attacks. That was literally the basis of it.

It was all backed up by a like individual or small militia violence, because that was the basis of the ownership. Because it wasn't private property, right? It was land that had to be stolen. And it was resisted at every step of the way by indigenous people. And so what gave it its value was your ability to be basically a violent, you know, genococidal or homicidal in genocidal right, like in the larger aggregate sense,

but like homicidal person. And so, and then that became the ideological subjectivity of the average American. Like there's this book that just. Yeah, it's so, go ahead Tom. Yeah, just the sort of animating Characteristic of somebody that wanted to own land or property or anything You have to be like sort of even if you're just like some sort of fucking khaki wearing like whatever

You know, there's this sense of like I have to defend what's mine You know, it's like terroristic entrepreneurship man. It is what it's what they were promoting One and the thing is is I was this book that just came out called the rediscovery of America by this guy Ned Blackhawk and He talks about like the French when they Had new France in like the Mississippi River Valley and the Great Lakes in Louisiana in like the Mississippi River Valley and the Great Lakes and Louisiana like their policy towards the Native Americans was It was you know, settler colonial, but it was one that was more

Marked by like diplomacy and trade like they weren't trying to settle large amounts of people in that area They were more interested in like extracting furs and shit from the interior and setting up this like Network of diplomacy and trade but then you had the Seven Years War in England, which by the way It was basically started by George Washington. I don't know if anybody knows that but like the ins like the inciting Event of the Seven Years War was George Washington going to Fort Duquesne with a I can't remember what tribe he was from but he was with a native He's with an indigenous guy who just had a like grievance against this one single French trader and they went in and I'm playing No, it wasn't Champlain Champlain was like the 1600s. That was like the uh...

Oh, okay. Yeah, he was the... I hear French Trader and that's where my mind goes. Yeah, it's Champlain, right. Yeah. And this indigenous guy like Tomahawk the French Trader and George Washington was like, fuck, shit. He was like, I didn't plan for that.

And then that started the entire Seven Years War, which was the first World War, really. It was like I didn't plan for that and then that started the entire seven years war which was the first world war really It was like a global event, but like the English emerged from that Yeah, no I know right George Washington's there for it also George Washington patient zero of the seven-year itch related seven-year itch related That's a little Appalachian humor coming at you this morning The the English emerged victorious from the Seven Years War and they basically got all of New France and so their Policy was more settlements, but they were still trying to broker trade and diplomacy with the with the tribes and the

Colonials in America hated that. They were like, fuck the tribes. This is our land. Fuck the British. Like that was basically people talk about the Tea Party. They talk about the Stamp Act. Really the basic animus came from the fact that the English, you know, uh, monarchy and their administrative state was actually willing to do diplomacy with the tribes and the Americans were like, no, we have to wipe them all out and steal their land. That is the American subjectivity. That is the American identity. Like, you can see continuity from that to the present day, you know what I mean? What's the matter with Kansas? It's a settler colonial state. I'll tell you what's the matter with Kansas? It's a settler colonial tell you what's matter with Kansas buddy?

anyway, sorry for the digression, but It's just on my mind right now. How are we talking about that in the first place? Where were we? Oh land we're talking about land land man For I was like we're we mentioning blood meridian? I don't know how that came about. I don't know how that happened. Talk about double-cog. The point being is Markway and Mullen, they need to be teaching that, I would love for them to actually have the Bible

taught in schools, but by people who don't know, you know, people who aren't like Christians or don't read the Bible or anything. I like the idea that like, I actually have no problem with the Bible being taught in school is like a subject You know what I mean or whatever like as a religion as long as we're teaching, you know, everybody else too or whatever I think it's funny that like no what the thing that's disqualifying is we don't have a believer of this ancient text is the One, you know teaching it, you know, right? It doesn't matter if you're a scholar of it. You got to believe it

Right, right, right. Well, I think Markwayne Mullen himself said that if we're gonna do it, we have to basically purge. He didn't say this, but he said that you have to hire kids that graduated from seminary. Right, right, right. I mean, so they don't want the gym teacher, who's also teaching English,

to now be teaching Bible studies. Right. Well, that's a thing. My mom's a teacher, but she didn't go to seminary. the gym teacher who's also teaching English to now be teaching Bible studies, you know, right Well, it's that's a thing like my mom's a teacher But she didn't go to seminary like I wonder if she would get you know to me and I wonder if they but she's a But you know Christian she reads the Bible. I wonder if they would be like well, you know, you didn't go to seminary though So you yeah, I don't know man. Yeah, it's a little elitist in its orientation. It is Yeah, I know in little elitist in its orientation. It is. Yeah, in a way. It is man. Also though, it could be one of those deals where like Mark Wayne Mullen just like plays

an insane right winger on TV, you know, on C-SPAN. And like privately, he's just like, well, we don't want the Bible in schools, but I have to make this sort of circular argument that way that, you know, pay lip service to my constituents, but we still keep the Bible out of schools because that's insane right well because his name is Mark Wayne Mullen I don't hold out much hope that's the case speaking of education though this is a perfect segue into the Trump appointments Linda McMahon I said this online but bro this is this is like a who's who of daytime old people television, man. Like, who needs to get to appoint Judge Judy to like, to lead like, you know what I mean?

To the Supreme Court and stuff like that. I guarantee you something crazy like that. That would be so sick. That'd be so tight if they put Judge Judy on the Supreme Court. Joe Brown, Judge Joe Brown. They've got Joe Brown and Judge Judy as their... He judges in the Supreme Court. Holy shit dude. If this is the end, and I'm not saying it is, but if this is the end, this is the fitting end America deserves.

It really does. Just an entire government Just hollowed out from the inside by who's who of daytime TV personnel game shows They're gonna they're gonna reanimate Jerry Springer make him head of some shit. Yeah He was a Cincinnati mayor man At least got reckless an experience, you know, yeah with the greatest city in the world so leading the best town in America yeah

Yeah, I don't know are there other so yeah Linda me man for those that don't know is Vince McMahon's wife Dr. Oz people oh yeah, dr. Oz People oh, yeah, dr. Oz Yeah, I forgot he wants dr. Oz to man it's it's one of those things where like it's obvious that it's um It is kind of like an Andrew Jackson thing like he's obviously just like putting his boys in like in various like roles like it's not actually like I mean that like the fear is that like they're gonna I I mean, the fear is that they're gonna, I think the cabinet appointments don't really scare me as much as the fact that they hold both chambers of Congress.

That's where the actual scary shit is gonna come from. It's not really, the cabinet is just, they're all a bunch of egotistical celebrities who are gonna be feuding all the time, probably. This is like an artist, I can't, who am I trying to think of? I don't know, like somebody who hasn't maybe released an album in a while, you know?

But when they come back out with an album, it's just all these cameos and hitters, y'all. That's exactly what it is, man. Damn. Man, listen, I want to tell y'all something. I really believe this strongly. I just feel it in my bones that we're gonna get Phil McGraw to like, it's either some mental health task force

or something, you know what I mean? That's gonna break me. That's gonna be the one that's like, okay, no mas. You know? Dude, it's funny you mention that. It's so funny how like, how much of like the right wing grift sphere has been created by Oprah you know I mean the comedy yet tendrils lead back to Oprah He's like dr. Oz got his started on Oprah right dr. Oz dr. Phil

Donald Trump was a frequent guest of hers in the 80s and you know probably even up into You know before he ran for president. Yeah, yeah Damn, yeah, Oprah Oprah Oprah on the hook for some of these characters Well, she but she was also taking like millions from the harris campaign, right? Like that was the thing like didn't she get five she wouldn't even show up for less than like 10 mil or something like that to one thing and they're shaking the bushes with me and Aaron trying to get every dime out of us while they just Begging it c't pay their staff

They didn't say here and Oprah appearance fee does Oprah even have any cloud anymore. I thought she retired bro like I don't He's anymore is no show. It's over. I think right I Don't know I used to watch that shit every day my mom's yeah Yeah, I have to say um I used to watch that shit every day with my mom and sister. Yeah. I have to say. Well, this would be a good segue actually into reading this article that I found in Politico I wanted to share with you guys.

I thought this was really good. But before I move on, was there any other Trump appointments that we missed? Like, there was... I know they're still trying to figure out the Treasury Guy Presented they dig they're not gonna put in that a that free money dude the dude with the green money suit I would like you let's go Matthew let's go like like Elon and Vivette getting removed from Doge and put Matthew. Let's go on would be like so Yeah Well that thing I was like talking to my buddy Jack Norton about that yesterday, and he made a good point remove from Doge and put Matthew Lesko on would be like so Yeah

Well that thing I was like talking to my buddy Jack Norton about that yesterday, and he made a good point It's like the Doge That that that that thing has to be like a make-work job right like where they don't actually do anything It's just like yeah like we'll just give them this shit so they can you know what I mean like grant Yeah, I don't feel like it. Yeah, I mean it mean it's like it's like this quote from Trump where he said Um, he said something like oh, we're gonna find some for something for Elon to do. We're not really sure what he's good at They're basically just handing him like the play-doh and the blocks, you know, yeah, that's right Non-toxic markers spit Spit it out, Elon! Spit it out!

Yeah, holding his hand underneath his mouth. Spit it out! Spit it out. Vivek, you watch your brother. Watch your little miss shaping brother He's different from the other kids, you know Okay, I want to read this article this is so fucking this is good shit man This is straight off the fucking Assembly line. This is in political magazine

Opinion don't give up on Democratic celebrities just yet This is these people these people love to lose The guy that wrote this is named David lit He's a former senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and the writer of the newsletter more perfect senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and the writer of the newsletter more perfect He's the he's the New York Times best-selling author of the book It's only drowning a true story of learning to surf in the pursuit of common ground. I Wouldn't I wouldn't if I had if I released a book, you know, I mean encouraging people to surf I don't think I would title it like it's only

I think if anything that would scare people even more it's like a metaphor for the entire Democratic strategy it's all drowning don't let anything hold you back guys not even your inability to swim and rough water okay let's start here on the evening of November 4th, Joe Rogan, the former host of the reality show Fear Factor, urged his millions of fans to vote for Donald Trump. 24 hours later, Trump was president-elect. But since then, a number of journalists and political thinkers have decided that celebrity no longer matters in campaigns. Voters don't listen to Hollywood celebrities

when it comes to voting, said Mark Penn, a former advisor to the Clintons who later served as counselor to Trump. Is the era of celebrity endorsements over? Asked the headline from The Guardian. The New York Times was more declarative. Hollywood endorsements, once an essential part of a campaign playbook, may have backfired in this election.

It's not hard to see how one might reach such conclusions Taylor Swift endorsed Kamala Harris Springsteen campaign with her Katy Perry snapped a selfie with her Beyonce rallied for her Megan the stallion twerked for her Charlie XCX declared her brat She lost anyway after the most celebrity powered campaign in history fell short It seems that nearly everyone can agree that support from a list is useless at best and counterproductive at worst Well, can I just can I just interject not if you're joy and read who who said on MSNBC? That she was endorsed by Queen Latif So she should have won because Queen Latifah doesn't endorse anybody

That's like that's the gold standard actually you know that's like you know this one little trick to making money in the market watch for it Queen Latifah endorses you then you know you've got something because she doesn't endorse anybody damn They're like they're like character accurate character actor Shay Wiggum endorsed her Well it's telling it's telling two things. I love Shay Whigham by the way if you're listening. Anyways, sorry. Yeah Shay, it's no dis..

It's kind of interesting that he could tell how condescending they are and it's just like part of why they lost, you know what I mean? When he like referred to Joe Rogan as the former host of Fear Factor, like kind of derisively. Joe Rogan's like has host of Fear Factor, like kind of derisively. Joe Rogan's like has hosted Fear Factor in a long, long time. He's known for a lot more things in the interim.

His podcast has overshadowed anything he did with his life previously. Why would you introduce him like that? That is so bizarre. It's like telling that like they're just being dismissive of that or whatever, you know, that's part of why they lost. Well, they're being dismissive of that or whatever, you know, that's part of why they lost Well, they're being dismissive of of those celebrities, right? They got the good guys like Queen Latifah and Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion, you know, but it's reactionaries like Joe Rogan Right that they don't like, you know, those are the bad celebrities. I Hate to break it to them and this is something we've talked about before but like the nature of celebrity is changing I noticed this several years ago when like my nephew like I was taught I forget what we're gonna go watch

Something I can remember maybe it was like once upon a time in Hollywood or something I was like, yeah Brad Pitt's in it and all this stuff and it's like He like they had moved on the kids had moved on but they don't care who our matinee idols are They're like into like the Paul brothers and like Kais in that and like all these streamers and stuff like that. You know what I mean? Like.

Totally, influencers. Influencers, all this stuff. It's because the nature of how we've consumed media, this is part of why Hollywood is dead. You know, we all the time talk about bemoaning the end of Hollywood. It's because like nobody consumes entertainment in those traditions.

I mean, we do, but not at the same way we did. You know what I mean? It's not the only way we do. When we were kids, yeah, if you were like Brad Pitt or George Clooney or something, that was the end all be all of celebrity. Now it's kinda not and almost works against the Democrats because people associate that with elitism, for some reason.

Right. It's true, it's like they have a bifurcation where if you're an influencer, Democrats because like people associate that with like elitism for some right, you know It's true. It's like they have like a bifurcation where like if you're an influencer like you're more You're closer to the people you're closer to authenticity Like it's not you have your ground to the ear you have your ear to the ground Well, you have you're also your ground to the ear you're also but you're also splitting a difference and it's kind of doing the same thing that Trump did with politics, is that like, you know, like this has been said a lot that like Trump made like, and I don't wanna say dumb people, because dumb people, like they've won twice now,

they can't be that fucking dumb. You know what I mean? But it's like, oh, it makes like normal people think that they can like soar to high heights or whatever, that like he speaks to them in a vernacular that they can understand. In the same way like content creators, influencers, streamers, podcasters, whatever. I think it's like such a lower barrier to entry that like

you can achieve like a certain modicum of fame or even like a lot of modicum of fame you know what I mean? Like but at the same time it feels like attainable to some kid that's like watching like a streamer or something like oh I could do that I don't know how to become an actor, you know Like connections, I don't have the connections or this or that of the third but like oh I've got like a you know You know Streaming capability and like the necessary equipment or whatever. You know what I mean? Well also I said something like this on the episode before the election, but um

It does seem to indicate that they have a kind of fundamental Inability to understand how media works Like just because someone tells you to do something or because they themselves are gonna do it Doesn't mean that someone is axiomatically going to do that thing just because you're saying it on a mediated platform Like this was the point I was trying to make before the election It's like I can tell you to go do something You're the vast majority of you are not going to do that because that's this not how media works Like it doesn't it may shape your thinking but like I don't know

I mean it just doesn't really seem like Americans and just people in general respond to that kind of stimulus in a way it's I think that um, I just based on the fact that how many people were pissed at us after the election because they thought we Just based on the fact that how many people were pissed at us after the election because they thought we caused Come on like we need single-handedly right now. Like it's like it's like I think also too It's just it may make it may make you seem disingenuous You can't be trusted right if you're piling around with like not to say that people dislike celebrities But I think when Trump's talking about draining the swamp, you know when he's talking about all these like Washington elites

You know about draining the swamp, you know. When he's talking about all these Washington elites, I think that just pairing yourself with all of these celebrities, it just causes people to distrust you, you know. It's like the George Carlin quote, you know. There's a big club and you're not part of it, right? You're not in it, you know what I mean? Yeah, well, yeah, let's dig in here.

There is, however, a glaring problem with this reasoning the second most celebrity powered campaign in history behind only Harris's Losing effort was Trump's winning one. It just it wasn't just the top of the ticket where the candidates apprentice stardom Superstardom helped to make him synonymous with prosperity and success Hulk Hogan got a prime-speaking slot at the Republican Convention NFL legend Brett Favre Rallied with the candidate, actor Zachary Levy, country star Jason Aldean, OnlyFans model Amber Rose, and reality star Savannah Chrisley were just a few of the entertainers who joined the Trump train in 2024. None of these figures have anywhere near the star power of Beyonce or Taylor, yet they

apparently were enough to help Trump win, not just the White House, but also the popular vote. So does the Harris campaign prove that celebrities lose elections, not just the White House, but also the popular vote. So does the Harris campaign prove that celebrities lose elections, or does the Trump campaign prove that they win them? The answer isn't that simple. This is so diseased, yo. Like, just ignoring the fact that tens of millions

of people just did not vote, you know what I mean? But just saying like, well, does celebrity power actually help a herd of campaign? What is wrong with you? Get a real fucking job. Yo as if the point of campaigning Was I mean granted I know we talked that there is a spectacle and there's kayfabe and all this and that is true when it Comes to these presidential elections, but um also though like you have to

You have to speak to something that like harnesses people ain't people's anger about a situation And then try to translate it to like an actionable Plan exactly the the whole celebrity Our celebrities versus their celebrities thing can be explained by what Terrence was talking about last week And that's that you can run a campaign of joy, you know what I mean? And you can run a campaign of sort of angst and bitterness and like, you know, resentment for like,

the wrongs done to you, okay? Now, Taylor Swift's gonna get out on the Everest tour and talk about like, you know, like dreaming big dreams and all this kind of stuff, you know what I mean? But over on the other side, you've got Kid Rocks shooting like a, uh, like the fucking Bud Light Cube with an AK, you know, and talking about like how, you know,

this group and that group and the other group is what's really destroying America and like, and the reason your life sucks is because of it. And it's like, it's not that that is a better emotion than joy and dreaming dreams or anything like that. It's just that it's more palatable in this sense, especially in a world created by the people over here telling you everything's fine, that you should dream big dreams. And they've done nothing when they had the ball to be able to facilitate that kind of ideal for you, you know what I mean?

But you got these fucking, you know, you got rocking the boys and you know a veritable who's who of? Spike TV alums over here telling you your life sucks cuz the Mexicans, you know what I mean? And so right that's gonna be more palatable no matter how detached from reality it is, you know It is it is funny how after the Taylor Swift endorsement they were like they thought they had their you know Pardon the pun but Trump card they really did think that like they were gonna throw down the Taylor Endorsement and they were gonna get their Swifty army I guarantee you a large portion of the Swifties just voted for Trump like yeah I said dude or didn't vote at all perhaps a boat for sure. Yeah, right exactly

I wrote speeches and jokes for former President Barack Obama and left the White House in 2016 to join the DC office of funny or die I've seen firsthand that blending politics and entertainment can be at times cringy But I've also seen that it can be remarkably effective A-list surrogates like TV ads war chest or volunteers are a campaign resource as With any campaign resource The question is not just whether they exist But how they're used and our fraction fractured media environment deploying celebrities is far more difficult than it was in 2008 when Oprah's

Endorsement of Obama netted hit netted him an estimated 1 million additional votes. How do you even quantify that? Yeah, how do you quantify that like did did she like personally lead a million people? We don't talk about Oprah's million man march enough straight to the polls You know also an unspoken thing in this election was Elon Musk was literally out there buying votes Wasn't that like that was illegal at one point straight-up electioneering? Yeah Wasn't that like I feel like that was illegal at one point straight-up election area. Yeah And this is like polluted environment where everything's permitted. It's just like that doesn't even get a blip. You know right? Yeah, it's like you can't do that you can buy. I mean I guess you can now, but it's Used to be with whiskey you know yeah, right right or gingerbread if you're an

It would be particularly ironic not to mention disastrous to reject celebrity support just because of a disappointing presidential year That's because presidential elections are the ones in which celebrity endorsements matter least I Don't I mean so why are you writing this whole thing? So why are you writing this article? Right right right go write some fucking jokes fit I have to say if Gary glitter phoned me from prison and said, hey, I want to, I really like what you're doing. I want to use my pulpit, my platform to support you. I think I'd have the presence of mind to say, no thanks.

No thanks, Gary. No thanks, Gary. We're going to... That reminds me, didn't Richard Spencer endorse Kamala Harris? Wasn't that a thing? Yeah, the't Richard Spencer endorse Kamala Harris Yeah, the Nazi guy that sounds right. I think that's something goofy like that. Yeah, I think yeah I think so I think it's like a troll thing in the same way that like David Duke endorsed Jill Jill Stein or something right like I know I'm so repugnant that just my association with a campaign would tank itself.

It's kind of a self-own to do stuff like that. The next set of campaigns will be different though. Between now and 2028, America will have a handful of special elections, off-off-year races in a few states, and a midterm. Participation in these races will be lower, and in some cases much lower than it is during a presidential year Not only that but a large percentage of registered voters won't know much about candidates on the ballot These non presidential elections are often decided by quote differential turnout I think he's just goes to basically he's making the point that if celebrities intervened here

That's where you think it to be during the midterms and yes elections Yes Cuz Beyonce telling people about they also he said well, that's he uses the example of Doug Jones Because Kerry Washington Billy Eichner Connie Britton and Ellen DeGeneres publicly supported Doug Jones And that's how he won that election against Roy Moore I guess leaving out the fact that I think where's Doug Jones at now? Listen listen here's what here's here's my stance on and me and Terrence were talking about this a couple weeks ago, but like

It's it's just a mugs game to get into political endorsement if you're an entertainer. Like it just does nothing but damage your artistic credibility. I would say the long exception was Bernie. And I don't say that like in any kind of Homerism. I just say that because Bernie was just so disconnected and so just like, like in himself uncool. You know what I mean? Like, he was so uncool. He was kind uncool. You know what I mean? Like he was so uncool, he was kind of cool.

You know what I mean? But like, sir, yeah, Public Enemy and Vampire Week, you want to play a show for it. He's probably just, oh, okay. You know what I mean? Cool. But like when that, it's when the politicians try to engage and like be hip with like the people that are like

wanting to do things, it gets cringey. It just comes off as disingenuous. Yeah, it's like when Kamala went on the breakfast club or whatever and she was like, I smoked weed and listened to Tupac or whatever. And then they fact checked it's like Tupac wasn't even out when you were college. Right, right, right.

I mean, honestly, I take the, I think 50 Cent's opinion on this. When asked about who he would endorse, he said that he doesn't talk about American politics because they scare him. And somebody pointed out on Twitter, this is a man who's been shot nine times. You know what I mean?

And he's just like, I don't even want to get involved. Which, you know, fair enough. Fair enough, Eddie. Well, the argument here is so bizarre because he says, celebrities can help signal a party's willingness to expand its coalition. This is something the Trump campaign exploited to impressive effect

It's unlikely that anyone was surprised when Mel Gibson or Ted Nugent endorsed the former president But Trump also trumpeted but Trump also trumpeted the support of younger black men like rapper Lil Pump former NFL Cell star Mike Wallace and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown and he goes down the list but it's just like Wait Antonio Brown is not a current NFL wide receiver. I hate to break that Also too I think he's just this this this this is like this liberal conception that Celebrity endorsements help get up grow the base, you know or bring in new voters I think it's just like, I don't think that's the case. I think like all these people that he's bringing up, right, that Trump had brought in, I don't think anyone who,

these people were already going to, were going to already vote for Trump, Trump voters, you know what I'm saying? Well, the numbers, the numbers show that he did not increase his votes among black men. It went from like 7% to 8%. It's like it didn't do shit that they had lip pump. It didn't do shit that they had little shit

Yeah, I don't know each of these endorsements signaled Trump's eagerness to court voters outside the traditional Maggabase and helped make it acceptable for people from those groups to a crossover and support him Well, I mean, I mean there is the whole you know him winning ground among Latinos But like I don't think that has anything to do with celebrities I think that has to do with like the you know cathartic. You know that that whole like libidinal thing about him trying to kick out immigrants that like kind of Activated this you know I'm saying this yeah, yeah nationalistic fervor among those groups. I don't know Now Democrats are the ones worried about their too small tent as they seek to expand it They should follow the Trump campaigns example

Can the next wave of Democratic candidates augment their typical enthusiasm from Hollywood with supporters from surprising places? country music NASCAR the tech brosphere or the unapologetically masculine politically incorrect corners of hip-hop and comedy The future of the end of the party and possibly the country may hinge on the answer first Reprobate traditionally black art forms White is he why I Mean, yeah, he was a speechwriter for Obama. I'm pretty sure but like y'all like y'all don't like I

Just don't understand how you could say the Democratic the Democratic the Democratic Party. Sorry tent is too small Like their tent is huge. They had fucking Liz Cheney on board You know, I mean it's too big that to be not only is he white but this is what he looks like He looks like the mad TV kid. He really does. He looks like a guy that like, Vice would have sent to interview like, you know, like Chief Keef in like 2013, you know what I mean? It's like that juxtaposition of nerdy white guy and like, you know.

Not it. They would have sent him to some African country experiencing a civil war and had him talk to warlords or some shit like you know, I thought it they would they would have said him to some African country experiencing a civil war and have him talk to warlords or some shit, you know, it's something right right right right right Something one of you said I mean Aaron I think you made this point that you're right like by Slapping so many celebrities on the Kamala thing it became Painfully obvious that they were trying to make an uncool person cool. Like it got at a disjuncture that I think a lot of people picked up on, which is like, you know, it's just not working.

They're trying too hard, I guess, is what it kind of like looked like. Finally, Democrats and celebrities themselves must recognize that social media presence is more valuable than physical presence While my own engagement with celebrities in 2024 was limited I got the sense that compared to previous election cycles many left-leaning entertainers were scared to fully use their platforms They urged fans to vote and often especially in the campaign's final weeks

They urged fans to vote and often especially in the campaign's final weeks But they didn't want to elaborate on their political beliefs share information that might persuade voters or otherwise help spread a campaign's message Well, maybe it's because you didn't have a message What pray tale would she be shared? Yeah, that's a good question Also, he's doing he's kind of doing something that I find very annoying that I've seen a lot of liberal media figures are doing now. Where they're kind of doing the morning Joe and Mika thing, if you can't beat them, join them thing. Where they're kind of like trying to, they're like, a little afraid Trump might bring camps

back. And so they're kind of trying to to like they're like a little afraid Trump might bring camps back And so they're like kind of like trying to ingratiate themselves a little bit They don't get dragged off Screaming at the middle of the night. Yeah, it's like, you know, like listen, we've had our disagreements Which is a very different tone like and also just signals how much they know that the Democratic Party is not a reasonable bulwark for them anymore Right. Yeah they know that the Democratic party's not a reasonable bulwark for them anymore, you know what I mean? They would shoot their mouth off in 2020 because they knew the Democrat was probably gonna win

because Trump had just made a big mess of all this stuff. We had this dysfunctional government. He hadn't really filled out any of these cabinet positions or anything, even four years in, we had the pandemic, we had all this shit going on. But they knew that the cavalry was coming so they're like no like this is fascism this is and now they're like proving our point that it's not an original point but like I mean people made it's like

these people are always gonna like side with the fascists ultimately over the left. Yeah Yep, hundred percent and also like I'm sorry, but it's just Okay supporters from the surprising places country music NASCAR rap tech bros fear I mean like that's not gonna get you anything I don't think cuz like they've already tapped those out like those seams They've they've thoroughly mined those seams There's what what else is there out there for them to get like they've the closest they got to like a Rogan on the left

What was Hassan and they like kicked him out of the DNC? So like what you know what I'm saying like it's not right And even the people that the people that were already gonna vote for you already like these people they're already gonna vote for you You know you're not expanding your base to anyone else nobody's gonna be like oh they got like they got a this this celebrity Beyonce you know what I like Beyonce's music but I actually really like her political views too I think I'm gonna vote for Kamala like nobody nobody does that you know yeah I need to know what yeah what Seth, Jay-Z and Beyonce on for

you know it to be honest with you If they would only got in le choppa's endorsement. I would have went straight to the polls for common Yeah, well this it's this is why like if you're trying to break into that world you don't do it with like I Let's see if I can like tease this out for a second because like I feel like even leftist in the Bernie days We're saying this like oh, we got to get Bernie on Rogan. Oh shit. We got him on Rogan They're all gonna vote for him now, and I just don't I fundamentally don't think that's how media works I think that if you're actually trying to use it to for a cause you have to do it like go on Rogan Just a regular ass person who's very well spoken very well articulated very educated

very bright very charismatic and try to like red pill him about like Marxism or something right but you can't like go on there and Be like yeah, I'm here and therefore You're gonna vote for me because it just doesn't work that way people you have to have a substantial conversation a substantial conversation with in which even the listener or the viewer has their own mind changed because the host of the interviewer is Agreeing with them with this person. Yeah, right. It is it but it doesn't I don't know It's just it's just a very like mechanistic idea of how they think you win elections It's like oh we get on the platform and because we're on the platform people will go as if as if they don't know who you are as you know what I'm saying. It's like it's weird It's like okay, so you're gonna go on Rogan and suddenly people are gonna know who you are

They already know who you are your fucking election. You're a candidate for the president like it's not right well in her case She's already the vice president like she did she had already well saturated her media spread You know what I'm saying? Like it's not I Don't know. I Don't blame left-leaning celebrities for being frightened right now a 2023 boycott of Bud Light over its partnership with a trans influencer sent a powerful message Take the wrong side in the culture wars and a good portion of your audience will feel pressure to abandon you Meanwhile Magas reply guy mobs act as online enforcers.

Maybe this is the thing, brother, maybe we just need to log off. Maybe in your, I mean, this is written as somebody who is terminally online in the sense that they really do think social media has more influence than like flesh and blood IRL. Maybe that is true, maybe that is becoming more true. I hope that it's not but it is

possible but I Do also think there's something to be said for flesh and blood retail politics, you know shaking people's hands Even doing babies and shit. Yeah, I mean I mean It's hardly surprising when a Lister's worry that if they support Democrats too vociferously, it will damage their careers and subject their families to harassment. But surrogates with large followings don't have to be obsessively political in order to have an impact.

They simply have to go beyond endorsing the civic duty of voting or even endorsing a candidate. Whether this comes in the forms of news clips, clips articles or opinion pieces written by subject matter experts Celebrities should embrace their role not just as personalities, but as channels You're asking way too much of these celebrities yo what you want them to do You want them to run around and kiss babies and shit and shake hands with politicians, dawg? Come on, man. You'd have a better shot of just doing the Elon thing that was like, Beyonce, go pay people to vote.

You know what I mean? Like, just do that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, oh my God, I don't even like you. For those outside the ascendant MAGA ruling class, silver lining is currently a relative term, but when it comes to celebrity engagement, there are clear examples of famous people who use their platforms in a way that went beyond mere endorsements.

LeBron James, for example, didn't just support Harris, but shared highlights of Trump's Madison's. If that's okay, if your thesis is true, then doesn't that kind of just like reveal that like celebrity dumb does not? Still, even in 2024 with the spectacle with everything we have It's LeBron James wasn't able to get people to vote for combo. So like maybe something else is operative here Call it politics or something. I don't know like Of course LeBron's immortalized online as a grown man liar. So maybe they just thought he was

Lying through him too. That is true Clearly none of these things were on their own enough for the vice president to win the White House But they're examples of a type of celebrity engagement that would have been impossible 15 or 20 years ago and that candidates and the celebrities who support them can learn from as Democrats stare into the political abyss, they can voluntarily see their advantage in celebrity support. What thing he says so far that I agree with?

They are staring into the political abyss, yo. 1000 yards stare. Finally spitting. Or they can use that advantage to boost turnout in non-presidential races, broaden a shrinking coalition, and reach politically unengaged voters. Given the likely consequences of the 2024 election, it's hard to overstate how much depends

on Democrats making the right choice. Oh, brother. So. All right, if it depends upon them making the right choice, then uh. Yeah. You're in for this. You're gonna be white in a little while.

You're gonna be white a long time, brother. Dale. You're gonna be you're gonna be waiting a little while Dale Yeah, that's a bad case of terminally online brain and celebrity brain It's just like those two things are lethal man. Just cannot Competition with one another. Yeah, I just I just don't I'm not articulating myself Well, I haven't really articulated myself well about this But I just don't think it's like a simple and mechanistic is like you get the coolest guy in America and he says go do something Does not necessarily mean people are gonna do that like that's like it's like I mean, I don't know

I don't know how I should probably say this because I don't know how advertising works I don't know if advertising actually works if people buy products because they're advertised to them on TV, commercials, whatever. Right, right. But yeah, there's this idea that this person's stamp of approval, because this celebrity likes you and tells you that you should vote for this person, that people are going to automatically do that,

as if sometimes people just don't divorce those two things, right? Yeah. just don't divorce those two things, right? Yeah. You know, like they don't divorce the politics from what they, their politics from what they might consume, right, what artists they may listen to, you know, what actors they may like, right? Right.

It is, that is true. It's weird because politics is, and voting for candidates are presented to us as consumption choices, as consumer choices, right? And like we kind of engage with them that way But at the same time like I do think that it's possible to intervene and break through that like, you know, I mean, it's I'm not saying like the Bernie thing was

Perfect, obviously it failed but it does go to show that there is something there still that people want to engage in. I don't know, I mean it's. Well, Tom, you had brought up a good point because Bernie's, the endorsements that Bernie got, kind of being as like out of touch, not out of touch I should say,

but, because he's not out of touch. If should say, but because he's not out of touch. If anything, he has his finger on the pulse of like what what people actually went and believe. But, you know, it was like he wasn't like a cool guy, right? So when you saw him, you know, I remember this picture of Ariana Grande giving him a hug, you know, and he's just they're kind of smiling, but he's just he's just fucking Bernie, you know, but forcing the select forcing Kamala onto a stage with these people having these people show up at her rallies Like she's not a cool person

Like now that I'm thinking about it like just the fact that they thought they could run her as a candidate, right? When her public appearances, right? We're like like fodder for memes and shit online is just kind of insane to me You know, yeah, it's just not a charismatic person. The problem I think lies in, a lot of the people quarterbacking these campaigns, oftentimes in terms of social media strategy and all these other things, are sort of like older millennial, sort of like non-profit washouts.

That's how you get Pete Buttigieg's high high hopes for a living. That dance and that kind of stuff. It's like this like, sort of cringe factor. It's like people my age that haven't like sort of accepted the reactant, there's like a new like sort of paradigm of like streaming and all this kind of stuff. They are forms of entertainment that kids gravitate toward

and it's not stuck in like 2009 flash mob stuff. like that's where their mind is and that's what they still think wins the day with like younger voters or something and like they've just never moved out away from that class of people and really like Right, you know and they What's weird is that the right is about the most unlikely people to have tapped into that but they have you know what I mean? And so it's like that the right has kind of won the war for like new media the most unlikely people to have tapped into that, but they have, you know what I mean? And so it's like, the right has kind of won the war for like, new media, you know, and they don't want to accept that, whereas like, the Democrats are still playing ball in Obama

era, like sort of like... Wear a vote or die shirts, man, with ditty and shit. The irony is that it got them nothing, because the new, what we call new media is kind of synonymous with the rise of tech, the tech industry, right? So much of this has an overlap with tech industry because the mechanisms through which the media is disseminated, like podcasts and our phones and apps and streaming and YouTube and everything,

that was all tech innovation. And that was all tech innovation. And that was done in Silicon Valley. And Silicon Valley was like the bastion of democratic support for the longest time. And like, the right was able to peel off a few very successful, you know, Vivek, Elon, Peter Till, et cetera.

And so now, yeah, they do kind of have their own like little cottage industry of of you know They're streamers their influencers, but also They kind of have like a market hold on those things as well I mean, I don't know I just I just have a knee-jerk reaction rejection to anyone says there we need a Joe Rogan of the left like it's not Only it's reproducible. I don't think that's even possible yeah and maybe I mean I know I kind of already brought this up but it's just like you know Kamala had like an

authenticity issue you know and I do think that like kind of surrounding yourself with these new media figures like you know people instead of listening to like mainstream media that people are naturally distrustful of you know they're listening to podcasts right they're listening for two alternative points of view and again Just kind of stacking these endorsements that just stacked up with all these familiar names and faces I just don't think that red is authentic to people. Well part of the reason why Okay, like there's probably a hundred different reasons why we're not making millions of dollars and make making Joe Rogan money

But a big part of it is genuinely because we're just dogmatic like we have a dogma we have like a kind of like faith and a kind of like a Line basically like I think what makes Joe Rogan so popular is that he's just kind of all over the place and that's representative of the median American and that that I think that's a Genuinely, I think that's a big reason why it's so popular So it's like if you wanted Joe Rogan of the left you're gonna have to find someone who really checks several different boxes and is also just not really dogmatic in the same way that like We are for example, you know, I mean, I don't know. It's that and also I'm hideous

Hideous and misshapen also I can't read good. Okay well we're over an hour but breaking news boys I don't know if you guys saw this this is just hot off the presses. Matt Gaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for Attorney General. Oh boy. Really? He didn't survive a week. Nope.

He withdrew Thursday as the pick for attorney general following continued scrutiny over a federal girl sex trafficking investigation that casts doubt On his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer What do you think that was about like surely they knew that was gonna come up like I wonder why they I mean This is how we get Judge Judy Maybe they would maybe they were just so confident. You Maybe they were just so confident, you know? They were just so confident with their win, you know what I mean, that maybe he didn't think that stink would follow him.

Right. Or maybe he thought that, I don't know. Well, he made a lot of enemies. I bet it was one of those things where it was like, listen, we'll run through Dr. Oz or whatever other fucking freak show person you want, but we can't do Gates. I refuse

Yeah Yeah, he's just too messy to Get some a figure man right and he made a yeah, Tom. You're right. He made a lot of enemies on the right and Yeah, it's not gonna If Cormac McCarthy ain't surviving the cart charges I hate hate to break to you Matt Gaetz. Neither are you pal That could have been what it was they were like fuck if the McCarthy story didn't drop So we got Judge Judy for Attorney General now now that that lane opens for her Joe Brown now mm-hmm Yes, they are technically lawyers. It's Joe Brown. Oh, man.

What if they... who's the guy in prison? Cohen? Oh, Michael Cohen. Michael Cohen. Yeah. Mike, let's let bygones be bygones. Yeah, I need an AG water under the bridge one last job All right well that about covers it for today before we go does anybody have any leading theories on why Jay Leno keeps appearing in public with black eyes What's going on there? Listen, it's very present on my mind just because I'm doing the whole twin peaks watch through thing, but his face is very lynching

Like when he pulled that thing now I was like now that looks like you know, like the the woman that peaks around the corner in the trailer It's fire welcome. Hey, that's who he looks like Harper's up Firewalk with me. Hey, that's how he looks like oh Hard percent All right well thanks everybody for listening this week We'd like to encourage you to please go support us on the patreon the link is in the show notes You can find us over there Yeah, thanks for listening we'll see you next time we'll see it. We'll see you next time

Yeah, we'll be here. We'll be here unless we're appointed attorney general and the mate yeah we're gonna yeah demand that all the copies of blood married me take off the shelves and we're gonna run over them with a steamroller I think it's Snoop Dogg CDs in the 90s oh shit dude yeah we've not seen a book Leveling we you know we said book burnings, but we need to level up with some books. No This is the least surprising thing in the world I was on I was expected Yeah, what's what's really crazy about it? Honestly is I remember after Philip Roth died because I'm a big fan of Philip Ross I remember after he died everybody was bracing themselves for the allegations and there were some but it's crazy that like Cormac

It's crazy that like nothing he did is I don't as far as I know I'm gonna probably get screamed at here But I don't remember anything Nearly as bad in the Philip Roth stuff is what Cormac did so I don't know in the Philip Roth stuff is what Cormac did so I don't know I don't know that's postmodern writers man yeah all right well thanks for listening everybody we'll see you next time how do you peace