Great work here, very thorough and comprehensive. I'm writing a series on the Daily Wire now (mostly pertaining to The Daily Wire+ and their attempts at "conservative entertainment", though when it will be done, I can't say), but as an outsider looking in who knows little of their operation outside of Ben Shapiro, Jeremy Boering's razors and chocolate, and... literally nothing else, this is immensely helpful in understanding the situation. I vaguely knew Candace Owens had gotten in trouble and split ways with the company over a tiff with Shapiro but I didn't realize it was so acrimonious and that their relationship went all the way back to 2021.
I also live by the rule that I never want to work for a company that constantly calls itself a "family", or coworkers that try to act like it - been there, done that, got the t-shirt, had it signed, and then had it taken away because every time I worked for a company that pretended to be a family, they got abusive the second it was convenient for someone higher on the food chain had a problem with you.
Thank you! That is high praise coming from a great writer and one of premiere pop-culture historians in this game. I hope this piece can be of some value in your upcoming series; I'm looking forward to reading it!
Seems like we have had pretty similar experiences with the "family" workplace haha. I now share your sentiment, obviously. As a great man once said: "There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."
Truly a primo golden nugget of wisdom from Bush Jr., right behind "They misunderestimated me" and "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."
Fascinating article. I don't have a huge dog in this race as I have never really cared about Owens or the Daily Wire crowd in any meaningful way, but you make a strong and compelling case for her (and against a lot of the kneejerk reaction against any policy of a foreign government being used as a case for bigotry).
The one point you made I would contest is when you mention that would support M4A and UBI except that the government would use them as a means to control people. The thing is, I don't think that's true. I think the reason we don't have those things is because they would absolutely be liberating for people. If those things are granted in an inalienable way (much like many rights/public services), that takes away a lot of power from both government and businesses to control people's lives, offering a great deal more freedom to live as they want, not to mention it's tax money essentially going back to the people rather than off to foreign wars or multinational corporations.
One doesn't have to a) love Candace Owens or b) dislike the DW to have seen that the first public shot over the bow by Shapiro was unprofessional, undignified and reinforcing of stereotypes. Some of Shapiro's takes (not on the current conflict) can be interesting but he's like having to listen to an auctioneer with a megaphone. It tends to make you want to turn him off within 5 seconds. I thought the whole DW team did themselves a disservice. Unfortunately, Owens can also be a self-promoting provocateur as well. I guess both sides have to have them.
Excellent Biblical tie-ins. I was surprised to see Andrew Klavan's own pearly gates divided against himself, unable to even make it clear exactly what or whom he was siding with. I listened to him (a fiction writer) with great interest in a younger part of my life to see how an artist talked about his politics; now, perhaps he has lost his zeal & will to do the mental work of renewing his ideas, or maybe an unawareness is coming over him... I always find myself much more hopeful of people's unintentionality than I am cynical on possible conscious profiteering in portrayals of 'the good guys'.
Klavan and Knowles were the two that really shocked me. I am curious what is going on behind the scenes with them and how things may go from here. Time will tell. Thank you for reading and for the kind words regardless!
Thank you! Yeah, I feel the same (obviously haha) about Candace. I get a huge kick out of her.
As for what games I worked on, I am still keeping those cards close to my chest for now, but I will say it was for a Japanese game company in the U.S. I'm mulling over finally breaking that dam and writing about my extensive thoughts and experiences in that industry at some point, but I honestly don't even know where to start. Or how to handle it so the splash damage doesn't spill over onto innocent parties, because, man, there are so many amazing people and amazing stories, but there is a decent amount of... less amazing haha
If you're a JRPG fan, then I suspect you've likely played at least one game I worked on. At least, I hee-hope so ;)
I've been meaning to check out the Trails series forever! How do you like it?
I don't know SBI personally, and I haven't done as much research on that situation as I would like...
However, everything I've seen from them, combined with my other experiences and macro observations, make me think they are a likely a bunch of talentless grifters milking terrified, mob-addled, virtue-drunk companies by quelling the frayed nerves of neurotic marketers and community managers with neat little checklists and PowerPoints to show how "Diverse" and "Inclusive" they are, while justifying the squealing wokewashing of the ideologues infiltrating dev studios and localization teams across the industry. The fact that SBI seems to be in full metal panic mode, bullying anyone trying to provide a modicum of transparency surrounding their insidious involvement, all while playing the shrieking victim does little to earn them the benefit of the doubt from me.
But again, I'd need to look into it more :)
Before the Wokexplosion, I (perhaps naively, perhaps I just didn't expect the world to go bonkers haha) believed that providing information about various cultural norms and mores could have value as a reference to better develop certain elements of characters and narratives and--most importantly--to be cognizant of laws and rating board regulations surrounding various content in different regions. Though the latter remains a pragmatic issue for anyone ever applying to the ESRB or CERO (and marketing *does* have every right and reason to know what is in a game so they can appropriately target and maxiize its appeal to various demos) the prior ideal has become a completely untenable pipe dream, ripped apart by the ravenous zombie mobs of fanfic wokesters infesting companies and desperate to contort the original work actual creatives into their own emotionally and mentally stunted, Deviant Art-and-Reddit fever dreams.
A big Dumbo in the room is that this wokewashing requires adherence to a strict orthodoxy, homogenizing every game to fit into their narrow world view and nigh-impossible purity tests. This is DIRECTLY at odds with the actual value and allure of things like JRPGS for Western gamers, for example, who are looking art with different sensibilities than those of their own milieu. Despite the Woke's incessant battle cry of "DIVERSITY!" we all know that is the last thing they want. (If they read this, they'd already be halfway done typing "Hate speech and bigotry isn't diVeRsitY, moron!") They want homogeny.
Thus, sadly, this means that we don't end up with, say, a more realistic Muslim woman or gay character, we just end up with the same Woke archetypes, e.g., girlboss, regardless of culture or context, being endlessly churned out by the Woke Machine. They actually destroy diversity and culture, and love nothing more than harranguing other countries and peoples about what they "should" do, even without any notion of their unique history or circumstances. It is kind of like the Order endings in a lot of MegaTen games: sure everything is "peaceful" in a sense... but it has come at the cost of the complete annihilation of free will and individuality.
Sigh. I could go on, but maybe this will actually be its own article at some point now that I think about it haha
I hope you’ll write an article, including what games you’ve worked on as I love a good JRPG just because Japanese stories are 10x better than what the West now do.
The Trails games are class but there’s sooo many games!! You’ll also have your favourite female character as well. (Emma) lol.
I agree with everything you wrote about the current state of gaming. I think the fact that the woke don’t want good looking female characters, Stellar Blade being the prime example is telling. It’s weird though as what is the one thing all business’ know. Sex sells lol.
An absolutely epic rant. (I, for one, am glad you got that off of your chest...
I actually even got a fair number of the references, too!)
I haven't followed the slap-fight that closely, but I'm nominally aware of it through cultural osmosis.
It happens all of them time on the dissident right - the fault lines there are over spending and foreign policy, both of which are dominated by Intel/DoD/State. War propaganda - waving flags and finding enemies to bomb - works on "conservatives" who still cling to US imperial ambitions abroad (which includes unquestioned support for Israel).
Another common (intentionally created, I believe) point of confusion is the problem of people talking past each other re: the (imaginary) excluded middle between "Hamas is run by savages" and "Israel can still be wrong for how they conduct business militarily."
Same as Yugoslavia in 1995 when it all went to shit: there aren't always good guys and bad guys. Many times it's just bad guys - and we could simply excuse ourselves from being involved, or funding the killing.
But instead we'd rather turn on each other and divide into camps like the Big Endians and Little Endians. Or, maybe more honestly, we really are that tribal. And all of the parties are struggling to hold any kind of coalition because the foundational myths of the Republic have been torn down.
This may sound terrible, but as a reformed Secular Humanist, I'm glad to see it all disintegrating. I no longer worship the institutions of Men and my Faith is now properly placed. Looking very good to be storing for Heavenly Rewards, it seems to me.
Thoroughly enjoyed this article. New subscriber! This really was educational and funny AF. Also admitting you were subscribed to DW and a supporter of Sanders at the same time made me feel better about where I was mentally during 2020-21. LOL.
Welcome aboard, matey! Thank you for subscribing and for leaving that thoughtful comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the article!
Yeah, I keep things 100% here haha. My path, politics, and perspectives are all pretty heterogenous, so I figure I owe it to myself, and anyone crazy enough to read my posts, to be as honest as possible. It can mean some iconoclastic, triggering, paradoxical, even embarrassing articles haha, but I figure it makes this Sub worth reading. (And, hey, people can always leave if they don't dig it lol)
But more so, like I mention in this article, I know what it's like to feel like you're "taking crazy pills" or "politically homeless." Everything can seem so polarized and prefab today, but I just don't agree with or fit into that schema--even when I supported Bernie, it seemed obvious to me after Hillary and the DNC political machine rigged the game against him in multiple elections that I'd be nuts to then vote for... Hillary and the DNC political machine! Even if Lapdog Bernie told me to after recovering from his latest kick in the trousers haha
So, if sharing my views (even if they differ from yours or any reader!) can help people understand they're not alone and they're not crazy, and then feel better about the idea of not conforming to the ridiculously narrow, tribal templates given us, then that makes me really happy.
So, feel free to click around the archives here because I think you'll get a real kick out some of the past articles as well. Have fun and thanks again!
I thoroughly enjoyed this article (though my arthritis makes it increasingly difficult to have to navigate to a 2nd page and find where I left off). I have been a fan of Candace Owens since she was assaulted in Chicago for headlining an outdoor event celebrating the police in 2020.
My only question is this: What is M4A? I looked it up on the Internet and only found some BMW automobile and the M4 assault weapon.
Hi Charles! Thank you so much for reading the article, especially because it sounds challenging with arthritis. I am really sorry to hear you are dealing with that. Of course, scrolling through my mad ramblings is hardly a priority haha, but if there are any suggestions you have for formatting or layout changes I could make, for example, that would make these easier to read for people in similar situations, please let me know!
I am still very glad to hear that you enjoyed the article, and I sincerely appreciate the encouragement and kind words. I will continue to keep doing my best in my own quirky way here haha
Oh, also, my apologies for not being clear when I used the term "M4A;" that was my fault. It is an abbreviation for "Medicare-for-All," a policy proposal to create type of universal healthcare in the U.S. that would essentially extend the current "Medicare" system to "all" citizens. Not as cool as rifles and Bimmers, I'm afraid aha! You can read a bit more about the idea at the links below:
And I remember seeing Candace (and I think Charlie Kirk) getting attacked at events, as well. It is horrible. I wish her well, and hope things improve for all of us sooner than later. All the best!
My age and growing confusion make it difficult to understand acronyms that mix letters and numbers. It's not your fault I didn't understand M4A. Udig? I enjoyed your title - with OWNS highlighted.
I read very few Substack authors and never watch podcasts. Three of the writers I most enjoy seem to feel it is important to become antennas and microphones, adding so many links that I usually get tired before having to click and scroll to read the rest of the bad news.
I hope you have a wonderful day. It will be in the low seventies here in the mountains today.
One thing that popped in my head that may be helpful, you may already knows this but just in case, in some browsers you can use shortcuts to open links in separate tabs, for example, holding "ctrl" while clicking on the link. That way you can just click back to the article tab at the same spot you were reading after checking the link.
I always jam articles full of links both to provide "receipts" for stuff I am saying, and references for future work, but also for fun "Easter Eggs" and tangents that I think may be amusing to readers or add some additional, but unnecessary, context haha. So, in my case at least, no need to feel obligated to click links; they are largely "optional" / "bonus" content : )
Also, George Carlin is not in any way a man with good values, lol. He worked for the controllers by telling us bad words and then saying, you're not in the club. But he is. I would bet, anyway. Anyway, good article, again.
As for Alex Jones, check out some stuff on how he actually seems to be Bill Hicks. There's a guy who gets way too much media-attention to be legit.
Cornbread analogy truthers and deniers are both welcome here haha! Everyone is, but they need to know I'm going to talk whatever I want, however I want, no sacred cows or safe spaces here. Otherwise, better they find a different Substack. Even "pro-choice" people are welcome, as long as they are OK with my stance that euphemistic "abortion" is baby murder, and I vehemently oppose it.
Speaking of, my reference to Carlin as "a great Christian theologian" was a joke based on his role as a cardinal in the film "Dogma." I don't think he had great morals, but I do think he was one of the greatest American standups with some legendary routines. He was dead wrong on "abortion" though; that was one bit he did that still makes me wince because it's such a myopic, partisan, and just un-funny take to me.
But, I digress! It's what I do haha. Thank you so much for the read, the comments, and the kind words, and I hope you have a good one!
Yes, no, that's the exact same bit I was thinking of. I thought it might be kind of in jest, but he's to the cornbread-truther an obvious plant, like the rest of them. Anyway, yeah, no, I get it. I welcome all conversation, as well, but you know in a second if the person is not looking to have one. I would not have commented like I did if you were that guy
Everyone should be following The GrayZone with Max Blumenthal & Aaron Mate. I found them during Russian collusion hoax and they haven’t disappointed yet. They were first ones to debunk the beheaded baby claim .. & the mass rapes by Hamas
Thank you very much taking time to give this a read and for sharing your thoughts, including both the the kind words and the respectful disagreement. All much appreciated. I greatly respect your work, as well, so I hope I can reciprocate that in my reply!
With that in mind, let me try to run through the points you kindly listed:
1) Agreed. Not trying to be curt here, but, yeah, I just agree. Nothing to add haha
2) Great points. Those two shmucks I mention definitely are not doing the title "rabbi" any favors. That is very cool that you studied at Rabbinical college; I'd genuinely love to hear what that was like. Either way, we would all be much, much better off with you on the television than those goons!
I did mention in the article that Shmuley is clearly unhinged, but like I also said, I don't think some of his attack lines are fundamentally unique. Sadly, Barclay seems to me at least (an outsider to be sure, so could be wrong) to be relatively within mainstream Judaism based on things like his resume (https://www.nersimcha.org/about) and other mainstream appearances (https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/video/rabbi-michael-barclay-speaks-about-the-death-of-a-jewish-man-during-a-dueling-protest-over-the-israe/). I get your point about priests or, say, people like perhaps Rev. Jackson or Rev. Sharpton being unduly propped up as representatives, but I have definitely heard the exact same sentiments as those Barclay expressed multiple times from other prominent Jewish voices, and candidly, Jewish friends and acquaintances. (I know. I know. The ol' "It's OK; I got [minority group] friends!" routine, but it is true here haha I know a lot of Jewish people!) I even referenced other debates Candace had like the one with Jewish comedian Ami Kozak (not by name in his case, the link to where she will admit if she got things wrong), and that debate ALSO went very similarly. I saw it repeatedly while researching this. Just context, not saying that trumps your experiences or insights.
Granting, of course, that most groups "contain multitudes," to crib from Whitman, a point which I stress in all of my writing, it still seems to me that what we see hyperbolically in Shmuley and more chillingly in Barclay or Shapiro--framed by the events unfurling around Candace vis-a-vis the Daily Wire--is sufficiently representative of this topic at this juncture. Not to say it defines all Jews (or your personal views) by any means, or that those types of tactics and talking points are even unique to Jewish people (I also make that clear, and call out several Christians), or that there aren't Jewish people like Norm Finkelstein who are extremely strident on another side of things... but, we see which side gets shunned or lambasted as "self-hating" or some such nonsense in the mainstream. So, to me, my article is fair in that respect. However, if you have people you would suggest I take a listen to (or mainstream Jewish voices defending Candace) I would be happy to do so. Just an extended point: I also know there are some real pro-Hamas nutters worthy of a lambasting as well, but this article was already a million words long, and I can only cover so much haha, especially as I do not consider Candace as part off that bizarre contingent for reasons explicated in my article.
3) Agreed. It sucks because there is indeed a lot of anti-Semitism out there getting dumped on regular Jewish people, so I don't even blame them for being hypervigilant in some ways. But, yeah, as I write about, and I think we agree, the overuse of such epithets by any group is counterproductive in the end.
I should be clear though that I do not feel it is "anti-Semitic" to question, critique, or dislike an individual Jewish person, groups like the ADL, historical records, the government of Israel, the existence of Israel, or even to suggest that some powerful Jewish people in certain industries might collude together; we've seen collusion from virtually every race, religion, creed, etc... at some point if given half a chance! I think it'd be racist to suggest some Jews might not do something similar as the rest of humanity haha. I know those last two (Israel's existence as a state and possible cliques of powerful Jewish people) are likely the most contentious, but I am firm in feeling they are open for exploration in a facts-over-feelings way, to quote Ben, if they are not weaponized to vilify all Jewish people in general. (And I won't forgo discussions just because some nutters may use them for nutty ends.) I can respect if people feel differently here, and sincerely wish them well if those are non-starters regarding my Substack, but just as those are not discussions I will allow to demonize all Jewish people, they are also not discussions I will be browbeaten into ignoring if I want to explore them. Not saying you have suggested anything like that; just came to mind while on the topic :)
4) Shmuley had been attacking her since before she got booted from DW. I share her instinct to reject ultimatums, defend friends/associates, and not join in a lynch mob, so I get why she didn't rush to play the "Avow/Disavow Game" with Kanye, even if he was in the wrong. She could have been adding a little shot at Ben there; given how Ben treated her I wouldn't blame her, or think it made her some "Jew Hater" at all. A Ben Shapiro hater? Sure haha. But she is openly Christian and has made plenty of related tweets for years, so she may have just been placing her faith in Christ during a challenging time. As I point out, we are right back at the Woke madness here where we are parsing out intent and blowing up innocuous language to defend the easily offended while cudgeling the anathema. I spent a decent chunk of the article and an extended footnote (Number 7) going into the topic of Candace's critics though, so I suspect the answer is simply that we disagree on this haha, which is fine by me.
Whether we agree or disagree on any specific point though, I will reiterate that I respect your views and appreciate your time, Yosef. We could probably discuss any one of these topics for hours, truth be told. I hope this was at least a worthwhile read and an earnest--if rambling--attempt to give you some insight into where I am coming from as well. This is why you never need to apologize for rambling here lol
Quite welcome, my friend! Much respect and gratitude to you as well.
I hope you are currently having a great weekend that spills over into a great week and then another great weekend... and just basically a lotta greatness!
Man, loved the word vomit. You’re one of the more interesting writers on Substack which is a high compliment indeed. Your awakening reminds me of the intolerance former smokers have for people who still smoke. Ben’s over exuberant praise of the vaccine was the beginning of the end for me when it came to DW. I consider Trump’s endorsement of the vaccine to be egocentric and stubbornly obtuse. But,alas, I will be forced to vote for him again this November because Democrats. And in all deference to adherents of the Jewish faith, every religion believes theirs is the only path to salvation. We just happen to be right, because Jesus Christ is King , the son of the living God. Keep up the good work.
Great work here, very thorough and comprehensive. I'm writing a series on the Daily Wire now (mostly pertaining to The Daily Wire+ and their attempts at "conservative entertainment", though when it will be done, I can't say), but as an outsider looking in who knows little of their operation outside of Ben Shapiro, Jeremy Boering's razors and chocolate, and... literally nothing else, this is immensely helpful in understanding the situation. I vaguely knew Candace Owens had gotten in trouble and split ways with the company over a tiff with Shapiro but I didn't realize it was so acrimonious and that their relationship went all the way back to 2021.
I also live by the rule that I never want to work for a company that constantly calls itself a "family", or coworkers that try to act like it - been there, done that, got the t-shirt, had it signed, and then had it taken away because every time I worked for a company that pretended to be a family, they got abusive the second it was convenient for someone higher on the food chain had a problem with you.
Thank you! That is high praise coming from a great writer and one of premiere pop-culture historians in this game. I hope this piece can be of some value in your upcoming series; I'm looking forward to reading it!
Seems like we have had pretty similar experiences with the "family" workplace haha. I now share your sentiment, obviously. As a great man once said: "There's an old saying in Tennessee—I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee—that says, fool me once, shame on—shame on you. Fool me—you can't get fooled again."
Truly a primo golden nugget of wisdom from Bush Jr., right behind "They misunderestimated me" and "I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."
Fascinating article. I don't have a huge dog in this race as I have never really cared about Owens or the Daily Wire crowd in any meaningful way, but you make a strong and compelling case for her (and against a lot of the kneejerk reaction against any policy of a foreign government being used as a case for bigotry).
The one point you made I would contest is when you mention that would support M4A and UBI except that the government would use them as a means to control people. The thing is, I don't think that's true. I think the reason we don't have those things is because they would absolutely be liberating for people. If those things are granted in an inalienable way (much like many rights/public services), that takes away a lot of power from both government and businesses to control people's lives, offering a great deal more freedom to live as they want, not to mention it's tax money essentially going back to the people rather than off to foreign wars or multinational corporations.
I promise you want no part of the coming AI 🤖 healthcare revolution… it’s scary & insane
😉
One doesn't have to a) love Candace Owens or b) dislike the DW to have seen that the first public shot over the bow by Shapiro was unprofessional, undignified and reinforcing of stereotypes. Some of Shapiro's takes (not on the current conflict) can be interesting but he's like having to listen to an auctioneer with a megaphone. It tends to make you want to turn him off within 5 seconds. I thought the whole DW team did themselves a disservice. Unfortunately, Owens can also be a self-promoting provocateur as well. I guess both sides have to have them.
Well said! Thank you for the read and the great comment. I got a good chuckle from the auctioneer analogy.
Excellent Biblical tie-ins. I was surprised to see Andrew Klavan's own pearly gates divided against himself, unable to even make it clear exactly what or whom he was siding with. I listened to him (a fiction writer) with great interest in a younger part of my life to see how an artist talked about his politics; now, perhaps he has lost his zeal & will to do the mental work of renewing his ideas, or maybe an unawareness is coming over him... I always find myself much more hopeful of people's unintentionality than I am cynical on possible conscious profiteering in portrayals of 'the good guys'.
Klavan and Knowles were the two that really shocked me. I am curious what is going on behind the scenes with them and how things may go from here. Time will tell. Thank you for reading and for the kind words regardless!
Really great Article. I can't help but be a Candace fan. The most important thing is what video games did you work on? Do you continue making games?
Thank you! Yeah, I feel the same (obviously haha) about Candace. I get a huge kick out of her.
As for what games I worked on, I am still keeping those cards close to my chest for now, but I will say it was for a Japanese game company in the U.S. I'm mulling over finally breaking that dam and writing about my extensive thoughts and experiences in that industry at some point, but I honestly don't even know where to start. Or how to handle it so the splash damage doesn't spill over onto innocent parties, because, man, there are so many amazing people and amazing stories, but there is a decent amount of... less amazing haha
I hope I’ve played one at least!! I currently enjoying the Trails in the Sky series.
What’s your take on the sweet baby inc controversy?
If you're a JRPG fan, then I suspect you've likely played at least one game I worked on. At least, I hee-hope so ;)
I've been meaning to check out the Trails series forever! How do you like it?
I don't know SBI personally, and I haven't done as much research on that situation as I would like...
However, everything I've seen from them, combined with my other experiences and macro observations, make me think they are a likely a bunch of talentless grifters milking terrified, mob-addled, virtue-drunk companies by quelling the frayed nerves of neurotic marketers and community managers with neat little checklists and PowerPoints to show how "Diverse" and "Inclusive" they are, while justifying the squealing wokewashing of the ideologues infiltrating dev studios and localization teams across the industry. The fact that SBI seems to be in full metal panic mode, bullying anyone trying to provide a modicum of transparency surrounding their insidious involvement, all while playing the shrieking victim does little to earn them the benefit of the doubt from me.
But again, I'd need to look into it more :)
Before the Wokexplosion, I (perhaps naively, perhaps I just didn't expect the world to go bonkers haha) believed that providing information about various cultural norms and mores could have value as a reference to better develop certain elements of characters and narratives and--most importantly--to be cognizant of laws and rating board regulations surrounding various content in different regions. Though the latter remains a pragmatic issue for anyone ever applying to the ESRB or CERO (and marketing *does* have every right and reason to know what is in a game so they can appropriately target and maxiize its appeal to various demos) the prior ideal has become a completely untenable pipe dream, ripped apart by the ravenous zombie mobs of fanfic wokesters infesting companies and desperate to contort the original work actual creatives into their own emotionally and mentally stunted, Deviant Art-and-Reddit fever dreams.
A big Dumbo in the room is that this wokewashing requires adherence to a strict orthodoxy, homogenizing every game to fit into their narrow world view and nigh-impossible purity tests. This is DIRECTLY at odds with the actual value and allure of things like JRPGS for Western gamers, for example, who are looking art with different sensibilities than those of their own milieu. Despite the Woke's incessant battle cry of "DIVERSITY!" we all know that is the last thing they want. (If they read this, they'd already be halfway done typing "Hate speech and bigotry isn't diVeRsitY, moron!") They want homogeny.
Thus, sadly, this means that we don't end up with, say, a more realistic Muslim woman or gay character, we just end up with the same Woke archetypes, e.g., girlboss, regardless of culture or context, being endlessly churned out by the Woke Machine. They actually destroy diversity and culture, and love nothing more than harranguing other countries and peoples about what they "should" do, even without any notion of their unique history or circumstances. It is kind of like the Order endings in a lot of MegaTen games: sure everything is "peaceful" in a sense... but it has come at the cost of the complete annihilation of free will and individuality.
Sigh. I could go on, but maybe this will actually be its own article at some point now that I think about it haha
So here’s a link to Morgoroth the Undead who wrote about it and has links to other articles about the whole thing.
https://open.substack.com/pub/morgthorak/p/gamergate2-sweet-baby-inc-and-the?r=g4x7k&utm_medium=ios
I hope you’ll write an article, including what games you’ve worked on as I love a good JRPG just because Japanese stories are 10x better than what the West now do.
The Trails games are class but there’s sooo many games!! You’ll also have your favourite female character as well. (Emma) lol.
I agree with everything you wrote about the current state of gaming. I think the fact that the woke don’t want good looking female characters, Stellar Blade being the prime example is telling. It’s weird though as what is the one thing all business’ know. Sex sells lol.
An absolutely epic rant. (I, for one, am glad you got that off of your chest...
I actually even got a fair number of the references, too!)
I haven't followed the slap-fight that closely, but I'm nominally aware of it through cultural osmosis.
It happens all of them time on the dissident right - the fault lines there are over spending and foreign policy, both of which are dominated by Intel/DoD/State. War propaganda - waving flags and finding enemies to bomb - works on "conservatives" who still cling to US imperial ambitions abroad (which includes unquestioned support for Israel).
Another common (intentionally created, I believe) point of confusion is the problem of people talking past each other re: the (imaginary) excluded middle between "Hamas is run by savages" and "Israel can still be wrong for how they conduct business militarily."
Same as Yugoslavia in 1995 when it all went to shit: there aren't always good guys and bad guys. Many times it's just bad guys - and we could simply excuse ourselves from being involved, or funding the killing.
But instead we'd rather turn on each other and divide into camps like the Big Endians and Little Endians. Or, maybe more honestly, we really are that tribal. And all of the parties are struggling to hold any kind of coalition because the foundational myths of the Republic have been torn down.
This may sound terrible, but as a reformed Secular Humanist, I'm glad to see it all disintegrating. I no longer worship the institutions of Men and my Faith is now properly placed. Looking very good to be storing for Heavenly Rewards, it seems to me.
Great comment. Thank you very much for the read and for sharing your thoughts.
Thoroughly enjoyed this article. New subscriber! This really was educational and funny AF. Also admitting you were subscribed to DW and a supporter of Sanders at the same time made me feel better about where I was mentally during 2020-21. LOL.
Welcome aboard, matey! Thank you for subscribing and for leaving that thoughtful comment. I'm glad you enjoyed the article!
Yeah, I keep things 100% here haha. My path, politics, and perspectives are all pretty heterogenous, so I figure I owe it to myself, and anyone crazy enough to read my posts, to be as honest as possible. It can mean some iconoclastic, triggering, paradoxical, even embarrassing articles haha, but I figure it makes this Sub worth reading. (And, hey, people can always leave if they don't dig it lol)
But more so, like I mention in this article, I know what it's like to feel like you're "taking crazy pills" or "politically homeless." Everything can seem so polarized and prefab today, but I just don't agree with or fit into that schema--even when I supported Bernie, it seemed obvious to me after Hillary and the DNC political machine rigged the game against him in multiple elections that I'd be nuts to then vote for... Hillary and the DNC political machine! Even if Lapdog Bernie told me to after recovering from his latest kick in the trousers haha
So, if sharing my views (even if they differ from yours or any reader!) can help people understand they're not alone and they're not crazy, and then feel better about the idea of not conforming to the ridiculously narrow, tribal templates given us, then that makes me really happy.
So, feel free to click around the archives here because I think you'll get a real kick out some of the past articles as well. Have fun and thanks again!
Good job, much kvetching covered.
And much kvetching done by me too, as usual haha! Thank you very much for the read and the comment :)
I thoroughly enjoyed this article (though my arthritis makes it increasingly difficult to have to navigate to a 2nd page and find where I left off). I have been a fan of Candace Owens since she was assaulted in Chicago for headlining an outdoor event celebrating the police in 2020.
My only question is this: What is M4A? I looked it up on the Internet and only found some BMW automobile and the M4 assault weapon.
Keep up the great work.
Hi Charles! Thank you so much for reading the article, especially because it sounds challenging with arthritis. I am really sorry to hear you are dealing with that. Of course, scrolling through my mad ramblings is hardly a priority haha, but if there are any suggestions you have for formatting or layout changes I could make, for example, that would make these easier to read for people in similar situations, please let me know!
I am still very glad to hear that you enjoyed the article, and I sincerely appreciate the encouragement and kind words. I will continue to keep doing my best in my own quirky way here haha
Oh, also, my apologies for not being clear when I used the term "M4A;" that was my fault. It is an abbreviation for "Medicare-for-All," a policy proposal to create type of universal healthcare in the U.S. that would essentially extend the current "Medicare" system to "all" citizens. Not as cool as rifles and Bimmers, I'm afraid aha! You can read a bit more about the idea at the links below:
https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2020/1/30/medicare-for-all-background
https://medicare4all.org/
And I remember seeing Candace (and I think Charlie Kirk) getting attacked at events, as well. It is horrible. I wish her well, and hope things improve for all of us sooner than later. All the best!
My age and growing confusion make it difficult to understand acronyms that mix letters and numbers. It's not your fault I didn't understand M4A. Udig? I enjoyed your title - with OWNS highlighted.
I read very few Substack authors and never watch podcasts. Three of the writers I most enjoy seem to feel it is important to become antennas and microphones, adding so many links that I usually get tired before having to click and scroll to read the rest of the bad news.
I hope you have a wonderful day. It will be in the low seventies here in the mountains today.
Life is good.
Sounds wonderful out there!
One thing that popped in my head that may be helpful, you may already knows this but just in case, in some browsers you can use shortcuts to open links in separate tabs, for example, holding "ctrl" while clicking on the link. That way you can just click back to the article tab at the same spot you were reading after checking the link.
I always jam articles full of links both to provide "receipts" for stuff I am saying, and references for future work, but also for fun "Easter Eggs" and tangents that I think may be amusing to readers or add some additional, but unnecessary, context haha. So, in my case at least, no need to feel obligated to click links; they are largely "optional" / "bonus" content : )
You know, I actually like his Cornbread analogy.
In any case, thanks for the fascinating article. Good stuff. I was holding my breath on the infanticide thing, and you passed the test.
Also, George Carlin is not in any way a man with good values, lol. He worked for the controllers by telling us bad words and then saying, you're not in the club. But he is. I would bet, anyway. Anyway, good article, again.
As for Alex Jones, check out some stuff on how he actually seems to be Bill Hicks. There's a guy who gets way too much media-attention to be legit.
Cornbread analogy truthers and deniers are both welcome here haha! Everyone is, but they need to know I'm going to talk whatever I want, however I want, no sacred cows or safe spaces here. Otherwise, better they find a different Substack. Even "pro-choice" people are welcome, as long as they are OK with my stance that euphemistic "abortion" is baby murder, and I vehemently oppose it.
Speaking of, my reference to Carlin as "a great Christian theologian" was a joke based on his role as a cardinal in the film "Dogma." I don't think he had great morals, but I do think he was one of the greatest American standups with some legendary routines. He was dead wrong on "abortion" though; that was one bit he did that still makes me wince because it's such a myopic, partisan, and just un-funny take to me.
But, I digress! It's what I do haha. Thank you so much for the read, the comments, and the kind words, and I hope you have a good one!
Yes, no, that's the exact same bit I was thinking of. I thought it might be kind of in jest, but he's to the cornbread-truther an obvious plant, like the rest of them. Anyway, yeah, no, I get it. I welcome all conversation, as well, but you know in a second if the person is not looking to have one. I would not have commented like I did if you were that guy
Everyone should be following The GrayZone with Max Blumenthal & Aaron Mate. I found them during Russian collusion hoax and they haven’t disappointed yet. They were first ones to debunk the beheaded baby claim .. & the mass rapes by Hamas
Hi Yosef!
Thank you very much taking time to give this a read and for sharing your thoughts, including both the the kind words and the respectful disagreement. All much appreciated. I greatly respect your work, as well, so I hope I can reciprocate that in my reply!
With that in mind, let me try to run through the points you kindly listed:
1) Agreed. Not trying to be curt here, but, yeah, I just agree. Nothing to add haha
2) Great points. Those two shmucks I mention definitely are not doing the title "rabbi" any favors. That is very cool that you studied at Rabbinical college; I'd genuinely love to hear what that was like. Either way, we would all be much, much better off with you on the television than those goons!
I did mention in the article that Shmuley is clearly unhinged, but like I also said, I don't think some of his attack lines are fundamentally unique. Sadly, Barclay seems to me at least (an outsider to be sure, so could be wrong) to be relatively within mainstream Judaism based on things like his resume (https://www.nersimcha.org/about) and other mainstream appearances (https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/video/rabbi-michael-barclay-speaks-about-the-death-of-a-jewish-man-during-a-dueling-protest-over-the-israe/). I get your point about priests or, say, people like perhaps Rev. Jackson or Rev. Sharpton being unduly propped up as representatives, but I have definitely heard the exact same sentiments as those Barclay expressed multiple times from other prominent Jewish voices, and candidly, Jewish friends and acquaintances. (I know. I know. The ol' "It's OK; I got [minority group] friends!" routine, but it is true here haha I know a lot of Jewish people!) I even referenced other debates Candace had like the one with Jewish comedian Ami Kozak (not by name in his case, the link to where she will admit if she got things wrong), and that debate ALSO went very similarly. I saw it repeatedly while researching this. Just context, not saying that trumps your experiences or insights.
Granting, of course, that most groups "contain multitudes," to crib from Whitman, a point which I stress in all of my writing, it still seems to me that what we see hyperbolically in Shmuley and more chillingly in Barclay or Shapiro--framed by the events unfurling around Candace vis-a-vis the Daily Wire--is sufficiently representative of this topic at this juncture. Not to say it defines all Jews (or your personal views) by any means, or that those types of tactics and talking points are even unique to Jewish people (I also make that clear, and call out several Christians), or that there aren't Jewish people like Norm Finkelstein who are extremely strident on another side of things... but, we see which side gets shunned or lambasted as "self-hating" or some such nonsense in the mainstream. So, to me, my article is fair in that respect. However, if you have people you would suggest I take a listen to (or mainstream Jewish voices defending Candace) I would be happy to do so. Just an extended point: I also know there are some real pro-Hamas nutters worthy of a lambasting as well, but this article was already a million words long, and I can only cover so much haha, especially as I do not consider Candace as part off that bizarre contingent for reasons explicated in my article.
3) Agreed. It sucks because there is indeed a lot of anti-Semitism out there getting dumped on regular Jewish people, so I don't even blame them for being hypervigilant in some ways. But, yeah, as I write about, and I think we agree, the overuse of such epithets by any group is counterproductive in the end.
I should be clear though that I do not feel it is "anti-Semitic" to question, critique, or dislike an individual Jewish person, groups like the ADL, historical records, the government of Israel, the existence of Israel, or even to suggest that some powerful Jewish people in certain industries might collude together; we've seen collusion from virtually every race, religion, creed, etc... at some point if given half a chance! I think it'd be racist to suggest some Jews might not do something similar as the rest of humanity haha. I know those last two (Israel's existence as a state and possible cliques of powerful Jewish people) are likely the most contentious, but I am firm in feeling they are open for exploration in a facts-over-feelings way, to quote Ben, if they are not weaponized to vilify all Jewish people in general. (And I won't forgo discussions just because some nutters may use them for nutty ends.) I can respect if people feel differently here, and sincerely wish them well if those are non-starters regarding my Substack, but just as those are not discussions I will allow to demonize all Jewish people, they are also not discussions I will be browbeaten into ignoring if I want to explore them. Not saying you have suggested anything like that; just came to mind while on the topic :)
4) Shmuley had been attacking her since before she got booted from DW. I share her instinct to reject ultimatums, defend friends/associates, and not join in a lynch mob, so I get why she didn't rush to play the "Avow/Disavow Game" with Kanye, even if he was in the wrong. She could have been adding a little shot at Ben there; given how Ben treated her I wouldn't blame her, or think it made her some "Jew Hater" at all. A Ben Shapiro hater? Sure haha. But she is openly Christian and has made plenty of related tweets for years, so she may have just been placing her faith in Christ during a challenging time. As I point out, we are right back at the Woke madness here where we are parsing out intent and blowing up innocuous language to defend the easily offended while cudgeling the anathema. I spent a decent chunk of the article and an extended footnote (Number 7) going into the topic of Candace's critics though, so I suspect the answer is simply that we disagree on this haha, which is fine by me.
Whether we agree or disagree on any specific point though, I will reiterate that I respect your views and appreciate your time, Yosef. We could probably discuss any one of these topics for hours, truth be told. I hope this was at least a worthwhile read and an earnest--if rambling--attempt to give you some insight into where I am coming from as well. This is why you never need to apologize for rambling here lol
Have a good one!
[Edited: typos and some phrasing]
Quite welcome, my friend! Much respect and gratitude to you as well.
I hope you are currently having a great weekend that spills over into a great week and then another great weekend... and just basically a lotta greatness!
Man, loved the word vomit. You’re one of the more interesting writers on Substack which is a high compliment indeed. Your awakening reminds me of the intolerance former smokers have for people who still smoke. Ben’s over exuberant praise of the vaccine was the beginning of the end for me when it came to DW. I consider Trump’s endorsement of the vaccine to be egocentric and stubbornly obtuse. But,alas, I will be forced to vote for him again this November because Democrats. And in all deference to adherents of the Jewish faith, every religion believes theirs is the only path to salvation. We just happen to be right, because Jesus Christ is King , the son of the living God. Keep up the good work.