1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:05,840 Speaker 1: There Are No Girls on the Internet, as a production 2 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:13,400 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio and Unbossed Creative. I'm Bridget Todd and this 3 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: is There Are No Girls. 4 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 2: On the Internet. 5 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: Ashley Saint Clair is a right wing influencer. She even 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: wrote a kid's book called Elephants Are Not Birds, which 7 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:29,200 Speaker 1: is a pretty thinly veiled anti trans metaphor. In twenty 8 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: twenty four, Ashley had a baby with Elon Musk, a 9 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: fact that she kept private for nearly a year. Musk 10 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: offered her fifteen million dollars plus one hundred thousand dollars 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 1: per month in child support in exchange for signing an 12 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:49,239 Speaker 1: NBA and never revealing his paternity. She refused, saying that 13 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: she didn't want her son to feel like a secret. 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: What followed, according to Ashley, was retaliation financially, publicly, and technologically. 15 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 1: Musk's company X allowed his AI chatbot GROC to generate 16 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: sexualized images of her, including depictions based on photos from 17 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: when Ashley was a minor. After she complained, her account 18 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: was demonetized and stripped of premium features. Last week, Ashley 19 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: filed a lawsuit against X and now Elon Musk is 20 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: saying that he plans to seek sole custody of their son, 21 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: who Ashley says he's only ever met a handful of times. Now, 22 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: Mosk is citing Ashley's regret over her past transphobic behavior 23 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: as evidence that she intends to transition their one year 24 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: old child, even though she never said any such thing. Now, 25 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,320 Speaker 1: this episode is not just about Ashley Saint Clair. It's 26 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: about what happens when the same outrage machine that forwards 27 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: cruelty turns on one of its own, and what it 28 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: means when someone tries to step off of it. 29 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 3: My name is Parker Maloy. My pronouns are she, her, 30 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 3: and I'm a writer. I write a newsletter called The 31 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 3: present Age. 32 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,919 Speaker 1: In a piece for her popular newsletter, The present Age, 33 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: called a conservative influencer, apologized for her anti transpast elon 34 00:02:12,080 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: Musk is trying to take her kid. Perker grappled with 35 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: Ashley's apology and asks, if someone expresses regrets for their 36 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: past harmful behavior, shouldn't we be listening. I have been 37 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: following your work for a while. I mean, I don't 38 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: mean this in a creepy way. I feel like you 39 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: have really been on the cutting edge of a lot 40 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: of stuff, Like you know, leaving a larger outlet and 41 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: doing your own thing. I feel like you were one 42 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: of the first writers I really saw in that space. 43 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, you know it because it was it was twenty 44 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 3: twenty one when I made the move, because before writing 45 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 3: the present age, I was the editor at large. I 46 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 3: was trying to remember the title editor at large of 47 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 3: Media Matters for America, and which was this, you know, 48 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 3: for the of those who don't know, it's this progressive 49 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 3: media watchdog group, which basically involved a lot of watching 50 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 3: like Fox News and reading Breitbart and basically stewing in 51 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 3: the right wing media ecosystem. So all of the things 52 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 3: that would make you make you sad and angry, I was. 53 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 3: I was there to watch and read them, and so 54 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 3: I kind of when I left, when I left Media 55 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 3: Matters in twenty twenty one to start start my own thing, 56 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 3: it was. It was kind of scary, but it also 57 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 3: kind of opened up the opened up for the ability 58 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:41,640 Speaker 3: for me to kind of write about a little bit 59 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 3: whatever I want, not necessarily stay super focused on right 60 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 3: wing media, like being able to to talk about things 61 00:03:50,960 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 3: that are happening in culture, tech, journalism, politics, whatever it 62 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 3: may be, and not having to tie it back to 63 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 3: and here's what Fox News had to say or something 64 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 3: like that was really freeing. 65 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: I can only imagine, and you really are somebody that 66 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: really threads the needle of all those different things. You 67 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: were talking about media, tech, politics, social issuals, culture so 68 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: well in the piece that you wrote about Ashley Saint Clair. 69 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,400 Speaker 1: I feel like that is a great example of what 70 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: I mean in the piece. I love the framing that 71 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: you use because you describe it as this engagement machine 72 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 1: that you and your own career spent a lot of 73 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: time writing about, identifying and breaking it down, where conservative 74 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,840 Speaker 1: media figures are able to really just deploy anti trans 75 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:41,919 Speaker 1: rhetoric for clout and cash. So, first off, what is 76 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: the machine like for people who are like the machine? 77 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: What are they talking about? Break it down for us? 78 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 2: Sure? 79 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 3: So basically, I mean we all know that since Elon 80 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 3: Musk took over Twitter in twenty twenty two, he's kind 81 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:01,839 Speaker 3: of molded it into his own is on nightmare factory. 82 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,919 Speaker 3: Uh that that is just an algorithm that is based 83 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 3: entirely on what he wants to see. But even before that, 84 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 3: outrage has always done really well on the Internet. Uh divisiveness. 85 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,760 Speaker 3: Uh you know that that's why when people post on 86 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 3: you know, social media and they want engagement, they'll say 87 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 3: unpopular opinion and then just share their opinion instead of 88 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 3: just saying what their opinion is, like, they say unpopular 89 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 3: opinion because they want people to be like, well, I 90 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 3: disagree with this, so I'm going to engage with it, 91 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 3: and I'm gonna you know, these are those are her 92 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 3: harmless things generally, but in the in the right wing 93 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 3: media ecosystem, you know, it's you know, these these sorts 94 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 3: of things can can really influence policy and public opinion. 95 00:05:55,440 --> 00:06:00,600 Speaker 3: And I think over the past five to probably five 96 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 3: seven years or so, uh, their work trying to demonize 97 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 3: trans people, you know, by either by pointing to you know, 98 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 3: edge cases of you know, people being inappropriate or like 99 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:17,919 Speaker 3: seeking out people who commit crimes and being like this 100 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 3: is what you know, this is what all trans people 101 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 3: are like, and highlighting that, you know, has really hurt 102 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 3: public public perception of trans people. And it's it's not 103 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 3: it's not a new thing. 104 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: You know. 105 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 3: Breitbart, for instance, the right wing publication, used to have 106 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 3: a tab on its on its website that was just 107 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 3: black crime, and it was just crime committed by black people, 108 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 3: and that was the whole thing. The whole purpose of that, 109 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,680 Speaker 3: to see a feed of this is to to try 110 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 3: to get you to think this whole group, something's wrong 111 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 3: with this group of people. And that's what they do 112 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 3: to trans people, and that's what they do to you know, 113 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 3: you see these social media attacks going out, you know, 114 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 3: currently happening to people Somalie's in Minnesota, you know, or 115 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:13,239 Speaker 3: Haitians in Ohio before the twenty twenty four election, where 116 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 3: you know, they would just kind of come out there 117 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 3: and throw throw out something that was obviously falls you know, 118 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,119 Speaker 3: they're eating pets, stuff like that, where it's meant to 119 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 3: smear an entire group, you know, whether it's built on 120 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 3: facts or not. And so the thing with the Ashley 121 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 3: Saint Clair story, which I can, should I explain it 122 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 3: real quick? 123 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 2: Sure? 124 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 3: Okay? Cool? So basically, Ashley Saint Clair is is a 125 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 3: conservative influencer and she had also she had a baby 126 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 3: with Elon Musk in twenty twenty four, which he has 127 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:50,119 Speaker 3: a lot of babies, yes he does. 128 00:07:51,200 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: So. 129 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 3: She's also the author of an anti trans children's book 130 00:07:54,720 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 3: called Elephants Are Not Birds. Earlier this month, must Ai 131 00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 3: chatbot Grock was used to generate sexualized images of her, 132 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 3: in addition to like a bunch of women and children, 133 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:14,840 Speaker 3: including some based on photos from when she was fourteen. 134 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 3: When she complained about this, the platform stripped her of 135 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 3: her blue verification badge, demonetized her account, and took away 136 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 3: all the premium features. Then, you know, after that, she 137 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 3: posted an apology for her past anti trans rhetoric and 138 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 3: acknowledged Musk's trans daughter, Vivian as her son's sister. So 139 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,440 Speaker 3: Musk responds to this by announcing that he's filing for 140 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 3: full custody, claiming he wants claiming that Ashley wants to 141 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,360 Speaker 3: transition their one year old, which she never said anything 142 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 3: like that. But that's that's kind of the story at play, 143 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 3: and it's been really interesting because for so long she 144 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 3: you know, she benefited from this, from this system. You know, 145 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 3: she got her start at turn Point USA with Charlie 146 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,560 Speaker 3: Kirk's organization, and what was dropped in twenty nineteen after 147 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 3: she was photographed at a dinner with white nationalists, so 148 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 3: it's like she's she was really deep in this conservative 149 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:20,560 Speaker 3: media ecosystem. But what I decided to write about was 150 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 3: how as a transperson, as someone who's who's watched a 151 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 3: lot of like really awful things said about trans people, 152 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 3: and who was very aware of elephants are not birds 153 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 3: when it came out. I saw that and someone asked me, like, 154 00:09:40,679 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 3: what do you what do you think of? You know, 155 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 3: what do you think of? Her apology, her her walking 156 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 3: walking back Some of the things she said about trans people. 157 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: On x Ashley Saint Clair seems to contend with her 158 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: past behavior. When asked how she now feels about trans 159 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: people after having engaged such blatant transphobia, she said, quote, 160 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:06,560 Speaker 1: I feel immense guilt for my role, and even more 161 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: guilt that things I said in the past may have 162 00:10:08,800 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: caused my son's sister more pain, referring to Elon's daughter, Vivian, 163 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,240 Speaker 1: who is trans. I don't really know how to make 164 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: amends for many of these things, but I have been 165 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: trying incredibly hard privately to learn and advocate for those 166 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: within the trans community that I've heard. I also haven't 167 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: said much on this because I have gone back and 168 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: forth over whether my voice would be helpful on this issue, 169 00:10:30,400 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: since it will be framed as disingenuous or just turning 170 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: it because I'm scorned. Even this reply will become right 171 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: wing hysteria, but yeah, I am sorry. Let me know 172 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:46,079 Speaker 1: how I can help. Parker really thought hard about Ashley's apology. 173 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 3: My initial reaction reading that was, you know, kind of 174 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 3: like there are two ways to go about this. You 175 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 3: can either view view that as like, well, this person 176 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 3: has been horrible about trans issues, Why should I trust them? 177 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 3: How do I know they're sincere and how do I 178 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,160 Speaker 3: know that they'll do the right thing or whatever? But 179 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 3: I wanted to kind of force myself to really think 180 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,199 Speaker 3: about this, to be like, things are bad for trans 181 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 3: people right now. Isn't it good that someone even if 182 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 3: it's only because Elon Musk took away their blue check 183 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 3: mark and demonetize them, you know, isn't it still a 184 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 3: good thing if someone comes around on this issue and 185 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,839 Speaker 3: was like, you know what, I realized that it was 186 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 3: a bit much. Maybe I need to kind of walk 187 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 3: that back. 188 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: You know. 189 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 3: It's one of those things that I want to encourage 190 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 3: more people to take that approach to to feel like 191 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:52,240 Speaker 3: they can change on an issue and people won't bite 192 00:11:52,280 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 3: their heads off, and you know, because it's not fun 193 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 3: getting yelled at on the internet, and you know, I've 194 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 3: learned that over the years. 195 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: Do you ever think you'd see the day where you 196 00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: find yourself acknowledging the apology of somebody with a history 197 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:09,479 Speaker 1: like the Ashley Saint Clair's. 198 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 3: Having to write something sympathetic about someone who wrote elephants 199 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 3: or hot birds. You know it was a little hard, 200 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 3: you know, but I had to sit with it. But 201 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,400 Speaker 3: I kept coming back to this question, like what do 202 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 3: I actually want? Do I want to punish people who 203 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 3: used to hold bad views? Or do I want fewer 204 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 3: people to hold bad views? So if it's the latter, 205 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 3: I have to leave room for people to change. 206 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 2: Let's take a quick break at our back. 207 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: One of the points that you make in the piece 208 00:12:48,720 --> 00:12:51,439 Speaker 1: is taking it back to this concept of the machine 209 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,520 Speaker 1: you write. You're valuable as long as you're producing content 210 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 1: that feeds the outrage cycle. The moment you deviate, the 211 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: moment you expressed out or empathy or heaven forbidden apology, 212 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: you become the content. The same people who cheered your 213 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: attacks on trans kids will turn those same weapons on you. 214 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:09,920 Speaker 1: And even in what she wrote, Saint Clare seems very 215 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,079 Speaker 1: aware of that reality herself. She said, oh, as soon 216 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,080 Speaker 1: as I say anything, this is going to feed the 217 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: right wing outrage machine, and by golly, she was right. 218 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:22,199 Speaker 3: Well, yeah, I mean there's one example of this that 219 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 3: comes to mind was it was probably back and I'd 220 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 3: say somewhere twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, somewhere during Trump's first term, 221 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 3: Tommy larn the right wing commentator, She went on the 222 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 3: View and while on the View, she mentioned that she's 223 00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 3: personally pro choice, and afterwards she got like the entire 224 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 3: right wing apparatus kind of came at her. She got 225 00:13:56,040 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 3: fired from her job at The Blaze, a conservative outlet. 226 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 3: She people were like, I'm no longer going to support you, 227 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 3: and she kind of had to disappear for a little 228 00:14:07,280 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 3: bit before. You know, all she did was she just 229 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,600 Speaker 3: kind of stopped talking about abortion as a whole and 230 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 3: kept get giving Fox News what they wanted. Because she 231 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 3: she went on to work for Fox News, and like, 232 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 3: she's still really conservative, and she says a lot of 233 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 3: things that I strongly disagree with and I think are bigoted. 234 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 3: But it was really interesting to watch what happened when 235 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 3: she stepped just a little bit outside of what they 236 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 3: were comfortable with. Like she was just saying her personal 237 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 3: position was that she's pro choice, Like she still supported 238 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 3: all the anti choice politicians. But it wasn't enough that 239 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 3: it wasn't enough that she supported those politicians and their policies, 240 00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 3: but that she had to personally buy into what they 241 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 3: were saying and not speak out against it in any way. 242 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 3: You know, people criticize the left a lot for being like, oh, 243 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 3: the left is so so stuck on you know, having 244 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 3: everyone needs to have the right positions and everyone needs 245 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 3: to have, you know, stand for the right things. No, 246 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:15,680 Speaker 3: there's no diversity of thought on the left, but it's 247 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 3: just like there absolutely is on the right. It's restrictive, 248 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 3: as you know. 249 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: So I don't know, And part of me looks at that, 250 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 1: and I see people who are so committed to transphobia 251 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: or things like that, and oftentimes I will wonder, doesn't 252 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: this get old after a while for them? Don't they 253 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:39,880 Speaker 1: want to evolve or just sort of be done with this? 254 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 1: And I wonder if this fear of themselves becoming content 255 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:47,880 Speaker 1: for the machine might keep people who otherwise might evolve 256 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: or move on or like be ready for just a 257 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: different conversation for themselves kind of locked into this level 258 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:54,560 Speaker 1: of outrage all the time. 259 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, you have to keep the thing about 260 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,480 Speaker 3: the outrage machine is that you have to keep one 261 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:02,560 Speaker 3: upping yourself. 262 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 2: Uh. 263 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 3: And and and you'll see this with creators uh all 264 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,640 Speaker 3: the time. Nick Fuentes, he's he's a great example of 265 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 3: this as someone who I mean, he's he's very racist. 266 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 3: He's he's a white nationalist. He's popular on the right. Uh. 267 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:29,040 Speaker 3: And watching his career over over the past six or 268 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 3: seven years as well has been really interesting because he's 269 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 3: had to keep one upping him himself and taking increasingly 270 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 3: more extreme positions, you know, to the point where now 271 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,520 Speaker 3: it's just him saying things just to kind of shock people. 272 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 3: He was saying Jeffrey Epstein was actually really cool, and 273 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 3: he's he's he's supported Hitler, and he's he's he says 274 00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 3: all of these things that are just complete, completely outrageous. 275 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 3: But it's his brand, and it's what the people who 276 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 3: give him money to pay his bills want him to say. 277 00:17:06,800 --> 00:17:10,479 Speaker 3: And if he stops saying it, if he had this 278 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 3: moment of clarity and he said, you know what, I've 279 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 3: been a horrible racist, terrible bigot my entire professional life. 280 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 3: I need to fix that. Every like all of his 281 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 3: followers would turn on him instantly, and to some extent. 282 00:17:27,440 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 3: It's like I understand that sort of audience capture, where 283 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 3: you build an audience who expects something of you, and 284 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,680 Speaker 3: if you start to give them something different, you can't 285 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:42,479 Speaker 3: really be surprised when when your audience stops paying or 286 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,119 Speaker 3: stops reading or listening to you or watching you. Like 287 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 3: if if tomorrow I decided to turn the present age 288 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 3: into a baseball blog, which I love baseball, but I 289 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,479 Speaker 3: feel like if I wrote about nothing but baseball, I 290 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 3: would lose a lot of the people who read my 291 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,919 Speaker 3: work because I write about politics and media and you know, 292 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 3: and culture in a way that they benefit from or 293 00:18:15,119 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 3: they can can connect with. So it's it's one of 294 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 3: those things where it's like I do understand feeling sort 295 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:28,800 Speaker 3: of trapped by what your audience expects from you, And 296 00:18:28,840 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 3: I think that that's why there are some really extreme 297 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 3: content creators out there who just kind of keep getting 298 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:45,160 Speaker 3: pushed into more and more absurd positions. You know. Over 299 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 3: the weekend, I saw a video of some conservative influencers. 300 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:57,120 Speaker 3: There was that Andrew Kate, Nick Twente's sneak O and 301 00:18:57,240 --> 00:19:01,040 Speaker 3: like a few other right wing content creators, like they 302 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:04,400 Speaker 3: were at like a club in Miami, listening to one 303 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:08,400 Speaker 3: of the like the Hitler song that Kanye West made, 304 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 3: and they were doing like there was videos of them 305 00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:13,720 Speaker 3: doing like the like Hitler salutes and stuff like that, 306 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 3: and it's just like, how do you get how do 307 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 3: you get to that point? You know, to where you're like, 308 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 3: this is not only something I'm going to do, but 309 00:19:21,720 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 3: I'm gonna film myself doing this and put it on 310 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 3: the internet for literally, Like that's the type of thing 311 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,480 Speaker 3: that I feel like ten years ago people would have 312 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,200 Speaker 3: been trying trying their hardest to hide from the internet 313 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 3: posting it themselves. But this is kind of what happens 314 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:40,199 Speaker 3: with this machine. It it takes, it takes you and 315 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 3: it and it keeps prodding you to be more extreme. 316 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 3: And I was just really shocked to see someone take 317 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 3: the opposite side of that. You know, I'm sure that 318 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 3: Ashley Saint Clair like it. There's no money to be 319 00:19:57,240 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 3: made on being someone who towards trans people, Like there's 320 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 3: there's no money, there's no fame to come from this, 321 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 3: you know. I the opposite is true. There's a lot 322 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 3: of money that's to be made for being transphobic. You know, 323 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 3: you can be Riley Gaines and make like four hundred 324 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,760 Speaker 3: thousand dollars a year for coming in fifth place in 325 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 3: a swim meet. So it's it's one of those things 326 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,680 Speaker 3: where it's like there's when when someone does the right 327 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:27,200 Speaker 3: thing despite their being financial incentives to do the opposite. 328 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 3: I feel like it's worth calling out and being like cool, 329 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 3: I hope more people are like this, and that's what 330 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 3: I try to do. 331 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: I side note, I was just thinking of that video 332 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:39,160 Speaker 1: of them out at that club. It didn't even look 333 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,080 Speaker 1: like a good time. That was the other thing. I 334 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: was like, this doesn't even seem like a fun night 335 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: out to me. 336 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 3: No, Like I mean, maybe maybe I'm just getting old, 337 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 3: but I watched that. I'm just like this, this just 338 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 3: doesn't seem fun, Like they're they're putting on a performance basically, 339 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 3: you know, and it's just like I wouldn't ever want 340 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 3: I don't know. It's it's hard to put myself in that, 341 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 3: in that headspace, like I can't I can't imagine being 342 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:14,399 Speaker 3: like time to film my content in the club, no 343 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,720 Speaker 3: matter what, no matter what, the content is. 344 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,480 Speaker 1: Same, same, same. And to your point about sort of 345 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: turning the lens on people who are showing that they're 346 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 1: able to evolve. I liked it in your piece, you 347 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: go out of your way to be like, listen, I'm 348 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: not saying she deserves a medal forget forgetting here. But 349 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: you know, when I first started reading about Ashley Saint 350 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:38,480 Speaker 1: Clair and of her apology, I was like, well, would 351 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 1: she be doing this if she weren't scorn by Musk, 352 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 1: If like Musk was continuing to like give her money 353 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: for the kid and was like treating her, well, would 354 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 1: we be having this conversation? And you were like, Ultimately, 355 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: people change their minds for all kinds of different reasons, 356 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: Like sometimes it's because you saw what they that that 357 00:21:54,280 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 1: that person has turned their behavior on you and it 358 00:21:56,119 --> 00:21:58,480 Speaker 1: doesn't feel so good. It might not be the world's 359 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:01,320 Speaker 1: most noble path to empathy, but it is a path. 360 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 1: Can you tell me more about about how you got there? 361 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 3: So, so I've been thinking about times on like here's 362 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:15,639 Speaker 3: an example of something that happened to me recently. So 363 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:20,400 Speaker 3: I usually for social media these days, I use Blue Sky. 364 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 3: That's just where I'm like most comfortable posting stuff about 365 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,600 Speaker 3: my life, my days, you know, whatever, whatever I'm doing. 366 00:22:28,080 --> 00:22:32,719 Speaker 3: A few weeks back, I had a situation where I 367 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,760 Speaker 3: upset a bunch of people on Blue Sky because I 368 00:22:36,920 --> 00:22:41,240 Speaker 3: made like there there was someone on Twitter who made 369 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:45,159 Speaker 3: a a mod for the game Animal Crossing where it 370 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,440 Speaker 3: tick took one of the cartoon characters who's a dog, 371 00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,560 Speaker 3: and it gave her like an hour glass figure. And 372 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:53,200 Speaker 3: I saw this and I was like, this is just 373 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 3: kind of ridiculous that I was like, why would someone 374 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,359 Speaker 3: make this? This is this is very silly, and so 375 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 3: I posted on blue Sky and I just wrote though, 376 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 3: and people were like, why are you questioning why someone 377 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 3: would make this? Do you hate furries? And I was 378 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:11,360 Speaker 3: like furries? What does this have to do with furries? 379 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 3: And they're like, well, it's a dog and the person 380 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 3: who made the mod is apparently a furry. And it's 381 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:21,240 Speaker 3: like I didn't know any of that, but I had 382 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:24,320 Speaker 3: people yelling at me and we're very angry about this 383 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 3: in my mentions, and there did come a point where 384 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 3: I was like, my instinct was to be like, you 385 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 3: know what, I didn't have anything against furries, but maybe 386 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 3: now I do. Like that was that thought that was 387 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:41,359 Speaker 3: in there, and I'm like, that's not a good thought. 388 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 3: My opinion about a group, whether I understand that group, 389 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 3: whether I don't understand that group or not should not 390 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 3: be determined by how someone talks to me on the internet. 391 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 3: But at the same time, I think it's important to 392 00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 3: understand that people do react to how others respond to them. 393 00:24:02,240 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 3: And if the response from all all trans people to her, 394 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 3: you know, apology, which you know, seems heart seems like 395 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,439 Speaker 3: it was heartfelt, like seems like she means it. Uh, 396 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 3: you know, if every response from a trans person was 397 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 3: like you you know, no, we don't forgive you, you're 398 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:27,800 Speaker 3: you're terrible, You're horrible, like there were, there's no incentive 399 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 3: to actually change. And so I tried to look at 400 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,479 Speaker 3: it from that that point of view, and it was helpful. 401 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 3: I think that it was right after the thing where 402 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:44,359 Speaker 3: I had people piling on me on Blue Sky, But 403 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,280 Speaker 3: you know, it's and I've also seen I've also seen 404 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 3: many people do something where they'll say something sort of 405 00:24:55,280 --> 00:25:00,320 Speaker 3: insensitive about trans people, and a bunch of trans people 406 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 3: will then respond to them online and say like, you're horrible, 407 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 3: you're terrible, this is bigoted, And they might have meant well, 408 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:13,879 Speaker 3: maybe they didn't mean well, maybe they're just kind of 409 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 3: like they don't really have an opinion, but they said 410 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 3: something kind of kind of sloppy, and I've watched as 411 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:25,240 Speaker 3: people have gone from being like, I'm just trying to 412 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 3: be you know, I'm just trying to interact with the 413 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 3: world and and understand what's going on, and I don't 414 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:33,640 Speaker 3: really have any strong opinions on this topic. I've watched 415 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,760 Speaker 3: people go from that to being like hardcore committed anti 416 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:41,920 Speaker 3: trans advocates because they're like trans people annoyed me online 417 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 3: one day and like, and it radicalized me to be 418 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 3: more extreme, you know, Like that, I've seen that happen. 419 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 3: And while it's one of those things where it's like, 420 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,360 Speaker 3: I don't it's not that I want to like coddle 421 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,639 Speaker 3: people who have bad opinions, but sometimes I think the 422 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 3: like jumping at someone's throat might not be the best 423 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:13,280 Speaker 3: best approach, you know, but especially when someone is apologizing. 424 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 3: So it's one of those things that it's just like, 425 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 3: you know, was her apology sincere? Maybe it is. I 426 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 3: don't know what's in her heart. I'm not going to 427 00:26:21,119 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 3: pretend I do, But I think the question of sincerity 428 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 3: is less important than people assume. If she's telling the truth, great, 429 00:26:29,359 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 3: she's not. She'll reveal that eventually, and in the meantime, 430 00:26:32,720 --> 00:26:35,360 Speaker 3: the apology itself is useful. You know, it models what 431 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 3: it looks like to say I was wrong publicly and 432 00:26:39,119 --> 00:26:43,400 Speaker 3: that I think has value regardless of her private motivations. 433 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 3: So and frankly, if we demand perfect motives before we 434 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,880 Speaker 3: accept an apology, we're never going to accept any apologies. 435 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 3: People change their minds for messy, self centered reasons all 436 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:56,200 Speaker 3: the time. That doesn't make the change less real. 437 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 2: After a quick break, let's get right back into it. 438 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,879 Speaker 1: I'm curious what has the reaction been like to your piece, 439 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:20,840 Speaker 1: you know, it's it's been kind of like mostly. 440 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 3: Positive, mostly like I've I've had people saying that that 441 00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:31,920 Speaker 3: piece made them feel hopeful because it's it is helpful 442 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:36,479 Speaker 3: to see like some some people who seemed so lost 443 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:42,840 Speaker 3: in the anti trans uh you know environment, like pulling 444 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 3: back from that, you know. And I've seen some you know, 445 00:27:48,480 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 3: gotten some like messages from especially from like a few 446 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:54,119 Speaker 3: other trans people who were just like, you know what, 447 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:58,200 Speaker 3: I see what you wrote, and while I I understand it, 448 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:02,119 Speaker 3: I don't necessarily agree because you know, it's one of 449 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 3: those things like, oh, are we supposed to to give 450 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 3: a medal to every every person who was horrible and 451 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,719 Speaker 3: it's now less horrible. It's like, no, not and and 452 00:28:11,760 --> 00:28:14,439 Speaker 3: I make a point of saying that, of saying like, no, 453 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 3: you're not getting like a parade, but if you want to, 454 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,359 Speaker 3: if you want to be less terrible about this issue 455 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:25,960 Speaker 3: and hopeful and hopefully other issues. She's also I watched 456 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,400 Speaker 3: an interview with her where she talked about how her 457 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:31,879 Speaker 3: her views on immigration have also changed, where she's like, 458 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 3: I used to be very uh, you know, very hardline 459 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 3: on immigration. Then she's kind of shifted over over the 460 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:42,840 Speaker 3: course of the past few years. So you know, hopefully 461 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,040 Speaker 3: these things are you know, these things are real, but 462 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 3: we we'll see. 463 00:28:50,760 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: Here's where I have to admit that my initial reaction 464 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 1: to Ashley Saint Clair's issues was an eye roll. This 465 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 1: was before she was making any kind of public amends 466 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: for her behavior. It was an article I saw in 467 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:05,200 Speaker 1: the Daily Mail where she was talking about selling her 468 00:29:05,240 --> 00:29:08,959 Speaker 1: tesla after she said that Musk was financially retaliating against 469 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:12,960 Speaker 1: her son with a wopping sixty percent cut that Elon 470 00:29:13,040 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: had made to their son's child support. Now at the time, 471 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: I remember thinking, what exactly did she expect? There is 472 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:23,400 Speaker 1: more than enough of a public record of how Musk 473 00:29:23,440 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: treats the women in his life, especially the ones who 474 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,880 Speaker 1: have his children. So we're meant to be sympathetic to 475 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 1: her that this didn't work out. Give me a break. 476 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 1: I thought, her interpersonal drama is her problem, and she 477 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,840 Speaker 1: brought it on herself. But thinking about it further, I 478 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:42,400 Speaker 1: realized I was giving Musk exactly what he wants because 479 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 1: this is not just an isolated interpersonal thing with Musk. 480 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 1: It encapsulates exactly how his interpersonal behavior ends up playing 481 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: out in ways that ultimately harmed the public. And to 482 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 1: just relegate them to quote his private life misses the 483 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: ways that he's terrorizing people women and Tray spokes both 484 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: privately and publicly in ways that are linked your piece 485 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: in some ways kind of put me personally in my 486 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: place in a sort of way, because when I was 487 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: supposed reading about Ashu, when I first heard about Ashley 488 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: Saint Clair sort of like speaking up about Musk. She 489 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 1: was doing a little thing where she was selling her 490 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:24,959 Speaker 1: tesla because she said, oh, Elon is not you know, 491 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: supporting me? And I had I had such a bitchy reaction. 492 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: I was like, well, what the hell did she expect 493 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,160 Speaker 1: to getting mixed up with Evona Musk. I'm supposed to 494 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:35,520 Speaker 1: be since but that is to this person, Like what 495 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 1: did she expect? And what I read your piece, it 496 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 1: really made me question what that reaction was about. I'm 497 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: with you. I'm not saying that she deserves a medal, 498 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,680 Speaker 1: but you know, I think I was really quick to 499 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,719 Speaker 1: say the way that Elon Musk is treating this person 500 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: and her child is not my business, nothing to do 501 00:30:57,280 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: with me. She brought it on herself. Dah da da da, 502 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: And I think it looking at what he's actually doing, 503 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,960 Speaker 1: you know, allowing his chappa to make these images of 504 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: her which are really inappropriate and sexualizing without her consent. 505 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,440 Speaker 1: And we know that's not just Ashley. This is happening 506 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,880 Speaker 1: to women and girls in mass On, x at a 507 00:31:14,960 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 1: rate of one non consensual sexualized image a minute. This 508 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:24,040 Speaker 1: court strategy probably of like spending down the amount of 509 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: money that she has to fight him in court, Like 510 00:31:26,640 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 1: these are not personal issues, these are these are kind 511 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:32,360 Speaker 1: of microchasms of how he does business. Yeah. I was like, like, 512 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: why am I so unwilling to deal with that? Because 513 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 1: I don't like this person? You know what I mean? 514 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: I don't know if that makes sense. 515 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 3: Oh no, absolutely, and and yeah, I mean the way 516 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 3: that he exerts power is by you know, he'll he'll 517 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 3: sue someone and then whether or not it's a legitimate 518 00:31:49,640 --> 00:31:54,400 Speaker 3: lawsuit that he's filing, he has infinite money and the 519 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,600 Speaker 3: people that he's suing don't you know. And that's how 520 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 3: you know, back to Media Matters where I used to work, 521 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 3: Media Matters reported on when after Musk took over Twitter 522 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 3: and he started changing the algorithm, there were some some 523 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 3: instances where there were pro Nazi comments that were showing 524 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 3: up next to ads, which typically brands don't like that, 525 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 3: and so Media Matters published a piece where they were like, 526 00:32:25,800 --> 00:32:29,440 Speaker 3: check out these instances of you know, here's a pro 527 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:34,160 Speaker 3: nazi post and here's the Apple ad that's above, you know, 528 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:38,160 Speaker 3: like and so all these advertisers left. And then Elon 529 00:32:38,240 --> 00:32:42,959 Speaker 3: Musk sued Media Matters for reporting on that, saying that 530 00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 3: they cost him advertisers, which it probably did, but at 531 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,280 Speaker 3: the same time, it was because they were doing reporting 532 00:32:49,320 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 3: and it was honest reporting. 533 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:53,880 Speaker 1: We actually did a deep dive into Elon Musk's court 534 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:56,959 Speaker 1: strategy in his attacks on Media Matters, which will put 535 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 1: in the show. 536 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 3: Notes he doesn't care he knows is that he can 537 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:05,480 Speaker 3: just wear them down and push them into debt, and 538 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:07,840 Speaker 3: they ended up having to lay off a bunch of people, 539 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:14,240 Speaker 3: which was really sad. A there are a lot of 540 00:33:14,240 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 3: people who, you know, probably a couple dozen people who 541 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 3: lost their jobs because Media Matters has to get real 542 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:24,840 Speaker 3: lean to fight this lawsuit and not actually focus on 543 00:33:24,880 --> 00:33:29,719 Speaker 3: its mission and so like, so seeing that and seeing 544 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:33,080 Speaker 3: him do that, like, I think it's important to understand 545 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 3: that it's just like what he's doing is evil, yeah, 546 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:39,040 Speaker 3: and you know, but at this at the same time, 547 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:42,000 Speaker 3: I think that there's right now, like we kind of 548 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:50,280 Speaker 3: live in this world where I've noticed there are a 549 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:55,000 Speaker 3: lot of times where people online will see some see 550 00:33:55,040 --> 00:33:59,040 Speaker 3: some tragedy befall someone who they would disagree with, you know, 551 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 3: a flood in a red state for instance, something like that, 552 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 3: and people will go, well, that's what you get for 553 00:34:07,720 --> 00:34:12,880 Speaker 3: voting for whatever, and you know, or you know, natural 554 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:17,000 Speaker 3: disaster or the job markets screwed up because of a 555 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:20,879 Speaker 3: policy that they supported, and people just are like, well, 556 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 3: you know, play stupid games, win stupid prizes, fafo, you know, 557 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 3: like that sort of approach, and I don't know it 558 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 3: all just feels kind of mean and pointless, you know, 559 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 3: because like someone may have voted for Trump, I still 560 00:34:45,600 --> 00:34:47,719 Speaker 3: don't think that that means they deserve for their house 561 00:34:47,760 --> 00:34:53,920 Speaker 3: to burn down or you know, something like that. Someone 562 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,960 Speaker 3: may have said, you know, may have taken some really 563 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:06,839 Speaker 3: horrible anti trans racist, anti immigration points of view stances, 564 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 3: but I still don't think that they should be crushed 565 00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:18,200 Speaker 3: by Elon Musk or have their child taken away or 566 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 3: or or any of this stuff. Like I think it's 567 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:24,920 Speaker 3: it's important that we all kind of push for the 568 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:28,719 Speaker 3: type of world that we want it to be, you know, 569 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 3: that we want to live in. And sometimes, you know, 570 00:35:32,320 --> 00:35:35,960 Speaker 3: I think it's it can be difficult to try to 571 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:44,279 Speaker 3: find empathy when a when reacting in anger or frustration 572 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:49,920 Speaker 3: or you know, just you know, happiness, even you know, 573 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:52,360 Speaker 3: if you're, if you're you're, if someone feels happy that 574 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:55,439 Speaker 3: someone else has experienced something bad, it's like that's way 575 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:59,840 Speaker 3: easier than extending empathy and being like, oh wow, that 576 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:04,239 Speaker 3: must really suck. So I don't know, it's and it's 577 00:36:04,239 --> 00:36:07,440 Speaker 3: not on me, like I I can only speak for myself, 578 00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:10,000 Speaker 3: you know, and that's all I tried to do. And 579 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 3: that piece I wrote was just like, this is how 580 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:16,640 Speaker 3: I feel. And I'm not gonna say as someone's wrong 581 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:20,600 Speaker 3: if they see her apology and they're like, no, I 582 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:24,400 Speaker 3: don't buy it, Like that's that's fine, that's that's a 583 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:26,479 Speaker 3: legitimate position, I think. 584 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:28,200 Speaker 2: But I. 585 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:31,880 Speaker 3: Wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone a 586 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:35,120 Speaker 3: little bit and be like, yes, here's this person who 587 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 3: wrote this anti trans book that was really mean spirited 588 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:41,440 Speaker 3: for and it's a children's book. 589 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 2: Uh. 590 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 3: I think I'm going to challenge myself to try to 591 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:50,360 Speaker 3: be like cool, good for good for her. I hope 592 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,320 Speaker 3: she sticks with it. If she doesn't, I won't exactly 593 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 3: be surprised, but I can at least say that I 594 00:36:58,160 --> 00:36:59,759 Speaker 3: extended some empathy here. 595 00:37:00,160 --> 00:37:03,719 Speaker 1: Know, yeah, I've really been I really identify with what 596 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 1: you're saying. I've been on a personal journey of trying 597 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:12,320 Speaker 1: to exercise my or just keep exercising my empathy muscle. 598 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:14,799 Speaker 1: And it was because of exactly what you just described. 599 00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 1: Our current situation is not great. It's not great for 600 00:37:18,760 --> 00:37:21,680 Speaker 1: if you are any kind of a marginalized or like 601 00:37:21,719 --> 00:37:25,480 Speaker 1: minoritized person, if you're trance, queer, black, a woman. But really, 602 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 1: I think we're all in a fuck fucking going to 603 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:30,719 Speaker 1: hell in a handbasket. It's not we're not having a 604 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:35,640 Speaker 1: good time. And I realized I was, I was catching myself. 605 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:39,439 Speaker 1: It was like the voice in my head was no 606 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,240 Speaker 1: longer connected to my own humanity. And it's like, I ultimately, 607 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:45,160 Speaker 1: people who are Trump voters or people who are like 608 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:48,399 Speaker 1: transphobic and horrible and bigoted, it's not even really about them. 609 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:51,319 Speaker 1: It's about me. Like I caught myself being the kind 610 00:37:51,360 --> 00:37:54,919 Speaker 1: of person who I didn't recognize, like wishing for bad 611 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,799 Speaker 1: things for people, and I'm really trying to not be 612 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: in that space because that's not who I want to be. 613 00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,440 Speaker 1: It's not really even about them exactly. 614 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 3: It it affects you, not like like how you respond 615 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:11,200 Speaker 3: to something that you see from from someone you don't know. 616 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:14,759 Speaker 3: You know it's because it's that's That's also the thing 617 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,800 Speaker 3: about like how we interact with the world now. We 618 00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:22,480 Speaker 3: we're exposed to so many people's opinions about literally everything. 619 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 3: And not only that, but you could you can go 620 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:30,160 Speaker 3: on Twitter and you could search for a topic and 621 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:34,920 Speaker 3: specifically seek out opinions that will make you mad, like 622 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:42,880 Speaker 3: like there is an unending well of rage on the internet, 623 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,240 Speaker 3: like that you can just you can always find something 624 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:52,920 Speaker 3: to be angry about. And I just I really, for 625 00:38:52,960 --> 00:38:57,719 Speaker 3: a long time struggled with how to take in all 626 00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:03,600 Speaker 3: of this stuff that I find insulting or hurtful or offensive. 627 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 3: And and I think part of it might be that 628 00:39:07,239 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 3: because of the background I have, you know, at Media Matters, 629 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:16,040 Speaker 3: where the primary news sources that I would consult were 630 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:21,960 Speaker 3: the right wing news sources that that were like straight 631 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 3: up anti trans trans people don't exist, saying that trans 632 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,920 Speaker 3: people mutilate themselves, you know, like all of these really 633 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:33,279 Speaker 3: intense things. And the funny thing is there there would 634 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:36,319 Speaker 3: still be people who are just like, oh, you don't 635 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:38,640 Speaker 3: want to you don't want to hear hear the point 636 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:42,040 Speaker 3: of view is someone who disagrees with you that that like, oh, 637 00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:46,880 Speaker 3: you're you're afraid to hear. You're afraid to hear. Yeah, 638 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:50,359 Speaker 3: And it's like, no, the silo I've built is very 639 00:39:50,440 --> 00:39:54,280 Speaker 3: much out like I am living in someone else's silo 640 00:39:54,719 --> 00:39:57,560 Speaker 3: and it is not fun, you know. But I think 641 00:39:57,600 --> 00:40:02,640 Speaker 3: that that kind of primed me to when I stopped 642 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,880 Speaker 3: working at Media Matters, to try to shift how I 643 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:10,880 Speaker 3: think about other random people on the Internet. You know, 644 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 3: it's if someone's on TV all, you know, if like, 645 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:19,160 Speaker 3: like I, I think it's fair to be like I 646 00:40:19,200 --> 00:40:24,400 Speaker 3: am angry at this elected politician who has implemented a 647 00:40:24,440 --> 00:40:28,960 Speaker 3: policy that I think is harming people, because those politicians 648 00:40:28,960 --> 00:40:32,680 Speaker 3: absolutely exist, and it's good to good to be upset 649 00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:37,320 Speaker 3: about those politicians because that sort of frustration and anger 650 00:40:37,560 --> 00:40:42,080 Speaker 3: can be used for positive things. You can, you know, 651 00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 3: you can call your member of Congress, you can, you know, 652 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:48,560 Speaker 3: do do all sorts of things. But when it comes 653 00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:55,359 Speaker 3: to like just seeing regular people online, even ones who 654 00:40:55,440 --> 00:41:00,800 Speaker 3: have horrible views on things, I think it was important 655 00:41:00,800 --> 00:41:04,400 Speaker 3: to just kind of accept that it's just like, you know, what, 656 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:09,279 Speaker 3: they're not worth getting angry about, Like, you don't have 657 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:11,800 Speaker 3: to be like, what they're doing is great and I'm 658 00:41:11,840 --> 00:41:16,400 Speaker 3: happy about it. But I think it's important to not 659 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:20,560 Speaker 3: not get consumed with the thoughts of a random person 660 00:41:20,600 --> 00:41:23,840 Speaker 3: on the internet who may or may not believe what 661 00:41:23,880 --> 00:41:28,520 Speaker 3: they're saying, but is just posting to maybe get you know, 662 00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:29,800 Speaker 3: a rise out of some people. 663 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:48,919 Speaker 1: More after a quick break, let's get right back into it. Well, 664 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:51,560 Speaker 1: speaking of people who post to get a rise out 665 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:54,120 Speaker 1: of people, let's talk about like who I consider to 666 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:58,080 Speaker 1: be the ultimate the world's ultimate troll Elon Musk. You know, 667 00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:01,279 Speaker 1: we talked about this on the show. But when back 668 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:03,880 Speaker 1: when Elon Musk first decided to buy Twitter or was 669 00:42:03,880 --> 00:42:08,520 Speaker 1: first talking about it, per like court filings, the reason 670 00:42:08,600 --> 00:42:12,600 Speaker 1: why was really rooted in transphobia, like explicitly and if 671 00:42:12,600 --> 00:42:14,440 Speaker 1: this is not me saying this, it's like part of 672 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: the public record. And I did not often see this 673 00:42:18,320 --> 00:42:21,359 Speaker 1: reported that. You know, people talked about it like a 674 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 1: tech leader, business decision kind of thing when they were 675 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:26,319 Speaker 1: reporting on it, but they didn't they didn't talk about 676 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:29,440 Speaker 1: this like known thing that this decision was rooted in. 677 00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:31,960 Speaker 1: Why do you think that is? Well? 678 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:37,759 Speaker 3: I think part of it is that, like I mean, 679 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:41,880 Speaker 3: going back like to like before before Musk bought Twitter, 680 00:42:41,960 --> 00:42:45,399 Speaker 3: even there would be like New York Times articles where 681 00:42:45,400 --> 00:42:49,360 Speaker 3: people would say there was one that asked the question 682 00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:52,799 Speaker 3: like has Musk revealed himself as a conservative? No, not 683 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:54,799 Speaker 3: so fast, and I would make the argument that he 684 00:42:54,880 --> 00:42:58,680 Speaker 3: was like his politics are completely unknowable, and it's like, no, 685 00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:03,360 Speaker 3: they're pretty knowable. I mean, I think that one of 686 00:43:03,360 --> 00:43:05,640 Speaker 3: the reasons that the anti trans stuff kind of got 687 00:43:05,680 --> 00:43:13,040 Speaker 3: lost in it is that the people in positions of 688 00:43:13,160 --> 00:43:17,239 Speaker 3: influence and power at news organizations like The New York 689 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:21,160 Speaker 3: Times Washington Post. I think that they're just kind of 690 00:43:23,080 --> 00:43:27,680 Speaker 3: indifferent to trans people at best. You know. It's it's 691 00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:30,080 Speaker 3: one of those one of those things where they very 692 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:35,360 Speaker 3: very clearly view being anti trans as a completely valid 693 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:42,879 Speaker 3: viewpoint that that shouldn't negatively affect someone, and they kind 694 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:45,879 Speaker 3: of kind of just go, well, that's his view and 695 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:48,879 Speaker 3: that's fine. It's it's it's one of those things that 696 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:52,360 Speaker 3: it was. It's frustrating as a as a trans person 697 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:55,320 Speaker 3: who who used to be on Twitter all the time. 698 00:43:55,880 --> 00:43:59,680 Speaker 3: Who I would I would post something, it would be shared, 699 00:43:59,719 --> 00:44:02,439 Speaker 3: that of times, it would have a bunch of likes, 700 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,520 Speaker 3: it would have so many replies from people and not 701 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:10,480 Speaker 3: in like famous yeah, like I I like to to 702 00:44:10,560 --> 00:44:13,839 Speaker 3: be like back in the day. Uh you know, back 703 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:15,879 Speaker 3: in the day. There was there was one one time 704 00:44:15,920 --> 00:44:23,839 Speaker 3: where the official Twitter like account interviewed Chrissy Teagan, who 705 00:44:23,920 --> 00:44:26,960 Speaker 3: was also very very famous on Twitter in addition to 706 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:30,600 Speaker 3: being famous in real life, where they asked her like, 707 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:32,920 Speaker 3: if if Twitter was a party, who would you invite? 708 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:34,279 Speaker 3: And she said my name on there. 709 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:35,000 Speaker 1: Oh my god. 710 00:44:35,080 --> 00:44:38,400 Speaker 3: I was like, oh my god, that's so crazy. Uh So, yeah, 711 00:44:38,440 --> 00:44:43,239 Speaker 3: so it was like Twitter was great, and he he 712 00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:46,759 Speaker 3: took it over to pretty much strip away everything that 713 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:53,920 Speaker 3: I liked about it. When Twitter implemented a rule against 714 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:58,239 Speaker 3: misgendering and dead naming trans people, you know it in 715 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:03,520 Speaker 3: terms of targeted harassment, like that was it was one 716 00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:05,600 Speaker 3: of those rules where I made the argument. I wrote 717 00:45:05,600 --> 00:45:07,600 Speaker 3: a piece for The New York Times at the time 718 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:11,919 Speaker 3: that was like, yeah, putting in this putting this rule 719 00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:17,080 Speaker 3: in place could allow us to have more open, more uh, 720 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:25,440 Speaker 3: you know, thoughtful conversations about trans people and real areas 721 00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:27,960 Speaker 3: of contention, I think, you know, and I and the 722 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:31,000 Speaker 3: examples I used, I was just like, yeah, if if 723 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:34,200 Speaker 3: someone has uh, you know, there there's a discussion to 724 00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:37,680 Speaker 3: be had about, you know, trans people in sports, there's 725 00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:40,839 Speaker 3: a discussion to be had about you know, what kind 726 00:45:40,840 --> 00:45:46,359 Speaker 3: of healthcare people should should be able to receive and when, 727 00:45:46,480 --> 00:45:49,280 Speaker 3: and we can we can discuss you know, all those things. 728 00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:53,840 Speaker 3: But if we're going to start with like just repeating 729 00:45:53,880 --> 00:45:56,399 Speaker 3: over and over, you know, I don't think trans people 730 00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:59,080 Speaker 3: are real, or I'm gonna scream at you and call 731 00:45:59,120 --> 00:46:01,160 Speaker 3: you you know, I'm going to call you a man, 732 00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:03,720 Speaker 3: and I'm just gonna yell at you on the Internet. 733 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:07,240 Speaker 3: It's like all that does is that that pushes trans 734 00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:11,839 Speaker 3: people out of the conversation entirely because it's not fun 735 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:18,520 Speaker 3: to get harassed on the Internet, and people it was 736 00:46:18,680 --> 00:46:22,759 Speaker 3: it was really frustrating that people would take that, you 737 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:25,720 Speaker 3: know what what Musk was implementing, which was like getting 738 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:28,799 Speaker 3: rid of all those rules and just letting it be 739 00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:31,480 Speaker 3: kind of open season on trans people. He even made 740 00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:34,920 Speaker 3: it where if you if you say the word cis 741 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:39,240 Speaker 3: or cis gender like, it doesn't show up for anyone 742 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:44,799 Speaker 3: on Twitter. It gets labeled as being being hateful and 743 00:46:44,880 --> 00:46:47,800 Speaker 3: can't be retweeted by anyone. So it's it's one of 744 00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:51,320 Speaker 3: those things where he like clearly was rigging it against 745 00:46:51,360 --> 00:46:55,000 Speaker 3: trans people, making it hard to have conversations on there, 746 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:58,720 Speaker 3: and eventually most trans people just kind of left Twitter 747 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:02,280 Speaker 3: because it wasn't it was wasn't productive, it wasn't helpful, 748 00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:07,440 Speaker 3: and it just fed you all of the worst things possible. 749 00:47:07,520 --> 00:47:12,320 Speaker 3: You know, it became, uh, the platform became libs of TikTok. Basically, 750 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:16,480 Speaker 3: that was kind of it. And that shut down speech 751 00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:21,120 Speaker 3: that made that made speech on Twitter less free than 752 00:47:21,160 --> 00:47:25,040 Speaker 3: it was before. Because if you have people who feel 753 00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:30,320 Speaker 3: like they can't participate in the conversation because of the uh, 754 00:47:30,440 --> 00:47:34,640 Speaker 3: the toxic environment that you've created, Like you're not having 755 00:47:34,640 --> 00:47:38,239 Speaker 3: an open dialogue. It's not the town Square. It's just 756 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:42,880 Speaker 3: it's just an anti trans platform and it's designed to 757 00:47:43,000 --> 00:47:47,520 Speaker 3: spread anti trans content and push actual trans people off 758 00:47:47,560 --> 00:47:50,400 Speaker 3: of the off of it. And you know, he he 759 00:47:50,520 --> 00:47:54,880 Speaker 3: does does this with any issue he cares about, and 760 00:47:55,040 --> 00:47:58,799 Speaker 3: he tweaks the algorithm. He you know, his his rock 761 00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:07,359 Speaker 3: chat bot has been lobotomized and retrained using Grockipedia so 762 00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:10,240 Speaker 3: that it no longer will respond to questions about trans 763 00:48:10,280 --> 00:48:14,360 Speaker 3: people using like what is said on Wikipedia, but instead 764 00:48:14,480 --> 00:48:18,720 Speaker 3: goes with this anti trans page that's been like written 765 00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:22,440 Speaker 3: up on the Grockipedia site, so it will it pairents 766 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:25,760 Speaker 3: back what Elon Musk believes as though it's like a fact. 767 00:48:27,120 --> 00:48:29,440 Speaker 3: But you know, it's his belief and he he's more 768 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:31,560 Speaker 3: than welcome to have his beliefs. But at the same time, 769 00:48:31,560 --> 00:48:34,960 Speaker 3: it's kind of like watching watching him trying to tweak 770 00:48:35,000 --> 00:48:39,240 Speaker 3: it to get the responses that he wants. Specifically, is 771 00:48:39,239 --> 00:48:43,279 Speaker 3: is kind of evil, but you know that's that's what 772 00:48:43,320 --> 00:48:45,400 Speaker 3: he's doing, and that's what he bought right from the start. 773 00:48:45,480 --> 00:48:48,239 Speaker 3: It was like, this is a political project. He's doing 774 00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:52,560 Speaker 3: it to try to mainstream his thoughts as though they're 775 00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:56,440 Speaker 3: the public's thoughts. And you know, there was there was 776 00:48:56,520 --> 00:49:00,239 Speaker 3: a that that day where Groc wouldn't stop talking talking 777 00:49:00,280 --> 00:49:04,640 Speaker 3: about white genocide in South Africa, you know, where every 778 00:49:04,840 --> 00:49:08,200 Speaker 3: you'd ask a question about about us, like football, and 779 00:49:08,239 --> 00:49:10,680 Speaker 3: it'd be like, yeah, here's this, here's the response. And 780 00:49:10,719 --> 00:49:13,600 Speaker 3: then also, did you know that currently in South Africa, 781 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:17,040 Speaker 3: you know, white white people are fleeing, and you know, 782 00:49:17,160 --> 00:49:19,120 Speaker 3: like all this stuff that was just like a weird 783 00:49:19,160 --> 00:49:23,440 Speaker 3: conspiracy theory was just baked into Groc at that point. 784 00:49:23,520 --> 00:49:26,920 Speaker 3: And so I think it's important that people realize that 785 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:30,400 Speaker 3: that these you know, these these tech billionaires, you know, 786 00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:36,040 Speaker 3: Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, you know, those guys like they 787 00:49:36,760 --> 00:49:40,600 Speaker 3: they own the platforms in part so they can assert 788 00:49:40,680 --> 00:49:44,160 Speaker 3: their political views on the rest of the world. And 789 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:48,200 Speaker 3: it's definitely worth keeping in mind because I think a 790 00:49:48,200 --> 00:49:50,279 Speaker 3: lot of people will be like, well, no Elon is 791 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:54,200 Speaker 3: for free speech, even though every like once a week 792 00:49:54,239 --> 00:49:58,440 Speaker 3: he'll post something saying that like a teacher teaching that 793 00:49:58,600 --> 00:50:02,960 Speaker 3: America isn't the greatest should be tried with treason and murder, 794 00:50:03,320 --> 00:50:07,080 Speaker 3: you know, like he'll say something completely completely ridiculous like that, 795 00:50:07,280 --> 00:50:10,120 Speaker 3: but you know, which is very not free speech. 796 00:50:11,120 --> 00:50:14,040 Speaker 1: In your piece, you end it by talking about, you know, 797 00:50:14,719 --> 00:50:17,840 Speaker 1: if Ashley wants to keep talking about this and like 798 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:20,120 Speaker 1: wants to actually know like what it is she can 799 00:50:20,200 --> 00:50:23,600 Speaker 1: do now to sort of make amends for her previous 800 00:50:23,760 --> 00:50:26,960 Speaker 1: you know, transphobia, it looks like continuing to talk, right, 801 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:30,200 Speaker 1: It looks like talking about how you went from publishing 802 00:50:30,280 --> 00:50:34,400 Speaker 1: a transphobic kids book to them using the correct pronouns 803 00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:38,080 Speaker 1: for your kid's sister, right, Like, because people like you 804 00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:41,000 Speaker 1: and people like me, we're probably we're probably not going 805 00:50:41,000 --> 00:50:43,200 Speaker 1: to be the ones to chage people's minds, but she might. 806 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:47,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, well exactly, And that's that's kind of the thing. 807 00:50:47,960 --> 00:50:51,759 Speaker 3: Like there are times where all think to myself like 808 00:50:53,200 --> 00:50:56,680 Speaker 3: I can't you know, like I will think to myself 809 00:50:56,960 --> 00:51:02,880 Speaker 3: that like, oh wow, it would be helpful if someone 810 00:51:02,880 --> 00:51:08,080 Speaker 3: who wasn't trans could make this argument in trans people's favor, 811 00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:10,040 Speaker 3: you know, that sort of thing, Like there will be 812 00:51:10,080 --> 00:51:15,759 Speaker 3: times where I know that there's a immediately because I 813 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:20,360 Speaker 3: because I'm trans, if I say something like oh actually, 814 00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:26,319 Speaker 3: and you know, clarify some some misinformation that I see, like, 815 00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:29,400 Speaker 3: there will be people who go, well, you you clearly 816 00:51:29,560 --> 00:51:33,319 Speaker 3: have have an agenda here because of who you are. 817 00:51:33,920 --> 00:51:37,440 Speaker 3: And I can't take this at face value. But if 818 00:51:37,480 --> 00:51:43,440 Speaker 3: you have someone who was anti trans who had changed 819 00:51:43,480 --> 00:51:46,480 Speaker 3: their views, like, yeah, I think that like they have 820 00:51:46,600 --> 00:51:49,480 Speaker 3: a better chance of getting through to people who view 821 00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:54,560 Speaker 3: trans people with suspicion, you know, at minimum, and you 822 00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:56,440 Speaker 3: know who could kind of be like, yeah, it is 823 00:51:56,520 --> 00:51:58,719 Speaker 3: It is a little strange that we're focused, you know, 824 00:51:58,760 --> 00:52:01,600 Speaker 3: we're obsessed with this like one percent of the population 825 00:52:02,320 --> 00:52:05,600 Speaker 3: and constantly talking about ways to try to push them 826 00:52:05,600 --> 00:52:09,960 Speaker 3: out of public life. Why are we Why are we 827 00:52:10,080 --> 00:52:12,200 Speaker 3: doing that? And and like asking people to kind of 828 00:52:12,560 --> 00:52:20,440 Speaker 3: consider consider the uh, you know why people in you know, 829 00:52:20,520 --> 00:52:24,239 Speaker 3: positions of power in the in the country want to 830 00:52:24,320 --> 00:52:28,400 Speaker 3: keep having that conversation instead of tackling, you know, dealing 831 00:52:28,440 --> 00:52:32,720 Speaker 3: with affordability or you know, talking about you know, dealing 832 00:52:32,760 --> 00:52:35,880 Speaker 3: with climate change or any of these like real problems 833 00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:39,960 Speaker 3: that that affects people, you know, in real ways affect 834 00:52:40,040 --> 00:52:42,520 Speaker 3: all of us, affects a lot of people. You know, 835 00:52:42,600 --> 00:52:45,080 Speaker 3: they'd rather just say no, no, no, you should focus 836 00:52:45,120 --> 00:52:49,680 Speaker 3: on this group because this group is UH is harming 837 00:52:49,719 --> 00:52:52,400 Speaker 3: you in ways that we can't really we can't really specify, 838 00:52:52,480 --> 00:52:54,359 Speaker 3: but we we're just going to keep talking about them 839 00:52:54,400 --> 00:52:57,160 Speaker 3: in this scary sort of way, you know, like that's 840 00:52:58,320 --> 00:53:01,120 Speaker 3: that's kind of the reality, you know. So it's it's 841 00:53:01,160 --> 00:53:04,280 Speaker 3: helpful I think for there to be people who are like, yeah, 842 00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:06,799 Speaker 3: I used to buy into all that stuff, but I 843 00:53:06,800 --> 00:53:09,879 Speaker 3: don't anymore. And here's why. So it's like, yeah, if 844 00:53:09,920 --> 00:53:12,640 Speaker 3: she wants to keep talking about this, I think that 845 00:53:12,680 --> 00:53:17,799 Speaker 3: would be great. Just just be honest, she and and 846 00:53:17,960 --> 00:53:20,200 Speaker 3: I don't. One thing I want to make clear is 847 00:53:20,239 --> 00:53:26,480 Speaker 3: like I think that there is definitely a spot that 848 00:53:26,640 --> 00:53:32,600 Speaker 3: exists between being like hardcore anti trans and someone who 849 00:53:32,640 --> 00:53:38,960 Speaker 3: will like shout out like slogans and you know things 850 00:53:39,040 --> 00:53:41,280 Speaker 3: like you know, like saying like trans women are women, 851 00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:44,359 Speaker 3: Like that's more of a slogan than anything that has 852 00:53:44,400 --> 00:53:47,799 Speaker 3: to do with politics, Like it's not it's not particularly 853 00:53:47,840 --> 00:53:51,640 Speaker 3: important to me if if a politician sees trans women 854 00:53:51,719 --> 00:53:56,520 Speaker 3: as actually women or transmen as actually men, like I 855 00:53:56,880 --> 00:54:01,359 Speaker 3: would have obviously, like I think more people should view 856 00:54:01,480 --> 00:54:03,560 Speaker 3: view trans people as who we say we are. But 857 00:54:04,120 --> 00:54:06,680 Speaker 3: at the same time, it's like I'm mostly concerned about 858 00:54:06,719 --> 00:54:12,320 Speaker 3: like the efforts to restrict you know, access to healthcare 859 00:54:12,560 --> 00:54:19,839 Speaker 3: or nondiscrimination protections in work and in public accommodations, and 860 00:54:20,160 --> 00:54:22,839 Speaker 3: you know, just being able to live lives and like, 861 00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:25,719 Speaker 3: I don't need someone to completely buy in and you know, 862 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:30,040 Speaker 3: buy into like everything that every trans person says. So 863 00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:32,799 Speaker 3: I think it's important having people out there who maybe 864 00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:37,759 Speaker 3: aren't entirely super on board but maybe just like have been. 865 00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:41,480 Speaker 3: Like a single trans person came into my life and 866 00:54:41,560 --> 00:54:45,440 Speaker 3: it made me rethink how I view all of this. 867 00:54:45,840 --> 00:54:49,160 Speaker 3: You know, it made me. It humanized the issue for me, 868 00:54:49,360 --> 00:54:52,279 Speaker 3: because I think that's that's a big, big thing that's 869 00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:56,080 Speaker 3: you know, part of the reason that gay rights advanced 870 00:54:56,080 --> 00:54:59,000 Speaker 3: as quickly as they did is more people started to 871 00:54:59,080 --> 00:55:03,880 Speaker 3: know someone who was gay and trans. Trans writes, you know, 872 00:55:03,960 --> 00:55:06,439 Speaker 3: the people who support trans rights the most are people 873 00:55:06,480 --> 00:55:11,040 Speaker 3: who know a trans person, And so it's more difficult 874 00:55:11,080 --> 00:55:13,239 Speaker 3: for trans people because we're such a small portion of 875 00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:18,759 Speaker 3: the population. Plus you don't necessarily know if every every 876 00:55:18,800 --> 00:55:22,440 Speaker 3: single person that you're talking to who is trans, whether 877 00:55:22,520 --> 00:55:25,520 Speaker 3: they're trans, you know, because not everyone walks around and 878 00:55:25,600 --> 00:55:28,960 Speaker 3: announces it everywhere they go. So it's it's one of 879 00:55:29,000 --> 00:55:32,279 Speaker 3: those things that it's it's going to be difficult to 880 00:55:32,560 --> 00:55:36,759 Speaker 3: kind of fight back against a lot of the a 881 00:55:36,760 --> 00:55:40,080 Speaker 3: lot of the anti trans stuff that's happening now. And really, 882 00:55:40,160 --> 00:55:42,160 Speaker 3: I think that we can just kind of use all 883 00:55:42,160 --> 00:55:44,600 Speaker 3: the help we can get. So she wants to keep 884 00:55:44,600 --> 00:55:47,879 Speaker 3: talking about this and wants to, you know, explain how 885 00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:50,680 Speaker 3: she got from one point of view to another. Like 886 00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:53,719 Speaker 3: I think that's good and that's helpful, and you know, 887 00:55:53,880 --> 00:55:56,080 Speaker 3: more credit to her if she does, and if she doesn't, 888 00:55:56,680 --> 00:55:59,840 Speaker 3: that's still that's still fine. She tried to make amends 889 00:55:59,840 --> 00:56:03,680 Speaker 3: for you know, her past positions, and all she can 890 00:56:03,719 --> 00:56:06,080 Speaker 3: do is try to do better moving forward. 891 00:56:07,640 --> 00:56:11,359 Speaker 1: Parker, You're you're such a thoughtful person. I really just 892 00:56:11,400 --> 00:56:13,120 Speaker 1: like really appreciate the way you see the world. 893 00:56:13,920 --> 00:56:18,160 Speaker 3: Well, thank you. I I mean, I I I try, 894 00:56:18,560 --> 00:56:22,240 Speaker 3: you know, like because I've I've sat there with holding 895 00:56:22,280 --> 00:56:25,400 Speaker 3: my phone in my hand so angry that I'm shaking, 896 00:56:25,600 --> 00:56:30,600 Speaker 3: you know, like I've had that and it's you know, 897 00:56:30,680 --> 00:56:33,080 Speaker 3: it's just it's it's not healthy. 898 00:56:34,200 --> 00:56:34,400 Speaker 2: You know. 899 00:56:34,440 --> 00:56:37,759 Speaker 3: I still find myself doing that. Sometimes I'll see something 900 00:56:37,800 --> 00:56:42,080 Speaker 3: that's that's that's annoying or frustrating or I think it's unfair, 901 00:56:42,600 --> 00:56:45,000 Speaker 3: and my reaction will be like I should yell at 902 00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:48,920 Speaker 3: this guy in this comments, but like, I'm trying not 903 00:56:49,000 --> 00:56:53,120 Speaker 3: to do that as much, just just because I I 904 00:56:53,120 --> 00:56:56,040 Speaker 3: think if I keep getting mad about every person who 905 00:56:56,719 --> 00:57:01,080 Speaker 3: has has spoken ill of trans people, that I'm just 906 00:57:01,080 --> 00:57:02,040 Speaker 3: always going to be mad. 907 00:57:02,320 --> 00:57:11,359 Speaker 1: So got a story about an interesting thing in tech, 908 00:57:11,520 --> 00:57:13,400 Speaker 1: or just want to say hi? You can reach us 909 00:57:13,400 --> 00:57:15,799 Speaker 1: at Hello at tangody dot com. You can also find 910 00:57:15,800 --> 00:57:18,640 Speaker 1: transcripts for today's episode at tenggody dot com. There Are 911 00:57:18,680 --> 00:57:20,840 Speaker 1: No Girls on the Internet was created by me Bridget Tod. 912 00:57:21,240 --> 00:57:24,640 Speaker 1: It's a production of iHeartRadio, an unbossed creative. Jonathan Strickland 913 00:57:24,680 --> 00:57:27,400 Speaker 1: is our executive producer. Tarry Harrison is our producer and 914 00:57:27,480 --> 00:57:31,240 Speaker 1: sound engineer. Michael Almato is our contributing producer. I'm your host, 915 00:57:31,240 --> 00:57:34,040 Speaker 1: Bridget Todd. If you want to help us grow, rate 916 00:57:34,080 --> 00:57:37,800 Speaker 1: and review us on Apple Podcasts. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 917 00:57:37,920 --> 00:57:40,280 Speaker 1: check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 918 00:57:40,280 --> 00:57:47,840 Speaker 1: get your podcasts.