Recommendations for popular simple lefty podcasts and bloggers?
March 3, 2023 4:21 PM Subscribe
Can you recommend some left-leaning equivalents to people like Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan and their ilk?
I am a math tutor. I have a student who is a young man, in his early 20's who has a genuine, earnest interest in philosophy and political thought. Unfortunately he is also very into Jordan Peterson and similar people. We have had some conversations about philosophy, epistemology, especially regarding math and science, and I believe he is genuinely open to a simple, coherent argument. On the other hand he also believes some ridiculous things due to his media diet. Today he told me that he thinks the food pyramid is "totalitarianism" and showed me a Jordan Peterson video that says as much, and he thinks global warming is a hoax.
He has asked me for some recommendations for podcasts or writers who I think would be good, but I can't think of anything that would speak to him at the fairly simple, emotional level that he operates at and that people like Peterson and Rogan target.
What would you guys recommend?
I am a math tutor. I have a student who is a young man, in his early 20's who has a genuine, earnest interest in philosophy and political thought. Unfortunately he is also very into Jordan Peterson and similar people. We have had some conversations about philosophy, epistemology, especially regarding math and science, and I believe he is genuinely open to a simple, coherent argument. On the other hand he also believes some ridiculous things due to his media diet. Today he told me that he thinks the food pyramid is "totalitarianism" and showed me a Jordan Peterson video that says as much, and he thinks global warming is a hoax.
He has asked me for some recommendations for podcasts or writers who I think would be good, but I can't think of anything that would speak to him at the fairly simple, emotional level that he operates at and that people like Peterson and Rogan target.
What would you guys recommend?
My first instinct is Death Panel. It’s not simple or low-level but I feel the hosts are often very impassioned about the subjects. I’ll try and find a good couple of intro eps.
posted by curious nu at 4:53 PM on March 3, 2023
posted by curious nu at 4:53 PM on March 3, 2023
Brian Dunning's Skeptoid Podcast comes to mind, though it's been awhile since I've listened to it. Find it at skeptoid.com
posted by jazon at 5:01 PM on March 3, 2023
posted by jazon at 5:01 PM on March 3, 2023
This 'cancel culture' podcast episode by Adam Ragusea digs into Batali, Rowling, and personal stuff in a
thoughtful way that is not defensive or aggressive and would seem to be very accessible for right-leaning folks.
posted by maya at 5:08 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
thoughtful way that is not defensive or aggressive and would seem to be very accessible for right-leaning folks.
posted by maya at 5:08 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Hbomberguy, Matt bruenig, contra points are all good ones (YouTube).
posted by creiszhanson at 5:15 PM on March 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by creiszhanson at 5:15 PM on March 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
For fun engaging left wing there is plenty “dirt bag left” podcasts that might work. True anon, Chapo traphouse, adam friedland show. I know there are lots more, but those come to mind.
posted by creiszhanson at 5:18 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by creiszhanson at 5:18 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Yes to True Anon, a lot of fun. Blowback if he likes history, examining things he “knows” (or is generally familiar with from history class) through a different lens.
I love Death Panel but healthcare advocacy and disability rights might ping his “woke”-dar.
posted by supercres at 5:29 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
I love Death Panel but healthcare advocacy and disability rights might ping his “woke”-dar.
posted by supercres at 5:29 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
I’d try Behind the Bastards with Robert Evans. It has over the top, edgy humor that generally punches in the right direction, and Evans is quite open about his transition from being a conservative-leaning shitposter to a leftist anarchist. Maybe start with some of the episodes about non-political figures (The two about “John Harvey Kellogg, the great American cum doctor” are a good example of the show’s brand of humor), and then proceed to some of the takedowns of Peterson, Andrew Tate, etc.
posted by ActionPopulated at 5:36 PM on March 3, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by ActionPopulated at 5:36 PM on March 3, 2023 [14 favorites]
Manclan is a podcast by Annie Kelly and Julian Feeld (of QAnon Anonymous) that dissects manosphere influencers.
Trash Future is a leftist podcast that nominally concerns itself with startup scam culture, but fairly often gets into politics and gurus and other culture war topics. More importantly, it's funny, so he might stick around to listen to it.
Knowledge Fight is non-stop coverage of Alex Jones and everybody that Alex Jones interacts with, which includes
lots of the usual gurus.
Decoding the Gurus has numerous episodes on Peterson and Rogan, along with the rest of the IDW clown car. Helps to recognize how the gurus manipulate people.
Q-Anon Anonymous covers Q-Anon and related conspiracy nonsense.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 5:50 PM on March 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Trash Future is a leftist podcast that nominally concerns itself with startup scam culture, but fairly often gets into politics and gurus and other culture war topics. More importantly, it's funny, so he might stick around to listen to it.
Knowledge Fight is non-stop coverage of Alex Jones and everybody that Alex Jones interacts with, which includes
lots of the usual gurus.
Decoding the Gurus has numerous episodes on Peterson and Rogan, along with the rest of the IDW clown car. Helps to recognize how the gurus manipulate people.
Q-Anon Anonymous covers Q-Anon and related conspiracy nonsense.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 5:50 PM on March 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Shaun on YT. He has a few rebuttal type videos but also does some really good work on topics like the ethics of dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, The Bell Curve, Women & Chess, and a fantastic series on transphobia.
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 5:54 PM on March 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by MagnificentVacuum at 5:54 PM on March 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Fever Dreams podcast is a scathing take down of Q Anon.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:26 PM on March 3, 2023
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:26 PM on March 3, 2023
Know Your Enemy
A leftist's guide to the conservative movement
posted by readery at 7:09 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
A leftist's guide to the conservative movement
posted by readery at 7:09 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
If he loves math, Grant Sanderson of 3Blue 1Brown on YouTube is an excellent survey of lots of fun math concepts and the graphics are exceptional. Grant is one of the most kind, gentle and brilliant lecturers you could imagine and a great role model.
Sean Carroll's YouTube channel has a huge library of math and science concepts as lectures, and a separate series called Mindscapes that touches on a lot of philosophical topics. Sean is also just brilliant while at the same time being very compassionate and progressive, and able to debate on the topic of theology without being condescending. Another great role model.
posted by effluvia at 7:17 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Sean Carroll's YouTube channel has a huge library of math and science concepts as lectures, and a separate series called Mindscapes that touches on a lot of philosophical topics. Sean is also just brilliant while at the same time being very compassionate and progressive, and able to debate on the topic of theology without being condescending. Another great role model.
posted by effluvia at 7:17 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
Can he take an actual philosophy class? If he has a genuine interest, I think teaching him more logical thinking would be a better ideal than appealing to emotions, though maybe a combination approach would be helpful. If he's exposed to real logical rigor, he'll probably be humbled pretty quickly, as long as he doesn't reject it. In the absence of a real class, I second PhilosophyTube. Bonus: it would also counter the transphobia he is likely absorbing.
Podcasts:
5-4 is "a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks" and is moderately irreverent but very informative. The hosts are all lawyers.
Maintenance Phase has an episode about the food pyramid in particular. It in fact has a pretty silly history, but the problem is lobbying, not totalitarianism. They also have two episodes on Peterson and his history with the paleo diet. They dunk on him happily but have some human compassion when he deserves it.
You're Wrong About revisits misunderstood events or people from the recent past. It often involves deconstructing bad ideas, identifying systemic problems, and finding compassion for people in complex situations. One of the hosts of Maintenance Phase used to be a host, and those earlier episodes are the ones I'd recommend for this purpose.
I maybe anti-recommend Chapo Trap House, as I feel like they don't make very good arguments and use kind of inflammatory rhetoric, but admittedly I bounced off it quickly and thus have minimal experience with it.
posted by Comet Bug at 8:27 PM on March 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Podcasts:
5-4 is "a podcast about how much the Supreme Court sucks" and is moderately irreverent but very informative. The hosts are all lawyers.
Maintenance Phase has an episode about the food pyramid in particular. It in fact has a pretty silly history, but the problem is lobbying, not totalitarianism. They also have two episodes on Peterson and his history with the paleo diet. They dunk on him happily but have some human compassion when he deserves it.
You're Wrong About revisits misunderstood events or people from the recent past. It often involves deconstructing bad ideas, identifying systemic problems, and finding compassion for people in complex situations. One of the hosts of Maintenance Phase used to be a host, and those earlier episodes are the ones I'd recommend for this purpose.
I maybe anti-recommend Chapo Trap House, as I feel like they don't make very good arguments and use kind of inflammatory rhetoric, but admittedly I bounced off it quickly and thus have minimal experience with it.
posted by Comet Bug at 8:27 PM on March 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
I’ll anti anti recommend Chapo (and my recommendation TrueAnon) and clarify that these would fill the Rogan role of kinda puerile, sometimes poor-taste, shitposty podcast. A lot of people enter the left by way of the dirtbag personalities (TrueAnon’s host is Brace Belden aka PissPigGranddad) and I think that’s a net positive even if they don’t make it over to the kinder, gentler, compassionate, more intellectual progressive sphere that a lot of people seem to be focused on.
They’re going to be a lot easier to get into in other words; I can see a young man who loves JP and Rogan immediately bouncing off of Maintenance Phase.
posted by supercres at 9:17 PM on March 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
They’re going to be a lot easier to get into in other words; I can see a young man who loves JP and Rogan immediately bouncing off of Maintenance Phase.
posted by supercres at 9:17 PM on March 3, 2023 [2 favorites]
Eh, fair enough. Aside from 5-4, which I still think would be good, maybe my podcast recs would be better at a somewhat later stage. It's hard to tell how open-minded the student is from the question.
posted by Comet Bug at 9:33 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Comet Bug at 9:33 PM on March 3, 2023 [1 favorite]
If Books Could Kill! The hosts take apart popular books like Freakonomics and The End of History. The vibe is casual and jokey, but they are very well researched. It's a sneaky education in critical reading under the guise of two pals making fun of these bestsellers
posted by jebs at 11:42 PM on March 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by jebs at 11:42 PM on March 3, 2023 [3 favorites]
Perhaps a shameless plug, but I co-host a podcast on the intersection of science, technology, left theory, philosophy, cybernetics, and economic planning: General Intellect Unit
It can be very dense and technical at times but maybe that's exactly what this kid would like?
posted by june_dodecahedron at 12:23 AM on March 4, 2023
It can be very dense and technical at times but maybe that's exactly what this kid would like?
posted by june_dodecahedron at 12:23 AM on March 4, 2023
Lots of youtubers fit this. A few have already been mentioned, but Big Joel and Wisecrack provide excellent takedowns of some of Petersons arguments (such as they are). Some More News is good, Loner Box, Munecat, FD Signifier, theres a lot of good stuff out there on youtuve
posted by Cannon Fodder at 1:13 AM on March 4, 2023
posted by Cannon Fodder at 1:13 AM on March 4, 2023
Behind the Bastards is the perfect antidote for a young man exposed to too much Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan.
posted by emd3737 at 3:02 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by emd3737 at 3:02 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
Hasan Piker on twitch is your guy.
posted by Uncle at 9:11 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Uncle at 9:11 AM on March 4, 2023 [1 favorite]
I enjoy Lex Fridman’s interviews for this. I don’t think of him as left, rather, a true intellectual.
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 10:14 AM on March 4, 2023
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 10:14 AM on March 4, 2023
« Older How to get back into 'difficult' reading | Checking account which offers withdrawal... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Move them away from individual opinions by people with vested interests in having an audience and into being able to form his own opinions through critical thinking and reasoning.
posted by Thella at 4:33 PM on March 3, 2023