Is There Any Guiding Principle About Who to Associate With?
Can I articulate one? Can you? Can anybody?
So: I’ve been invited to appear on The Kid-Touching Hour with The Clone of Joseph Goebbels. It’s a popular podcast featuring the lab-grown genetic doppelganger of the infamous Nazi propagandist. Clone Goebbels (“CloJo” to fans), in addition to being a Nazi, has quite Foucauldian opinions on certain issues. Obviously, I find his views abhorrent. His opinions reflect the sickening lack of humanity that made Goebbels 1.0 one of the most reviled figures in human history. Plus, he’s not funny. It’s fair to say that my entire participation in the political sphere is to stand against everything he represents.
COUNTERPOINT: His pod does solid numbers. Five million downloads a month, 1.2 million YouTube subscribers — that’s legit, those are Red Scare numbers. I’m trying to build an audience for this Substack. Maybe — hear me out — maybe I change his mind about a few things — the Earned Income Tax Credit, perhaps, or zoning (Goebbels is a total NIMBY). Sure, things might be a little awkward around the Seder table with my in-laws next Passover, but if I use the podcast to plug the Substack and get off some solid zingers, then I’m sure they’ll understand. I mean: Five million downloads a month.
Who do we choose to associate with? Where do we draw the line? When do we say “I can’t be involved with this person” — is there any articulable principle, or are we all just going by feel? It’s become common on the left to break ties with people seen as morally suspect; Neil Young and India Arie couldn’t share a platform with Joe Rogan, Patton Oswalt apologized for doing a show with Dave Chappelle, and the death of biologist E.O. Wilson sparked a “how dare you”-athon that will probably burn for months. These are just the most recent examples of a larger trend. What are the rules here? Are there any? I seriously want to know; I have to live on this planet, and I’ve also been invited on Cannibalism Today with Ghislaine Maxwell.