International journalist Ioannis Gatsiounis, whose work has taken him to Asia, Africa and beyond, tackles race and other "sensitive" issues of vital interest with candor and nuance, revealing the difference between being woke and awake.
From Target and Chick-fil-A to Miller Lite and Netflix, companies that go woke are seeing their reputations and in some cases bottom lines take a hit, as more Americans, including liberals and Democrats, protest what they see as overreach of an illiberal, tribal ideology. Also in this episode: Are Millennials and Gen Zers as progressive as they think? And footage relating to Target's PRIDE controversy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsxXzRLitjc
Historical evidence shows no group can claim "ownership" of dreadlocks, so why shouldn't - or should - white people wear them? https://youtu.be/9Qv2ctpSbDs
Are Americans growing bolder, or has cancel culture silenced us into irrevocable submission? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpWmLfYEf2c Also in this episode: Offending a POC Immigrants vs. Wokeism Does the Woke Set Mean Well? Gays and Cultural Appropriation
In our inaugural episode, I sit down with the always thoughtful Kirk Leman whose upbringing in a tight-knit religious community has informed his insights on the parallels between wokeism and religious fanaticism. Here we discuss how woke identity politics and discriminatory concepts like equity are impacting Hollywood, the arts, and academia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lakFI0Atlw
To be more sensitive in this age of hyper-sensitivity, consider being less sensitive.
Trumpism and Wokeism have undermined institutional integrity and democratic norms. How can America heal and prosper?
A report on how woke identity politics is hastening institutional rot in higher ed.
Politeness is a vital social glue but too much can exact a heavy toll.
More concerning than cancel culture is our timid response to it.
When news events have clearcut victims, nuance suffers.
As unease over wokeness grows among liberals, it's time for Democratic candidates to take a position.
Peddling puberty blockers in the name of social justice.
With Johnny Depp's court victory, hiding abuse behind a hashtag just got harder.
Misconstruing the Second Amendment (0:42) Music sample – Ibibio Sound Machine (8:15) Great Replacement Theory (9:20) Music sample – Idles (18:37) Omitting a suspect's race at the NYT (19:50) Self-accountability vs. the race card (23:00)
From social reserve and unblessed geography to a lack of destination neighborhoods and a swelling tech presence, Austin has its share of drawbacks. Humorlessness in the transgender community (0:39) If this is a life threatening emergency (5:13) Music sample – Thee Oh Sees (7:19) Is Austin overrated? (8:09)
Sleep-woking - going through the motions and tacitly complying with woke illiberalism and neo-racism.
No era in human history has been so sensitive to the hurt feelings of others. But at what cost?
This week's Oscars are the latest ugly setback for woke politics. Oscars, race, and wokeness (0:21) Music sample – William Onyeabor (6:02) Russia boosting American power? (7:48) Music sample - Ryan Bingham (10:55) Pedestrian privilege (11:57) Running red lights (15:32)
Last fall I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Seeing the lighter has helped in the healing process. Thank you to all who were a calm, loving presence through it all.
Finding home away from home. Hiring police based on race (0:40) Music sample – Arcade Fire (6:39) Regulated “party” (7:31) Music sample – Tricky (10:07) Home (11:02)
Experiences that have shaped my skepticism of tribalism. Brick and mortar vs. online (0:30) Yesterday's newspapers (2:30) Music sample - Screaming Trees (8:27) Cancelling Putin supporters (9:52) Music sample - Mark Lanegan (11:56) Tribalism (12:45)
Amid a world of don'ts, smoking now symbolizes a breath of fresh air. Architecture and the white male (0:22) Super Bowl and wokeness (3:05) Music sample – Sun June (8:56) Hiring based on race (10:00) Music sample – Radio Citizen (18:18) Smoking (19:09)
Friendliness' connection to a fuller life. Masks (0:14) Music sample - Steve Earle (6:10) GPS vs. old school maps (7:13) Music sample - Nadine Shah (9:03) Friendliness (10:00)
How does curiosity (or lack thereof) fundamentally shape our lives? Hollywood (0:31) Music sample - Meller (8:55) Wide-eyed tourists (9:45) Music sample - Xylouris White (11:58) Curiosity (12:42)
What in our modern (and inner) world is preventing us from being freer in mind and spirit? Ugly sweater parties (1:36) Merry Christmas? (3:26) Music sample - Porridge Radio (9:42) Youtube's dislike button (10:41) Music sample - Anderson .Paak (12:51) Freedom (13:43)
Many assume a world envisioned by wokeness will soon be upon us if it isn't already. But resulting social change rarely matches the intended outcome. What gets in the way?
Spirituality is often misused to elaborately avoid real inner work. Fast food nation (0:18) Music sample - Francis Bebey (4:23) Price-less restaurant menus (5:27) Music sample - JD McPherson (11:25) Spirituality (13:16)
Sunsets (00:07) Family drama (1:49) Old men in sunglasses (3:38) Music sample - Tinariwen (4:58) Soul (6:03)
Weekends - an essential part of a life well lived. Myths about CRT (6:36) Ioannis' sex tapes (10:50) Minimalism as a tool of self-empowerment (19:12)
Ailing from information overload and mass consumerism, Americans are growing less discerning. What are the societal implications? Halloween social experiment (1:19) Dead & Co. concert (3:30) Travails in gender studies (5:54) Discernment (11:40)
Woke illiberals have taken the fun out of Halloween in an attempt to be more "sensitive." In kicking off Season 2, BreakLines flouts their politics of intolerance.
Republicans' relationship to "freedom" has grown shallow and hypocritical, devaluing the cause at a time when it urgently needs defending.
Left-leaning commentators claim the right is as guilty of canceling as the left. Are they misleading us?
Civilizations wither into blandness under oppressive environments.
Concern with woke culture is spreading around the globe. Here, Ugandan radio host James "Fat Boy" Onen interviews me on the neo-racism stunting once liberal American institutions.
Ideological extremism is cutting us off from one another. What in woke's DNA is making things worse?
In putting tribe before country, the hammer thrower has cast further doubt on the role and impact of activist athletes.
Liberal democracy depends on citizens standing up when it's under threat. So what's getting in the way of being our better selves?
Republicans bristle any time Obama broaches the topic of race. But amid heightened identity politics, his nuanced take is urgently needed.
BreakLines digs into Nikole Hannah-Jones' personal history with race for clues.
We’re said to finally be getting race right. Will we look back to find the opposite was true?
The Republican Party has become an extremist mess, built on lies and conspiracy theories. So why am I and other liberals increasingly uneasy about voting Democrat?
With 100 million Americans fully vaccinated and anyone older than 16 now eligible, it is misplaced to expect the vaccinated to behave anything less than free.
Committed as ever to swaying public opinion, the Gray Lady does not have the luxury of writing its own history. Its editorial standards will.
A professor's demonization of "whites" is a timely example of how wokeism is morally and intellectually compromising academia.
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