There was previously discussion about Russell Brand denying allegations that were to be shown in a TV documentary, and now things are developing.
There was previously discussion about Russell Brand denying allegations that were to be shown in a TV documentary, and now things are developing.
I wonder if that’s why this guy turned into a right wing grifter around the same time? Elon Musk did the exact same shit with that flight attendant story.
Mah this is who they always were. If anything, they were a sort of left-wing grifter before; they said and did shit that would anyone from American libs and further left kinda say “ok thank god not all the rich privileged people are insane” but now that they’ve been caught out for doing terrible shit out of the spotlight, they go right back to their true selves and spout shit like “people with a conscience don’t want to bankroll my lavish lifestyle anymore! Can’t they just not vote with their wallets? I DESERVE that revenue! Cancel culture has gone TOO FAR now that affects my bottom line!”
Absolutely no self-awareness as to how their own hubris has done it to themselves; or absolutely no scruples about doubling down and doing anything they can to keep the cash flowing.
Remember, the worst think that can happen to a capital owner is they can become working class again. This is why they always kick and squirm.
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Matt Taibbi is on a related journey. He stopped turning up to his own podcast a couple of years ago, and you can now catch him on random NewsMax segments.
After seeing Naomi Wolf make the full heel turn to Steve Bannon acolyte, in the aftermath of her book and reputation being utterly destroyed in a single BBC interview, it seems like it’s not necessarily Me-too driving the flipping phenomenon.
The MAGA right provides the last bastion for people with huge egos and well-paying careers in the public eye who refuse to go away.
Checked in on Taibbi after you mentioned this. There’s something weird in that dudes past where he went off to Leningrad at the end of his college years and then was just kinda over there for a decade +. My guess there is some flavor of komprimat having to do with his past heroin usage and probably sex tourism. He’s really towed the line for the pro Russia narrative since he started being a “both sides” guy, and went out of his way to say the Ukraine invasion would never happen. Interesting that more recently he got a home visit from the IRS after pushing the whole Twitter files thing with Musk and then cut ties with Musk almost immediately.
I wonder if there’s a place where all these shit bags hang out together? A Club Shitbag, if you will.
He didn’t tow Musk’s line on the Twitter files, hence the fallout. He also spoke truth to power to Congress, which directly preceded the IRS house call.
That said, everything else you said, sounds pretty spot on, or at least, reasonable assumptions, based on his work as of late.
He’s pretty unbearable at this point. Which is unfortunate, as he’s done some great work in the past.
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I was pretty sad about hearing about Naomi Wolfe, so I had to Google it and realized I was thinking of Naomi Klein.
Matt Taibbi was a bit of a disappointment.
The grift is lucrative. I guess I should be surprised the number of people you can squeeze money out of it before they get wise but it just doesn’t seem to run out.
You’re not the first person to have that moment. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/26/naomi-klein-naomi-wolf-conspiracy-theories
Holy shit, I did the same thing. I hadn’t heard from Klein in a couple of years and when I read something about Wolf I was really surprised, thinking it was that No Logo writer.
I went through the exact same experience with the Klein/Wolfe mixup.
And, Klein has what sounds like a fantastic book coming out right now that was triggered by the confusion.
Check out some of her recent interviews on Qanon Anonymous, Conspirituality, and On the Media podcasts. She is a really shrewd person.
The wolf/Klien confusion is the subject of klien’s latest book, doppelgänger.
If it’s Klien it’s fine.
lol I’ll use that mnemonic from now on. I didn’t know it was such a common error!
The book is out, I’m definitely going to read it. Thanks!
I can’t take credit. I have up on both Naomi’s until I read the articles on Klein’s new book.
Well, it’s pretty tragic for Naomi Wolf, as well. Although I’m glad we kept Klein.
Tbf, both have plenty of other reasons to lean right (wealthy white cis hetero abled men, any or all of the above), my guess would be that eventually enough legit productions/companies will refuse to work with people with a certain reputation, so they end up grifting by default.
For people like them it’s all about having power and influence over others, they don’t care who, as long as their egos and pockets are fed…