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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 5, 2022

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He introduces his guests universally as either "my friend X" or "the great and powerful Y."

This is just a particular manner of talking though, it doesn't really mean anything.

He rarely challenges his guests on personal grounds, occasionally on political or technical ones but never "Mike Tyson, I love you champ, but did you really rape that girl? Do you think that's forgivable?"

This just describes podcasts generally though, the hosts and the guests are always buds and just chatting and don't really fight or even disagree much.

Also, I can't tell if this is a joke or not? "I am ingroup for right leaning podcast. I am outgroup for left leaning podcast. Therefore, left leaning podcast is mean and toxic, and right leaning podcast is cuddly and beautiful and universal love". Like, you explicitly point out that "The criticism that he levels against the lazy, the fat, the improvident, the snowflakes, the fearful feels like it doesn't include me;" - because it ... doesn't include you - and similarly, a straight white leftist male listening to the slate pod understands that they aren't "CIShetero white republican men", and that they are the friend and they're criticizing someone else?

(also: criticisim and dislike is good, because there are flaws that need correcting & very flawed things that need to be gotten rid of)

I assume due to the date that you found this via the AAQC roundup, read the parent comment I'm replying to. He posits that Leftists are nice hugboxers and Rightists are hard meanies and that impacts their popularity. I'm pointing out that depends where you stand, I don't really see that.