Gina Carano and the Pervasiveness of The Narrative
There is seemingly no escaping political narratives in 2021
I first heard about Gina Carano’s firing by Disney in an unlikely place - on one of my favorite, (supposedly) non-political podcasts that I not only listen to regularly but have supported financially for years, including through some cringeworthy COVID “analysis” throughout the past year. I’ve always put aside whatever paltry political remarks might make their way into the show, as the show isn’t political in nature and I wasn’t coming to hear any political view at all- whether it corresponded with my own worldview or rejected it completely.
The hosts’ collective response to the Gina Carano firing is one that sums up the sad reality we are currently facing culturally: politics is going to find you everywhere, even in the places to which we used to look to for an escape from it. Just look at any mainstream sports cast in 2021. They are essentially advertisements for government largesse of every kind - from the boisterous military displays to the overt support for Black Lives Matter to propaganda in support of COVID-19 restrictions.
What struck me the most about the hosts’ reaction to Gina Carano’s “disgusting comments” was not so much their opinion on the matter itself, but the fact that they clearly did not believe they were delivering an opinion on the matter. Rather, in their minds, they were simply reporting the “truth” about Gina Carano’s instagram story and subsequent firing by Disney and her former talent agency, UTA.
As one of the hosts stated (emphasis mine):
I don’t think we have to share our thoughts on this…obviously these are horrible comments…you should never ever, ever ever compare anything to the Holocaust. That is probably a good rule to live your life by.
That was more or less the extent of the analysis presented, all without ever actually reading or discussing what was said in the supposedly “disgusting” comments.
I don’t want to get overly bogged down in Gina Carano’s post itself, but unlike the aforementioned podcasts hosts I feel if you’re going to discuss a controversial statement from someone, the least you can do is provide the audience with the statement itself:
Jews were beaten in the streets, not by Nazi soldiers but by their neighbors... even by children... Because history is edited, most people today don't realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?
Let’s do a quick “fact check” of Carano’s comments.
Were Jews beaten in the streets by their neighbors? Yes.
Is history edited? Undoubtedly.
So far, no lies detected.
Do most people today completely misunderstand much of what led to the rise of Hitler and Nazi totalitarianism that led directly to the holocaust? Based on the types of people being routinely referred to as Nazis or Nazi adjacent in the past year - ranging from religious Jew Ben Shapiro to Bernie-Bro journalist Tim Pool - I think it’s safe to say the general public has little to no clue what the term “Nazi” actually means.
The point Carano was clearly making with her post is that cultures don’t turn totalitarian overnight and it doesn’t occur when a random outside force like “Nazis” show up and take over. It comes when citizens and neighbors turn on each other. When those begin to see certain segments of society as an “other” to be blamed for society’s ills. In Nazi Germany, it was the gays, the retards, and the Jews. In America it’s historically been everyone from the “negroes” to the Irish (who were once referred to as “negroes” themselves, as I once learned from recent-podcast-guest and author of Renegade History of the United States, Thaddeus Russell.)
In the past year, we have seen those who oppose the narratives of The Cathedral - whether it’s related to COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccines or election fraud or “insurrections” - routinely turned into “others”, as voice after voice are now regularly being purged from not just their social media accounts, but now from their professional lives as well.
Political narratives have become so pervasive in the culture and pushed so strongly and monolithically through government, corporations and media that most people don’t even realize they are accepting and propagating a narrative at all.
I still support this unnamed podcast because I truly do enjoy their material, but it’s saddening that I have spent any time this week contemplating whether to stop supporting a podcast I have loved for years due to the pervasiveness of the narratives that are being propagated and spoon fed to the blue-pilled masses.
Don’t forget to check out the other projects I’m involved with:
Lions of Liberty, where I facilitate conversations with the hopes of inspiring others to achieve more liberty in their lives. This Monday my 500th episode will air, featuring LOADS of special guests from year’s past that I won’t spoil here. Be sure to give this two part extravaganza a listen next week!
Second Print Comics podcast, where myself and Remso Martinez take a weekly look at the comic book characters, storylines and events that shaped our fandom.
The Expat Money Show - This isn’t my project per se, but I’m thrilled that I’ve gotten to work directly with my friend Mikkel Thorup to help grow this show over the past few months. I believe greatly in what Mikkel is doing - helping others to achieve greater liberty in their lives by living and investing abroad - and helping grow this program has been a true joy. I also get to help moderate The Expat Money Forum on Facebook - check it out!