132: Ye, Balenciaga, & Twilight Zone Propaganda (w/Francesca Tripodi)

We didn't have tracking BDSM Easter eggs in fashion shoots or Ye’s Jew-hating Christofascism on our bingo card. But here we are, covering a cluster of cursed images and hypomanic clips.

We’ll stare right at the train wreck this week, but we refuse to feel hopeless. Because we can always learn—in this case about how the psychic and bodily impacts of this churn of bizarre hatred relate to the function of propaganda. And we can always be inspired by people who slow down and do the hard work of understanding the spectacle.

From our side of the progressive aisle, it's easy to assume that consumers of Ye and conspiracy theories are gullible cultural dopes. But our guest today, sociologist and media scholar at UNC, Chapel Hill, Francesca Tripodi says "not so fast!" To understand how right-wing propaganda functions, she spent months consuming a conservative digital news-diet and went undercover in hard-right circles.

Show Notes

Kanye "Ye" West—The Emperor w/No Clothes (TimbahOnToast)

Balenciaga and the long history of "shockvertising"

Jewish Allies  Denounce Trump's Dinner w/Antisemites

Masked Ye West Praises Hitler on Alex Jones' InfoWars

Proud Boy Founder Gavin McInnes Hosts Ye West

QAA 210: Balenciaga, Ye, Club Q

-- -- --
Support us on Patreon

Pre-order Conspirituality: How New Age Conspiracy Theories Became a Health Threat: America | Canada

Follow us on Instagram | Twitter: Derek | Matthew | Julian

Original music by EarthRise SoundSystem

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices