Wrestling Politics, Soft Clubbing, and Wired's Investigative Rebirth
Follow the Rabbit
Intro
The hosts explore the intersection of wrestling and current events, drawing on a Jon Stewart episode that highlights U.S. politics. They discuss the evolving challenges for journalists and the struggle of traditional media to adapt to a fast-paced news environment.
From Trump's scripted reality to tech journalism's new priorities, exploring the connections between seemingly disparate cultural shifts
Throughout the episode, a central theme emerges: in a world of increasingly scripted realities and algorithmic experiences, meaningful connection and deep understanding become both more valuable and more challenging to achieve.
In this month's review episode, Igor and Johannes examine three seemingly unrelated phenomena that reveal deeper patterns in our cultural landscape. Through the lens of attention economics, they explore how professional wrestling's scripted reality has become a powerful framework for understanding contemporary politics.
Starting with Jon Stewart's incisive analysis of recent White House events, they discuss how Trump's wrestling background provides context for his political approach, where nothing is random despite appearances. The conversation draws connections to Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death," highlighting how media environments shape political discourse and societal responses.
The discussion then turns to "soft clubbing," an emerging trend where young people seek curated musical experiences in relaxed, daytime settings that prioritize connection over intoxication. This shift exemplifies broader post-pandemic behavioral changes, where health-conscious socializing and in-person interactions become a new form of counterculture.
Finally, they examine Wired magazine's surprising transformation under Katie Drummond's leadership into an essential source for investigative reporting on technology's political dimensions. By hiring specialized beat reporters and building a dedicated political team before the election cycle, Wired demonstrates how media organizations can adapt to complex challenges through strategic foresight and depth over breadth.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Context
01:05 - Wrestling as a Lens for Political Reality
10:09 - Soft Clubbing: The New Social Paradigm
22:04 - Wired's Transformation: Technology as Political
32:45 - Journalism's Challenge in the Age of Trump
39:21 - Closing Thoughts: Finding Patterns in Complexity
Links:
- Is Everything Wrestling – NYT – https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/27/magazine/is-everything-wrestling.html
- Jon Stewart on Trump’s Heel Turn on Zelenskyy – The Daily Show – https://youtu.be/OeUZI5RnYGg?si=xXDu6jRCH6f4i4KG
- Amusing Ourselves to Death – Neil Postman – Wikiedpia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amusing_Ourselves_to_Death
- 2025: The Year of Soft Clubbing – Yusuf Ntahilaja – https://yusufntahilaja.substack.com/p/2025-the-year-of-soft-clubbing
- Kara Swisher interviews Katie Drummond – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7upK7nHM1Q
- Heimweh nach der Zukunft - Profil Esther Dyson – brand eins (German) – https://www.brandeins.de/magazine/brand-eins-wirtschaftsmagazin/2024/vorausdenken/esther-dyson-heimweh-nach-der-zukunft
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Follow the Rabbit is a Known Unknowns production
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Follow the Rabbit is hosted by Igor Schwarzmann & Johannes Kleske
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