Red Scare: Bohemian Hipsterism x Reactionary Tradcaths
Dec 8, 2023
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Hip writer and artist Tao Lin joins the 'Red Scare' podcast to discuss his cat's autism diagnosis, the rise of postmodern conservatism, the controversy surrounding vaccinations, and the unique style of the podcast. They also explore the concept of autistic writing styles, examine observations of East Asian social behavior, and delve into discussions about vegetarianism, scams, and the search for truth.
The podcast hosts exhibit a subjective and unscientific worldview, relying on personal anecdotes and conspiracy theories instead of empirical evidence.
The blending of conservative values and alternative health ideologies is a prominent theme in the podcast, showcasing a combination of traditional and alternative influences.
The hosts romanticize indigenous approaches to mental illness, suggesting that they may offer a potential solution for healing modern civilization.
The podcast hosts foster a contrarian identity, positioning themselves as part of a hip and cool social niche while rejecting mainstream liberal orthodoxy.
The podcast episode explores the phenomenon of postmodern conservatism and ironic conspiracy theories, appealing to a specific audience through cultural and political commentary.
Deep dives
Autism and Self-Diagnosis
The guest, Tal Lynn, self-diagnoses himself as being on the autism spectrum based on online tests and personal reflection. He notes that autism is broad in its characteristics and is often associated with literal writing styles.
Misunderstandings about Autism
The podcast hosts discuss common misconceptions about autism, suggesting that everyone is on the spectrum to some degree and that being online may contribute to being more autistic. They present these ideas without strong evidence or scientific support.
Speculative Claims about Autism Rates
The guest extrapolates from current rates of autism diagnosis to project that the majority of American boys will be autistic by 2036 and most children in the US will be nonverbal by 2045. These claims are made with little factual basis or scientific rigor.
Romanticizing Indigenous Approaches
Tal Lynn refers to George Catlin's experiences with Native Americans, suggesting that their treatment of individuals with mental illness, including autism, was more understanding and elevated. The hosts romanticize indigenous approaches to mental illness, linking it to a potential solution for healing modern civilization.
Epistemic issues and susceptibility to conspiracy theories
The podcast hosts demonstrate a flawed approach to information and reasoning, often relying on vibes and personal anecdotes instead of empirical evidence. They embrace conspiracy theories, such as the link between vaccines and autism, and have a tendency to oversimplify complex topics like autism. Their epistemic approach is characterized by a subjective and unscientific worldview.
Focus on natural health and dietary obsessions
The hosts exhibit an obsession with natural health and ancestral diets. They discuss the potential dangers of vaccines while promoting raw milk and alternative dietary theories. Their discussions reflect a trend of hyper-focus on specific chronic health issues and an overall distrust of modern medicine and conventional health practices.
Contrarian and hipster identity
The hosts foster an identity of being contrarians and black sheep, positioning themselves as part of a hip and cool social niche. They pride themselves on their rejection of mainstream liberal orthodoxy, which they perceive as uncool and conformist. This contrarian identity influences their stances on vaccines, politics, and other topics.
Vagueness and inconsistency in reasoning
The hosts exhibit a tendency towards vague and inconsistent reasoning. They often make claims without providing concrete evidence or make connections based on faulty logic. Their approach to information gathering is characterized by cherry-picking details that support preconceived notions and an overall lack of depth or rigor in their analysis.
Postmodern conservatism and ironic conspiracy theories
The podcast episode explores the phenomenon of postmodern conservatism and ironic conspiracy theories. The hosts discuss the contradictions and complexities of mixing traditional conservative values with alternative health practices and hipster culture. They highlight the ironic and self-deprecatory style of the podcast hosts, who express conspiracy theories and anti-establishment sentiments in a casual and non-committal way. While acknowledging the skew in their content, the hosts portray themselves as morally agnostic and driven by a search for personal truth rather than political ideology. They conclude that the podcast does not fit the mold of traditional secular gurus, but rather serves as a cultural and political commentary that appeals to a specific audience.
The blending of conservative and alternative health ideologies
The podcast episode delves into the blending of conservative values and alternative health ideologies. The hosts discuss topics such as birth control, breastfeeding, and the consumption of raw milk. They highlight the interesting combination of traditional conservative instincts with new age spiritual beliefs and health practices. Additionally, they note the influence of hipster culture and sophisticated attitudes in shaping this unique blend of perspectives. The hosts recognize the appeal and consistent themes within these ideologies, while also pointing out the lack of critical literacy and scientific understanding displayed by the podcast hosts. They ultimately describe the podcast as a representation of postmodern conservatism with a combination of traditional and alternative influences.
In today's joyous episode, we saunter into the loft apartment, take a draw on our gauloise, and glance icily into a world of bohemian hipsters living their best postmodern tradcath lives. Welcome to the irony-drenched world of 'Red Scare', a popular podcast hosted (sardonically) by Anna Khachiyan and Dasha Nekrasova. Also joining them in the episode we cover is hip writer and artist, Tao Lin, a pioneer in the alt-lit world.
Get ready for hours of 'transgressive' insights, independent research, dorm-room philosophies and monotone delivery. Thrill at their 'edgy' humour, bespoke theories of autism, standard anti-vax bullshit, and all of the usual positions you find with postmodern conservatism. You will learn things like how Tao Lin diagnosed his cat with autism, how long each host was breastfed, why half of Americans will be non-verbal in 2050, how Trump's anti-vaccine conspiracies make him trustworthy, the best way to chug your bootleg raw milk, and that thick books are always full of reliable facts.
When it is all brought together, although we might not have an episode that is lighting up the gurometer, we do have a rather contemporary melange of postmodern-conservatism, trad-cath lifehacks, new-age spirituality, anti-vax conspiracy theories, and irony-laced, not even bothered, posturing.
So like... enjoy... or whatever...
Also features a discussion of Elon Musk's latest grandiosity, some unexpected guru clashing, and confirmation that Chris and Matt are not cool enough to be invited to your next Bohemian soiree.
