Red Scare Ok Gooner *TEASER*
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Oct 30, 2025 Exploring the NYC mayoral race, the hosts dive into the anthropology of gooning and its connection to economic stagnation. They reflect on how modern behavioral patterns stem from societal pressures and technology's influence on compulsive behaviors. The conversation critiques liberal journalism for its moral ambivalence, while humorously revealing the serious underlying issues of addiction. Affordable living spaces are linked to the 'goon cave' phenomenon, framing these behaviors as both a symptom of despair and a ritual of self-abuse.
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Structural Roots Of Gooning
- Gooning arises from converging structural forces: unemployment, COVID, technology, and ubiquitous pornography.
- Dasha frames it as an outcome of young men with no prospects in a safe, comfortable society turning to ritualized self-abuse.
Acknowledge Moral Will
- Anna suggests a moral dimension: will matters and some permit themselves too much.
- She recommends recognizing moral responsibility rather than treating excessive masturbation as trivial.
DFW Predicted Pleasure Outcompeting Life
- The hosts link David Foster Wallace's writings to modern porn-driven pleasure designed to outcompete life.
- Anna says Wallace foresaw pleasure that kills meaning and leads to nihilistic, ritualized self-abuse.
