Is Sex Political? And Will Biden — and Kamala — Survive the Vibe Shift?
Jul 12, 2024
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Guest Lindsay Peoples from The Cut discusses vibe shifts, gender roles, and Kamala Harris. Topics include traditional values, polyamory, and media portrayal of women. The podcast explores political environments, lifestyle trends, and marketing strategies. Analysis of Biden's communication skills and evolving societal attitudes towards women's choices.
Media challenges societal beliefs on women's 'having it all', analyzing trends like 'Tradwife' and polyamory.
President Biden's communication strategy faces criticism for opacity and narrative control in the media.
Cultural evolution redefines gender roles, exploring themes such as celibacy and non-traditional relationships.
Deep dives
Media-Driven Conspiracy on 'Can Women Have It All'
The podcast delves into the media-driven conspiracy surrounding the notion that women can have it all. It discusses how this belief, often seen as a women's issue, extends to being a societal concern encompassing various aspects like the Tradwife trend, polyamory, and Project 2025. The conversation highlights how media outlets like The Cut have been at the forefront of this discussion, examining Vice President Harris and the evolving cultural backdrop.
Impact of Gender Wars and Political Climate on Media Strategy
The episode addresses the impact of gender wars and the current political climate on the White House's media strategy. It critiques the administration's opacity and its attempts to control the narrative, leading to challenges in communicating effectively with the public and the media. The podcast explores the President's communication skills and integrity, reflecting on his ability to sustain his presidential campaign amidst ongoing crises.
Evolution of Cultural Narratives and Gender Roles
The podcast analyzes the evolution of cultural narratives and gender roles, from the traditional to the modern interpretations. It discusses societal shifts reflected in articles like 'The Case for Marrying an Older Man' and explores alternative lifestyle choices such as celibacy, divorce, and non-traditional relationships. The discussion navigates the spectrum of women's experiences, challenging stereotypes and emphasizing inclusivity across diverse perspectives.
NATO's PR Strategy Utilizing Influencers
NATO has implemented a PR initiative by engaging social media influencers to boost awareness and support among young audiences across the Alliance. Through its Protect the Future campaign, NATO sponsored various influencers to attend its summit, including TikTok stars covering relevant topics. This strategy aims to bridge the generational gap in understanding NATO's significance, targeting an audience less familiar with Cold War history, thereby amplifying engagement and fostering a supportive narrative.
Influencer Marketing in the Political Sphere
Political entities have begun leveraging social media influencers for advocacy and promotion, as exemplified by NATO's engagement of influencers for its PR campaign. Despite the potential for influencers to influence opinions, particularly among the youth, there remains skepticism about the efficacy of this approach in comparison to more organized propaganda efforts by authoritarian regimes. Democracies like the US struggle to match the sophisticated content dissemination techniques employed by autocratic states, raising questions about the true impact of influencer strategies on public perception.
After a brief assessment of President Biden’s strategy to shut down his critics, Ben and Nayeema move on to the larger culture and gender wars that will define the 2024 election, regardless of who ends up on the Democratic ticket. They look at recent upheavals of a media-fueled myth that women can “have it all” and dig into how trends of trad wives, polyamory and “hot celibacy summer” pierce that mythology, as does the conservative Project 2025.Then they connect with Lindsay Peoples, editor-in-chief of The Cut, to discuss vibe shifts, the politicization of gender roles and whether the publication is putting its thumb on the scale for Kamala Harris.
Finally, Max Tani joins to rid us of our blindspots, replete with DC spin and (national security) influencers in the wild.
