The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie

Ted and Courtney Balaker: College Students Are Rejecting Wokeness

Jul 24, 2024

Ted and Courtney Balaker, creators of The Coddling of the American Mind documentary, discuss Gen Z mental health, free speech, DEI programs, oppressor-victim worldview, and distributing films on Substack. They share insights on student experiences, censorship, non-traditional media backgrounds, and working with Drew Carey. Visual storytelling's power and the decision to release the film on an innovative platform are also highlighted.

38:23

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Episode guests

Courtney Balaker

Ted Balaker

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Quick takeaways

The documentary highlights the Gen Z mental health crisis and challenges related to free speech and DEI dynamics.

Through personal stories, the film sheds light on diverse experiences of college students, emphasizing critical thinking and intellectual independence.

Deep dives

Overview of the documentary 'The Coddling of the American Mind'

The documentary 'The Coddling of the American Mind' follows a group of 20-somethings struggling with mental health issues as they navigate college life. It delves into the Gen Z mental health crisis, challenges concerning free speech, DEI dynamics, and the influence of an oppressor-victim worldview. Through personal stories like Lucy, Saeed, Kimmy, and Ariane, the film highlights the impacts of flawed thought patterns and promotes awareness on these issues.

Intro

2min

Exploring the Selection Process of College Students with Unique Challenges

2min

Transforming Perspectives and Activism in College

12min

Exploring Strategies to Gain Credibility and the Reception of a Movie on College Campuses

4min

Challenges and Innovations in Film Distribution

16min

Emphasizing Human Stories and Movie Promotion

2min

Ted and Courtney Balaker are the team behind the new documentary The Coddling of the American Mind. Based on the 2018 best-selling book by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff, the film follows a series of students as they navigate life on today's highly charged college campuses. I spoke with Courtney and Ted, who started his video career as one of the first hires at Reason TV, about the Gen Z mental health crisis, free speech, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs, the oppressor-victim worldview, and why they chose to host the film on the innovative platform Substack rather than a more traditional venue.

0:00— Introduction

0:54—The Coddling of the American Mind in documentary form

2:05— Finding student participants

3:22— Lucy

7:15— Kimi

11:17— Aryaan

13:32— International students vs. American students

17:16— Are we past peak woke on campuses?

20:44— Distributing films on Substack

24:30— Korchula Productions' previous projects

26:20— Are filmmakers sick of censorship yet?

28:30— The Balakers' non-traditional media backgrounds

32:10— Working with Drew Carey on Reason TV

33:20— Visual storytelling as powerful conduits for ideas

35:07— Where to see this documentary

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