Nellie Bowles discusses the impact of lockdowns and racial unrest in America, the financial aspects of BLM, progressive stacking, cancel culture in the pandemic era, gender identity language controversies, navigating social change, and the influence of authors on journalism.
San Francisco balances social justice causes, liberalism, and libertarianism, aiming for a livable environment.
Media outlets like The Free Press strive for diversity to prevent audience capture and foster varied perspectives.
Deep dives
San Francisco Faces Changing Views of Social Justice Movements
San Francisco undergoes shifts in social justice causes, balancing liberalism and libertarian ideologies. The reform movements within the city aim to create a livable environment and address issues like crime and schooling.
The Challenge of Audience Capture in Media
Navigating audience capture, where media outlets cater to specific reader preferences, can pose a challenge. The Free Press aims to maintain a diverse readership to prevent becoming an echo chamber, ensuring a variety of perspectives are represented.
Challenging Progress in Social Movements
Not buying into the idea that progressive movements always lead to positive change, the author questions the notion that history inevitably bends towards justice. The complexities of maintaining a rule of law and civil behavior remain fragile and require ongoing efforts.
Influence of Joan Didion and Tom Wolfe on Journalism
Joan Didion and Tom Wolfe brought skepticism, storytelling, and empathy to journalism. Their influential style emphasized curiosity, honesty, and a willingness to reflect harsh and fair realities. Their journalistic approach of being a mirror to society stands out in the current media landscape.
Today's guest is Nellie Bowles, a co-founder of the immensely popular Substack publication The Free Press, where she writes TGIF, a weekly news roundup that has earned a fanatical following. She's also the author of the new book Morning After the Revolution: Dispatches from the Wrong Side of History, a deeply reported account of how America responded to COVID lockdowns and racial unrest in 2020 and 2021 and her tumultuous tenure at The New York Times.
This interview was recorded at a live event in New York City.
00:00—The Morning After The Revolution
2:30— First sparks of the revolution
5:30— the working class victims of The Reckoning
9:37— BLM's property empire
11:16— Bowles' New York Times dispatch from CHAZ
13:40— Black and Asian White Supremacists
15:55— White women's tears & DEI trainings
20:25— Dismantle capitalism, but not too urgently!
24:10— The Progressive Stack 26:01- Academic "Pretendians"
29:20— The Bon Appétit Cancellation Turducken
34:37— The Creation of Non-man
37:52— Woman: a submissive vessel?
42:40— The Current Thing Speedway
44:06— San Francisco: Progressive Libertarian Nihilism?