The Carousel Podcast

On the week’s The Carousel Podcast, I’m happy to welcome my favorite political writer of the moment, Twitter anon Lafayette Lee. Our lengthy and wonderful discussion covers patriotism, political strategy, and of course the recent Nick Fuentes, Kanye West, Milo, Tim Pool debacle, as well as the larger Trump and DeSantis discussion (notice I’m not saying Trump v. DeSantis).But, a quick bit of HOUSEKEEPING (kill me please), as things are going to change a bit for The Carousel Podcast. After twenty or so episodes of experimentation, I’m getting a feel for the pod’s niche and my strenfs as a podcaster. Given my legal and journalistic backgrounds, as well as my general lack of emotion and boredom with small talk, I’ve found my questions to be more cutting than other podcasters. My prior prep usually takes outline format, almost like something a prosecutor would prepare before deposing a witness, except guided by genuine curiosity about my guests’ prior work versus their tortious behavior. Thus my convos are generally more efficient and to the point, calling for my guests to smooth out the folds in their thinking.To that end, episodes will be reframed as interrogations. I’ll be reducing the amount of namby pamby and a**-kissing, and diving straight into targeted questions about guests’ work. I’ll aim to keep episodes under an hour (which I failed to do with this episode). Also, as the podcast description, I’ll be sharing my very law school-esque outlines I create before each episode. A bit of transparency, and something that again I think sets The Carousel apart from other pods. So here goes…Lafayette Lee Interrogation Notes* First: your take on Kanye/Milo/Fuentes/Pool situation* Found you through your Emily Oster piece and on Twitter, absolutely love your political writing—perfect tone and flow, and of course great insights.* You: * your name, our “brand,” Lafayette Lee, Ruins of Corotman—“Visions of Plantations in the Air (The South, Civil War/Shelby Foote/Ken Burns).* Finding your audience. How did you grow so fast?* Why are you anon?* Your military experience* (“gut check moment” - when you realize it’s not what you thought it was* (“navigating the world as a civilian”)* Gay / globalist propaganda in the military itself. What have you seen?* Lefties in the military?* War movies—you say they’re like marvel movies. “War is always bad” Are they anti war propaganda?  How do they work? Examples: saving private Ryan, apocalypse now, thin red line…anything recent that’s actually good?* Elections: * You say: “Prior to the midterms, Republicans controlled more than half of all the nation’s state legislatures, with majorities in 62 chambers. And while Democrats managed to flip the Michigan state Senate and hold onto every state legislative chamber controlled prior, Republicans emerged from the midterms with 23 state Republican trifectas (party controls executive branch and both legislative branches) and 23 Republican triplexes (party controls governor, attorney general, and secretary of state), with 21 states with both a Republican trifecta and triplex.” What means?* What is actually occurring with the mail ins? Fortification (a la Time article)? Fraud? Ballot Harvesting? What’s illegal?* Would like you to explain this point a bit more: ““Quality candidates” and better messaging will not suffice. …Tedious debates trying to proving election fraud tend to obscure the obvious: that most regular Americans expect their elections to be as timely and transparent as any other public or private transaction. That future elections ought to meet these commonsense expectations is a winning message that will resonate with voters…”* Trump v. DeSantis. * You say “Razzle Dazzle is nothing compared to sweatwork” what means?* Patriotism, your common theme: * You’ve said Lincolnian “all men are created equal” is a founding myth that should be interrogated, but surely there is some quality of blood and soil even in this, no?* What does all men are created equal actually mean?* Definition of Patria* “Equality drives hostility and self centered ness” what means?* Where does principle of Freedom/Liberty fall in this?Follow Lafayette on TwitterLafayette Lee’s Substack, the Ruins of Corotman Lafayette Lee’s author page of IM1776The Carousel is a reader-supported publication. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

On episode 22 of The Carousel podcast, social media expert Nathan Baker (@NateyBakes) joins me to discuss the recent Balenciaga controversy, various World Cup virtue signaling, NHL trans fixation, Tampax, and his experiences representing Twitter advertisers. Here’s the tweet that launched the Balenciaga controversy, pointing out various ways the company seems to be sexualizing children and hinting at pedophilia.The mainstream media’s “response” story, calling the whole thing absurd, which is a bit strange given that Balenciaga has already apologized and removed the campaigns: https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/balenciaga-child-ad-conspiracy-theoryVarious World Cup virtue signaling at team country anthems: England kneels “because inclusion is important”: https://www.goal.com/en-us/news/why-england-players-kneeling-world-cup-2022-games/blt8b8180acc7d4638eGermany covers its mouth: Iran doesn’t sing album: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/22/fears-grow-iran-players-may-face-reprisals-for-not-singing-national-anthem-world-cup-2022-qatarNHL trans tweet:Controversial Tampax tweet:Calvin Klein Creepy Banned Ad (Mistakenly referred to as Levi's on the cast):YouTube link to show!The Carousel is a reader-supported publication. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

On episode 21 of The Carousel podcast, I’m joined by Pavel Fuksa, an award-winning Prague-based art director and illustrator who’s worked at Saatchi, J Walter Thompson, and Y&R. He now runs his own design studio. We cover the European advertising world and how it’s handling the woke takeover, particularly with regard to the World Cup which starts on Sunday. Islamic theocracy Qatar remains infamous for just the kind of human rights abuses involving women, homosexuality, and slave labor that woke global brands/agencies supposedly stand against. Thus we see teams taking actions, like Denmark kit maker Hummel reducing its nationalist branding because “Denmark doesn’t want to be seen” in Qatar, or USMNT switching from American colors to the rainbow flag, which is, in my view, the perfect symbol of globalism’s triumph over nationalism.However, the gay flag won’t actually appear on US jerseys. It will “merely be displayed at U.S. Soccer controlled areas, such as at night-before parties,” perhaps an even better symbol for the emptiness of World Cup virtue signaling. Not a single country or brand was willing to go beyond fidgeting with its logos or letter writing to boycotting the event, which could be just as much a globalist calculation (an opportunity to further indoctrinate the global South) as a capitalist one.Pavel and I also discuss generally terrible woke campaigns like this one for Mercedes.You get it, right, because the Mercedes is named after a woman…the founder’s daughter.Pavel’s work on InstagramPavel on TwitterThe Carousel is a reader-supported publication. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

On episode 20 of The Carousel podcast, I’m joined by Dan Baltic, author of the new novel Nutcrankr, released just yesterday by Terror House Press. He’s also the host of the fantastic New Write podcast and a hell of a shitpoaster in his own right.Dan and I have quite a bit of overlap, being both trained lawyers and lapsed progressive half-Jews raised secular, who found our way to dissidence after a few sad attempts at professional writing via appropriate channels.Nutcrankr is satire. It tells the tale of Spencer Grunhauer, a pathetic frog whose reality never quite seems to match up with what’s going on in his mind. I’ll leave most of my review to the episode, besides to say that I found it to be a unique, titillating, and thoroughly readable cultural artifact. A mirror of today’s clown world—even when the biggest clown is the protagonist himself.Nutcrankr on AmazonDan Baltic on TwitterNew Write PodcastTerror House PressThe Carousel is a reader-supported publication. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

**NOTE: This podcast contains a recorded Twitter Space conducted outside in Southern California, and thus the sound quality is far from perfect.On Episode 19 of The Carousel podcast, I’m joined by writer/director Propane 2001 to discuss an unauthorized brand video for Salomon we created together. It’s inspired by Julius Evola, the controversial vitalist philosopher whose work has recently resurged among young men seeking meaning and purpose in their lives.Specifically, the video draws from Evola’s Meditations on the Peaks, a series of essays about finding heroism and transcendence in mountain climbing published between 1930-1942. In his script and direction for the video, Propane 2001 built on Evola’s thinking to answer the question of what sort of peaks provide heroic potential today.I write much more about it in a separate Substack post here:And here is the video! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

On episode 18 of The Carousel podcast, I’m joined by The Prudentialist, a highly-respected YouTuber and Substacker known for his meticulous-research and his calm, professional presence in the dissident sphere. For the centrists and rationalists among you, The Prudentialist provides an accessible entry point for serious alternative discussion of the ideas and issues of the day. The already-initiated may view him as a based warrior shoring up the flanks with solid, consistent work and total knowledge not just of the scene, but of its source materials. Topics include:* Tactics for sounding professional* Institutional capture and the misery porn propaganda of institutions.* The meaning of “manipulating procedural outcomes to get desired results.”* DeSantis’ Martha’s Vineyard move and Saul Alinksy.* The factors that differentiate this hegemony different from any before it:* Women* Abundance* Connectivity* Globalization* Lack of war* Modern man finding happiness only in the avoidance of death.* The impotence of political entry-ism.Prudent Perceptions on SubstackThe Prudentialist YouTubeThe Prudentialist on OdyseeThe Carousel is a reader-supported publication. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

On Episode 17 of The Carousel pod, I’m joined by most-interesting-woman-in-advertising Åsk Dabitch Wäppling to chat about ad-world contrarianism. Åsk is founder and publisher of Adland, current CTO of Brown and Red studio, and former art director at Saatchi, BBDO, and Publicis. She presents a fearless independent perspective on our occupied industry and other issues. She is for example an outspoken TERF, although the label doesn’t necessarily fit.Topics include:* Stalkers and Faraday cage purses.* Being banned from awards juries for speaking out against chemically castrating children and womanhood erasure.* Her own terrifying experiences with Lupron.* The right’s terrible design prowess, Mike Ma as a glimmer of hope.* Being a woman on Twitter.* Rare good current campaigns like this Dole/St Luke “Malnutrition Labels: Nutritional Ink” and Postmates/Mother LA “When all you can food is think about…”Links for Åsk:Adland: https://adland.tv/Newsletter: https://dabitch.net/Twitter: https://twitter.com/dabitchVIDEO FOR THIS EPISODE: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

Recurring guest Astral joins me for a joint episode (Episode 16) of The Carousel podcast. Recently-Twitter-banned Astral wonders how and why Twitter advertising impressions relate to Elon Musk’s purchase of the platform. Also covered:* Why Musk balked on the Twitter deal—all just a negotiating tactic?* How selling social media impressions to advertisers—the backbone of the entire internet—is a fake enterprise.* Why Twitter is so much worse at monetizing ads than Facebook and Google.* Is Musk the Red Caesar that will conquer America?* Whether Cambridge Analytica actually helped Trump win.* Caesarism, Rome, and the power of the president.Follow Astral on Telegram.Astral’s Substack. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

On episode 15 of The Carousel, I talk with Federalist writer, Arkansas resident, and fellow marketing guy Rich Cromwell. Topics include: * Bourdain’s last days and Cromwell’s incisive take on Asia Argento. * Walmart going woke.* Voting for Obama.* Outing yourself as a conservative.* Raising girls in a world with trans propaganda.* Food as propaganda.* Women in the workplace. * Utilitarianism.* Desantis.Rich on Twitter.Rich at the Federalist.Rich’s podcast Coffee and Cochon. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe

On episode 14 of The Carousel Podcast, the creators When We Were Wizards podcast tell the story of the founding of Dungeons and Dragons. Why is it so fascinating?Because for millennia, there were only six types of tabletop games: dice, miniatures, boards, tiles, cards, pen-and-paper. In 1972, a group of oddballs sitting around a table in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin gave birth to a seventh type: the role playing game. Not only did it change gaming—and later video gaming—forever, but its fantasy-fandom ecosystem defines global popular culture today. It’s almost impossible to understate D&D’s impact on the world.Yet somehow, the story of how Dungeons and Dragons came to be—and how it blew up the lives of the nerds who created it—has never been properly told in the mainstream. That’s what screenwriter/director Adam Turner and games historian Paul Stormer seek to remedy with their addictive new podcast When We Were Wizards.The story begins with a down-on-his-luck shoe cobbler (yes really) named Gary Gygax. His charisma and dedication cultivated a center of gravity for the tiny community of experimental board gamers in the 1960s. Two decades later, he’d be living in the “Playboy Mansion for Nerds” in Beverly Hills amid an all-out war for the ownership of D&D… When We Were Wizards on Apple PodcastsWhen We Were Wizards on Spotify The Carousel is a reader-supported publication. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thecarousel.substack.com/subscribe