

The Carousel Podcast
Isaac Simpson
Writer Isaac Simpson explores the world through modern propaganda. thecarousel.substack.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 4, 2025 • 45min
181. How to Get 60 Million Views and Sell Out of Your DTC Energy Drink
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thecarousel.substack.comAmericans, in our commitment to capitalism, insist on free markets in ways that we don’t insist on free speech. As Kanye has showed us with his recent line of swastika merch, it’s easy to cancel people, but it’s much harder to cancel their products. This has created a fascinating moment for art-as-commerce, where tricksters like Jacob Urowksy are using …

Feb 28, 2025 • 1h 43min
180. American Symphony - Stephen Limbaugh
Hollywood composer Stephen Limbaugh (yes he’s Rush’s nephew, and composed the score for Amanda Milius’ Plot Against the President) is writing a symphony to celebrate the 250th birthday of America. He’s “building it in public” posting step by step videos of the process as he composes it. 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

Feb 26, 2025 • 32min
179. Tooky's Mag
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thecarousel.substack.comChatting cultural institutions and fiction with dissident lit impresario Tooky’s Mag. We talk about the platform era, slopology, and why dissident artists are too nice to each other. First thirty minutes free…please become a paid subscriber at thecarousel.substack.com. Also a note: I told everyone that I only needed 10 more paid subs to reach 100, and t…

Feb 24, 2025 • 1h 30min
178. Steve Sailer
Steve Sailer is a legendary blogger—one of the first and best to ever do it. As he says on the show, at his peak he published 15 culture articles per week, all in his signature beautiful prose. He’s known for his work on HBD, but I was more interested to talk to him about movies, of which he’s a fabulous reviewer, and about Los Angeles, of which he is a native son. He joins me live in studio!Please become a paid subscriber in the box below for access to paywalled content, the full archive, and the member chat!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

Feb 21, 2025 • 45min
177. Understanding BlackRock - Will Hild
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thecarousel.substack.comFIRST 45 MINUTES FREE. TO GET THE FULL EPISODE PLEASE SUBSCRIBE!Also, sorry for not great quality on my microphone in the first few minutes. It’s fixed after about 8 minutes.I’m joined by the fantastic Will Hild, skilled fighter of the Borg, particularly BlackRock on which he is an expert, and Executive Director of Consumers’ Research. He creates campai…

Feb 19, 2025 • 1h 33min
176. The Futility of Counterculture - Wokal Distance
Wokal Distance AKA Michael Young is a cultural researcher at the Center for Renewing America. We discuss the history of American culture and counterculture—specifically how the cycle of commodified non-conformity is used to control the masses and expand the very capitalism that its proponents (originally the Critical Theorists) sought to undermine. Also, where does this leave the “ascendant” cultural right? If it’s all just a cycle of faux rebellion, where is there to ascend to? The books discussed are The Rebel Sell by Andrew Heath and Joseph Potter, and The Conquest of Cool by Thomas Frank. PLEASE ALSO SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE, WHERE YOU CAN NOW GIVE ME SUPER CHATS THAT I WILL READ ON THE AIR. ALSO I AM LITERALLY 5 PAID SUBS AWAY FROM ORANGE CHECK ON SUBSTACK, SO PLEASE BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER!!!The Carousel is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 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

Feb 14, 2025 • 30min
175. Kevin Dolan - Natal Conference
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thecarousel.substack.comReturning guest Kevin Dolan AKA Bennett’s Phylactery talks about his smash hit Natalism Conference, which was tweeted about by Elon Musk last year. It’s coming up on March 28th in Austin, use code CAROUSEL to buy now!FIRST 30 MINUTES FREE…BECOME MEMBER OF THE CAROUSEL TO HEAR FULL EPISODE.The Carousel is a reader-supported publication. To receive new po…

Feb 13, 2025 • 7min
How to Astroturf the Super Bowl
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thecarousel.substack.comWhy are the Kelce’s so cringe? Why are the Super Bowl ads so lame? Why does it seem like we’re being played like a bunch of FanDuel slop loving marionettes? Because we are!All these questions and more answered in this very special MEMBERS ONLY episode with the best propaganda analyst in the business Yuri Bezmenov.THERE IS A FREE PREVIEW BUT PLEASE BECOM…

Feb 12, 2025 • 1h 25min
174. Jack Mason - The Perfume Nationalist
Talking movies and culture with the best film reviewer in the game, Jack Mason host of The Perfume Nationalist podcast which pairs a perfume with a work of art, usually a movie or book, and reviews them both concurrently. We cover his fantastic reviews of Terrifier 3, Nosferatu, and Red Rooms, as well as male/female dynamics in the creation of art, the restriction of male sexuality, and also the three years he spent as a copy editor of female romance/lust novels in the vein of 50 Shades of Gray.PLEASE BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER AND ALSO A PAID SUBSCRIBER ON YOUTUBE WHICH IS NOW POSSIBLE CAUSE I PASSED 1000 FOLLOWERS ON THEREThe Carousel is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 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

Feb 10, 2025 • 1h 3min
173. Red Queen Culture
Discussing the Super Bowl ads on another solo episode! Please become a paid subscriber and also subscribe on YouTube:"The Carousel is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. 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