Where There's Woke - podcast cover

Where There's Woke

Thomas Smithsites.libsyn.com
Every single time the right, or even center-left, goes ballistic over a "woke" controversy, the slightest bit of investigation shows the scandal is almost entirely bogus. This is not a new phenomenon; it dates back decades. It's an intentional tool used to protect the powerful and preserve the status quo, while further scapegoating and otherizing those who push for political progress. This podcast digs into not just today's fake scandals, but those of yesterday and yesteryear. The terminology has changed some, but the pattern has not. Listen in as host Thomas Smith shines a light on the panic, the fragility, the overreaction, and the lying that ignites 'Where There's Woke.'
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Episodes

WTW85: Christopher Rufo v. Harvard University

An unsurprising figure is involved in the current battle between Harvard University and the federal government, and he has come out to EXPOSE Harvard's racist and discriminatory practices by sharing a "trove" of internal documents they don't want you to see. Lydia walks us through what these documents are, how things escalated to this point, and what Christopher Rufo wants us to think it all means - which The New York Times helped platform on an episode of The Daily. Cool. Best Practices for Con...

Jun 10, 202559 minEp. 85

WTW84: RFK’s Choice to Head Autism Study? A Total Fraud Who Abused Autistic Kids While Posing as a Doctor

Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. and his second-in-command, Mr. Brain Worm, have appointed a real piece of work to lead the supposed "autism study" that HHS is conducting; and we had to call in for backup as we take on these anti-vaxxers: Dr. Jenessa Seymour! Jenessa takes us on a deep dive about David Geier and tells us all about the way he's approached science, ethics, and human beings in the past. Spoiler: it's not great! **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star re...

Jun 01, 202553 minEp. 84

WTW83: Columbia University Cancelled Her Class, but She's Doing It Anyway

Karen Attiah , columnist with The Washington Post , was looking forward to teaching her second iteration of the Race, Media, and International Affairs course she developed for Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, when it was abruptly cancelled - with no explanation as to why. We chat with her about the inaugural session of the course in an environment where the Israel-Palestine protests were happening on campus and the President was called into Congress to answer Eli...

May 01, 202555 minEp. 83

WTW82: The Boston Marathon Trans Panic w/Frankie de la Cretaz

Every year, tens of thousands of people run the Boston Marathon, and this year the Right had a bone to pick with one particular participant; we'll give you one guess what the bone was. Independent journalist Frankie de la Cretaz started asking some questions when this popped up in their algorithm, and after seeing their debunking journey in their newsletter , we had to have them on! If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and lead...

May 01, 202546 minEp. 82

WTW81: They're Gutting the Government and Trying to Call It Savings.

Part 2 of DOGE's scam-extraordinaire! We dig into the last few claims from the article in The Federalist , as well as some bonus propaganda that Lydia picked up on in the interview. The Limestone Mine If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke ! This content is CAN credentialed, which means you can report instances of ha...

Apr 01, 202548 minEp. 81

WTW80: Elon Musk's DOGE is Desperate for Approval

Lydia watched the DOGE interview on Fox News so the rest of us didn't have to. In it, Musk and his posse make some "shocking" claims about the fraud and waste they're identifying in the federal government. Lydia gives us a deep dive debunk to call out the falsehoods, the misleading statements, and the straight propaganda this "charm offensive" spewed on national television. Part 1 of 2. Revolving Door Project's research on DOGE personnel If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star re...

Apr 01, 202553 minEp. 80

WTW79: Being Woke Is Good, Actually

Representative Jasmine Crockett made an offensive joke about Governor Abbott's disability. The right pretended to care all of a sudden, and it seems that much of the left has decided they don't care. What should we, the woke police, think about this? How should we react? What should we expect from Democrats and each other? **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com .**...

Mar 26, 202543 minEp. 79

WTW78: You'll Never Guess What Megyn Kelly Talked About At CPAC...

For like... 20 minutes... Megyn Kelly told an upside down world version of the Lively/Baldoni feud. There's a reason conservatives are very interested in this story, and I'll give you a hint it rhymes with pisogyny. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Mar 03, 202551 minEp. 78

WTW77: What Happens to Male Celebrities When They Give Bad Interviews?

We complete our Blake Lively Hatestorm Debunk by looking at some fun comparisons. What happens when celebrities who are men happen to have a bad interview, or have a damning tape released of their bad behavior? How does it stack up to a woman who said, "Congratulations on your little bump!" Equal crime, equal time? I think you know the answer. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please prett...

Mar 01, 202543 minEp. 77

WTW76: Debunking the Deranged Blake Lively Hatestorm

Hey folks, big announcement!!! Our podcast, Gavel Gavel , is now available to the public! No longer is it only available on Patreon! This series on GG, we'll be covering the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni legal battle. It is so fascinating for a million reasons. But this is a unique and standalone WTW episode, don't worry! The Blake Lively hatestorm that happened (Lydia will catch you up if you're not familiar) was absolute nonsense. It requires a debunk, just as any anti-woke scare story does. And...

Mar 01, 202555 minEp. 76

WTW75: Decades of Anti-woke Propaganda Has All Been to Get Us Here

To this administration and this moment. Today we discuss how Harmeet Dhillon plans to not just ruin the Civil Rights Division of the DoJ, but to actively point it in reverse. Lydia breaks it down for us, and along the way we learn about so many things we didn't appreciate enough while we had them. DOJ's Fulton County Jail Investigation , November 2024 Dhillon's piece in Hillsdale College's Imprimis Publication , August 2022 **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You ca...

Jan 31, 202542 minEp. 75

WTW74: The Woke Are Coming for Your DnD! - With Eli Bosnick

That's right, the woke are coming for YOUR Dungeons and Dragons! Look behind you, they're already here! These new woke rules are ruining the game and are actually the racists if you really think about it. Or maybe not and it's the same story of every fake woke controversy? We're not sure because we aren't NERDS*, so we invited an actual expert who is a huge nerd and host of an amazing DnD podcast, Eli Bosnick. Check out DnD Minus wherever podcasts are sold! Patrons get a very extended outtakes s...

Jan 28, 202556 minEp. 74

WTW73: Elon Musk Claimed to Be a Top PoE2 Gamer. Turns Out He Was Cheating

This is the best. It's just the best. Elon Musk is so pathetic that he tried to fake being a world class gamer, only to completely humiliate himself when he live-streamed himself gaming. Look, it's a dark day for our country as Trump is inaugurated, so treat yourself to something nice. A DOUBLE episode on Elon's catastrophic and very public failure, and with special guest Noah Lugeons! Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Jan 20, 20251 hr 47 minEp. 73

WTW72: Campus Reform Calls Out "Outrageous" Scientific Studies But Doesn't Understand How Science Works

Emily Sturge of Campus Reform is on the case, folks. Under her watch, the National Institute of Health will never misspend another dollar ever again. Lydia debunks the outrage from the Campus Reform article outlining 10 "outrageous" scientific inquiries funded with taxpayer money that the Right wants DOGE to "investigate." Shrimp on treadmills Crab on treadmills Louchébem - Parisian Butcher language Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Jan 07, 202551 minEp. 72

WTW71: UN Report Says Women Have Lost "900 Medals to Trans-Athletes." It's Bullshit.

This episode also could be called "Jerry Coyne is wrong and a liar." The FFRF published Jerry Coyne's anti-trans lies and then had to apologize. I was going to talk about that and the nature of inadequate apologies, but then I saw one of the claims in Coyne's piece and I HAD to debunk it. The fact that it comes from the UN shows how pernicious and extensive the anti-trans misinformation has become. Read this excellent and heartbreaking piece on Hailey Davidson. Please pretty please consider beco...

Jan 06, 202544 minEp. 71

WTW70: San Jose State University's Volleyball Season That Wasn't About Volleyball

The Right Wing media ecosystem is all over Lydia's alma mater, San Jose State University, for a very unserious (surprise) reason: volleyball. Lydia breaks down the "controversy" for us. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Dec 01, 20241 hr 20 minEp. 70

WTW69: Trump’s MSG Rally Was a Preview of What Is to Come

It is very unfortunate that we weren't able to release this 4th and final part of Trump's MSG rally before the election, because a lot of the analysis was extremely prescient. But it is perhaps even more relevant now, because it features several characters who will be a part of the incoming fascism. And then, of course, the Führer himself. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please pretty pl...

Nov 22, 20241 hr 8 minEp. 69

WTW68: MSG Trump Rally Part 3 OH MY the Hits Keep Coming

A series of amoral grifters each more grifty than the last. Tulsi Gabbard, Tucker Carlson (who sounds INSANE), Terry Bollea, RFK Jr., and somehow more. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Nov 05, 202454 minEp. 68

WTW67: When Nazis Came To NY (Again)

It's part 2 of the Trump Madison Square Garden NYC rally, and this one features the funniest thing to ever happen on any of my shows, as we had a very special guest call in short notice! If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Nov 05, 202456 minEp. 67

WTW66: Dissecting Trump's Madison Square Garden Rally

Part 1! Lydia watched 6 hours of this "not a Nazi" rally to drill down to the highlights (lowlights?) among the speakers, who may very well hold positions in a Trump administration if he's elected. There are hilarious moments, and also quite a lot of really horrible racism and misogyny that we can't allow to be swept under the rug. Please vote. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please pret...

Nov 04, 202448 minEp. 66

WTW65: A Coin Flip from Fascism - Are the Polls Rigged?

We interrupt our Yale Law series because this election has us too stressed the f$#% out. It seemed like we'd be ok. It seemed like we were going to win. Now the polls do not look good. What changed? I wanted to talk about the very real possibility that in a few short days, MAGA fascists will have won control of... everything. Absolutely everything. The Presidency, Congress, and of course the Supreme Court is already in their hands. The polls are in their favor. Should we believe them? If you enj...

Nov 01, 202451 minEp. 65

WTW64: Did Students Shut Down Bipartisan Free Speech Event at Yale Law School?

This is -sort of- part 8 of our series, Jon Ronson's Things Fell Apart Falls Apart S2E6 of Things Fell Apart has yet more anti-woke propaganda and credulous reporting. But before we even get to the meat of that, Ronson plays a few audio clips of some anti-woke scare stories. I decided it would be a good idea to focus on those and do some side quests, which are also still relevant to his BS framing but allow us to take some detours and a break from 100% Ronson. This first one: Did students at Yal...

Sep 30, 202439 minEp. 64

The Right's Obsession With Taking Down Tim Walz (feat. Heath Enwright)

Hey folks, please enjoy this free preview of the September bonus! On Debate Night Eve, we share the Tim Walz stories that the Right desperately hope will stick and hurt Harris/Walz in the polls. Have they found one to combat Governor Walz's impeccable BDE (Big Dad Energy)? Heath Enwright (The Scathing Atheist, Citation Needed, God Awful Movies, etc.) joins us as we journey through - and debunk - some of these insanely ridiculous scandals. Get the full episode as a 2nd tier patron or above at pat...

Sep 30, 202428 minEp. 64

WTW63: This Is Her Story To Tell... But I'm Telling It

Part 7 of our series Jon Ronson's Things Fell Apart Falls Apart The finale on the awful anti-trans chapter of Jon Ronson's pocdcast series. It continues to get worse, and we finally get to hear Lydia's bombshell clip. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Sep 22, 202445 minEp. 63

WTW62: January Littlejohn, Big Activist

Part 6 of our series Jon Ronson's Things Fell Apart Falls Apart The horrible both sidesing of trans people's lives continues. January Littlejohn sucks a lot and Jon is completely credulous. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Sep 20, 202440 minEp. 62

WTW61: That Time Jon Ronson Both Sides'ed Trans People's Lives

Part 5 of our series Jon Ronson's Things Fell Apart Falls Apart Alright, this episode of Things Fell Apart is what really did it. S2E5. This is the one that made us absolutely certain we had to do this series. Jon Ronson introduces listeners to January Littlejohn, a "concerned mother" in Florida, and what happened when her child began questioning their gender identity. However, in his neverending quest to both sides literally every topic, Ronson misses some major plotholes to the story, and allo...

Sep 20, 202452 minEp. 61

WTW60: The Left Wing Media, in Their Way

The 4th part of our series Jon Ronson's Things Fell Apart Falls Apart It's time to move on to... episode 3 of season 2 of Things Fell Apart. This episode features the worst example of both sidesing I've ever heard. It's astonishing. An interracial family was driving in the woods to go camping during the pandemic. A group of angry right wing racists, with guns and dogs, follows them and cuts down trees to block the road and prevent their escape. You might be wondering how in the world someone cou...

Sep 05, 20241 hr 12 minEp. 60

WTW59: Oh Is Stealing Things a Crime Now?

The 4th part of our series Jon Ronson's Things Fell Apart Falls Apart Jon Ronson's grand theory of Judy Mikovitz is that she was a normal, accomplished scientist, until she was "arguably mistreated," after which she became the kind of person who would be the subject of Plandemic. This final episode completely disproves this theory. It also shows how incredibly dishonest Judy has been about her arrest, and why it was actually entirely reasonable that she was held for 5 days. (and, it was more lik...

Aug 31, 20241 hr 14 minEp. 59

WTW58: Just Hand Over the Cell Line

Part 3 of of our series on Jon Ronson's Things Fell Apart. On the podcast Knowledge Fight, Jordan asks Jon Ronson a good question: if there were a bunch of people involved in this bogus Judy Mikovits study, why was she the only one who had the cell line? Jon had no answer. Jenessa does. How the hell did everyone miss this? If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider beco...

Aug 30, 202447 minEp. 58

WTW57: Judy Mikovits, the Most Unreliable Narrator

Part 2 of our series on Jon Ronson's Things Fell Apart. A chance encounter at a yacht club? Or... a not at all chance encounter at a convention for quackery? Dr. Jenessa Seymour takes us through it. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com . Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke !...

Aug 30, 202443 minEp. 57
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