"Have F---ing Beliefs, Not Teams"

[marmar]

"Have F---ing Beliefs, Not Teams": Citizen Radio's Hosts Talk #NEWSFAIL, Advertising, Veganism and More

Thursday, 09 October 2014 10:33
By Joe Macaré, Truthout | Interview


When they started podcasting in 2008, Allison Kilkenny and Jamie Kilstein "were living out of our car," says Kilstein. "Allison hadn't been published yet as a writer, and I wasn't getting stand-up gigs because of my politics - and I probably wasn't funny as well, but the political thing makes me sound like Lenny Bruce."

The earliest episodes of their podcast "Citizen Radio" were recorded via cell phones and a dial-in online soundboard, without anything resembling studio equipment. Fast-forward to the present day, and in addition to having acquired just a smidgen of professionalism, the show has won the admiration of everyone from Janeane Garofalo to Noam Chomsky, from Talib Kweli to the late Robin Williams, as well as an army of dedicated listeners - known as Maniacs - many of whom are responsible for keeping the show afloat financially. (Like Truthout, but unlike the majority of even progressive media outlets, "Citizen Radio" doesn't take any advertising.)

The show's independence is matched by its hosts' tendency to be round pegs in square holes. Kilkenny has walked away from stints at In These Times and The Nation. "I'm so good at quitting places," she deadpans. Meanwhile, Kilstein's tendency to talk frankly about topics ranging from drone strikes to sexism within the subcultures of which he is part has earned him "not to be invited back" status everywhere from Conan O'Brien's show to comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan's podcast.

Now they're published authors, with a book from an actual publisher, subtitled Climate Change, Feminism, Gun Control, and Other Fun Stuff We Talk About Because Nobody Else Will. It's almost like being respectable. Almost.

....(snip)....

Kilstein: It was doing more investigative work than "Meet The Press"! I think the larger critique is the fact that the news had lied and pandered so much, that people legitimately had to turn to a satirical comedy news show in order to find out what the fuck was happening. So really, we should be the most mad at mainstream media.

But when you hear "The Daily Show" talked about, it's like "This is as far left as you can go." When right-wingers talk about young kids, it's like "The Daily Show" is our Noam Chomsky, right? The problem is when a lot of kids watch "The Daily Show" thinking that's as left as they can go, what happens when Jon Stewart compares Occupy Wall Street with the Tea Party, who are walking around with racist signs and guns? What happens when The Rally to Restore Sanity literally makes fun of people who are protesting, while bringing fucking Kid Rock to sing an anthem about apathy? ......................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://truth-out.org/news/item/26725-have-f-ing-beliefs-not-teams-citizen-radio-s-hosts-talk-newsfail-veganism-and-what-s-wrong-with-the-daily-show

[RufusTFirefly]

1. Amen! My philosophy to a T

One of the big things Allison and I try to get across on "Citizen Radio" is that you should just have fucking beliefs, not teams. If George Bush is going to start an illegal war, I'm mad. If Barack Obama is going to start an illegal war, I'm mad.

Yet there are still idiots who think that because I think drone strikes are brutal, cowardly, and immoral (not to mention a truly terrible way to win hearts and minds) that I'm somehow the doppelganger of Rand Paul.

Excellent interview. To be honest, I'd never heard of these two. Thank for posting, marmar!

[randome]

3. I don't think you're a doppleganger of Rand Paul.

But if you withhold your vote, or deliberately vote for a candidate you know will lose, you are sending a message to the GOP that the electorate prefers them.

It doesn't matter if it's true or not, that's what they will use to further solidify their 'infection' on the country.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Aspire to inspire.[/center][/font][hr]

[navarth]

2. this is good info, cousin

I will follow up, thanks very much.

[randome]

4. Nepotism! Nepotism!

[hr][font color="blue"][center]"The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it."
Tony Randall, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)[/center][/font][hr]

[navarth]

6. ? Please explain? nt

[randome]

7. It was a joke that clearly wasn't as clear as I clearly thought.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]"The whole world is a circus if you know how to look at it."
Tony Randall, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)[/center][/font][hr]

[RufusTFirefly]

8. That's OK. Some of us got it.

[navarth]

9. ? Oh....well

thanks for the joke. Sorry I don't get it, but I always appreciate humor.

[Shankapotomus]

14. I got it. eom

[navarth]

5. this part about The Daily Show really grabbed me:

"....what happens when Jon Stewart compares Occupy Wall Street with the Tea Party, who are walking around with racist signs and guns? What happens when The Rally to Restore Sanity literally makes fun of people who are protesting, while bringing fucking Kid Rock to sing an anthem about apathy?"

In the words of Johnny Carson: 'I did not know that.' That question fucks me up in several ways. Comparing OWS to the TeaDoofuses? Shit. Holy Disappointing News, Batman.

[bullwinkle428]

18. Along those same lines, I'm utterly exasperated by the talking points

apparently handed down by the DCCC to all of the candidates, which seem to be instructing them to speak out about "extreme partisanship on both sides" that is the cause of gridlock in DC. I wanted to throw my radio across the room when I heard a candidate interviewed by NPR yesterday pushing this meme. They're all pushing it in campaign commercials.

AAARGH! I'm now watching the debate between my Democrstic incumbent congressman and his opponent, and the moderator is all obsessed with their ability to reach across the aisle.

[Shankapotomus]

10. To be fair to Jon Stewart

there have been more times when he hasn't fallen into the false equivalency error than he has. Practically his whole show is about mocking Republican and conservative attempts to present a false equivalency between right and left policies...or worse, a false left-wing extremism.

The people in the interview, while I'm sure they mean well, come across as political hipsters trying to dictate to others what are the political trends. You have to ask, what are their motivations for belittling Jon Stewart's voice; so they can fill the void with their own?
Good luck with that.

[liberal_at_heart]

12. Is Jon Stewart beyond reproach? I don't think so. What is it with this attitude that we're not

allowed to criticize anyone on the left? I just don't get it. I love Jon Stewart but he is not beyond reproach.

[Shankapotomus]

13. I don't think the problem is "you're" not allowed to criticize

"You" are.

I think what the objection really is is to the criticism in return. When someone criticizes "you" back it is not saying "you can't criticize."

It's just saying, "Hey, we both can do that; isn't that great?"

[liberal_at_heart]

15. Good then I can criticize you too because questioning someone's motivation for

daring the criticize Jon Stewart is ridiculous.

[Shankapotomus]

16. I wouldn't call it very daring

Conservatives do it all the time.

I just don't find it very convincing no matter who does it.

[Luminous Animal]

11. I love that show. Thanks for the article.

[ZombieHorde]

17. They have a completely different interpretation of the

Rally to Restore Sanity than me. In my interpretation, the RtRS was about the logical fallacies people make on all sides of the political spectrum. The rally was asking people to use critical thinking instead of emotional thinking.

I also don't think The Daily Show presents itself as the most left. I think they present themselves as center left.

[hfojvt]

19. why not both?