Is Politics Ruining Pop Culture?

Radio Atlantic

The Atlantic

Politics, News, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2018

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Some Americans who grew up identifying with Roseanne have found themselves alienated by Roseanne Barr’s outspoken devotion to President Trump. Many of Kanye West’s fans revolted after he tweeted out an image of himself wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat. Pop culture will probably always mirror the divides playing out in society. But when social divides are more massive than they’ve been in generations, does all our entertainment become a litmus test for our political beliefs? Links - “Bill Cosby and the Slow Death of Celebrity Impunity” (Megan Garber, April 26, 2018) - "The 'Dragon Energy' of Kanye West and Donald Trump" (Vann Newkirk, April 25, 2018) - "How 'Roseanne' Divides the Left" (Conor Friedersdorf, April 4, 2018) - “Roseanne vs. the 'Nasty Woman'” (Megan Garber, March 23, 2018) - Chika Oranika on Twitter (April 26, 2018) - Teddy Bear scene, “Daisy” (The Golden Girls, September 17, 1987) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	For many of us pop culture is an escape prime time sitcoms summer jams blockbuster movies
0:06.5	these are the things we retreat to when we need to take a break from the stresses of everyday life
0:10.9	but what do you do when your pop culture icons announce their political affiliations?
0:17.0	Is politics ruining pop culture? This is Radio Atlantic. Hi, I'm Matt Thompson, Executive Editor of The Atlantic, and with me here in DC is my
0:40.0	steam co-host Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of the Atlantic.
0:43.5	Hi Jeff.
0:44.5	Hello Matt.
0:45.5	I am delighted to say that we are joined today by our regular guests on Radio
0:51.2	Atlantic, Megan Garber,
0:52.6	Hello!
0:53.6	And Jillian White.
0:54.8	Hello to you both in thinking.
0:56.3	Well, one was ambivalent and one was not.
0:58.3	So I can say, listener, you choose.
1:02.3	We convene today as usual around a question. Is politics
1:09.0	ruining pop culture? Gone are the days if these days ever existed when you get home from work you kick off your shoes you turn on your prime time
1:18.0	escape from the worries of the wider world in America at least political polarization is now ubiquitous. You can't
1:25.4	listen to Kanye West without picturing him and make America great again, Cap. You
1:29.6	can't watch Rosanne without knowing that she's spreading conspiracy theories on
1:33.1	Reddit you can't watch the Simpsons without confronting the problems with a
1:37.3	poo and we may not be able to have comedians perform at the White House
1:41.2	Correspondence Dinner again.
	...

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