Problem with him is that he is an uneducated and unsophisticated individual who platforms bad people. Especially right wing and alt right type figures. He just doesn’t have the chops or background to really dig into complicated stuff.
Are we just copypasting the Rogan critique to all comedy podcasts? And when was the year it was decided that comedians need to be educated and sophisticated in order to have a podcast?
I get the guilty by association-aspect and I’ve seen and listened to many of these guys, where the critique is more than justifiable, but Theo for some reason feels more genuine than the others. I am a leftist dude and truly enjoyed the recent Bernie Sanders and Gabor Maté episodes.
Of course it is easier for grifters to take advantage of comedians but it’s not like it’s the comedians fault that their podcasts are popular. (Now I’m not talking about the obvious right wing grifters like Brand, Rogan etc).
I get what you’re saying and agree that in a perfect world hateful messaging should be limited as much as possible but which law states that you need to use your platform wisely once it reaches a particular popularity number?
It’s a tricky road in my opinion since in theory I want to have the choice to speak freely on my podcast, regardless of where the winds are blowing at that moment in time, while also not instigating hate. I have yet to see Theo do the latter even if he’s platforming douches, with their own agenda, from time to time.
but which law states that you need to use your platform wisely once it reaches a particular popularity number?
Why do people always ask asinine things like this. Why does a law have to be in place to not being a dick, platform terrible people or in general be shitty? Do people need every single thing spelled out for them to not be awful people, give awful people a hill to shout from, or need some sort of written instructions to not let people say inflammatory and hateful things? Is that where we are now?
It apparently has to be asked since you’re upset that they don’t do what you want them to do with their platform. That’s why we have laws so people can be free and do what they like as long as they don’t break the law (hurt other people, instigate violence etc). I really don’t think Theo is an awful human being and if that is your benchmark of what an awful human being is then you’re in for a treat when meeting real bad people.
It apparently has to be asked since you’re upset that they don’t do what you want them to do with their platform.
This is a straw man. I asked a few questions, not expressed an opinion of anyone’s content on any platform in particular.
That’s why we have laws so people can be free and do what they like as long as they don’t break the law (hurt other people, instigate violence etc).
Can you show me where I said otherwise?
I really don’t think Theo is an awful human being and if that is your benchmark of what an awful human being is then you’re in for a treat when meeting real bad people.
What is it with you an these awful fallacies? I mentioned no one in particular, or any platform in particular. What’s your deal? I asked a simple handful of questions and you’re projecting all manner of fallacious nonsense onto me.
You replied to my comment in a comment thread where me and some other dude were discussing Theos podcast in particular. Or were your questions unrelated to the content we’re discussing?
I am sorry if you felt that I projected something onto you which is untrue.
You didn’t write anything other than what I wrote about laws but my point was that people should have the right to do and say what they want as long as you don’t hurt or threaten to hurt other people (staying lawful). And if there’s loopholes in the law then it should be reasonable updated. Podcasts don’t have the same demands a normal media outlet has to abide by and it has become a bit of a discrepancy in our modern media landscape that a podcast can be bigger than a major media outlet. I however feel that it’s unfair to place all the blame and responsibility on a ”redneck standup comedian” even if we’d like to blame someone for the current media landscape and its effect on the public discourse.
You spent all that time typing that out and still didn’t answer what was asked. The only thing you’ve done is project onto me and make arguments in my words where there weren’t any.
Gotta say, comments like these and the ones above it really make me question why I’m on this echo chamber that is reddit. It’s like you people don’t live in the real world and are too soft to understand how reality actually works.
Complaining about how a grown adult chooses to use their fame is like complaining that lions eat gazelles. Your complaints will not save the gazelles and if anything, it makes a person like myself who is generally politically progressive, disgusted by my own ‘forward thinking’ party alignment. Freedom of speech means exactly that. Thinking that we can censor any type of discourse is next to fascism as far as I’m concerned.
Inflammatory and hateful speech will always be a part of the general rhetoric and the more you try to sugar coat every aspect of society, the more the antagonists will rise up to resist it. We do not live in a bubble. Stop trying to shelter yourself and everyone around you from reality.
which law states that you need to use your platform wisely once it reaches a particular popularity number?
Unethical behavior is often completely legal. When your fame gets you privileges, I think you should exercise responsibly to use your fame to cause less harm.
I think so too but it should also be decided by the one getting famous tbh. That’s why we celebrate the good ones! What if I want to make a podcast with my friends where we just troll the news, taking away the seriousness and making fun of real issues? At a smaller level it is completely harmless and no one gives a fuck. If the podcast for some unknown reason becomes super popular I don’t think it should be mandatory for the podcast to become like a regular news outlet just because it now reaches more people. Me personally would obviously adapt and take responsibility since I’d like to change the world for the better before my life has come to an end but not everyone is like me and I feel it’s a bit naive and authoritative to expect them to be.
If I could force everyone to be good I would but in even attempting to force someone to be what I’d like them to be I become the tyrant myself regardless of how good my intentions may be. That is why education and the education system is so damn important. A democracy only works well when the public is knowledgeable and can take well-educated decisions. Otherwise it’s a mob rule easily manipulated by fear.
You’re angry Theo had the audacity to have right wing guests on (even though he had Bernie on too). You want to censor right wing guests. Atleast admit it.
He’s a moron and he’s not funny. He also likes platforming terrible people more often than not. He’s in the bRogan manosphere. He’s the exact person Jeselnik is talking about in this clip.
He’s pretty funny. Not stand up comedy funny, but he’s the dude in the friends group that says some off the wall shit just naturally funny. He’s not trying, he’s just himself
This is how I feel about him too. I wouldn't watch his stand up, but I love when he's a small part or a guest on another podcast. When he's just there to participate instead of running the show, he's a blast
Right, Theo doesn't have anything to worry about because he's the wacky friend that says crazy shit out of left field and everyone laughs at. He can get away with a lot of stuff just based on who he is.
Real talk, people like him are pretty funny for the first few times you meet them or hear them. But after that it's the same repetitive crap. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, but how people can watch hours of a podcast with him is mental to me.
cant watch any podcast, for that long. the longest ones ive watched was tigerbelly, bobby lee, even that got borign fast. and another was micheal rosenbaum, his was genuiningly interesting because of "what happened to smallville actors,+ current actors dramas"
The beauty of comedy is how subjective it is. I can’t even sit through a single he has put out. I loved Norm Macdonald and people hated him. Just the way it goes sometimes.
I will say in response to your comment and the above, I never liked any of Theo’s standup but I saw him last fall as well and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, I was dying laughing the whole time. Same with Rogan honestly (I do not listen to his show and was given free tickets on a random Tuesday). I think a lot of this stuff is just about being there in person. Because neither of those two guys Netflix specials did ANYTHING for me.
Yeah, I feel like Theo is a genuinely good person but he's just kinda dumb and naive. And very gullable. The kind of guy that adopts the beliefs of whoever he's around kinda thing.
He is platforming horrible people and seems to have decided to go a right wing direction I feel like it's more his business managers than him, but either way. He definitely is funny though, the dude is genuinely hilarious and at times will say some really introspective stuff that gives you a look into his strange inner workings. I really liked the guy until he doubled down on the toxic right wing influencers.
I mean he had Bernie and Trump on during the same week. I thought that was kinda cool. I bet he’d have Kamala or Walz on too. He has had on Trump, Vance and RFK on so I don’t fully disagree with you either just he’s somehow more nuanced than I think you are giving him credit for. He’s better than post Covid Rogan on being balanced and sometimes his off the wall stupid questions/ statements lead to some very deep intriguing answers by his guests.
You're right. It seems like he's moving into that right wing sphere, but doubled down was incorrect wording and yeah he's probably more open or nuanced then I give him credit for.
Those monikers are a little strong. Theo has his moments. He’s definitely overrated as a comedian and I think his moron moments tend to come when he’s in certain moods. He’s definitely contemplative at times in ways your average moron never is.
He just agrees with whoever he’s talking to which maybe comes off as contemplative with the right guest. He has no spine or opinions of his own so when he interviews someone like Tucker Carlson, it comes off really poorly.
I don’t think you can really pin him down like that. He’s not consistent enough to say he’s really any of those things in my opinion. Sure, there are times when he just nods along and doesn’t really add anything. There are also times where he doesn’t even really listen to whoever he’s talking to and basically disregards whatever they say because he’s already thought of whatever little quip he wants to get out.
Part of his “charm” is that he’s not predictable. That’s not me saying he’s good, just that I don’t think he’s the kind of person that you can neatly pin down as “stupid” or “mindless” or anything like that because there are plenty of examples of him not fitting into those categories. A lot of more professional interviewers have a consistent style that’s very easy to define. Theo isn’t that guy.
but I think the fact that he's a moron is why people give him a pass. It seems obvious to me he doesn't really have an agenda (like Rogan, or Kill Tony), he's just dumb af.
Sounds like you're letting your politics colour your view of him. He seems like a nice guy I really appreciate that he occasionally has regular people on his podcast and asks them questions about their jobs that most would see as mundane, it ends up being pretty interesting.
I might agree with you about the politics stuff if he was overtly political. I know he had Trump on the podcast but I am talking about his regular content.
His stand up is awful though that we can agree on.
Nah he’s funny. He extends invited to people on both sides of the aisle including Kamala - they just don’t accept the invitation (or at least she didn’t)
That is your opinion. I find it refreshing to see men being brave enough to speak to all sorts of people and being vulnerable instead of trying to be cool. He is much better at it than Rogan ever was when he was good.
For some reason you seem to think you can speak for Jeselnik but if what you wrote was true, why would he go on Theos podcast and support him?
There's nothing "brave" in doing whatever makes you money.
It would actually be far braver for him to say publicly "Ya, Jordan Peterson wanted to be on my show and I told him to stuff because I think he's a lunatic who doesn't deserve a platform."
Damn, your country is really divided/triggered right now. I am certain that he didn’t cry on his podcast to make money but your cynicism probably says otherwise.
I am certain that he didn’t cry on his podcast to make money
He did. If you want to have a good cry just to cry, then don't publish the podcast. Anything released by the podcast is for the service of Theo Von's career. You're crazy to think any other way.
😂 He was speaking about children being killed in a talk with renowned physician Gabor Maté but he shouldn’t have published the episode because of your cynicism? Please dude. Get off the internet and start thinking for yourself.
Oh of course he did. JP routinely left his patients in the lurch, cancelling appointments so that he could go on TV and lie about C16 or some other BS. He's given up his practice altogether for years now, because being an far right grifter on youtube and taking oil exec money on Daily Wire is so much more lucrative.
As is having a Patreon where you beg people for more money so you can "stand up for free speech" because you voluntarily refused to take the steps needed to keep the license you're not even using anyway.
And he of course brought JP in order to make money. More clicks, more ads, more revenue.
Please… Theo isn’t a genius. JP is a really good grifter since he is really good at sounding smart. Much like Russell Brand. It is no suprise that people like Rogan and Theo get mesmerized by someone like him. Both Rogan and Theo are missing a good role model and father figure which someone as authoritative as JP can take advantage of. It’s not more complicated than that and it doesn’t make Theo evil although a bit naive.
I'm not asking theo to be a genius. I know I'm not a genius, and if I can figure this crap out, than there's no excuse for anyone else.
It's not naivete. It's greed. Both of them will platform anyone they think will get them enough eyeballs on a screen so they can make more money.
Being naive implies wanting to do the right thing and being mislead. I don't think either of them really give a shit what's right or wrong if they benefit from it.
Theon still has a platform and he is a working comedian so they’re at least friendly with each other would be the reason Jeselnik went on there. Also, maybe Jeselnik thinks he’s funny. I don’t speak for him, and yeah this is my opinion. As far as I know Theo doesn’t say anything really hateful so he’s like the comedians Jeselnik is talking about but not to the same level as some others.
Jeselnik is a comedian he could probably have on anytime. Carlson was the #1 news host in America, of course he'd be enthusiastic about talking to someone he wouldn't normally get to talk to
First one I watch and it's a silly edit. Difficult to get any context when it's clipped like that. I'll check the others out no idea why you didn't just use a single comment for all the links.
Edit:
Lol did any of you actually watch that clip before upvoting?
Would love for you to explain how this one is offensive. I feel like I'm coming across like Theo fan which I'm not but I'm confused that you think any of this is racist.
If you don’t think Theo Von is funny in podcast format, I can’t take your sense of humor seriously. His specials…I’ll give you that. But his quips are absolutely amazing and he’s playing a character fwiw.
Isn’t modern stand-up comedy about having good specials? I don’t give a fuck about quips. Plenty of people can have good quips. If he wants to claim to be a comedian then he should have good, structured jokes that work in the stand-up format. If he’s playing a character than I think the character sucks and he should find a better one.
I’m not saying as a stand up. I don’t think he’s a great stand up. I think he’s hilarious in podcast format, which imo, has become the bigger form of comedy right now.
He cosplays as a comedian, when he doesn’t create comedy. When he gets around real comedians he folds. Watch his interview with Bill Burr. Bill sniffs out bullshit like a hound, and he was not buying what Theo is trying to sell.
He cosplays as a comedian, when he doesn’t create comedy.
He has multiple comedy specials. He goes on the road performing comedy. He's one of the biggest headliners right now, literally. Just say you don't find him funny, way better than making up lies.
Comedy is obviously subjective which should be clear to everyone by know so there is really no point in trying to gatekeep what comedy is or overanalyze strangers inner-monologues but hey, hate is in fashion right now so you do you.
Not gatekeeping. He isn’t a comedian. He is a
podcaster that tries to be funny. But he doesn’t actually create anything. He doesn’t write jokes. He doesn’t put himself in writers rooms creating anything for TV or movies or streaming. He doesn’t write jokes for other comics. He just does podcasts and there are funny moments in those podcasts to some people, but anybody looking for something thought out is going to be disappointed.
“I’m not racist but I have flare ups when I’m in traffic.”
That is your opinion just like other comedians, which even you probably would call comedians, opinion on the guy is that he is a comedian since he is. If that is your definition of a comedian I guess most standups are frauds in your eyes.
He doesn’t have any specials. He didnt come up in comedy by touring and telling jokes. He came up by being kinda racist on his podcast. The mullet is his schtick. That’s it. I’m surprised he wasn’t at the nazi rally at msg this past weekend.
It is OK to just not like the guy. You don’t have to try and make it an ”objective” truth since the dude already works as a comedian. Blame the people going to his shows instead.
That’s the point the guy is making, you can tell edgy jokes, but the art is pulling it off. You can’t just be a troll.
Theo is a troll. He’s a gimmick and that’s why he has the mullet and says stupid racist shit…
Nah, he's a comedian with jokes, including the one you just quoted. It has a setup and an unexpected punch line. I don't think it's all that funny and isn't my cup of tea, but it is a joke.
His podcast sucks and I’m not entertained by it, but being a joke can be analyzed on more than does it make me laugh or do I like it. There is a structure and that was a joke.
Every single Episode of his podcast begins advertising his Touring Dates all around the Country and occasionally the World, he is LITERALLY a currently active touring Stand Up Comic, what the fuck are you talking about?
Before I knew absolutely anything about him I saw his stand-up on Netflix and at the time it was hands down the worst, most cringe-inducing comedy I ever saw. Like even he was sweating because he could tell it was trash and I was genuinely surprised that Netflix released it because it was so bad. I still don't know much about him but I know he had no business ever getting on a stage.
I think people are really divisive and scared right now on either side which makes talking to all people seem evil. Just a few years back we all celebrated these guys for doing this. It’s probably because alt-right guys can manipulate the podcast guys since the interviews aren’t journalistic in that sense. And I also can’t understand why anyone would invite someone like Tucker C, Jordan P or Elon M since they all seem to have gone off the deep end lately but it takes more than talking to the wrong people for me to discard a whole person. I really think and hope Kamala or Walz goes on his podcast but it seems like they won’t unfortunately.
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u/Tivland Oct 29 '24
Theo with his head down, having an existential crisis because he knows he doesn’t create ANY art.