Alt-Right Pipeline 2: Electric PragerU

PragerU has a monopoly on alt-right content on KZbin. And that's a problem.
Let's talk about it.
Don't forget to check out the Conference to Restore Humanity (www.humanrestorationproject.o...) and use code ZOEBEE to get $25 off your ticket price & help support the channel! :)
00:00 - Intro
01:55 - The Old Pipeline
05:39 - The New Pipeline
13:22 - What Do We Do About It?
19:40 - Outro & Poem
* Human Restoration Project Links *
Conference --- www.humanrestorationproject.o...
Useful Resources --- www.humanrestorationproject.o...
More info about PragerU --- www.humanrestorationproject.o...
* Contact Rob Dickinson (PragerU Scholar) *
Email: [e-mail]
* Sources *
----- "The Kids are Alt-Right: An Introduction to PragerU and its role in Radicalization in the United States" (Dickinson and Cowin, 2022)
----- "CRT-Reactionism and the Role of PragerU in a Contemporary Moral Panic" (Dickinson and Cowin, 2022)
----- "Alternative Influence: Broadcasting the Reactionary Right on KZbin" (Lewis, 2018 - datasociety.net/library/alter...)
----- PragerU 2020 Annual Report
----- PragerU 2021 Annual Report
----- PragerU 2021 Bi-Annual Report
----- "PragerU and You" Booklet
* To Support Me: *
---Become a channel Member! ➤ / @zoe_bee
---Join the Patreon! ➤ / zoe_bee
---Make a one-time donation! ➤ ko-fi.com/zoebee
---Join the Discord! ➤ / discord
---Check out my second channel! ➤ / @zoecee
---Watch my D&D game! ➤ / @thejaycorn
---Watch my Blades in the Dark game! ➤ / itucrew

[@HumanRestorationProject]

Thank you, Zoe! We are grateful to call you a partner in the work of *consciousness raising* and organizing for a widespread human-centered model of education. We can overcome divisive hatred with radical love and solidarity, and we hope your viewers will join us. 🚀

[@zoe_bee]

Thank YOU! 💜

[@foxtail286]

As a viewer, I believe your cause is noble and your methods are clear. I hope that your organization can bring change to the world! ^o^

[@shzarmai]

@@zoe_bee Please consider talking about Corporatism one day :)

[@-AxisA-]

I radically love the world radical love😄❤

[@LeftOfBori]

I want to attend, but idk if I’ll be able to make it worth it with my current level of expertise. I’m currently studying to be a learning experience designer for the very goals you are addressing.

[@justaguy6216]

See what is suspect is that PragerU's videos ARE so polished. Real educational videos from universities are the most unpolished and low entertainment videos ever made. 99% of the time its the lecturer reading from a PowerPoint slide.

[@darkstarr984]

I know, it’s absolutely amazing on the rare instances I find something actually polished from professors.

[@justaguy6216]

@@darkstarr984 I know right it's wild when you do see it. Like... Feels like you're not getting scammed for once.

[@jamalsachleben3026]

Professors aren't by in large entertainers and are simply trying to impart information upon their students. Also they tend to have a million other things they have to do. They just don't have the time and effort to clean up their videos into something high quality

[@sleepyst0rm]

i think that's part of the problem. you roll up to anyone who actually knows their shit and it's in 240p with a mic straight out of 2007. but with prageru, the lighting is on point. the content is a little stilted and awkward, but it's concise and easy to follow. it kind of reminds me of how most left wing news outlets either are behind a paywall or immediately attack you for having your adblocker on, but right wing outlets with the same kinds of headlines are right there and easy to read

[@justseffstuff3308]

@@sleepyst0rmYep. Exactly. Just a different version of "You are the product"

[@andu1854]

My favorite is when Dennis talks about marriage and its importance while failing to mention he has been married 6 times and divorced 6 times as I have a feeling he is a condescending jerk in real life and all of ex wives have gotten sick of him

[@bastian_5975]

So the name Pennis Drager is accurate

[@leoparathesweekgeeky7244]

@@bastian_5975 I read that as "Penis Dagger" lmfao 🤣

[@craigstephenson7676]

He speaks in the voiceover voice all the time, they got sick of it

[@babyface3396]

marriage is so important to him, he couldn't just do it once!

[@ed6705]

I had to check this and he's only ("only") been married thrice and divorced twice, which is much less fun.

[@essdeecard]

PragerU: We’re being censored by KZbin Also PragerU: has ads underneath this video AS WE SPEAK

[@bwgaming-lq4gd]

I have those ads under my video too is this a coincidence?

[@Waynesification]

How does that mean that KZbin isn't taking down some videos, or not recommending them to a wider audience, or not demonetizing them at times etc.

[@CanRotaryLife]

I don't think you understand how KZbin censorship works.

[@Waynesification]

@@CanRotaryLife Maybe you can inform us of what you mean, and who you are vaguely referring to?

[@skoop651]

censorship doens't mean full censorship

[@LoyalSage]

What’s sad is that their well-polished infographics and animations don’t just make them look _as established_ as universities, it makes them look more established. Every video I’ve seen from a university is low resolution footage with audio that sounds like they’re talking into a toaster, edited in something like iMovie or Windows Movie Maker using stock transitions, with awkward speaking and pacing. And those are the things actually produced by universities. I’ve also seen so many videos where a leading expert in some field makes a video teaching something, and it looks like a grandparent on a video call, talking into their laptop’s built-in webcam/mic. I mean, I can think of one in particular where at the end of the video, this respected researcher literally asks his grandson to come in and help him stop the recording. Don’t get me wrong, it was a cute moment, but it did make him look a little less official and authoritative compared to something as polished as PragerU.

[@Ashakat42]

That's the difference between a marketing business and an educational one. You can see where the money is being spent. Idk that I want large universities siphoning off more of their budgets to non-academic resources.

[@thefoxandthehound81]

do you remember what it was called? how do i find real educational videos

[@trevordillon1921]

I’d like to note those highly educational videos from field professionals or footage of classroom lectures aren’t produced. They are filmed, but they aren’t a production, there’s no effort made to make it look nice it’s just education presented with zero bells and whistles.

[@Ornithopter470]

​@@Ashakat42I'd personally love to see large universities spend less money on sports and more on actual education.

[@happypantsfilmmaker1797]

@@thefoxandthehound81 Just search for broad topics like "Chemistry" or "Geology" or whatever you wanna learn and find videos from collage professors. You can also find the youtube channels of collages themselves but they tend to have less deeply educational content and more accessible content.

[@Alexlalpaca]

At this time of year, in this part of the world, being wished to "stay warm" sounds more like a threat than an act of kindness lmao

[@ridanann]

In the upper Northern Hemisphere old people die in winter simply because it is cold I guess you have Southern Hemisphere privilege where only the Dead are cold when outside is below zero and nowhere close to it the death toll is ridiculous this is a yearly thing without fail anywhere north of the Danube

[@Alexlalpaca]

@@ridanann This was posted 4 months ago. That's July. Which was very fucking hot in the northern hemisphere, where I happen to live. Hence my comment, since when it's 35+ºC outside you don't want to stay warm. Also, the southern hemisphere is colder on average than the northern, we just think of areas close to the equator when people say "southern hemisphere" because, from the global north, it is in fact southward.

[@ridanann]

@@Alexlalpaca the hell are you on about colder in the Southern Hemisphere where the big chunk of ice with nothing on it or superheated Australia where white people probably couldn't survive if it wasn't some modern sunscreen. off your trolley we got syberia Scandinavia Britain Canada Greenland a bunch of habited places were basically snows all year round or near good as there is nothing in the south to get cold nobody lives in the same latitudinal references as they do on the North the heatwave weather freak event probably won't even happen again first time it happened in my lifetime

[@Alexlalpaca]

@@ridanann That sounds kinds racist tbh. First the northern hemisphere is not as cold as you say. Siberia and Canada ere really fucking big and it doesn't snow all year round in either and it can get pretty fucking hot in the UK, as showcased by this last summer, and you are ignoring all the hot parts of the northern hemisphere: Mexico, North Africa, the Sahara, the middle east, etc. Special mention to the hottest place on earth, the death valley. Second, not all of the southern hemisphere is as hot as you say. Australia is pretty hot, yeah, but not so much in the case of Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, southernmost South Africa, and of course the coldest place on earth, Antarctica. I think you're working off of previous assumptions and refusing to see the global north and south as anything other than the monolithic preconceptions of them you already had.

[@ridanann]

@@Alexlalpaca I'm basing it by populated geographical regions in the south the equator is more populous then nearer nearer the Pole where is the North is populated right the way up to the pole basically within a few hundred feet the human experience is a cold North weather doesn't matter when there's no people. Antarctica is like the moon you can't really go there so who cares if you need a t-shirt or a jacket it doesn't even have spiders the top is only geographically warmer because of the wobble as far as human experience goes the South Pole might as well be mythological. The phrase the global South really should be the global Midlands not to mention the populated South is evidently warmer just going by geographical phenotypes I'm white because there is a lack of sunlight if my ancestors spent the last 2000 years in South Africa I would be as black is Kanye West thinks he is Wesley Snipes would have nothing on me and that is to do with the geographical environment plus Africa being the cradle of civilisation the people still have a tan all along that line South and North but the point is if you go south from there you don't find pale skin people suffering s*** weather where is if you go North you immediately bump into miserable bastards in raincoats listening to Oasis lol New Zealand is the closest thing the Southern Hemisphere has to Britain and of course Peter Jackson knew that but it is not very populous and most of its native populus retain phenotypes from significantly warmer regions australasian tend to be pretty dark in the British and Irish Isles Scandinavia Russia people well if I get wet you can see right through me. You're probably wondering what makes the Inuit Brown firstly they get more sunlight despite the freezing temperature secondly their diet actually give them melanin technically for British populations eating an Inuit diet would cure our melanin deficiency overtime it's been going on about 5000 years now but it certainly isn't normal when you look at usual human skin we probably look like ghosts 2 most people's of the world winter is coming and it was colonialism people in those hot countries don't even know what happened to our old people every year. Which makes me think if the South near the pole was as popular as it is in the North maybe the colonisation would have happened in mirror the hostile environment undoubtably breeds are very Hardy human being New Zealand is about Akin to Australia as Britain is from North Africa if New Zealand was 5 times the size maybe history would be completely different.

[@TheZatzman]

There are regular "this PragerU video is bad" dunking videos, and then there's this "here's how PragerU operates" meta-dunking analysis. Appreciate your research and analysis of the subject Zoe! More awareness and education are always a positive. Thanks!

[@mariojardonsantos7568]

And then there is that massive video explaining in detail why and how the atomic bombs were dropped to debunk PU's claim that it was to avoid deaths

[@masscreationbroadcasts]

@@mariojardonsantos7568 such as?

[@mariojardonsantos7568]

@@masscreationbroadcasts kzbin.info/www/bejne/iHS1hZqqpahgfdE

[@crystalbirthdays]

@@masscreationbroadcasts "Source?" "MY SOURCE IS THAT I MADE IT THE FUCK UP"

[@masscreationbroadcasts]

@@crystalbirthdays tru bestie. Dropping the atomic bombs was the better alternative.

[@user-do2ev2hr7h]

I think there's a point where people just get burned out and stop discussing the problem simply because they don't feel they can do anything about it.

[@jadelee0591]

Tbh that's more of less the position I'm in

[@TylerRayPittman]

We could easily fix it if we scared fascists enough

[@eliasjohannesen1747]

How would u scare the fascists?

[@hand13932]

@@eliasjohannesen1747 discussion of this topic may violate terms of use

[@Ironsuaba]

@@eliasjohannesen1747 fascists want power above all else and win by consolidating power. And power is what defeats them. If we can get the power to push them out of public discourse, make them afraid to be fascists through shame and, perhaps, sometimes more... forceful ways of suppression, we'll win.

[@SnoFitzroy]

That potato poem is genuinely emotional as heck and brings me to the edge of tears for some reason every time. Something about a totally normal, edible potato growing out of a pile of garbage just hits in a way that can't be described

[@justonlyjohn6596]

Ahh... This is the Buddhist story of the lotus in the mud. No one knows how old it is... not everything shared from past generations is trash, but yeah, most of it must be understood, and then overcome. Too bad literacy of history is being attacked by the GOP. Old processes, procedures, social norms and even Laws are not observed by the GOP... Law and Order == Fantasy World where everyone accommodated small minded ideas about WHO they should be, HOW they should behave, even WHAT they should think, to affirm Supreme angry toddler Trump's LIES. He's all about the presentation, not much for actual CONTENT, and that's been for so many decades.. such a shallow/hollow man, yet even lower people looks up to HIM? _not gonna cry_ Freedom isn't meaningful if it requires COMPULSORY COMPLIANCE, comporting your very identity with who/what WEALTHY people around DEMAND YOU ACT OUT. That's literally tyranny, and the irony is lost on the contextually unaware GOP who turn out for rallies, even when no election is near... IT'S A SHOW! THAT'S NOT NORMAL... other elected officials GOT TO WORK, but Trump's work is MARKETING/Mind Fking. Sorry this reply went sideways... it's YT, like ranting on toilet paper, not to say I wanted to shit on your post. You come off as a lovely person, so for the NOTHING IT'S WORTH, WISH you the best. _If my WISHES had some value, I'd shower you with them, that's just insane so_

[@jasmijnwellner6226]

PragerU also sells "educational" packets with whole lesson plans and material for homeschooled children. Their larger ambitions are absolutely frightening.

[@elsanto2401]

thats alarming to say the least

[@carlogaytan7010]

The homeschool concept is sick. Different children learning different things, because they cant trust an institution with thier child. And children not interacting with others at school, it's just cringe.

[@kyokoyumi]

Literally doing the thing they think the left is doing to their kids: Indoctrinating them. So ironic and not in a good way.

[@robertdickinson3107]

that's a big part of what we cover in the first paper. They're very clear that the direction of the company is turning towards children

[@imaloser5689]

@@carlogaytan7010 I dont know if I can agree with that sentiment. Some kids really do benefit from home school if done competently. My older sister suffered brain damage during infancy and needed constant supervision so one of my parents had to become stay at home. Due to this they homeschooled the younger children before starting a small charter school for children falling behind in larger schools(private or public). It was a far more accellerated learning program and allowed students to catch up to where they needed to be and even accellerate past what children their age did. One student completed calc two during their freshman year of highschool. Obviously there are people who dont do it very well, but I find it hard to hate the idea due to the good I have seen it provide.

[@VitriolicVermillion]

Calling PragerU "non-profit" is... definitionally true, but more accurate would be to call it "indirect profit."

[@godzilla2k26]

All the companies make profit , better to call them tax exempt.

[@Nassifeh]

​@@godzilla2k26 At the end of the day, the problem isn't that PragerU doesn't pay tax, because it wouldn't be much; it's that the increase in value brought to the investments of the donors is given a better tax deal than any of us get for our earned income. Compared to a lot of things, their status is probably doing more for their image than their bottom line.

[@godzilla2k26]

@@Nassifeh People give a favorable view to non profit the term. So changing it to what it is allows an unbiased honest term to describe it. On top of taking a salary but calling operating cost instead.

[@tatteredshield8120]

99 percent of non-profits

[@robertdickinson3107]

Indirect is a good way to look at it

[@DE23]

3:30 Political content and Sonic memes being next to each other perfectly encapsulates my KZbin experience

[@mr.sadfaceman5385]

I once was falling down the alt-right pipeline. Mostly cause my family and people I was around. I’m so glad I broke out of that. I was so painfully annoying

[@jenniferreyes8187]

I commend you for leaving.

[@PatrickWDunne]

How did you get in there in the first place? I have a friend who spent too much time on 4chan and eventually started talking about the "globalists." He thankfully left a long time ago.

[@mr.sadfaceman5385]

@@PatrickWDunne mostly just KZbin I think. and all the cringe sjw compilation things lol. and probably some influence from my parents. Idk how I really got out of it but it wasn't really until my senior year of highschool. Probably when I realized I was gay lol

[@Cyborg_queen]

@@mr.sadfaceman5385if you think conservative, or laughing at the sjw are ALT-RIGHT pipelines the liberals on the left have you manipulated. Liberal doesn’t even mean left, alt right doesn’t mean conservative. Conservative acknowledges the individual, the alt right does not, instead advocates for white nationalism, and fascism. Fascism isn’t just something you dislike, fascism is something conservatives are heavily against. Start asking questions, look into what conservatives or maybe even classical liberal really means. But I hope you got good liberal lefty friends because they do tend to unfriend and silence people who do that exact thing.

[@interlamer7480]

Same, mostly. My family is mostly center-right, and I used to watch some people in the "online atheist community" on YT. Ugh, I used to be unbearable. I am so glad that I broke out of it before it was too late.

[@ajplays-gamesandmusic4568]

"Everything is a Dildo, if you're brave enough". -- Abraham Lincoln

[@albertvaldez214]

😂

[@cloaker7237]

Hell, Abraham Lincoln is a dildo if you’re brave enough -Abraham Lincoln

[@JaceDeanLove]

“Everybody say hey, we want some pussy!” - Shakespeare, probably

[@Takosaga]

As a international teacher, its crazy to have a student using US talking points from the alt right. Teaching in Texas made me not speak up for being super left leaning, now living in EU I still have bad practice of not speaking up.

[@Praisethesunson]

Silence serves the interests of your masters. If you speak up alone your livelihood(or like, literal life) will be threatened. If you speak up in an organized group. Then your voice is heard together and protected by it's numbers.

[@theAEDan]

Are you joking? The far lefts agenda is supported by the international elite in practically all its forms. People who you consider far right are the ones who have to keep their opinions to themselves and remain silent. How is it you people despite being catered to to such a ridiculous extent still view yourselves as the victims?

[@sintheemptyone8108]

That type of polarization & partisan atmosphere is the end result of the abuse of power, and attempts to silence & oppress the dissent by your side. This is another one of those instances where you reaped what you sowed. Of course, you academic types don't give a flying flip about that, because _rules for thee, not for me._ You and the right have always been two sides of the same coin.

[@Praisethesunson]

@@theAEDan Oh, you are alt right. FYI not elite anywhere on Earth support workers owning the means of production(the actual far lefts agenda). Since none of the elite are workers. They are owners. You'd know that if you weren't alt right

[@theAEDan]

@@Praisethesunson no, but they do support every single social issue more or less. Obviously here we aren’t talking about workers owning the means of production comrade. I do however support wage caps as well as a reduction in working hours in line with the improvements in production seen over time and the dramatic wealth inequality that has arisen? Does that sound alt right to you? Ultimately you wouldn’t know.

[@veggiet2009]

As PragerU is now an accepted curriculum in Florida and other states, this video is very applicable

[@Rubberman202]

Just throwing it out there, if you haven't seen them yet, I highly recommend watching "The Alt-Right Playbook" by Ian Danskin of Innuendo Studios, it's a video series made over the course of several years, talking not only about the tactics of the Alt-Right, but how they keep getting away with them, as well as what we can do to avoid falling for them. This video is a good companion piece for those videos, since PragerU really is just another attempt to make the beliefs of the Alt-Right appear more legitimate and respectable than they actually are.

[@VitaeLibra]

I think they actually started the series up again recently if you weren't aware

[@Rubberman202]

@@VitaeLibra Oh I am, thanks. the more recent videos are much shorter than the previous ones, they're a lot like the first few videos in that series.

[@Sientir]

Production values aren't a sign of authority, but they certainly feel like it. That feels like one of the key takeaways from this.

[@godzilla2k26]

So they have one guy who is good, that made them bad? I didn't really follow the logic of that one.

[@Praisethesunson]

Production values are a sign of funding. Which the right wing has from billionaire funders looking to protect their own ill gotten wealth

[@Nassifeh]

It makes sense, too, like how all those terrible "crafts" and "cooking" channels manage to get tons of views despite being somehow even more content-free, and why none of the people who left Bon Appetit seem to be doing as well since they did. KZbin's original line about democratizing content isn't proving true, and it's one thing to know that, but then what do you do about it?

[@Praisethesunson]

@@Nassifeh what do you do about it? You seize the means of production comrade

[@Nassifeh]

​@@Praisethesunson Yeah, let me know how many people you've found who're willing to die to try to nationalize KZbin. This is glib and unhelpful.

[@Radhaun]

The joke of "the algorithm" having the same horse whinny as "Fraubluecher" from Young Frankenstein is fantastic.

[@zoe_bee]

Thank you! I was trying to tread the thin line between "too subtle no one will get it" and "too invasive and weird that it will be off-putting to anyone who doesn't get the reference" lol

[@richardwilliams877]

Wow, thank you! We didn't get it! And now we do!! 😂

[@grindsaur]

I was just about to write this! 😆 Love the gag; and the video itself is super important. Thanks!

[@kellyroshel5404]

@@zoe_bee Yes, I loved this reference!

[@SaturnineSound]

@@zoe_bee I am genuinely so glad that was intentional

[@abandonedmuse]

Hey Zoe, as an educator myself and mother, I am curious to understand your take and The Human Restoration Project’s take on going gradeless. I honestly have never heard about that before and I don’t understand how we would measure work otherwise, but being the open minded and curious woman that I am, I would love to learn more to see if this is something I can get behind. I am always searching for ways to improve child learning and absorption of materials. I know children learn in different ways and not all children can be based on a grading system. I myself was an undiagnosed ADHD child in the 80’s who struggled through school because of my mental capacity to learn the way educational systems feed information. Yet, I can understand quantum physics. Go figure. So I would love to get a response whenever you are available. No rush. Just putting it out there. Love your work. And yes, proud nerd here. 😂 xoxo

[@zoe_bee]

Thanks for the question! I actually have a whole video on Grading, which I recommend checking out!

[@abandonedmuse]

@@zoe_bee ahh okay, I shall.

[@abandonedmuse]

@@zoe_bee your cat reminds me of mine, by the way. The only difference is mine is fully black, and is now 19 years old! But the indecisiveness is real, girl. He can never decide whether in or out. Keeps me physically active though. I feel your pain. (I think this was exacerbated on your writing video, which inspired me to write a whole script by the way!) Ok thanks, bye!

[@tylerlamb4108]

@@zoe_bee You need to learn some more about things you claim... kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6LXmXSnh9qsrrs

[@boskeep1]

i know this is a year old, but as a kid with adhd i just want to let you know that i really appreciate you for being understanding and open minded ❤ we need more teachers like you (edit: tell your cat i said hi)

[@kamakazy13]

One of the strangest things I've seen happening is my company pushing PU on us during company meetings. Myself and the rest of my non-right friends are always questioning it, but much of the company is fairly moderate and they eat it up. It's not just the KZbin algorithm pushing these things. People with influence share them down and it's absolutely insane.

[@jennagetbandz]

Yk what’s also insane ? Letting children alter their bodies when their brain isn’t even developed

[@XS-03_Apollo]

What kind of company is this??

[@dpexile]

Thank you for making this known. PragerU is controlled opposition. They are not to be trusted.

[@tylerlamb4108]

Pushing what, the truth? Clear thinking? After watching this video, it's pretty clear Zoe didn't watch a single PU video, she's clearly talking shit about things she doesn't know. She makes claim after claim without actually showing any evidence of PU even being ALT-Right? is Zoe just another ALT-Left???

[@HAbarneyWK]

Exactly. Moderate.

[@JoseBird]

I completely agree. We should see more collaborations between good KZbin creators.

[@zoe_bee]

Such a great idea! ☺️

[@jesseboyd8412]

^^You two would narrate the calmest sounding essay ever read on KZbin!

[@PropheticShadeZ]

So when is the vaush collab? He is the perfect example of the divisiveness of the coalition for no good reason, and has a huge audience with the only difference being asthetic. That sounds like the perfect place to start building an alliance since both communities want the same things. But are alienated from each other by mistakes

[@overtlybiased]

@@PropheticShadeZ Vaush is toxic

[@Twilightts]

Someone needs to show this to Xanderhal. He's been talking about this very topic.

[@Estradiol_Gaming]

I'll never forget the time Prager U praised Robert E Lee for shutting down a slave uprising.

[@Sephiroth144]

... ... WHAT.

[@Drae-gk6dl]

@Harold P. Blackwood John Brown, whomst Frederick Douglass, their designated "good moderate abolitionist," considered a better fighter than himself and worked to get a scholarship named after him.

[@iamalittler]

@Harold P. Blackwood this is exactly the video I was thinking of

[@garethbaus5471]

@@martiendejong8857 not really.

[@andybaker6936]

Yeah, that video was so bad, even Prager Poo realized what a stinker of a deuce they'd laid and pulled it. Talk about "Cancel Culture." LOL

[@matherman1111]

Holy. Duck. Just realized i was ALMOST pulled into the hole.

[@crestren5996]

You know, for the crowd who always go "Facts dont care about your feelings", they seem to rather prefer feelings over facts.

[@doggytheanarchist7876]

That's the entire right wing strategy in a nutshell. Project onto your opponent what you actually are doing yourself in order to deflect blame and responsibility.

[@JoshCraver9000]

Specifically pro-lifers!

[@Linguae_Music]

All the right has is projection. My dad was yelling that liberals were the REAL fascists the other day... and i just laughed at him xD

[@BoisegangGaming]

1) The goal of a conservative speaking is not to debate or argue in the sense of dialectic, or to pursue a truth. It is to "win", often time with "a-ha" moments. The card says "moops". 2) they know what they're saying is nonsense. For those who don't truly believe it, the fear of what would happen if they admit they're wrong makes them believe the only way to continue is to dig their hole, further entrenching the dogma. 3) The goal is to twist language, and thus the narrative, to better suit their goals. When the right say that the nazis were leftists despite having nazis in their ranks, that's done to muddle the word nazi and leftist at the same time. 4) the point of saying "facts don't care about your feelings" is exactly that: these beliefs they consider immutable (the conservative equivalent of "facts") cannot bend or change if they cause someone else suffering, or, in some cases, the point of these beliefs is so others suffer. The right does not have an interest in the pursuit of truth, only the implementation of their concept of truth- one that is self-serving, immutable, and full of double standards. "The only moral abortion is my abortion", for example. For people who love to call things "literally 1984", they don't seem to recognize that they're the ones speaking in newspeak and doublethink. Or, if they do, they just don't care. Do not mistake apathy for incompetence.

[@aikostubbs7193]

@@BoisegangGaming what do you mean by the only moral abortion is my abortion

[@ryans6442]

I think algorithms are a big problem with today’s political climate. Sometimes you go to sites like KZbin to learn about different sides but you eventually only get one type of video recommended to you. This can convince people that everyone shares just one viewpoint when in reality people are on a spectrum and what they truly believe in and stand for is on a spectrum. People end up being divided when in reality they’ll never know what common ground they stand on

[@ToolFist598]

Or you could just pay attention to things like Joe Biden lying his ass off literally every time he speaks(when you can actually understand him or he can actually complete the sentence) for the last 50 years? Then you can go watch Amala and Prager U's response video to this where they offer to debate this girl at anytime she'd like and then look at the fact that she still hasn't took them up on that and will never take them up on that...... Then you put 2 and 2 together and figure out who the real liars are...... this is what I would do but that is just me. If that isn't enough for you go to the grocery store real quick and check out the price of eggs. Then stop and get gas on your way home. If you haven't figured it out by then, you might be brainwashed. Sorry.

[@dsa513]

I think it has to do with the fact that people aren't educated in their homes in any useful way.

[@tonysienzant6717]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g6LXmXSnh9qsrrs

[@ianhansen6840]

Seek out both sides. I watch lots of präger U videos and other conservative channels. I also try to watch the leftist perspective... This Zoe person popped up on the feed uninvited...

[@mikethegoo]

I mean... Algorithm is great for entertainment (to a degree. I did love when I was bored as fuck and the only way to change it on YT was either happening to have a nice video on my home page or my own creativity to type in something I haven't typed in before), but it can also create bubbles and echo-chambers

[@bubbie2982]

The issue with publishing papers and academic research is it is not as easy or open for the average reader, or non-reader in the modern world. A lot of the information is overwhelming and most people don’t know how to read academic pieces

[@francescosacca6674]

​@@archieyarr9357I wouldn't count on that. A good chunk of people are functionally illiterate and unable to understand what they read, no matter the education grade. That used to happen a long time after education, but now it's happening even within it. At least that's the datas in my country.

[@albertvaldez214]

Zoe, I would love for you to take a Pregeru video,any Pregeru video and have you discuss it frame by frame and show those far right wingers why they're wrong.

[@azhtenz]

Ok she could do that, but that in no way is the point of the video, please rewatch as the monopoly was the main point.

[@albertvaldez214]

@@azhtenz the real monopoly is the lefts control of main stream media.

[@tammybrackenrich612]

I would love to see her attempt to do this too. But I'm sorry it's not possible

[@McToatsers]

They don't listen, as soon as you question their beliefs or insinuate that they're wrong the blinders go on and the strawmen come out to play

[@audreyhunter6099]

It’s impossible for her to look at and discuss a KZbin video? That’s rather disappointing, because I was looking forward to her responding to the actual content that they put out

[@starry_lis]

Even before the pandemic they were so effective in their act that I once quoted them asking a question during a lecture at an actual university. I thought they were one, too.

[@mrswats]

Very interesting analysis! This is a pattern I've seen before: the left all scattered between all different factions, so to speak. And the right all united into one single group. And it is scary.

[@mrswats]

Also I'd swear the pink octopus has blinked at least twice

[@grmpEqweer]

The right wing sources tend to have the same billionaire backers. Lefties? Well, those Soros checks are forever lost in the mail.

[@jettfuelfitness]

As someone who lurks in a lot of right leaning groups I can guarantee that they’re not any more united than anyone else. The best I can tell is that things that right wing factions don’t like are more visible in media currently, and so they appear united in their distaste of these things. In terms of actual action & ideological consistency and even the internal ideological consistency of individual people, the unity doesn’t seem to me to be quite as present as you perceive it to be

[@randcall5933]

Theyre all actually on the right though. When one lumps leftists and liberals together it always appears that they agree on nothing because they arent on the same side. The frightening thing is that historically, liberals will side with the right when events prevent them from fence sitting indefinitely. (Imo liberals are right wing but pay lip service to progressive ideas which always fail to pan out. Whether this is by design or not is beside the point.)

[@grmpEqweer]

@@jettfuelfitness Hmm. Yeah, they perceive us as unified, and we're not. I like to say that, much as one calls a group of crows a murder, and a group of geese a gaggle, one should call a group of leftists an argument.

[@franciscoguinledebarros4429]

Fun fact; the first time I saw PraguerU I misread Prager as Prague and thought the channel was from "Prague University"

[@matherman1111]

BAHAHAHA YES SAMEEEE

[@douggodfrey3776]

just watched this on Prager U with comments by Amala Ekpunobi. I dare you to post it.

[@Nathaniel_Bush_Ph.D.]

Years ago, corn producers latched on to some legitimate research and started saying, "High-fructose corn syrup isn't any worse for you than regular sugar!" And they were right... but in the wrong direction. The research had discovered regular sugar was actually just as bad for you as HFCS was thought to be, not that HFCS was better than originally thought. So they were the same but in a bad direction, not the good one implied by the "isn't any worse" statement. In the same vein, and as you point out, PragerU is putting Reaganite and Bush-era (I and II) conservatives on the same prestige footing and within the same ideological neighborhood as alt-right extremists. However, while (as you again point out) this serves to burnish the images of the extremists, what it should really do is highlight the fact that "conventional" conservatism and "normal" conservative thought are rife with bigotry, evidence-free claims, religious zealotry, theocratic ambitions, homophobia, and contempt for the rights and humanity of anyone they identify as "other". The alt-right and traditional conservatism really are quite similar... but in the bad direction, where the alt-right are just saying the quiet parts loud.

[@doggytheanarchist7876]

Or anyone othered by patriarchal, white supremacist, capitalist society.

[@vincent67239]

Oh my god. Hear fuckin’ hear.

[@KaritKtana]

Yes yes yes Thank you!! Your comment should be at the top. Saved me a while bunch of typing and phrased it better than I would have.

[@purplespectre]

Best comment here. If I could like it more than once, I would.

[@karldubhe8619]

Bang on.

[@Holobrine]

I think a lot of the online left already knows this, and that’s why the drama hurts, with creators taking potshots at each other instead of collaborating. We don’t broadly have an atmosphere of constructive criticism, we have an atmosphere of calling creators who have had some bad takes problematic as people. And we’re supposed to be the ones opposed to essentializing.

[@Praisethesunson]

The left doesn't have ultra rich billionaires funding the deliberately unprofitable Prager nonsense.

[@PropheticShadeZ]

I think this is a consequence of moralising, and lingering good vs evil frameworks from society. Since the most passionate online leftists are very insular and usually disconnected socially, leading to small issues exploding very easily Twitter is obviously a secondary problem which essentialises and antagonises personl communication deficiencies, and lets the whims of the worst parts of the human minds tear down people

[@Praisethesunson]

@@PropheticShadeZ Lol no. Bad take. Bad. No treat for you.

[@BigHenFor]

Somebody made the very interesting point that Communism shared a lot of cultural norms with Christian religious culture, and that some leftist like Sitting on the Porch and throwing shade at the local Sinners, whilst forgetting that they've screwed up in the day, when they weren't so "Enlightened," and "pure." You have the same problem is that "tomorrow" is a work in progress, and fighting each other is easier than working together. And that's a dangerous distraction.

[@hughcaldwell1034]

Absolutely. I've said this before. The left as it currently exists, especially online, seems to confuse maintaining principles with lacking forgiveness. It's not only unhelpful in advancing progressive causes, but easily turns into conservatism, because it's easy to slip from "you did a bad thing, so you are a bad person" to "you did a thing I don't understand, so you are a bad person".

[@LunarArsonist]

I was in the pipe for ~2 months, I watched the silly comics and then the long form content, then I started getting recommended all different types of political content and was like, hold up, these people arent crazy?! and then I realized the stupidity of the alt- right content

[@bigshagger1789]

The thing with youtube that makes this all work is that KZbin is a thing you just have playing in the background while you do some other stuff, so you’re less likely to really think about what you’re watching.

[@12DAMDO]

i actually mentioned this once briefly but mistakenly shook PragerU off as the right-winged version of what Buzzfeed is to the left (ie: most people don't take them serious) based on PragerU's like to dislike ratio, i am still convinced this is the case, but i do fear you're right considering they got big names like Ben Shapiro

[@Fiox789]

Gravel institute has a similar take but it doesn't sound like people hate them

[@pennyforyourthots]

@@Fiox789 People seem indifferent to GI except on the issue of Ukraine, where I think there's a hard split in the left.

[@scrilla4047]

I work with someone who's 24 and mentioned Prager out of the blue asked me if I've ever heard of it. Couldn't believe he actually watches it unironically

[@dandyspacedandy]

now that you mention it, not being able to see dislikes anymore is likely going to help them indoctrinate more people

[@Sephiroth144]

@@scrilla4047 This might be when you direct him towards this video. "Yes, I've heard of Prager; what I haven't heard is anything good about them..."

[@maxresdefault_]

I wish someone would make a film about the alt-right internet pipeline, something like Fight Club with incels but without all the glorification. At the very least it'd get the general public talking about this stuff again. Maybe it could help some vulnerable folks.

[@billmozart7288]

I believe Maggie Mae Fish's review of Fight Club dabbles in that territory

[@carlogaytan7010]

To be honest, the pipeline starts with dumb culture war issues and arguments, and random compilation videos of Ben Shapiro or Jordan Peterson.

[@TheMagicalArden]

@@carlogaytan7010 It's seeping into KZbin fitness, too (at least the more mainstream one). It's incredibly alarming. And no one's talking about it, either. Nothing disgusts me more. Conservatism thrives almost everywhere, if not everywhere, you let it, and the KZbin fitness space is no exception.

[@carlogaytan7010]

@@TheMagicalArden not really been there, but I can imagine. Especially Life Betterment and wellness for men and incels

[@Bugsyjr]

@@TheMagicalArden that's crazy! Could you share an example or two?

[@unovasfinest2623]

"Guess how many academic papers mention Prager U" "Mmm idk. 5?" "ITS 5!" 😤 LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOO

[@eloiselloyd3979]

This is a really great video for many reasons, but one detail I have to shout out is the horse neigh after “algorithm”. A very *chef’s kiss* touch

[@jayvbspdx]

Spotting Desmond is low key my favorite game during a Zoe Bee essay.

[@chickenbird6661]

Desmond is the cat, right? (fun fact: around 80% of orange cats are male)

[@bookbook9495]

@@chickenbird6661 Desmond is the very good kitty, yes

[@audreyl2498]

@@chickenbird6661 cool! i have a female orange tabby. she's a spoiled brat lol.

[@IsomerMashups]

One small thing I think you missed: - Don't watch or share their videos. - Don't like or dislike their videos. - Don't leave comments. These things all boost their status in the algorithm.

[@Kay-kg6ny]

Literally as an individual the best thing you can do with this kind of gross right wing content is starve it of views and engagement.

[@Cycrum]

Exactly! Share stuff like this instead

[@Robstafarian]

@@Kay-kg6ny Clicking "Do not recommend this channel" is said to have a significant effect.

[@saturationstation1446]

you forgot this one -boomers and gen x will only create harm for the human species and should be exterminated immediately if we want to actually survive global climate destabilization

[@ItRemindMeOfHome]

I report their videos when they show up in my ads

[@employee4272]

As a famous orange cat said in a meme, "You are not immune to propaganda" New sub 👍

[@josephsobanjo8749]

This is propaganda though? She didn’t state any facts or examples just commended their business strategies but got angry cuz they’re conservative

[@johnmraz4332]

Alt Right stopped being Alt and started being the republican standard. Also The Gravel Institute was trying to do something like what you're describing. Not as successfully but they're something

[@dahelmang]

No the alt right still exists and they still hate the right and the left

[@jacobnash9755]

What are you talking about? 😂😂😂 The racist agenda and policies of the alt-right are firmly based in leftist ideology. Group identiy is a far left construct and is the basis of both racism and using power to control other people. Both of those beliefs are 100% left wing. Just because people claim the Alt-right is right wing does not make it true. Their ideology is very far left wing and they denounce right wing ideology. Also it's a polarity... the alternative to right wing is left.

[@Eddn102]

My Bachelors Thesis in History (about American traditionalism and its historical development) does actually deal a little bit with PragerU. For once I feel slightly ahead of the curve.

[@robertdickinson3107]

that's awesome! Can I read it?

[@Eddn102]

@@robertdickinson3107 I'd love to send it to you but I can't link it here. Nor can I link a throw-away email account for some reason.

[@avery4149]

I almost had a far-right phase because of PragerU, but after a few videos of some questionable subjects, I just turned around and never look back again. It was only recently when another YTber that I subscribe to post a vid about US history on slavery and how he breaks down Prager vids on the subject matters that I truly understand what a dangerous presence they are setting for people who knows very little. Because when someone learns and accept a piece of knowledge, it will take a tsunami of other evidences, efforts, and time to convince them otherwise. Because no one likes to be wrong and embarrassed.

[@M3G4FR34K]

Idk, I was always skeptical. Admittedly, there were SOME videos that had a "okay maaaaaybe they might have a point" quality as a teenager but there was something about their content that reeked of bullshit. Glad to know my political Spidey Sense is well calibrated lol Glad to hear you didn't fall either Also, if I may ask, who was the KZbinr? Professor Dave? Knowing Better? Xan?

[@simcowgames981]

@@M3G4FR34K was the channel called KnowingBetter? He released a good video about neoslavery that dunked on prageru in the first half.

[@Envy_May]

not only does no one like to be wrong and embarrassed, but it also just takes like four times as long to debunk a claim than to make it

[@pcarrierorange]

@@Envy_May That’s not true. I reckon I can make up claims at least twenty times faster than you can debunk them.

[@M3G4FR34K]

@@simcowgames981 I assume you meant to ask the O.P. considering I asked the same thing for similar reasons.

[@masqueraid988]

I am really happy you talked about this. The entire reason they are such a problem is that they are very unstable, but mutate at a rapid rate and change constantly. They are slippery because they change so much.

[@alexbaughman9404]

A great video! I remember when they started popping up in my youtube ads and being confused by the clean look.

[@Eibarwoman]

The Daily Wire and PragerU seem to dominate all the alt-right content.

[@peskypigeonx]

And I keep getting their ads at every corner of every video. I don’t want to watch someone scream about wanting to close abortion rights for 45 minutes after some gaming video. Also fun fact, on this video I got a TERF ad lol

[@Praisethesunson]

Well yeah. They pay good money to exist.

[@Nassifeh]

@@otto_jk Individuals can do this, but the ads mostly aren't a problem because one person is annoyed--they're a problem because thousands of people are getting pushed towards this content all the time, and not everybody is that savvy. Especially teenagers.

[@theAEDan]

So what exactly is alt-right? Because those channels tend to denounce the “alt-right”, which makes perfect sense. What most people seem to identify as the dissident right or “alt right” is quite intensely anti-capitalist. The daily wire and PragerU are extremely pro-capitalist.

[@aashmankhullar6419]

The Daily Wire has repeatedly condemned the alt-right. They are far right-wing to be sure but not alt-right. They don't believe in the majority of alt-right tenets especially that their movement is a "movement for white conservatives only". They are not racist or misogynisitc, although you could make the argument that they are transphobic, and I don't agree with any of their points regarding trans-people.

[@_oe_o_e_]

IMO, the truth about the Alt-Right Pipeline’s shift is that they were funding the original pipeline, now they just consolidated it all

[@JuanSolo62]

I think one of the big issues that propelled PU was the idea that "hey people are saying the guys i follow aren't real sources. just look at their platform!" so they go to PU as a place of "official sources" and the shroud of professionalism lures you more in and reaffirms the beliefs.

[@wingnightbackwards]

One time, I got an ad for pragerU on youtube, and I thought it was satire and was laughing, so hard I. Then out it was genuine and laughed harder.

[@LeoFieTv]

The funniest thing about PU is that in a video a few years ago that talked about Trump, their animated Trump-nightmarefuel-character had huge hands. It was not consistent with the style of all their other animated characters. And it had been at least two years since Trumps tiny hand had been a brief talking point during his first presidential campaign. Someone was still very hung up about that.

[@tarico4436]

Help!! She has a copy of "Infinite Jest" in her lie-barry. Can someone give me a detailed reason why I should try to read it again. I made it to about page 200 of its thousand pages, but still wasn't hooked, constantly wishing I would just put it down, read anything else, including cereal boxes. Please, someone, anyone, tell me why IJ is worth reading. Details. Themes. Use your brain. I've read "Juliette" by de Sade, which is like twelve hundred pages, so a big book doesn't scare me. But IJ just seems like this thing that you show people how you are an intellectual because it's on your shelf. Literally not one person has given me good reasons to give it another go, all saying things like, "Just try it. It's great!"

[@JessieGender1]

More collabs! Also, great video Zoe ❤️

[@gonzalo4722]

Hey Jessie! Keep getting better. Can't wait for the second face reveal.

[@foragegrasspause2gotoloop961]

I keep seeing you pop up in all my favorite channels; even my favorite channel about books (Mr noble)

[@sscoutistaken]

ohh, 666th like... "curses"

[@PerpetualBass]

I think we can drop the "alt" part from the name. This has become just plain "the right."

[@bourgeoisie6076]

irony is that I received a prageru ad after watching this video

[@rowanjohnson9892]

Amazing thumbnail, literally more descriptive and precise than your average PragerU graph

[@auto117666]

The axis are not labelled, so I would counter by saying it is EXACTLY like a PragerPoo graph.

[@TheModdedwarfare3]

Graph go up = Mexicans bad

[@overtlybiased]

My favorite bit on PragerU's arsenal of pseudo-intellectualism, as an engineer, are the meaningless charts without axis labels, units of measurement or straight up graphing things like happiness without any further explanation

[@lithunoisan]

It looks like Prageru is destrying the alt-right pipeline.

[@xtramerk]

I actually got an anti-trans ad on this video XD. The only time I see PragerU and others is through similar ads (they wont leave me alone). The amount of money they have is terrifying while many groups on the left are barely getting by.

[@Eibarwoman]

It's oil billionaires, more particular a pair of Evangelical fracking billionaires named the Wilks Brothers.

[@lyneyra]

Yeah... conservatives and far-right fascists are lashing out at trans folks as hard as they can, going as far as outright wishing death. More and more people start realizing that fascist governents have no way to be beneficial for anyone. So they picked us as the "enemy" since once there is no "enemy" to serve as a scapegoat the whole ideology crumbles. some wealthy crazies are pouring millions, (or for Musk, billions) in ads, faked "documentaries", even outright buying an entire social network...

[@SimonBuchanNz]

So glad I don't live in the US and get that garbage

[@austinreed7343]

What about Disney?

[@SunnyExMusic]

What was the ad? I wanna watch it

[@diamondgamerr1278]

Personally I almost became alt right because of people being like "Its just a joke" or such which normalized it and made me kind of, thing everything in it was a joke so I couldn't tell if something was a joke or if it was serious, I literally went so far from the time I started I was very left, to literally being Centre-Left which was yeah, I'm glad I saw this video.

[@diamondgamerr1278]

@Peeshy What, why are you asking me this, I'm literally just sharing my experiences? Did you mean to comment that but accidentally replied to this?

[@lyraburke2104]

Honestly, seeing this network that prageru has made makes me wonder why the left hasn't done a similar thing yet on KZbin. Nebula is the first thing that comes to mind and I think it would make a wonderful KZbin channel to funnel people toward the main website in a similar way. I wish they would do something like that, because I would eat it up

[@FreakyBeNormal]

I will make a donation to any charity Zoe Wants if she will do a collab with unapologetic to discuss this video.

[@alexandrac6177]

why?

[@jnewgot]

Brah, I'll also make my first EVER donation to a charity. Let's say, $1000?

[@jnewgot]

@@alexandrac6177 Because it's the safest bet in the world.

[@alexandrac6177]

@@jnewgot Why unapologetic though? What specific insight on the topic of PragerU does she have?

[@alexandrac6177]

@@jnewgot Do you take what you saw in this video as “screeching”? When/where/who has complained that right-wing hosts have refused to platform leftists?

[@doctorelfinstone1414]

Zoe: I want you to guess how many scholarly papers mention PragerU. Me: Lol 5? Zoe: It was 5. Me: 👀

[@ericmacrae6871]

honestly i taught it was less then that and i actually pick 0

[@ZelphTheWebmancer]

@@ericmacrae6871 Same, I was surprised it was 5 more than I thought

[@naomitheminion6275]

i guessed 6 😄

[@basedstreamingatcozy-dot-t7126]

PragerU is trash, but academia is trash too so I'm not sure what point this is supposed to be.

[@viewerguy10]

@@basedstreamingatcozy-dot-t7126 How is academia trash?

[@nefelibata656]

Don't all content creators who have a large enough following offer merch, and paid subs of some sort? Don't you, Zoe?

[@azhtenz]

It's about the monopoly and she doesn't have one so this is irrelevant.

[@nefelibata656]

@@azhtenz which "she"? I don't understand what you mean by monopoly. Who has the monopoly? I don't really follow either of these people, so Idk much about either one.

[@azhtenz]

@Nefe Libata well the video talks about pragur u having a monopoly and I'm saying zoe doesn't

[@HAbarneyWK]

@@azhtenz they have monopoly in what exactly?

[@tyler89557]

The alt right pipeline is pretty insidious. It's incredibly easy to go down that rabbit hole (and I'd know from experience), and seeing a break down of their tactics really just connected the dots as to how I managed to create a huge dark splotch in my mental history.

[@MrZauberelefant]

The fact Prager U succeeds in keeping people hooked with content a teenager can detect being manipulation and disinformation is a depressing testament to US politics and education.

[@Eibarwoman]

Or is that a lot of Americans only will listen to what confirms their own biases?

[@MrZauberelefant]

@@Eibarwoman that's the psychological wording of what I meant to say. People unable to evaluate ideas properly

[@Eibarwoman]

@@MrZauberelefant I almost want to directly attribute it to the US being a far more religious country than any other developed nation. And particularly, Christian fundamentalists/literalists who have to arrested development to believe in what they believe in.

[@sintheemptyone8108]

​@@Eibarwoman They're still less harmless than the worshipping of science & relativism done by leftist circles, eco-activist hippies & european/democrat career politicians.

[@ericmacrae6871]

I have seen a NZ women being radicalize from Prague U

[@ChristianCatboy]

Way back in the pre-MAGA days, I did watch one PragerU video all the way through, and was a bit curious and concerned about the claims they were making. I was almost suicidally depressed at the time, so... I was kinda psychologically vulnerable, and prone to desperately leap at new ideas that might give me some sort of clarity or hope about the future. The KZbin algorithm actually swooped immediately to my aid, though, by directing me to a rebuttal video, which proved conclusively to me that PragerU had twisted the facts. Well anyway, now I'm pretty sure my depression was due to gender dysphoria and self-directed transphobia the whole time, so I guess there's no way in heck I'd ever veer back toward that kind of thinking!

[@jimheidl1272]

So u are admitting to having mental problems......sooooo. maybe u r not qualified to influence?

[@jimheidl1272]

So u are admitting to having mental problems......sooooo. maybe u r not qualified to influence?

[@sarahhollerman3240]

So did you come to the conclusion you had gender dysphoria or were you told you had gender dysphoria? I’m curious about your progression to that identification? Did you always know? It seems like that would be such a stressful realization. Like it’s a relief you know what was causing your depression, but that knowing then comes with a whole set of obstacles to navigate. Asking for real, not to be a jerk or anything.

[@jagbanks6280]

I very nearly went down that pipeline, thank goodness I went to college right before the pandemic and learned some real thinking skills outside of my small town

[@iainwmacintosh]

And just to further showcase the pipeline, I got a midroll ad from the daily wire in this video, of Ben Shapiro propping up Matt Walsh's film

[@jacobd1984]

This title is the best thing Prager U has ever been involved in.

[@robertdickinson3107]

honestly, we were *livid* we didn't come up with it first hahaha

[@autobotstarscream765]

False, this is his magnum opus. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pafSXouLeNmUpZo

[@Lunictd]

I remember watching the PragerU's "Modern Art" video a couple of years ago out of curiosity. I disliked every second of it, and I've been very adamand about how bad I found it. Luckily for me, my dislike for CinemaSins got me to creators like Shaun, so watching their videos about PragerU spared me from the pipeline, if there ever was a chance to go that way. In any case, this was a really nice video. Keep up the great and interesting work, stay safe and warm, and take care!

[@fburton8]

Degenerate art 2.0 ?

[@spitfire-ls8oj]

Modern art is rubbish compared to art like the statue of David or the Mona lisa. There is objectively beautiful art. Modern art is not beautiful at all

[@fburton8]

@@spitfire-ls8oj Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, get it out with Optrex.

[@HouseCatTV]

@@spitfire-ls8oj what a bore you must be 💤

[@boomboy4102]

@@fburton8 beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but if you have to be told what your eye should see then i dont think it counts. Regardless of politics modern art is nigh indefencible

[@Yewro2000]

You forgot to mention that Prager U uses of ads on KZbin Blaze TV is doing the same thing now

[@megana5766]

I’m confused... how is the way PragerU operates (creating short and long form content with various speakers, selling merchandise, promoting their content, and offering exclusive content/merchandise for paying supporters) any different than how other youtube channels operate? I get that they have many employees that make videos on different subjects in their name, but then again... don’t channels like Buzzfeed, College Humor, or Vox use similar approaches? It’s just because it’s conservative ideas that you don’t like it and you’ve labeled it a “pipeline to the alt-right” lol You also said they have a monopoly on conservative KZbin, when in fact there are other conservative channels that function pretty similar to PragerU such as Daily Wire or BlazeTV. I feel like you focused so much on the fact that PragerU is a successful operation of conservative media and that’s “bad” that you forgot to actually criticize anything they actually say in their videos. Overall tho, thanks for sharing your thoughts, I always like to hear different opinions (:

[@KallenMalefic]

I used to be alt right. This was around the time I saw myself as an incel. For me, I was angry at the world. And I needed people who appealed to me. So watching a video or two about how "feminist lady bad", it reenforced my negative outlook on life. I've changed a lot. I have learned and gotten educated on different topics. But it is easy to fall into their brand. Especially if you aren't educated, and looking for an outlet.

[@oliverwilson5957]

How hard was it to change your perspective on things? Did it take years?

[@KallenMalefic]

@@oliverwilson5957 kind of. I was in a state of depression. Basically, to me, everything going wrong "could not be my own fault". The fact that I live in a very right wing environment only helped to reinforce that. However, over time I found myself questioning certain topics. For example, I was very anti Nazi. However, I noticed people around me has very similar ideas to them. So I started to asked, and funny enough I was started to be seen as a "fake patriot". Over time I decided to look at the other side. And while part of me still had that programming, I felt that they were right about things. Slowly I began to see that no there was no "gay agenda". Slowly I realized that there is no "white genocide" or anything like that. As someone who was on that side for years I'll say that it has two sides. It is a cult. They treat you like brothers, sisters, and yes they even welcome nonwhites. However it is only a front. As soon as you question, or even challenge them, you are cut off right away. A lot of people are also pressured into that side out of fear. Fear of losing your family, friends, and community. So even if they know it is wrong, they let it slide for fear of being left alone. I know some people who don't want to be part of that side, but do it because they have nowhere to turn to. The right wing is a cult. It is an organization that uses love and acceptance as a reward for being loyal and following their rules. And fear as a punishment.

[@oliverwilson5957]

@@KallenMalefic I really do appreciate you taking the time to tell me your story. Im taking the time to listen because I truly want to understand what keeps people in this state of mind and why they think, believe, and act the way they do. Thanks for responding and Im glad you are overcoming your depression. I've been there and it's like trying to crawl out of a pit. I had to find new ways of changing my perspective and a quote that resonates with me is from a show that may surprise you (its from The Avatar.) "When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change" It's like being at the bottom of that pit, there's only one place left to go and that's up. If you were that person who felt fear of being left alone, just know that Im proud that you've been able and trying to overcome the very things holding you back

[@mac1991seth]

I do find it extremely ironic how people talk about devolving into the alt-right pipeline and becoming incels and angry at feminists in one breath, but then still include and call out Jordan Peterson in that hilarious alt-right pipeline graph, even though prof. Peterson is preaching about cleaning your room and your life, claiming responsibility, working for the future and trying your best to decrease the amount of suffering in the world.

[@whitedrawf]

You mean you turned into a simp

[@ShadaOfAllThings]

I love (hate) how everyone managed to forget the 3 different nuclear war scares of 2020 yet can still remember at least a couple things that threatened the damn world

[@Praisethesunson]

Nuclear war scare?

[@ShadaOfAllThings]

@@Praisethesunson The first nuclear war scare happened when Trump literally started saying shit like "We should nuke people more, we have all these nukes, we should use them". The second one happened when there was a story of Russia taking an action that at the time would have caused war between them and the USA. The third one happened when Trump moved a nuclear capable warship into chinese territory and only was avoided because the military pulled it out and ignored orders to keep it there. 2020 was so fucking brutal a year that people often only remember one scare out of the three. FFS I'm not even certain I'm remembering these in order and I practice memory techniques.

[@kostajovanovic3711]

@@ShadaOfAllThings was expecting the death of the Iranian general(Solemani?) to be one too

[@ShadaOfAllThings]

@@kostajovanovic3711 I know that incident was part of it but I'll be honest I don't remember how.

[@Ghoulicus]

@@ShadaOfAllThings The Iranian General was landing on an Iranian airstrip when President Trump ordered a drone strike on him. You know, bombing foreign territory, something that never leads to war

[@gailpods]

I really loved this video!! I had been thinking recently about the alt-right and so this video was right up my alley! A couple years ago I did a paper on the alt-right and their use of humor (which was their current method of recruitment at the time) and there weren’t a ton of sources back then so I wasn’t super surprised about the lack of papers you could find but it’s definitely a bummer. Unfortunately, it seems like it takes a couple years for scholarly sources to write about their recruitment tactics which sucks because by the time it’s been written about they’ve already changed how they recruit, making it difficult to combat their ideology

[@slydog7131]

As a member of the largest political group in the U.S. (independents), I respond more to specifics and reason, not generalities and assertions. Listening, talking, thinking, asking questions and debating are all critical to understanding. Those who wall themselves off from unlike thoughts are doomed to be herded like sheep. Both the alt-Right and alt-Left need to start doing more than preaching, and they both need to be far more honest, something that is much lacking today. Instead of standing afar and pitching stones, get together with them, talk, debate, make your cases and present a video of that. Then you will get my attention. This video as is helps nothing.

[@KuncanDastner]

this is an incredibly important topic to focus on, I'm excited to watch this and hear your thoughts on it!!

[@zoe_bee]

thank you!! 🙏

[@jamessawyer9816]

Looking back to my KZbin recommendations around 2016-2018... I was definitely somewhere on the ‘old’ pipeline. That could’ve gone badly. Also it’s scary that because of how KZbin (and other sites) works... once you’re ‘into’ right wing content, KZbin feeds you more... and gives you a very limited selection of other opinions.

[@evilemuempire9550]

Exactly! I’ve seen so many people with the same story (including myself), I’m not sure what exactly changed, but it seems like around 2018-19 there was a sort of split. For a lot of people who were in the pipeline, it seems like that was the time they either got off the ride or fell completely in. The only thing I could think of is the start of Trump’s second election cycle being the catalyst, with many people stepping back and looking at where that path actually wound up.

[@SorowFame]

@@evilemuempire9550 I think I got off the ride at that point. I’m not sure exactly why.

[@sarapocorn]

Same here. being a young atheist born in a catholic country really made me lean into being a reactionary just before the gamergate era. Luckily my personal experience as a woman and an immigrant made me realise the bullshit they‘re spouting.

[@nostalgiatrip7331]

i watch only left content and yet I'm still bombarded with Prager u and daily wire ads

[@justajolt]

Posting from the UK. I don't think that's exclusive to right wing content. KZbin will feed you more of whatever you appear to be into. Right wing material. Left wing material. Programming. Nerf. Whatever you're into. The important thing is to realise it and be conscious with what you view, whatever it is.

[@ijs733]

The irony is KZbin put an ad for Pragur U on this video

[@lougert]

That poem legit got my feels

[@sdbiiiofmanchester]

I love how the thumbnail features a somewhat random graph without a labeled x or y axis in the same style as prageru’s own videos

[@zoe_bee]

Well, you know what they say: If you can't beat em', copy their thumbnail tactic so you at least get people's eyeballs so you can convince the owners of those eyeballs that the people you're copying are bad!

[@tomascabrito1175]

Literally got a Daily Wire ad in the middle of this video even while being deep in the lefttube space for years

[@NordicCarved]

I guessed two scholarly papers and I was surprisingly close. I knew it would be small but not THAT small. Good lord.

[@passthecrablegs2646]

KZbin has been showing me nothing but PragerU, Daily Wire, and Matt Walsh ads on this video.

[@federationred1481]

The craziest thing in this whole video is that a PragerUnited membership costs $35 a month. That is comedic genius

[@robertocorti9845]

Well voting republicans Is a welfare tax. Don't see why the financial modus operandi should be different.

[@Robstafarian]

I am sure that at least one of their graphic designers noticed that comes to $420 per year.

[@federationred1481]

@@Robstafarian Makes sense, it is a pretty *high* price... I'll see myself out now.

[@whiskingonastar2109]

What's wrong with trying to make a profit????

[@liguy181]

Honestly I think one of the problems is that PragerU can post garbage 5 minute videos multiple times a day whereas Contrapoints and Hbomberguy combined put out less than 5 videos a year, and they're extremely long (yes, I know there's more youtubers than just those two, but still). PragerU can keeps audiences hooked. It's like leftist youtube values quality over quantity, but are losing because of it. I kinda like what Some More News is doing where they put out episodes once a week, and they tend to focus more on what's happening today than broad philosophical/political concepts. The only problem, if you want to call it that, is that they are still once a week and each episode is about an hour long. Would I want them to sacrifice their quality in exchange for 5 uploads a day all lasting about 5-10 minutes each? Definitely not, but I don't see platforms like that being able to rival what PragerU has going for them

[@zoe_bee]

That's definitely true! I have no idea what the solution is, but you do bring up a good point!

[@ChillyGonzalo]

The Gravel Institute was set up to be exactly this, a PragerU of the left, but sadly they don't have the funding or popularity yet to put out videos as regularly as PragerU

[@mikeymullins5305]

itv kinda comes back to that thing that like, someone can say a lie, and it’ll take you twenty minutes to debunk one lie when they can say twenty lies in a minute.

[@GeneralBolas]

The overall problem is that Reich-wing talking points are short and easily regurgitated. All they do is support the status quo, and you don't really have to argue *for* the status quo. You just say what the status quo is, and then say, "isn't that good?" And you're done. Where they're not supporting the status quo, they're supporting "traditional" ideas that are, also, not argued for. They simply declare what those ideas are and that they're good. Maybe they give a few cherry-picked pieces of evidence for them, but that's it. Anything that argues against tradition or the status quo has to put for an *argument.* You can't change the status quo by saying, "wouldn't it be good if X?" You have to actually convince people. And that takes time. Similarly, deconstructing non-arguments from the alt-reich is a lot harder than spouting nonsense. The average PragerU video is like 5 minutes long, but debunking videos average 20 minutes. Because it takes that long to properly deconstruct their nonsense. And indeed, the *more* nonsensical their ideas are, the longer it takes to debunk them.

[@terrystevens3998]

@@zoe_bee it would be smart to do clips taken out of long video essays and have fan channels pump out shorter edited pieces that still contain good information and work as a teaser for the long videos .

[@AtlanticGiantPumpkin]

The fact that now they have an official “homeschool” program for kids is HORRIFYING

[@elliebright8679]

The fact that its being used it worse

[@Cbatey2186]

Worse than sexual orientation being pushed on elementary kids while in class room? 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@AtlanticGiantPumpkin]

@@Cbatey2186 you know what, you’re right. I’m personally offended that my child’s teacher would dare insinuate that straight people exist. Exposing that kind of lifestyle to children this young is harmful to their development, her two dads also agree. Literally just showing that gay people exist is the same thing as showing straight people exist. Tons of kids have gay parents. Are they forbidden from participating in assignments where they have to draw their house and the people they live with cause it’ll be bad for the other kids?

[@christianasmatson2075]

American public schools right now are horrifying. Teaching and showing kids pornography and gender ideologies… ideas that were meant for ADULTS. ITS LITERALLY GROOMING KIDS! I speak as someone who went to a very left leaning school and just went homeschooled because of how disgusting it was. How old are you by the way because I am still a minor and like I said am currently in school right now. So I would like to hear how bad homeschool is to you. Who in which I’d assume isn’t currently in k-12 schools right now! ☺️

[@AtlanticGiantPumpkin]

@@christianasmatson2075 So speaking of pornography in schools, I went to a very right-leaning school in the middle of Texas. During the sex Ed program at my middle school, the teacher spent more than half of it talking about why you shouldn’t have sex before marriage. It was all of these bullshit metaphors that didn’t really add up to anything substantial. On top of that, the high school we fed into was known in our district for having an insane amount of teen pregnancies, so obviously the sex Ed program wasn’t working. One day when we were doing a worksheet on STIs, her computer fell asleep while attached to the projector and started a slideshow of the photos saved on her computer, which compromised of ACTUAL pornographic images. She turned the computer back on and said if any of us reported it, she would make sure we failed the year. Staunch Republican lady exposed a bunch of 13 year olds to porn on her school computer. I can tell you’re a minor, and I can also tell you have very little world experience because you clearly don’t know what’s going on. I look forward to you forming an opinion of your own once you’re out from under your family’s umbrella.

[@danpavelko8414]

The horse sound effect during "the algorithm" cracked me up. Great video! Now, how to deprogram the alt-right?

[@cephalopodwizard]

I'm absolutely loving the expanding cast of stuffed cephalopods.

[@zoe_bee]

I'm not even buying them. They just keep showing up. I don't know how they're getting in the house.

[@johndemeritt3460]

@@zoe_bee, it's the drains. Cephalopods (with the exception of cuttlefish and maybe some squids) can fit through any opening large enough for their beaks and brains.

[@walkingwalter8391]

Excellent video! I remember stumbling onto a PragerU video when they got pushed really hard in 2019 where Dinesh D'Souza explains how Fascism is actually a leftist ideology and another one where they explain how the British Empire was good actually which as a Irishman I found very bemusing. I've seen a few more from lefttubers debunking their videos but it really is wild they're still up tbh

[@zoe_bee]

What, you mean the Irish don't LOVE the British Empire? (joking, of course. Thank you for the support!

[@godzilla2k26]

WoW the Fascism tenets corresponding directly to modern leftist ideology was debunked?

[@kettei5408]

Not even the British like the British

[@garethbaus5471]

I mean if the British hadn't handled the potato famine in a borderline genocidal way my ancestors wouldn't have left the country and met my other ancestors so I wouldn't exist. I don't approve of the British empire but I wouldn't exist without it.

[@seekingabsolution1907]

@@garethbaus5471 few of us would, it's the inevitable result of such a globally influential organisation.

[@Reed5016]

I just sent this to my very politically involved grandmother, who is active in the Florida Democratic Party. Hopefully, she’ll share this with her friends, so they’ll better understand the alt-right’s tactics.

[@calebwilliams586]

I got an ad for the PragerU app under your video LOL

[@Dexanimus]

Idk how you can not pet kitty that jumps up next to you. That is some self control and focus I will never have.

[@benhuntsman840]

Zoe: most of you are interested in how we can fix… *gestures to everything* me: yeah thats about right

[@DeterminedCharcoalEater]

i have that little brown octopus plush in the background. (the one that is the most centered)

[@FuzzballStudios]

“Polished and put together…” Except that PragerU’s shitty animation uses linear interpolation curves that somehow catapult their stick-figures straight into the uncanny valley!

[@jammies9890]

use LERP like a chad

[@PaulWiele]

Sudden realization: PragerU is the modern equivalent of The American Review. The American Review was a magazine published from 1933-1937 which published essays from a variety of different flavors of conservatism -- including some that, looking back on it through modern eyes, were "conservative" only in the sense of being anti-communist but would be considered progressive or vaguely "left but hard to categorize" today. The goal was not to promote these ideas but to lend credibility toward the magazine's actual editorial goal, which was explicitly to promote fascism.

[@CSXIV]

"They put these people on the same playing field as Ginni Thomas." That line either aged like milk or gave away the game.

[@FadkinsDiet]

Wonder if Dickinson and Cowin will update their paper before it's published (I suspect the revelations of wat she was up to on/before 1/6 came upt while they were working on the paper)

[@TheGalaxyWings]

This thumbnail graph looks straight out of a prageru video, great job

[@jbonez5833]

The little noise after "the algorithm" felt like a Young Frankenstein reference