I don't study politics, but I do study culture, and here are some of the signs that a cultural shift has been brewing for years in America that most of the professional political analysts just completely missed.
Some of these may seem absurd, but hear me out. 🧵
We'll start with this one:
Some of these may seem absurd, but hear me out. 🧵
We'll start with this one:
The Popular Success of Top Gun: Maverick
After the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and rioting in 2020, it seemed to many in the intelligentsia that “culturally relevant” films needed to directly address DEI or systemic race issues to find wide appeal.
Top Gun: Maverick instead leaned heavily on classic modernist heroism themes, embodied by a white, male protagonist (Tom Cruise as Maverick) who is a traditional, rule-breaking figure dedicated to honor, duty, and meritocracy.
Maverick represented more traditional American values of meritocracy over aristocracy amid what was supposed to be a cultural revolution intended to set up a new inverted aristocracy.
After the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and rioting in 2020, it seemed to many in the intelligentsia that “culturally relevant” films needed to directly address DEI or systemic race issues to find wide appeal.
Top Gun: Maverick instead leaned heavily on classic modernist heroism themes, embodied by a white, male protagonist (Tom Cruise as Maverick) who is a traditional, rule-breaking figure dedicated to honor, duty, and meritocracy.
Maverick represented more traditional American values of meritocracy over aristocracy amid what was supposed to be a cultural revolution intended to set up a new inverted aristocracy.
The Mass Cultural Influence of "Anti-Woke" Comedians
While it seems that many of the political talking heads had no idea who Tony Hinchcliffe was until his Puerto Rico joke at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally, Hinchcliffe's show "Kill Tony" is one of the most watched/listened to podcasts in America.
His show has sold out Madison Square Garden and other major arenas numerous times, and he is just one of many popular comedians of major cultural influence that completely subverts the traditional "legacy media" routes for fame and influence.
Hinchcliffe, Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and others have far more influence with everyday Americans (especially men) than the old comedic vanguard of Saturday Night Live.
None of these guys would get along well with Franklin Graham or any of the older cultural bastions of the Republican party, but their total disdain for what became known as "wokism" and complete disregard for any sense of politically correct language appeals to many working-class men.
While it seems that many of the political talking heads had no idea who Tony Hinchcliffe was until his Puerto Rico joke at Trump's Madison Square Garden rally, Hinchcliffe's show "Kill Tony" is one of the most watched/listened to podcasts in America.
His show has sold out Madison Square Garden and other major arenas numerous times, and he is just one of many popular comedians of major cultural influence that completely subverts the traditional "legacy media" routes for fame and influence.
Hinchcliffe, Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and others have far more influence with everyday Americans (especially men) than the old comedic vanguard of Saturday Night Live.
None of these guys would get along well with Franklin Graham or any of the older cultural bastions of the Republican party, but their total disdain for what became known as "wokism" and complete disregard for any sense of politically correct language appeals to many working-class men.
Major Corporations Making Cuts to DEI Programs
After 2020, major corporations made concerted efforts to increase funding and attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (DEI).
By 2024, we began to see corporations making cuts to those same programs.
Only one candidate and party was running on being the anti-DEI option. If people were beginning to reject these initiatives, it would make some sense that their views would also be expressed at the ballot box.
After 2020, major corporations made concerted efforts to increase funding and attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs (DEI).
By 2024, we began to see corporations making cuts to those same programs.
Only one candidate and party was running on being the anti-DEI option. If people were beginning to reject these initiatives, it would make some sense that their views would also be expressed at the ballot box.
Enrollment Surges at K-12 Christian Schools
If you talk to just about anyone who works in a private, Christian school, the post-COVID spike in enrollment has been unprecedented.
But it wasn't just that many Christian schools found ways to provide more in-person education during the COVID years, it was that many families who weren't even explicitly professing Christians were looking for educational environments that simply weren't teaching experimental, progressive ideologies on gender and sexuality.
It is hard for those in coastal, urban areas to understand how big of an issue has been for most families living in the heartland of America.
If you talk to just about anyone who works in a private, Christian school, the post-COVID spike in enrollment has been unprecedented.
But it wasn't just that many Christian schools found ways to provide more in-person education during the COVID years, it was that many families who weren't even explicitly professing Christians were looking for educational environments that simply weren't teaching experimental, progressive ideologies on gender and sexuality.
It is hard for those in coastal, urban areas to understand how big of an issue has been for most families living in the heartland of America.
The Star Wars Wars
Since Disney's release of its divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017, Star Wars has been embroiled in an online culture war.
Silly as it may sound to some, Star Wars has become an important myth in our culture and challenges to mythos means challenges to cultural power and influence.
One faction of the Star Wars War wanted the storytelling to reflect more progressive, postmodern, and postcolonial values.
The most quintessential iteration of this vision for Star Wars was the recent series The Acolyte. The divide between professional reviewers and average fans was emblematic of the cultural divide between the intelligentsia and middle America.
The Acolyte was canceled, and all of its merchandise was scrubbed from Disney's online store. It appeared that this particular faction had lost the Star Wars War.
Since Disney's release of its divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017, Star Wars has been embroiled in an online culture war.
Silly as it may sound to some, Star Wars has become an important myth in our culture and challenges to mythos means challenges to cultural power and influence.
One faction of the Star Wars War wanted the storytelling to reflect more progressive, postmodern, and postcolonial values.
The most quintessential iteration of this vision for Star Wars was the recent series The Acolyte. The divide between professional reviewers and average fans was emblematic of the cultural divide between the intelligentsia and middle America.
The Acolyte was canceled, and all of its merchandise was scrubbed from Disney's online store. It appeared that this particular faction had lost the Star Wars War.
The Metamodern Resurgence of Creed
I talked about this ad nauseam last year when I became the guy who predicted the resurgence of Creed before it happened, so I won't repeat all my talking points here.
But you can't understand the metamodern shift unless you get "vibes."
Our cultural vibe shifted to Creed, so if you ask yourself which party seems to give the most pro-Creed vibes, it's a pretty easy answer.
I talked about this ad nauseam last year when I became the guy who predicted the resurgence of Creed before it happened, so I won't repeat all my talking points here.
But you can't understand the metamodern shift unless you get "vibes."
Our cultural vibe shifted to Creed, so if you ask yourself which party seems to give the most pro-Creed vibes, it's a pretty easy answer.
Finally-
If you can learn to read culture as a student of cultural texts, you won't need political polls.
If you find this stuff interesting or helpful, feel free to follow.
🧵over.
If you can learn to read culture as a student of cultural texts, you won't need political polls.
If you find this stuff interesting or helpful, feel free to follow.
🧵over.
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