Listen now (71 mins) | This week on The Glenn Show, we’re continuing our series on wokeism in the arts. John and I are joined by the actor James Beaman, a theatrical performer with decades of experience on the stage who was also, not coincidentally, John’s college roommate! In past episodes, John has related second-hand accounts of James’s recent experiences dealing with antiracist-inspired shunning, and now he joins us to give his perspective on how the theater world is handling the post-George Floyd moment.
Segregation is the only logical solution...wait wasn’t that the problem in the first place?
I find it hard to have any sympathy here. The problem isn’t what you say to the Gestapo when they ask you where is Ann Frank. It that’s you permitted the situation in the first place.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
I heard your rant on an earlier video as well as Beaman's comment on Kendi. I am working through Kendi's own summary of his larger work on antiracism. I would concur with your rant and Beaman's assessment. I am saddened by Kendi's pronouncements posing as analysis. There are realities he does not get. My wife and I heard your musings after the Beaman interview about being heard by the "Donna's" of the world. Frankly, I appreciate you telling it like it is. The biblical prophets didn't mind being voices crying in the wilderness. Today, we have their writings not the naysayers. So also with Thomas Sowell. True, we don't want to be obnoxious, but no fault in telling the truth. Keep up the good work!
Time Stamp 54: John and Glenn discuss word-use per “disparity” and “inequity.” I have an idea since reading Sowell, which means it may be his. Quantitative certainty of disparity is easier when privilege is official. I can officially buy alcohol because I am over 21 years. Unofficial privilege and oppression are more difficult to quantify as unofficial. There are differences in circumstances; and a sub-group of disparities. Finding the step in a pathway where difference becomes disparity- is tricky.
For anyone keeping score, antiracism means racism just like antifa means fascist. When you're engaging in violence, intimidation, and attempts to silence people, YOU are the brown shirt, not the other person. Similarly, when using skin tone as a cudgel to tell one group to shut up, YOU are the racist, not the other guy.
It's always good to keep your newspeak woketionary up to date in order to avoid uncomfortable moments when you might be tempted to utter malicious truths.
21:57 So, James is an actor. He plays characters who are different from himself. BTW, I find it hilarious that spitting tobacco was the line James wouldn't cross. I'm sure Kmele Foster would be proud, assuming that James didn't literally say "the N-word" in the play.
What I forever fail to understand is why the world bends a knee for this 'woke' nonsense. Especially on social media, where the torches 'n' pitchforks set are mostly semi-literate, suspiciously unemployed young people who haven't an iota of understanding of the real world since all they know is the digital one. Academia, research scientists, the media, brands, and corporate boards all fold like little pansies at the slightest whiff of 'controversy', however fake, manufactured, or micro-minor. The entertainment world is no different, reflected by the supremely boring 'woke' themes in so many 'lauded' movies. It disgusts me that Jamie's theatre were too wussy to stand up to the bigoted, racist bullying he endured. What a disgusting human being that 'performative' - John nailed her - Hispanic woman is, and even more disgusting were the people who supported her, the accomplices who didn't dare question her even if they thought she was acting up, acting out, and over-the-top. I wish the director had told her she might be too fragile to be in a play like this and if she felt too triggered and hurt, maybe they could find someone with a little more resilience and fortitude than she.
Nothing will change until we challenge the fundamentalists. The wheels are beginning to come off that bus; and I believe there are more of us than there are of them.
A question I always want to hear in these types of discussions would go something like:
"James, you have described what it's like to be in an environment where you were judged to be insufficiently woke by the majority of the group. Does this make you reconsider any events over your three decades in the theatre where you were part of the group that deemed someone else to be insufficiently liberal?"
Without knowing much about James or the places he's been, I feel safe in saying he's been a part of more than one production or group or company where there was universal conformity across the left/right spectrum. How were non-leftists treated when they stumbled into those arenas? If he sees how bad it is to be the one non-woke liberal in a room full of woke liberals does he also understand what it is like to be the one non-liberal in a room of liberals? And does he see that as a problem?
These are the questions I want people like JK Rowling to be asked when they bear witness to being bullied for not being "left enough" on certain issues. Do they (1) object to any politically-motivated bullying by liberals in power OR (2) do they only object to it when they disagree with the issue at hand?
McWhorter admits his duplicitousness in this episode. Unfortunately, this is something that has prevented me from fully getting behind or believing McWhorter what he says at times. I watched him on the View (only reason I watched was because he was on it) and he appeared to cave and agree with a lot of what the hosts were saying, including... paraphrased... "You believe that the system should be torn down and replaced" He said, "Yes." It was hard for me to reconcile the McWhorter on the view with the person who wrote the book that I had just read, "Woke Racism", and he was on the show to promote. It leads me to ask where does he actually stand on these issues; to which side is he actually giving lip service to in fear of not alienating them; what does he actually believe? Is this form of appeasing, what he calls politicking, negatively impacting change? While on the view, he had a huge audience that he could have reached if he spoke what he actually felt. That being said, I do feel that the book itself shines a negative light on the behaviors of many of the hosts of that show and its target audience (I wonder if the hosts even read the book.) So, if he was to come right out and say those things from the book on the show, he probably would have gotten attacked by the hosts and alienating many (like all contrary ideas and thoughts do on that show). However, it still leads me to question... Who am I to John McWhorter? Is he appeasing me with some of the things he is writing and saying while actually believing in the Kendi and Socialist ant-racist agenda (or part of the agenda... socialism over capitalism); or does he believe in a capitalist meritocracy and he is appeasing those on the left. I think that the time for politicking is over on some of these issues. Say what you really believe. If you back it up with logic, fact and data, then you will win over some hardliners from the left....maybe even the right. Sowell being a former Marxist turned capitalist comes to mind..."Facts."
Truth is, one will never be able to win over all the minds in an ideological war. Which is where we are. However, when you appease the views and thoughts of others that you do not agree with instead of telling them the truth of what you feel and why, I fear that it is lost opportunity and those minds that are appeased, only become further entrenched by false validity found through the appeaser.
Show after show I find myself blown away by the level to which the two of you capture the thoughts and feelings I can rarely articulate.
My comment here is about the last part of this show - about language and stating truth so others can hear it. Though I find agreement with you both I find what John is saying to be deeply meaningful and for me, true. I hope that finding a way to state your truth so others don't shut down can, in the long run, make the difference in terms of finding common ground.
Thank you, thank you for what you do. We support the show and continue to learn and grow in our understanding - I am sincerely grateful.
I recently re-read Sean O'Casey's "The Plough and the Stars" (about the Easter Rising of 1916 in Ireland) and thought how illuminating it would be to see it done with a black cast. So many political parallels.
Yes, this was a great episode. At the 34:50 minute mark, James said, "It felt Bolshevik." For those of you who don't know what that means, it's Russian for "One of the Majority." The Bolsheviks were led by Vladimir Lenin more than a hundred years ago. He and his army went on a crusade to change the politics of Russia. Then then the rest was history. I advise anyone to look it up. There is a strong parallel between the Russian Revolution and where we are today in America.
It's all about power and control, and they are part of the human condition. We like to blame others and their sins for modern day problems. There are groups of black people who can now use their race as a tool and weapon for power. They can bully people into submission, and extort them for money. And they have enough people from the elite level who will support their actions.
I welcome my fellow subscribers to agree or disagree.
Here’s a pitch, a parody on the level of Blazing Saddles. You can have a director doing a Kumbaya circle calling out an actress for being white and then a bunch of academics burst through the wall in all out brawl. The director says, “this is a closed set!” And one of the professors, a white guy, says, “piss on you, I’m working for Glenn Loury,” and then socks him one.
The experience of coming out of a pandemic and into the world of woke was clearly shocking to James and many others. I was practically on the verge of tears over the unnecessary bullying he experienced and the unadulterated ignorance and unjustified grievance directed toward him.
I was also struck by the helplessness of personnel who did not feel comfortable and brave enough to diffuse the situation in the work environment. I could not help being reminded of a certificate created by the brilliant economist, Walter Williams who cleverly created the "Proclamation of Amnesty and Pardon Granted to All Persons of European Descent." Although James is Jewish, I hope he reads the link below and let it serve as a reminder to stand in his truth against race 'performance' run amuck.
John McWhorter and James Beaman – A Peek Behind the Antiracist Curtain
Segregation is the only logical solution...wait wasn’t that the problem in the first place?
I find it hard to have any sympathy here. The problem isn’t what you say to the Gestapo when they ask you where is Ann Frank. It that’s you permitted the situation in the first place.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
—Martin Niemöller
To Glenn,
I heard your rant on an earlier video as well as Beaman's comment on Kendi. I am working through Kendi's own summary of his larger work on antiracism. I would concur with your rant and Beaman's assessment. I am saddened by Kendi's pronouncements posing as analysis. There are realities he does not get. My wife and I heard your musings after the Beaman interview about being heard by the "Donna's" of the world. Frankly, I appreciate you telling it like it is. The biblical prophets didn't mind being voices crying in the wilderness. Today, we have their writings not the naysayers. So also with Thomas Sowell. True, we don't want to be obnoxious, but no fault in telling the truth. Keep up the good work!
Time Stamp 54: John and Glenn discuss word-use per “disparity” and “inequity.” I have an idea since reading Sowell, which means it may be his. Quantitative certainty of disparity is easier when privilege is official. I can officially buy alcohol because I am over 21 years. Unofficial privilege and oppression are more difficult to quantify as unofficial. There are differences in circumstances; and a sub-group of disparities. Finding the step in a pathway where difference becomes disparity- is tricky.
For anyone keeping score, antiracism means racism just like antifa means fascist. When you're engaging in violence, intimidation, and attempts to silence people, YOU are the brown shirt, not the other person. Similarly, when using skin tone as a cudgel to tell one group to shut up, YOU are the racist, not the other guy.
It's always good to keep your newspeak woketionary up to date in order to avoid uncomfortable moments when you might be tempted to utter malicious truths.
21:57 So, James is an actor. He plays characters who are different from himself. BTW, I find it hilarious that spitting tobacco was the line James wouldn't cross. I'm sure Kmele Foster would be proud, assuming that James didn't literally say "the N-word" in the play.
7:13 According to the US census, over 75% of the population is white. Is the problem that white people are underrepresented? https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/POP010220
What I forever fail to understand is why the world bends a knee for this 'woke' nonsense. Especially on social media, where the torches 'n' pitchforks set are mostly semi-literate, suspiciously unemployed young people who haven't an iota of understanding of the real world since all they know is the digital one. Academia, research scientists, the media, brands, and corporate boards all fold like little pansies at the slightest whiff of 'controversy', however fake, manufactured, or micro-minor. The entertainment world is no different, reflected by the supremely boring 'woke' themes in so many 'lauded' movies. It disgusts me that Jamie's theatre were too wussy to stand up to the bigoted, racist bullying he endured. What a disgusting human being that 'performative' - John nailed her - Hispanic woman is, and even more disgusting were the people who supported her, the accomplices who didn't dare question her even if they thought she was acting up, acting out, and over-the-top. I wish the director had told her she might be too fragile to be in a play like this and if she felt too triggered and hurt, maybe they could find someone with a little more resilience and fortitude than she.
Nothing will change until we challenge the fundamentalists. The wheels are beginning to come off that bus; and I believe there are more of us than there are of them.
A question I always want to hear in these types of discussions would go something like:
"James, you have described what it's like to be in an environment where you were judged to be insufficiently woke by the majority of the group. Does this make you reconsider any events over your three decades in the theatre where you were part of the group that deemed someone else to be insufficiently liberal?"
Without knowing much about James or the places he's been, I feel safe in saying he's been a part of more than one production or group or company where there was universal conformity across the left/right spectrum. How were non-leftists treated when they stumbled into those arenas? If he sees how bad it is to be the one non-woke liberal in a room full of woke liberals does he also understand what it is like to be the one non-liberal in a room of liberals? And does he see that as a problem?
These are the questions I want people like JK Rowling to be asked when they bear witness to being bullied for not being "left enough" on certain issues. Do they (1) object to any politically-motivated bullying by liberals in power OR (2) do they only object to it when they disagree with the issue at hand?
McWhorter admits his duplicitousness in this episode. Unfortunately, this is something that has prevented me from fully getting behind or believing McWhorter what he says at times. I watched him on the View (only reason I watched was because he was on it) and he appeared to cave and agree with a lot of what the hosts were saying, including... paraphrased... "You believe that the system should be torn down and replaced" He said, "Yes." It was hard for me to reconcile the McWhorter on the view with the person who wrote the book that I had just read, "Woke Racism", and he was on the show to promote. It leads me to ask where does he actually stand on these issues; to which side is he actually giving lip service to in fear of not alienating them; what does he actually believe? Is this form of appeasing, what he calls politicking, negatively impacting change? While on the view, he had a huge audience that he could have reached if he spoke what he actually felt. That being said, I do feel that the book itself shines a negative light on the behaviors of many of the hosts of that show and its target audience (I wonder if the hosts even read the book.) So, if he was to come right out and say those things from the book on the show, he probably would have gotten attacked by the hosts and alienating many (like all contrary ideas and thoughts do on that show). However, it still leads me to question... Who am I to John McWhorter? Is he appeasing me with some of the things he is writing and saying while actually believing in the Kendi and Socialist ant-racist agenda (or part of the agenda... socialism over capitalism); or does he believe in a capitalist meritocracy and he is appeasing those on the left. I think that the time for politicking is over on some of these issues. Say what you really believe. If you back it up with logic, fact and data, then you will win over some hardliners from the left....maybe even the right. Sowell being a former Marxist turned capitalist comes to mind..."Facts."
Truth is, one will never be able to win over all the minds in an ideological war. Which is where we are. However, when you appease the views and thoughts of others that you do not agree with instead of telling them the truth of what you feel and why, I fear that it is lost opportunity and those minds that are appeased, only become further entrenched by false validity found through the appeaser.
Show after show I find myself blown away by the level to which the two of you capture the thoughts and feelings I can rarely articulate.
My comment here is about the last part of this show - about language and stating truth so others can hear it. Though I find agreement with you both I find what John is saying to be deeply meaningful and for me, true. I hope that finding a way to state your truth so others don't shut down can, in the long run, make the difference in terms of finding common ground.
Thank you, thank you for what you do. We support the show and continue to learn and grow in our understanding - I am sincerely grateful.
I recently re-read Sean O'Casey's "The Plough and the Stars" (about the Easter Rising of 1916 in Ireland) and thought how illuminating it would be to see it done with a black cast. So many political parallels.
Yes, this was a great episode. At the 34:50 minute mark, James said, "It felt Bolshevik." For those of you who don't know what that means, it's Russian for "One of the Majority." The Bolsheviks were led by Vladimir Lenin more than a hundred years ago. He and his army went on a crusade to change the politics of Russia. Then then the rest was history. I advise anyone to look it up. There is a strong parallel between the Russian Revolution and where we are today in America.
It's all about power and control, and they are part of the human condition. We like to blame others and their sins for modern day problems. There are groups of black people who can now use their race as a tool and weapon for power. They can bully people into submission, and extort them for money. And they have enough people from the elite level who will support their actions.
I welcome my fellow subscribers to agree or disagree.
A great episode!
Here’s a pitch, a parody on the level of Blazing Saddles. You can have a director doing a Kumbaya circle calling out an actress for being white and then a bunch of academics burst through the wall in all out brawl. The director says, “this is a closed set!” And one of the professors, a white guy, says, “piss on you, I’m working for Glenn Loury,” and then socks him one.
The experience of coming out of a pandemic and into the world of woke was clearly shocking to James and many others. I was practically on the verge of tears over the unnecessary bullying he experienced and the unadulterated ignorance and unjustified grievance directed toward him.
I was also struck by the helplessness of personnel who did not feel comfortable and brave enough to diffuse the situation in the work environment. I could not help being reminded of a certificate created by the brilliant economist, Walter Williams who cleverly created the "Proclamation of Amnesty and Pardon Granted to All Persons of European Descent." Although James is Jewish, I hope he reads the link below and let it serve as a reminder to stand in his truth against race 'performance' run amuck.
http://walterewilliams.com/WalterWilliamsAmnestyProclamation.pdf
Wow. Finally someone has the courage to talk openly about this.
James Beaman.
Thank you for telling your story.
Thank you J + G for hosting JB.
I am one of the cowards.