Episode 87: HE'S GOT A WEAPON!

In the wake of some important new information, Jesse and Katie follow up on last week’s Loudoun County rape scandal segment. Then they talk about Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Netflix walkout, and the violence committed by YouTube Vito Gesualdi in the service of his ultraright ideology, “Jokes are funny.” (This is the public version of this episode — for the premium version, with comments enabled, go here.)

Show notes/Links:

Original Daily Wire reporting: https://www.dailywire.com/news/loudoun-county-schools-tried-to-conceal-sexual-assault-against-daughter-in-bathroom-father-says

Jesse gets the logs:

Police Logs Contradict Some Of The Daily Wire's Reporting On The Loudoun County Rape Scandal

The Daily Wire doubles down:

https://www.dailywire.com/news/records-suggest-loudoun-sent-team-of-police-to-deal-with-upset-parent-not-alleged-rape-of-student

The school knew early on that an assault had occurred: https://wtop.com/loudoun-county/2021/10/email-from-loudoun-co-superintendent-alerted-school-board-on-day-of-bathroom-assault/

Nikole Hannah-Jones breaks the news of her cancelled talk:

Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones

Some months ago, a dear friend asked me for a favor. Her former boarding school, Middlesex, wanted me to come speak as part of BHM. Speaking at this type of school is not something I typically do, but she’s my friend. I said yes. I just learned the Pres & board canceled my talk.

“Some months ago, a dear friend asked me for a favor. Her former boarding school, Middlesex, wanted me to come speak as part of BHM. Speaking at this type of school is not something I typically do, but she’s my friend. I said yes. I just learned the Pres & board canceled my talk.”

Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones

This is the reason. I don’t feel “canceled.” I still have a platform, I will continue to produce work, speak where I am wanted. Really, I shrugged. However, I’m confident that we will see many, many substack &mainstream media stories about this & cancel culture at elite schools.

Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones

Because this is clearly the result of the hysteria and successful propaganda campaign that has pretended elite white schools trying to deal with the legacy of racism are stoking the new Salem Witch trials and must be exposed. The campaign has been successful here.

Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones

They were likely afraid that by having me — a NYT journalist & college professor — there, they’d invite backlash & another of the “‘woke’ people are ruining America” stories. Like I said:I’m good. I’m done fighting my way in. But the lack of courage in these times is so very sad.

SHE was really cancelled: “So, you actually got cancelled unlike the people who complain about bring cancelled on mainstream platforms?”

Wajahat Ali @WajahatAli

@nhannahjones So, you actually got cancelled unlike the people who complain about bring cancelled on mainstream platforms?

Wajahat Ali @WajahatAli

CRT is the new Sharia which is a threat like Socialism just like Cancel Culture the latest Caravan Invasion that hates America and Freedom and Democracy which is why we need to violently overtake the US Capitol, cancel a free and fair election, and impose minority rule for Jesus.

Let’s get back to her thread from a moment. NHJ says: 

Vito Gesualdi: https://www.youtube.com/c/vito/about

At Berkeley:

Trying to bring everyone together with Pepsi, like Kendall Jenner did:

Trying to sell ol’ fashioned popped corn:

Video of Vito Gesualdi getting attacked and pleading for tolerance (of jokes): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AaOHBpExuqy-SHq-qIBial6z9hSXdjML/view?usp=sharing

Variety’s insane, now-apologized-for tweet: “At times, the #NetflixWalkout situation threatened to devolve as counter protestors pushed against trans speakers.”

Apology:

Variety @Variety

The photo attached to an earlier version of the above tweet did not accurately illustrate the reporting from our story. We apologize for any confusion.

bit.lyNetflix Employee Walkout Grows Tense as Trans Rights Protesters Clash With Dave Chappelle SupportersHundreds of Netflix employees and supporters gathered in the shadow of the streaming giant’s Los Angeles headquarters on Wednesday to protest Dave Chappelle’s standup special “The Closer.” But the event, which was intended to showcase solidarity with the trans community, grew tense at certain points…

Jesse’s step-by-step debunking of “Comedian and videographer Vito Gesualdi screams profanities as he engages with peaceful protesters begging him to leave”

Jesse Singal @jessesingal

1/ This AP photo caption reads "Comedian and videographer Vito Gesualdi screams profanities as he engages with peaceful protesters begging him to leave." A damaging claim about @VitoGesualdi, circulated globally. It never happened. Join me on some basic photo-trutherism.

What he actually said: “I’m just here to say that jokes are funny, people. Dave Chappelle’s a funny guy. I love Dave! I don’t know why all the violence, I don't know why all the hate. I just LOVE DAVE CHAPPELLE! DAAAAAVE CHAPPEEEELLE! WOOOOO!”

AP’s correction:

Jesse Singal @jessesingal

11/ UPDATE: @AP tells me it has corrected the caption to remove references to profanities and 'peaceful' protesters. It now describes Gesualdi as "shout[ing] at people protesting against Dave Chappelle's Netflix special[.]"

“Netflix just fired the organizer of the trans employee walkout”:

https://www.vice.com/en/article/4avke9/netflix-fires-trans-employee-who-was-organizing-walkout-over-chappelle-special

“Netflix just fired the organizer of the trans employee walkout”:

https://www.theverge.com/2021/10/15/22728337/netflix-fires-organizer-trans-employee-walkout-dave-chappelle

“Netflix Has Fired a Pregnant Organizer of the Trans Employee Walkout”: https://gizmodo.com/netflix-has-fired-a-pregnant-organizer-of-the-trans-emp-1847874257

“Netflix fires employee trans activist for allegedly leaking internal documents”: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/oct/15/netflix-fires-employee-trans-activist-for-allegedly-leaking-internal-documents

“Trans people are in the middle of a holocaust”: https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/577649-netflix-protesters-clash-with-chappelle-supporters-amid

Everyone ran with the 1,000-employees figure:

Jesse Singal @jessesingal

It looks like the "1,000 Netflix employees are walking out" meme can be traced to one anonymous source in THR and was then treated as true by everyone, because journalists don't really journalize anymore

Lead image caption, which has plenty of editorializing: “LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 20: Vito Gesualdi, center, yells as Netflix employees gathered outside a Netflix location at 1341 Vine St in Hollywood Wednesday morning in support as members of the Netflix employee resource group Trans*, coworkers and other allies staged a walkout to protest Netflix's decision to release Dave Chappelle's latest Netflix special, which contains a litany of transphobic material. Hollywood on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images). “