Episode 98: On Hereticon, Michael Tracey's Egregious Crimes Against K-Pop, And NPR's Manufactured Racism Issues

The host’s discuss Jesse’s very crazy week in Miami, Grimes, a very confusing online brouhaha involving Michael Tracey, South Korea, and fan letters written in menstrual blood, and the accusations of white supremacy leveled against that bastion of bigotry, National Public Radio. If you’d like to discuss this episode with other premium subscribers, click here.

Show notes/Links:

Hereticon:
https://www.hereticon.com/

Russ George’s pirate-geoengineering project (he did not mention during the talk that the tribe later disavowed his activity on the basis they didn’t know it violated international rules): https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/oct/15/pacific-iron-fertilisation-geoengineering

Dynamite by BTS:

Regular everyday hookup leads to major scandal for K-Pop idol:
https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2959678

K-Pop raises money for BLM:
https://variety.com/2020/music/news/bts-army-matches-black-lives-matter-million-dollar-donation-1234627455/

The biggest K-Pop fans are giant weirdoes:
https://sg.style.yahoo.com/blogs/singapore-showbiz/sasaeng-groupies-gone-wild-part-1-k-fans-141105992.html

http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/k-pop/

“Stan” by Eminem:

Hit TXT song:

PAJU, SOUTH KOREA - DECEMBER 11: TXT attends 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) at CJ ENM Studio Center on December 11, 2021 in Paju, South Korea. (Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images)

Some info on Michael Tracey:
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/left-heretics-jilani-taibbi-tracey

A Tracey Twete (tm):

Michael Tracey @mtracey

Leftists are especially sad that Bernie didn't win the Democratic nomination because right now his they/them CDC Director would be directing a total nationwide Omicron lockdown to dismantle heteronormative capitalist patriarchy

Shovegate:

Michael Tracey @mtracey

Rep. Maxine Waters just shoved me and angrily stormed off as I asked her questions. (Not a violent shove but she initiated physical contact)

Harold W Nelson @HaroldWNelson

@mtracey Michael Tracey .@mtracey tweeted Maxine Waters "shoved" him. Here's the video. This is what he is calling a shove.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/06/04/did-rep-maxine-waters-shove-a-reporter-you-decide/

Tracey on the riots:
https://mtracey.medium.com/two-months-since-the-riots-and-still-no-national-conversation-12a7e3e4e006

The Present Controversy:

🔎Al🔍 @SweatieAngle

Respectfully - what the fuck am I supposed to do with a dude this pretty? https://t.co/I7Wfir6fgy

TOMORROW X TOGETHER @TXT_members

✨ #연준 #YEONJUN https://t.co/8QvRW9Ghw7

⁷AL⟭✜X✜⟬CO⁵ @AlcoIsta

I’m so tired of these incels making such dehumanising remarks against yeonjun, the OP enabling this by not deleting the twt and even liking and entertaining some is equally disturbing! I hope all of you trip off a stair and fall to hell https://t.co/RIrc8IlEyJ

🔎Al🔍 @SweatieAngle

Respectfully - what the fuck am I supposed to do with a dude this pretty? https://t.co/I7Wfir6fgy

$♡ @txteIites

qrts playing dumb acting like the issue is him being called pretty when this snow roach has purposely opened the floodgates for people in the replies to say violent and racist shit about him unprovoked I truly need y’all to d!€

🔎Al🔍 @SweatieAngle

Respectfully - what the fuck am I supposed to do with a dude this pretty? https://t.co/I7Wfir6fgy

ًً리틀휴닝 빅휴닝 @itgirlhie

hi ive made a template to report to bighit for the digusting comments against yeonjun. it's definitely lacking, so PLEASE DO ADD LINKS, SS IN UR EMAIL!!! AND PLEASE CHANGE UP THE WORDING A BIT SO IT DOESNT GO AS SPAM INTO BIGHIT'S FOLDER!!

docs.google.comTemplate To Bighit[DONT COPY THE ONE HIGHLIGHTED] [Title: Defamation Against TXT’s Choi Yeonjun] OR [투모로우바이투게더] (Violent Threats) [Send To: ] ARTIST NAME: TOMORROW X TOGETHER Dear Bighit Music, TXT’s Yeonjun is currently under massive defamation and harassment from Twitter users. On the 10th January of 2...

Big Hit suing people for insulting its artists:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49484380

The fabricated tweet:

Sturgeon's Law @Sturgeons_Law

I have no words

Tracey responds:

Michael Tracey @mtracey

Dear Kpop stans, the tweet screenshot you are circulating from me was doctored. I have never heard of TXT or Yeonjun. Please direct your stan rage at the perpetrators of this fraudulent activity. All the best, MT

Michael Tracey @mtracey

Disgraceful for trolls to exploit the passion of Kpop stans in this manner! Having now investigated the issue, I stand with Yeonjun! https://t.co/KCJ8oFMJlP

Not everyone buys his claims of innocence:

iddy⁷ (36) | #1 seoul fan @itsdefinitelyy1

now don't tell me y'all are actually going to believe this bs...

Michael Tracey @mtracey

Dear Kpop stans, the tweet screenshot you are circulating from me was doctored. I have never heard of TXT or Yeonjun. Please direct your stan rage at the perpetrators of this fraudulent activity. All the best, MT https://t.co/YrlQ4DxyTB

NPR’s really bad racism problem:

Sam Sanders @samsanders

Look at all the incredibly talented hosts from marginalized backgrounds who've left @NPR recently: -@lourdesgnavarro -@RadioMirage -@HiddenBrain -@Maria_Hinojosa -@maddie_sofia -@NBCJoshua I believe in the mission of public radio; this trend is antithetical to that mission.

Ari Shapiro @arishapiro

I had hoped it wouldn’t be necessary to repost this tweet again so soon (and you can add @NoelKing to this list).

Sam Sanders @samsanders

Look at all the incredibly talented hosts from marginalized backgrounds who've left @npr recently: -@lourdesgnavarro -@RadioMirage -@HiddenBrain -@Maria_Hinojosa -@maddie_sofia -@NBCJoshua I believe in the mission of public radio; this trend is antithetical to that mission.

Ari Shapiro @arishapiro

I’m on vacation and not planning on staying glued to twitter or email. If you’re a journalist writing about this, I’ll sing Audie’s praises to the end of time but refer you to @isalara at NPR comms for comment on why we’re hemorrhaging hosts from marginalized backgrounds.

Crystal Marie Fleming @alwaystheself

The problem at NPR is white supremacy. That so few are saying this explicitly is telling, indeed.

Crystal Marie Fleming @alwaystheself

The "national" in NPR needs to be taken very seriously. It is, first and foremost, a propaganda forum for the (white) nation. Their brand depends on the pretense of neutrality. Its raison d'être is milquetoast coverage that restricts the boundaries of the national conversation.

Crystal Marie Fleming @alwaystheself

I basically stopped listening to/reading NPR because not only are they white supremacist, they're both blithely and blandly white supremacist. They're like the unseasoned mashed potatoes of the media space.

Crystal Marie Fleming @alwaystheself

I remember trying to force myself to listen to an episode of Wait Wait Don't Tell Me years ago when I realized it was basically a kindler, gentler white liberal version of a cultural klan rally. That show was not made for me or my people. Also, it's boring and bland as fuck.

The New York Times @nytimes

Audie Cornish, a host of NPR’s "All Things Considered," left her job this week, becoming the latest prominent journalist of color to leave the public broadcaster.

nyti.msAudie Cornish, host of ‘All Things Considered,’ is leaving NPR.Her decision follows the recent exits of other prominent people of color at the public broadcaster.

Folkenflik thinks it’s more complicated:
https://www.npr.org/2022/01/11/1072104110/lulu-garcia-navarro-audie-cornish-noel-king-leave-npr

Subtweet?:

Joshua Johnson @NBCJoshua

I came to MSNBC/NBC News because I had more dreams to chase, in addition to NPR. A new door opened, NBC made me a highly competitive offer, and I accepted after enormous deliberation. Frankly, that may be the main thing NPR needs to stay sharp & nimble: competition.

Jesse’s failed attempt to bait the K-Pop stans:

Jesse Singal @jessesingal

Respectfully - what the fuck am I supposed to do with a dude this pretty?

TOMORROW X TOGETHER @TXT_members

✨ #연준 #YEONJUN https://t.co/8QvRW9Ghw7

Image: PAJU, SOUTH KOREA - DECEMBER 11: TXT attends 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) at CJ ENM Studio Center on December 11, 2021 in Paju, South Korea. (Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images)