The Failure of the MAGA Fantasy Industrial Complex with Jared Yates Sexton

Was really thrilled to talk with my friend THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali about a topic both of us have a keen interest in: the power of popular culture and its effect on reality. We trace the history of mass popular culture in the United States, how it has been used by the powerful to tamp down democratic energies, the way it has warped our understanding of the world, and the cycle between reality and culture that changes and reinforces each one. The focus, throughout, is how we’ve arrived at this point where a dictatorial fraud has gained power and has surrounded himself with aggrieved and angry failed artists and tastemakers who are taking their self-hatred out on all of us and attempting to control reality, and why we think they will ultimately fail.

This is a conversation I’ve been looking to have for a long, long time, so I’m very grateful for Wajahat for asking. I’m going to take a few days to escape an undisclosed location to get some remoteness and recharge the batteries. I’ll be back with The Check-In with Danielle Moodie of The DAM Digest on Wednesday at 12pm ET and will likely have some articles to share at some point. In the meantime, take care of yourself.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State depends on your support. If my work has resonated with you or meant something to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe