Claim OwnershipWhere There's Woke
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Every single time the right, or even center-left, goes ballistic over a "woke" controversy, the slightest bit of investigation shows the scandal is almost entirely bogus. This is not a new phenomenon; it dates back decades. It's an intentional tool used to protect the powerful and preserve the status quo, while further scapegoating and otherizing those who push for political progress. This podcast digs into not just today's fake scandals, but those of yesterday and yesteryear. The terminology has changed some, but the pattern has not. Listen in as host Thomas Smith shines a light on the panic, the fragility, the overreaction, and the lying that ignites 'Where There's Woke.'
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We've got so much to say on this one that it's a WT-DOUBLE episode! (tm). After the USA men's hockey team won the gold, not only was Kash Patel in the locker room celebrating with them, but he also got Trump on the phone. Trump made an incredibly sexist joke and the men laughed. After they received some backlash, we wanted to take a look at how they responded and see if ANY of them could muster the SLIGHTEST bit of introspection and, dare we say it, maybe even contrition?
The New York Post went off on a bioethicist after he published his concerns surrounding the marketing after Trump signed legislation bringing whole milk back into federally subsidized school lunch programs. Lydia breaks it all down: the NYP's attacks, the actual article from the "woke professor," some history of dietary racism, and a smattering of the propaganda that's been coming out of the Administration ever since. Is the Recent Effort to Glorify Whole Milk Tainted by Racism?, (Arthur Caplan, Bioethics Today, 2/4/2026) How Milk Became a Battleground in Trump's War on "Woke", (Paige Oamek, The Nation, 1/30/2026) Milk, a symbol of neo‑Nazi hate, (Andrea Freeman, The Conversation, 8/30/2017) Why the Trump Administration Is Obsessed With Whole Milk, (Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 1/18/2026) **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
Hoooooo boy. You thought we were having fun before? Just wait until you hear some of the claims in this one.
We get to delve deeper into the right wing fear porn, moral panic that is human trafficking and child trafficking. If you're worried about this being too heavy, don't be, because Matt Murphy's claims are so absurd it becomes funny.
We go deeper into the bizarre (possible) grift that is rightwing anti-trafficking organizations. This episode delves into Matt Murphy's past. Sentinel is weirdly not even the first anti-trafficking org that he has been the president of....
AmeriKKKaFest is the gift that keeps giving. We venture into day 2, which turns into a QVC channel of right wing crap. Jason Aldean introduces us to the crazy world of rightwing non-profits grifting on a sex trafficking panic.
Professor James Hankins wrote a literal essay, published in Compact Magazine, about his decision to leave Harvard's History Department for greener pastures in...Florida. He wants more western civilization focus in history, and Thomas and Lydia break down why this is problematic. "Western Values" Explained, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DUT4aCkeRA **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.** Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
We watched No Safe Spaces with our friends over at God Awful Movies this month and there was SO MUCH from the anti-woke archive featured in that "documentary" that we couldn't possibly take over GAM to debunk it all. For this episode, we're focusing on one particular story that we hadn't covered yet involving Dennis Prager being allegedly SILENCED at the University of Wyoming. **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
After nearly 10 years of covering the far right after Charlottesville, Chris Mathias has written an important book called "To Catch a Fascist, The Fight to Expose the Radical Right." In addition to modern efforts to out the fascists and racists, Chris takes us through some fascinating history of that as well. It is inspiring work at a time when we all could use some inspiration and uplift! Also check out his article in the Nation, Liberals Think Antifa Isn't Real. But It Is—and It Knows How to Win.
Time to dig into the keynote speaker from Day 1 of AmFest 2025. That's right, folks! We FINALLY get to (have to) listen to Tucker Carlson! Tune in to hear how he handles the call out from Ben Shapiro earlier in the day, and stick around for some crazy Q&A - what seems to be a hallmark of TPUSA. Be sure to listen through to the end to hear the craziest attempt at an intro for a podcast that we've probably ever done. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
Part 2. We continue working through the lineup of AmericaFest 2025, and this one's jam-packed! Kicking it off with Ben Shapiro and the SHADE he lays down against other folks on the Right, we then hear what upcoming criminal defendant Russell Brand has to say, and close out with quite a fashy character from The Daily Wire we've yet to cover in detail on WTW: Michael Knowles. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
Part 1. Thomas watched the entirety of Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025 so the rest of us didn't have to! In this episode, in addition to talking about what was going on at this entire event, we listen to the most ridiculous National Anthem presentation and hear words from America's Widow, Erika Kirk. In this day and age, we deserve to laugh. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
It's part 2 of this idiot Christian didn't do her homework and started a culture war over it. She and her terrible mom are bigots and since we live in the worst times, they get to win. But at least we have Eli Bosnick!
Featuring special guest Eli Bosnick!!! An Oklahoma moron wrote some Christian diarrhea for her Psych homework. She got a 0 (which was generous) and then sent the mob after her trans teacher and got them shit canned. Meritocracy!
Part 3 (and final!) of this terrible New Rules segment from Bill Maher last month. Maher attempts to go after socialism in America and the Democratic Socialists organization, and comes up with WILD examples. Reminder - this is all in an effort to scare people away from Zohran Mamdani. We tackle some debunks here related to the DSA platform and city-run grocery stores, and end the series with knocking down his characterization of a DSA convention that he had time traveled to in order to use the most ridiculous example he could come up with. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
Part 2 of the latest Bill Maher debunk. Well, we couldn't help ourselves and this part mainly focuses on how unbelievably terrible Maher's "comedy" is. We also do a little debunking along the way, but the bulk of the remaining debunking is going to have to come in, that's right, part 3. We tried. We tried to make it only 2 parts but he's just so... dumb. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
Sorry, wokies. Guess we have to close up shop. Bill Maher and The New York Times have said that the Left needs to moderate. Thomas guides us through the ridiculous source material that takes this position and we get plenty of debunks along the way! Also, chime in: Should we do a recurring Bill Maher segment? And: Is Maher Thomas's arch nemesis? Of course we barely scratched the surface, so we'll be back soon with additional parts on this one! If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
Logan was an out trans man serving children of servicemembers overseas as their pediatrician until the Trump Administration targeted trans folks in the military. Now that Logan has safely discharged, we're honored to have him join us to talk about the entire experience. If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
Professor Josh Fernandez was accused of soliciting students for violent activities because of an antiracist club he helped start on his community college campus, and his administration investigated him for a year and a half. The Hands That Crafted the Bomb: The Making of a Lifelong Antifascist **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
We return for an update to our ACTUAL-THREATS-TO-FREE-SPEECH series for our 100th episode! Lydia shares what's been happening with the various cases we discussed in Episodes 98 and 99, and then she walks us through some "highlights" from Auburn University's Turning Point USA event that seemed to be in the middle of the termination of one of our cases. **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
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I was getting worried about Thomas's blood pressure. Don't have a stroke, Thomas, we need you