rant · moment 1 of 13
Setting Up the Gavin McInnes Interview
from Episode 153 - Gavin McInnes · #153
12 min
Tim gives an extended preamble explaining why he's having Gavin McInnes on, addressing the Proud Boys controversy, the value of free speech and platforming controversial guests, and defending his choice against expected backlash before bringing Gavin on.
- Tim introduces the episode and Gavin McInnes as his guest.
- Gavin co-founded Vice and appeared frequently on Red Eye with comedians across the political spectrum.
- Tim credits Gavin with getting him on Red Eye, a 3 a.m. Fox News show where comedians would go on and have fun.
- The Proud Boys controversy: some view it as a harmless men's club, others as a violent gang, with truth possibly in the middle.
- Tim finds the trajectory fascinating—Gavin went from co-founding a billion-dollar liberal media company to being banned from most social media platforms.
- Tim's position on platforming: shutting down all avenues of communication doesn't reduce violence; he believes in defending the rights of people you disagree with.
- Gray areas are where great comedy comes from, not from rigid fundamentalist thinking.
- Tim makes his living speaking into a microphone and can never cheer for the deplatforming or silencing of people.
- Tim argues for live and let live: you can't spend your life converting or coercing everyone who disagrees with you into compliance.
- Tim had a personal relationship with Gavin, watched him spiral out of control, and wonders how much control he had over the events that unfolded around him.
- Tim's goal isn't to make Gavin sympathetic or to do PR, just to have a conversation about how things got so crazy.
Gavin McInnesProud BoysRed EyeJoe RoganViceAlex JonesTom Shillue