Recently the Oxford Union (based in Oxford but distinct from the university) hosted a debate on "whether woke culture has gone too far". A very fresh question, and it's been good to see people finally discussing this important issue. Former guest, comedian, and host of the Triggernometry podcast Konstantin Kisin argued for the proposition, and his 10 minute speech has gone viral, garnering over 20 million views (and counting). Kisin has received lavish praise for his compelling talk from across the interwebs for what has been broadly described as a masterful demolition of woke culture, leading to broadcast television appearances with Piers Morgan and Tucker Carlson.
Well, a video of the speech crossed our path on Twitter, and it seemed to us to be an interesting case-study on the effective use of rhetoric, so here is our decoding. As is our want, we are slightly more critical in our assessment than Piers Morgan Tucker Carlson, but we are able to identify points of concordance as well.
Enjoy!
Links
The original speech
Konstantin Kisin | This House Believes Woke Culture Has Gone Too Far - 7/8 | Oxford Union
Coverage
Konstantin Kisin’s Important Message LIVE on Tucker Carlson
Konstantin Kisin and Piers Morgan Discuss The Problems With Woke Culture
Background
Global Concern about Climate Change, Broad Support for Limiting Emissions
Slavoj Žižek: When is a shark not a shark?
Supplementary Materials 7: Guru Oneupmanship, Hard Ad Pivots, MOOOINK, and Left Wing Populism
Destiny: Right to Reply
*Preview* Decoding Academia 27: Dark Triad Authenticity
Supplementary Materials 6: Christian Sensemaking, Hipster Race Realists, & Marijuana Pseudoscience
Interview with Flint Dibble on Pseudo Archaeology and Science Communication
Supplementary Material 5: Spiritual UFOs, Alternative Theories of Evolution, and Atlantean Grievances
Destiny: Debate King and/or Degenerate?
Supplementary Material 4: Passive Aggressive Therapists, Shit-posting Monks, and Weaponised Naivety
Yuval Noah Harari: Eat Bugs and Live Forever
Supplementary Material 3: Sand-worms, Anti-Capitalist Merch, and High Level Idea-Jacking
Mini-Decoding: The Descent of Jordan B. Peterson
Supplementary Material 2: Dissident Dialogues, Bloodbaths, & Genocidal Debates
Gurometer: Hasan Piker *PREVIEW*
Hasan Piker: A swashbuckling Bromance
Supplementary Material 1: Cringe Immunity & Supplemental Ethics
Interview with Kevin Mitchell on Agency and Evolution
Sean Carroll: The Worst Guru Yet?!?
Mini-Decoding: Indulgent Monologuing
Sam Harris: Right to Reply
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL