Posting Through It

Hannah Gais and Steven Monacelli join for a wide-ranging discussion about the state of Twitter (now called “X”) three years after Elon Musk first moved to purchase it. Since then, Musk has transformed the platform into a self-serving MAGA machine that is crowning a new generation of right-wing media royalty. Monacelli walks us through his reporting on one of the platform’s newer standouts — “Captive Dreamer” — as an example of who’s benefiting from the new status quo.

Links for Steven Monacelli:

Daily Dot: “A Hitler-quoting ‘Aryan’ has the attention of JD Vance and Elon Musk—who is @captivedreamer7?”

Bluesky: @stevanzetti.bsky.social

Contact/Work: linktr.ee/Stevanzetti

Links for Hannah Gais:

Bluesky: @hannahgais.bsky.social

Newsletter: postsfromunderground.ghost.io/

Transition Music: “California Magic” by Goose

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Max Read joins to talk about the online “Soy Right” and how the MAGA movement became everything it thought it hated about “soy boy” liberals. This episode pairs well with tofu.

Programming note: We’ll be back on March 3.

Check out Max Read’s newsletter, “Read Max.”

Ryan Broderick is a journalist covering technology and internet culture. He’s also the author of the Garbage Day newsletter. Ryan joins Jared this episode to discuss the latest standoff in ongoing debates over COVID-19 misinformation on major tech platforms. In one corner stands Joe Rogan and Spotify. On the other side of the ring is a cohort of musical artists, researchers, and dissatisfied Spotify customers. Ryan and Jared break down what’s going on, where they feel many conversations are lacking detail, and how the results of this clash could effect other platforms’ responses to pandemic misinformation.
Ryan Broderick’s Twitter account: @Broderick
Subscribe to Garbage Day: https://www.garbageday.email/
Read the newsletter: postingthroughit.com

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Tim Pool draws millions of viewers — and dollars — making political podcasts and commentary videos on YouTube. This episodes explores Pool’s evolution, from a self-proclaimed “activist” live-streaming Occupy Wall Street protests to one of today’s most-popular MAGA pundits. Along the way, we review Pool’s early media career, eventual drift into far-right politics, and rapid construction of the media empire he oversees today.

Mike and Jared were joined by Robert Silverman, a feature writer who has published what might be the world’s definitive investigative reporting on Tim Pool.

Links to some of Robert’s reporting:

The Daily Beast: How ‘Coward and Phony’ Tim Pool Became One of the Biggest Political YouTubers on the Planet

The Daily Beast: Tim Pool’s News Site Plagiarized the Mainstream Media He Claims to Hate

Follow Robert Silverman on Bluesky

Matt Binder joins the show to talk about meme coins and AI chatbot romance. The trio discuss about how politicians of all stripes have cozied up to a scam economy built on false hopes about technology.

Check out Matt’s newsletter