The Whatever podcast, a show tackling the minefield-like topic of modern dating, has enjoyed viral growth over the past year, with over 4.15 million subscribers on YouTube. With it has come anger, particularly from feminists, who argue that the podcast is ruining the image of western women.
The accusation stems from a number of viral clips from the podcast which have drawn horrified reactions from viewers, including a woman who said “humbling men” is her “pastime,” a woman who claimed to have slept with over 130 men (including six in one night), and frequent examples of double standards.
The media backlash has begun in earnest, with recently-bankrupted leftist media company Vice accusing Whatever of “making women look dumb.” The same point was recently echoed by New York Post writer Brooke Kato, in a nearly identical headline.
There is also a backlash against the backlash, with many prominent accounts on Twitter poking holes in the two hitpieces.
Author and filmmaker Mike Cernovich called it a “fake controversy,” adding that the podcast helps people get over the “halo effect” of beauty. “The View has been making women look dumb for decades,” Cernovich added.
Beauty has a halo effect. It’s good to get over that. Attractive people are dumb or mean spirited same as everyone else. Also no one cares if podcasts make men look dumb. It’s a fake controversy. Plus porn is more demeaning what “whatever” podcast. Ban porn, then we can talk.
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) June 3, 2023
“Women in society have Schrondinger’s agency,” said game developer Jennifer Dawe. “If the end result is positive, the woman is responsible. If it’s not, someone did it to her. It’s getting ridiculous.”
Women in society have Schrodinger’s agency.
If the end result is positive, the woman is responsible.
If it’s not, someone did it to her. It’s getting ridiculous. https://t.co/mPOKO4TO7R— Jennifer D’aww (@GMShivers) June 3, 2023
“I’ve seen some pretty dumb dudes on that pod tbh,” said activist Chloe Cole. “I think it’s entertaining because it’s all just a race to the bottom.
I’ve seen some pretty dumb dudes on that pod tbh. I think it’s entertaining because it’s all just a race to the bottom.
— Chloe Cole ⭐️ (@ChoooCole) June 3, 2023
“What do men do to ‘make’ them look dumb?” asked creator Elijah Schaffer.
What do the men do to “make” them look dumb? LOL
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) June 3, 2023
“Ridiculous framing” said conservative podcaster T.J. Moe. “They bring them on and ask questions. Their answers make them look foolish. If you want to look smart, deliver a smart response.”
Ridiculous framing. They bring them on and ask questions. Their answers make them look foolish. If you want to look smart, deliver a smart response.
— T.J. Moe (@TJMoe28) June 3, 2023
In a comment to Breitbart News, Whatever host Brian Atlas slammed the media for what he said was a deliberate misrepresentation of the podcast.
“The comments on the article itself, as well as tweet replies are overwhelmingly positive and supportive,” said Atlas, who noted that the author of the New York Post piece has not responded to an invitation to appear on the show.
Atlas also emphasized that, unlike much of the legacy media, interviews on the podcast are uploaded to the web in full, uncut and unedited.
“We don’t ‘make’ the women look stupid,” continued Atlas. “But, I guess men are to blame for letting women speak (as a tweet reply stated). We have conversations, we ask questions, and let people speak. We are not forcing anyone to say anything, or to be there. Everyone who appears on the show is voluntarily there. We do not compensate or pay the guests. Many of our guests request to be on the show, many of whom travel long distances to do so.”
“We invite women (and men) onto the show to have raw long form conversations about the dating hellscape. We stream live, and the full uncut unedited 3-4-5 hour shows are available for viewing.”
Atlas also expressed surprise at Kato’s approving citation of Drew Afualo, a TikTok user who uses racist language, comparing “white [men] with a podcast” to “roaches.”
Both Vice and the New York Post gloss over the fact that the podcast invites guests of both genders, with a variety of opinions. Some female guests have defended promiscuity, while others have defended traditional values, with the latter tending to face considerably less criticism on social media.
Pop Culture Crisis co-host Mary Morgan won praise on Twitter for her withering takedown of the rise of OnlyFans, which has seen a large number of young women using the platform to sell nude photos as a subscription service. In another example, pro-life conservative Lila Rose made the case for traditional marriage and lifelong monogamy against a man who defended promiscuity.
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.