49: Tik Tok Fulfillment Center (w/Abbie Richards)

On the road to the screen, a rich story can flatten into propaganda. On the road to the influencer economy, a complex teaching can degrade into a conspirituality meme. As the Oscar glitter fades, we look at how Amazon could never have signed off on a real nomadland story any more than Gaia TV could have ever done justice to the spiritualities it exploits.

In the Ticker, Julian looks at new research into correlations between huffing essential oils and seizures. Matthew looks at Miami’s Centner Academy’s announcement that they’ll fire vaccinated teachers—and wonders whether Kelly Brogan and Christiane Northrup sending kids and grandkids to this elite private school has something to do with it. In the Jab, Julian reviews the state of the nation re: vaccines, and offers three key principles to inject into conversations with the hesitant.

Our interview this week is with TikTok anti-disinformation activist Abbie Richards, whose “Conspiracy Pyramid” and tea-time QAnon explainers have gone viral on the next-gen platform. Matthew talks with Abbie about her process, challenges, why she hates golf, and what GenXers (and older cohorts) should keep in mind when they wonder if the kids are alright.

Show Notes

Jim DeFede breaks the Centner Academy story

Centner’s Medical Freedom from Mandated Vaccines (disinfo warning)

Biscayne Times profile of the Centner’s: The Privileged Class

Tour of the Centner’s Miami penthouse

Preethaji and Krishnaji, proprietors of O&O Academy

Krishnaji’s culty dad, Kalki Bhagavan: Mystic and the moolah

‘It’s Baffling’: Parents Confused After Centner Academy Announces They Won’t Employ People Who Have Been Vaccinated

The Case Against Nomadland

What Nomadland Gets Wrong About Gig Labor

Amazon’s Minimum Wage Hike Comes With Cuts To Other Compensation

“Strategic Transparency”: Ann Gleig. “From Sweeping Zen to Open Buddhism: Sex Scandals, Social Media, and Transparency in Western Buddhism” for Buddhism in the West Group. American Academy of Religion, Denver, November 17-20, 2018 (forthcoming)

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