Where There's Woke

Thomas Smith

Every single time the right, or even center-left, goes ballistic over a "woke" controversy, the slightest bit of investigation shows the scandal is almost entirely bogus. This is not a new phenomenon; it dates back decades. It's an intentional tool used to protect the powerful and preserve the status quo, while further scapegoating and otherizing those who push for political progress. This podcast digs into not just today's fake scandals, but those of yesterday and yesteryear. The terminology has changed some, but the pattern has not. Listen in as host Thomas Smith shines a light on the panic, the fragility, the overreaction, and the lying that ignites 'Where There's Woke.'

  1. 21 hr ago

    WTW133: The Trump Playbook Comes for LA - Spencer Pratt for Mayor

    If you have lived in blissful peace not knowing who Spencer Pratt is, Lydia is so sorry, but it's time. The former The Hills reality TV villain is a serious contender in the Los Angeles mayoral race (as of recording - votes are still being counted) and Lydia breaks down everything: who he actually is, what his campaign infrastructure reveals about who's really behind it, the claims he keeps repeating about homelessness that don't hold up to scrutiny, and why this is the Trump playbook running in one of the biggest cities in America. It's a lot. Lydia is not okay. Toward a New Understanding: The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, University of California - San Francisco; June 2023) Assaf RD, et al. Illicit Substance Use and Treatment Access Among Adults Experiencing Homelessness. JAMA. 2025 Apr 8;333(14):1222-1231. Spencer Pratt Is Running Trump's Playbook in Los Angeles—and Trump Approves (Philip Elliott, Time; 5/21/2026) LA City Ethics Commission campaign finance filings, Spencer Pratt 1/1/26-4/18/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/141063 4/19/26-5/16/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/142921 5/17/26-5/27/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/143643 If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!

    1hr 5min

  2. 28 May

    WTW132: But Who Influences the Influencers? with Kat Tenbarge!

    We're SO excited to welcome journalist Kat Tenbarge to Where There's Woke! Over the years Kat's beat has been focused on internet culture and influencers, and the transformation of that space pre-COVID to now. Naturally, we had tons to talk about -- Why does it matter to pay attention to these spaces at all? Did influencers really make an impact in the 2024 election? What can we glean about the population's media literacy based on the digestion of this content? Is there an alt-right influencer pipeline for women? We had a blast, and can't wait to talk to Kat again soon! Be sure to check out her reporting at Spitfire News! And don't forget to follow Kat on Bluesky! **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**

    58 min

  3. 21 May

    WTW131: Anti-Woke School Board Bans Song Mere Days Before Recital

    A Wisconsin school board was so appalled by a song selection for a high school wind symphony concert that they held a board meeting to determine if the students should be allowed to play it at all. Lydia breaks down this full story, why the song was so "controversial", and gives us more details about the snowflake board members that were so offended. The Opt-Out Notice sent home to families in fall 2025 Watertown Unified School District Policy 2240: Controversial Issues in the Classroom Educational Services Committee meeting, 5/5/2026 Special School Board Meeting, 5/12/2026 "A Mother of A Revolution!", Omar Thomas Watertown Wind Symphony at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5/20/2026 **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**

    58 min

  4. 15 May

    WTW130: Florida Got So Mad About Woke They Made Their Own AP Course

    Ron DeSantis was so bothered by the mere IDEA of AP African American Studies in 2023 that Florida created a "competitor" to College Board's Advanced Placement, and they've just released their course framework for U.S. History. It's....not good. Historians are chiming in, and Lydia's here to break it down: why does Florida have this, what does it actually do for students and teachers, what's in this framework and how does it compare to APUSH, and just how much indoctrination is Florida attempting to accomplish. Florida Advanced Courses and Tests, Department of Education AP US History Framework (effective Fall 2026) Florida House Bill 1537 (2023) **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**

    53 min

  5. 8 May

    WTW129: Woke In the Sheets, Criminals Out on the Streets

    The woke in New York are getting ready to release allllll of the criminals! Murderers! Rapists! Sex offenders! The worst of the worst!!!!! At least according to the New York Post's latest rant. Lydia shares the details from this coverage specific to parole bills in New York State, and we break down exactly why this fear-mongering is so out of line. Trapped in Time: The Silent Crisis of Elderly Incarceration (9/22/2025, ACLU) "They Just Denied Me": Parole Stories and Case Studies (2/3/2026, Tinsae Gebriel and Marie Ndiaye; fwd.us) Organizations advocating for this: Release Aging People in Prison, People's Campaign for Parole Justice **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**

    52 min

  6. 30 Apr

    WTW128: Crowdfunding Hate, with Naomi Bethune

    How is it that every racist "Karen" or right-wing completely cancellable person seems to crawl out of their negative viral moment and sometimes land jobs, book deals, or other opportunities? Naomi Bethune investigated this phenomenon for her piece, "The Far-Right Cash Machine," with The American Prospect, and joins us to break it all down. "The Far-Right Cash Machine" (4/2/2026, The American Prospect) The American Prospect If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!

    47 min

  7. 23 Apr

    WTW127: Debunking More of Buttfeld's "Comedy"

    We conclude our visit to Greg Gutfeld's terrible corner of the world for now. What was that professor that so terribly triggered Buttfeld actually talking about? How wrong could he actually be about Zohran Mamdani's electoral win? Does he get any better at making jokes? SOGI-Inclusive Resource Guide SOGI 123 Parent Brochure (archived) **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**

    57 min

  8. 16 Apr

    WTW126: Greg Gutfeld Is a Cruel, Miserable F***Ing Loser

    It's been a while since we've stopped by Gutfeld's corner on Fox News - and boy, was that a rude awakening. He's the biggest ass, and strips ALL context from anything he ever talks about in order to own the libs or something. Lydia's here to give us the context and debunk while we call out Gutfeld's disgusting behavior on his terrible show. **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**

    55 min
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About

Every single time the right, or even center-left, goes ballistic over a "woke" controversy, the slightest bit of investigation shows the scandal is almost entirely bogus. This is not a new phenomenon; it dates back decades. It's an intentional tool used to protect the powerful and preserve the status quo, while further scapegoating and otherizing those who push for political progress. This podcast digs into not just today's fake scandals, but those of yesterday and yesteryear. The terminology has changed some, but the pattern has not. Listen in as host Thomas Smith shines a light on the panic, the fragility, the overreaction, and the lying that ignites 'Where There's Woke.'

Information

  • Creator
    Thomas Smith
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    136
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Where There's Woke

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