Brianna you make your own problems , you are a man in a dress don't expect me to call you a woman , I respect your right to dress however you want but I will not bend reality to suit your view of yourself you are a man in a dress accept it I have . I am not going to beat you or kick your ass I would step in and protect you if some A-hole decided to beat on you . No good person cares if you "think" you are a woman and want to dress as one . Don't get the law after me because I refuse to call you a woman
I have to agree with Bari, this was the best interview of Honesty I have ever seen. I must say that I knew “of” Brianna Wu back in gamer gate (Being a gamer myself). And 100% agreed back then that the culture of gamer gate was disgusting and so bad. I mean what else do you expect when everyone you play online is a cursing and swearing 10 year old COD player. Anyways, I never knew of Brianna’s back story (origin story). What she has gone through and done with her life is truly amazing. I don’t know anyone who has gone through so much hardship then Brianna and to still be a functioning human being really speaks to her will power, and drive. Brianna I truly to appreciate all the support you have given Israel and to the Jewish community but most of all I am glade you are able to see and to speak out about all the bat shit crazy stuff in the progressive movement. Its not easy to see the flaws of your movement and speak out but it great to see you trying to be advocate for change that matters.
Interesting and enjoyable conversation, although I find it strange that Bari and Brianna still can’t quite accept the reality of the left and finally move on. Antisemitism is grounded on the left, identify politics is a left-wing religion, anti free speech, anti-women, the deep state, etc. — all left. Free yourself.
what enables someone to be resilient? What factors or character traits will help a person be resilient vs what leads someone to stay rooted in "trauma" or PTSD.
A main factor is whether the person takes on the "victim" role or not. If you view yourself as a victim and take that on as a regular thought or even identity, you are much more likely to have the events or circumstances remain paramount in your life and to continue to affect or limit you. This is the main reason I hate it that our current culture delights in labeling people as "victims". As if we are being kind or helpful with that label. When is "victim" ever an empowering label or identity?? Labels that disempower a person or a group are a negative thing.
Brianna is a good example of resiliency.
A second issue they discussed: the way to shut down conversation - what are we doing that shuts down conversation or compromise amongst each other> Brianna points out we need to acknowledge and respect each other's humanity. I agree. The other way to put this: once you label the other person "amoral" or "immoral" - you have shut down any conversation. You can't "converse" with immorality. When we label each other and start talking in terms of morality (bigot, racist, and yes, 'Hitler', etc) we are not going to converse or ever get to a compromise. Again, as Brianna points out, we must see each other's humanity and make the effort to understand where that person is coming from, what they value. Our sound bite culture does not make this easy.
Brianna's feelings on baby Hitler, or whatever her disparaging remark was about Trump, ring loud and clear. And you explored the lefts failures w Israeli policy etc. The obvious follow up question I had was what she thought of Trump's, or at least the rights, policy proposals vis a vis Middle East etc.
another comment: the only thing Brianna said that did not seem accurate to me was about the inability to get HRT in Florida. I have been an RN x 47 years so I am somewhat informed about prescriptions etc. Estradiol is a common drug and not a controlled substance. Probably available in 3 months supply with most insurance delivered per mail. I don't understand why being in Florida would present a problem
Thanks for an interesting and informative show. Brianna was articulate and thoughtful and, as always, content like this allows me the opportunity to think about my own positions, and reality check them against opinions from very different people. [I also admit that the family mediator in me would love to have the opportunity to interview Brianna, and as a type of family in conflict, see if there was a way to reunify her with her parents (reunification, in this context, doesn’t mean lovefest in the first conversation. Rather, it means finding and/or creating pathways for communication, and facilitating the first safe conversation they’ve had in some time. That would be quite a conversation, even if, at the end, their only agreement was to remain estranged from each other. But I digress)].
I am disappointed that Bari is giving voice to this man pretending to be a woman. All the make-up and nail polish can't make Frank a woman. I had never heard of this guy, but the minute he opened his mouth, I knew he was a man.
Even if I agree with some of his politics - i.e. leaving the progressive insanity - the fact that he is cosplaying as a woman cancels him and his views.
Super disappointed , but do they care ? no they have made their money . Typical they are as bad or worse than Trump at least he came though on some of his promises in 2016 Bari you made loads of money enjoy it
“She’s a trans woman who …. thinks many trans activists have alienated … feminists.”
Given feminists are the folks who have spent the last several decades vilifying men (and popularizing the “toxic masculinity” dog-whistle) I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. The absolute worst argument against trans activism is the purported evils men-acting-as-women may do. Do bad people do bad things? Of course: but most people - even most trans people - aren’t bad.
Instead, the problem with trans activism is its made up “science” (there really are only two sexes folks) & its belief that children are old enough to make permanent, life altering decisions about their sexuality and reproductive future. If it wouldn’t be for the child component, I really wouldn’t care. A distant 3rd concern in my mind is the sport concern (and I put that as a concern for BOTH men’s sports & women’s sports).
But no matter how many anecdotes folks dig up, I won’t for a moment consider “safety” as a reason the trans activists have lost the plot. And don’t get me started on the old school, puritanical argument vis-a-vie nudity.
No, the primary problem in my mind is their “affirming” policies towards children. Let kids be kids. If little Jimmy wants to wear a dress, that’s one thing… it’s totally something else to push the belief that little Jimmy is old enough to decide whether he’ll ever want children.
She is an interesting guest. You should definitely have a follow-up episode with her and Jesse Singal so they can discuss their perspectives on youth gender dysphoria and gender medicine.
Bari: Time for you to have a dialogue with Anne Applebaum and debate which is the biggest threat to our nation on Nov 5: an authoritarian presidency or the "woke" progressives.
I’m a filmmaker and my most recent film is a two-part documentary about GamerGate. Your colleague Leighton Woodhouse over at Public has seen the film and praised it for showing him what he “totally missed/got wrong” about the GamerGate controversy:
It focuses on the Society of Professional Journalists mediated panel discussion on the controversy in August of 2015. After several hours of discussion representatives from the SPJ and the Poynter Institute agreed; GamerGate’s concerns about unethical journalism were legitimate, and the media misrepresented the movement. The discussion was interrupted by ten bomb threats in a single day. Local authorities evacuated the venue along with the surrounding city block. It received virtually no national media coverage.
I almost didn’t include her in the film at all because she factors so little it is ridiculous. She inserted herself into GamerGate because she is a non-entity in the video game industry. Her only credit is a single iOS shovelware title which looks like it was programmed by a first-year game arts student throwing together random Unity assets. The fact that she gets so much coverage in the press as a “female video game developer” is an insult to talented women like Jade Raymond, Amy Hennig, Roberta Williams, etc.
The only thing that Brianna Wu is famous for is making claims of being “harassed” by GamerGate, the evidence of which is paltry. The FBI investigated GamerGate and found ZERO actionable threats. And in their report they speak of one person who sent threats to themselves. It has been speculated that this was Brianna Wu, because she was caught in the act several times before. Meanwhile I know of many pro-GamerGate women and minorities who were subject to vicious threats and insults on social media. They didn't receive any attention from the media because, as feminist pro-GamerGate spokesperson Christian Hoff Sommers states in my film, "the narrative matters more than the truth."
However I was stunned that she suggested "Destiny" (Steven Bonnell) as a voice to look to in progressive politics. He celebrated the assassination attempt on Trump, and mocked the death of audience member Corey Comperatore. Not just in an off the cuff remark, but after careful consideration he doubled down on his remarks. I was stunned that Sam Harris had "Destiny" on his show after that. "Destiny" is a person that should be shunned by any serious person, not celebrated.
WOW - To be honest, never heard of Brianna. The podcast description grabbed my attention. I am a firm believer in listening to others, especially when they don't agree with me. That is how I learn, that is how a lot of my believes have changed over the years. I listened to the entire episode. I truly enjoyed it. I learned a ton. Shout out to Bari for asking her question and stopping. I loved that. I hate when hosts ask a question, that takes 3 minutes because they are framing the question with their opinion. So refreshing to hear what Brianna had to say, and she was great. Enjoyed hearing her prospective. thanks for another great podcast.
I plead with TFP to please not platform Mr. Wu. It’s a mistake.
Brianna you make your own problems , you are a man in a dress don't expect me to call you a woman , I respect your right to dress however you want but I will not bend reality to suit your view of yourself you are a man in a dress accept it I have . I am not going to beat you or kick your ass I would step in and protect you if some A-hole decided to beat on you . No good person cares if you "think" you are a woman and want to dress as one . Don't get the law after me because I refuse to call you a woman
I have to agree with Bari, this was the best interview of Honesty I have ever seen. I must say that I knew “of” Brianna Wu back in gamer gate (Being a gamer myself). And 100% agreed back then that the culture of gamer gate was disgusting and so bad. I mean what else do you expect when everyone you play online is a cursing and swearing 10 year old COD player. Anyways, I never knew of Brianna’s back story (origin story). What she has gone through and done with her life is truly amazing. I don’t know anyone who has gone through so much hardship then Brianna and to still be a functioning human being really speaks to her will power, and drive. Brianna I truly to appreciate all the support you have given Israel and to the Jewish community but most of all I am glade you are able to see and to speak out about all the bat shit crazy stuff in the progressive movement. Its not easy to see the flaws of your movement and speak out but it great to see you trying to be advocate for change that matters.
Wu is still such an abusive extremist on gender issues. Listening to him on the Heterodorx podcast makes it seem like he was dishonest on Honestly.
Interesting and enjoyable conversation, although I find it strange that Bari and Brianna still can’t quite accept the reality of the left and finally move on. Antisemitism is grounded on the left, identify politics is a left-wing religion, anti free speech, anti-women, the deep state, etc. — all left. Free yourself.
Two issues that were discussed:
what enables someone to be resilient? What factors or character traits will help a person be resilient vs what leads someone to stay rooted in "trauma" or PTSD.
A main factor is whether the person takes on the "victim" role or not. If you view yourself as a victim and take that on as a regular thought or even identity, you are much more likely to have the events or circumstances remain paramount in your life and to continue to affect or limit you. This is the main reason I hate it that our current culture delights in labeling people as "victims". As if we are being kind or helpful with that label. When is "victim" ever an empowering label or identity?? Labels that disempower a person or a group are a negative thing.
Brianna is a good example of resiliency.
A second issue they discussed: the way to shut down conversation - what are we doing that shuts down conversation or compromise amongst each other> Brianna points out we need to acknowledge and respect each other's humanity. I agree. The other way to put this: once you label the other person "amoral" or "immoral" - you have shut down any conversation. You can't "converse" with immorality. When we label each other and start talking in terms of morality (bigot, racist, and yes, 'Hitler', etc) we are not going to converse or ever get to a compromise. Again, as Brianna points out, we must see each other's humanity and make the effort to understand where that person is coming from, what they value. Our sound bite culture does not make this easy.
Brianna's feelings on baby Hitler, or whatever her disparaging remark was about Trump, ring loud and clear. And you explored the lefts failures w Israeli policy etc. The obvious follow up question I had was what she thought of Trump's, or at least the rights, policy proposals vis a vis Middle East etc.
another comment: the only thing Brianna said that did not seem accurate to me was about the inability to get HRT in Florida. I have been an RN x 47 years so I am somewhat informed about prescriptions etc. Estradiol is a common drug and not a controlled substance. Probably available in 3 months supply with most insurance delivered per mail. I don't understand why being in Florida would present a problem
Thanks for an interesting and informative show. Brianna was articulate and thoughtful and, as always, content like this allows me the opportunity to think about my own positions, and reality check them against opinions from very different people. [I also admit that the family mediator in me would love to have the opportunity to interview Brianna, and as a type of family in conflict, see if there was a way to reunify her with her parents (reunification, in this context, doesn’t mean lovefest in the first conversation. Rather, it means finding and/or creating pathways for communication, and facilitating the first safe conversation they’ve had in some time. That would be quite a conversation, even if, at the end, their only agreement was to remain estranged from each other. But I digress)].
I am disappointed that Bari is giving voice to this man pretending to be a woman. All the make-up and nail polish can't make Frank a woman. I had never heard of this guy, but the minute he opened his mouth, I knew he was a man.
Even if I agree with some of his politics - i.e. leaving the progressive insanity - the fact that he is cosplaying as a woman cancels him and his views.
Bari - disappointed in n you.
Super disappointed , but do they care ? no they have made their money . Typical they are as bad or worse than Trump at least he came though on some of his promises in 2016 Bari you made loads of money enjoy it
Interesting, I wouldn't have known if she hadn't disclosed it
“She’s a trans woman who …. thinks many trans activists have alienated … feminists.”
Given feminists are the folks who have spent the last several decades vilifying men (and popularizing the “toxic masculinity” dog-whistle) I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. The absolute worst argument against trans activism is the purported evils men-acting-as-women may do. Do bad people do bad things? Of course: but most people - even most trans people - aren’t bad.
Instead, the problem with trans activism is its made up “science” (there really are only two sexes folks) & its belief that children are old enough to make permanent, life altering decisions about their sexuality and reproductive future. If it wouldn’t be for the child component, I really wouldn’t care. A distant 3rd concern in my mind is the sport concern (and I put that as a concern for BOTH men’s sports & women’s sports).
But no matter how many anecdotes folks dig up, I won’t for a moment consider “safety” as a reason the trans activists have lost the plot. And don’t get me started on the old school, puritanical argument vis-a-vie nudity.
No, the primary problem in my mind is their “affirming” policies towards children. Let kids be kids. If little Jimmy wants to wear a dress, that’s one thing… it’s totally something else to push the belief that little Jimmy is old enough to decide whether he’ll ever want children.
She is an interesting guest. You should definitely have a follow-up episode with her and Jesse Singal so they can discuss their perspectives on youth gender dysphoria and gender medicine.
Bari: Time for you to have a dialogue with Anne Applebaum and debate which is the biggest threat to our nation on Nov 5: an authoritarian presidency or the "woke" progressives.
I’d argue that “woke progressives” are authoritarians… that’s the problem with wokism.
Hello Bari Weiss,
I’m a filmmaker and my most recent film is a two-part documentary about GamerGate. Your colleague Leighton Woodhouse over at Public has seen the film and praised it for showing him what he “totally missed/got wrong” about the GamerGate controversy:
https://x.com/lwoodhouse/status/1718370930404254085?s=46&t=4yGRpI-RBFz_CQRkumh-rw
It focuses on the Society of Professional Journalists mediated panel discussion on the controversy in August of 2015. After several hours of discussion representatives from the SPJ and the Poynter Institute agreed; GamerGate’s concerns about unethical journalism were legitimate, and the media misrepresented the movement. The discussion was interrupted by ten bomb threats in a single day. Local authorities evacuated the venue along with the surrounding city block. It received virtually no national media coverage.
I almost didn’t include her in the film at all because she factors so little it is ridiculous. She inserted herself into GamerGate because she is a non-entity in the video game industry. Her only credit is a single iOS shovelware title which looks like it was programmed by a first-year game arts student throwing together random Unity assets. The fact that she gets so much coverage in the press as a “female video game developer” is an insult to talented women like Jade Raymond, Amy Hennig, Roberta Williams, etc.
The only thing that Brianna Wu is famous for is making claims of being “harassed” by GamerGate, the evidence of which is paltry. The FBI investigated GamerGate and found ZERO actionable threats. And in their report they speak of one person who sent threats to themselves. It has been speculated that this was Brianna Wu, because she was caught in the act several times before. Meanwhile I know of many pro-GamerGate women and minorities who were subject to vicious threats and insults on social media. They didn't receive any attention from the media because, as feminist pro-GamerGate spokesperson Christian Hoff Sommers states in my film, "the narrative matters more than the truth."
She is an interesting person, and very bright.
However I was stunned that she suggested "Destiny" (Steven Bonnell) as a voice to look to in progressive politics. He celebrated the assassination attempt on Trump, and mocked the death of audience member Corey Comperatore. Not just in an off the cuff remark, but after careful consideration he doubled down on his remarks. I was stunned that Sam Harris had "Destiny" on his show after that. "Destiny" is a person that should be shunned by any serious person, not celebrated.
WOW - To be honest, never heard of Brianna. The podcast description grabbed my attention. I am a firm believer in listening to others, especially when they don't agree with me. That is how I learn, that is how a lot of my believes have changed over the years. I listened to the entire episode. I truly enjoyed it. I learned a ton. Shout out to Bari for asking her question and stopping. I loved that. I hate when hosts ask a question, that takes 3 minutes because they are framing the question with their opinion. So refreshing to hear what Brianna had to say, and she was great. Enjoyed hearing her prospective. thanks for another great podcast.
Well said. I feel the same.