1 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:20,519 We're back with another edition of the Federalist Radio Hour. I'm Legistansky, culture 2 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:23,519 editor here at the Federalist. As always, you can email the show at 3 00:00:23,559 --> 00:00:26,800 radio at the Federalist dot com, follow us on exit fdr LST, make 4 00:00:26,839 --> 00:00:29,559 sure to subscribe wherever you download your podcasts, and of course, if you 5 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:32,679 want to support our work over at the premium version of our website as well. 6 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:36,759 The assault on your ears that just occurred was courtesy of none other than 7 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:45,000 a slightly and I say slightly with a just a hint of mockery. Christopher 8 00:00:45,039 --> 00:00:49,200 Bedford, who's slightly hungover, is here slamming on his keyboard because he just 9 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,240 poured a little hair of the dog and is ready to go. I actually 10 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,119 thought you were going to start over. Oh no, no, yeah with 11 00:00:55,159 --> 00:00:59,520 it. Yeah, that's usually hard. Nobody ever knows how these intros are 12 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,000 going to go. Some are better than others, I will say it. 13 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,519 Chris is here too, in Christmas pants, by the way, Brooks Brothers 14 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:11,239 Christmas pants corduroys, so very festive. Someone's brought a point seta into the 15 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,879 office, so we're feeling like Christmas. And that wasn't you decorating for your 16 00:01:14,879 --> 00:01:17,680 little Christmas party. No, that was not me, that was someone else. 17 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,519 It's probably Molly who actually makes us leave the Christmas lights up all year. 18 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,560 I tried to take them down before the full twelve days of Christmas had 19 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,079 elapsed once and Molly Hemingway was like, now you're leaving the strand up all 20 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:36,799 year. That's because Molly doesn't. She follows the old code of not getting 21 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:38,680 ready, not letting in the Christmas lights, I think until Christmas Eve. 22 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,680 She's one of those people. Yeah, but I'm not against the tradition. 23 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,400 I am against how self right. Just all the followers up the tradition are 24 00:01:46,439 --> 00:01:48,760 they're kind of like, oh, they love it. It's so performative. 25 00:01:48,799 --> 00:01:51,680 Not Molly, not Molly, not Molly bet It's like, how do you 26 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,159 know if someone's a vegan because they tell you every two seconds. Yeah. 27 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:59,000 So, actually this is a good place to start, because Chris suggested we 28 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:05,959 talk about the Jill Biden tweet of a highly produced video from the White House 29 00:02:06,079 --> 00:02:10,719 from her Christmas decorations, which have it's become a tradition that the first Lady's 30 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:17,479 Christmas decorations since Milania Trump have become are now part of the sort of daily 31 00:02:17,759 --> 00:02:24,000 political football game that we play here in this country, and Milania's decorations obviously 32 00:02:24,039 --> 00:02:30,840 were I think unfairly derided year after year. The Christmas decorations this year have 33 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:36,400 i think probably fairly gotten derided. And I'm not saying that as a partisan, 34 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,080 because of course, I feel no need to defend Malania Trump nor attack 35 00:02:39,199 --> 00:02:44,960 Jill Biden other than for any political reasons other than the fact that Milania Trump 36 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:51,520 was legitimately gorgeous and was unfairly smeared, and doctor Jill Biden has some I 37 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:57,280 think some weird habits, perfectly presentable, lovely woman, but these decorations are 38 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:02,439 so fake and plastic that they perfectly match the fake and plastic nutcracker What did 39 00:03:02,479 --> 00:03:06,800 they call it? A playful interpretation of the Nutcracker suite that was posted from 40 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:10,240 Joe Biden's Twitter account just this week. Chris, I think that's I want 41 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:15,599 to start right there, because you suggested we talk about this video, and 42 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:21,080 I actually thinks it's worth watching for everyone because there's something very off putting about 43 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,360 it, and I think it's the fakeness of the whole aesthetic. Yeah. 44 00:03:24,759 --> 00:03:29,120 Well, first of all, Emily, it's doctor Joe Biden doctor Joe Biden, 45 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:31,960 our next Surgeon General. As what PI Goldberg once said, Yeah, 46 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,520 there's a weird feeling to it when you watch it. It seems like the 47 00:03:36,639 --> 00:03:39,280 characters who are dancing through it could be you know that scene in The Shining 48 00:03:39,319 --> 00:03:43,319 when everything's starting to come apart and they see like the bear in the hotel 49 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,599 room and the weird stuff's going on, like the ghosts, like the weird 50 00:03:46,639 --> 00:03:49,919 things that have happened in the hotel start to resurface. Yeah, any one 51 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,479 of those characters could have danced by that scene in The Shining. It's got 52 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,879 kind of like a David Lunch feel to it. Yeah, that's what I 53 00:03:57,919 --> 00:04:05,800 was thinking. Yes, just was really off putting, creepy, somewhat sexualized 54 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:12,080 in a weird manner. You know. Malania was maligned for her Christmas decoration. 55 00:04:12,199 --> 00:04:15,520 She went pretty hard with red, which is a traditional, especially in 56 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,959 Europe, Catholic color, and she's Catholic first lady. But one of the 57 00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:23,519 things I loved about it was how traditional a lot of the actual decorations were. 58 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:28,519 When you walked through the White House, she had like a manger that 59 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:33,040 would have been in place in the Vatican. It was maybe twelve feet high, 60 00:04:33,199 --> 00:04:38,319 just stunning. I don't really see that in this And I don't mind 61 00:04:39,879 --> 00:04:43,839 Christmas geared towards kids a little bit, and some of the decorations, like 62 00:04:43,879 --> 00:04:47,160 I've got some campy stuff outside. My wife is actually worried. Father Hathaway 63 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:51,519 this past Sunday was selling people. It was actually great homily. You know, 64 00:04:51,519 --> 00:04:54,720 it wasn't one of those just feel good. It was hey. By 65 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,759 the way, Christmas spirit is not measured. And how long the line is 66 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,480 for communion, but for how long the line is for confession. We are 67 00:05:00,519 --> 00:05:05,040 preparing, you know, don't be drunk when God comes. Obviously missed that 68 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:08,879 one. Last night. I was kind of saying, but there's one cool 69 00:05:08,879 --> 00:05:11,959 thing. He said, why do we have all these blow up Rudolph's and 70 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:16,040 Frosty's. How about a blow up John the Baptist. He's the real person, 71 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,759 And apparently there is a blow up John the Baptist you can get. 72 00:05:20,079 --> 00:05:24,279 And he leaned into the microphone and said, call your neighbors to repent for 73 00:05:24,360 --> 00:05:29,600 Christmas. And Sarah knew that moment you were target that I was going to 74 00:05:29,959 --> 00:05:32,879 buy a blow up John the Baptist for next year's Christmas with a big repent. 75 00:05:33,720 --> 00:05:38,000 Now, I actually don't mind like some of the I actually kind of 76 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:44,720 like some of the secular celebrations of Christmas. There's something that's really amazing that 77 00:05:45,399 --> 00:05:50,560 something happened in Bethlehem two thousand years ago that brought so much pure joy into 78 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:57,040 this world that people who are secular, people who don't aren't even Christian, 79 00:05:57,079 --> 00:06:01,240 can still feel it. Like it changes the whole mood of winter across all 80 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,480 of Christendom. I'm happy for people to celebrate it. I like the ascetic, 81 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:10,319 but I just feel like there's an ugliness that was in this video, 82 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:15,519 in this art a like you said, a plastic fakeness. It wasn't It 83 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:19,439 was like it was devoid of Christianity, and it wasn't joyful. It was 84 00:06:19,439 --> 00:06:21,680 weird. I know that there was a time and place where like tap dance, 85 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,680 sitting clowns and stuff are like really cool. I'm kind of part of 86 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,480 Christmas, but not anymore. It's just it was the whole thing, was 87 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:30,160 David Lynchian strange. Yeah, well, a couple of points on that. 88 00:06:30,319 --> 00:06:35,040 The reason I thought it was entirely fair to talk about this video is because 89 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:40,199 it's connected to something deeper and as I was watching it prepared to be like, 90 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,519 oh, why are all these people freaking out about this video? It's 91 00:06:42,639 --> 00:06:45,040 you know, it's not that big of a deal. It's not that big 92 00:06:45,079 --> 00:06:48,720 of a deal, but it does I think bear some deeper symbolism in that. 93 00:06:49,199 --> 00:06:54,759 The thing that I was trying to put my finger on is you're looking 94 00:06:54,759 --> 00:06:59,519 at these decorations that are kind of pastel and really cheap looking, and that's 95 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,959 I did go to the White House last Christmas, and I thought the decorations 96 00:07:03,079 --> 00:07:06,240 that the Bidens did, and who knows how much you know, sway the 97 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:11,199 First Lady themselves or anybody sort of political in the White House has over the 98 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,800 decorations anyway. But I thought the decorations were lovely. I thought they were 99 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:16,959 totally fine. I was actually surprised by how traditionalistic they were. But in 100 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:20,160 this vie, Christmas tree is so nice this year. In this video, 101 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:26,879 you you see like these it looks like candy Land almost, but like a 102 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,040 really I was just thinking candy Land, like David Lynch does candy Land into 103 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:32,800 a fever dream to make you feel off. If that what it is, 104 00:07:33,079 --> 00:07:36,959 If this was happening in your dream and you woke up, you would you'd 105 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,040 be frightened. You would probably consider it having been a nightmare. You know. 106 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:42,959 Some of those dreams are just on the line, but this one was 107 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,120 like the unease. And some people were talking about sort of the like the 108 00:07:46,639 --> 00:07:53,240 gender ambiguity of the different tap dancers and the video and yeah, maybe there's 109 00:07:53,279 --> 00:07:55,839 something there. I don't know. I mean, I think dance has always 110 00:07:55,839 --> 00:07:59,600 had some dance and theater has always sort of played with sex and gender. 111 00:07:59,639 --> 00:08:03,560 But in in this case, what really struck me was how cheap the decorations 112 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:05,399 look. It's like, this is the White House and this is a video 113 00:08:05,399 --> 00:08:09,240 that you were intentionally putting out to the world. It reminded me of this 114 00:08:09,279 --> 00:08:13,800 Walter Kern column he wrote about how everything you're getting for Christmas this year basically 115 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:20,560 is cheap and falls apart and nothing works anymore. That might even have been 116 00:08:20,759 --> 00:08:22,680 the title to Calumn Something extended, like nothing works anymore. And this is 117 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,839 a huge bugaboo for you, Chris. This is something that you and your 118 00:08:26,879 --> 00:08:30,560 friend Daniel Turner Over are probably spent a lot of money on kids gifts this 119 00:08:30,639 --> 00:08:35,120 year. Yes, Sannah Man, he's been working real hard in those Malaysian 120 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:43,000 factory. Yeah, Okay, well, Chris, that's what in the decorations. 121 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:48,960 It's like, we can't even have nice things in the most intentional white 122 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,200 house decor of the year. It has to look like garbage, Like this 123 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:54,360 is what they're putting out to the world. And it feels like to me, 124 00:08:54,440 --> 00:09:01,879 we're just getting conditioned to accept the sort of fast fashion all around us, 125 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,679 and we don't have to get into a conversation about H and M. 126 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,200 Because I know a lot of people who really like their H and M. 127 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:09,679 And every once in a while you get a piece of clothing from H and 128 00:09:09,799 --> 00:09:13,840 M that survives for years. Now, that is an exception to the rule, 129 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,840 I would say. But at the same time, it's like we're just 130 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,879 living in the cheapest times. We have no gratitude for what we actually do 131 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:24,360 have, and it's weird at Christmas for all of that to kind of come 132 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,919 to a head. I mean, I think the gender bending aspect of this, 133 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:35,080 or the gender fluid or ambiguity, is part of it, and it's 134 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:39,720 important when it comes from you have to consider the messenger. Because Jill Biden 135 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:46,960 the Democrats have removed innocence from a lot of things intentionally, literally drag Queen 136 00:09:46,039 --> 00:09:50,799 Story Hour, the weirdness of some of the White House intern videos. They've 137 00:09:50,879 --> 00:10:01,159 made gender performative and gay cross dressing things that an icon of their campaign of 138 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:07,159 who they are, who they stand for as a Democratic Party. And these 139 00:10:07,159 --> 00:10:09,240 people that they've run the art world, they run the theater world. They 140 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:16,039 run talking to anyone who's over conservative or Christian nature. Left in the classical 141 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,720 music, left in the Kennedy Center circles, left in theater, it's a 142 00:10:20,759 --> 00:10:24,120 wasteland. It's like you're targeted. These places have been taken over for political 143 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:30,360 posturing. In these art troops, like performatively political mediocrities, like midwestern, 144 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,639 mid sized city orchestras have been taken over by like Black Lives Matter, George 145 00:10:35,639 --> 00:10:39,960 Floyd says, say her name stuff. It's it's infiltrated, every single aspect 146 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:45,799 of it. And for a long time, I mean since since mid mid 147 00:10:45,799 --> 00:10:48,639 twentieth century, basically since after World War Two, there's been a certain malice 148 00:10:50,279 --> 00:10:54,240 in art that's been introduced in the art. Malice for the regular people at 149 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:58,200 malice for those who who get who are made uncomfortable by it. And they've 150 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,679 perfected it, they've got they've done it so well. I mean, there's 151 00:11:00,679 --> 00:11:03,720 something, there is something in this video. I don't think I'm just being 152 00:11:03,279 --> 00:11:07,440 one of those like right wing reactionary people like I am hard to tell anymore 153 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,559 I am. But for example, I've never I never got on the Daily 154 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,200 Alarm. While years of the Daily Caller, I never criticized the president for 155 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:16,720 taking a vacation, which is like it's just a seasonal back and forth, 156 00:11:16,759 --> 00:11:20,559 like every time the other party is in the White House vacation, it's becomes 157 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:24,000 like dereliction of duty, as if, as if, like America is safer 158 00:11:24,039 --> 00:11:30,840 if Barack Obama's in Washington or if Joe Biden is in Washington. But you 159 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,440 watch this and I'm reminded of that line the Tucker said at the Daily Calor 160 00:11:35,519 --> 00:11:39,399 News Foundation gala, which is, if something feels creepy, someone feels creepy, 161 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:45,000 they are We're animals. We have this sense. You know, when 162 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,080 you get in that uber and the guy looks at you funny and you're like 163 00:11:48,399 --> 00:11:52,240 weirded out and creeped out, it's because he's being creepy. It's most often 164 00:11:52,559 --> 00:11:54,240 not in your head. And when you watch this video, you see it 165 00:11:54,240 --> 00:12:01,440 there's some kind of just underlying malice towards Jenny. Maybe I'm crazy, maybe 166 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,639 I'm just being totally crazy, but it could be a little both. To 167 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,559 be fair, just because your paranoid doesn't mean they're not to get you, 168 00:12:07,279 --> 00:12:09,559 to get you. I wasn't at the Daily Caller gala that you just mentioned, 169 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:13,879 but Chris, it was a hard invite. Chris Is introduced Tucker at 170 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:20,519 the American Principles Project ball last week, and Chris started by telling Terry Schilling 171 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:24,519 over at app and this is in front of the whole room. I thought 172 00:12:24,519 --> 00:12:28,600 Tucker was kind of an odd choice for the speaker tonight's ball, given that 173 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:37,080 he founded the conservative movement's premiere pornography website, the Daily Porn Site. And 174 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,879 that was an excellent line. You told a story about how you one time, 175 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:46,120 like out of all sincerity around like twenty eleven, twenty twelve, early 176 00:12:46,159 --> 00:12:50,879 in my DC career, you walked into Tucker's office asking if he could help 177 00:12:50,919 --> 00:12:54,840 you, just sweet and innocent tie your bow tie. And he looked at 178 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,799 you and said, shut the f up because he thought you were messing with 179 00:12:56,879 --> 00:13:01,279 him. Yeah, he was dead serious. He was angry, just wld 180 00:13:01,320 --> 00:13:03,879 me to get the f out of there. So good and I did. 181 00:13:03,279 --> 00:13:09,440 I Actually it took me like a couple of hours to realize why he was 182 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:13,519 angry, because we're in a big crossfire viewer. When you've been yeah, 183 00:13:15,279 --> 00:13:18,919 when you've been made fun of for years from wearing a bow tie, I 184 00:13:18,919 --> 00:13:22,799 guess it like gets deep inside of you. And he thought I was making 185 00:13:22,879 --> 00:13:28,000 fun of him. You know, Neil Patel, who's just started Tucker Carlson 186 00:13:28,039 --> 00:13:31,799 Network with with Tucker as executive. He ended up having to save me that 187 00:13:31,879 --> 00:13:33,679 dick. I never tied a bow tie. And we had to go to 188 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:39,720 some gala in DC, and he came into the bathroom and saw me with 189 00:13:39,759 --> 00:13:41,720 like a drink there trying to tie it in the men's room, and he 190 00:13:41,759 --> 00:13:45,399 came back in and out like forty five minutes later, and I was still 191 00:13:45,399 --> 00:13:48,879 there trying to tie this thing and sweating at this point, and he came 192 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,159 up and he goes, all right, don't tell anyone about this, and 193 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:54,720 he ties it on my neck and watching and he just d the story hundreds 194 00:13:54,720 --> 00:14:00,799 of times. He just sort of slides behind you and takes your hands with 195 00:14:00,879 --> 00:14:03,279 the pottery, but with a bow tie. I hadn't had somebody tie a 196 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:07,120 tie around my neck since I was like seven or eight, like my dad 197 00:14:07,159 --> 00:14:09,480 like cout me my hair for church and tie and the tie on. Uh. 198 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,759 It was since then the way I actually learned. So if you ever 199 00:14:13,759 --> 00:14:18,200 had you've never had a tie bow tie? No, but I've watched people 200 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:20,200 try to tie bow ties before and it seems unamenviable. You look at the 201 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:24,519 instructions and step that makes sense, step that makes sense, step that makes 202 00:14:24,519 --> 00:14:28,639 sense, magic step, step that makes sense, and that that magic step 203 00:14:28,679 --> 00:14:33,320 is the hardest one. I actually learned from will Upton because he was seriously 204 00:14:33,399 --> 00:14:37,919 overserved and slow moving at a Christmas party one year, and for some reason 205 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:39,799 he thought it'd be a cool party trick to show that he could tie a 206 00:14:39,799 --> 00:14:43,759 bow tie with his eyes closed, and his hands and thumbs were so slow 207 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:48,039 moving that I was actually able to watch it and learn. You have this 208 00:14:48,120 --> 00:14:52,559 weird habit of dropping names that nobody like. It's if you are in Chris 209 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:58,720 Bedford friendship circles, you know them, but other people like, oh yes, 210 00:14:58,159 --> 00:15:01,600 will Upton was inebriated at a party once and had slow moving hands. 211 00:15:03,039 --> 00:15:07,039 I don't know what grew up in was a fixture of early twenty ten Christmas 212 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:11,720 party scenes Chris Bedford Christmas Party, I speak, King of Christmas part I. 213 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,679 It was kind of it's kind of cringing now to look at it. 214 00:15:13,679 --> 00:15:18,840 I had a spreadsheet. We used to swap invitations like who can who can 215 00:15:18,879 --> 00:15:22,919 go drink Manhattan's on Google's dime? At the Christmas parties in DC used to 216 00:15:22,919 --> 00:15:28,519 be pretty over the top. Two I think that really changed with Trump coming 217 00:15:28,559 --> 00:15:33,240 in. It's absolutely true, and that's a I never went back either. 218 00:15:33,399 --> 00:15:35,440 Yeah, and that nobody should have any sympathy for us. But it is 219 00:15:35,519 --> 00:15:39,360 very true that the DC party set in general has totally dried up because it's 220 00:15:39,399 --> 00:15:46,399 really segregated by partisanship. And I'm glad that we're not drinking on Google's dime 221 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:48,120 anymore. To be I don't need I mean, I don't need to. 222 00:15:48,879 --> 00:15:52,559 In twenty ten, when I was making daily collar wages, I needed to 223 00:15:52,559 --> 00:15:56,600 get fined free alcohol. I wanted to drink anything more than like a forty 224 00:15:56,639 --> 00:16:00,120 ounce. Now I don't have to hang out with those people there were Did 225 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,559 you ever go to the train one at Union Station? Yeah? It was 226 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,360 excellent. They rent out a hall, platform, have music, have food 227 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:12,720 stands, and they had they have a which president was it. Roosevelt's old 228 00:16:12,759 --> 00:16:18,279 train car or presidential train car was there and you could go in there. 229 00:16:18,639 --> 00:16:22,519 So all this is to say, there's the benefit of some of those events 230 00:16:22,559 --> 00:16:26,279 was that you actually did mingle with people you know at the time who were 231 00:16:26,279 --> 00:16:30,120 at like Huffington Post or it was just things were different. Nothing Post invited 232 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,320 the Daily Collar to their office opening. Yeah. Yeah, this was back 233 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,679 before before the Empire. This is like obviously inside baseball ster, but there's 234 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,200 something interesting about it, and it actually reminded me, Chris. One of 235 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:45,480 the first things that you actually helped me publish when this was probably twenty fifteen, 236 00:16:45,559 --> 00:16:48,759 I think it was Christmas twenty fifteen, and it was when the sort 237 00:16:48,759 --> 00:16:56,120 of conversation about cultural appropriation was rampant on college campuses. I just graduated and 238 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:00,759 there were all of these like micro stories of people getting canceled for wearing headdresses 239 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:06,000 or going as Pocahontas for Halloween, or you're going to Coachella wearing a headdress, 240 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:08,720 or having a Sinko demile party where you advertise tequila. Like this was 241 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:12,920 happening all across college campuses. Nobody was really paying attention, and you helped 242 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:18,920 me publish a piece in The Caller actually about cultural appropriation for a Christian holiday 243 00:17:19,039 --> 00:17:22,799 like Christmas. Like, if the Left wants to take this argument about cultural 244 00:17:22,839 --> 00:17:32,720 appropriation to its logical conclusion, then you are all like brutally appropriating and carelessly 245 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:38,559 and thoughtlessly appropriating Christian culture for your secular Christmas celebrations. And I've thought about 246 00:17:38,559 --> 00:17:42,119 that a couple of times over the years, and I don't take back a 247 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,279 word of the column. I think it stands. I think it's good, 248 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,039 and I think this was in the piece. It's good that this is an 249 00:17:48,079 --> 00:17:51,759 access point for people that maybe when the one time of year they go to 250 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,960 churches on Christmas and favor Yeah, I agree. I agree. We're going 251 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:59,319 to be in real trouble when the secular world just moves on from Christmas. 252 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:02,359 No, I agree with that. We already are in trouble. I agree 253 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:03,920 with that. I do think I did used to have to work on Christmas 254 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,880 at the Daily Callar because it was lower and it was easy. You just 255 00:18:08,799 --> 00:18:12,160 every time you had to work a holiday, you just wait. You'd write 256 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:17,839 the story Barack Obama doesn't mention God in Christmas address, and you'd wait till 257 00:18:17,839 --> 00:18:21,039 the speech was finished. You'd publish it and you send it to Drudge. 258 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:23,920 Back then was still a good guy and that was it. And then people 259 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:27,160 like bed forgot a Drudge link. And then I'd go I'd go back to 260 00:18:27,319 --> 00:18:33,359 sneaking nips with my younger brother at the Christmas table and taking the dog for 261 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:36,200 a walk to the bar. And then every time I got to north of 262 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:37,680 my family, I just say, I have to go work. So yeah, 263 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:42,400 that's one way to do it. They are removing it. The reason 264 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:47,400 intentional, yes, And the reason I was thinking about the calum when you 265 00:18:47,480 --> 00:18:51,240 were talking about the Christmas video is that, Yes, I think it's good 266 00:18:51,279 --> 00:18:56,039 as an access point for you know, non believers into a Christian holiday. 267 00:18:56,039 --> 00:18:57,440 If it's the one time you're going to church or you're watching It's a Wonderful 268 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:03,160 Life and people are talking about Christ. I think that's a huge benefit from 269 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:07,880 a Christian perspective. It makes some of these celebrations like the Jill Biden White 270 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:12,200 House tap dancing video really really unsettling. Well, thank goodness, we still 271 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:18,400 have a moral force in America Hamas that is shutting down Christmas, secular Christmas 272 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:21,640 celebrations across the nation. You know, this is the morality, the las 273 00:19:21,799 --> 00:19:26,519 just pouring through and being like haram. Secular Christmas tree lighting is haram. 274 00:19:29,920 --> 00:19:36,039 Yeah, they're really doing the Biden administration's work out there, keeping everyone in 275 00:19:36,039 --> 00:19:41,839 line. But that's the thing, like the materialistic and godless Christmas celebrations. 276 00:19:44,279 --> 00:19:47,480 You know, I actually do go back on back and forth on whether I'm 277 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:51,880 in favor of that being a gateway towards something, because every time you see 278 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,839 it, every every year, I think it gets more unsettling and weirder, 279 00:19:56,079 --> 00:19:57,880 and I just don't really know what to do about it. I think it 280 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:02,279 is still a net benefit. It's a good opportunity to sort of evangelize, 281 00:20:02,839 --> 00:20:11,200 and Chris evangelization is a thing that we do in Protestant circle. We used 282 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:18,480 to. I was kidding the Jesuits were are evangelists and they kind of went 283 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,920 they went whacking. They do. They do great work. Did they do 284 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:26,359 the White House video? Yeah? I might have. They would have found 285 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:29,920 some kind of legalistic way about how that's the real Christianity. But anyway, 286 00:20:30,039 --> 00:20:33,519 the heaps of Chinese junk that we throw at each other or that we throw 287 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:37,880 under a tree and you know, wrap with uh, that's run rule I 288 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,640 have with our Christmas gift mind is and are things like. So Sarah's really 289 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:45,720 likes to decorate and she takes holidays very seriously. She has special plates for 290 00:20:45,799 --> 00:20:48,920 them. And I love it because God lover one. It looks great, 291 00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,920 two makes you very happy and it's excellent. But I have a rule. 292 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,960 It's like, we're not we're not decorating our Thanksgiving table lighting with something that 293 00:20:59,039 --> 00:21:02,039 was made by slave labor in China. It's going to cost a little bit 294 00:21:02,039 --> 00:21:03,720 more. But that turns out there's a little I think I've talked about this. 295 00:21:03,759 --> 00:21:07,519 There's a little old lady in DC who makes table liners yep, by 296 00:21:07,559 --> 00:21:12,039 hand, and it's like as opposed to twenty dollars, it's like eighty dollars, 297 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,240 but it's made in America. It's nice, and it's not using slave 298 00:21:15,319 --> 00:21:22,279 labor, and it's not using the people are harvested with the Chinese Communist Party. 299 00:21:22,279 --> 00:21:25,200 Now we try to do that with our gift giving, which might mean 300 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,680 a few less things. Now, granted I broke that rule because you cannot 301 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:34,599 get made in America jed Jo's and Christmas needs jed Jo's Little Boys Christmas, 302 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:41,039 I think, But in general, just trying to be conscientious using Etsy going 303 00:21:41,079 --> 00:21:45,480 to it's actually kind of fun. There's Christmas markets and trade fairs is one 304 00:21:45,559 --> 00:21:49,039 in the Eastern market. A lot of breweries have Christmas markets these days. 305 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,039 You go and there'll be people who are selling things that they made and nobody 306 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:55,880 there. They're not at the breweries. A lot of these people You're probably 307 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:57,000 not going to bump in to them on church on Sunday, but they're like 308 00:21:57,039 --> 00:22:03,079 a local candlemaker doing this, someone who knits children's teddy bears. And it's 309 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:11,480 a good way to make your Christmas shopping local gifts that support local artisans, 310 00:22:11,599 --> 00:22:17,559 and also have a beer while doing your shopping. Okay, well, good 311 00:22:17,599 --> 00:22:22,440 to pro tip you. Sometimes you just dispense lifestyle and not sometimes, like 312 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:26,359 I think thirty percent of what you do on this podcast is just dispense unsolicited 313 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,720 lifestyle tips. One of the hardest things about being married to me is that 314 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,279 I've got strong opinions on everything, like there's really nothing wrong. My gods 315 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:36,240 don't really I don't really know about that. God bless that woman. I 316 00:22:36,279 --> 00:22:38,000 mean, I mean, seriously, God bless that woman. Well. Chris 317 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,240 will be back next week, the week after that, and the week after 318 00:22:41,279 --> 00:22:45,079 that. And the week after that, but specifically in the next couple of 319 00:22:45,079 --> 00:22:48,440 weeks with Christmas themed podcast bear So Again Radio at the Federal Stock Cooma. 320 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:53,160 Should we talked about it. We have to air grievances, but we want 321 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:59,079 to record a couple of podcasts next week, so maybe Food Christmas Food and 322 00:22:59,079 --> 00:23:02,960 Donnie and but email Emily your ideas. Yeah, Radio at the Federalists dot 323 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:06,519 com. We'll be back with more soon. Christopher Bedford, Executive editor over 324 00:23:06,519 --> 00:23:08,319 at the Common Sense Society, thank you as always great to be here. 325 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,160 You've been listening to another edition of the Federalist Radio Hour, and Emily Dashinski, 326 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,519 Culture editor to here. The Federalist will be back soon with more. 327 00:23:15,759 --> 00:23:22,720 So that would be the lovers of Pretty Anxious for the Friend. I heard 328 00:23:22,799 --> 00:23:33,440 the fame voice the reason and then it faded away.