Reasonably Certain

A Very Important Discussion

• Ellen Larson • Episode 20

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EP #20: Ellen breaks down some important topics regarding the recent results of the US presidential election, including some of Trump's policies, social issues, and the 4B movement. 


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>> Ellen:

Hey, guys. Welcome back to Reasonably Certain. My name is Ellen. This is episode 20, and today we're going to be talking about how this past week has been. Um, I feel that this is a very important discussion for us to have, so it's not going to be the most uplifting conversation, just FYI. But I do feel like this will probably be the most important episode that I've made. And I've invested a lot more time into basically creating a full blown essay for this podcast episode. I spent like three and a half hours before filming this, collecting all of my notes and putting my thoughts into a format that hopefully is fairly digestible for you all. And I hope that, uh, no matter who you voted for this election, you can keep a very open mind in listening to me. I don't mean to divide people in any way, but this is definitely a conversation that I think we need to have. And I hope that I can use my little corner of the Internet to help make a positive change and positively influence people's lives. If I can do that, that's great. But before we get into the more intense topics of the today, I thought I would just kind of discuss what I've been up to this past week. And I actually did not release an episode, so this was the first time I skipped a week of filming. Uh, because the Sunday before the election, I just could not bring myself to film. I was just feeling like super low energy, super sad. And that wasn't even necessarily because of the election coming up. I just in general was like, feeling a bit down in the dumps and anxious. And then of course, like, with the election coming up, I was like, maybe I'll film on Monday, maybe I'll film on Tuesday. And then I'm like, uh, even if I do, like, I just don't think my. I didn't have any thoughts to share because I was just honestly so anxious and about anticipating the results of the election. And I didn't have anything that I felt like was really helpful to share with the Internet last week. So I am kind of glad that I waited because now I have had some time to gather my thoughts and structure, uh, an episode for you guys this week that I hope is helpful. And honestly, I hope that you maybe even listen to this twice or three times, like over time in the future, because not that I'm like, oh, just listen to my podcast a bunch of times, but there is going to be a lot of dense information and it is kind of hard to digest just on one listen, like these, these thoughts and Notes and videos that I have put together for this podcast episode have taken me, like, hours and hours and hours of consuming content because I really enjoy political content. I really enjoy learning about like, pol politics, civics, societal and communal issues. Like, I enjoy it, but I also spend a lot of time learning about it and like, trying to really understand things. And I'm not. That's not to say that I'm like an expert on it by any means, but I have spent a lot, a lot, a lot of time, like learning up on this before deciding to put my thoughts into the form of a podcast episode. So over this past week, obviously we all know what happened. And I cried, I got angry, I felt defeated, I felt all the stages of grief. I am wearing my how hard can it be Boys do it sweatshirt that I bought from Mads Mitch earlier this summer because I just really fully, like, with my whole being thought that Kamala Harris would have like sweeped the election and it would have been like a no brainer. So I was like, okay, yeah, this is, uh, this is the future. Like we are going to have our first female president. And I'm super excited for it to be Kamala Harris. And obviously that's not what happened. So I was just like in complete denial, like the night of the election. Obviously I'm an American in Spain, so I'm quite a few hours ahead of the east coast. I'm six hours ahead of the east Coast. So I didn't really get to see any results the night of the election because everything was just wrapping up as I was going to bed. So there really wasn't like any results to be counted quite yet. So then when I woke up the morning on Wednesday, I saw a bunch of people claiming that Trump had won. And I was like, no, no, like, that's, there's no way. I was just like, that must just be a fluke, the red mirage, whatever you want to call it, like, there's no. And then a few hours later I was like, okay, so maybe he did. Like, that's still really unbelievable to me. But like, okay. And during all of this, I was sobbing on and off the whole day. I tried to work, um, didn't work very successfully. I essentially spent the entire day crying. And then I was really happy. My friend Zarina Hazari, if you're listening to this, invited, uh, me out to dinner and I'm actually really glad because although I do enjoy watching a lot of tiktoks that share my thoughts and feelings and validate my thoughts and feelings, and it is nice to kind of hear from other people who feel the same way. It can be kind of like a doom scrolling echo chamber. So I was definitely stuck in a bit of a doom scrolling echo chamber on Wednesday, uh, and feeling very sorry for myself and for everyone else. And so I'm glad that I got out of the house that evening to just like go get my mind off of things. But I remember when I left the house and I was walking to dinner, I was like, this is not real life. Like, I don't know, it just felt like I was in a simulation. I'm like, this is not real life. This feels so weird. Like, how am I just going to dinner right now after what just happened? Like, this is crazy. So felt, um, extremely emotional on Wednesday. On Thursday I was a little bit like numb and in shock. And then by the end of Thursday I was feeling like really angry and frustrated. And I think since then I've kind of evened out a little bit, I guess you could say yesterday I'm. This is Saturday, November 9th now when I'm filming this. So yesterday was Friday. I got my hair done in the morning, which I'm actually, it's in a ponytail right now. Cuz I just couldn't be bothered to do my hair for this, but was excited to get my hair done, but not really thrilled with with the results. But it was still nice to like treat myself and go get something done for myself. And then in the evening I actually booked a massage at Ocean Spa here in Barcelona and it was really nice. I haven't gotten a massage for like nine years, so it was definitely needed because I don't know if you know this guys, I have big boobs and it hurts your back really bad. So I had like a ton of knots between my scapulas and my spine and it was actually really necessary for her to like get those out. So that was nice. Uh, and then I also finally used my vegetable chopper that I got off Amazon, which is the one with just like the Tupperware on the bottom and then the top with like the lid that opens and shuts and it has a bunch of different like little inserts that you can use to chop things in different sizes. So I've been meaning to use it because I need to eat more vegetables and I just kind of hate chopping them. So the chopper makes it a lot easier because especially when I like to make my salads, I like to make like chopped salads where each ingredient is chopped super small so that you're not getting, like, one huge bite of just, like, a piece of lettuce or something. I want everything to be, like, small and almost, like, mixed together like a salsa. And I've seen a lot of people on TikTok saying, like, the way that they get themselves to eat a lot healthier is just to make whatever salad you like. It can be literally whatever you can think of. Just make it in the chopper so that it's, like, all super finely chopped, and then eat it with chips or eat it with, like, a pita chip or something, whatever you want, and treat it like a salsa. And then all of a sudden, when I eat it, that way, I can eat a shitload, um, of vegetables. I ate so many vegetables in the last, like, 38 or. No, in the last 48 hours that I feel like. I feel, like, superhuman. I ate so many vegetables. So I'm just proud of myself for finally finding a way that I prefer to eat raw vegetables, because I don't mind cooking vegetables. I cook vegetables all the time. But there is also something to be said that is much more beneficial for eating some raw vegetables. And there's also a lot of vegetables that you wouldn't typically cook. You know what I mean? Like cucumber. Like, there's certain vegetables that I should, like. I should, you know, open my variety of vegetables. I typically eat the same few, like, tomatoes, onions, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, and that's about it. So I'm like, I need to, like, widen my horizons on the vegetables that I'm eating and eat them in different formats, not just always sauteed with, like, some chicken and rice, because that gets super freaking boring. Anyway. A little bit of a palate cleanser, but also, we're about to dive into the topics of the day. Um, and like I said, I spent a lot of time really, like, gathering my thoughts for this episode. So I really hope that you can go into it with an open mind, and I don't want you to feel attacked in any way. If you agree or disagree with me, however you feel, just like, take this as just, like, an open letter to the world, and I hope that you can maybe learn something from it or just at least feel validated in some way. However you. You take this episode. Uh, so I wrote a lot of this down, so if it sounds like I'm reading, it's probably because I am. And I also am referencing a lot of TikToks, which you might be discrediting me, like, oh, she's just reading off TikTok. These are people's experiences who have very good takes that I really thought were like, worth mentioning. So I literally summarized a bunch of TikToks in here. But like, I wanted to include them because I felt like the way that they specifically said things was they put it in a very good way. And I don't want to like, dis, like claim it as my own. Like, these people said things that I was like, okay, yeah, I really want to, like, talk about, you know, this topic, whatever. So to introduce the episode officially, uh, even though I am an American living in Spain, this election still affects me too. I'm still a US citizen. I still care about other US citizens. I care about how the effects of this election result will negatively impact people, even if it won't have a super negative impact directly on me because I'm lucky enough and privileged enough to be able to live in Europe and have a European citizenship as well. So I'm already part of the very, you know, small percentage of people that is able to just like, get up and leave the US And I am glad I left when I did, but it's not a reality that everyone can choose. So I recognize that that is extremely privileged. But I still want to say that even though I'm here. Like, people might be saying, like, oh, why are you so affected by this? You're not even there anymore. Like, just shut up and like, go live your life. That's so incredibly privileged to say, by the way, um, like, just because something doesn't directly impact you in a negative way doesn't mean that you shouldn't care about it. Like, you should still care about the overall well being of the people around you, the community around you, the people of your country. Like, that should be something that you care about, even if it doesn't directly impact you. Uh, we also need to keep in mind that although this was a US election, this will still affect the rest of the world. Europe can't forget that even though the EU leans as a whole towards the left, there is still, uh, plenty of alt right propaganda leaders and supporters here as well. Take a look at the recent election of Georgia Meloni in Italy. Look at Viktor Orban in Hungary, which is where I have a citizenship from. So, yeah, not exactly loving the presidents of either country that I'm a citizen of. Um, and look at the vox party here in Spain. There's many other examples if you want to look into them, but those are just a few. These people are still present in every country and Trump being elected emboldens them to feel confident and continue their radical ideals. Europe is not safe from these people being elected and still needs to come together to ensure these types of people are not voted into office. From local elections to presidential elections. So getting into the first set of topics here, um, just kind of generally discussing why Trump being elected is not a good thing. The first subtopic is Trump's authoritarian tendencies. So I'm going to have like topics and each topic I'm going to have a few points like too long, don't read. So, you know, kind of what I'm going to be talking about. So, Trump's authoritarian tendencies. He plans to purge the government of perceived enemies and install loyalists. He plans to do a mass deportation framed as a threat to civil liberties. He encourages divisive narratives, emboldening white supremacists and conspiracy theorists like QAnon. So the first video I'm going to reference is from a TikTok user called ollygoodginger. He said there was literally an insurrection the last time Trump was in office. He said once you vote for him, you'll never have to vote again, which is insinuating that he can and will remove the four year presidential term, which is super scary. He also wants to implement an executive order to purge the government of Marxists on day one and that he wants to install people who are loyal to him. He wants to conduct a mass deportation operation, which is crazy and insane. A quote unquote mass deportation operation will just be a disguise and another way to turn the military and law enforcement on the US People. Many people in rural America are told, since they're children, so these are the people that maybe they're not, you know, on social media as much like this is part of the reason why I think that we felt so, uh, shocked by the results of this election. But I guess there just really is that many more people, especially in rural America, that are still fully indoctrinated into this sort of thinking, and they have not been exposed or willing to be exposed and open to learning other types of thought. So many people in rural America are told, since they are children, that there's a war against white people, against Christianity and against heterosexuality. And these people believe it, like wholeheartedly believe that there's a war against them for being white, Christian or heterosexual. It's kind of crazy. So it's rooted in white supremacy. And these people have found Trump and they feel very emboldened under him. If Donald Trump installs a fascist dictatorship, then we won't even get to have these kinds of conversations moving forward. So that's the scary part about all this. Like, if Trump does indeed try to remove the four year presidential term and allow himself to form a dictatorship of sorts, then we will be losing out on way more rights than we even are aware of now. Um, I'm really terrified that eventually, like, if he does do that, that even just me having this conversation on the Internet now will come back and affect me negatively. Like, that is a true concern that you can have for, quote, unquote, like speaking against whatever leader, if they want to go and persecute that they, they can, because he's just making up all the rules now. So that is very scary. And then the TikTok user at Tizzy Ent was discussing and stitching a video about Nick Fuentes. And if you haven't seen, oh, it's so disgusting, I don't even want to include it in this video or in this podcast, but if you want to look it up because you haven't seen it yet, go ahead and do that. It's really disgusting, just FYI. But I think it's helpful to also demonstrate just how disgusting a lot of these people are who feel so comfortable under Trump. But, um, Nick Fuentes was essentially just reveling in the fact that he's so excited that women's rights are being stripped from them. So Tizzy Ent says, that's Nick Fuentes. He's a white nationalist and Holocaust denier. Trump invited him to dinner at Mar a Lago with Kanye West. People like him have made thousands of other people feel very, very emboldened with these ideologies. Nick tweeted, quote, your body, my choice forever. Yeah, he's just comfortable enough to say that out loud in multiple formats, too. Not just a tweet in a video mocking everyone, laughing in their faces, like, as if it's something funny. That's disgusting. Another guy named John Miller and his handle is Iller Stream, if you're curious. He tweeted, quote, women threatening sex strikes like lmao, as if they have a say. So these are the type of people that feel super comfortable now, which is great. Hours after Donald Trump was declared the winner, Republicans started celebrating how they can't wait for Project 2025. And some of these creators are like Matt Walsh, Charlie Kirk, Nick Fuentes. Um, I hope you don't know who they are because they are disgusting human beings, but I think you should be aware of who they are, because these are the type of people that have thousands and thousands of followers and people who feel Very comfortable knowing that there's this type of rhetoric that's popular online and that they can listen to it and feel validated somehow in their, like, hateful thoughts. So that's really scary as well. Um, next subtopic is moral dilemmas of supporting Trump. Too long didn't read voters justify their choice despite knowing Trump's reputation, such as him being a felon, racist, rapist, misogynist, fascist, all of those ists. Um, his policies and rhetoric disproportionately harm women, minorities, and other marginalized groups. And the current Supreme Court appointments with lifelong implications intensify concerns around a Trump presidency. TikTok user keptical Heretic says regarding another stitched video that she said. So there was somebody talking about who is clearly a Trump supporter, and this has been a conversation online, especially this week, that's been very prevalent. Um, but somebody. She stitched somebody's video who said, you shouldn't unfriend your friends who voted for Trump because you should respect people who voted differently than you. So essentially, she's skeptical. Heretic is talking about people who are saying that you should just let people have their opinions and don't let politics come between you and your friends and family. That's been a lot of conversation this week. So she says it tells us everything we need to know that you care more about people's reactions to their loved ones voting for a felon, fascist, rather than the fact that those people actually voted for a racist, rapist, felon, fascist. So essentially, like, it's kind of crazy that you care more about people caring that you voted for him rather than the fact that you actually literally voted for him. Like, those two things should not be equal. We're talking about fundamental morals and values. Imagine your sister is one of the women in the US who has passed away in the last year because Roe v. Wade was overturned, and your loved ones keep voting to take away people's rights, which will put even more people in the same situation where they may not have access to the care they need. And therefore more people will pass away needlessly because of who you voted for. Imagine a family member looking you in the face and saying they're voting for the man who wants to take away your ability to have your own rights for your own body. Imagine you're somebody who's transgender, and the person your mother is voting for is voting for a man who spreads misinformation and hatred about you as a transgender person. Imagine you're one of the immigrants who Donald Trump falsely claimed eats cats and dogs and talks about them like they're savages and your loved one still votes for him. Does this sound like small disagreements to you? This is bigger than just not having the same politics. On top of that came the wave of QAnon that also came along with Trump. I'm sure you would remember a lot of QAnon posts, especially in the early Covid times. Um, at first, it started off relatively harmful. Not everybody really knew what QAnon meant. And it has taken a very kind of infamous form in the past four or five years. So people are so engulfed with conspiracy theories that they no longer believe in natural disasters. They believe the Democrats are making weather machines to wipe out red states, amongst other crazy conspiracy theories, turning them into people that their loved ones don't even recognize anymore. So this is specifically speaking to, like, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. Um, and there was so much devastation in, like, Tennessee and North Carolina that people literally believe that the Democrats are somehow making weather machines and targeting largely red states. That is, uh, crazy. I just want everyone to know no one is making weather machines. That is climate change. That is natural disasters. That is weather will slap back, essentially, if we keep ruining the earth. That's what's happening. Look at what just happened in Spain this past week. Valencia, uh, was hit by a devastating storm that has literally never happened in, like, all of the history that we know about natural disasters that has hit Spain. Um, and this storm has flooded thousands and thousands of people's homes. There's cars piled up in all the streets. People are still missing. So many people died, and the government has barely helped. And people are like, imagine if people here in Spain are saying that people made weather machines to make that happen. Hello, this is climate change. It also hit Barcelona, but not nearly as bad. But Valencia has been suffering for, like, two weeks because of this. And it was not alert. Like, they didn't get any proper alert or heads up. And to be fair, it is difficult to say because nobody really could have predicted that a storm this horrific would have hit Valencia. So these things happen more now because of climate change. It's like 80 degrees in November in most of the U.S. like, that's. That's not normal. Okay, so it's not QAnon. It's not celebrities drinking baby blood. Like, it's climate change. Okay, okay, so moving on. This runs so much deeper than just this election. This is a big deal, and you should dig deep and ask yourself why people are having such a big reaction to Trump being President elect. Why are people so passionate about this, why are people willing to go as far as cutting off family members for this? You need to ask yourself those types of questions. Because people, it's very difficult. It has to be a decision made over time or for such an intense reason that people are willing to make such a drastic change that nobody wants to have to do that. Like, nobody's walking around every day like, um, can't wait who to cut off next. Like, that's not how people operate. Like, nobody wants to have to do that. It's very emotional and sad. So people very understandably need to uphold their boundaries and in some cases they need to cut people off. So you should be understanding of why they make those decisions. TikTok user ackanderson in her video says Trump voters are constantly messaging and posting online saying not all Trump voters are bad people and defending why they voted for him. That's the difference right there. Myself, nor anyone else who voted for Kamala Harris will ever have to defend ourselves to someone to explain why we voted for her. And yet everyone who voted for Trump will have to defend why they voted for him and, uh, try to prove that they're not a bad person. If you have to defend why you voted for someone to make sure that people know you're not a bad person, why would you vote for them? Something to think about. TikTok user aralevatan made a video that I really, really thought was helpful. So her video is kind of split into a few chunks over this podcast just according to the different topics she covered. Um, but in this part of her video, she said to the Trump supporters, making fun of people who voted for Kamala for crying or being upset to you, I would say crying quietly to yourself in your home is an equal and appropriate reaction to the grief and disappointment that a lot of us felt due to the election results. What is not an appropriate reaction would be to storm the Capitol using armed force and attempt to stage a coup d'etat like what happened on January 6, 2021, after Trump running for office for a third time. This time around, it feels like a very intentional choice for the people who voted for him. Frankly, I feel embarrassed for all of the world to be seeing this happen again. And I feel embarrassed in preparation for all of the ways he is going to make a mockery of this democracy. Beyond the sadness, I think most of us have a lot of fear not only for the next four years, but also for the decades to come due to the reverberations of what will happen in the next four due to Trump Being president, I see a lot of people saying, oh, it's just four years, you'll be fine. But I think we are all forgetting that the Supreme Court justice appointments are lifelong appointments, and there will be some very damaging rulings made in that court, thanks to the justices that Trump will likely appoint once Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito eventually retire, since they are the two oldest justices and will very likely retire when Trump becomes president, so that he has the ability to instate two young conservatives that align with his ideals. This election result showed us that we were really underestimating to what degree is the driving force that a lot of decision making going on in this country contains. And unfortunately, liberals and Democrats tend to live in quite an ignorant bubble, which I can attest to. I mean, especially with the growth of TikTok over the past four years. Like, I absolutely love TikTok, but even on my end, for the more, like, liberal Democrat side of things, it is an echo chamber. Like, I think that's why so many of us were shocked is because, like, it is fully an echo chamber, and it is for the Republicans as well. Like, I know I regret the day ever showing my dad TikTok, because I thought it was just going to be, like, a fun, silly thing for him, but kind of forgot the fact that I guess if that's what he's looking for, that's what he's going to find. Um, so he was not interacting with, like, the cute, funny videos that I thought he was going to enjoy. He very quickly created his own algorithm of just, like, spewing hates and Trump videos. So that's what he's been fed for four years. And so he's in an echo chamber of, like, everything that he's hearing is confirming what he thought. And then it's like just this vicious, like, circle jerk cycle of, like, dumb people confirming other dumb opinions. And so, of course, from those people's point of view, if they're in a Trump echo chamber that you can't see outside of it, I feel like a lot of Democrats see outside of their echo chamber. I think that's the difference is, like, I'm able to recognize that I am in an echo chamber and I need to remove myself from it sometimes to get some perspective. But I don't see people on the other side doing the same thing. I see them being completely affirm in their thoughts and thinking that they're right because they've been, you know, validated so many times by other people who think the same way, and they never are willing to Budge on their thoughts or, like, be open to other points of view. I could be wrong. Obviously, this is a sweeping statement. Not everyone is like that, but that's what I find. So the last thing she mentions is the truth is people are absolutely terrified of change, of being left up behind and anything that's unfamiliar, which I think is very true. It's very true for everyone, not just Republicans, obviously. But it's been shown that people on the left are very much more open to change than people on the right. So the next subtopic is the impact of Trump's leadership and economic policies. So the summary is Overturning Roe v. Wade showcases attacks on women's autonomy. Economic effects like tariffs lingered and affected everyday Americans and disproportionately impacted consumer goods and small businesses. And long term effects like inflation misattributed to Biden, despite them being implemented during Trump's first term in office. So again, Dara Levitan on her video, she says, regarding the overturning of Roe v. Wade, whether or not you want to talk about abortion, I can guarantee you that somebody in your life needed and employed that medical care and their life was better for it. Talking about somebody in your life definitely got an abortion. Whether or not you know about it, definitely somebody in your life has had an abortion. Things like late term abortions or using abortions as birth control have been statistically debunked as myths. They are myths used to incite rage and hate. And, uh, for those of you who haven't really looked into it, it sounds terrible. Like, if you hear this rhetoric, like, oh, women are using abortions like birth control. They're getting leaked from abortions. They're, they're getting abortions after birth. Hey, what? That would literally be murder, guys. That's murder. That's not an abortion. If the baby has been born, that's just like, murder. It's definitely a different thing, but that's not happening. Like, like maybe it's happened once in history ever. And like, that was definitely a sad situation, but that's not the precedent for all abortions. And so you have to remember that, like, when women are deciding to get an abortion, it's an extremely intense decision to make. Nobody gets pregnant and is like, yay, let me go run down to the clinic. No one is doing that. Literally no one is doing that. Being pregnant in the first place is a very intense experience that women go through, whether you would plan it or not, whether you want it or not. So to make these decisions is not just like an easy decision one way or the other. So women are not just like having abortions willy nilly. Like this is, uh, this is an extreme medical decision to make and it's not something that women make lightly. It is like your life or death sometimes being taken into consideration. So I think if you are, if you've been hearing a lot about how abortions are like just killing babies left and right, that that's not happening. Okay? So I'm not saying that to be rude or mean. Like, that's just straight up not happening. It's a statistical myth. It does not happen. If you look at statistics, it's almost always because there's been a medical complication or it's so extremely early on in the pregnancy that it's probably due to rape or incest or you know, pedophilia where like a child was taken advantage of. And do, uh, you want to force that child to have like their rapists child and then have the rest of their life affected by that? I don't think that you should have to force that on them. And then the whole precedent above all of this, like taking out all these little nuances of each individual abortion case, it doesn't matter. It's not up to you. It's up to the person and their body. So that is what kind of the umbrella of all the decisions is. Like at the end of the day, it's not your body. You can't decide what somebody else does with theirs. And you wouldn't even know how to do it because you're not in their shoes. Like unless you were directly in their shoes experiencing exactly what they were experiencing. You don't get to say how they should address something that is very important to their life. So that is kind of the overarching discussion about abortion. But, uh, moving on, Dara says Trump does not have a plan. He doesn't have policies in mind. He has concepts of a plan. Uh, he has a concept of a plan the same way a cheating husband has a concept of a plan to make his mistress get an abortion if and when he's ever caught. I think that's. That probably accounts for most of the abortions. And yet these men are saying they're anti abortion. You're not going to be so anti abortion when your mistress gets pregnant. But then they'll still be, they'll let themselves be the exception because they don't care about following the rule. They'll still find a way to do it. It'll be all the people that don't have a way to Get a loophole and go around the law that will suffer. All Trump has to do is speak to the fear and the rage and the desperation and make these people feel like their needs are going to be met, even if everything he's saying is a complete and utter lie. And then I wanted to talk a little bit about tariffs, moving away from the abortion topic. Um, the TikTok user at inappropriate Mommy. I really love following her, not just for. She doesn't typically talk about, like, these political discussions, but she does have direct experience with tariffs. And I thought that her explanation on them was really helpful, just for under, helping people understand, like, how tariffs work and why Trump's tariffs will negatively impact everyone, not just, you know, one group of people. It will suck for everyone. So she says, for example, she had a cosmetics company in 2018. The infill of the cosmetics was made in the US but the outer cases of the products had to be shipped in from China because we don't make those outer cases in the US in 2018, her duty rate for receiving those cases was 3%. And in 2019, that went from 3% to 25%. So that was already a big jump. You don't pay that duty on the goods until it hits the shore. And when you pick up the goods at the port, you pay the bill of lading. The duty is a line item on the bill of lading. You pay that, and then that price or that duty goes to the US government. What happened in 2019 and 2020 Covid then, do you remember what happened? We had a massive supply chain disruption. So she had suppliers who were closed down for weeks, if not months. So all her goods took longer to arrive in the US and then the shipping lanes were closed and the ports were closed and everything was closing down. So it took well into 2020 and well into 2021 for her to start picking up those makeup cases at the port and coming up with the money to pay the new 25% rate that she had to pay. We were into Biden's presidency at this point, and consumer companies can't just automatically raise the prices. Like, that's. I've heard a lot of people talking about, like, oh, well, the prices will just automatically be raised, like, right away. But this isn't stuff that can happen, like overnight. Um, um. So she explains a little bit why it can't just happen right away. She said, why? Because people stop buying your shit, especially luxury items like makeup. And then you also not only have to figure out how to do it in the right manner, you have to figure out what the level of tolerance is for a consumer in the cost increase. So like how much you're able to increase it without your sales completely dropping, um, how much you can increase it to ensure that you still have some overhead and revenue, to ensure that you still have some profit with all of your revenue that you're hopefully getting after paying the 25% increase. So you have to then work with your retailers to convince them to raise prices. Right. Because not every brand is just selling direct to consumer and can control their own prices. A lot of people rely on retailers to get their products to consumers. So it took another year of her convincing Walmart and Target that they needed to increase the price of goods being sold there. So by that point it was almost 2023 when the actual cost changes and increases were seen on the shelves. And this is why everybody blamed Biden for the increases in products. People say, well, Biden didn't get rid of the tariffs. He got rid of some, he added others and he increased some. He didn't increase the consumer goods tariffs. And the tariffs that he added were things on like, were on things like EVs and semiconductors and chips, which are things that we don't necessarily want to have made in China. We would rather make those things here, but we don't want to make consumer goods here. So we are just paying more for them now. But that's why it took a few years for us to feel the pain of the price increases. And everybody blamed Biden when it was really a Trump tariff. And this pain is going to continue and then get worse under Trump because he plans to implement more tariff increases. So yeah, the next subtopic is broader Democratic Party failings. And the summary of this is essentially the criticism of Democrats for not adequately protecting rights like abortion or addressing working class concerns. So just from my point of view, there's no tiktoks that I'm quoting in this section. But overall, Democrats have had a major fault in this too. They have not aligned enough to gather momentum and actually make changes. They always do just enough to keep people upset about the right and keep things at bay. But they never actually do anything proactive or strong enough to make progress. We need to actually come together and make change within the next four years before we are faced with a reality like this. Again, if Trump sticks with the four year term, that's like a big if. We don't know how crazy he's going to be. The next topic is criticism of women's voting patterns and the subtopic is self sabotaging votes. Summary Many white women vote against their interests due to ingrained patriarchy. White women prioritize male validation over collective female progress, disconnect between feminist ideals and voting behavior. So TikTok user Rashanista in her video says white women are far too lenient on the white men in their lives. Working class America doesn't listen to women when they speak. This is a feeling of the Democratic Party. We've seen that a Democrat in office is still not going to save us with Roe v. Wade being overturned while Biden was in office, which is very true. And then, uh, rofessionalsassatron says it felt like we were moving in the direction to liberate women and to have representation for women. Unfortunately, these types of women will disappoint us every time by voting against their best interest. This is thanks to white women, especially because our attachment to male mediocrity is embarrassing and violent. The world is watching a gross display of misogyny and sending a message to women that it doesn't matter what qualifications or experience you have, you can be beaten by a man who is unqualified and disrespects women on a world stage. These women drag themselves down and take us with them. That's a tough one to swallow, but it's true. White women completely failed us this election. And I wanted to in part make this episode, hoping, praying that it would maybe make it to some of the people I have on kind of the outer circle of my life that don't really tune into social media in the same way that I do. Whether it be to just like the way that they use social media or like generational changes or generational differences. Um, because I know a lot of like family friends that are white women that are married to men, that the men are honestly terrible. They're usually alcoholic or abusive or both. Um, whether it's emotionally abusive or physically abusive, honestly, we'll probably never know because a lot of them are super funny and happy in public. But you never know what happens behind closed doors. I know that from personal experience, but I know the community that I grew up in, very prevalently white, um, very sheltered, very much in a bubble. And a lot of the people stay there so they don't ever like get out or leave or change their opinions or get exposed to different communities of people. It's very incestuous in that way that. Not literally incestuous, although maybe, but it is incestuous in the way that people stay around the same people for, like, decades and have the same friends from, like, decades ago and never really change up their environment or the people they surround themselves with. So that in itself becomes kind of like a geographical echo chamber. And I know there's plenty of those around the country, and I felt like mine was pretty intense. But I have recently, uh, been made more aware that Minnesota is an extremely blue state, even when I kind of thought it wasn't. I mean, I know it's typically always leans blue, but I always felt like as soon as you leave the Twin Cities, that, like, every suburb is really, really Republican. And I think a lot of people from Minnesota would agree with me, but I just saw a TikTok of a girl who moved from a deep red state in the south, and she just moved to Minnesota recently, and she was like, you guys are in a sheltered bubble up here, like, whatever you think is Republican. Not to, like, diminish the fact that there are a lot of, like, Republican racist suburbs. However, she's like, compared to where I'm from. She was saying where she's from in the deep red south, like, in her rural areas, like, she's like, that shit is for real scary. Like, that is terrifying. So she's like, the ones that you're scared of here feel, like, relatively tame. And I was like, really? That I caught myself right there. I was, like, really shocked by that, which I really shouldn't be, but I was, like, just convinced that every single rural area in America was the same. But she's like, no, like, your rural areas here are very tame compared to the ones in the Deep South. And I was like, dang. Because I kind of thought that they were maybe the same. But she said, no, they're, like, for real, way worse. And I know that they can get way worse in some areas, like, sundown towns still exist and things like that. I don't. Well, I'm not in the place to say whether what constitutes a sundown town for me personally, because I don't find myself feeling that uncomfortable in that many towns because I'm white. So I even was shocked when I saw that video because I was like, dang. Like, I guess really these people, like, if my hometown is like that, you can only imagine in, like, the state where she came from, it's probably like that times a thousand, you know what I mean? So we have to remember that as well. Like, even in Minnesota, if you're from Minnesota, listening to this, like, we are in ourselves just being Minnesotans, like, still very much in a cushy bubble. If I could say that, uh, so the next subtopic, the need for self reflection. And the summary would be white women need to analyze how their choices perpetuate inequality. And we need to focus on decentering men from our lives and prioritize personal empowerment. So Dara Levitan, again, I'm referencing her video. She says, not even just among women can we agree. And this was probably the most upsetting part of all the statistics that came out of this election. Women, specifically white women, let us all down because black women did what they always have done and they showed up and they did what needed to be done. And that was extremely clear by the statistics. And I, um, have been watching a lot of black women talk about this on TikTok, and it's very true. Like, they have always been the backbone of any sort of movement in society. They have always been there. And so it's really disappointing to see how much they really showed up for at this time. And like, especially white women, like, totally let everyone down. White women voted directly against our best interest and human rights. Of course you expect it from the men. You expect it from the incels and the boomers. And then there's also just men who are quietly cowards. A lot of men swear up and down that they are disenfranchised. Um, and they swear and they swear, they swear that they are losing out on opportunities to women who they think are unqualified and undeserving, which is laughable because most men are truly only getting by on mediocrity and a falsely inflated sense of confidence. I just want all of the white women who voted against themselves to know that seat at the table that you imagined is fictional. It is a seat that you will never sit in. They're not even going to let you in the room, let alone let you sit at the table. And you can keep seeking all the male validation in the world, but it will never protect you from these men. And for those who need me to explain it a bit more, women, especially white women who vote against their rights and who constantly prioritize the men in their life, the men who don't even respect them, like, even a shred. I see it in, like, mostly family friends that I'm speaking about in this scenario, but I've seen it my whole life growing up that constantly, even to this day, I hear about it all the time, like, just whatever is going on in these people's lives, like that, uh, I'm talking about these men and husbands and brothers, like, do not like or respect the women in their lives, they might say, well, I respect women. I'm a nice guy. I respect women. They never do any self reflection to think about if they really do. And they don't, because their actions constantly, every day for years and decades show that they don't. So no matter how they want to self identify, if they're a nice guy or whatever, they're not. They're just not like that. Period. End of sentence. Like, they're not. They might be a, quote, unquote, really nice guy, but it doesn't matter. Because if they're not asking themselves how they can actively be a better person and be a better man to the women in their lives, then they're not doing enough. They're not. So what she's saying here is that to all the women, specifically white women, who are voting against their best interests and aligning with Trump and giving so much leeway to the men in their lives who don't even respect them, because I know this. And even if it's not a conscious thought that white women are having, it is a subconscious thought that if you align with the sector of people who is quote, unquote, above you. So the white cishet men. And cishet is cisgender, so like born male at birth and het is hetero, so like white male heterosexual men. So if you align yourself with the higher group of people, that you will somehow benefit from being near them or trying to align yourself with them. But the thing is, white men have been in the top of the food chain, like, since forever. They will never care about you trying to come up here and hang out with them. They don't care. They don't care. At the end of the day, if you are like, oh, I'm cool. I'm hanging out with the men, you guys, I believe, with whatever you believe, like, Trump wins. Yeah. Yeah. At the end of the day, if you validate them and you get all the male validation and you, you, they still don't give a fuck about you. They still don't. You can try and try and try and try and try until like, the day that you're on your DeathBed and you're 90 years old, they still don't care. That's what she's saying is like, no matter how hard you try, you're always going against your best interests and they will never accept you into their circle. It's just never going to happen. So the next subtopic is patriarchy's harm. And the summary is patriarchy oppresses all, including men, though they often resist acknowledging it. We need to educate and unite against systemic issues like capitalism and white supremacy. So purplep, I love his username, but, uh, purplepeople pleaser on TikTok says if more men understood that the patriarchy also harms them, they'd sit down and let women speak. A lot of people fail to realize that if you don't fit within the CIS hat white archetype, you are oppressed by the systems at play, whether that be patriarchy, white supremacy, capitalism, et cetera. And even within those structures, the cishet white men are still oppressed by themselves and by each other. And when someone is trying to call that out and say it isn't right, the people that are benefiting from that oppression don't like to hear it. Great example, Donald Trump. Great example. Think of any douchebag white dude in your life that if you say he's not acting right or not respecting you, throws a freaking temper tantrum. Those are the type of people. Okay, so the next topic is social movements and challenges. And the first subtopic, um, is the 4B movement. And this is a lot of what kind of also piqued my interest in having this podcast episode. Um, the 4B movement. I have unintentionally been participating in it for a long time, and I didn't even know, um, but I really want to normalize us talking about the 4B movement and like, implementing into our lives. It's a big ask. It's a really big ask, but I think we can get there. And it's, you know, it's not something that has to have 1 million percent compliance to be effective, but it does take a lot of effort and intention. To summarize the FoRB Movement topic, the FoRB Movement is a feminist movement that started in South Korea that advocates for women to reject dating, sex, marriage and childbirth to reclaim autonomy and resist patriarchal exploitation. It is realistic barriers to widespread feminist or anti patriarchal movements in the US and socialization since birth makes decentering men a monumental challenge, which is kind of what I just mentioned. So, first of all, what exactly is the FoRB movement? So, kind of like I just said, the Forby movement refers to a feminist movement originating in South Korea that advocates for women to reject traditional roles and relationships with men in order to reclaim autonomy, empowerment, and self worth. The term 4B stands for four no's in Korean. Actually, let me look up how to say them in Korean. Oh, God, you know what? I need to look up how to say them. All right, I can't Find it. So let me just try and try my best. So B, like bi stands for no, and then the rest of the word is like the descriptor. So bihon bi chul san be. I'm probably saying that one wrong. And B sexu probably also saying that one wrong. But that's what they stand for. So that's why it's called the for B movement. Even though, like in English there's no Bs really, but it's because it originated from Korea. No dating. So rejecting romantic relationships with men, no sex, refusing sexual relationships with men, no marriage, opting out of marriage as an institution that reinforces patriarchal structures and no childbirth. So choosing not to bear children and rejecting societal expectations tied to motherhood. That's the original 4B is no dating, no sex, no marriage, no kids. The movement is rooted in the idea of decentering men from women's lives and addressing how patriarchal systems exploit women's emotional, physical and economic labor. It emphasizes women prioritizing themselves and their communities instead of catering to male dominated norms or seeking male validation. Origins and context of the 4B movement so it emerged as part of South Korea's broader feminist awakening in response to rampant sexism and gender inequality in South Korean society. A, uh, backlash against the patriarchal pressure to marry and have children. Protests against Molka, which is spy camera crimes, which I've heard are quite a big issue there, and I think in Japan as well. So protests against spy camera crimes where women were secretly filmed in public and private spaces, and rejection of beauty standards and the pervasive objectification of women, which I honestly, I have a hard time with that one because I love makeup, I love beauty. So I have a tough time with that one. I was like, do I just not wear makeup for today's episode? And in general I do feel comfortable not wearing makeup, but that's going to be the toughest one for me to like, eventually let go because I don't know if I ever will. And that's some of the things that we have to like, think about is like, dang, how can we really implement this into our own lives? Because for me, I love makeup so much, I'm probably never gonna let it go. Even though ultimately I am putting it on to appease what society prefers women to look like, honestly. And I do feel better with it on. I like having my expression. I like, you know, perfecting my techniques. I've been into makeup, like loving it since I was like a literal 10 year old, like obsessed. So I don't think that's something that I'll ever let go. But I don't think you necessarily have to completely rip these things from your life. It's more about, like, looking at it and being more intentional with how you interact with these sorts of things. So the broader implications of the forb movement. While it started in South Korea, discussions about the forb movement have sparked interest globally, particularly among women who feel disillusioned by patriarchal systems. Critiques argue that its principles might be too radical for widespread adoption, while supporters see it as a revolutionary stance against systemic gender oppression. So I personally stand on the side where it's like, just do it. I don't know, it's a little difficult. Just do it. Baby steps here, people. It's like losing weight. You're not going to lose£100 overnight, but if you want to lose weight, you got to start doing the little things, you know what I mean? So there's some additional movements which I've specifically heard on TikTok this week, but I did a little bit more research into them. So there's like a 5B movement, 6B movement, 7B movement. Essentially it's just adding on to the original 4B movement. So they're adding more no's to the channel or to the movement. 5b is no patriarchal relationships. So rejecting any form of relationships, romantic, familial or otherwise, that perpetuate patriarchal systems and power imbalances. This one's a pretty difficult one, I'm not gonna lie. Like, I think, uh, if you can reject the romantic ones for sure. Familial? Yeah, I mean, I'm more than happy with that. If it's some. Someone that's been especially affecting your life in a negative way and that it's not worth it to continue having some sort of relationship with them, but it's like the. Or otherwise. I don't really know what that's supposed to mean. Is that supposed to mean, like everyone that you know in your life? Because I don't think that's really reasonable. Like we still have to live lives and like, try to bridge gaps with some people. So there's, you know, some give and take here. And then the 6B is no misogynistic consumption. This one I also have a little bit of difficulty with because it is discussing beauty standards. So avoiding media products and content that promote or are rooted in misogyny, such as male dominated pornography, sexist advertisements, or toxic beauty standards. So, I mean, a lot of this can be taken with a grain of salt, like what exactly do they mean by sexist advertisements or toxic beauty standards? Like, that can kind of be up for you. Up to you to decide. But I think just step one is, like, taking a look at this and saying, like, okay, where in my life maybe does this apply? And, like, maybe I can make some changes. It doesn't have to be anything radical. It could just be like, yeah, maybe I don't feel like I need to wear so much makeup to the office every day. Don't really care what people think about me. I'm still doing my job anyway. This is just how I look. Why should people care? I still struggle with that. I mean, I don't wear makeup for my job most of the time because I'm working from home and being online on phone calls. But it is honestly annoying because, like, in my own personal experience, I've had days in office, in person, and on work calls where if I don't wear makeup, someone's like, oh, are you sick? Hey, what the hell? What the hell? Um, why are you even commenting on my face in the first place? That's crazy, because I'm not sick, actually. I just look like this. Also, uh, like, I wore makeup to a work call the other day, and my customer is so nice. But it is honestly, like, the reason why I don't wear this much makeup to work is because people always comment on it and they're like, oh, you're wearing a lot of makeup today. Look, your makeup looks so good. Oh, do you have something special today you're wearing so much makeup for? Why are you even bringing it up? Like, it's none of your business? And I get that. Like, the other day, it was a very sweet comment for my customer. She was like, oh, you look so beautiful. I love your makeup. And I was just like, oh, thank you so much. And it was really nice. But I'm still like, oh, like, why are you mentioning it? Like, I would never mention the way someone looks on a call, positive or negative, because they might take it as a negative. You know what I mean? Like, it doesn't matter. Also, they can show up to the work call however they want. They can show up to the meeting however they want. Doesn't bother me. We're still here to just do work. You know what I mean? So it's like, we don't really need to comment on other people's appearances or bodies. Like, that's not affecting how they're doing their job. Who cares? You know? So that's kind of how I feel about it. But I Still, again, like I said, I enjoy makeup, so that's a tough one for me. But toxic beauty standards, it's like, that's kind of debatable. Like, what do you consider toxic? You know what I mean? Like, obviously, like body image and objectifying women's bodies and things like that, I think we can all agree is toxic. So maybe that's how you take it. And then 7B. I definitely agree with this one. No male attention. Don't give men any attention outside of necessary day to day conversations, negative or positive, online or in real life. So I, uh, agree with this one because I think it fits very well with the first four. Like, as long as you're already at it, like, not doing the dating, not doing the romantic, the sex, the children, whatever, marriage, whatever. Might as well just add on not giving men any attention, period. Like, it doesn't have to be in a romantic sense. Just, like, don't give them the benefit of any, uh, attention at all. Because that proves to them that you have noticed them, that they have affected you in some way, that they've maybe gotten under your skin in some way. Like, it gives them the validation of knowing that they have affected you in some way. It's not always so sinister. Like, for example, I was thinking about this yesterday when I was walking two times in the same day, walking from my hair appointment to the bus stop to go home. Uh, had my headphones in, was listening to my music on noise cancellation, just sunglasses on, like, I'm on a mission to get to the bus. I don't care any right now. I got to go home and start working. So then this guy at the corner of Turo Park, I was walking, like about to turn the corner to go around the roundabout, and he is facing, like, this is his face. He's facing me, probably about 10ft away, but still I saw him from the side of the building. And somehow I always know. I think it's a women's intuition thing. Somehow I always know. Like, oh, uh, this dude, I can just tell he maybe glanced my way for 0.1 seconds. And I already know, like immediately that he's gonna be causing me some sort of issue. It might be like a fairly, you know, innocent issue. Like, it was yesterday, still annoying. So yesterday I was like, oh, uh, this dude, I just like, he looks like he's gonna do something. And I can already tell. So as soon as I like start passing him, he gets out of his spot where he was like sitting against the wall smoking or something. He's facing me. So he's walking like sideways facing me and clearly trying to yell something at me. But I didn't even turn my head or look at him. I could just see him from my peripheral following me. And I don't feel unsafe in Spain, thankfully. I really never feel unsafe. Especially like in broad daylight at like

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30am in a very busy part of the city. Like, I don't feel unsafe, so I didn't feel the need to like look at him and tell him to fuck off or something. Like I just kept walking, but for a solid 15ft towards the end of the block, he was just yelling and following me like this. And I was like, what the hell are you doing? Who does that? Period? It doesn't matter who it is, like who does that? It's crazy behavior. So that happened. And then I got off the bus to go home on the sidewalk. This kid, I wasn't as shocked by this one because I know often on the street that um, a lot of people stand around and I think they're hired to like try and sign people up for like a bar or a club or like a membership or something. So it's not as weird. So I was guessing that he looked like one of the kids that was probably doing that. Like you can usually tell. It's like they're like in their early, late teens, early 20s, probably like going to school here somewhere. And like this is like their part time job is to like try and get people to sign up for shit. Like usually they have a clipboard or something and they're trying to like get people to write down their information. So I was walking and I didn't see a clipboard. So I was like, oh, maybe he's not one of those kids. But I saw him and another dude just like standing around. And usually when there's like some young kids just standing, that's probably what they're doing. And they're not like on their phones or something, they're just standing and like kind of trying to make eye contact with people. So I saw that he was, I, I knew I was like, this kid is also going to be a problem. He's kind of already just standing around doing nothing. Like, what are you doing? So I did the same thing. I didn't even look his way once. I literally was like tunnel vision straight ahead. Didn't even look at him. And he, I didn't, I never expected this to happen. I didn't make a reaction or anything, but I was like, bro, what is your problem? Like, he clearly probably said something And I couldn't hear him because I had my headphones in that I saw in the peripheral of my eye that he stepped and kind of leaned towards me, probably trying to get my attention to tell me to stop and fill out information on a clipboard. I didn't look at him or stop. So then he leaped like this and jumped, like, not right in front of me, but, like, jumped at me, like, ah, Ah. And I was like, I didn't look at him, but in my head I'm like, what is your literal problem, dude? Like, if I. I will punch you. I will punch you. Like, don't do that. Don't do that to anyone. But, like, one of these days I'm going to lose it, because who the fuck does that? So that was. Had two. I had two opportunities yesterday and I did implement, like, don't give them any attention at all. Like, they're a ghost. I didn't even see them physically standing there. It's like playing the. Like, when your kids. Sometimes you'll be like, pretending like one of your siblings is gone. And you're like, where are you? Where are you? And they're like, right in front of you. Just do that. Like, they're a ghost. You, like, can't even see them existing. Like, you're looking through them, not at them. Like, that's the principle that I would personally like to employ. Because a lot of times men are saying something to you, not even for any real benefit or purpose. They just want to see you get upset or, like, get a rise out of you, or, like, get some sort of reaction out of you. It's not for, like, any real intention or purpose or benefit. It's just to see you get a little bit emotional and, like, they can get a laugh out of it. It could be something as innocent like it was yesterday, or that they're leaving hate comments on your videos. Like, I have an ex coworker from two companies ago who found, after I had already blocked him on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, because, uh, this is a policy that I apply in my life. I do not friend my coworkers on social media. That is something that I keep completely separate. I don't care how great of friends we are. Maybe after I leave the company, we can be friends on social media afterwards. But, like, while I'm at the company, no, I'm not friends with anybody on social media. So I learned that the hard way. Because the first company I was at, I started there when I was like 21. So I didn't really have These boundaries in my life at that time. And I, uh, had been friends with these co workers that I had. And so I had already had him on Instagram and Facebook at that point. But after I left the company, like, he started getting really weird and, like, not in a romantic, sexual way. Like, he just was really pushy and, like, always messaging me. And I was like, bro, like, this is just. I don't even know you like that. We were just co workers. Like, you're done blocked by. I don't need you in my life. Like, we're not friends like that. You know what I mean? Like, you're just being annoying. So. So, like, bye. So I blocked him on Instagram and Facebook and LinkedIn. I didn't really think I had to block him anywhere else. I actually think he found me on TikTok at one point a few years ago, blocked him there. And then just recently, like two months ago, I've been making a few weight loss updates on video or weight loss update videos on YouTube. And one of the videos was like, me talking about switching to a Gobi or something. Or. Yeah, I can't remember exactly, but whatever. One of my most recent weight loss updates, he made a YouTube account and found me on YouTube and left a hate comment on my weight loss video. And I was like, this is crazy. I haven't worked at that company since 2021. Okay. So kind of crazy that I'm still in your mind after three and a half years. Yeah, that's insane. So anyways, um, that's just another example is I'm like, I'm not going to interact with hate comments. I'm not going to interact with guys trying to, like, still three years later, like, poke the bear. Just block and delete. You know what I mean? So I think in real life and online, that's a really good, you know, practice to implement, is just like, block and delete. Don't interact. Don't even give them attention by looking at them with your eyes. Like, just pretend you can't even see them. And I'm not going around in my life just ignoring, like, every single man in existence. Like, I still have, uh, male friends. I still have, well, a few, but I still have male people in my life that I'm still, still willing and open to have conversations with. It's not like I'm icing out every single man in existence, although that is kind of the point of this. But I still think that it's worth keeping men in your life that are the ones that are open to this sort of, like, social movement, because those are the guys that I want to keep in my life. Like, the ones that are actually willing to do some of the difficult work and have these difficult conversations with themselves and, like, learn and be open to women. You know what I mean? Like, I want those men in my life. I don't want to ice out every single man in existence. Like, I just want to keep the ones that are willing to actually be, you know, decent human beings. From Lutenslayer69. By the way, love her username. She says America is not ready for a 4B movement. As much as I understand why people are Talking about the 4B movement right now, I think we need to be realistic and come to terms with the fact that American women are nowhere near ready for this level of social protest. 51% of women voted for Donald Trump. That is over a majority. 60% of white women voted for Donald Trump. The reality is that most women are not interested in decentering men. That is because we are so deeply socialized since birth to believe that our worth and happiness and livelihood is contingent on how males perceive us and our value according to men. We can't even get people to agree that feminism is supposed to be for women and does not cater to men. So women are not going to give up sex and stop getting in relationships and completely go into celibacy and abstinence and singleness because of the outcomes of this election. I'm not saying this to be pessimistic or to let people lose hope. I'm just saying that we need to start from the ground up. If we want the social direction to go this way, we need to start having conversations within our own communities. So kind of like what I'm attempting to do today as white women, especially about what it means, means to decenter men, questions to ask yourself, maybe even turn this into a journaling session. I'm kind of like, taking her video and pulling it into my own idea here. But she asks a lot of really good questions that I'm gonna take these and do a journaling session. So I really think it would be beneficial for you guys to do it too. Um, that's why I say maybe even listen to this episode twice. Just to, like, really, like, maybe the first time you just listen and the second time you kind of sit and, like, take notes. Because for me, at least, like, taking physical notes, like, writing really does help cement something into my brain after I've already heard it once. Um, that's just me, but that's what I would suggest so, questions to ask yourself have you truly benefited from hookup culture and online dating? Have you truly felt gratified and pleased and respected and valued, especially in having sex or dating, etc. Are hookups really fulfilling to you? Is giving men access to your body serving you in a way that is fulfilling and makes you feel whole? Are you content with the way that men in your real life interact with you? Are you content with the things that they say to you, with the jokes that they make, with the comments that they make? Are you content with your ability to talk about women's issues and lives around these men in your life, in real life, not just online? I want you to really, deeply think about your interactions with these men in your real life that have given you a sense of purpose and that have made you feel happy and fulfilled and satisfied. List them if you can. Can you list more than five? I don't know if I can. I don't know. I really have to sit and think about this because I'm not sure if I really have that many interactions with men in my real life that make me feel happy, fulfilled and satisfied. I don't know if there's more than five. I really don't think so. However, with women, I could list hundreds, if not thousands. That's crazy. You don't have to be abstinent and single for the rest of your life or be lonely and miserable and die alone. But consider why you give men access to your body, access to your time, and access to your emotional labor. What are you getting in return? I want you to think like a man for a second. What are you getting out of this interaction? Uh, how are you benefiting outside of you being socialized to please men and be nice to them all the time, what are you actually getting out of all of this? Very good questions to ponder. Next subtopic is building community and the summary is emphasis on offline education and community building to counteract divisive narratives and boundaries with toxic individuals are valid and necessary for well being. So rofessionalsassetron says the um, title of her video is kind of like Re center how to Decenter Men. So what she says is what it comes down to at its core is that we need to recenter ourselves. We cannot be preoccupied with what men are doing. We need to be so occupied by what we are doing that we don't have the capacity or bandwidth to interact with men. It is not individualistic to look around your external environment and figure out where you are giving away your power, your energy and your intellect for people who are willingly taking it away from you, it is time to remove the leeches off our backs. So to kind of wrap up this very long episode, some, um, reflection and advocacy. To summarize, encourage us to recognize our own complicity and systems of oppression. A call for men to understand how patriarchy harms them and allow women to lead conversations on change. So at Darlevitan again and from her video, I felt like she summarized this so beautifully. So I wanted to include her end of her video at the end of the podcast here. But she says for now the best thing we can do is emphasize community and education. Part of it can happen here on social media, but in large part it does have to happen offline. It is up to you who you give your follow and your support and your money and time. My heart goes out to anyone that has to hold boundaries with friends or family over these issues. Please take care of yourself and remember that these boundaries are valid. This is not the first time in history that a, uh, power hungry man has sought to rule with an iron fist. So I think we should educate ourselves, reflect on where we've been, how we got here, and what is possibly to come. We are all in this together. So my final thoughts to wrap up the episode. This has been cathartic, yet, um, emotional. I really put a lot of time and effort into putting together this video essay for you guys. I know it's just a drop in the ocean of all the content and conversations floating around online, but I really hope you were able to learn something from it and maybe change your perspective perspective a little bit. Helping improve the world isn't going to happen overnight, but I hope this inspired you to get a little more comfortable having these difficult conversations with yourself and with the people around you. To end the episode, I thought I would share some books I've seen recommended and some m that I've even read myself to help us educate ourselves. So I have a lot of books to read, but I have read a few of these as well. So Loud by Drew Afuallow Fair Play by Eve Rodsky Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis Race and Reunion by David Blight On Civil Disobedience by Hannah Arendt I who have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Hartman the Pain Gap by Anushe Hossain Rage Becomes her by Saraya Shamali the Creation of Patriarchy by Gerda Lerner the Will to Change by Bell Hooks Down Girl by Kate Mann When God Was a Woman by Merlin Stone So I'm including screenshots of those in the video of this podcast. If you're listening, I suggest checking out the video just so you can see, like, exactly the books that I'm referencing. And I suggest just picking one of those to read. I've read Loud by Drew and Fair Play by Eve, and I've really, really enjoyed both of them. And I have quite a few books to read on the other ones that I listed. I would love to read them all. I prefer audible, so if you find yourself having a hard time sitting down to physically read a book. I know I do. I prefer audible. Hey, Audible. If you want to sponsor me, that would be great. But I prefer to listen to them because I can do it while I'm on a walk, while I'm working out, while I'm working. Um, so for me, it's just easier to kind of multitask rather than sitting down and physically reading, because I get a little bit antsy when I sit down and read. That, uh, wraps up this episode. I really hope that it was helpful for you guys. For this week, I'm just going to be reflecting on a lot of what I just talked about and seeing how I can help and whether that be online or physically in my community, like in my community here in Barcelona or somehow remotely help, um, my community at home. So there's lots of ways that we can just try and pick out one or two things. I'm not saying you have to digest this whole episode and have this magical, like, rebirth or something like that. Like, that's not really, uh, a reasonable expectation, I don't think for the majority of people. We're just trying to get by day to day, honestly. So if you can just take one little, like, crumb from this episode and, like, sit and think on it, I feel like that would be a win in my book. So, yeah. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. I really appreciate you listening and supporting. Supporting. I hope that this episode either made you feel better or that you learned something or both. Um, that you feel supported. And I hope that you have a great week. Um, and I will just leave it there. So thank you. Bye.