Where There's Woke
Every single time the right, or even center-left, goes ballistic over a "woke" controversy, the slightest bit of investigation shows the scandal is almost entirely bogus. This is not a new phenomenon; it dates back decades. It's an intentional tool used to protect the powerful and preserve the status quo, while further scapegoating and otherizing those who push for political progress. This podcast digs into not just today's fake scandals, but those of yesterday and yesteryear. The terminology has changed some, but the pattern has not. Listen in as hosts Thomas and Lydia Smith shine a light on the panic, the fragility, the overreaction, and the lying that ignites 'Where There's Woke.'
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WTW136: Debunking Junior Varsity Anti-Wokist Gad Saad's PragerU Propaganda
Gad Saad, a marketing professor who calls himself an evolutionary behavioral scientist, made a PragerU video called Suicidal Empathy, based on Paul Bloom's book I MEANNNN his own "new" book. This pile of crap has 2.8 million views. Lydia and Thomas go through every single claim. Sources: Gad Saad: Suicidal Empathy (PragerU) German Federal Crime Statistics (Bundeskriminalamt), 2015-2016 Peer-reviewed study on immigration and crime in Germany, 2008-2019 ABC News: Police budget analysis across 109 U.S. cities, 2019-2022 Washington Post: Police spending vs. crime rates analysis going back to 1960 Supreme Court of Canada: Canada v. Khadr, unanimous rulings on rights violations FAA: Disability hiring language on agency website (present since 2013) FAA Aviation Safety Workforce Plan 2020-2029, disability hiring language University of Minnesota Medical School: Class of 2026 white coat ceremony oath and media relations statement Concordia University: Gad Saad faculty profile and Research Chair in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences (2008-2018) If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
WTW135: The Straights, Near Extinction, Watch in Horror as Pride Month Erases Them Yet Again
It's Pride Month, so conservatives are DYING. The MLB team in SAN FRANCISCO has anti-gay bigots who can't STFU. Fox News airs a segment fear mongering over the mere presence of rainbows places. And more raging fragility. Lydia breaks down the Republican effort to literally rebrand June. Sources: Office of Management and Budget proposed rule conditioning federal funding on rejection of "gender ideology" San Francisco Chronicle: Mike Krukow on Giants Pride Night Media Matters: Fox News coverage of James Talarico, March-June 2025 Offside News: NHL 2025-26 Pride Night Review If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
WTW134: Graham Platner's Me Too Moment?
A second wave of coverage has hit Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, and this time it's a New York Times deep-dive into his past relationships. Thomas breaks down both the texting article and the "several women" piece: who the sources actually are, what the reporting can and can't corroborate, why one accuser's background raises serious questions, and whether either story should have run at all. Plus, a broader conversation about what voters are supposed to do when the candidate they've got is... complicated. Sources: Platner's Texts with Women Concern Campaign as Senate Race Took Off (Katie Glueck & Lisa Lerer, The New York Times; May 30, 2026) Several Women Who Dated Graham Platner Recall 'Unsettling' Behavior (Katie Glueck & Lisa Lerer, The New York Times; June 4, 2026) If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
WTW133: The Trump Playbook Comes for LA - Spencer Pratt for Mayor
If you have lived in blissful peace not knowing who Spencer Pratt is, Lydia is so sorry, but it's time. The former The Hills reality TV villain is a serious contender in the Los Angeles mayoral race (as of recording - votes are still being counted) and Lydia breaks down everything: who he actually is, what his campaign infrastructure reveals about who's really behind it, the claims he keeps repeating about homelessness that don't hold up to scrutiny, and why this is the Trump playbook running in one of the biggest cities in America. It's a lot. Lydia is not okay. Toward a New Understanding: The California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness (Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, University of California - San Francisco; June 2023) Assaf RD, et al. Illicit Substance Use and Treatment Access Among Adults Experiencing Homelessness. JAMA. 2025 Apr 8;333(14):1222-1231. Spencer Pratt Is Running Trump's Playbook in Los Angeles—and Trump Approves (Philip Elliott, Time; 5/21/2026) LA City Ethics Commission campaign finance filings, Spencer Pratt 1/1/26-4/18/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/141063 4/19/26-5/16/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/142921 5/17/26-5/27/26: https://ethics.lacity.gov/viewdoc/143643 If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
WTW132: But Who Influences the Influencers? with Kat Tenbarge!
We're SO excited to welcome journalist Kat Tenbarge to Where There's Woke! Over the years Kat's beat has been focused on internet culture and influencers, and the transformation of that space pre-COVID to now. Naturally, we had tons to talk about -- Why does it matter to pay attention to these spaces at all? Did influencers really make an impact in the 2024 election? What can we glean about the population's media literacy based on the digestion of this content? Is there an alt-right influencer pipeline for women? We had a blast, and can't wait to talk to Kat again soon! Be sure to check out her reporting at Spitfire News! And don't forget to follow Kat on Bluesky! **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
WTW131: Anti-Woke School Board Bans Song Mere Days Before Recital
A Wisconsin school board was so appalled by a song selection for a high school wind symphony concert that they held a board meeting to determine if the students should be allowed to play it at all. Lydia breaks down this full story, why the song was so "controversial", and gives us more details about the snowflake board members that were so offended. The Opt-Out Notice sent home to families in fall 2025 Watertown Unified School District Policy 2240: Controversial Issues in the Classroom Educational Services Committee meeting, 5/5/2026 Special School Board Meeting, 5/12/2026 "A Mother of A Revolution!", Omar Thomas Watertown Wind Symphony at Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5/20/2026 **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
WTW130: Florida Got So Mad About Woke They Made Their Own AP Course
Ron DeSantis was so bothered by the mere IDEA of AP African American Studies in 2023 that Florida created a "competitor" to College Board's Advanced Placement, and they've just released their course framework for U.S. History. It's....not good. Historians are chiming in, and Lydia's here to break it down: why does Florida have this, what does it actually do for students and teachers, what's in this framework and how does it compare to APUSH, and just how much indoctrination is Florida attempting to accomplish. Florida Advanced Courses and Tests, Department of Education AP US History Framework (effective Fall 2026) Florida House Bill 1537 (2023) **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
WTW129: Woke In the Sheets, Criminals Out on the Streets
The woke in New York are getting ready to release allllll of the criminals! Murderers! Rapists! Sex offenders! The worst of the worst!!!!! At least according to the New York Post's latest rant. Lydia shares the details from this coverage specific to parole bills in New York State, and we break down exactly why this fear-mongering is so out of line. Trapped in Time: The Silent Crisis of Elderly Incarceration (9/22/2025, ACLU) "They Just Denied Me": Parole Stories and Case Studies (2/3/2026, Tinsae Gebriel and Marie Ndiaye; fwd.us) Organizations advocating for this: Release Aging People in Prison, People's Campaign for Parole Justice **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
WTW128: Crowdfunding Hate, with Naomi Bethune
How is it that every racist "Karen" or right-wing completely cancellable person seems to crawl out of their negative viral moment and sometimes land jobs, book deals, or other opportunities? Naomi Bethune investigated this phenomenon for her piece, "The Far-Right Cash Machine," with The American Prospect, and joins us to break it all down. "The Far-Right Cash Machine" (4/2/2026, The American Prospect) The American Prospect If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
WTW127: Debunking More of Buttfeld's "Comedy"
We conclude our visit to Greg Gutfeld's terrible corner of the world for now. What was that professor that so terribly triggered Buttfeld actually talking about? How wrong could he actually be about Zohran Mamdani's electoral win? Does he get any better at making jokes? SOGI-Inclusive Resource Guide SOGI 123 Parent Brochure (archived) **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
WTW126: Greg Gutfeld Is a Cruel, Miserable F***Ing Loser
It's been a while since we've stopped by Gutfeld's corner on Fox News - and boy, was that a rude awakening. He's the biggest ass, and strips ALL context from anything he ever talks about in order to own the libs or something. Lydia's here to give us the context and debunk while we call out Gutfeld's disgusting behavior on his terrible show. **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
WTW125: We Conclude Our Trafficking Series With... The Funniest Local News Segment Ever
You have to hear how badly local news fell for this completely made up trafficking story... it's so good. But before that, Lydia's got our vegetables with some "where are they now" and final thoughts and discoveries about the funding of these grifty orgs. Gaza and Trump's "Preference" of Private Armies (Michael Picard - Incubator for Media Education and Development, 12/3/2025) HIDDEN COSTS: US PRIVATE MILITARY AND SECURITY COMPANIES AND THE RISKS OF CORRUPTION AND CONFLICT (Michael Picard & Colby Goodman - Transparency International, 7/2022) GHF Core Pipeline (@BoycottDS on Twitter; 7/21/2025) Exclusive: US firm in Gaza aid program, criticized by UN, in talks for new role (Pesha Magid & Rami Ayyub - Reuters; 2/11/2026) **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
WTW124: It Gets So Much Worse. Our Grifters Go to Gaza.
We reach the end of our journey into the human trafficking grift, and it's not a good ending. The very same lying idiots we've been tracking are now being paid government money to point guns at civilians in Gaza. And allegedly shoot them. "Amateur Hour": The Man Sending US Military Contractors to Gaza (Noah Lanard - Mother Jones; 9/17/2025) US contractors say their colleagues are firing live ammo as Palestinians seek food in Gaza (Julia Frankel & Sam Mednick - AP News; 7/2/2025) Anti-Islamic US biker gang members run security at deadly Gaza aid sites (Andy Verity, Tom Beal & Will Dahlgreen - BBC News; 9/9/2025) **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.**
WTW123: Remember That Time the Sound of Freedom Guy Was Himself Accused of Trafficking?
The deep dive into the right wing trafficking panic industrial complex gets even more interesting, as our web of characters expands to include Tim Tebow, Sound of Freedom, and that guy from Sound of Freedom who turned out to be horrible (surprise!). **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.** Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!
WTW122: Fox News Declares Project Hail Mary Anti-Woke Because Sure Why Not
Fox News declared that WOKE HOLLYWOOD is dead with the great success of anti-woke film, Project Hail Mary. Lydia takes us through the world of right-wing film critique as they attempt to make this bizarre claim. **If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to lydia@seriouspod.com.** Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at patreon.com/wherethereswoke!