Weekly Roundup: Racism from Middle America to Middle Earth

Brad and Dan begin by discussing the recent "controversy" over the casting of BIPOC actors in a new Lord of the Rings series. Dan lays out the reactions from American conservatives who claim that casting a diverse cast is nothing but woke nonsense that denigrates Tolkien's vision and makes the series unwatchable. Dan analyzes how this reaction reveals the racism at the heart of their concern. Brad discusses how conversations about fictional characters matter, recalling Megyn Kelly's famous proclamation that both Santa Claus and Jesus are White.

In the second segment, they discuss the hold a federal judge placed on the investigation into the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago. Brad calls attention to the holes in the judge's opinion and worries that this will delay the investigation months or years, leading us into the 2024 election with nothing decide. Dan worries about the precedent this will set in terms of famous people not being lawfully indicted to their reputational capital.

In the final segment Brad breaks down a new report from AP on how Michael Flynn has become a central figure in the network of Proud Boys, QAnons, election deniers, and conservative Christians by turning himself into a Christian nationalist figurehead.