“[The iconoclast] proves enough when he proves by his blasphemy that this or that idol is defectively convincing—that at least one visitor to the shrine is left full of doubts. … The liberation of the human mind has never been furthered by dunderheads; it has been furthered by gay fellows who heaved dead cats into sanctuaries and then went roistering down the highways of the world, proving to all men that doubt, after all, was safe—that the god in the sanctuary was finite in his power and hence a fraud. One horse-laugh is worth ten thousand syllogisms.”
— H. L. Mencken
In a world increasingly full of false idols, Matt Walsh and the Daily Wire have managed to yet again desecrate the sacred sanctuary of Wokeness, a peculiar new religion fashionable today within the Western elite.
Their most recent documentary film “Am I Racist?” – a sequel of sorts to their 2022 smash-hit “What Is a Woman?” – is already finding box office success, as “the top debut of 2024 so far for a doc and the third biggest [of the past] decade,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
After watching “Am I Racist?” this past weekend, I was struck by how effectively the film skewers its subject matter with a wink and a smile. The art of mockumentary is truly on display here, as the film takes to heart the power of one horselaugh.
No doubt, many smart attacks have been levied against woke anti-racism over the years – the work of John McWorter and James Lindsay come to mind — but with this film, Walsh throws a hilariously dead cat into the woke temple.
Playing the part of a bumbling, man-bunned initiate, Walsh provides the perfect straight-man setup to the joke. By giving the priestesses of anti-racism just enough spotlight, he allows them to turn themselves into the film’s punchline. Robin DiAngelo and Saira Rao — both prominent anti-racist activists who have major roles in the film – have no doubt been swift to spit their usual spells and incantations at the film, essentially branding Walsh as a racist heretic and a threat to democracy.
Of course, Walsh isn’t a threat to anyone but these anti-racist grifters themselves. They know this well-made film – honestly depicting their own unguarded words as the butt of the joke – will resonate, not as some racist heresy, but as common sense comic relief for the common man. Laughter shatters the prestige and mystique of elite fashion like nothing else. To be laughed at? Nothing could be worse for such a cloistered set of hothouse flowers. The film makes plain just how thoroughly unimpressive the elites are, proving that what thrives by artifice can easily die by artifice.
From overpriced academic seminars to brain-rotting corporate media talk shows, the film documents time and time again how the elite don’t use language to simply convey correct information, but instead to manipulate. Such word games are nothing but sorting mechanisms to separate the sheep from the goats, less honest ideas and more poses to be struck to signal status.
By presenting the latest elite fashions in one’s speech, one can signal that one is cool. It doesn’t matter how absurd the latest fashion might be on its face. Be cool. The more absurd the fashion the better to prove one’s loyalty to the group! What matters is one’s willingness to submit to the latest party line.
However, the success of Walsh’s documentary suggests something has grown stale in the cool kids’ club. The greatest fear of any in-group is that they may be infiltrated by saboteurs — or even worse, the uncool – thus their need to regularly update their fashions as a gatekeeping measure. A tell-tale sign that a given ruling elite are waning in their power and prestige is the ability of outsiders to imitate their fashions and thus gain access to the inner sanctum. That’s how dead cats start piling up fast, signaling to the people it is perfectly safe to doubt their rulers.
Indeed, when I saw a man-bunned Matt Walsh gayly roistering about at the Democratic National Convention a few weeks ago, I suspected he had yet again successfully shown another woke idol to be defectively convincing — and boy, were my suspicions right.
My advice to anyone already doubtful of the ruling elite is to go see “Am I Racist?” and allow your laughter to confirm your doubts.
Joey Clark is a native Alabamian and is currently the host of the radio program News and Views on News Talk 93.1 FM WACV out of Montgomery, AL M-F 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. His column appears every Tuesday in 1819 News. To contact Joey for media or speaking appearances as well as any feedback, please email joeyclarklive@gmail.com. Follow him on X @TheJoeyClark or watch the radio show livestream.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819news.com.
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