Behind the Bastards

Robert: 10/10. Sophie: 11/10. This show is high quality, incredibly well researched and informative, and the dynamic between these two is entertaining and genuine. Never change!

I love this show and I want to counterbalance the recent reviewer who said they wanted Sophie to stop jumping into the conversation. Absolutely no shade intended towards Robert and the many wonderful guest cohosts, but Sophie is my favorite part of this podcast. I also love the way that Sophie and Robert bounce off of each other and each guest. Please keep up the great work yall!

I love this podcast. I love the banter, the sidetracks, the amazing amount of research Robert puts into the subjects, the guests, the interjections, the absolutely horrifying information, all of it. I appreciate the balance between the facts about awful people with humorous banter. I don’t know why so many of these reviews are focused on Sophie (well I can guess) but she’s the f’n best and whining about wanting to hear leas from her is frankly loser behavior.

I have to agree with many other recent comments about Sophie’s commentary. I’m not trying to pile on a bunch of hate; I’m sure Sophie is a great producer, but I don’t think she makes a good co-host, which is what she seems to be lately. Frequent interjections that interrupt/talk over Robert or the guest and unnecessary or unrelated comments that distract from the script make it harder to listen. Fyi, I am NOT a man and do consider myself a feminist. I love listening to other BtB femme guests like Jamie, Margaret, or Princess Weeks. My criticism is not rooted in misogyny. I just don’t think Sophie is meant to host or guest on this podcast. Otherwise, this is a fantastic show. Robert does such an excellent job of researching and presenting the material. The discussion with guests is thoughtful, humorous, and often informative. I hope to be a loyal subscriber for years to come. Despite my criticism, I appreciate the hard work both Robert and Sophie do to make this podcast and I really enjoy listening.

I kept forgetting to review BTB but I have a second to do so now: I listened to this for a few years but I had to stop because of robert. There are other, more thoughtful, more vigorously researched podcasts out there whose host acknowledge and take seriously all forms of oppression and how they exacerbate one another. As a Black american that’s important to me but it should also be important to a show talking about HISTORY and its impact on the present. This podcast, like too many other ‘progressive’ podcasts, has a major blindspot: a blindspot that has been the downfall of and an issue in leftist spaces (and failed movements, orgs, and efforts) for generations. It’s the bigotry/misogyny that’s seen as normal, not as serious, and a background issue to ‘real’ issues. Robert has unchecked biases that he will never reflect on because he thinks he’s one of the good ones. I realize that ‘untouchable’ behavior with well-meaning white people but I also realize it with well-meaning cis men of any race/ethnicity. Again, we should know and be trying to do better by now and not render ourselves opps of progress. BTB talks about white supremacy but it doesn’t significantly dive in to global male supremacy; which is something that’s been present before then and is inherent to imperialism, capitalism, and all forms of colonization. BTB also doesn’t significantly acknowledge or contextualize femicide and how women and people of marginalized genders are being lynched, by mostly cis men; and how male dominated governing bodies facilitate(d) that violence. Patriarchal colonization and oppression is something all MaGes and women and kids, of all classes, experience and bear the brunt of; especially those in black and brown countries. I want better for progressive/leftists spaces. Including our media!

Okay, I believe Yarvin has some dangerous ideas. However, you can make points against people you disagree with without totally distorting their positions. Either out of a lack of research, or a biased reading, you have misrepresentedCurtis Yarvin’s key ideas. I have been reading him closely for years and do not agree with much of what he says. However, I noticed that you massively misrepresented what he believes and even misrepresented what his intellectual mentors believe. This diminishes your credibility. Stick to a fair and thorough approach. I carefully reread the article from July 23, 2011. And it states the exact opposite of what you say. It is an article about how to win over and seduce the left and attacks violence explicitly. He condemns any form of violence. As an effective way of persuading anyone. Fundamentally, you have stated the exact opposite of what he says; an intentional distortion.