Damn the Algorithms
And read banned books
N.B. The numbers in parentheses indicate the position on last week’s list.
You can find the updated “Glossary of Fascists” here and the “Glossary of Pseudo-Intellectual Hacks” here.
I know this isn’t an original observation, but I think it’s worth pointing out once in a while that the reason extreme rightwing rhetoric dominates on Facebook is not because there are more rightwing accounts but because the algorithm pushes them out more. It’s another instance in which the left has one hand tied behind its back and it’s long past time we figure out what to do about it.
Here are the 70 daily top ten posts for the week:
Ben Shapiro held 10 (09), as did Dan Bongino (02). Breitbart held 03 (02) followed by Franklin Graham (02) and the New York Post (01) with 02.
The Daily Caller, Sean Hannity (01), Political Insider, Charlie Kirk, the Wall Street Journal, Blue Lives Matter, and Gov Greg Abbott of Texas each had one—for a total of 34 out of 70. Last week it was 29 out of 70.
Occupy Democrats held 6 spots, down from 11, The Other 98% held 1 for a total of 7 out of 70. Last week it was 12 out of 70.
NYT BESTSELLERS HARDCOVER NON-FICTION
3. The 1619 Project, Nikole Hannah-Jones (2) [Frequently challenged and banned. Can’t imagine why.]
Finally at long last The Real Anthony Fauci, RFK, Jr. has fallen off the list.
AMAZON BESTSELLERS HARDCOVER NON-FICTION
12. 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson (10)
The bad news I that The 1619 Project, edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, is no longer on the list. The good news is neither is Glenn Beck’s The Great Reset.
Here are some more classics that were among the most banned and challenged books from 2010 to 2019:
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
The dangerous absurdity of this is enough to make one despair. Instead. Let’s keep reading them and sharing our copies if we have them.
APPLE PODCASTS—NEWS
THE RIGHT AND THE ENABLERS
2. The Ben Shapiro Show (3)
6. Charlie Kirk (4)
9. The Glenn Beck Program (7)
10. The Dan Bongino Show (9)
13. Steve Bannon’s War Room (19)
15. Matt Walsh (20)
17. Fearless with Jason Whitlock
20. Megyn Kelly Show
THE LEFT
15. Pod Save America (10)
SUBSTACK POLITICS NEWSLETTERS
The Substack top-ten is more ideologically diverse across the right-wing spectrum but it still contains a disturbing number of serially wrong anti-democratic writers who have way too many followers than is healthy for our nation. Every single newsletter in the top ten has tens of thousands of subscribers.
This list is very stable and won’t change much from week to week.
2. The Dispatch, Jonah Goldberg, editor-in-chief
3. TK News by Matt Taibbi
5. Glenn Greenwald
6. Unreported Truths by Alex Berenson
7. Common Sense by Bari Weiss, (aka the “Substack grifter,” in the words of Press Run’s Eric Boehlert)
8. The Weekly Dish by Andrew Sullivan
9. Take Control: Dr. Mercola’s Censored Library, Joseph Mercola (This snake-oil salesman is up one spot from last week, which is the wrong direction.)
As always, the essential Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson dominates at number 1.
Judd Legum’s Popular Information is still at 11.
I highly recommend you subscribe to both, as well as Eric Boehlert’s Press Run.
Here are the Glossary of Fascists and Glossary of Pseudo-Intellectual Hacks. I’m constantly updating this so if you have any suggestions you can leave them in the comments. Please note that these lists focus on figures in the media.
Thank you for your insightful observation, Mary:
"I know this isn’t an original observation, but I think it’s worth pointing out once in a while that the reason extreme rightwing rhetoric dominates on Facebook is not because there are more rightwing accounts but because the algorithm pushes them out more. It’s another instance in which the left has one hand tied behind its back and it’s long past time we figure out what to do about it."
I wish far-right people would understand that they are being emotionally provoked by algorithms.
I wish the Democrats in Congress - they have the majority - would have anti-algorithm legislation and / or an oversight body to push back corporations algorithm invasive-ness.
I wait for the SUNDAY MARY like I am in the desert and Mary arrives with gallon of spring water! The list of the MOST BANNED BOOKS IS STARTLING! And worth waiting 7 days for!