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. <ul> <li> "<a href= "https://prospect.org/2026/04/02/apr-2026-magazine-far-right-cash-machine-racist-crowdfunding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">The Far-Right Cash Machine</a>" (4/2/2026, The American Prospect) </li> <li> <a href="https://prospect.org/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow">The American Prospect</a> </li> </ul> If you enjoy our work, please consider leaving a 5-star review! You can always email questions, comments, and leads to <a href="mailto:lydia@seriouspod.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer nofollow" data-link-auto= "">lydia@seriouspod.com</a>. Please pretty please consider becoming a patron at <a href= "https://patreon.com/wherethereswoke">patreon.com/wherethereswoke</a>!

WTW129: Woke In the Sheets, Criminals Out on the Streets

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 host Thomas Smith shines a light on the panic, the fragility, the overreaction, and the lying that ignites 'Where There's Woke.'