and we, the moderators of /r/ContraPoints, reserve the rights to take any actions within our power that we deem necessary to prevent such aiding & abetting, up to and including terminating association of the community of /r/ContraPoints with any accounts that attempt to do so. As the channel has developed, her scope has broadened, discussing new types of media and different subjects, particularly American politics and economics. A community for discussing the work of Nyatalie Wynn's YouTube channel … Learn more, Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. [17], In February 2020, Wynn set all her videos from before August 2017—when she began her gender transition—to private, saying that they "no longer represent the person I've become". So far, the like to dislike ratio of recent BreadTube videos doesn’t seem to have suffered in any tangible way, making any reaction to this outrage hugely disproportionate to the damage actually done — it would’ve been akin to Nike cowering to Colin Kaepernick’s dissenters once a few of them started burning their shoes. Philosophy Tube has been met with positive critical reception and has over 680,000 … Wynn was born on October 21, 1988, in Arlington, Virginia,[1] and raised in the same state. Abigail frequently commissions the … Her videos focus on topics such as politics, gender, race, and philosophy on her channel ContraPoints.Her channel is seen as an inspiration for left-wing YouTube video essay sub-genre. October 21, 1988. If what happened with Gamergate is any indication of what will ensue shortly thereafter with Breadgate, is that it’ll have tragic ramifications for all involved. She was born in Arlington, Virginia.. Create New Account. Follow to join our community. See more of ContraPoints on Facebook. In 2014, Wynn noticed a trend on YouTube that disturbed her: Videos with … 65.0k members in the ContraPoints community. So far, accusations of impotency are still hypothetical, and nothing BreadTube did or endorsed has yet to cause the purported effect Breadgate is complaining in droves about. "[20] Polygon named her video on incels one of the ten best video essays of the year 2018. Education. More specifically: it's calculated by taking the average earnings per patron in the same category, adding/subtracting the standard deviation from that average to get both extremes, and … Philosophy Tube was created in 2013 as an educational channel about, well, philosophy, with Abby using a standard "talking head" format, a simple webcam, and natural lighting.Her intention was to give away her MA in Philosophy to the people for free after the Tory government in the UK tripled university tuition … The mistake that BreadTube critics make in trying to distance themselves from Gamergate, is they assume the function of its harassment emanates from an inherent sense of toxicity within the community that most predominantly occupies it — in this case, it’s thought that being a white supremacist and a misogynist are the essential, and sometimes only components you would need to qualify as a Gamergate member. 8:00 AM. Her videos discuss political issues through a leftist perspective informed by philosophy, using the Socratic method and, since 2018, theatricality. Press J to jump to the feed. Personal life. Philosophy Tube is a YouTube channel produced by the British actress Abigail Thorn (born 24 April 1993). [27], The ContraPoints channel won Best Commentary at the 10th Annual Streamy Awards. Since 2018, the channel has become more theatrical, and often makes use of dramatic studio sets, lighting, costuming and makeup. Email or Phone: Password: Forgot account? [16], The video channel is financed through the crowdfunding platform Patreon, where ContraPoints has been among the top 20 creators on the site. [28], Wynn is a transgender woman, a matter prominently featured in her videos, and began her gender transition in 2017. In addition to criticism, Wynn and YouTubers associated with her were widely harassed. Wynn has written fiction, taught piano, and worked as a paralegal and copywriter. Log In. Explore, If you have a story to tell, knowledge to share, or a perspective to offer — welcome home. Press alt + / to open this menu. Subscribe to learn and boost your brain power! As it stands today, Lindsay Ellis, Oliver ‘Philosophy Tube’ Thorn and Harry ‘Hbomberguy’ Brewis have made the shortlist of BreadTube creators who have had to stem the tide of relentless and unending criticism of their affiliation with Natalie ‘ContraPoints’ Wynn, merely on the ground of having featured a controversial figure in her latest video. [5] Wynn often illustrates concepts by playing different characters who engage in debate. [12][15][22][30][31][32] As of 2017[update], she resides in Baltimore, Maryland. [29] She is a feminist and has called herself a democratic socialist and social democrat. Her videos have received positive critical response and have been praised for their intricately designed sets and costumes and their darkly humorous tone. Natalie Wynn (born October 21, 1988) is an American YouTuber whose videos explore politics, gender, ethics, race, and philosophy on her channel ContraPoints. A psychosexual journey to the heart of a bad theory about trans women. "[5] Nathan Robinson of Current Affairs calls ContraPoints a "one-woman blitzkrieg against the YouTube right," describing her videos as "unlike anything I've ever seen ... She shows how debate should be done: not by giving an inch to poisonous ideas, but by bringing superior smarts, funnier jokes, and more elegant costumes to the fight. I tried that and I hated it and I don't want to be that person. I'm giving away a philosophy degree for free! [2] In her videos, Wynn uses philosophy, sociology, and personal experience to explain left-wing ideas and to criticize common conservative, classical liberal, alt-right, and fascist talking points. or. Vaush. ; Alternative Character Interpretation: A lot of it has to do with the Arsonist. ... Related Pages. [11] Journalist Liza Featherstone recommends the channel as well, saying that Wynn does a "fabulous job" acknowledging her opponents' valid points while debunking weak arguments and revealing the influence of a sometimes-unacknowledged far-right political agenda. See more of ContraPoints on Facebook. Now that the fruits of BreadTube are perceived as rotten, its critics see the taking of any measures to grind BreadTube’s cultural impact to a halt as vital to their message. This way, BreadTube creators are à la fois duped into thinking that the grievances of their critics are a legitimate concern, and Breadgaters get to convince themselves of the usefulness of what they’re doing regardless of what little material good it actually achieves. Write on Medium, this recent round of backlash against BreadTube, having featured a controversial figure in her latest video, being a white supremacist and a misogynist, a qualm with “ethics in video game journalism”, controversial trans activist Buck Angel in her latest video, openly admit that no solution is exhaustive enough to satisfy their needs, doesn’t seem to have suffered in any tangible way, a few of them started burning their shoes, How I Reactivated My Disabled Instagram Account in 3 Days, Six or Seven Things Social Media Can Do For Democracy, Facebook’s Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Year, Case study: politically charged pro-India hashtags amid Kashmir’s digital blackout, I Quit Instagram for a Month and Nothing Imploded, The Value of Negative Memes in Positive-Vibe Culture. It’s easy and free to post your thinking on any topic. [2][12] Jake Hall, writing for Vice, called Wynn "one of the most incisive and compelling video essayists on YouTube". [5] In 2020, Wynn came out as a lesbian in her video "Shame". ", "YouTuber ContraPoints Attacked After Including Controversial Buck Angel in Video", "Leftist YouTuber ContraPoints Explains Why Cancel Culture Mobs Should Drop the Pitchforks", "The Struggles of Rejecting the Gender Binary", "This Baltimore YouTube star wants to change minds about transgender issues, one absurd costume at a time", "Talking w/ Contrapoints - The Left, Voting, & Pessimism - YouTube", "5 Fantastic YouTubers Fighting The Spread Of Alt-Right Propaganda", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ContraPoints&oldid=1007705773, Transgender and transsexual media personalities, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 February 2021, at 14:24. Abigail Thorn (1993–), known by her YouTube channel name Philosophy Tube, is a British philosopher, actress and YouTuber.. [5] Wynn previously identified as genderqueer. Sections of this page. Many of her videos are structured as debates between various characters played by herself. The outrage against ContraPoints is used as but a mere vessel to channel a greater anger over BreadTube’s reticence to represent the most fringe parts of the political left online, despite being pandered to. For the last four years, Natalie Wynn has created videos that tear down fascist arguments and right-wing talking points. Both those on the offensive will have to inevitably come to terms with the inefficacy of their methods, while BreadTube creators will need to develop a greater distance between their audiences and their work, outlining a clearer distinction between their own beliefs, and the aspiration of political change that a sizeable portion of their critics feel like they’ve not yet assigned great importance. Medium's largest active publication, followed by +768K people. Philosophy Tube. [25][26] Wynn was criticised for featuring Angel, including by journalist Ana Valens. A white power symbol? Or just a right-wing troll? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts [25][26] Wynn's January 2020 video "Canceling" addressed both criticism and harassment of her, and the broader context of perceived "cancel culture". Philosophy Tube makes heavy use of Socratic exercises, often inviting the viewer to approach the subject of the video from the subject's standpoint and providing insights into the philosophical arguments for and against, as well as occasions where the logic of those arguments do not necessarily follow, as well as a recommended reading list and episode sources in the text box beneath the video. ", "The Stylish Socialist Who Is Trying to Save YouTube from Alt-Right Domination", "He, she, they ... should we now clarify our preferred pronouns when we say hello? Wynn is a transgender woman and a lesbian. What Should I Do? In 2016, she began the ContraPoints channel in reaction to the Gamergate controversy and the increasing prevalence of right-wing YouTubers, shifting her content to countering their arguments. Wynn began her channel, ContraPoints, in early 2016 with videos discussing specific political or social ideas and/or responding to other YouTubers, particularly those involved in the New Atheism or Anti-SJWspheres. 123 votes, 27 comments. The — almost terrifying — strength of Breadgate is that it derives its power from exactly the opposite — followers of this doctrine are expected to manifest their political beliefs through praxis, and in a near-constant Marxist fashion, that praxis entails following through with a plan on an artificially-large scale to simulate the appearance of mass appeal. [21], In November 2018, after a ContraPoints video about incels reached over one million views, The New Yorker released a profile of the channel, describing Wynn as "one of the few Internet demi-celebrities who is as clever as she thinks she is, and one of the few leftists anywhere who can be nuanced without being boring. "[22] The Atlantic praised Wynn's use of "lush sets, moody lighting, and original music by the composer Zoë Blade" and opined of her videos that "The most spectacular attraction [...] is Wynn herself. It began in 2013, when Thorn sought to provide free lessons in philosophy in the wake of the 2012 increase in British tuition fees.. ContraPoints was born of a specific political and rhetorical context. Natalie Wynn (born October 21, 1988) is an American YouTuber and feminist writer. Subscribe to learn and boost your brain power! Best Guess Disclaimer * Graphtreon's Best Guess for unknown earnings is based on a creator's number of patrons, and the earnings of similar creators that do publish earnings information. r/PhilosophyTube: A subreddit in which to discuss Philosophy Tube. [2][3][5][6] Wynn left Northwestern, saying it had become "boring to the point of existential despair",[2] and moved to Baltimore, Maryland,[2] where she now lives. The style of her videos has also changed drastically. Much like Gamergate, the error would be to assume a group whose main mechanism of conviction is to harass a select few individuals into submission, is indulging in the discussion in good faith at all. "[15] New York magazine states, "ContraPoints is very good. ", "TV Club: YouTube's ContraPoints and Hulu's Puppy Prep", "Interview: Natalie Wynn of ContraPoints", "The Oscar Wilde of YouTube fights the alt-right with decadence and seduction", "ContraPoints Is Political Philosophy Made for YouTube", "I Think My Friend Is a Jordan Peterson Fan. "[23], In September 2019, Wynn described on Twitter feelings of awkwardness when asked in some contexts to describe her preferred gender pronouns. [2] Wynn's parents are a psychology professor and a doctor. 74.5k members in the ContraPoints community. This in all ways but figurative emulates a similar pattern of behavior by Gamergate, wherein the furor of a disillusioned loud minority is carried out in intermittent doses at first, to now becoming an entire movement of its own with stated goals and objectives it won’t back down from pursuing until they are fulfilled. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. The pressure felt to respond otherwise is illusive at best. Blogger with a focus on internet culture, content creators, and occasionally politics. marxism, individualism, my personal philosophy, how to reorganize society -- Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/hasanabi [19], Wynn's videos have been praised for their clarity, nuance, and attention-grabbing sense of humor. That couldn’t be further from the truth — Gamergate’s strength as a movement is that it wields group identity tension between itself and its targets as a valid pretext for why it is its divine right to harass individuals whom it deems unfit to spare its wrath. ", "What Does the ContraPoints Controversy Say About the Way We Criticize? [5][10][11], Wynn's videos often have a combative but humorous tone, containing dark and surreal humor, sarcasm and sexual themes. [2] In an article contrasting her personal sincerity and her ironic sense of humor, The Verge describes her as the "Oscar Wilde of YouTube. [24] Following negative reaction, Wynn deactivated her Twitter account for a week, then posted an apology. Wynn's videos cover political and social issues, often providing counterarguments to right-wing political argumentation. Harris Brewis. Being bombarded with the same brand of criticism over and over again at the hope a target of harassment might yield isn’t all-that-dissimilar from what Gamergate pioneered five years prior — this time around however, it’s coated in leftist ideals rather than right-wing ones. Courtesy of philosophy Twitter. "[15], Wynn has said: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, I didn't want to be the person who was just making videos about social justice videos on YouTube... to me it was like, I may as well be lecturing again. [18] She posted transcripts of the majority of these videos on her website. Alas, Poor Scrappy: Tom Gently is a reactionary dick, but he didn't quite deserve to have his family killed by the arsonist. [25] Contrastingly, professor Lal Zimman opined about pronoun introductions, "Wynn is absolutely right that people engage with that practice in ways that can be somewhat problematic". Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. With over 1 million followers on YouTube, where she goes by the name ContraPoints, Wynn employs darkly ornate costumes and surreal decadence to discuss social justice in incisive video essays that frequently approach feature-length. The main contention seems to be that the group of progressive creators on YouTube have exploited their fans for fame, sold them out, and are now berating their non-binary fans by proxy of associating with ContraPoints, who has a knack for ruffling feathers against her better judgement — the problem with such a conceit is that it clearly has little bearing on what BreadTube fans think of the movement, and most are actually completely fine with ContraPoints and her creator friends. If it appeared on the surface that this recent round of backlash against BreadTube is about the actions of one single creator, it has now culminated into what could only be adequately described as a harassment campaign masquerading as legitimate criticism. Courtesy of Hbomberguy on Twitter, ContraPoints on YouTube, and Philosophy Tube on Twitter. I'm Abigail, giving away a philosophy degree for free! [12][13][20] Wynn's analysis of fascists' use of memes and coded symbols has been cited by the Southern Poverty Law Center in an article explaining the right-wing use of the OK sign. [7], Wynn started publishing YouTube videos in 2008, initially focusing on criticism of religion and her position as an atheist and skeptic. Regardless of the viewer's interest or lack thereof in internet culture wars, YouTube Nazis, or any of the other wide-ranging subjects covered in its videos, they're funny, bizarre, erudite, and compelling. [12] The videos have been noted for showcasing Wynn's production choices such as complicated lighting, elaborate costumes, and aesthetics. Facebook. Natalie Wynn (born October 21, 1988) is an American YouTuber whose videos explore politics, gender, ethics, race, and philosophy on her channel ContraPoints.Wynn's videos cover political and social issues, often providing counterarguments to right-wing political argumentation. [13] She takes aesthetic cues from drag performance, saying in a 2019 interview that if conservatives were going to call her a drag queen anyway, she decided to "be the most extravagant drag queen on YouTube. [2][5][8][9] Early ContraPoints videos also covered subjects such as race, racism, and online radicalisation.