Black Podcasters Are Platforming White Supremacy And Its Sickening to Watch

A month or so back, I listened to a clip from The Joe Budden Podcast in which the crew played a snippet of Candace Owens the worst Black woman in existence since Mary J. Bliges character on Power Book II: Ghost giving Ariana Grande a verbal drubbing for being a ho . 

Everyone on the pod even the sole woman, Melyssa Ford gave Owens props for her takedown. It was a bizarre moment even for a podcast that prides itself on being contrarian for contrarianisms sake. Especially since Owens has made a career off of taking Black people to task to appease her white listeners. 

Budden didnt just side with Owens. He was intrigued.

So color me (un)surprised when Budden and Owens linked up for an episode of his podcast, which was released on his Patreon on March 15. 

For the uninitiated, a brief primer on Owens: Shes a different brand of foul right-wing f**kery. Shes built a career downplaying racism, hoisting up Donald Trump and promoting homophobia, sexism, ableism and any other -ism you can muster all in the name of getting Black folks away from the Democratic Party , and all while being a dark-skinned Black woman.

Among her headline-making absurdities: She testified to the House Judiciary Committee about how white supremacy is not nearly as big a deal as a culture that doesnt promote masculinity, and walked down a dark path with Kanye West,  using the hip-hop culture she often condemns to her own benefit. 

Unsurprisingly, Budden let Owens speak with little pushback as she went through a medley of rancid talking points, including the idea that Black people will be free of structural or institutionalized racism if only we think our way out of it. She reminded him that Black rappers once loved Trump, who is only being misinterpreted because of the media (and not because of whats come out of his own goddamn mouth in the last eight years). 

Owens isnt the first Black conservative, but shes among the most noxious and the most followed, with millions of supporters across multiple platforms. And Budden likes her energy because she talked s**t about Ariana Grande ?

Buddens homeboy Charlamagne Tha God also has the platforming-assholes thing down bad: His Breakfast Club radio show recently interviewed Republican presidential candidate (and inevitable loser) Nikki Haley.

Haley, whod just been cooked for refusing to acknowledge that the Civil War was about slavery , traipsed on this Black show and refused once again to explicitly acknowledge that racism is the lifeblood of America.  

When you look at the inequalities in America, in education, you know, homeownership, employment and wealth, health care, Charlamagne asked. Can you admit that America is, systemically and structurally, a racist country?

I think culture has a lot to do with it, right? she responded.

That Owens and Haley are both women of color is immaterial but it might actually make them more dangerous.  

This isnt the first time Charlamagne, DJ Envy and company have placed a spotlight on terrible humans: They took an on-air phone call from O.G. conservative death adder Rush Limbaugh  about George Floyds murder.

Charlamagne was pictured in 2016 with conservative blonde mudslinger  (and former Donkey of the Day) Tomi Lahren, when she was at the height of her popularity. He claimed it was a publicity stunt, but he knew who she was when he walked with her like Black folks are walking shoulder to shoulder with David Duke, just because.

Defenses for these men and their choice of white supremacist guests have largely fallen into the lets hear both sides argument, but everyone can miss me with that. Why do we need exposure to the side of fomenting anti-Blackness and general hatred?

Owens has several million followers and all the space in the world to get off bulls**t so ridiculous that Im not even sure she believes it. Shes in no risk of not having her side heard, and theres zero reason to Black media to engage her in dialogue outside of getting money because not all money is good (or ethical) money. 

Owens is ecstatic that Black media is giving her play right now because, ostensibly, she believes Black folks are on the verge of an awakening that will see us dip out from the Democratic party en masse, and finally acknowledge that Toupee Fiasco will bring us all to the Promised Land. 

But I think shes just excited about getting to flex her intellect over Budden: Owens is very loud and frequently wrong, but shes not stupid, and she knows that Budden couldnt hang with her intellectually. (In contrast, I bet she wouldnt step foot on Roland Martins show.) Charlamagne and DJ Envy can also get steamrolled by their guests. 

And thats just one of the problems with these podcasts another is their tendency to demean women while claiming to boost them up, making them manosphere podcasts in disguise. And if theyre not platforming anti-Blackness, theyre going in the polar opposite direction: Budden and The Breakfast Club have both hosted Dr. Umar Johnson a man who, oddly enough, espouses the same homophobic, pro-masculinity message as Owens, but framed in a pro-Blackness way.

Balance, right?

It doesnt matter if your guest is on some clock-is-right-twice-a-day stuff If their message is consistently that of racism, discrimination and wholly unnecessary attacks on marginalized groups, find another guest. Im sure Budden and company can find someone else who thinks Ariana Grande is a ho.