"Last September, Naima Troutt was one of 25 liberal college students chosen to debate Charlie Kirk. One interaction in the 90-minute video was particularly memorable: After Kirk attempts to argue that abortion is murder, Troutt mutters to herself, "Ugh, his smile is very creepy." "Oh, so smiling is creepy?" he asks, to which she replies, "No, your smile specifically." The room erupts into laughter. The clip went viral. Fan edits were made in her honor. In the world of debates designed for maximum social-media engagement,"
"She's referring to one of the most notorious internet shows that bring on guests for the purpose of arguing with, or, more often, scolding them for their beliefs. The most outrageous tend to go the most viral: A July Jubilee episode with over 12 million views pitted the progressive commentator Mehdi Hasan against 20 far-right people; the second-most-viewed video after the Kirk episode asked scientists to find a "middle ground" with flat-earth conspiracy theorists."
Naima Troutt became a viral figure after a debate interaction that produced laughter and fan edits. Online debate shows stage confrontations tailored for social-media engagement and reward the most outrageous moments with virality. Some high-view episodes pit prominent commentators against large groups of ideological opponents or place scientists in absurd compromise scenarios. Many programs traffic in gender-war content, using performative shaming and clumsy thought experiments to challenge or humiliate young women. Episode branding and titles often amplify contempt, framing guests as deserving ridicule while prioritizing viewer reaction and shareability over substantive dialogue.
Read at Vulture
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