"Instead of holding events around Los Angeles to convince skeptics that his mayoral campaign is for everyone, the former reality television bad boy has bunkered himself inside an echo chamber of sycophants, friendly podcasters and milquetoast media outlets."
"Instead of offering an on-ramp to join his pissed-off posse, he calls Mayor Karen Bass "Basura" - trash - and her supporters "Bassholes," insults that his followers share and like on social media by the thousands."
"Instead of enlisting surrogates to push an uplifting vision for L.A.'s future, Pratt elevates those who speak of the city as a West Coast Chernobyl."
"They're the ones depicting Pratt in AI-generated videos as a superhero - Batman, Luke Skywalker and a gladiator, among others - battling Bass, cast as a clown, Darth Vader, the Joker or as herself handing out needles to half-crazed homeless people."
Spencer Pratt’s mayoral campaign centers on an echo chamber of loyalists, friendly podcasters, and accommodating media rather than events aimed at skeptics. He uses derogatory language for Mayor Karen Bass and her supporters, and his followers amplify these insults widely on social media. Instead of promoting an uplifting plan for Los Angeles, he elevates voices describing the city as dangerously broken. Pratt frames his run as righteous fury shaped by surviving the Palisades fire, while many Angelenos feel pessimistic about the future. He has raised funds quickly, performed decently in a debate, and remains competitive in polls. He also leans into apocalyptic themes that energize “Lost Cause” critics, including AI-generated superhero portrayals attacking Bass and depicting chaotic scenarios.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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