Carolina Snowflakes Podcast

In recent weeks Facebook and Twitter have seen a mass exodus of politically conservative users. You may have noticed some of your friends or even family members announcing their departures from the “oppressive” realm of mainstream social media to something called Parler. To their loyal users, Parler is a place for free speech and the sharing of ideas. To us, it’s a hot mess of misinformation, misogyny and a right-wing echo chamber filled with spam. It’s also rather glitchy.

Tune in to this week’s bonus episode called “Parler Tricks” as we discuss the who, the what  and the why of social media’s recent #twexit to Parler and find out what we saw while we were there.

This week on the Carolina Snowflakes Podcast we were placed on academic probation because “We Flunked Out of Electoral College”. 

It’s a complex institution with rules and measures that don’t make much sense at all. Add in 50 states with 50 different ways of implementing standards and it’s no wonder we earned a failing grade.  Is this the best voting system America has to offer?

Listen in as we examine the who, the what and the why of the most convoluted and confusing method of voting that exists in the free world. Who came up with this mayhem and what were they thinking? Can we yell at them?

No matter what, we can safely say that our 9^th  grade Civics class did us wrong in how the Electoral College was portrayed. They missed a few very important points--like how the system is rooted in racist origins. Oops?

Interestingly, the majority of Americans don’t even support the Electoral College and haven’t for numerous decades. So why does it still exist and what will it take to change it? Learn about this and more as we examine recent and not-so-recent American elections in which the Electoral College vote didn’t align with the popular vote. Do you know how many times this has happened? We do!

We also take a look at the use of polling in predicting political outcomes. How do they continue to get it so wrong year after year? Maybe we aren’t the only ones to earn a failing grade around here.

So put on your thinkin’ caps and grab a snack cause we’re nerdin’ out with all things Electoral College.

Catch up with your favorite podcast hosts in this week’s episode of the Carolina Snowflakes, “One of Us Really Did Go on Dr. Phil”.

This week we sit down for a colorful interview with a very special guest named Billy Ray Charles, a self-proclaimed Qanon follower, die-hard Trumper and grand American patriot. These are his words, not ours. Prepare to laugh your rear off as Billy Ray shares his unique insights into the greater workings of Hollywood’s liberal elites.

Then, find out what your favorite Snowflakes have been up to over the last few months and hear all about Amanda’s exciting experience participating in the audience of the Dr. Phil show.  Stick around to find out what Dr. Phil is like when the cameras aren’t rolling.

And lastly, listen in as we discuss the newest members of the Snowflake household: William, Harry and Earlene. Three sassy tabby kittens who have wiggled and purred their way right into our hearts. Yes, we adopted 3 kittens. What were we thinking?

In part 5 of our Black Lives Matter series we take a look at the representation of black people within media and how such representation has impacted the perspectives of white consumers as well as shaped how we treat persons of color.

2020 bore witness to the cancellation of 2 major, racially biased television shows: COPS and Live PD. Both shows were fraught with racial discrimination at the hands of law enforcement and were routinely (and rightly) criticized for their over representation of black people as violent criminals. COPS in particular boasted a 95% arrest rate by their 33^rd season; meaning 95% of aired segments concluded in the arrests of persons encountered by law enforcement during filming. The show also depicted 10 times more violent crimes than the national average; with most crimes shown being committed by young black men. We look at how these shows have shaped white people’s perceptions of black people and particularly black men in an epically negative way.  It comes as no surprise that these shows have also shaped how law enforcement is perceived; often as heroes to white people and as upholders of law and order. This is what happens when police officers are the ones in charge of determining each episode’s final edits.

We also examine black representation in media in the form of large, televised award ceremonies. Most are aware of the #oscarsowhite phenomenon within the realm of movie-making, but did you know the music industry’s Grammy Awards are arguably just as skewed towards whiteness?  In 61 years of annual ceremonies, the Grammy’s top title of “Album of the Year” has only been awarded to 10 black musicians. In addition, it’s been 12 years since a black artist has been awarded the top title. How is this possible? We look at who sets the standards of excellence when determining Grammy winners and the subsequent flaws (and ironies) in these determinations.

What’s most surprising to us is when the world of law enforcement and black musical artistry collides. Such is the case with rapper Mac Phipps, who was sentenced to prison for 30 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Prosecutors in the state of Louisiana used lyrics from a few select songs written by Phipps in order to paint him as a crazed criminal, hell-bent on murder. A majority white jury found Phipps guilty and sent the talented, rising star to prison based on a few words taken out of context. How is this real life and how is it happening right under the nose of everyone around?

We conclude this episode with a call to action for our listeners. Particularly in the times of COVID-19, it’s important to support black artists and black artistry. We’ll provide you with a handful of pandemic-safe ways to help and provide a few websites and places to visit that directly support black creators.

References and Resources:

“Headlong: Running from Cops” Podcast, Dan Taberski.

Vilanova, John, “Not Simply The Best. The Grammy Awards, Race, And America” (2019). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 3474.

“Mac Phipps, Lyrics On Trial And a Legacy of Injustice in Louisiana”. NPR. Sidney Madden & Rodney Carmichael. October, 2020.

www.blackartinamerica.com

www.shoppeblack.us

www.webuyblack.com

This week on the Carolina Snowflakes Podcast we take a look at the history and legends surrounding the evangelical acts of taking up serpents and drinking poison, in our episode titled “Bible Belt Holdin’ Up My Pants”.  What would compel someone to hold snakes and drink poison and have they lost their minds? Possibly. Snake handling is for sure an unusual practice and mostly illegal. Mostly. Believe it or not, it’s still happening within small congregations around the south and deep in Appalachia, where it first began. 

We feel that to fully understand these practices it’s best to start with the definition of tradition. We look at what constitutes a tradition and how it differs from laws, practices and norms. Although used interchangeably, these terms are in fact, different from one another. At what point does a practice become harmful and how can a harmful practice be changed or improved upon without upheaval of the tradition it supports?

We do our best to answer this question by sharing stories of our own experiences of evangelical church-goings and how they affected our opinions today. We also tell a fascinating true story of Haywood County, North Carolina Sheriff, Jack Arrington, being bitten by a poisonous snake while trying to arrest a Holy Roller Appalachian preacher named Charles Prince. Prince believed the righteous would be protected from harm so he sure as heck wasn’t going to be taken down easily.

Given the dangerous nature of snake handling and drinking strychnine, we didn’t attempt to perform either act ourselves, but we did watch an interview with a Pentecostal preacher from West Virginia who does both of these things. He explains his rationale for supporting the practices and how it’s an integral part of his faith. We highly recommend you watch this interview too and we talk a bit about the YouTube channel where the interview can be found: Soft White Underbelly. It’s a great channel created by a photo journalist named Mark Laita. Laita has spent the last 3 years interviewing people who live on the fringes of society. Pimps, prostitutes, drug addicts, KKK members, and more recently, people living deep in the heart of Appalachia. Check his channel out.

Lastly, since we’re on the topic of religion in the south we discuss life in the Bible Belt and the interesting competition between southern cities to be deemed the official “Buckle” of the big ol belt. There are a handful of cities who make a strong case for being the official “Buckle” of the Bible Belt, including our very own Greenville, South Carolina. Did you know everyone wants to be the buckle?

Listen today to hear all this and more!

Beware the haunted Carolinas!

In this week’s episode the Snowflakes share incredible stories of a few local legendary ghosts, ghouls and unexplained mysteries of our beautiful Carolinas.

From the mystifying Brown Mountain Lights dancing across a North Carolina ridge top in an area rich in Cherokee lore, to the ghost of a South Carolina confederate soldier named Manse Jolly who turned into a vengeful serial killer before his death, to the Lizardman of Scape Ore Swamp in Bishopville, SC---we tell tales that’ll make the hair on the back of your neck stand tall. Are these entities real? More real than not, we say.

Tune in to hear these haunting stories from the Carolinas as we also discuss our own mysterious experiences with the unknown and perhaps, supernatural.

Do you believe in ghosts?    

What the heck is a Qanon and what does it have to do with Mamaw sharing posts on Facebook about saving children? What if we told you that Qanon doesn’t give a flying flip about saving children and that the real objective of the founders of this bizarre movement is much more sinister?

Devout followers of Qanon possess a variety of strange and almost comical beliefs. We say “almost comical” because although it seems hysterical to think someone actually believes our POTUS is secretly fighting forces of darkness in order to save babies from red-shoe-wearing, Wayfair-shopping vampire Democrats, in truth, it’s alarming because these beliefs have weaseled their way into mainstream social media and into the homes of suburban housewives. You know, people who actually vote.

What began as a conspiracy theory puzzle-solving game hosted within the depths of the dumpster fire known as 4Chan has been marketed and re-branded to appeal to a much wider audience across social media platforms such as Facebook. Thus why your Mamaw insists we must save our children.

What’s most interesting about the Qanon movement is the convergence of so many different types of followers under one umbrella. From anti-vaxxer moms to diehard religious zealots to sweet old ladies who like to knit mittens, Qanon has gained ground among all types of people and it’s having real-world consequences.

You may think you don’t know anyone caught up in this movement, but we’re willing to bet you do.  In this week’s episode we examine the who, the how and the why of the movement known as Qanon.

Who started this mess and how did it get this far?   

Reference:

Chris Hayes – Why is this happening? Podcast Episode “FAQanon with Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins”

Reply All – Podcast Episode #166 “Country of Liars”

Have you ever done something you regret? Something so unbecoming and inexcusable you hide your face in shame. This may explain why our faces are cartoons. That’s right. We did it. We watched Fox News; or as we now call it, Faux News. What better way to squash regret than by airing out the dirty laundry and telling what you did? In this week’s episode your favorite snowflakes cut loose and reminisce on our year-and-a-half saga as regular Fox News viewers. For 18 months Megyn Kelly was a household name and the Fox & Friends Morning Show kept us regular company. Did we subscribe to their rhetoric and twisted narratives? No, not at all. But we sure found it entertaining to watch and boy do we have stories to share. Join us as we discuss the hysterical highs and the dastardly lows of our time viewing the conservative news network. We discuss such topics as: Why does Fox News talk about anything but news? And why does it have such a grip on so many people? Is there any hope for those who have been sucked in by the vitriol and fear-mongering tactics? Maybe? Maybe not. Most importantly, you’ll laugh out loud as we share our opinions on former regular visitors to the channel such as Sarah Sanders, Steve Bannon and Sean Spicer. Bonus: special guest appearance from Hillary’s missing emails. This is one episode you don’t want to miss so sit back and take a listen because we watched Faux News.

In this week’s episode we take a look into the fascinating worlds of the Incel and MGTOW movements. How did these disturbing identities come to fruition and what exactly are the greater real-world ramifications of their existence? Even more, how did the Internet come to house groups such as these that vilify women and minorities and sometimes go so far as to commit real acts of violence? The Carolina Snowflakes aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty so we went directly to the home of these controversial online communities. What better way to study a subject than by venturing into their natural habitat and watching them in action? That’s right. We went to 4Chan so you don’t have to. It was gross and uncomfortable and at times, more than a little concerning. And yes, it’s likely we’ll be taking penicillin for the foreseeable future. The good news is we’re both up-to-date on our tetanus shots and we have plenty of disinfectant spray on hand. Listen today to hear about our experiences and what we discovered. Buckle up because this is one epic dumpster-fire extravaganza you don’t want to miss. 

In this week’s episode we talk about the incredible rise and epic fall of Food Network’s legendary Butter Queen, Ms. Paula Deen. Did you know she began her journey to celebrity status with only $200 in her pocket? She overcame great loss and took a true leap of faith to become one of America’s favorite television cooks. She might have been heavy-handed with the butter, but the Paula Deen Empire was golden. Until one day, it all ended. In a blink of an eye and the utterance of one word, her fame, fortune and legacy was gone. Was Paula one of the many celebrities to fall to the will of a “Cancel Culture”? Was her punishment fair? Listen closely as we take a deep dive into what exactly happened to Paula Deen and we find out what she’s been up to since everything came crashing down.