When elite, left‑leaning media or gatekeepers loudly condemn or spotlight a fringe cultural product, that reaction can operate like free promotion—turning obscure, low‑budget, or AI‑generated right‑wing content into a broader pop‑culture phenomenon. Over time this feedback loop helps form a recognizable 'right‑wing cool' archetype that blends rebellion aesthetics with extremist content.
— If true, this dynamic explains how marginal actors gain mass cultural influence and should change how journalists and platforms weigh coverage choices and de‑amplification strategies.
Richard Hanania
2026.01.09
88% relevant
Shirley’s viral video (140m+ views) and the ensuing elite amplification (Elon Musk tweeting, congressional resolutions, White House actions) is a textbook example of the article’s claim that media amplification can turn fringe content into mainstream political influence and cultural prestige.
Christopher F. Rufo
2026.01.06
88% relevant
The article traces how an online, memetic subculture (the dissident Right around IM–1776) built cultural influence and then saw that influence absorbed into broader politics as major figures and platforms changed; this maps directly to the existing idea that amplification (and subsequent legitimation) can produce a new 'cool' and political leverage for fringe currents. The piece explicitly names IM–1776, Mark Granza, and the Trump administration adopting dissident ideas as the mechanism of normalization.
David Dennison
2025.12.01
100% relevant
David Dennison flags The Will Stancil Show (an AI‑produced cartoon) and notes Atlantic coverage as the catalyst likely to accelerate its spread and status as 'cool.'