5 Terrible Takes From Ben Shapiro
By: Neil Mathew
Tags: Politics, News, Culture, Racism, Equality

One of the saddest things about Ben Shapiro is that he is considered to be an intellectual pillar of the right. In fact, The New York Times called him the “cool kid’s philosopher” in 2017, which is absolutely insane. Regardless, the website he founded is now so influential that Facebook was reportedly afraid of actually fact-checking it.

If you are wondering about the type of people that associate with the Daily Wire, consider that Michael Knowles works there — a man that stooped so low that Fox News had to apologize FOR him when he called Greta Thunberg “mentally ill.”

I’ve written previously about the horrible opinions of Michael Tracey, but Ben Shapiro is undoubtedly more of a power and an influence in modern media. I might not have much of an audience of my own, but if I can point out that Ben Shapiro is a terrible human being to at least one person that reads this, why not put forth the time and effort to do so?

He’s a right-wing pundit that many follow because he seems to speak quickly and confidently, but that certainly doesn’t mean that he is right. In fact, he is often wrong.

Here are five terrible takes from Ben Shapiro.

When He Was Triggered Over Black Panther

If you’re a conservative influencer, there’s a good chance that you throw the word “snowflake” around a lot. You might tweet about “liberal tears”, or claim that people are too sensitive during modern times. However, these same conservative influencers become quite hypocritical when the tables turn, and the 2018 release of the movie Black Panther proved this time and time again.

When Black Panther came out, he decided to mock anyone excited about it. In hindsight, it wasn’t the best strategy for anyone, considering that the movie went on to gross over $1.3 billion. The dislikes on his own channel speak to how terrible this take was, as Ben Shapiro, a noted critic of “identity politics”, tried to mock the film’s release.

No one said that Black Panther was more important than Martin Luther King Jr., but Shapiro uses this terrible strawman argument to appeal to racists in his audience. He is mad that Blade a movie that came out over twenty years ago, “was not enough” for black people. It’s insane to think that a grown man can be this upset over a black superhero movie, but it’s just further proof that Ben Shapiro is a terrible person.

One of the most ridiculous aspects of this rant is that he feels the need to emphasize that Wakanda is a “fictional country”, as if this is somehow relevant. You might not like Joe Rogan, but I do commend the fact that he pointed out that Ben Shapiro is absolute trash for this take (although he doesn’t explicitly name Shapiro).

When He Said The Civil War Was An “Apology” For Slavery

Shapiro says plenty of dumb things, but the idea that a war is an apology might be a new level even for him. The Civil War was a war literally fought over slavery, meaning that many people willing to die for the right to actually own other human beings.

According to Shapiro, the fact that the Union won is an “apology” of some kind to black people. Where was the apology, exactly? Ben Shapiro often misrepresents history in order to advance his own narrative, but this particular take was absolutely horrible.

I grew up in New Orleans, where there were actual monuments to generals who fought for slavery. Lee Circle was one of the city’s most bustling areas, and there was a massive statue dedicated to none other than Robert E. Lee in the middle of the circle. Thankfully, New Orleans removed this statue — and others — several years ago. Of course, the idea that a war was an “apology” is a terrible take. Here’s David Pakman elaborating on how awful this take is:

When He Said You Could Just “Sell Your Homes”

One of the wildest things about conservative influencers is that they often deny the existence of climate change. Joe Rogan once invited Candace Owens to his podcast and was stunned to find that she doesn’t consider the environment a priority. Owens famously said “I believe the climate always changes”, when asked if she believes in its existence.

To his credit, Rogan suggested that she confer with scientists and look at some data. Owens responded that “I’ve read a ton about it.” The interaction was mocked widely and damaged Owens’ credibility considerably.

Shapiro has a similar clip. In 2017, he downplayed the entire idea of climate change, but the way he did it was unbelievably idiotic. In a lecture, a man that conservatives consider an “intellect” says: “Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that all of the water levels around the world rise by, let’s say, five feet or ten years over the next hundred years. It puts all the low-lying areas on the coast underwater. Let’s say all of that happens. You think that people aren’t just going to sell their homes and move?”

This is another example of how Ben Shapiro refuses to acknowledge that poor people exist, and that “just selling their home” isn’t an option because they might not own their home, and “just moving” isn’t exactly solid advice to those living in poverty. Of course, in a clip that has gone viral on various social media platforms — there’s another reason why this take is so terrible. Ben, who exactly would they sell the homes to??? You can find the full-length video from “Hbomberguy” that contains this clip here, and this clip racked up over 5 million views to date from Twitter alone:

When He Said Trayvon Martin “Had It Coming”

If you care about social justice in this country, you are aware of the story of Trayvon Martin. Martin was a 17-year-old high school mixed -race student that was murdered, not by a police officer, but by a neighborhood watch coordinator named George Zimmerman.

Zimmerman was constantly calling police about “suspicious people” before the 2012 shooting that cost Martin his life. The incident occurred in Sanford, Florida, on the night of February 26, 2012.

Zimmerman thought Martin may be behind a series of break-ins in the community, but offered no real logic or evidence for this reasoning. When he called police, Martin was wearing a hoodie, and Zimmerman also claimed that he was “up to no good.” The dispatcher told Zimmerman that he didn’t need to follow Trayvon, but Zimmerman fatally shot Martin about 70 yards from his home. Trayvon Martin was unarmed.

There are conflicting witness accounts about the exact altercation between Martin and Zimmerman, but many believed that Martin’s murder was completely unjustified. Zimmerman was known for putting in calls regarding local incidents and disturbances. The murder sparked a national discourse surrounding the “stand your ground” law and how racial profiling can lead to violence.

I remember that a white neighbor of mine in Dallas argued with me that Martin was a gang member, because he had seen a picture of the rapper The Game being circulated, and assumed that Martin was a gang member. Once I proved to him that this was an entertainer, and not Martin — it genuinely changed his idea about racial profiling and (I would like to think) led to a productive conversation about how racial profiling does exist.

What was Ben’s take? It was about as terrible as you can imagine. Many racists jumped to claim that Zimmerman was innocent because Trayvon Martin had violently attacked him, despite the fact that Zimmerman literally declined an ambulance to a hospital. Zimmerman’s nose was “likely broken”, but that didn’t stop Shapiro from posting an absolutely disgusting tweet on what would’ve been Trayvon’s 21st birthday. The tweet still remains up, despite the backlash it deservedly received.

It’s insane to think that we live in a world where someone with millions of followers can openly state that a black man who wanted a snack and some iced tea “had it coming” when he was murdered for no reason, but that’s Shapiro for you.

In a disgusting clip that also proves Ben Shapiro’s hypocrisy, he stated recently on Fox News that “police brutality is wrong.” See below:

Zimmerman wasn’t even a police officer, and yet he still has the Trayvon Martin tweet up. He called the George Floyd murder “an atrocity”, in what I believe to be a pivot since even conservatives are forced to admit that Floyd was brutally murdered. Since there is no video of Martin’s altercation, Shapiro took the opportunity to disrespect a young dead black man to appeal to his audience.

When He Was Wrong About Colin Kaepernick

Believe it or not (sarcasm), this isn’t the only time that Ben Shapiro has skewed the narrative with respect to black men. When he last appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast, Rogan pointed out that he felt like what Kaepernick was doing was positive, and raised awareness regarding police brutality. Predictably, Shapiro pushed back.

Shapiro suggested that Kaepernick should be protesting “in the name of the flag”, and the fact that he was kneeling was disrespectful. He also claims that Kaepernick was unnecessarily divisive. Rogan, to his credit, suggested that taking a knee doesn’t disrespect the American flag at all. Sure, it might be a different gesture than placing your hand over your heart, but Rogan doesn’t see the issue.

Rogan elaborated that it was a silent and respectful move that shouldn’t be criticized the way that it had. He even stated that “bending the knee” is arguably MORE of a showing of physical respect. He asks Shapiro directly (1:58): “How is that so disrespectful?”

Shapiro knows where he and his fans stand on this, and he stated quickly that Colin Kaepernick never intended respect when kneeling. When Rogan asked him how he could possibly know Kaepernick’s intentions, Ben argued that he had “literally talked about it.” Rogan still argued that the way that Kaepernick didn’t mean for his kneeling to be a “fuck you” to America. Ben Shapiro, eager to paint Kaepernick as an enemy, said: “He did mean it as an F you. There’s no question that’s what he meant it as.”

This was a huge mistake on Shapiro’s part. Shapiro keeps arguing that while police brutality was wrong; Kaepernick was basically going about it the wrong way. This is a pretty typical conservative perspective. If you believe that systemic racism exists, they criticize you whether you riot, protest peacefully, or even express an opinion that admits that race has a role in the criminal justice system.

It’s a trash argument that racists love, and Shapiro is no exception. Shapiro tries to dismiss police brutality as “anecdotal”, as if any rational human being would believe that race doesn’t play a considerable role in police interaction.

Regardless, the clip gets better around 9:20, when Jamie, Joe Rogan’s assistant on the show, points out that Kaepernick began protesting police brutality originally by sitting. He then consulted with a military veteran that suggested that kneeling might be a better option. It’s important to note that with all of Shapiro’s talk about “anecdotes” — Kaepernick actually had guns drawn on him. Shapiro, of course, never mentions this fact.

A clip of Kaepernick then played on the show, where the former quarterback now elaborates on the fact that he believed that kneeling was the best move to show that he still had respect for the flag but was protesting police brutality. It’s hilarious to watch Shapiro watch this clip, as he realizes that everything that he had just said was complete bullshit. Shapiro manages as “Well, that’s better obviously…”, and Rogan doesn’t let him off the hook so easy. Rogan states, “But that’s him, that’s 2016…”

Shapiro asks Rogan to scroll down (10:52), as if there will be some evidence that supports his argument there. Of course, as in many interviews — Shapiro still looks incredibly stupid. Rogan must know it, too, as he repeatedly states that it seems “super reasonable” that Kaepernick took this stance, especially given his personal experience with police.

Shapiro might not be as embarrassed as Owens, but it certainly wasn’t his finest moment.

Conclusion

The saddest part about this post is that it wasn’t difficult to make. I don’t even think it would be that hard to write an entire book about Ben Shapiro and terrible takes. The fact remains that I hope this post gave you some insight as to why Shapiro shouldn’t be trusted or thought of as credible in any meaningful way.

If you are interested in hearing more about how terrible Ben Shapiro is, I highly suggest this Some More News video:

Similar Posts: