Modern Wisdom
Modern Wisdom

#1032 - Joshua Citarella - The Dark Subcultures of Online Politics

December 13, 2025

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Expert & The Context

This episode features a comprehensive dialogue on the intersections of politics, culture, and the evolution of ideologies among youth, particularly centered around the influence of internet culture.

  • The Voices: This is a panel debate featuring Aaron Powell and Trevor Burrus. The tone is Reflective, with an undercurrent of urgency as they navigate complex societal issues.
  • The Credibility:
    • Aaron Powell: Co-host of The Roundtable, and a commentator with a focus on cultural and political discourse.
    • Trevor Burrus: A Research Fellow at the Cato Institute, specializing in legal studies and the implications of political ideologies on society.

🔭 The Executive Hook

  • The Breakthrough: The most significant insight discussed is the evolution of political engagement among younger generations, particularly through internet culture and meme politics, which has shifted the landscape of traditional political discourse.
  • The Impact: This evolution has implications for how political coalitions are built and how societal norms are challenged, particularly concerning masculinity and the economic landscape, presenting an opportunity for new coalitions to form across traditional party lines.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

What you'll learn

  • 1 `(00:00)` **🎙️ Introduction: [Aaron Powell]**
  • 2 `(00:27)` **Aaron's Background and Transition to Podcasting**
  • 3 `(01:15)` **Discussion on "Polydogram the Post Left"**
  • 4 `(02:24)` **Memes and Political Trend Forecasting**
  • 5 `(03:35)` **Understanding Political Trends Among Youth**
  • 6 `(05:34)` **Rise of Right-Wing Populism**
  • 7 `(06:31)` **The Evolution of Political Narratives**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

Joshua Citarella is an artist, writer, and cultural researcher focused on internet subcultures and online politics.

We’ve all doom-scrolled our fair share of online politics, some of it funny, some unsettling, and some surprisingly insightful. But which internet subcultures are actually shaping political ideas, how serious are they, and do they truly influence real-world policy?

Expect to learn what’s happening with young people and politics at the moment and why it’s qualitatively different than the past, the weirdest subcultures on the internet that move politics, how online redicalisation actually happens, how internet subcultures actively produce or accelerates political beliefs and identity formation, why Joshua thinks “conservatism is the new punk rock” and much more…

Sponsors:

See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals

Get a free bottle of D3K2, a Welcome Kit, Travel Packs, plus bonus gifts (US only) when you first subscribe at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom

New pricing since recording: Function is now just $365, plus get $25 off at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom

Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT’s most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom

Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom

Extra Stuff:

Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books

Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

#577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59

#712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf

#700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp

-

Get In Touch:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast

Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact

-

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <

Modern Wisdom

More from this podcast

Modern Wisdom →