Latest news with #ArkanSanity
CNN
13-04-2025
- General
- CNN
What I learned in the manosphere
How often do you think about the Roman Empire? Remember? The viral TikTok trend in 2023 where women asked the men in their lives how often they think about Ancient Rome, and it turned out they think about it a lot. That's been on my mind these last few months I've spent living in and reporting about the so-called 'manosphere.' But first, we should clear up a few things about the manosphere. It was traditionally associated with the alt-right, with hate, and populated by overtly misogynist podcasters and influencers like Andrew Tate. Basically: the most toxic manifestations of masculinity. But the term became more prominent last year after Donald Trump was said to have successfully leveraged the male-oriented podcast space to help him win the election. 'Manosphere' started to be used broadly to encapsulate more mainstream male-oriented podcasters like Joe Rogan. And lest we think all 'bro' podcasters are the same, Joe Rogan (for all his flaws) is certainly not Andrew Tate. Indeed, painting them with the same broad brush only highlights part of the reason they are so popular in the first place. Many young men, rightly or wrongly, feel like they too are being painted with a broad brush. They feel that in the wider cultural zeitgeist any form of masculinity is inherently 'toxic,' and that 'all men are the same.' All men are not the same. But much of the appeal of male-oriented podcasters, whether they be meek or macho, is the same. They talk about physical fitness, they promote traditional (but not necessarily toxic) traits of masculinity and they often share a deep appreciation for mixed-martial arts (MMA), specifically the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). And that can lead to the concern of many parents wondering how their Rogan-loving son might become a Tate-worshipping misogynist. Nowhere, other than perhaps Washington, DC, does the mainstream and the extreme coexist more prominently than at the UFC. The UFC is a useful parable in trying to understand the manosphere and wider male-oriented podcast space. Millions of American men love the UFC for all the traditional masculine reasons you'd expect: strength, brutality, heroism. It may not be for everyone, but it is a legitimate sport that people enjoy without embracing any undercurrents of hate. But the undercurrent is there — and just like how more mainstream male podcasters can be a gateway to toxic parts of the manosphere, the UFC doesn't disavow the toxicity as forcefully as it could. Take Bryce Mitchell, for instance, a 30-year-old UFC featherweight star from Arkansas. Perhaps inspired by the success of other MMA world podcasters — in addition to his podcast, Joe Rogan is an MMA commentator — Mitchell started one of his own in January, naming it 'ArkanSanity.' On its debut episode, Mitchell said Hitler was a 'good guy.' 'I really do think before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy I'd go fishing with,' Mitchell said. Now, there's no evidence Hitler took meth. And it's very possible that many of the sports stars we have idolized throughout history, not least the ones who get hit in the head for a living, also had very, very dumb takes like Mitchell's. They just didn't have podcasts. 'That's the problem with the internet and social media. You provide a platform for a lot of dumb and ignorant people,' Mitchell's boss and UFC founder Dana White said in his unequivocal condemnation of the fighter's ignorant comments. Condemnation but not cancellation. 'That's the beautiful thing about this business, for all of you that hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on global television,' White said. White invoked 'free speech' in his decision to not punish Mitchell for his hate speech. Similarly, fighting against the perceived excesses of cancel culture and censorship is a huge part of the popularity of manosphere figures like Tate and more mainstream podcasters like Rogan. The sentiment that cancel culture and social media censorship went too far is something that is felt far beyond the manosphere. A belief exacerbated for some when they felt constrained by pandemic-era vaccine mandates, lockdowns, school closures and other restrictions. 'I feel like we have to fight back with what we're told we're allowed to do,' Jake Shields, a former UFC star who also has a podcast, told me. 'I just don't like to be told you're not allowed to talk to this person. Like, why can't I talk to them? I'm not saying I agree with (their) ideology,' Shields named his podcast 'Fightback' — and while Rogan has welcomed 'canceled' guests like Alex Jones, Shields has swallowed the forbidden fruit entirely. In the last few months, he's hosted David Duke, a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, who Shields described as a 'nice old man,' and Thomas Rousseau, the founder of Patriot Front, one of the most active white supremacist groups in the country. Shields isn't as extreme as some of his guests, but he still regularly traffics in antisemitism and homophobia. But what I found most interesting from listening to Shields' conversation with Rousseau was that a lot of it was relatable. They spoke about the need for men to have support systems for one another. 'I think we need a community,' Shields said, 'I was lucky, I was troubled when I was young. But then I found fighting and that gave me a community, a purpose, a brotherhood, something to come in(to). And men need this. We need this brotherhood.' Americans — men and women — are struggling. We are spending more and more time on our own. Things are so bad the previous surgeon general said loneliness had reached 'epidemic' levels in the United States. Rousseau offers a chance at community — however, it's a fraternity based on white supremacy and hate. How misguided some men's searching for community became evident to Vera Papisova, a journalist who spent a year dating far-right men for a story for Cosmopolitan magazine, when one man brought her to what was ostensibly a gathering of neo-Nazis on a second date. 'This was supposed to be a political group,' Papisova recalled, 'but they were talking about relationship problems.' Some men who feel like they are falling behind are insecure and searching for answers and are finding them in the radical corners of the manosphere, Papisova says. And that's where we come back to the Roman Empire. Once again — just like the UFC — it's important to point out that a lot of guys like guy stuff. Ancient Rome is cool because of gladiators, Julius Caesar — and yes, the underlying lore of strength, bravery and epic feats of masculinity. If your son, brother or husband is into this stuff it is most likely he's just into it because he's into guy stuff. But it can get twisted. I was surprised during my time in the manosphere just how much they talk about history, religion and philosophy. But it makes sense. Men are turning to these podcasts for lots of different reasons. But some are coming because they are lonely and lacking purpose. They are seeking answers to really big questions — like why isn't their life working out the way they wanted it to? Why does it feel like they are falling behind? They are not finding sufficiently satisfactory answers to these questions in the present. Indeed, some of them are looking for someone to blame. They don't want to accept personal responsibility or engage with the inevitably complex socio-economic factors that have contributed to their station in life. And on some podcasts, they get the comforting answer of 'it's not you, it's them.' They're being told to think 'bigger picture' — it's not their fault their lives are terrible, it's 'the Jews,' or 'the gays' or 'the immigrants' that are to blame. They're being told that Hitler wasn't a bad guy, and that Ancient Rome wasn't just great because of the gladiators –— it was great because men were in charge. And whether they were looking or not, they've found the far right. For those men, Papisova says, 'people need to be more open if you have the capacity.' 'Because that one nice conversation you might have might change someone's day enough to not have to seek out help in an online support group, which is actually a bunch of white supremacists using political beliefs as an excuse for how they feel,' she explains. Her response to some of these men: 'You don't need to be a neo-Nazi: you need therapy.' CNN's Sean Clark and Ken Shiffman contributed to this story.
CNN
13-04-2025
- General
- CNN
What I learned in the manosphere
How often do you think about the Roman Empire? Remember? The viral TikTok trend in 2023 where women asked the men in their lives how often they think about Ancient Rome, and it turned out they think about it a lot. That's been on my mind these last few months I've spent living in and reporting about the so-called 'manosphere.' But first, we should clear up a few things about the manosphere. It was traditionally associated with the alt-right, with hate, and populated by overtly misogynist podcasters and influencers like Andrew Tate. Basically: the most toxic manifestations of masculinity. But the term became more prominent last year after Donald Trump was said to have successfully leveraged the male-oriented podcast space to help him win the election. 'Manosphere' started to be used broadly to encapsulate more mainstream male-oriented podcasters like Joe Rogan. And lest we think all 'bro' podcasters are the same, Joe Rogan (for all his flaws) is certainly not Andrew Tate. Indeed, painting them with the same broad brush only highlights part of the reason they are so popular in the first place. Many young men, rightly or wrongly, feel like they too are being painted with a broad brush. They feel that in the wider cultural zeitgeist any form of masculinity is inherently 'toxic,' and that 'all men are the same.' All men are not the same. But much of the appeal of male-oriented podcasters, whether they be meek or macho, is the same. They talk about physical fitness, they promote traditional (but not necessarily toxic) traits of masculinity and they often share a deep appreciation for mixed-martial arts (MMA), specifically the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). And that can lead to the concern of many parents wondering how their Rogan-loving son might become a Tate-worshipping misogynist. Nowhere, other than perhaps Washington, DC, does the mainstream and the extreme coexist more prominently than at the UFC. The UFC is a useful parable in trying to understand the manosphere and wider male-oriented podcast space. Millions of American men love the UFC for all the traditional masculine reasons you'd expect: strength, brutality, heroism. It may not be for everyone, but it is a legitimate sport that people enjoy without embracing any undercurrents of hate. But the undercurrent is there — and just like how more mainstream male podcasters can be a gateway to toxic parts of the manosphere, the UFC doesn't disavow the toxicity as forcefully as it could. Take Bryce Mitchell, for instance, a 30-year-old UFC featherweight star from Arkansas. Perhaps inspired by the success of other MMA world podcasters — in addition to his podcast, Joe Rogan is an MMA commentator — Mitchell started one of his own in January, naming it 'ArkanSanity.' On its debut episode, Mitchell said Hitler was a 'good guy.' 'I really do think before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy I'd go fishing with,' Mitchell said. Now, there's no evidence Hitler took meth. And it's very possible that many of the sports stars we have idolized throughout history, not least the ones who get hit in the head for a living, also had very, very dumb takes like Mitchell's. They just didn't have podcasts. 'That's the problem with the internet and social media. You provide a platform for a lot of dumb and ignorant people,' Mitchell's boss and UFC founder Dana White said in his unequivocal condemnation of the fighter's ignorant comments. Condemnation but not cancellation. 'That's the beautiful thing about this business, for all of you that hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on global television,' White said. White invoked 'free speech' in his decision to not punish Mitchell for his hate speech. Similarly, fighting against the perceived excesses of cancel culture and censorship is a huge part of the popularity of manosphere figures like Tate and more mainstream podcasters like Rogan. The sentiment that cancel culture and social media censorship went too far is something that is felt far beyond the manosphere. A belief exacerbated for some when they felt constrained by pandemic-era vaccine mandates, lockdowns, school closures and other restrictions. 'I feel like we have to fight back with what we're told we're allowed to do,' Jake Shields, a former UFC star who also has a podcast, told me. 'I just don't like to be told you're not allowed to talk to this person. Like, why can't I talk to them? I'm not saying I agree with (their) ideology,' Shields named his podcast 'Fightback' — and while Rogan has welcomed 'canceled' guests like Alex Jones, Shields has swallowed the forbidden fruit entirely. In the last few months, he's hosted David Duke, a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, who Shields described as a 'nice old man,' and Thomas Rousseau, the founder of Patriot Front, one of the most active white supremacist groups in the country. Shields isn't as extreme as some of his guests, but he still regularly traffics in antisemitism and homophobia. But what I found most interesting from listening to Shields' conversation with Rousseau was that a lot of it was relatable. They spoke about the need for men to have support systems for one another. 'I think we need a community,' Shields said, 'I was lucky, I was troubled when I was young. But then I found fighting and that gave me a community, a purpose, a brotherhood, something to come in(to). And men need this. We need this brotherhood.' Americans — men and women — are struggling. We are spending more and more time on our own. Things are so bad the previous surgeon general said loneliness had reached 'epidemic' levels in the United States. Rousseau offers a chance at community — however, it's a fraternity based on white supremacy and hate. How misguided some men's searching for community became evident to Vera Papisova, a journalist who spent a year dating far-right men for a story for Cosmopolitan magazine, when one man brought her to what was ostensibly a gathering of neo-Nazis on a second date. 'This was supposed to be a political group,' Papisova recalled, 'but they were talking about relationship problems.' Some men who feel like they are falling behind are insecure and searching for answers and are finding them in the radical corners of the manosphere, Papisova says. And that's where we come back to the Roman Empire. Once again — just like the UFC — it's important to point out that a lot of guys like guy stuff. Ancient Rome is cool because of gladiators, Julius Caesar — and yes, the underlying lore of strength, bravery and epic feats of masculinity. If your son, brother or husband is into this stuff it is most likely he's just into it because he's into guy stuff. But it can get twisted. I was surprised during my time in the manosphere just how much they talk about history, religion and philosophy. But it makes sense. Men are turning to these podcasts for lots of different reasons. But some are coming because they are lonely and lacking purpose. They are seeking answers to really big questions — like why isn't their life working out the way they wanted it to? Why does it feel like they are falling behind? They are not finding sufficiently satisfactory answers to these questions in the present. Indeed, some of them are looking for someone to blame. They don't want to accept personal responsibility or engage with the inevitably complex socio-economic factors that have contributed to their station in life. And on some podcasts, they get the comforting answer of 'it's not you, it's them.' They're being told to think 'bigger picture' — it's not their fault their lives are terrible, it's 'the Jews,' or 'the gays' or 'the immigrants' that are to blame. They're being told that Hitler wasn't a bad guy, and that Ancient Rome wasn't just great because of the gladiators –— it was great because men were in charge. And whether they were looking or not, they've found the far right. For those men, Papisova says, 'people need to be more open if you have the capacity.' 'Because that one nice conversation you might have might change someone's day enough to not have to seek out help in an online support group, which is actually a bunch of white supremacists using political beliefs as an excuse for how they feel,' she explains. Her response to some of these men: 'You don't need to be a neo-Nazi: you need therapy.' CNN's Sean Clark and Ken Shiffman contributed to this story.
The Hill
31-01-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
UFC head Dana White denounces fighter's praise of Hitler
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White denounced featherweight fighter Bryce Mitchell's praise of Adolf Hitler and antisemitic remarks during a recent podcast appearance. 'I've heard a lot of dumb and ignorant s— said over the years, but this is probably the worst,' White said on Thursday. 'First of all, when you talk about Hitler, he was responsible for the death of six million Jews and it was his intent to completely eliminate the Jewish people. And that's a guy you would want to go fishing with? 'Hitler is one of the most disgusting and evil human beings to ever walk the Earth, and anyone that even tries to take an opposing position is a moron,' he added. 'That's the problem with the internet and social media. You provide a platform to a lot of dumb and ignorant people.' Mitchell's comments defending Hitler came earlier this week during the first episode of his 'ArkanSanity' podcast, saying that the Nazi German dictator was a 'good guy' who was defending his country. He defended Elon Musk, who was accused by some of making a Nazi salute earlier this month. 'Here's what I say about [Elon Musk] heiling Hitler, heiling the Nazis: I really don't think that he was, because I honestly think that Hitler was a good guy based upon my own research, not my public education indoctrination,' Mitchell said during the podcast episode. 'I really do think before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy I'd go fishing with. He fought for his country. He wanted to purify it by kicking the greedy Jews out that were destroying his country and turning them all into gays,' Mitchell added. 'They were gaying out the kids. They were queering out the women. They were queering out the dudes. Do you know where the first tranny surgery ever was? Happened to be in Germany before Hitler took over.' White said that Mitchell will not face any disciplinary actions from the UFC over his comments. 'It's free speech. That's the beautiful thing about this business, for all of you who hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on global television,' White said. Mitchell has a career 17-3 record. He won his last fight against Kron Gracie on Dec. 7, 2024.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dana White Condemns Bryce Mitchell's Controversial Hitler Comment As 'Ignorant And Dumb'
UFC president Dana White has called out Bryce Mitchell for the controversial statement he made while appearing on his ArkanSanity podcast. The featherweight contender during the podcast denied the Holocaust, calling Adolf Hitler a "good guy." Since then, Bryce has faced criticism from his colleagues, fans, and now the chairman of the mixed martial arts organization he represents. While appearing at a press conference ahead of a Power Slap event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday, January 30, UFC Chairman Dana White criticized the comments made by Bryce Mitchell, the number thirteen-ranked featherweight contender on the UFC roster. Mitchell, in the first episode of his podcast, while talking about Elon Musk's Nazi-like salute at a Trump rally, defended Hitler, also denying the Holocaust. "When you realize there's no possible way they could've burned and cremated 6 million bodies, you're gonna realize the Holocaust ain't real," he claimed per Hindustantimes. White stated the UFC had reached out to Mitchell to express disappointment, adding, "I've heard a lot of dumb and ignorant shit over the years, but this is probably the worst." Dana White's strong condemnation of Mitchell's comments had led to speculations that the fighter might face some disciplinary actions from the UFC. However, when quizzed about the possibility of punishing Mitchell, White explained that, despite what anyone thinks, the fighter is entitled to say whatever he wants because of his right to "free speech." "That's what everyone wants to hear about punishment, but it's free speech. I don't have to love it, you don't have to love it," White said. Although Mitchell will continue fighting in the UFC, White suggested he might face his punishment inside the octagon, stating, "For all of you that hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on the global stage." The decision not to punish Mitchell for his controversial comments has not gone well with some UFC fans. After Dana White's comments that people should tune in to Michell's next fight to hopefully see him beaten, X user ScalyWaggington commented, "This is about as good as you could expect from @danawhite, considering he has investors and whatnot." Meanwhile, another section of fans on X (formerly Twitter) questioned White's hypocrisy for speaking out against Mitchell when he had refused to address comments from another one of his fighters, Sean Strickland, against Muslims. Popular streamer Sneako questioned why White would hold a press conference about Mitchell but not Strickland, declaring, "It shows you can talk about one group, but you can't talk about the other one." Although Mitchell's recent Hitler comments have earned him a lot of criticism, this isn't the first time the mixed martial artist has made controversial comments. In 2024, Mitchell explained that he wanted to homeschool his son to prevent him from being gay. In an Instagram video, he remarked, "We're going to have to homeschool all our kids, or they're all going to end up turning gay." Another of Mitchell's comments is his belief that the earth is flat and that gravity doesn't exist. The UFC fighter made the comment in 2022 after calling out famous podcaster Joe Rogan for talking cr-p about him and his mother's belief about the earth. "This earth is flat, it's fixed, and the stars and stuff rotate around us. The sun rotates around us, and I can prove that," Mitchell said, according to Metro UK. Since Mitchell's Hitler remarks went viral, UFC fighters have been addressing the comments made by one of their colleagues. In an Instagram post, Israeli UFC fighter Natan Levy called out Mitchell for his comments, declaring, per Newsweek, "You can call me a greedy jew to my face, and we'll see what's up." In contrast, former UFC fighter and five-time world champion Jake Shields defended Mitchell, saying that it's totally okay for people to praise Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is responsible for the death of children in Gaza, but not Hitler. Levy wrote, "It's socially acceptable to praise him, yet everyone loses their mind when Bryce Mitchell praises a man who's been dead for 80 years."
New York Times
31-01-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘Beyond disgusted': Dana White blasts UFC fighter Bryce Mitchell's praise for Hitler
UFC President Dana White lambasted fighter Bryce Mitchell's comments in defense of Adolf Hitler on Thursday, saying he was 'beyond disgusted' by statements Mitchell made on his podcast earlier in the week. 'I've heard a lot of dumb, ignorant s— in my day, but this one's probably the worst,' White said Thursday night, when he addressed reporters after a Power Slap event in Saudi Arabia. 'When you talk about Hitler, he was responsible for the death of six million Jews and he tried to completely eliminate a race of people. … Hitler was one of the most disgusting and evil human beings to ever walk the face of the Earth. And anyone that even tries to take an opposing position is a moron.' Advertisement Mitchell, speaking on the first episode of his podcast, 'ArkanSanity,' called Hitler 'a good guy based upon my own research.' 'I really do think before Hitler got on meth, he was a guy to go fishing with,' Mitchell said. 'He fought for his country.' Mitchell went on to make antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ comments while saying Hitler wanted to 'purify' Germany. 'Was Hitler perfect? No. But he was fighting for his people,' Mitchell said. He also baselessly claimed the Holocaust was not real, stating 'there's no possible way they could've burned and cremated six million bodies.' Mitchell will not face discipline from UFC, White said, citing free speech. 'I don't have to love it, you don't have to love it,' he said. 'That's the beautiful thing about this business, for all of you who hate Bryce Mitchell, you get to see him hopefully get his ass whooped on global television.' Asked about his conversation with Mitchell, White said Mitchell said he was sorry 'if I put you guys in any position,' in reference to UFC. The UFC doesn't often discipline fighters for their comments, but White did temporarily cut Miguel Torres from the company in 2011 for an inappropriate tweet. Torres was reinstated less than a month later. Natan Levy, a UFC fighter who publicly embraces his Jewish heritage, responded to Mitchell's comments in a pair of Instagram posts Thursday, telling Mitchell he is 'welcome to have a real conversation and actually learn about Judaism our history and culture, firsthand.' Mitchell has made waves in the past with comments that drummed up attention before fights. He previously argued gravity was not real and the Earth was flat. In December, he said he didn't 'believe in seatbelts,' and said the government shouldn't be able to tell him to what to do.
