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Time Magazine
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
How ‘Surrounded' Memeifies Politics
Mehdi Hasan is 'one of the most formidable debaters and interviewers of our times,' the debate-hosting company Intelligence Squared said of the British-American journalist in 2023. Hasan rose to fame on both sides of the Atlantic for his confrontational interviews of politicians and public figures, often advocating a left-of-center view on Al Jazeera, BBC, The Intercept, MSNBC, and now his own Substack site Zeteo. But the author of a book titled Win Every Argument has also spoken about when not to take part in a debate. 'There are certain people who there is no point arguing with,' he said in 2023, pointing specifically to those who operate in bad faith. 'It's pointless. It doesn't go anywhere.' The one-versus-many debate web series has repeatedly gone viral since its premiere in September, featuring episodes from 'Can 25 Liberal College Students Outsmart 1 Conservative?' to 'Can 1 Woke Teen Survive 20 Trump Supporters?' and 'Can 1 Cop Defend Himself Against 20 Criminals?' Hasan appeared as the titular progressive in the 100-minute '1 Progressive vs 20 Far-Right Conservatives,' which has garnered more than 3.5 million views and counting on YouTube since it was posted on Sunday and millions more views of clips shared on social media. But Hasan was the first to admit that he didn't expect what he would encounter. 'You can see my shock when they start expressing their views openly,' Hasan posted on X in response to a critic who suggested he eagerly signed up to debate 'a bunch of nazis.' According to Zeteo, Jubilee Media 'chose the participants, with Mehdi meeting them for the first time in the studio itself.' Hasan, whose supporters have showered him with praise for his performance, claimed in the final minutes of the program, during which participants assessed the debate, that he was both taken aback but also unsurprised by the extreme views he met: 'I thought it would be an interesting exercise in trying to understand what genuine far-right conservative folks think. And it was kind of disturbing to see that they think what I thought they think, and they were happy to say it out loud. I am disappointed that I had to sit across from people who believe in white genocide, who believe I'm not a citizen. … The people here today were way beyond conservative.' While Hasan admitted he likes to debate 'even people I disagree with,' he reiterated that he tries to 'avoid bad faith folks' and said, 'I think some of the folks today were bad faith.' He also seemed to criticize Jubilee's airing of such extreme views, adding: 'Free speech doesn't mean you need to give credibility or oxygen or a platform to people who don't agree in human equality.' 'This is open authoritarianism, and this is what is being normalized and mainstreamed in our country, by people in power, by the media, by people who don't know any better,' Hasan said. But some observers online have suggested that Hasan himself should have known better about what he signed up for. 'The fix is in' Jubilee Media says its mission is to 'provoke understanding' and 'create human connection.' And, according to its website, 'We believe discomfort and conflict are pivotal forces in creating human connection.' The company has since 2017 produced a number of web series on dating, identity, politics, and more. 'We want to show what discourse can and should look like. Sometimes it can be unproductive but other times it can be quite productive and empathetic,' founder Jason Y. Lee told Variety in late 2024 for an article about Surrounded , which according to the article has a goal to 'promote open dialogue,' for which Jubilee sees itself as a neutral host. 'We try our best to be as unbiased as possible when it comes to the political sphere,' said Lee. For the most part, Jubilee's debate series appears to be unmoderated, governed primarily by the participants themselves, with occasional on-screen fact-checks provided by billionaire Joe Ricketts' media startup Straight Arrow News. But critics have questioned the company's supposedly noble aspirations. 'Jubilee Media mines the nation's deepest disagreements for rowdy viral videos. But is all the arguing changing anyone's mind?' the Atlantic asked in January. Media reporter Julia Alexander suggested on X that the program's producers are the ones operating in bad faith. 'Jubilee Media's done it again: taking 20 people with extremist views and putting them into a 90 minute video knowing that they'll say extreme things and get an extreme amount of attention,' she posted on Sunday after the Hasan episode. They've figured out, Alexander added, 'how to monetize the very essence of the internet.' Filmmaker and entrepreneur Minh Do posted that Jubilee's producers 'are mainly interested in clickbait views and incendiary clips that don't lead anyone to think any deeper about these topics' rather than any sense of responsibility to the public. 'Senseless conversation purely for views.' 'It only takes watching a couple clips of these to see that the fix is in,' posted podcaster Alex Goldman. Writer and disability rights advocate Imani Barbarin, who shared in March that she turned down an invitation from Jubilee to appear in a Surrounded episode about feminism, posted a video Monday in which she decried how she believed the debate-style program was made for viral moments, not serious engagement. 'That very same debate where Mehdi Hasan was standing up to 20 fascists or whatever, where you all think he won, is being cut up and chopped up across the internet to present it as though he lost,' Barbarin said. Indeed, one only needs to scroll through the social media pages of some of the participants to see them taking victory laps and their supporters praising their performances. 'This,' Barbarin emphasized, 'is what the memeification of politics looks like in practice.'


Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Mehdi Hasan shuts down 20 Donald Trump fans in explosive jubilee debate – viewers call him a ‘National Treasure'
Mehdi Hasan is a British-American journalist who recently made a splash in progressive politics after departing from the MSNBC network to found his own independent media platform, known as Zeteo. Since then, Mehdi has spearheaded numerous investigative journalism and advocacy efforts, most notably concerning the ongoing war in Gaza, which he has termed a 'genocide'. Mehdi is also a staunch critic of the current Donald Trump administration, and has built up a reputation as a formidable debater. On July 20, he showcased his passion for debating once more by appearing on Jubilee's Surrounded. Surrounded is a YouTube series where a public debater deliberately disadvantages themselves by pitting themselves against 20 people of opposing viewpoints, with Mehdi facing off against hardline Donald Trump supporters who were staunchly anti-immigrant and openly supported many of the president's most controversial policies. Mehdi would later post a highlight reel of the over 90-minute debate on his X account, which got a lot of reactions, with James Allan calling Mehdi a "National Treasure". You're a National Treasure Mehdi. Netizens rally around Mehdi after his Jubilee debate Mehdi's highlight reel prompted a lot of responses on his X timeline, with many praising Mehdi's debating skills and commending him on facing off against America's radicalized right-wingers head on. User doomer_world called Mehdi an American hero, which he looked all too happy to hear. 🙏🏽 User Nick Warren said that the others brought a pencil sharpener to a gatling gun fight. They bought a pencil sharpener to a gatling gun fight... User jocamp thanked Mehdi for everything. 🙏🏽 User Rickey Williams commended Mehdi for taking 'hate and fascism' full on, and said there was no barometer to gauge the amount of 'crazy' among the 20 right-wingers. Words cannot express how much I appreciate you Mehdi, you took hate and fascism full on, there's no barometer to gauge the amount of crazy amongst those 20. User whereisjarule_ stated that Mehdi was the best debater he'd ever seen. Happy it's mehdi Hasan of all people going against them. He is the best debater I've ever seen! User thelefttake condemned the people Mehdi debated against, saying they should be 'put on a watchlist'. There are multiple people in this video who should be placed on a watchlist. It's actually scary knowing they walk among us. Not all responses to Mehdi's debate were positive, however, with seasters jones saying that Mehdi shouldn't have given the 'fascists' a platform. Had you never watched previous episodes? Just fascists getting crushed and acting like they won likely because they got to advertise/platform their hate. User Grounded Spaceman accused Mehdi of just talking over everyone. lol…this isn't the own you think it is. I'd wager that you can win a debate fair and square over the normal this is just you talking over ppl. Fast and loud doesn't win a debate dude User Landon Best said that Mehdi shouldn't call what he did a 'debate' because none of the 20 reactionaries he talked to had any ideas worth seriously considering. Your #1 issue is calling this a debate when it's not. Debate implies these ideas are in any way meant to be taken seriously. There is nothing serious about any of the 20 reactionaries you talked to. However, Landon was met with pushback by ValorieThomas, who pointed out that everyone in the video knew what they signed up for, and genuinely considered themselves debaters. It's important to note that every person in that room knew what they were signed up for. Every person in there knew who would be sitting across the table. Everyone in that room thinks they are debaters with relevant, cogent ideas & arguments. Mehdi Hasan has had a storied journalism career Before establishing his own media company, Mehdi Hasan spent a long time building his credentials as a journalist and activist. After doing a few stints on British networks such as ITV and BBC One, Mehdi rose to prominence as an anchor for Al Jazeera, following which he transitioned to MSNBC and hosted The Mehdi Hasan Show from 2020 to 2024. Aside from his work on Zeteo, Mehdi is also a regular columnist for The Guardian. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral follow Indiatimes Trending.

Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Britain's water polo late bloomer Toula Falvey has the stomach for success
Britain's Toula Falvey (right) in action at the World Aquatics Championships women's water polo play-off match against Japan at the OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 17. SINGAPORE – The night before her second training session with Britain's women's water polo team in 2021, Toula Falvey had severe stomach pain and was vomiting. Rushed to Ealing Hospital, what was initially diagnosed as kidney stones turned out to be renal vein thrombosis – a condition in which a blood clot forms in one of both of the veins that filter blood from the kidneys – after scans showed a swollen left kidney. Like a bolt from the blue, the doctor said that the kidney might need to be removed, and there was a possibility that she would not be able to play water polo again. 'It was definitely like a super emotional time for me,' said the 25-year-old British-American after their 20-12 loss to New Zealand in the World Aquatics Championships (WCH) 9th-12th semi-final on July 19. 'I was going over to England to live with my grandparents and train with the national team, I was training super hard every day, and I was told my kidney might already be dead and they needed to operate right away. 'It was a really, really hard time, not only because I was very worried about losing a kidney, but also losing my sport and my passion. I'm an athlete for life, and I was genuinely worried that I would never be able to play the sport again.' Fortunately, a surgeon at the neighbouring Northwick Park Hospital was able to break up the clot. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Mindef, SAF units among those dealing with attack on S'pore's critical information infrastructure Asia How China's growing cyber-hacking capabilities have raised alarm around the world Singapore Vessels from Navy, SCDF and MPA to debut at Marina Bay in NDP maritime display Singapore 1 dead, 1 injured after dispute between neighbours at Yishun HDB block Asia Autogate glitch at Malaysia's major checkpoints causes chaos for S'porean and foreign travellers Asia SIA, Scoot, Cathay Pacific cancel flights as typhoon nears Hong Kong Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore Singapore 'I thought it was an April Fool's joke': Teen addicted to Kpods on news that friend died Falvey then had to cope a long road to recovery. After being hospitalised for 14 days, she was on blood thinners for six months. With a sarcastic laugh, she said: 'I swam the entire time, which was super fun and my favourite thing to do. 'I couldn't do contact sports, I couldn't even block because when I was on blood dinners, I bruised and bled easily. I was out for about eight months in total, which was super hard.' But the professional water polo athlete, who plays for Club Natacio Catalunya in Spain, does not do things the easy way. She was a team sports-loving girl who played basketball, football and American football. After knowing she was not going to make the volleyball team, she went for her high school water polo tryout, She said: 'I actually never learnt how to swim properly until I came into water polo. 'I'll never forget the first day of practice, and our coach Sophie Doyle made us swim 20 100 metres, and by the time the whole team finished swimming 20, I had done two. I was about to quit that day, and she said she believed in me and could see me playing in NCAA Division 1, and she was going to build me into a really good player.' Not only did Falvey end up playing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 with the University of the Pacific, she rejoined the Britain national team and helped them reach the WCH for the first time in 11 years in 2024 – they eventually finished 11th. In Singapore, they beat France and South Africa to finish second in Group B behind Olympic champions Spain, before disappointing defeats by Japan and New Zealand in the knockout rounds. They will take on France again in the 11th-12th playoff and after the championships, the next step is to qualify for the Olympics for the first time since London 2012. Falvey said: 'We are all super excited about having 12 women's teams at LA 2028, and it's a huge opportunity for us. We did really well to finish seventh at the European Championships last year and we want to show we belong on the world and Olympic stage.' The quarter-finals on July 19 were a more keenly contested affair among the big guns. World Cup champions and World No. 5 Greece edged Olympic silver medallists and sixth-ranked Australia 8-7, thanks to Maria Myriokefalitaki's winning goal with two seconds to spare. They will face defending champions and world No. 3 United States, who beat 14th-ranked Japan 26-8, in the semi-finals on July 21. The other semi-final will pit world No. 4 Hungary, who beat seventh-ranked Italy 12-9, against Olympic champions and top-ranked Spain, who beat Olympic bronze medallists and world No. 2 Netherlands 4-2 on penalties after the match ended in a thrilling 11-11 draw. Hosts Singapore concluded their campaign with an 8-4 loss to South Africa in the 15th-16th play-off to finish at the bottom, though they improved on their 20-6 defeat in 2024. Croatia beat Argentina 4-2 in a shoot-out after a 12-12 draw in the 13th-14th play-off. While Singapore women's water polo coach Yu Lei felt the team could have done better to put away their chances and avoid giving up so many scoring opportunities to their opponents, he said the team have grown since the previous championships. They narrowed the goal difference across five defeats from 15-139 to 27-114. He said: 'We lose out in terms of height, weight and power, but we can improve in terms of our mobility, fitness and technique. 'To do so, we will strive for more opportunities to compete and train overseas. We will send our women's team to an youth tournament in China in September, and the Sept 28-Oct 10 Asian Aquatics Championships in India, before an overseas training camp in November to prepare for the SEA Games. 'I've always emphasised that our aim is to snatch the gold away from Thailand. I used the term snatch because they are defending champions who have home ground advantage which we have to overcome by lifting our standards.' Noting that there are fewer than 100 girls playing water polo in Singapore, skipper Abielle Yeo hoped that the support and infrastructure will continue to improve to help the women's scene. She said: 'Hopefully the WCH has exposed women's water polo to more people, and more will come join us, and the level of play here will go up with a bigger player base.'

Kuwait Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Kuwait Times
Rare Gandhi portrait smashes estimate to sell for nearly £153,000
Caspar Leighton, great-nephew of British-American artist Clare Leighton, poses with an oil painting by his great-aunt, of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, at Bonhams auction house in London on June 9, 2025. --AFP A rare painting of Mahatma Gandhi, believed to be the only oil portrait that the Indian independence leader ever sat for, has sold at auction in the UK for £152,800 ($205,000). The 1931 painting by British-American artist Clare Leighton fetched more than twice the estimated price when the auction closed on Tuesday in London, Bonhams auction house has revealed. Thought to be the only oil painting of Mahatma Gandhi which he sat for, this was a very special work, which had never before been offered at auction,' said Rhyanon Demery, Bonhams' head of sale. She added the painting 'was a testament to Gandhi's power to connect with people far and wide, and presented a lasting document of an important moment in history'. Gandhi, one of the most influential figures in India's history, led a non-violent movement against British rule and inspired similar resistance campaigns across the world. He is the subject of tens of thousands of artworks, books and films. The portrait was created in London -- at a crucial time for India's independence struggle -- and remained in Leighton's collection until her death in 1989. It was then passed down through her family, according to Bonhams. No details were provided about the buyer —AFP


Euronews
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Cryptic posts and song lyrics: Is a Fleetwood Mac reunion happening?
Earlier this week, Euronews Culture published an article about the musical acts we'd love to see reuniting, following Oasis' comeback. In the article, we mentioned that some reunions are 'wishful thinking – bordering on pipe dreams' and listed a series of bands whose return to the stage would never happen: 'We're looking at you, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Smiths and Fleetwood Mac.' Well, it may be time to eat some humble pie with that last one, as a series of cryptic Instagram posts by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham have led fans to believe that a reunion of the legendary British-American band could very well be imminent... Yesterday, Nicks posted hand-written lyrics to the 1973 tune 'Frozen Love': 'And if you go forward…' Buckingham then completed the lyric in his own hand-written post: 'I'll meet you there'. Une publication partagée par Stevie Nicks (@stevienicks) Une publication partagée par Lindsey Buckingham (@lindseybuckingham) As if that wasn't enough to get fans excited, Mick Fleetwood also joined in, sharing a video of himself listening to the duo's 'Frozen Love', which was re-shared on the official Fleetwood Mac Instagram page. 'Magic then, magic now,' Fleetwood wrote. Une publication partagée par Mick Fleetwood (@mickfleetwoodofficial) Understandably, this sent the internet into frenzy: So, how realistic is a Fleetwood Mac reunion? Well, as much as we'd love to see it happen, we do stand by our comments in the Oasis Effect: Which bands should reunite next? piece. It seems very unlikely. Nicks has said that without the late singer Christine McVie, who died on 30 November 2022 aged 79, 'there's no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together.' It's more likely that these recent posts are just bandmates having a laugh and patching things up. Fleetwood Mac have seen their fair share of drama (to say the very least), with Nicks and Buckingham having dated between 1972 and 1976. Their fractured relationship caused turmoil, but they remained bandmates in Fleetwood Mac until Buckingham was fired from the band in 2018 over a tour disagreement. Fleetwood stated on CBS This Morning that Buckingham would not sign off on a tour that the group had been planning for a year and a half and they had reached a disagreement. When asked if Buckingham had been fired, he said: "We don't use that word because I think it's ugly." In October 2018, Buckingham filed a lawsuit against Fleetwood Mac for breach of fiduciary duty and breach of oral contract - among other claims. He later reached a settlement with the band but did not reveal the specific terms that were agreed upon. Since then, Nicks and Buckingham appeared to be at loggerheads. Though that no longer seems to be the case... So, who knows? Maybe that chain can be mended after all.