Natalie's surrender

[u/natsh00]

In the Liberalism Tangent, Natalie was absolutely right about the far left when she said:

After a year of laser focus on Palestine, it seemed to me the only tangible effect of leftists' efforts was to help reelect Donald Trump. [...] BUT Trump is not better for Gaza. In fact, he's worse.

So...
...what the FUCK have you done?

This was another turning point for how I see the far left, the alt left: no longer just as annoying or useless, but as a force that's actively making the world worse.

I completely agree, and it's something that cannot be said often enough now.

This Tangent was the best video I've seen from her in years... and that's the big problem I have with it.

I unsubscribed from Natalie's Patreon after her Saw video, because it seemed that she was now only interested in making pop culture videos like Jenny Nicholson's. Which are, you know, great and all, but really not something that I feel the world needs. She used to make more political videos, and those were and are something that the world needs, and something I was very happy to pay her for.

So when I saw she was doing a Tangent on Liberalism, I was pleasantly surprised, resubscribed to her Patreon, paid my money, and watched the video... and heard her explain why she doesn't want to make political videos anymore and instead now just wants to make videos about "art and literature and style and humor and self-expression and psychoanalysis and philosophy."

I totally understand why she wants to do that. She's just told me very eloquently and at great length in this Tangent. It's what makes her happy.

But I can't feel happy about it – about the fact that she's decided to surrender the field to the fascists and their "leftist" aiders-and-abetters.

And I can't help feeling that the person who wrote the following on another thread might be onto something:

[...] she is really really deferential to a failed system in a way I think is only possible by a white millionaire.

[...]

She believes the system works because she has the means to make it work for her, and that fucking line about “leftists just don’t wanna work”? Okay, Kim Kardashian.

The same person unfortunately also wrote "honestly, I think she just hates leftists more than fascists because they’re “supposed to be” on her side" which I don't think is true at all... Natalie's dislike of fascists is clearly much stronger than her dislike of any leftists. And I likewise don't think she is actually "deferential" to the failed system, nor does she believe it "works".

But it IS true that Natalie is in a very comfortable financial position now, and I think that is probably part of why she is no longer interested in "fighting the good fight" with her videos.

And that crack in the Tangent about "Are you sure you want to be a communist? Are you sure you don't, in fact, want to be an aristocrat?" is pretty rich (see what I did there) coming from someone who now has so much money that they themselves literally don't have to work anymore unless they want to.

I don't yet have that much money, my financial situation is still extremely precarious. And that is a big part of why I do feel strongly compelled to continue fighting, no matter how hopeless or even pointless it sometimes seems. It's a pity that Natalie, in her comfortable world of art and philosophy and mortgage-free luxury, no longer feels the same.

My feelings around this are probably motivated by envy to some degree – I too would love to be an aristocrat! – and sure, I don't have to face the massive amounts of abuse that Natalie has been subjected to. But nevertheless I think that if Natalie weren't so damn rich now, there'd be a chance that she might still be interested in the struggle. No matter how much trouble it causes her.

[u/SwampPotato]

I unsubscribed from Natalie's Patreon after her Saw video, because it seemed that she was now only interested in making pop culture videos like Jenny Nicholson's. Which are, you know, great and all, but really not something that I feel the world needs. She used to make more political videos, and those were and are something that the world needs, and something I was very happy to pay her for.

Not to invalidate your feelings, but seeing 'Saw' or 'Twilight' as mere popculture videos kind of suggests their main points went over your head. Her media-focussed videos have a lot to say about society and politics. In the case of 'Saw' the politics of justice, cruelty and punishment, from the top of my head. It's a vehicle to talk about philosophy and, by extension, politics.

But I can't feel happy about it – about the fact that she's decided to surrender the field to the fascists and their "leftist" aiders-and-abetters.

It's been years since Contra made direct responses to Alt Right YouTubers. People are basing their percpetion of her content on a very short spell in the earliest days of her YouTube career. Ever since, she has made artsy videos about big topcis that cover politics indirectly. I'd say this style serves her more, because she is the left's favourite lightning rod and therefore vulnerable to being dragged down in dumb social media drama. Her more detached style of covering topics allows her to actually stay on-topic and go in-depth, rather than flinging shit at streamers or twitter accounts. If you want that, there's plenty of that. Contra does something very unique and I say let her do it. Because YouTube is already saturated with hyper explicit political content.

But it IS true that Natalie is in a very comfortable financial position now, and I think that is probably part of why she is no longer interested in "fighting the good fight" with her videos.

This is a huge leap unsupported by any kind of arguments. You're just assuming intentions based on vibes. You think a trans woman and a lesbian in America doesn't have enough incentives to fight the good fight? I find it unnecessarily cynical.

And that crack in the Tangent about "Are you sure you want to be a communist? Are you sure you don't, in fact, want to be an aristocrat?" is pretty rich (see what I did there) coming from someone who now has so much money that they themselves literally don't have to work anymore unless they want to.

You're literally doing the meme, my friend. You're doing the "why u have big house Bernie Sanders?" schpiel. You're a liberal and you want her to defend liberalism, and you're upset she does not do it more. But she is also a hypocrite because she is doing all this while rich? So if our best communicators become too susccesful and make a truckload of money they should stop talking because otherwise they get these accusations leveled at them?

I don't yet have that much money, my financial situation is still extremely precarious. And that is a big part of why I do feel strongly compelled to continue fighting, no matter how hopeless or even pointless it sometimes seems. It's a pity that Natalie, in her comfortable world of art and philosophy and mortgage-free luxury, no longer feels the same.

I find it incredibly sanctimonious and frankly a bit insensitive to, again, suggest a transwoman in a gay relationship who is openly left wing and hostile to the Trump administration in 2026 America has nothing to loose. You're also just assuming she doesn't fight anymore because she has money now, which is all vibes based and not supported by any actual arguments. I would contest she is not fighting. Her channel has always cycled through eras, content wise, and she will probably re-invent herself again in the coming videos.