Jesse Welles is a career opportunist (hexbear.net)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by Imnecomrade@hexbear.net to c/music@hexbear.net

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This post was originally a link of my saved video of this TikTok (CW: gross body-shaming, mean, misinformation) diss track that I deleted. I apologize for overlooking the ugliness of this content, and I don't condone most of what was said in the video, only certain elements I agreed with. I appreciate the criticism and feedback.

I'll keep this up in this state because I believe there is some worthwhile discussion here. If the mods want me to delete this or remove the TikTok link for reference, I am willing to do so.

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[-] RedWizard@hexbear.net 11 points 4 months ago

Lol this video makes me laugh and is frankly having the opposite effect on me. Like, what should I even take away from this video? Should I walk away going "aw shucks my music choice didn't fully align with the ideological underpinnings of my world view and now I have to pray at the alter of Marx and say 5 wages, price and profit to repent".

Welles is still very talented. Songs like Walmart, Philanthropist, United Health, Whistle Boeing, or War Isn't Murder are still great songs. It's not shocking he's a lib. Most people are libs.

I'd rather just enjoy the guys music then give a shit if he's a lib. I'll take an antiwar lib over a pro war lib in these fucking dog shit times.

[-] Awoo@hexbear.net 12 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Songs like the one he posted immediately after the Trump shooting are actively harmful though. It boiled down to "we shouldn't shoot fascists we should debate them".

I'm not against the idea that he could get better though. He didn't oppose the Luigi shooting so there's a significant change in his rhetoric between the Trump shooting and the Luigi one. I believe that shooting was an extremely significant turning point in changing people's views on whether political violence should be used or not. Yeah ok the shooting may not have actually changed healthcare but the entire population went from "noooo don't shoot Trump" to "hahaha shooting people is good actually" which is a very very important prerequisite that needs to be met for revolution.

But yeah then he does this Charlie Kirk shit and the Rogan shit and it's obvious he's just not going to improve.

[-] RedWizard@hexbear.net 4 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

If anything he's definitely slid backwards since the United Health song for sure. I think he really believes the shit he said in that kirk song, but I don't think that's "harmful", people already felt that way and some subsection of the population will always feel that way.

But if someone was to bring him up in conversation, that's a good opportunity to ease into talking commie shit because there is still a good chance people also enjoy his anti capitalist vibes.

We'll see how things develope. There is a clear division in his work between "fuck rich people" and "why can't we be friends", which is a good dichotomy to discuss with libs.

[-] Awoo@hexbear.net 8 points 4 months ago

There is a clear division in his work between "fuck rich people" and "why can't we be friends",

The "fuck rich people" part will get smaller and smaller the bigger he gets as he transforms into a liberal grifter and is influenced by them.

[-] Imnecomrade@hexbear.net 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

I'm starting to believe his music is harmful, though. He basically brings every issue down to its lowest common denominator and turns it into "killing bad, let's all--fascists, libs, and commies--get along". He even both sides the Israeli genocide in one of his later songs. His commenters and fans still continue to uplift him and treat him like some wise man hero.

I'm not denying Welles is talented nor am I saying you shouldn't listen to him. I just believe he cares more about his career than to actually create songs that involve critical thinking, nuance, and understanding of materialism.

[-] CommunistBear@hexbear.net 9 points 4 months ago

The second I heard him say that Yahya Sinar worshipped death and that's why he fought, I knew he was a fucking lib. I made a comment about him in a megathread a few months ago because it legitimately annoyed me

[-] CommunistCuddlefish@hexbear.net 4 points 4 months ago

That's vile. Had he not already been cancelled in my mind that would have been the moment I cancelled him.

[-] WeedReference420@hexbear.net 2 points 4 months ago

Yahya Sinar worshipped death and that's why he fought

kombucha-disgust

[-] RedWizard@hexbear.net 5 points 4 months ago

Sure that's a more substantive critique then this video presents. This video wreaks of terminally online smarmy "fell for it" energy. Do some people just enjoy laying in the grass waiting to pounce on subjects like this? Also, the first half of this video is strictly going after Welles appearance? Let's be real, this is a pretty poor delivery mechanism for the message.

I don't want to just be a shitter here, and I feel that I am doing that. What I'll say is, A) yeah the guy wants to make money B) Yeah he's a coward for putting out that weak ass kirk song C) his "message" (if he even has a coherent one) is still worth supporting if only because its like a foot in the door. You can use it as a means of bonding and relating to people who could be moved to the left of his perspective.

Developments like the popularity of Welles should be viewed as an opportunity. Instead it would seem some people would rather use these developments as a cudgel to bonk over the heads of people growing in class conciseness.