Overview of THOUGHTCRIME Ep. 129
This episode of Thought Crime Thursday is a fast-moving culture-war conversation that jumps from the Mandalorian and Grogu box office and a Star Wars boycott, to the decline of reading in the BookTok era, to spanking and modern child discipline. The hosts mix pop-culture commentary, personal anecdotes about parenting, and broader critiques of media consumption, family authority, and cultural decline.
Star Wars Boycott, Box Office, and Franchise Fatigue
The boycott discussion
- The hosts debate whether conservatives should boycott the new Mandalorian and Grogu movie, tying the discussion to Mark Hamill’s anti-Trump rhetoric and broader Hollywood hostility toward conservatives.
- One host admits he broke the boycott to take his young children, framing the trip as a family decision rather than a political one.
- They also revisit an earlier Disney boycott, joking about “boycott discipline” and accusing each other of inconsistency.
Box office and storytelling criticism
- The movie’s box office performance is described as underwhelming relative to its budget and expectations.
- The hosts argue the film lacks:
- a major “hook”
- surprising cameos or Easter eggs
- the kind of event-movie energy that drives big franchise turnout
- They contrast it with earlier Star Wars and Marvel films that benefited from secrecy, twists, and hype.
Favorite Star Wars films
- The conversation shifts into ranking the original trilogy.
- One host argues Star Wars: A New Hope is the best standalone film.
- Another prefers The Empire Strikes Back as the most exciting and important sequel.
- Return of the Jedi is praised more for its redemption arc and emotional payoff, though one host questions whether Darth Vader’s turn really counts as believable redemption.
The Death of Reading and BookTok Culture
“Reading” without reading
- The hosts discuss a viral claim that many BookTok readers skip everything except dialogue to finish more books.
- They argue this reveals a shallow, status-driven approach to reading: people want credit for “reading” without actually absorbing the full work.
- The point is framed as part of a broader cultural decline in attention and literacy.
Key critiques of modern reading habits
- Audiobooks sped up to 2x or 3x are mentioned as another symptom of the same problem.
- The hosts argue that:
- descriptions and prose matter
- skipping them reduces books to plot summaries
- people often consume books for social signaling, not understanding
- They compare this to TV and film consumption, saying modern media is often designed for short attention spans and multitasking.
Broader cultural takeaway
- The segment concludes that civilization is becoming less capable of sustained attention.
- The hosts say this isn’t just about reading habits; it reflects a larger loss of depth, patience, and intellectual seriousness.
Spanking, Discipline, and Parenting
The main study
- A study is discussed showing that many millennial and Gen Z parents still use spanking.
- The hosts note the numbers and compare generational attitudes:
- Gen X and Boomers were generally more accepting of spanking
- Millennials are more divided
- The study is interpreted as evidence that the debate over discipline is still very much alive.
Their positions
- None of the hosts are enthusiastic about harsh physical discipline, but they broadly support the idea that parents must maintain real authority.
- They argue that:
- discipline should not be done in anger
- boundaries matter
- a parent should not be trying to be a child’s “friend”
- Alternatives mentioned include:
- timeouts
- removing privileges
- push-ups
- soap/Tabasco as old-school punishments
- physically moving a child when necessary
Biblical framing
- The conversation leans on religious language:
- “spare the rod, spoil the child” is discussed as a common phrase, though not quoted as actual Scripture
- they emphasize that the Bible supports discipline, not abuse
- They argue that discipline is an expression of love and that children need to understand that parents have authority.
Nuance and pushback
- The hosts acknowledge that:
- some parents misuse spanking
- some children respond better to nonphysical discipline
- the effectiveness may depend on the child’s temperament and intelligence
- One host suggests the threat of punishment can matter more than the punishment itself, if authority is consistently enforced.
Michael Jackson, Childhood Trauma, and Infantilization
Why Michael came up
- The hosts pivot briefly to the Michael Jackson biopic, which they say depicts Jackson’s harsh upbringing and abusive father.
- They use it to illustrate how childhood discipline, trauma, and emotional development can shape adulthood.
Main point
- The movie is used as a case study in how a parent’s harshness can leave lasting effects.
- They describe Jackson as being psychologically “frozen” in childhood because of the way he was raised.
- The discussion reinforces their broader theme: parenting decisions have long-term consequences.
Closing: Animal Farm and Media Adaptations
Brief final topic
- Near the end, the hosts mention the new Animal Farm adaptation.
- One host says it starts faithful to the book, but then turns sharply anti-capitalist and goes off the rails.
- They also note a bizarre villain detail involving a Cybertruck, treating it as another example of modern adaptation problems.
Main Takeaways
- The episode is centered on culture-war commentary rather than breaking news.
- Conservative media boycotts are treated as both moral commitments and comic performative tests.
- The hosts think modern audiences are becoming less attentive, less literate, and more dependent on shallow media consumption.
- Their parenting philosophy favors firm authority, with discipline viewed as necessary when done carefully and sparingly.
- Throughout, the show uses humor, self-criticism, and personal anecdotes to frame serious arguments about family, culture, and civilization.