Sitting down and having a conversation is a tough thing to do in a technologically dominated world. Many people have lost all self-control when confronted with opposing opinions. Civil conversation is rare, but there are people out in the world who do try to reach out and create dialogue.
Conservative/libertarian comedian Steven Crowder has done his part in reaching across the aisle to exchange thoughts. Many of the segments he's done have attracted large crowds that teeter on riots depending on the topic or location. No matter the crowd the conversation will bear fruit; however, the products of these talks are not always good.
For those who don't know much about Steven, he has his own show at CRTV called Louder with Crowder. He is a comedian and actor that has appeared in Christian movies like To Save A Life. Much of his content now is political. Many people, including corporations like Youtube and Twitter, find his comedic style appalling. Most of his critics are left-leaning, but just as he disagrees with some conservatives some conservatives disagree with him a little.
Many of Steven's counterparts get hostile for a number of reasons. One he is a comedian and a comedians job is to create entertaining content. Therefore, he is slightly sarcastic at times, which can cause hostility from his guest or even the crowd. He loses civility points there, but not entirely because the people he talks to are adults. It is concerning to see adults act like children as they often do on his show. Is it provoked? Sometimes. Are their reactions always acceptable? No.
Another thing to keep in mind while watching his videos is he's not THE expert on any of his topics. He does have a distinct advantage being able to prepare for the topic and prepare he does. Even though he is not a doctor I'd be okay with learning some of the basics from him on the stages of fetal development due to the obvious amount of research he puts into it.
He will often have guests like Jordan Peterson or Dr. Leonard Sax who are experts in their respective fields, which does give me good faith that what he says is based in truth.
His sarcasm isn't the only reason people get fired up. He has a tendency to command the conversation, which can also be a good thing. It's his show and he knows how to keep the dialogue focused. He does struggle to not interrupt. But even his interruptions are not all bad. Asking for clarification in a long explanation is wise.
If he was to stop interrupting altogether and to stop being sarcastic altogether would it fix all the hate he receives? Probably not. For this reason: people don't always want to have a civil conversation.
Saying "Build The Wall" is meant to create controversy (especially in downtown Austin where he hosted this segment). And people will cowardly go to social media in their friend bubbles and post, sometimes threats, out of frustration. I have the most trouble agreeing with how Steven responds to the threats. He made a new segment, Crowder Confronts, to expose the attackers. Is it right to do so? I have trouble saying yes, but I understand why he does.
Threats are not something to scream in a moment of passion. They are very illegal. It is not okay to go and disrupt a business in order to get an apology out of someone. It is somewhat hypocritical to call for civility and then drop to the oppositions level when they say something mean. These new segments are not a good way to create dialogue. They create clicks and that's really it.
Louder with Crowder has some excellent content. The "change my mind" segments are entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking. Every person who has an opinion. The ones who put it out for the public to see will receive criticism. I know I have. Thankfully it was delivered graciously.
To completely block out other views is foolish though. Understanding others is a great tool to have since so few seem to have it. Crowder has his shortcomings, but overall he is creating some good conversations.
If his latest segment doesn't undermine his call to a civil conversation I believe he will continue to have success. Steven is doing something right, change my mind.
