American Horror Story | Ep. 832

Double Standards

Ben Shapiro critiques the media's inconsistent standards when attributing blame for violent acts to political figures. He argues that while figures like Bernie Sanders and Barack Obama are not held accountable for violence linked to their supporters, President Trump is often blamed for acts like the El Paso shooting. Shapiro emphasizes the need for a consistent standard, stating, "AOC and Bernie Sanders and Obama and Trump are not responsible for the actions of evil outliers who go and do evil things that the people who said stuff never would have approved in the first place, obviously."

The media's double standards, Shapiro argues, contribute to societal tension and undermine trust in media institutions.

This perceived bias, he suggests, is used cynically by some to target political opponents rather than address the root causes of violence 1 2.

   

Narrative Disparity

Shapiro examines the narratives pushed by the media following mass shootings, highlighting a disparity in coverage based on political convenience. He points out that while the El Paso shooting is heavily covered due to its alignment with a narrative of white supremacy linked to Trump, other incidents like those in Chicago receive less attention. Shapiro argues that this selective focus reveals a lack of genuine concern for gun violence, stating, "If you're only taking what happened in El Paso seriously, but you're ignoring Ohio. And more than that, you're ignoring Chicago. You're not taking gun violence seriously."

This selective narrative, according to Shapiro, is not about addressing gun violence comprehensively but rather about reinforcing specific political agendas.

He stresses the importance of addressing all forms of violence with equal seriousness to truly tackle the issue 2 3.