Kyle Kulinski: Progressive political commentator, host of YouTube's Secular Talk / The Kyle Kulinski Show and co-host of the Krystal Kyle & Friends substack show with Krystal Ball.
What this episode covers
Joe Rogan and Kyle Kulinski open on the Austin comedy scene before turning to Kulinski's core subjects: the corrupting influence of money in politics and how independent media survives outside corporate funding. Kulinski explains how YouTube's post-2017 'borderline content' tier suppressed independent political channels like his, and why he funds his show through AdSense, Patreon, and substack to avoid advertiser influence. They dig into Jeffrey Epstein, drone-strike and whistleblower cases, the Steven Donziger v. Chevron saga, drug decriminalization, crypto and celebrity scams, and a detailed critique of Biden's record and Ron DeSantis. The conversation closes with long tangents on social-media bots, refereeing/gambling controversies in the NBA and combat sports, and MMA history.
The guest's own work
The Kyle Kulinski Show
Kyle Kulinski
“everybody check out the Kyle Kulinski show it is on Spotify check me out over there I'm with Joe over on Spotify”— Kyle Kulinski
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
The Machine
Bert Kreischer
“Bert just did a big movie The Machine and it was a real problem because it got delayed cuz it's all about Russia”— Joe Rogan
Q: Into the Storm
HBO
“well I saw that one with Crystal the Asian guy who ended up being Q yes yes that's it that was a great one”— Kyle Kulinski
This Place Rules
Andrew Callahan
“oh this place rules he also did this was also about q anon but I saw the one you were just talking about”— Joe Rogan
Breaking Points
Krystal Ball & Saagar Enjeti
“I mean I only listen to you in Breaking points on Spotify anyway so you have the video”— Joe Rogan
The Ultimate Fighter
UFC
“he did the UFC for a little bit right yes yes was he successful yeah he fought in The Ultimate Fighter”— Joe Rogan
ZipRecruiter
“I won't do any ads unless it makes sense like is this a legitimate thing that people use you know like Zip recruiter”— Joe Rogan
Four Loko
“you ever had four Loko so that was an interesting one it was like a speed ball in a can”— Joe Rogan
iPhone
Apple
“then I took a picture of him and posted it on Instagram and I said iPhone for Life Brian Simpson”— Joe Rogan
Android
“Brian Simpson is a Android user and we're joking around about different I'm like why do you like it so much”— Joe Rogan
Daconil
“an FDA approved fungicide that had been sprayed on the Army Navy Golf Course twice a week prior”— Joe Rogan
White Oak Pastures
“we had Will Harris from White Oak pastures on who explained that in depth about how he came to an understanding of the dangers”— Joe Rogan
Big reveals from this episode
- Kulinski says he has never had a conversation with an advertiser in over a decade, funding his show via YouTube AdSense, Patreon, and substack to stay uncompromised.
- He explains YouTube set up a tiered system labeling shows like his 'borderline content' and suppressing them in recommendations.
- They cite forensic pathologist Michael Baden saying Epstein's neck injuries indicate strangulation, not a self-inflicted hanging.
- Whistleblower Daniel Hale revealed US drone strikes under Obama killed the wrong people ~90% of the time, and he is now in prison for it.
- Steven Donziger won a $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron for poisoning Ecuador, then was pursued, jailed, and held under house arrest.
- Kulinski says a cancer drug costing about $200 in the UK is sold for roughly $38,000 in the US.
- He alleges Kyrsten Sinema took ~$1 million from Pharma and narrowed a bill so only seniors got lower drug prices.
- He claims 19 of the top 20 Christian Facebook pages were run by foreign troll farms.
Worth remembering
- PewDiePie's 2017 controversy triggered the 'adpocalypse' as Coca-Cola, Dr Pepper, and Johnson & Johnson pulled YouTube ads.
- Donziger spent 45 days in prison and 993 days under house arrest; the UN called the detention illegal.
- An extended child tax credit cut child poverty roughly 50% before being allowed to expire.
- Stockton's $500/month UBI pilot raised employment and well-being, with under 1% spent on alcohol.
- Kulinski says billionaires now pay a lower effective tax rate than a middle-class person.
- The CDC found about 80% of Americans have glyphosate (Roundup) in their urine.
- A former FBI analyst claimed as many as 80% of Twitter accounts could be bots.
- DeSantis reportedly opposes marijuana legalization partly because of its 'putrid' odor.