Random notes from the transcript of Matt Taibbi's interview with Walter Kirn

I read the teaser for a transcript of Matt Taibbi's interview with Walter Kirn. They mentioned some people I had heard of, some I hadn't and some I wasn't sure about, so I looked them up. I didn't read the whole thing because I either need to subscribe or install something on my phone. I'm not going to subscribe because I have too many subscriptions all ready, and I'm not going to install anything on my phone because it came already loaded with a bunch of crap that I don't want, need or use. Matt Taibbi has appeared here before.

Walter Kirn - is an American novelist, literary critic, and essayist. He is the author of eight books, most notably Up in the Air, which was made into a film of the same name starring George Clooney. - Wikipedia

Up in the Air - Ryan Bingham works for an American human resources consultancy firm specializing in employment-termination assistance. His work constantly takes him around the country, conducting company layoffs on behalf of employers. Ryan also gives motivational speeches, using the analogy, "What's in Your Backpack?" to extol living free of burdensome relationships and material possessions. - Wikipedia

extol - praise enthusiastically. - Google

David Shor - then worked as a senior data scientist with Civis Analytics in Chicago for seven years, where he operated the company's web-based survey. On May 28, 2020, Shor tweeted a summary of an academic study by Omar Wasow, a black political scientist at Princeton University, that argued riots following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination likely tipped the 1968 presidential election in Richard Nixon's favor. Some critics argued that Shor's tweet, which was posted during the height of the George Floyd protests, could be interpreted as criticism of the Black Lives Matter movement. Jonathan Chait wrote in New York Magazine that "At least some employees and clients on Civis Analytics complained that Shor's tweet threatened their safety." Shor apologized for the tweet on May 29, and he was fired from Civis Analytics a few days later. Wikipedia

Luigi Mangione - is an American man who has been identified as the suspect in the killing of Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare. Thompson was shot to death in New York City on December 4, 2024. Wikipedia

Matt Taibbi: "Right. Look, there was a very recent... Well, let’s talk about the comeback. One of the few magazines where it’s still important to be on the cover in America is People Magazine. And Luigi recently got on the cover. Okay, it’s not People Magazine, but he was on the cover of InTouch Magazine, Luigi Mangione."

Brian Thompson - was the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, from 2021 until his death in 2024. He joined the company in 2004 and previously led its government programs. Thompson was known for his advocacy of using technology to improve healthcare services, and for his ability to connect with people. - Google

Meghan Markle - Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is a former actress, media personality, and American member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and they have two children, Archie and Lilibet. Meghan is known for her advocacy work for women and girls, and has been recognized with the NAACP President's Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award. - Google

Walter Kirn: . . . Bill Burr already said, “Free Luigi,” on a YouTube video about a week-

Matt Taibbi: Oh, did he?

Walter Kirn: Yeah. About a week ago, he suddenly turned in the most inorganic planned way, went, “Free Luigi.” The creation of a political American revolutionary. You know what? He’s obverse Oswald. Oswald was an assassin who became a villain. This is a villain assassin who’s becoming a hero. They dressed him like in the same sweater that Oswald used when he was actually shot by Jack Ruby. They have cited and alluded to and sampled, let’s say in the language of rap and recording, every major American sort of anti-establishment rebel in building this character. The reason I knew he was going to come back from the moment he came out was that he was an obvious op against the oligarchs, Elon in particular. So they gave him some space to be in jail for a while, but now as his trial approaches, we’re going to see this stuff ramp up, we’re going to see an intense sort of almost Beatlemania meets Charles Manson-style cult of personality around him. And that’s what he is to me, is Beatlemania versus Manson. If you did an AI study of American anti-heroes, you would come up with Luigi.

Bill Burr - William Frederick Burr is an American stand-up comedian, podcaster, actor, writer, and director. Google

I've seen some Burr clips on YouTube, and some of it is a funny, but his constant stream of abuse and hostility gets old pretty quickly.

They talk about the New Jersey Drones and as near as I can tell there is still no clear explanation.