Decoding the Gurus

Auteur(s): Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
  • Résumé

  • An exiled Northern Irish anthropologist and a hitchhiking Australian psychologist take a close look at the contemporary crop of 'secular gurus', iconoclasts, and other exiles from the mainstream, offering their own brands of unique takes and special insights. Leveraging two of the most diverse accents in modern podcasting, Chris and Matt dig deep into the claims, peek behind the psychological curtains, and try to figure out once and for all... What's it all About? Join us, as we try to puzzle our way through and talk some smart-sounding smack about the intellectual giants of our age, from Jordan Peterson to Robin DiAngelo. Are they revolutionary thinkers or just grifters with delusions of grandeur? Join us and let's find out!
    Copyright 2025 Christopher Kavanagh and Matthew Browne
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Épisodes
  • Supplementary Material 27: Joe Rogan vs. Douglas Murray vs. Sam Harris vs. DTG
    Apr 25 2025

    We immerse ourselves in the dark waves of the discourse to bring you treasures beyond mere mortal ken.

    Supplementary Material 27

    00:00 Introduction & Australian Holidays

    03:53 James Lindsay's New Revelations

    07:20 Michael O'Fallon's Conspiracy Hipsterism

    09:41 Trump, Bukele, and Transparent Conspiracies

    11:53 The Whitehouse declares the Lab Leak is a FACT

    14:42 The conspiracy leak treadmill: UFOs, RFK assassination, and lableak

    21:26 The Rise of the Idiots: Grimes on Transformers Cinematography

    29:17 Lex vs. Flint: The mask slips

    33:21 The Iron Curtain falls on Lex's Subreddit

    35:18 Subreddit Moderation Choices

    41:46 Douglas Murray on Joe Rogan

    46:36 Darryl Cooper's Nazi Apologetics, the Role of Experts and JAQs

    57:25 Strategic Disclaimers & Convincing Apologetics

    01:03:28 The Rogansphere and Media Power

    01:07:30 Murray on the Lab Leak

    01:12:19 Murray's Anti-Establishment Hypocrisy

    01:19:10 Standards in Journalism

    01:22:42 Alternative Media's Double Standards

    01:28:33 Douglas Murray joins Sam Harris

    01:29:26 The Psychology of Religious Extremism

    01:36:04 Radicalisation and Extremism

    01:41:24 Murray's 'Criticism' of MAGA

    01:44:32 What is even the Right Wing?

    01:55:11 What about Elon Musk?

    02:05:40 AfD isn't that bad, and Elon has promoted Douglas too!

    02:16:10 Rogan and the Moon Landing

    02:17:16 Sam is still a bad judge of character

    02:19:29 Isn't everyone a hypocrite?

    02:23:16 Free Speech Debates

    02:26:58 The role of Moderation

    02:31:37 Outro

    The full episode is available for Patreon subscribers (2hr 32 mins).

    Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/DecodingTheGurus

    Sources

    • Sam Harris Episode 410 Douglas Murray: The Whole Catastrophe
    • Joe Rogan Experience #2303 - Dave Smith & Douglas Murray
    • Flint's post about Lex Fridman
    • Grimes on Transformers' cinematography
    • James Lindsay on being used by Nazis
    • Nathan Barley on YouTube
    • Whitehouse website on the Lab Leak
    • Joe Rogan Experience #2307 - Tim Dillon

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    46 min
  • Michael Shellenberger: Conspiratorial Propaganda
    Apr 18 2025

    In this episode, Matt and Chris pour themselves a stiff drink and slip into the fever‑dream crossover of Jordan Peterson and Michael Shellenberger, a conversation that opens with the claim that Western Europe is now the single greatest threat to free speech; yes, croissants and GDPR apparently out‑authoritarian China and Russia. According to Shellenberger, we can now rest safe as free speech has been restored and “America Is Back!” thanks to God-Emperor Trump and the living avatar of honest utterance, Elon 'Horus' Musk.

    Our hosts marvel as Shellenberger insists USAID is a rogue soft‑power leviathan that somehow staged January 6th, sabotaged the 2020 election, and deserves to be nuked from orbit... although he can’t quite prove any of that YET​. Alongside the conspiratorial drivel there is also a heavy serving of Peterson's obscurantist mythicism and dinner‑party anthropology as he explains how Hungary is a model democracy, the US nation beset by parasites, and that this is all inevitably connected to how people are not paying enough attention to Jesus​.

    But that is not all! You will also learn about Manly Men vs. Gentlemen, Musk’s “move fast and break government” ethos, and the revelation that free speech is not a nice‑to‑have but a must‑have—unless you are a lawyer, journalist, or student on the wrong side of the Trump administration.

    So buckle up for an hour of dystopian déjà vu, as two self‑styled rebel intellectuals morph into state propagandists, cheerleading every single action of Trump and Musk while lecturing the rest of us on free thought.

    Sources

    • “Trump, Musk, Kennedy: The Dawn of Transparency,” The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast, Ep. 526.
    • Shellenberger's Substack, including gems like "Why Trump’s Victory Is, For Millions Of Us, Cathartic" and "Both USAID And The CIA Were Behind The Impeachment Of Trump in 2019"
    • Taibbi & Shellenberger testify to the House Judiciary Committee to help uncover "the Biden-Harris Administration's unconstitutional censorship campaign"
    • Singal-Minded articles detailing Shellenberger's sloppy journalism and conspiracy theories

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    2 h et 7 min
  • Decoding the Uncomfortable Conversations with Josh Szeps
    Apr 16 2025

    In this stunning crossover episode, Matt and Chris are joined by Australian 'media personality' and podcast host Josh Szeps for a joyful discussion of podcasts, gurusphere, and general media dynamics. As you might imagine, we discuss issues around the heterodox sphere, cultures of criticism, and the issues involved with 'platforming' controversial figures. We discuss the constantly surprising popularity of Lex Fridman and his unique interview style, how the heterodox respond to criticism, and rampant hypocrisy. Also, Matt is finally held to account for his food takes, and we find out the real story behind the Olympic mascot, Olly the Kookaburra.

    Sources

    • Josh's Substackistan podcast

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    1 h et 17 min

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