Compelling podcast examines Kelly Slater's grand conspiracy theories!
Do you remember, three weeks ago, when Kelly Slater was interviewed by the conspiracy theorist Luke Rudowski of wearechange.org?
The interview (called Kelly Slater: Vote Nobody 2016, Investigate 9/11 and Screw Monsanto!!!) is so wonderfully kooky and so strange and so lightweight you fear the principals might float away on a cloud of incense and paranoia. In response, Rory Parker, of BeachGrit, created a wonderful cartoon, which you can see here.
Briefly, Slater and Rudowski both agree that 9-11 was most likely an inside job (Zionists, CIA etc.), that Monsanto maybe has their base in Hawaii in case of a zombie apocalypse, that the Zika Virus is caused by genetically tuned mosquitoes, there’s a cancer cure and maybe Kelly has it, and the importance of following alternative media like wearechange.org.
These sorts of interviews enliven even my gloomiest day, as if it was a fairy tale about the glorification of pumpkins.
But what I enjoy even more is when someone bothers to meticulously debunk these sorta conspiracies.
Have you heard of a podcast called Surf Simply? I hadn’t until a few days ago when BeachGrit reader Craig Guy sent me episode 25, Calling Out Kelly.
Each week, the show’s three hosts, Asher King, Ru Hill and Harry Knight, provide a classy analysis of whatever’s happened in surf.
“At the moment, he’s spreading fear, mistrust, scientific illiteracy and guilt because if someone’s getting cancer or getting sick he’s alluded in the past to connections in the past between GMOs and autism. If your child’s getting leukaemia, autism, and then you’re thinking that I might’ve caused this by what I’m choosing to feed them, it’s just… awful. That is the reason why Kelly Slater is no longer my hero.”
In episode 25, it mows through Evo surfboards and the Volcom Pipe Pro before smashing Kelly’s fav conspiracies apart. Eventually, Ru Hill, at least I think it’s Ru Hill, it’s a podcast, not TV, concludes:
“The reason that Kelly Slater’s not my hero anymore is because he throws these comments out there without actually fact-checking them and I think he sorta justifies it because he does it he does it all in a hand-waving ‘Hey! I’m just asking questions! We just need to investigate! We just need to to find out!’
“But when you have a platform and a voice that’s as prominent as Kelly Slater and people listen to you, when you make implications like he does, people pretty much take them as fact. And you’ve got a responsibility to fact-check before you say things.
“In my opinion, at the moment, he’s spreading fear, mistrust, scientific illiteracy and guilt because if someone’s getting cancer or getting sick he’s alluded in the past to connections in the past between GMOs and autism. If your child’s getting leukaemia, autism, and then you’re thinking that I might’ve caused this by what I’m choosing to feed them, it’s just… awful. That is the reason why Kelly Slater is no longer my hero.”
Of course, Surf Simply quickly pulled the episode down after a fan backlash, replacing it with an explanation of why they did so. Click here.
You can listen to the episode, which is funny, smart and compelling below, and that was saved from oblivion by the aforementioned BeachGrit reader Craig Guy. Do you think Surf Simply will ask us to remove? Is free speech only free when you agree?
Below the podcast is Slater’s original interview with wearechange.org.
It seems the Girls at Simply Surf can’t handle a little Free Speech…..
When you do articles on how free and wonderful surfing in Israel is, of course Slater won’t fit your message moronic imbecile ideas. Good job Kelly…
Absolutely spot on with the explanation of GMO and conspiracy theory stuff and definitely spot on with the science-denialism problem. A lot of the comments here prove though that it’s an uphill battle. Wackjobs everywhere.
Did you mean to write “Sarge”?
lulz.
Keep your heads firmly stuck int sand. Slater has the right to his opinion and the right to voice his opinions its called free speech. Craig Guy is a scared little man that is to small minded to allow for any sort of conversation that might challenge the status quo.
I listened before it was pulled and thought it was a bit righteous and arrogant. Sure kelly’s theories don’t hold up but I thought what the Surf Simply guys had to say wasn’t exactly spot on?
They are dismissive of there being any conspiracy theories that are true, that its hard to cover stuff up and that if the majority of the science community agree, it cant be wrong. What about climate change, what about smoking… Overall their right but things do get covered up and science is wrong sometimes. Often both at same time for a single agenda. The science on GMO’s is very controversial.
what about climate change? and no, the science on GMO’s is not at all controversial. In fact, while concern over the over-use of pesticides is legit, the science is 100% in agreement that GMO’s in and of themselves are safe.
As much as I want to distrust GMOs and rarely eat them myself, it’s true that there is substantial and rigorous science on the GMOs subject and it all states that GMOs are safe.
If GMO’s are so great why is Monsanto suing the state of vermont for requiring GMO food to be labeled as GMO? Consumers deserve the right to know what they’re buying. There should be a big fat label on GMO food so all the GMO lovers can avoid non GMO food….
http://www.reuters.com/arti…
Aggressive PR isn’t the same thing as science.
Good science shouldn’t have to fear the light of proper labeling.
perhaps we should put a label on organics that says “organic food has not been proven not to cause cancer, and oh, btw, organic doesn’t mean pesticide free.” You think organic growers would be inclined?
Proper labeling would expose Monsanto’s mission to sap and impurify all our precious bodily fluids.
because it creates an issue where there is none and perpetuates the idea that there’s a danger in GMO foods when there is not. Seems fairly simple actually.
It is simple, if there’s no issue with GMO’s then whats the problem with labeling? Consumers deserve the right to know what they’re buying and make their own choice. It’s not the consumers problem if GMO’s are hard to market.
It’s because consumers are generally stupid, and if they see a blanket label like “GMO” on their food, they might avoid it they heard someone say that GMOs are bad. Of course, GMO food isn’t really a thing. Rather, it’s many many things. I’m all for labeling, as long as the label specifically states what type of genetic modifications were involved. You don’t really learn anything from a simple label that just says, “This product contains ingredients that were genetically modified.” Tell me, is that what you’d consider “proper labeling”?
Sorry badly put, I shouldn’t of given examples. My main point is that to imply that science is never wrong and that conspiracy theories don’t exist is equally misleading.
Nobody ever suggested that conspiracies don’t exist. They do. But the conspiracies that conspiracy theorists tend to focus on almost never exist.
What Kelly was referring to regarding the Zika virus has solid foundation. Monsanto is now going full bore in its PR campaign to distance itself from Sumitomo Chemical, a Japanese company closely associated with Monsanto. By the way, I live in Colombia and while Zika has been is present for many years, there have been no reports of birth defects from the virus. Zika is not new as many would have you believe.
According to the Physicians in Crop-Sprayed Towns (PCST), a chemical larvicide that produces malformations in mosquitoes was injected into Brazil’s water supplies in 2014 in order to stop the development of mosquito larvae in drinking water tanks.
The chemical, which is known as Pyriproxyfen, was used in a massive government-run program tasked to control the mosquito population in the country. Pyriproxyfen is a larvicide manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical, a company associated [PDF] with Monsanto. However, PCST has referred to Sumitomo as a subsidiary of Monsanto.
“Malformations detected in thousands of children from pregnant women living in areas where the Brazilian state added pyriproxyfen to drinking water is not a coincidence,” the PCST wrote [pdf] in the report.
You can read the entire article here.
http://www.techtimes.com/ar…
chemical larvacides are not GMOs by any stretch of the imagination.
Who said that they were?
thats what was implied.
did you watch the video? GMO mosquitos are causing Zika was the claim.
I think all “podcasts” should be called “circle jerks”, my ears are violated with the sounds of sycophancy. Aside from that, who is more stupid? A famous sports star voicing his unresearched opinion about things other than his sport, or sporting fans expecting a sports star to have researched opinions about anything other than his sport?
Exactly
Collaboration between BeachGrit and Surf Simply could breed interesting results..
Hang on , just watched the original Slater clip.
He gets people ringing him with cancer, asking him “what do we do now?”
ffs.
I think it haas to do with nutrition and what happens to the body during chemo/radiation. Maybe not the best bellweather but I believe that Livestrong used to spend a lot off money connecting cancer patients with nutritionists and that’s where a lot of the money went. Then again…there are people who think that eating certain foods will cure you.
There is something just not right about listening to pommies talk about surfing.
As for Kelly, yeah total fruitcake, was never in doubt, but he is still the greatest surfer ever. I would just never want to be stuck in a room listening to his whacked out theories.
Agree with both points! Slater may be incredibly handsome and possibly the greatest surfer ever… but he should keep his stupid head face hole firmly shut!
I never really understood him…. so he’s Jewish right?
Why? Why are we taking the word of these barrel-dodging, soap-dodging, work-shy English people over The King’s? How can three grown men singing the praises of 7’8″ surfboard for their “level three” surf camps have any credibility at all? English people shouldn’t even be allowed to surf. If I want to know the truth behind something, Slater is my first port of call. Followed by Damien Hardman.
Fuck off you ridiculous cunt. If you want to type utter shit, head over to stab you might seem intelligent over there… I doubt it though
Relax you stupid gibbon.
Please don’t ever write anything again… EVER!
I’m English and I think these guys are fucking tools.
You’re OK Ray.
Follow his brother on twitter – I dare you.
If Alex Jones and Jenny McCarthy came together in an unholy union and
spawned a child, would Kelly at least wait until it reached puberty
before imprinting on it?
I’m not quite sure what false flag means. Could someone walk me through it?
its like when you attack yourself/let some particular people attack so you can attribute it to another nation/group that you wanted to attack the whole time but didn’t have proper justification for doing so. obviously, the people are going to support retaliation after being attacked, so you say “they did it” so you can fuck em up but they really didn’t do it.
And today’s conspiracy mongers tend to call every domestic terrorism case that has a white perpetrator a “false flag” (with the ultimate goal of stripping away our basic freedoms and taking away our guns).
The surf simply guys are right on. Everyone needs to question the crap that was brought forth in Kelly’s interview. Good on you boys! By the way Kelly is still my hero as far as surfing goes, he has never been my intellect hero.
Welcome to the classy world of the podcast, Mr. Rielly… Care to join us for a chat sometime?
…oh I’d love to! I was so dazzled by your show!
say some crazy stuff – they’ll pull it down later if people don’t agree.
that was some of the more intelligent commentary i’ve ever heard regarding surfing and social issues. Wasn’t aware of your podcast now, but you got a new fan. I know you guys had your reasons for taking it down, but sometimes controversy is good for everyone
They sure are stoked on those new firewires though, ah the irony
where’s the irony?
I think Kelly owns firewire
The irony is the entire podcast is based around slamming Slater yet there happy to receive boards from a company he holds a majority of shares in. No irony there trogs?
They slammed his conspiracy theories, not his surfboards. I see no irony. I like Slater the surfer but that doesn’t mean I need to respect his ill-informed politics.