The Real Horseshoe Theory

I recently spoke with good friends Greg Guevara (Jreg), JJ McCullough and Brogan Woodman (Art Chad) for the Horseshoe Theory podcast in Toronto. JJ is a thoughtful political commentator on YouTube and previously a journalist for the Washington Post. While we come from different (right / left) political perspectives we share a similar pursuit of the truth. JJ and I debate the value of ideology for political movements in the 21st century. You can watch the two hour video here:

We also did a solo episode about left accelerationism, capitalist realism and social democracy (bringing out all the greatest hits). The response to these long form videos, from an extremely online zoomer audience, has been interesting and heartening to watch. Spending too much time online can certainly leave you irony poisoned, but you may also pick up a few important gems along the way. I think we do a good job of exploring those insights here:

In Toronto, there is a flourishing local scene of alt media content creators gathered around a shared studio space called the CCCRU: Canadian Cybernetic Culture Research Unit. The members of this avant-garde studio come from a wide range of political ideologies, at the center and the fringes.

The group takes its name from the original CCRU, organized in 1995 at Warwick University in the UK, with prominent members such as Mark Fisher, Nick Land, Sadie Plant, Kodwo Eshun, Ray Brassier and Reza Negarestani.

In addition to Jreg and Art Chad, the CCCRU group includes Hallie Tut, whose short form videos imbue our disenchanted social media landscape with a hauntological magical realism, Jane Gatsby, a techno-libertarian with Dark Enlightenment leanings, incisive lefty YouTubers such as 1Dime and We’re in Hell, cultural & film commentators like Ben from Canada and Duncan Clarke, as well as meta commentary on the YouTube political space from voices like Gokanaru and Saplow.

Outside the studio, the surrounding social scene includes fine artists like Maya Ben David, and content creators like CJ the X and Oki’s Weird Stories. (I strongly recommended watching Oki’s highly detailed documentary on Atrazine, an agricultural pesticide better known as the “chemicals in the water turning the frickin’ frogs gay”, spoiler alert: it’s real.)

This thriving local scene is anchored by the Horseshoe Theory podcast, co-hosted by Greg Guevara (Jreg) and Brogan Woodman (Art Chad), in which members of the shared studio and extended social group appear to discuss their work in candid, long form discussion.

The CCCRU represents a generational departure from creative eras of the past. These artists regularly speak to audiences in the millions and are sustained by direct engagement with their listeners. They are not bound by the intellectual limitations of the academy or its elite donors. As a result, the gamut of their political positions and conversations can range much further than most institutional settings. Many of the CCCRU members are graduates of Master’s programs who chose to exit the university and instead use social media to communicate directly to their audiences.

Notably, these creatives have also found each other through the big web 2.0 platforms. Despite the overwhelming incentives that seek to atomize creators into bootstrapping individualistic entrepreneurs, these young artists decided to squad up and build something larger than themselves. The CCCRU is a video art collective for the 21st century. Its an inspiring group show with real independence and creative freedom. This should give us all some hope for the future.

Brogan ‘Art Chad’ Woodman, is one of the largest independent commentators on Art. At a time when major art institutions may get a few hundred views on a video, the reach of his work is staggering. He covers both the museum and the internet, using media theory to link high and low culture. Art Chad’s commentary is an untiring search for freedom that rails against finance capitalism and elitist instituions. I recommend watching his recent excellent breakdown of Hyperstition: a Philosophy that Predicts the Future.

Greg ‘Jreg’ Guevara is the organizing force behind the CCCRU. The IRL group is reminiscent of his celebrated Centricide series, in which avatars of all political ideologies cohabitate and battle against one another. His video work address political and social fragmentation, mental illness, and the unique ways in which the internet has reshaped society. He is perhaps the most insightful and influential commentator in the space of online radical politics. In addition to his videos and experimental live performances, he is also a pioneer of online relational aesthetics: How To Run Your Discord Server Like A Political Extremist.

Keep an eye on this young and influential cohort. This is the start of something very special.