#1744 Sell Outs, Shills, and Scandals: Saudi Arabia and Israel are buying the credibility they can't earn honestly

Air Date 10/15/2025 It's said that money can't buy a variety of things like peace, happiness, loyalty, and, relevant for today; integrity and trust. But in a world in which impressions (a very multilayered word, in this case) can be bought and sold on the open market and an audience's loyalty to influencers, entertainers, and athletes can be leveraged in an attempt to transfer the credibility from the talented to the tyrannical... you better believe places like Saudi Arabia and Israel are going to try. Be part of the show! Leave us a message or text at 202-999-3991, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email [e-mail] Full Show Notes Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube! BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! KEY POINTS KP 1: How We Stopped Caring About "Selling Out" - Current Affairs - Air Date 8-18-25 KP 2: Comedians Hold NOTHING Back While RIPPING Fellow Comics to Shreds - TYT Sports - Air Date 10-1-25 KP 3: A New Form of Capitalism: The Influencer Culture | Al Jazeera Untangles - Al Jazeera English - Air Date 8-21-25 KP 4: Why I Became a Crypto Shill - Adam Conover - Air Date 5-23-25 KP 5: The Secret Role Of Influencers In Global Propaganda - Taylor Lorenz's Power User - Air Date 9-24-25 KP 6: US and Saudi Arabia Sign 'biggest Arms Deal in History' - DW News - Air Date 5-13-25 (00:48:45) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Explaining that influencers are just infomercial hosts DEEPER DIVES (00:55:11) SECTION A: SELL OUTS & SHILLS A1: Comedy's "Free Speech" Warriors - Side Burns - Air Date 10-5-25 A2: He Just Keeps Making It Worse - American Redact - Air Date 10-7-25 A3: Dave Chappelle Is Doing Saudi Arabia's Propaganda For Them | Eb Knows Pod #259 - Eb&Flow - Air Date 10-6-25 A4: When Movie Stars Become Brands - Patrick (H) Willems - Air Date 11-24-23 (01:35:50) SECTION B: INFLUENCERS B1: These YouTubers Do PROPAGANDA for the Saudi Government - The Kavernacle - Air Date 10-7-25 B2: Israel and US Pay Influencers Thousands to Boost Image - TRT World - Air Date 10-7-25 B3: MAGA TikTokers Are Being Paid by Israel to Make the WORST Propaganda Youll Ever See - The Humanist Report - Air Date 10-2-25 (01:58:52) SECTION C: SAUDI ARABIA BUYING SOFT & HARD POWER C1: Why Manchester Citys Scandal Is Really About Power - Search Party - Air Date 2-11-25 C2: How the Saudis Ended up with so Many American Weapons - Vox - Air Date 12-14-18 C3: How Saudi Arabia Bought Trump - And What They Want - More Perfect Union - Air Date 1-22-25 C4: Why Saudi Arabia Wants All the Sports - Search Party - Air Date 10-23-24 SHOW IMAGE CREDITS Description: Composite image of a microphone in a spotlight against a red curtain with burlap sacks overflowing with money at the base with the Israeli and Saudi Arabian flags on them. Credit: Internal composite design. Multiple images from Pixabay | Pixabay License Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at [e-mail]