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Anti-work subreddit goes private after disastrous Fox News interview

SF Kosmo

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
teezzy said:
That "kid" is 30

Same age as me

I work 50 hours a week and pull over 60k annually

Have my own house, car, etc

I very much feel like I don't gave enough going on due to lack of family etc

This guy is a man child and likely mentally stunted
Click to expand...
I make twice what you do and I am far from being able to own property. I live in one of the more expensive states, but fuck man. You have to acknowledge that basic pillars of the American Dream like being able to afford a house and raise kids are both demonstrably in decline.

Given that productivity (i.e. what we make for our bosses) has gone up 150% in the last 40 years, against flat wages in that same time period. It's not crazy to say we should maybe have shorter days or a four day work week if they're not gonna pay us more. There's even evidence that in some jobs the four day work week is actually more productive because people get less burnt.
 
Darkmakaimura

Darkmakaimura

Member
SF Kosmo said:
The Fox host looks really fucking bad. Yes, this Doreen person is clearly on the spectrum and quite strange, but the host is so smug, and so satisfied to laugh at the weirdo that he really comes off like a bully, and someone who would be too scared to debate someone better equipped.
Click to expand...
Lol no.

The Fox host actually held back imo. He could have been a hell of a lot more condescending.

This is all on Doreen.
 
Reallink

Reallink

Member
I will give these guys credit for being honest. The truth is a large percentage (probable majority) of the western world doesn't "work" anywhere close to 40 hours week. I've seen it first hand across a wide variety of positions I interned and worked at during school. From municipalities, to big engineering industrial parks with auto-generated names that were subsidized by dead end government and megacorp contracts, to commercial construction sites. 90% of the employees spend most of their day acting busy or finding ways to delegate meaningless or redundant tasks to subordinates. Unsupervised construction workers don't even bother with the pretenses, they'll literally stand around doing nothing all day, or spend 4 hours eating in the van on calls that take them 20 minutes to complete. The only people who even come close to performing meaningful work for 40 hours a week are jobs that are under constant supervision performing simple and clearly defined tasks. Like factory line work, Amazon warehouses, or UPS drivers, where productivity is measured in absolutes and effectively impossible to bullshit. Anywhere that people are given autonomy and success is subjective and open to interpretation are absolutely not "working" anywhere close to 40 hours a week. You're lucky if they're performing genuinely meaningful tasks for 5 - 10 hours a week. I would not be surprised if this "20 hour dog walker" works harder and longer than 80% of the people agasp at his views.
 
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nush

nush

Member
Reallink said:
The only people who even come close to performing meaningful work for 40 hours a week are jobs that are under constant supervision performing simple and clearly defined tasks. Like factory line work, Amazon warehouses, or UPS drivers, where productivity is nearly impossible to bullshit. Anywhere that people are given autonomy and success is subjective and open to interpretation are absolutely not "working" anywhere close to 40 hours a week. You're lucky if they're performing genuinely meaningful tasks for 5 - 10 hours a week.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, most of my office jobs most of the time I spend looking like I'm working rather than working because there isn't 40 hours worth of actual real work to do.
 
Coolwhhip

Coolwhhip

Neophyte
For most office jobs only a few hours a week is more than enough to add value. But that's the problem, your boss will look at those hours and doesn't want to pay you a living wage for that.

The coming decades this will all change dramatically anyway. With robots and AI coming, only the jobs that require human skills will remain. I think becoming a builder, plumber or elictrician is a better career choice than office jobs now.
 
O

Outlier

Member
Just spent some time browsing that Anti-work sub-reddit...

Man, it's so depressing.

I agree with some of the stuff, but the over all tone of the comments just brings me down.

I guess that's the point. Fighting for things you want are seldom enjoyable.

But man there are some dumb "pay me for nothing" type postings, in there. Yuck.
 
teezzy

teezzy

Banned
SF Kosmo said:
I make twice what you do and I am far from being able to own property. I live in one of the more expensive states, but fuck man. You have to acknowledge that basic pillars of the American Dream like being able to afford a house and raise kids are both demonstrably in decline.

Given that productivity (i.e. what we make for our bosses) has gone up 150% in the last 40 years, against flat wages in that same time period. It's not crazy to say we should maybe have shorter days or a four day work week if they're not gonna pay us more. There's even evidence that in some jobs the four day work week is actually more productive because people get less burnt.
Click to expand...

Have you considered taking your savings/skill set and moving somewhere more affordable? Earnest question

I personally make above the median household income in my state. Live a very simple life in a simple 3br home. Nothing snazzy. I'm a high school dropout who grinded.

My point being, life is a system of inputs and outputs. I'm all for people making more money, etc, but at some point you're supposed to put in the effort to advance yourself into a position where you can afford what it is you want.

This "kid" isn't doing that, clearly
 
L

Loope

Member
DeepBreath87 said:
How is it different than what? Some stupid slogan? Or do you really not understand that disparity in effort should result in disparity of outcomes?
Click to expand...
Are you saying that ALL people that earn big wages, worked harder than the rest? Sorry, don't agree with you.
I would risk saying, a small percentage of those did it from the bottom, really small percentage. But then again, i'm basing this on my country experience, where people in the 60's were working at 11 year old age, because there was no money, only the rich were able to go to college etc. and snowballed from there.
Now, idiots like the one from the subreddit and others like him, of course they won't get anywhere unless they have family money and there are a lot of idiots of those.
 
Maiden Voyage

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
SF Kosmo said:
I make twice what you do and I am far from being able to own property. I live in one of the more expensive states, but fuck man. You have to acknowledge that basic pillars of the American Dream like being able to afford a house and raise kids are both demonstrably in decline.

Given that productivity (i.e. what we make for our bosses) has gone up 150% in the last 40 years, against flat wages in that same time period. It's not crazy to say we should maybe have shorter days or a four day work week if they're not gonna pay us more. There's even evidence that in some jobs the four day work week is actually more productive because people get less burnt.
Click to expand...
You should see this guy's Funko Pop collection.
 
L

Loope

Member
StreetsofBeige said:
Well, I can say the same thing to you. You're pretty typical of a left winger thinking people who have a decent in life is all luck. If you want to call anyone with a half decent job like rolling 7-11, thats probably why many people are down and outers. They think someone's life is based on luck, destiny or god hand picking them as a success or failure.

Sometimes in life you just got to do your own thing.

Aside from dad showing me how to fill out an income tax form in the 90s by hand (no internet at the time), every car loan, buying a car by myself at a dealsership, mortgage, student loan etc... was all done and paid by me. You're going to call that luck? Its not hard. You talk to some people, compare deals and sign the dotted line on the best deal you see.

In life sometimes you got to be a man and do your own shit.

As for job variety, that comes down to the person and how picky they are and how entitled they feel. It's obvious someone like the dog walker doesn't give a shit about work. I do finance. My entire day is staring at emails and spreadsheets. It pays well. I like crunching stats and helping the business. But if some people think doing that is soul crushing and boring as hell, thats fine. I agree it's not a glamourous job, but it's fun for me and pays great.

As for anti-work people, there's endless career sectors and within it a million kinds of jobs. If someone is so anti-work where they feel they cant find one career path that works they got issues. And that issue is not being protective of overbearing job culture or slave labour. That issue is simply not wanting to get up in the morning and go to work like the other billion people in the world.
Click to expand...
That's the part where it shouldn't matter to anyone but yourself. If you like the work itself, not the job, but the work itself (crunching numbers etc.) then it's a good thing and i think it's stupid that people think that a job is grating just because they wouldn't do it.

I worked really low paying jobs (because of the 2008 crysis), inclunding a mine where i have to listen to the worse shit and see the worse shit, during that time my only objective was making money until i found something better. Did a commute of 120 kms/day for 4 years, until i got the job i wanted (because it was what i studied for). Granted, it is a high stress job and the pay is not exactly what i want and deserve, because i pull in a lot of money due to satisfied costumers that always return with bigger projects, but i've been making some moves and studying some more stuff to move to better things.

I had collegues telling that they would rather work at a supermarket because it is stress free and here is the crux of it all.

In my country, for example, you have companies wanting to pay engineers etc. in high stress jobs, the same that i would receive working on a supermarket and this is where it all fails, you can't just pay people the minimum possible and expect people to be happy. I was ok with it when i worked at the mines, i will not be ok with it if you want to pay me the same and have me working a high stress job, when i earn the same just doing what people tell me to do without any more responsability that doing what you're told.

I'm 45 by the way. I fucking struggled a lot, but i will make it and without killing myself working in the process.
 
DeepBreath87

DeepBreath87

Banned
Loope said:
Are you saying that ALL people that earn big wages, worked harder than the rest? Sorry, don't agree with you.
I would risk saying, a small percentage of those did it from the bottom, really small percentage. But then again, i'm basing this on my country experience, where people in the 60's were working at 11 year old age, because there was no money, only the rich were able to go to college etc. and snowballed from there.
Now, idiots like the one from the subreddit and others like him, of course they won't get anywhere unless they have family money and there are a lot of idiots of those.
Click to expand...
I’m not saying all of anything. Things are never universal. What I am saying is that, in general, people who are willing to put in the effort to do so can attain a relatively successful life in the US. That’s not to say that working your ass off in some warehouse will put a new Mercedes in your 2 car garage. It is to say that if you don’t want to be a warehouse worker, the tools are there for you to do something better.

Effort is a prerequisite. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything, but the lack of it guarantees failure.
 
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cormack12

cormack12

Gold Member
teezzy said:
This "kid" isn't doing that, clearly
Click to expand...

What the kid is saying is 'pay me well for not being accountable or having responsibility'. He went on about how much he loves dogs etc. then aspire to do more than walk them round the block. Aspire to be a vet or to take up a career with animals in general.

Even if you're a bright eyed youngster alive with the first few years of your career it rarely lasts over time, and career swaps are hard when you get to a certain age and have mortgages, kids and other commitments so you just crack on. Your pay generally scales with responsibility and experience. And then you decide do you take the secure, lower paying government/council jobs (civil servant, teachers, NHS) or do you go private sector which is less secure and more volatile but more lucrative.

If you're still in a job like teaching assistant, hairdresser junior, office assistant after ten years then that's on you. If you're comfortable that's fine - I work with some people who are on a mid wage, happy on it, can pay their bills and want no extra responsibility so are happy to just plod on as normal. If you're on the bottom rung of a ladder you like, then this is what you should be looking back on after a decade or more:

tq6bkmg2v2c81.jpg


And if those oportunities don't exist where you work, then apply for others. If you're on the rung of a ladder you don't like, get on the bottom of one you do, but also be aware everyone has a ceiling if you lack basic organsiation, drive and self responsibilty.
 
L

Loope

Member
DeepBreath87 said:
I’m not saying all of anything. Things are never universal. What I am saying is that, in general, people who are willing to put in the effort to do so can attain a relatively successful life in the US. That’s not to say that working your ass off in some warehouse will put a new Mercedes in your 2 car garage. It is to say that if you don’t want to be a warehouse worker, the tools are there for you to do something better.

Effort is a prerequisite. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything, but the lack of it guarantees failure.
Click to expand...
Oh yes, that's a given. If you see my other post in response to StreetsofBeige, i worked that type of job. The expectations weren't never big, but that's the middle point right? You don't earn a lot, but you can also just do your job and have quality time at home.
 
SF Kosmo

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
Darkmakaimura said:
Lol no.

The Fox host actually held back imo. He could have been a hell of a lot more condescending.

This is all on Doreen.
Click to expand...
The host didn't really have to do anything, but the people that booked them knew exactly what they were doing. They knew this person was going to be cringe, and they booked them so the audience could laugh and point. It feels a bit mean to me.
 
M

Moneal

Member
SF Kosmo said:
The host didn't really have to do anything, but the people that booked them knew exactly what they were doing. They knew this person was going to be cringe, and they booked them so the audience could laugh and point. It feels a bit mean to me.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the guest needed some self awareness then. Maybe just don't take the interview. Better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and be known a fool.
 
SF Kosmo

SF Kosmo

Al Jazeera Special Reporter
teezzy said:
Have you considered taking your savings/skill set and moving somewhere more affordable? Earnest question
Click to expand...
I'm not sure that property ownership alone would be enough of an incentive for me to do that. It would mean being away from friends and family, being away from city life, and being a lot more vulnerable career-wise because there are far fewer opportunities.

Plus, I love my job, I work for a blue-chip Big Tech company that treats me very well. Doing the same thing for some small company would not really be the same. And I love my city. These things are aspirational for me as well.

teezzy said:
I personally make above the median household income in my state. Live a very simple life in a simple 3br home. Nothing snazzy. I'm a high school dropout who grinded.
Click to expand...
That's around $600-700K around here on the low end. We're a $200K couple between us, we probably COULD do that if we stretched, but we rent a 4br apartment for a LOT less.

teezzy said:
My point being, life is a system of inputs and outputs. I'm all for people making more money, etc, but at some point you're supposed to put in the effort to advance yourself into a position where you can afford what it is you want.
Click to expand...

As an individual, yes. But housing and childcare costs ARE increasing, and this is resulting in a decline in fertility rates and home ownership. Those are real trends creating real problems for America, and it isn't because people are lazy or don't want to succeed anymore. Nor can you as an individual bootstraps the country into a better place. The answer is policy, as ever.

Plus, you know, I understand the argument that having free time to enjoy life, spend with your family, etc is aspirational. Americans get less vacation time than anyone in the world. We grind so hard, but if you aren't doing it to enjoy life, then you're just doing it to survive. That's fucked up in a way too.
Moneal said:
Sounds like the guest needed some self awareness then. Maybe just don't take the interview. Better to be thought a fool than open your mouth and be known a fool.
Click to expand...
Just because someone is dumb enough to be exploited doesn't mean it's right to exploit them. This person is clearly a bit off, and the producers know that, and that's WHY they booked them.
 
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InfiniteCombo

InfiniteCombo

Banned
This narrative that the interviewee is just a poor little victim of a vicious, evil, mocking interviewer... It needs to stop, and stop right now. It's part of yet another symptom going on here in America: everyone is a victim, all the time. Can people EVER be held accountable for their actions? Can people be given the agency they definitely have? Christ.

You know what the legacy media is like. You know what the internet is like -- I mean, these people reside on the internet.

They are a movement that wanted media attention and make the broader world aware of their cause. But they went into a mainstream media interview without proper guidance and preparation, and got wrecked.

The stupid victim mentality is to sit in a corner and cry and blame your failures on others. It's a disservice to people that are legitimate victims of actual injustices committed all over the world. The better mentality -- and what should happen -- is that they take this as a lesson learned and prepare better for future media interviews. From some of the screenshots posted on this thread from that Sub-Reddit, it seems that they are indeed taking steps and applying lessons learned. So, good for them for doing that.
 
N

NickFire

Member
InfiniteCombo said:
This narrative that the interviewee is just a poor little victim of a vicious, evil, mocking interviewer... It needs to stop, and stop right now. It's part of yet another symptom going on here in America: everyone is a victim, all the time. Can people EVER be held accountable for their actions? Can people be given the agency they definitely have? Christ.

You know what the legacy media is like. You know what the internet is like -- I mean, these people reside on the internet.

They are a movement that wanted media attention and make the broader world aware of their cause. But they went into a mainstream media interview without proper guidance and preparation, and got wrecked.

The stupid victim mentality is to sit in a corner and cry and blame your failures on others. It's a disservice to people that are legitimate victims of actual injustices committed all over the world. The better mentality -- and what should happen -- is that they take this as a lesson learned and prepare better for future media interviews. From some of the screenshots posted on this thread from that Sub-Reddit, it seems that they are indeed taking steps and applying lessons learned. So, good for them for doing that.
Click to expand...
Ummm, I don't know about all that. I mean, if their life goals include not working, shouldn't they double down on bombing interviews???? Screwing up interviews sounds like bum-life 101 to me.
 
U

Unk Adams

Banned
StreetsofBeige said:
You know what the sad thing about the dog walker is? As weird as he is, at least he works PT hours.

Many of the other anti-work supporters dont work at all.
Click to expand...
Your average Redditor can't even handle a different opinion without getting hysterical. The person they interviewed is more likable and reasonable than your average Reddit user who spends all day on that site, never worked a day in their life and has a temper tantrum at the drop of a hat. I would imagine your average Reddit user, if given the chance to conduct an interview, would have a meltdown less than a minute in. Say what you will about who they interviewed but at least they do some sort of work and could do an interview with a major news station without flipping out immediately.
 
BadBurger

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
I've been watching this whole thing with macabre fascination for days, and I honestly would not be shocked if this is some kind of elaborate theater with the help of the /overemployed/ subreddit. Andy Kaufman tier stuff. It's almost too funny to be true.
 
QSD

QSD

Member
StreetsofBeige said:
Well, I can say the same thing to you. You're pretty typical of a left winger thinking people who have a decent in life is all luck. If you want to call anyone with a half decent job like rolling 7-11, thats probably why many people are down and outers. They think someone's life is based on luck, destiny or god hand picking them as a success or failure.

Sometimes in life you just got to do your own thing.

Aside from dad showing me how to fill out an income tax form in the 90s by hand (no internet at the time), every car loan, buying a car by myself at a dealsership, mortgage, student loan etc... was all done and paid by me. You're going to call that luck? Its not hard. You talk to some people, compare deals and sign the dotted line on the best deal you see.
Click to expand...
I'm not going to call that luck, but the fact that you had a dad, he was around and you grew up in a stable, close-knit family is definitely luck, not an achievement on your part.
 
J

jason10mm

Gold Member
QSD said:
I'm not going to call that luck, but the fact that you had a dad, he was around and you grew up in a stable, close-knit family is definitely luck, not an achievement on your part.
Click to expand...
The fuck? So having a family that works to stay together and foster a healthy nurturing environment is just random chance?

It's called teamwork.
 
DeepBreath87

DeepBreath87

Banned
QSD said:
I'm not going to call that luck, but the fact that you had a dad, he was around and you grew up in a stable, close-knit family is definitely luck, not an achievement on your part.
Click to expand...
No it isn’t. That is fucking nonsense. It is a credit to his parents and their values. Luck is not getting struck by lightning. Having decent parents is something that was earned by those people.

It’s a legacy you inherit from them and if you have any gratitude, you do what you can to carry it on to your children. That’s not luck. What a ridiculous thing to say.
 
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Raven117

Raven117

Member
Lol.

I just… can’t.

Work…. Make my money. Make as much as you can. Make smart financial decisions. Then you don’t have to work. Boom
 
Raven117

Raven117

Member
jason10mm said:
The fuck? So having a family that works to stay together and foster a healthy nurturing environment is just random chance?

It's called teamwork.
Click to expand...

DeepBreath87 said:
No it isn’t. That is fucking nonsense. It is a credit to his parents and their values. Luck is not getting struck by lightning. Having decent parents is something that was earned by those people.

It’s a legacy you inherit from them and if you have any gratitude, you do what you can to carry it on to your children. That’s not luck. What a ridiculous thing to say.
Click to expand...
I think he is saying that there is a luck component to an individual of whose family you are born in to. It’s not determinative…. But it helpful.

Who your parents cannot be influenced
 
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