Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of Ben Shapiro. I watch his show everyday. And most of the time, I agree with the vast majority of what he says. So what’s the problem? Well, funny enough, I just have to look at the YouTube titles to see why.
Ben Shapiro “DESTROYS” blah blah blah. First of all, almost all of the time these titles are horribly misleading. Unfortunately that is a common game played on YouTube and, to be fair, I don’t actually see that coming from Ben Shapiro himself. It’s usually from his fans. So what’s the problem? Well, it’s quite simple. It’s the same reason why you won’t see Republicans moving over to the left. It’s difficult to get someone to see things from your point of view if you’re constantly making fun of them. Now, Ben is usually pretty good at not doing this during debates with people but he has lost his temper a couple of times. Generally, though, he’s very good at telling just the facts that support his position.
But this is where I think Ben Shapiro fails. Ben has famously said “facts don’t care about your feelings”. And while there is nothing incorrect with that statement, I think that he’s also horribly wrong. Mainly because most people don’t act that way. We are not robots. These fact’s need emotional context in order for them to be effective. As so well pointed out in one of the best movies in my opinion, Dead Poets Society:
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering; these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love; these are what we stay alive for….”.
This is the problem with facts only arguments. Most people need to hear the emotional argument. They want to know why what you’re saying is morally correct. They need to feel good about their decisions. This is why the left is so good at making emotional arguments. They know that’s how you get people on your side. Especially if the facts don’t back up what you’re saying. Of course that leads to the other problem of everyone using emotions to manipulate their viewers.
This is my big problem with people like Ben Shapiro, Steven Crowder, Sean Hannity, and the like. There shows are great for those who already agree with them but I don’t see them really changing anybody’s mind. Of course this isn’t a problem just for one side. You could also say this is why shows by Trevor Noah, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Myers, and Stephen Colbert don’t do well with right wingers. When you constantly call the other side a bunch of racists, sexists, fascists, idiots and morons; there is no chance that those people are going to listen to anything you say.
But this is what sells so we’re not going to see it stop anytime soon. And this is one of the many reasons why this country is getting further and further apart. Which makes me question their motives. If the purpose is to bring the country together then we have to find a way to communicate. And the guy who sells a tumbler with “Leftist Tears” written on it may not be the best person to look to for this.