Know Your Enemy
patreon
UNLOCKED: Keeping up with the Bozells
🕑 Added 2024-03-19 17:43:17 +0000 UTCWhat can four generations of men named "L. Brent Bozell" tell us about the trajectory of modern American conservatism? Well, quite a lot. In this classic KYE bonus episode from February 2021, newly unlocked for these last weeks of Lent, Matt and Sam discuss one of the first families of the postwar right, which ends up being a story about faith, fanaticism, and the "awful grace of God."
[Obviously the original is still available, but we're putting this here for new subscribers and those of you who rely on the Patreon feed for updates — plus there's a new intro!]
From the union-busting, ad-man scion (Brent Sr.), to the fiercely brilliant and troubled National Review editor-turned-Catholic zealot (Brent Jr.), to the insipid media watchdog and Trump apologist (Brent III), and finally, to the ball-cap-wearing January 6 capitol siege participant (Brent IV, aka "Zeeker") — the Bozell epic has all the elements of a great family saga: pathos, intrigue, tragedy, farce, decline, and even a bit of redemption.
In classic KYE fashion, we over-prepared and over-imbibed to bring you this story. Please enjoy responsibly!
Further Reading:
Jeet Heer, "Meet the Bozells, America’s First Family of Right-Wing Violence," The Nation, February 22, 2021
Jon Schwarz, "Accused Capitol Rioter Brent Bozell IV Comes from Right-Wing Royalty," The Intercept, February 17, 2021
Timothy Noah, "The Rise and Fall of the L. Brent Bozells," The New Republic, February 19, 2021
Eve Tushnet, "Order, Chaos, Peace," The American Conservative, November 18, 2016
L. Brent Bozell Jr., "Freedom or Virtue?" National Review, Sept 11, 1962
Daniel Kelly, Living on Fire: The Life of L. Brent Bozell Jr., Intercollegiate Studies Institute, January 2014
Further Listening:
"Conservative Intelligentsia with Sam Adler-Bell & Matt Sitman," The Dig, February 18, 2021
Comments
Taylor
From simping for Franco to getting jailed for 1/6. The Bozells! https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/conservative-activists-son-sentenced-4-years-prison-relentless-110348723
Arcana
Bozell reasons that we need freedom to make mistakes if we want to be virtuous (ex: legal divorce) but that it’s too unreasonable to do that? that’s not very continuous of him. would have liked an extra sentence to explain why he went directly against his own reasoning there!
James Nebraska
Oh, goodness, I was not expecting that ending ... I too had tears in my eyes, caused both by Brent Jr's words and his circumstances. Not exactly bawling but most definitely moved. We should all hope to be so redeemed.
Micah Blalock
Wonderful! Mercy is the way forward.
Dan Anderson
Loved it then, loved it now. Could the "crunchy-cons" of the past be the Q-freaks of today?
Emily
I teared up (again!) re-listening to this one 🥹 I spent my early twenties associating with a virtual group of Catholic integralists (including, at the tail end of my time with them, AV and Gladden—as well as Elliot Milco, who I’m guessing Matt has been in touch with in recent years). I eventually concluded that our collective fantasy was deluded at best and destructive at worst, but felt like there was no way to be a good Catholic while tolerating (or even simply engaging) the social and moral gray areas of modern American life—so I gave it all up. Finding my way back to the faith after years of trying to intellectually square circles in its service felt something like Brent Jr.’s chastening must have.
Adam Lewis
"Zeeker"?
drizzly_november
As I think Jeet originally suggested, this episode needs to be adapted into a Forsyte Saga-style prestige miniseries. The broad sweep of 20th century American history as told through the lens of 4 generations of ghoulish redheads.
Jameson Boyd
Noooooo lock it back up
