Why I Joined OutKick By Christian Toto

I worked under Andrew Breitbart for just a few months, but it took years for his signature lesson to take root in me.

Politics, the late, truly great media mogul said, is downstream of culture.

Heck, I was an entertainment reporter and I still didn’t get that message. The same proved true for most red state Americans. We collectively kept our heads down while the radical Left took over our institutions, including the ones headquartered in Hollywood, California.

Conservatives understand why culture matters now. The proof is in the headlines.

OutKick got that message from the jump. 

It’s why I reached out to Clay Travis’ creation, hoping to be part of its counter-culture revolution.

My personal awakening started at Breitbart News, but Hollywood, Inc. deserve some of the credit. For years I covered entertainment, disagreeing with the industry’s politics but (mostly) cheering on the content.

I interviewed some of the biggest names in show business, from Tom Hanks to Angelina Jolie, all the while keeping my politics out of the equation.

The stars in Hollywood’s galaxy didn’t return the favor.

They increasingly barked their marching orders at the people who made them rich and famous – audiences from both red and blue states. They lectured us from their award show podiums and social media accounts, dividing citizen against citizen in the process.

The news media, in turn, amplified their progressive messages and played defense when their arguments clashed with reality.

Journalists cheered Leonardo Di Caprio’s climate change screed at the 2016 Oscars ceremony, for example, while ignoring how his lifestyle clashed with his rhetoric. 

And that’s being gentle.

Actresses condemned Donald Trump for sexual abuse allegations lodged against him but fell silent when similar charges stalked Democrats like Joe Biden and Andrew Cuomo.

The cameras went dark as they ditched their “Believe All Women” placards in their servants’ quarters.

Celebrities rallied behind the Defund the Police movement from the comfort of their multi-million-dollar mansions. Then, when crime soared nationwide, they fell silent. The deferential press gave them a pass.

Not me. And not an outlet like OutKick.com.

We need more institutions willing to speak truth to liberal Hollywood’s power. Americans love entertainment, and OutKick happily cheers on the best new shows and films. Excellence still matters, both in sports and entertainment. The site praises stars who make our lives a little easier, a bit sunnier.

What OutKick won’t do is rubber stamp celebrity screeds or let stars off the hook for failing to defend free speech. And, as we’re learning in real time, plenty of Americans crave that approach to journalism.

If I can be a tiny part of that media revolution, sign me up.