The organizers of the Podcast Movement conference, which is billed as the “world’s largest podcast conference,” are apologizing after “harm” was allegedly done by the mere “presence” of one podcast host.
On Wednesday, The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro showed up at the conference and was seen near a booth that was sold to the conservative outlet. And apparently, it did not go over well with some attendees.
In a tweet on Thursday, the Podcast Movement’s Twitter account wrote, “Hi folks, we owe you an apology before sessions kick off for the day. Yesterday afternoon, Ben Shapiro briefly visited the PM22 expo area near The Daily Wire booth.”
“Though he was not registered or expected, we take full responsibility for the harm done by his presence,” it continued.
The organization explained that it “agreed to sell The Daily Wire a first-time booth based on the company’s large presence in podcasting.” However, it added, “The weight of that decision is now painfully clear. Shapiro is a co-founder. A drop-in, however unlikely, should have been considered a possibility.”
There’s no way around it: We agreed to sell The Daily Wire a first-time booth based on the company’s large presence in podcasting. The weight of that decision is now painfully clear. Shapiro is a co-founder. A drop-in, however unlikely, should have been considered a possibility.
— Podcast Movement at #PM22 (@PodcastMovement) August 25, 2022
As if a podcast conference apologizing for the mere presence of a popular podcast host couldn’t get weird enough, it went on, “Those of you who called this ‘unacceptable’ are right. In 9 wonderful years growing and celebrating this medium, PM has made mistakes. The pain caused by this one will always stick with us. We promise that sponsors will be more carefully considered moving forward.”
“Just to clarify, no TDW representatives were scheduled to appear on panels, and Shapiro remained in the common space and did not have a badge. If you have questions, we’re here to talk. Thank you for reading, and we hope you’ll continue to join us from here on out,” it added.
Just to clarify, no TDW representatives were scheduled to appear on panels, and Shapiro remained in the common space and did not have a badge. If you have questions, we’re here to talk. Thank you for reading, and we hope you’ll continue to join us from here on out.
— Podcast Movement at #PM22 (@PodcastMovement) August 25, 2022
Some attendees were apparently quite upset by the conservative commentator’s presence.
One Twitter user wrote, “Ben Shapiro holding court next to a popcorn machine. Unpleasant things I did not expect to see at Podcast Movement 2022.”
Ben Shapiro holding court next to a popcorn machine. Unpleasant things I did not expect to see at Podcast Movement 2022.
— Isaac Kaplan-Woolner (@isaackw) August 24, 2022
Meanwhile, a podcast producer shared a picture of Shapiro — taken from afar — and wrote, “Hey [Podcast Movement] what the f****”
“As a trans person, as a queer person, as someone with a uterus, this does not make me feel welcome. This does not make me feel safe,” they added.
Others ridiculed the apology on Twitter.
Check out some of the reactions below:
You sound like *completely insane people*. What in the world is wrong with you? Is this a joke? You couldn't tolerate *BEN* *FREAKING* *SHAPIRO*? Are you a child? An anti-semite? An anti-semitic child? How do you function in society if you can't tolerate BEN SHAPIRO?
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) August 25, 2022
I literally thought this was a joke when I first read it, it sounds so much like satire. Apparently it’s not. The fact that the most popular conservative podcasting company had a booth at a podcasting conference was “harmful” to ppl. It’s a mad mad mad mad world. Also, cry harder https://t.co/wLd8EvXtoO
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) August 25, 2022
The mindset behind this tweet is sickening. https://t.co/H36m8DWxPW
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) August 25, 2022
Keep in mind that we're more successful in the podcasting space than the vast majority of the podcasters at this convention. We have only a few shows and we get more downloads than companies with 10 or 20 times the number of shows. So there's also a lot of jealousy driving this. https://t.co/9xAqCYLFVT
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) August 25, 2022
They deleted all the tweets they made after this thread because they were all getting ratioed. Just an atrocious decision and an even more atrocious apology. https://t.co/L1ubylznrK
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) August 25, 2022
When Ben Shapiro walks by. https://t.co/JXgsVxgIYM pic.twitter.com/3reievLc1Q
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) August 25, 2022
Actual footage of the Libs when @benshapiro entered the same room as them pic.twitter.com/5P98tikSRJ https://t.co/Gg0jbs79Bj
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 25, 2022
I, for one, do not accept your apology and expect monetary reparations for the incalculable harm done by @benshapiro's presence. https://t.co/luvDqgVjYT
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) August 25, 2022
“Harm”
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) August 25, 2022
Because he dropped by a public expo being held at a major hotel?
Was he wielding a machete and threatening people?
You sold his company a booth at your expo, of course he’s going to stop by!
This is so silly. https://t.co/dPi9VVwoCG
Hahahahaha. I’m so relieved. I thought the harm done by @benshapiro’s presence was my fault. Now at last I can sleep at night. https://t.co/nvS9y5LC1g
— Andrew Klavan (@andrewklavan) August 25, 2022
Something called the Podcast Movement apologizes for an appearance by (checks notes) Ben Shapiro. “We take full responsibility for the harm done by his presence.” https://t.co/VpkAAwaXbN
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) August 25, 2022
These companies and orgs have taught the most annoying and fragile segment of the left that all they have to do is kick and scream like a damn toddler and they will cave under even minimal pressure. https://t.co/FWsBy7fMZ4
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) August 25, 2022
What a bunch of snowflakes. I remember running into @PaulBegala at CPAC one year and no one needed a fainting couch. And he was a featured panelist.
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) August 25, 2022
And also a nice guy, from what I could tell when meeting him briefly.
Maybe these folks should try, I dunno, TALKING to Ben. https://t.co/uTdflRpSZx
I’m breaking my own twitter rule of not calling people stupid, but wow, do you sound colossally stupid. https://t.co/WHWaMD2k2Y
— Erielle Davidson (@politicalelle) August 25, 2022
After being thoroughly roasted, Podcast Movement decided to make its account private so that only users who follow it can see its tweets.
We’ve apparently gone from words being harmful to now someone being present at an event and not actively menacing people, being harmful.
Rather than risk hearing a different idea that they might even find has some good points, some attendees of this conference decided to retreat to Twitter to whine about not feeling safe.
The fact that attendees of a podcast conference felt they were harmed or unsafe because a wildly popular podcast host showed up — not even to speak at the event — is almost laughable but is also distressing for what it signals about free speech culture.
