Mike Rowe, the former host of the popular TV show “Dirty Jobs,” has a way of telling the truth about things.
He recently posted comments about his interview with former college swimmer Riley Gaines.
“Carol” asked him, “Is it my imagination or have you and your podcast become more political? I loved being interviewed by @Riley_Gaines_ but seeing you ‘go out there’ and talk so candidly I’m really surprised by such a politically charged topic.
He has been critical of America’s reliance on higher education as the only way to succeed, as well as the wild anti-Israel protests taking place on college campuses.
He blasted the government for “treating unvaccinated people like enemies” and expressed concern about woke elements infiltrating the military.
Rowe’s response to Carroll was brilliant.
Hi Carol.
It’s your imagination.Your question reminds me of a common refrain I hear now from friends on both sides of the aisle. “It wasn’t me who left my team, it was my team who left me!” I can sympathize. In this case, I will tell you that I am not becoming more political than I have ever been – but everything around me is. Or maybe, everything is becoming more controversial and therefore everything is becoming more political?
Regardless, the facts surrounding Riley’s ordeal are not in dispute. The NCAA told her and her teammates to either compete against men or quit the sport they loved. They were told to either share locker rooms with men or seek professional psychiatric help. They were also told that failure to accept the swimmer, born Will Thomas, as a woman could lead to his suicide and his blood on their hands.
For daring to question the fairness of these decisions, Riley Gaines has been labeled a bigot and a transphobe. She was attacked by protesters in San Francisco State and held against her will for several hours. Her kidnappers went unpunished. In fact, they were congratulated by the college administrators.
It is also important to know that Riley Gaines has never suggested to me that stripping adults of their right to identify as the opposite sex or to take any steps they wish to take to facilitate physical transformation. We all support this right, even if we don’t support the idea that taxpayers should foot the bill, or the idea that minors should have irreversible surgeries without parental consent. But most importantly, we all agree that it is fundamentally unfair to allow men to compete against women, and it is deeply troubling that when the NCAA mocks Title IX and, after decades of hard work , so many sensible Americans stood by and said nothing.
As I said to her on the podcast, Riley Gaines reminded me of that kid in The Emperor’s New Clothes – the only one in the crowd who pointed out the obvious fact that they were being paraded The man is naked while the town pretends that he is not. Just like the townspeople in America pretending Leah Thomas is a woman simply because he changed his name and claimed to be a woman. Even when he jumped from “Will” at No. 462 to “Lea” at No. 1, people in town couldn’t see the difference between him and the women he completely dominated. Even though the people in the town saw with their own eyes that the women’s swimsuit he wore on the podium had a noticeable bulge, they still applauded the emperor’s new clothes and congratulated him on his great triumph.
Those townspeople won’t be remembered for their politics, Carol. They will be remembered for their cowardice. Just as Riley Gaines will be remembered for his courage.
You can listen to the full episode with Riley Gaines on “The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe,” or listen on Apple or Spotify, where our entire conversation is.
Riley’s book, swim upstreamcan be found here.
“Is this my imagination, or have you and your podcast become more political? I enjoyed this interview @Riley_Gaines_ But I was really surprised to see you “go out there” and talk so openly about such a politically charged topic. Carol Marks
Hi Carol.
It’s your imagination. pic.twitter.com/yOqIagEkfF— The real Mike Rowe (@mikeroweworks) June 6, 2024
