About

Ben Shapiro is an American conservative political commentator and writer. He is a former Breitbart editor and is an editor emeritus of the conservative publication The Daily Wire. Online, he hosts the podcast The Ben Shapiro Show, with new episodes published each weekday..

History

Shapiro was born on January 15th, 1984 in Los Angeles, California and grew up Jewish.^[1] He graduated from the University of California, and Harvard Law School. In 2004, Shapiro published Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth, the first of eleven books he has written. After publishing several books, Shapiro became an editor-at-large at Breitbart. After working at Breitbart for about four years, he resigned in March of 2016 following the site's lack of support of Michelle Fields after she accused former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski of sexual assault. He also accused former Breitbart editor Steve Bannon of courting white supremacists into the alt-right. After he resigned from Breitbart and came out against Donald Trump's candidacy, he was targeted by alt-right anti-semites on Twitter who sent him anti-semitic slurs.

In September of 2015, he started The Daily Wire, a conservative blog, where he is editor-in-chief. In August of 2017, Shapiro interviewed James Damore, famous for writing the Google Manifesto, on his show.

Campus Speeches and Protests

Shapiro has spoken at several college campuses across the United States where he presents conservative viewpoints and often decries what he sees as suppression of conservative thought on college campuses. Several of these speeches have caused significant student protests at the universities. Notably, a scheduled speech of his at Cal State LA was heavily protested by students who viewed his viewpoints as hate speech. University president William Covino cancelled the speech three days in advance, which drew counter-protests and threatened lawsuits. The speech was allowed to happen though student protestors attempted to bar anyone from entering and at one point pulled a fire alarm, though Shapiro continued his speech.

Andrew Neil Interview

On May 10th, 2019, BBC aired an interview between Shapiro and conservative english politico Andrew Neil. Neil challenged Shapiro on some of his positions regarding recent trends in American abortion right and brought up prior tweets of Shapiro's. Shapiro, evidently unaware of Neil's political beliefs, accused Neil of being a leftist and playing "gotcha journalism." “It seems to me," said Shapiro," that simply going through and finding lone things that sound bad out of context and then hitting people with them is a way for you to make a quick buck on BBC off the fact that I’m popular and no one has ever heard of you.” He eventually abruptly ended the interview.

Prior to the interview's airing, Shapiro tweeted some damage control, saying he apologized and was unfamiliar with Neil (shown below, left). The following day, after the interview aired, he joked Andrew Neil DESTROYS Ben Shapiro! and posted an article about all of his past mistakes.^[2]

tweet by Ben Shapiro apologizing for mislabeling Andrew Neil as a leftist

Ben Shapiro tweet about coming unprepared and getting destroyed during interview with Andrew Neil

Many Twitter users found it ironic that Shapiro had been embarrassed in an interview and a debate when he is known for claiming he embarrasses others in debates. User @JordanUhl joked that Shapiro had been "dunking on a fischer-price hoop" and "the nanosecond BBC raises the rim by a foot he loses his shit," gaining over 320 retweets and 1,800 likes (shown below, left). User @uwebollocks tweeted a picture of a corncob next to Shapiro's apology tweet, referencing the Corn Cobbed meme. The interview was covered by The Daily Beast.^[3]

jordan @JordanUhl Follow Ben Shapiro has been doing windmill dunks on a Fisher-Price hoop and everyone in the media was convinced that meant he was an All-Star. The nanosecond BBC raises the rim bya foot he loses his s---, calls it unfair and storms out 2:43 PM - 10 May 2019

tweet of Ben Shapiro's apology next to a corncob costume

Wakanda Isn't Real

Wakanda Isn't Real refers to a series of jokes and responses to the popularity of the Marvel superhero film Black Panther. Online, some people have taken issue with the popularity of the film and the fictional country of Wakanda, where the film is set, and respond to these complaints with the phrase "Wakanda isn't real." However, the phrase has also been used to mock that response and perceived hyperbolic response to a fantasy location.

On February 9th, 2018, Shapiro responded to an editorial in the New York Times about Wakanda, the fictional country in the film Black Panther, on Twitter. The purpose of the piece is to discuss the meaning of Wakanda in the context of art and society as it is a fictional African nation that has not been colonized. Ben Shapiro's responded to the article, "Wakanda isn't real." The post (shown below) received more than 3,400 retweets and 13,000 likes.

Ben Shapiro RTing an article about Wakanda and saying it's not real

Ian Miles Cheong @stillgray Wakanda isn't real, people Black Panther's Mythical Home May Not Be So Mythical After 5 tcretchingem moders-day South Alrficn into Zimbabwe, Moabigae and Zambla, the kinom of Matape thrived from the early 140os to about o Mutapa traded extensively within i w berders, bst the kinglonm abe Blaxk Pascher hant h heters in the USyet, bat 's already breakisg reoceds Acording to more ticket enr Pandanga Sack Panther xki mon pre ol' en Archanological escasations hae uncovered Chinese porelain, Iadian beads, and Part lth in the Mutaps ngin Thats mpecially impresive Set lite vilus," says r AngeloNarinide, ofthe Urnesty ofSouth Afriュ Chiefs raled st eech of these levels ander the supreme uthority of the kis itsfirst 24 hours than any othee uperhero moe Te peo ecn hoilder? CainAmeice: Ciut War,whichjut happens to be the Marvel movie is which the ack Panther charer made his debut Molape in sot on a jor iver r oceen that would give it satural adventage for traesport iefrastrctre Through bostling local baraces and strategle partnerhips with Porug trademalong the Mutape wans able to ackieve unper leied trade against al odds ue about three Lke se nany other kingdoms that believed in the dwr that ma*んnhert" pop culture force tobereckened with. thet their leaders were placed in positloes of authority by the enshir," sys №etlaides. The orul tradition tells ua that they wmiminiaacotral worship to largr etest, and the peuple believed that the kings had a wry od reatonship with the spirtwod charatter's backstory Black Panther's real name s TChals, and he's the king of the Africen mation of During the heut of itstrading boon. Mutapo ”nedmartyeslininable ats the world. Wukandis ended by wtearium,"a miteal deposited by dhiefs coverting to Christinnity, and feeeeful tkuvers of soanoen and traling otonsby Portig ese _ tonne afew. By the mid-doos, the Mutpe he a staggeringly effective trade Hlack Pancher's powers (enshasced senses, speed healing and lafinite knowledge are derined fr i aniicing the Avengers in Now Yarke completing his doctorste at Cafond (he's busy guyl Black Paither worls tiredessly so protect his kiagdo theur military might and great di tatm,'mrs Edward In th,erminE works, miliens ofmoninpers will tchSlack Pither try to sm Wakande from meeting the ame fobe,Amidst all the sperpowess and special economie soccess through local, regional and isbernational trade region that inaplined ack Panther's beloved bomelaad:I think the Muapa There are diferent heeeis about the real-lie impiraticn for Wakands T-Nehid Coes, who asthored s neboot of the Blbck Panther come serie ngimed his in this pat for The Atlant 's w heie, Bat ántorChadwick Bose wbo playa Black Panther ocreen,told The Now Yoa Wekanda is a Exctilonal version of "the Matage empire of sth-eatry Wisona Di Eiger is monaging edtar eay.om Her seniting ab They had f very rich goid in the vallay to the est of madern day Harare i·Zishabwn," says Nkolids The king naintined owsershipofaZ mo in Mlutapa, the ect locatos o hich were kept secret under penalty af Cuntry Living Buzfeed and the TD Talks BlegReach Neruonse Se how dees the mythical Wakande compare to the real-Ife Mutape

Hollywood Palms Cinema @HollywoodPalms A note of apology to the people who complained about our #BlackPanther posts, saying "Wakanda isn't real": Earlier we received some negative feedback to posts highlighting the fantastic world of BLACK PANTHER, saying "Welcome to Wakanda". These complaints stressed to us that Wakanda is not real Hollywood Palms apologizes for the error. We did not wish to give the false impression that Wakanda, a country with bulletproof suits that fit in small containers, flying cars, and gender equality was a real place We would also like to take this opportunity to apologize to any Sokovian refugees, citizens of Kamar-Taj, or visitors from far-off Asgard who may have been offended

KT NELSON H COOL DA4@KrangTNelson FOZZY BEAR: hey hey, Waka Wak- BEN SHAPIRO (pounding on the door): WAKANDA ISN'T REAL

Search Interest

External References

^[1] Wikipedia – Ben Shapiro

^[2] Daily Wire – So, Here's A Giant List Of All The Dumb Stuff I've Ever Done

^[3] The Daily Beast – Ben Shapiro Storms Out of BBC Interview ‘I’m Popular and No One’s Ever Heard of You’

Ben Shapiro

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