Blocked and Reported

Episode 282: Kate Clanchy Gets Her Apology

November 10, 2025

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  • Jesse experienced an extremely awkward social confrontation at a Halloween party where a stranger, unaware Jesse was the subject, spoke negatively about his work, leading to a direct, uncomfortable exchange about politics. 
  • The hosts discussed the New York mayoral election results, noting the victory of Eric Adams (a Muslim DSA member) and the subsequent infighting among the far-left fringe who deemed him insufficiently revolutionary, contrasting this with the messianic fervor seen during Obama's 2008 election. 
  • The collapse of *Teen Vogue* is linked to its shift away from teen content toward 'resistance lib' politics, exemplified by writer Lauren Duca's viral confrontation with Tucker Carlson and the publication of highly criticized articles, such as a guide to anal sex that omitted the clitoris. 
  • Kate Clanchy ultimately rejected all suggestions from sensitivity readers for her memoir, leading to her split with longtime publisher Picador, though Swift Press later took on the book. 
  • Clanchy suffered severe professional and personal fallout, including losing her publisher, agent, reputation, and teaching position, and had to rent rooms in her house to survive. 
  • Pan Macmillan (Picador's parent company) issued a public apology to Kate Clanchy via the BBC for the 'hurt that was caused,' following an investigation for a BBC docuseries on cancellations, though the apology was not delivered directly to Clanchy. 

Segments

Jesse’s Awkward Party Encounter
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(00:00:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Jesse was confronted at a party by a stranger who criticized his work after seeing an article titled ‘What’s Jesse Single’s fucking deal’.
  • Summary: Jesse recounted an awkward Halloween party experience where a civilian recognized his work after seeing an article about him following his Atlantic piece on trans kids. The stranger began criticizing Jesse’s work, mentioning figures like Matt Iglesias and Barry Weiss, before realizing who Jesse was. The confrontation ended when Jesse walked away, forcing the other party to leave shortly after.
Podcast Technical Apology
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(00:06:09)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts apologized because a planned free rerun episode for subscribers failed to push out to podcast apps due to Substack limitations.
  • Summary: The hosts apologized for an issue where a previously recorded episode, intended as a free rerun for subscribers during their break, did not distribute correctly to podcast apps. This failure was attributed to Substack limitations, though the episode remained accessible via the Substack app or web browser. The hosts noted these were growing pains for their relatively new podcast setup.
New York Mayoral Election Analysis
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(00:07:50)
  • Key Takeaway: The hosts analyzed the New York mayoral election, noting Eric Adams’ victory and the subsequent backlash from the far-left fringe, exemplified by Kyla Walsh’s criticism.
  • Summary: Jesse expressed frustration with the entire New York mayoral campaign, while Katie noted her preference for the non-Cuomo candidate, Momdani, despite his DSA affiliation. They highlighted the extreme reaction from figures like Kyla Walsh and Fergie Chambers, who criticized Momdani for not being revolutionary enough after swastikas appeared near his campaign office. The hosts predicted that the reality of governing New York would force Momdani to moderate his radical positions, similar to how political expectations temper initial fervor.
Condé Nast and Teen Vogue Collapse
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(00:23:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Condé Nast folded Teen Vogue into Vogue, laying off most staff, following an incident where employees confronted the HR head over the layoffs and political coverage.
  • Summary: The folding of Teen Vogue followed an HR confrontation where employees demanded answers regarding the layoffs and political direction, including asking the HR head about standing up to the Trump administration. The segment highlighted the publication’s shift during the Trump years, noting that less than 5% of its audience was under 24 during its peak resistance phase. A viral example of Teen Vogue’s content was an anal sex guide that initially omitted the clitoris, later being edited after public criticism.
Lauren Duca’s Career Arc
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(00:31:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Lauren Duca’s rise as a resistance media figure following a viral Tucker Carlson confrontation ended after she was publicly taken down by Anna Merlin over past unprofessional emails.
  • Summary: Lauren Duca gained fame after her heated 2016 appearance on Tucker Carlson, which led Teen Vogue to pivot toward resistance liberalism, publishing content like ‘socialism’s your new boyfriend.’ Her downfall began in 2019 when Anna Merlin published an exposé detailing Duca’s past behavior, including insulting a coworker as an ‘overweight fake blonde’ in internal emails. Duca subsequently faded from public life, reportedly moving to Tucson, finding Jesus, and developing a one-woman show about her experiences.
Kate Clanchy Cancellation Update
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(00:40:21)
  • Key Takeaway: Kate Clanchy’s publisher, Picador, dropped her after she was accused of racism and ableism, leading her to apologize, agree to rewrite her memoir, and ultimately leave the publisher for Swift Press.
  • Summary: Kate Clanchy was targeted after posting a negative Goodreads review, leading to accusations of using racial tropes like ‘chocolate-colored skin’ and ableist language regarding autistic students. Her publisher, Picador, initially drafted a supportive statement but released an apology instead, agreeing to have the memoir revised with sensitivity readers. Clanchy eventually left Picador, hired a private investigator to verify abuse claims against her critics, and decided to adopt none of the sensitivity readers’ suggestions for the version published by Swift Press.
Sensitivity Readers Erasing Voice
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(00:50:50)
  • Key Takeaway: Sensitivity readers demanded changes that effectively erased the author’s voice from her own memoir.
  • Summary: The segment highlights the critique that sensitivity readers require writing to reflect how the world ought to be, not how it is, which is particularly damaging in a memoir. Three sensitivity readers ultimately recommended that Kate Clanchy’s book not be republished. Clanchy subsequently adopted none of the suggestions offered by these readers.
Consequences of Cancellation
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(00:51:37)
  • Key Takeaway: Clanchy lost her publisher, agent, friends, reputation, grants, and teaching role following the controversy.
  • Summary: After losing her publisher of 25 years, Clanchy also lost her agent and faced significant professional isolation, including colleagues tweeting about her. She was forced to rent out rooms in her house to cover bills. Clanchy hired a private detective to investigate claims of racist abuse made against her, but the PI found no evidence supporting the accusers’ claims.
False Harassment Claims Tactic
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(00:52:12)
  • Key Takeaway: A common tactic in cancellation campaigns involves claiming harassment after being criticized for censorious actions.
  • Summary: The hosts detail how individuals involved in such campaigns often claim abuse when others tweet about their statements, effectively turning the critic into the target. Jesse recounts an experience with Emily Vanderwerf at Vox, where tweeting about her statement led to Vanderwerf claiming unbearable harassment. This maneuver is described as a ‘judo move’ to avoid accountability for censorious behavior.
Nicole Cliff Defamation Incident
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(00:53:43)
  • Key Takeaway: Nicole Cliff falsely accused Jesse of trying to creepily solicit lunch with her trans friends, then claimed harassment when he refuted it.
  • Summary: Jesse details a past incident where Nicole Cliff made defamatory claims that he was obsessed with trans women, which could have destroyed his career. When Jesse posted a rebuttal stating the claims were false, Cliff employed the tactic of claiming she was being harassed. Jesse’s own forensic analysis of her mentions found no evidence of harassment directed at her.
Clanchy’s Post-Cancellation Status
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(00:56:36)
  • Key Takeaway: Clanchy rewrote her book with Swift Press and maintains her critics were not acting in good faith.
  • Summary: Kate Clanchy republished her book with Swift Press, including a new afterword, and continues to teach and work with immigrants. She stated she was willing to change careless phrases but believes her critics’ readings were partial and performative, not good faith. The segment concludes with the hosts noting Clanchy’s resilience despite the ordeal.
Publisher’s Unexpected Apology
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(00:57:13)
  • Key Takeaway: Picador’s parent company, Pan Macmillan, issued a public apology to Clanchy for the ‘regrettable series of events.’
  • Summary: The apology came after Clanchy shared internal emails with the BBC for a docuseries titled ‘Anatomy of a Cancellation.’ The new CEO of Pan Macmillan, Joanna Pryor, stated the events were regrettable and apologized for the hurt caused to Clanchy and others. Clanchy accepted the apology but noted she had not heard from them personally, stating she prefers to draw a line and not dwell on it.