{"id":250573,"date":"2026-10-01T17:27:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/250573\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T17:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:27:11","slug":"advice-king-what-can-i-do-about-the-loss-of-our-culture-advice-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/250573\/","title":{"rendered":"Advice King: What Can I Do About the Loss of Our Culture? | Advice King"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2014, comedian, musician, podcaster and Nashvillian Chris Crofton asked the Scene for an advice column, so we gave him one. Crowning himself the “Advice King,” Crofton shares his hard-won wisdom with whoever seeks it. Follow Crofton on Bluesky<\/a>\u00a0and Instagram<\/a>\u00a0(@thecroftonshow), and check out his The Advice King Anthology<\/a>\u00a0and Cold Brew Got Me Like<\/a>\u00a0podcast. To submit a question for the Advice King, email bestofbread@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dear Advice King,<\/p>\n

Between Elon Musk\u2019s tunnels<\/a>, Oracle\u2019s<\/a> new headquarters, Peter Thiel\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0“<\/a>Antichrist” lectures<\/a> and the symphony suspending its season<\/a>, Nashville seems like a mess. What can I do to fight AI, surveillance and the accompanying loss of local culture? What about our kids? Who is defending our city? Where should I move? Sorry, I know that\u2019s a lot.<\/p>\n

\u2014Katie in Glencliff\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hi Katie! We should all move to the country and eat a lot of peaches. And blow up our TVs. And cha cha real smooth<\/a>. We should do everything it says to do in songs. It\u2019s worth a shot. The \u201cdo everything businessmen tell us to do\u201d model for running a society couldn\u2019t have turned out worse.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all horrible. Personally, I think Nashville\u2019s biggest mistake was giving all of our tax money to the NFL. And before my beloved editor can tell me that it wasn\u2019t actually all of our tax money, let me say that it was SO, SO MUCH tax money<\/a>. SO MUCH. But apparently we can\u2019t save a symphony that’s in financial crisis<\/a>. We currently have two NFL stadiums, and no symphony. Music City? Uhhh, no.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But I digress. I don\u2019t want to talk about stadiums, or symphonies, or Elon Musk somehow convincing\u00a0 people that a \u201ctunnel with cars in it\u201d is a fancy new invention. I\u2019d like to talk about Peter Thiel\u2019s Antichrist lectures in Nashville<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


\n \"Peter
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

The tech billionaire\u2019s Christian theology quickly veered off into a meandering theory of everything<\/p>\n

And I don\u2019t actually have much to say about Peter Thiel\u2019s<\/a> moronic, delusional lectures. Except I want to let everyone know that I understand what sneaky Pete is doing! It\u2019s an old trick. A classic misdirect.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I used the same trick in the back of a crowded station wagon in 1981. I was in sixth grade. Me and a bunch of other kids were being driven to soccer practice. I farted. In order to make it seem like I didn\u2019t do it, I said \u2014 before anyone else had the chance \u2014 \u201cSomebody farted!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

I noticed the fart first, because I did it.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an old adage attached to this trick, this time-honored technique for blaming other people for something you did: \u201cHE WHO SMELT IT, DEALT IT.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

So when Peter Thiel travels the globe announcing that he smells an Antichrist, I do the math.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I did think of one positive thing about Peter Thiel\u2019s speaking tour where he announces (in a roundabout way) that he\u2019s the Antichrist: He stopped in Nashville! Before Nashville became an \u201cit\u201d city, we had to drive all the way to Atlanta to see Antichrist lectures.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fuck generative AI, and fuck its stated aim<\/a> of taking everbody\u2019s jobs. Fuck surveillance, and fuck the autonomous weapons that will eventually kill is all<\/a>. Fuck the NFL, and fuck Oracle. Long live art, and the human spirit. Earth will still be here, shining in the sun, long after these deranged oligarchs have farted for the last time.<\/p>\n

Also, pour some sugar on me. Pour some sugar on all of us.\u00a0<\/p>\n