There are two ways to legally get rich quick in America these days. You can create a fake, nothing product that sounds cool and then market the crap out of it on social media a la Established Titles. Or you can start validating unacceptable things to wildly uneducated dopes in rural America. Opting for the latter, Clay Travis sold his soul for the conservative dollar.
In 2016, Travis was a solid sports personality who had basically maxed out his ceiling. He probably wasn’t getting to that Skip Bayless or Stephen A. Smith level. Mostly because those guys weren’t going anywhere, and the sports media sphere can only handle so many contrarian shock jocks.
He could have stayed the course and had a solid career. Instead, he opted to take the 1996 MLB hitter route and juice. But in this case, juicing was selling out for the conservative dollar.
Let’s be real. The allure of this money is intoxicating. Glenn Beck tried to tell his followers that he was nothing more than a rodeo clown and right-wing losers kept throwing moolah at him. He has made millions upon millions, but also spends every waking hour dancing for dollars in front of America’s dumbest people. It’s not exactly a noble cause.
There is no doubt Travis saw Beck and a number of other talentless hacks making bank targeting conservatives and thought, “why not him?” Today, he is co-hosting The Rush Limbaugh Show with Russian propaganda merchant and probable virgin Buck Sexton. I guess financial dreams do come true if you aren’t afraid to sell out.
E tu, Clay?
The most disappointing thing about Travis’ switch to the dark side is the fact he is smart, entertaining and good. This isn’t Dan Bogino sweating his way through another segment thinking about a Jimmy John’s sandwich he’s about to scarf down during the break.
If you listened to Travis during his run at Fox Sports Radio or read his articles on Outkick, he was pretty transparent and genuine. You didn’t always agree with him, but the logic roadmap was there regardless of if he was musing about sports or politics.
That’s why Clay Travis selling his soul for the conservative dollar stings. It felt like a betrayal. Seeing someone you respect reduced to parroting Donald Trump talking points and spreading misinformation you hope he doesn’t even believe is the ultimate kick in the dick.
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Why did Clay Travis sell his soul for the conservative dollar?
Apart from being richer than his wildest dreams? Clay Travis sold his soul for the conservative dollar because it is easy. Sorry, I really undersold this.
IT. IS. FUCKING. EASY.
Even the Staples Easy Button is jealous of just how comically simple conservative pandering happens to be. Don’t take my word for it. Look at these examples.
Conservatives paid $49.99 to watch a failed businessman-cum-politician with no real sports knowledge and his doofus, possibly mentally handicapped, son provide commentary for a boxing match between a 58-year-old man who hasn’t been in a competitive bout since 2008 and a 44-year-old mixed martial artist. By the way, the fight lasted less than two minutes and the semi-main event that evening went a whopping 81 seconds.
Related: Donald Trump doing boxing commentary is the worst form of conservative pandering
Conservatives still flock to buy crappy MyPillows despite the fact possible Islamic extremist Mike Lindell made a fortune selling them based on deceptive and false advertisements.
Shit, Matt Gaetz was clearly banging teenagers and it is all gravy because he’s a Trump guy.
I could go on. When you pander to conservatives, you can literally do anything as long as you validate their ass backwards views on race, gun control, COVID-19 or any number of other issues. There are tens of millions of Americans willing to pay for this service.
Not only that, but this group will overlook any and everything else you’ve ever done in search of validation. There is no point in calling conservatives hypocrites because they no longer comprehend the word. Seriously, Trump can rattle off the name of like 50 porn stars but not a single bible verse and right-wing Christians still think he is their savior. Yeah, good luck with that.
Travis knew this before selling out. Much like Andre the Giant aligning with Bobby “the Brain” Heenan and turning on Hulk Hogan during Piper’s Pit, he took the easy way out in search of glory. And just like Andre at WrestleMania III, Clay Travis will ultimately be a loser in the end. A real American fights for the rights for every man, not the conservative dollar.
