theneedledrop

ANTHONY FANTANIO THENEEDLEDROP https://www.youtube.com/user/theneedledrop?blend=1&ob=5

I don't know if this should be in music or not, but here it goes.

I love this guy. He's a incredible antitode to Pitchfork, he gets you into music that is something you probably would have looked into otherwise, and he's knowledgable, but never gets too prententious, gives detail, but never overrides with the AV Club-esque "going on and on and on about something" technique, charming, likeable, and respectful, you get the sense that wheter you disagree or agree with or not, he'll respect you.

I can't agree you like anything he reccomonds. He loved the new Das Racist LP, which a few people on the Music forums detested, like really detested, having this Fan Hater ish attitude towards anyone who liked them.

But, he has gotten me into some music I really do love, like Chromeo's Business Casual and Big Krit's Return Of 4 Eva, which I thank him, and like... 85% of what he usually gives a 6/7/8/9 to.

So overall, I would this reviewer/guy, a very light ten cal chucesta's out of a million.

But, what you do think? Do you love him? Do you hate him?

Anthony Fantanio, theneedledrop.

Forever.

bump.

While I don't always agree with his assessments of albums—I felt that A Red Barked Tree was a reasonably decent album despite the questionable production, for example—the man is extremely insightful and thorough, and on the whole I really enjoy his reviews.

Hoo boy, another day, another Youtuber getting his dirty laundry aired, in this case Fantano's lesser-known *satire*/'alt-right'-ish channel: http://www.thefader.com/2017/10/03/needle-drop-deleted-youtube-channel-this-is-the-plan

I don't have much to add on this, and I just took it as another harebrained *centrist* attempt at courting their alt-right fanbase through the guise of 'satire' but what gets me is how there's been a vociferous defence of him, claiming leftist credentials via Trump-bashing, Bernie-supporting, having a black wife (I know, I know), even from people who are ostensibly Not Fans

Kinda pissed his shitpost youtube channel is gone. He is the only youtube music critic I actually take seriously, and the only other person I watch sometimes is Todd in the Shadows. And I personally think Todd in the Shadows just isn't as critical or entertaining as Anthony.

RIP his memes.

F.

He's pals with Sargon of Akkad, defended Sargon after he was kicked off of Twitter, is friends with Sam Hyde, and has appeared in a video with TJ Kincaid and Armored Skeptic to mock "SJW's" which ended with him telling "SJW's" to drink bleach.

Fantano is just gonna turn out to be another Jon Tron.

I think that is more of the fact his podcast invites a lot of online personalities -George Miller, Pyrocynical, YMS, and Digibro - and less about the fact he is trying to hardcore endorse it. As much as people might not like him, he is a known youtuber, and especially a controversial one, so it isn't that off that he would invite him considering the list of guests he had.

If I'll be honest. I don't really mind him making these podcasts since I can't really force him to change his mind nor will I bother to make him change the content he makes. And if he is the new Jon Tron, at least I know he won't be like Destiny.

He's under no obligation to invite Sargon, though. And given Sargon's reputation, there's no reason why he should give the guy a platform. Even then, Fantano's support of anti-social justice "skeptics" like Sargon (a sexist creep), TJ Kincaid (a pedophile), and Armored Skeptic (a transphobe) doesn't paint a good picture of his own views, especially given the aforementioned "drink bleach" video and his protest of Sargon finally and rightfully getting kicked off of Twitter. I don't care if he has has some left wing views, he's enabling these people and that he doesn't see anything wrong with it is troublesome.

>" I don't care if he has has some left wing views, he's enabling these people and that he doesn't see anything wrong with it is troublesome."

No one should be obligated to have a political view in that encompasses one side either. It's within his right to interview those people given the opportunity and interest.

It's a bit unfair to judge him for his political views when his content on his main channel is vastly apolitical. Plus, I enjoy the guy's content and trust his opinion more than whoever wrote the Fader article, and by the same logic you are placing on him are you suggesting that the people who defend him are "troublesome"? I find the idea that his tour got canceled just because of a libelous article from a journalist who has even less credibility than Anthony more troublesome than that.

I do find a lot of the defenses troublesome. Sargon is a godawful human being who has harassed people so much that Fantano giving him any benefit of the doubt and outright supporting him after he was rightfully kicked off of Twitter is kind of disgusting, not gonna lie? He's not under any obligation that he has to interview these people, but he did and he could've gone and said "Yeah this was a mistake". But no, he remains friends with them and has supported them, he's outright endorsed them. And then people go for the stock defenses. His wife is black. He supported left wing candidates. This and that, this and that. They said the same thing about Jon Tron and then that all dried up after the Destiny debate.

Jon Tron's content was apolitical too, and I still can't separate the horrifically racist man that he is from his own content. Fantano might not be overt in it but as I've repeatedly stated, when he's joined forces with TJ Kincaid, Sargon of Akkad, and Armoured Skeptic to mock "social justice warriors" by telling them to drink bleach, he loses a lot of the benefit of the doubt. Was the Fader article bad? Well I don't think it was the best article, really. Part of it was a tad unfair, I remember one part that kind of glossed over a rapper who was a flat out abusive shithead that Fantano was mocking. But for the most part it was right. Fantano has been courting alt right fans by appealing to certain figures.

Here's a video of Anthony discussing something Joey Bada$$ tweeted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44UQSudJHAg&t=0s

He's doing a charity livestream tonight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJQDHXxQEnA&t=1s

edited 26th Jan '18 10:12:39 AM by SharkToast

Fantano made a general turnaround, he knows his mistakes and regrets them deeply, having ceased contact with all those aforementioned figures a while ago. And having checked his Twitter for a while, he's more aware socially too. Generally speaking, crisis averted. Though admittedly this is kind of old news by now.

Anyway for some reason he did a video on Nostalgia Critic's The Wall.

Edited by UltraWanker on Sep 26th 2019 at 1:21:41 PM

I found his defence after the Fader article to be pretty sufficient. I actually listened to the Sargon podcast years ago after a review of him on TVT blew up - I think someone was pushing Thunderfoot as a more moderate option, lmao - just to see what the fuss was, and he and Anthony had some cross words at a couple of points. They certainly didn't come across as pals to me.

I wish Anthony would put out more editorial content on the Fantano channel, like he was doing when he launched it. Videos like his Fader response and Stinkpiece are some of my favorite videos of his.