For the past four or five months I’ve barely watched or shared content from Badlands Media. I had already given people a heads-up last August in the post Badlands Media vs. True the Vote, Gregg Phillips, Catherine Engelbrecht that something seemed off. There were other red flags about Badlands that I kept in the back of my mind including some strong negative statements Gregg Phillips made in recent months on Truth Social regarding “devolution” as he called it. I didn’t say anything more, but simply chose to mostly stop sharing Badlands content.
I will say now that part of it was an increasing amount of profanity and coarse conversation. They had received consistent pushback from their community about the use of profanity and it was held in check for quite some time. However, at some point they seemed to decide they were going to do it their way. It got steadily worse to the point that every time I turned on a show to try again, I almost immediately turned it off. It was either f-bombs or lewd comments or really condescending discussions regarding other people. The shows had gone from being informative and fun places to hang out to snarky and vulgar.
I don’t know exactly what happened, but there was a big shake-up at Badlands over the past month or two. Several content creators are out including the woman who co-founded the company (and has been devastated by it personally and, apparently, financially). She signed an NDA so she can’t discuss it. I haven’t seen any kind of public explanation by the remaining Badlands people. Obviously I have no idea what happened since I wasn’t there and don’t personally know any of the people involved. However, it confirmed to me that I have probably been correct in not recommending their content any longer.
(The timing is interesting given that it appears this all started unraveling around the same time I stopped recommending them. There was a palpable shift that was evident to me even though I didn’t have any idea what was going on behind the scenes.)
(Update 7-7-24: I no longer recommend any of them and have indicated that by removing a paragraph that was here.)
I still think there is a person at Badlands who throws up all kinds of red flags. I can’t prove it. It’s just a strong feeling.
Today I went through and unpublished my posts that contained links or embedded video content from Badlands and Badlands creators. I know I probably haven’t found them all and there are internal links I’ll have to find and delete. Unfortunately, I do have discussions in some of my podcasts related to their content and links to some of these posts in every one of my podcast posts.
This is the perfect example of why I removed my recommended news sources page several months ago. There is so much garbage going on behind the scenes with every website and organization that I don’t even like recommending people right now.
I take seriously my commitment to not wanting to mislead anyone. I now have to go through 72 podcast posts and remove all the links to Badlands-related content. The podcasts with related content will need a disclaimer added because I’m not removing my own podcasts from my own website.
In any case, that’s what I’m observing and the actions I’m personally taking in response.
Yes, I picked up on this too with the Devolution Saturday show. I like listening to Chris Paul on that show and his podcast sometimes. I have noticed the cocky attitude and language towards others and people are calling them out on it, but they are losing people and their message because of it. I subscribe to a substack of someone who is no longer with them and it was cryptic and strange from this person which really puzzled me. Sounded like both personal life and possibly things going on with Badlands. I quit listening cuz this all turned me off.
Thanks for posting this so now I know it wasn’t just me picking up on these issues.
Hi Kris,
No, it isn’t just you. Or me. I suspect this conversation is going on in many places.
Would you please share a link to the Substack you mentioned? I’d like to read it.
Sallie
This is very cryptic in some ways to me….wonder if she had to sign an NDA? I would be interested in your thoughts on this.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thekateawakening/p/moving-forward
I watched Kate’s first show back on her own Rumble channel Monday evening because I wanted to hear and see what she had to say. She read quite a bit of this as part of her show. Although I have significant differences with her regarding spiritual matters, she has always struck me as a genuine truth teller with a kind heart.
Did she do something wrong? I don’t know. I wasn’t there.
I do know that I think way less of Badlands and Jon based on what I can see as an outsider – especially if he screwed her over financially. ESPECIALLY that when Kate was clearly part of what made Badlands become anything remotely significant.
If this is who Jon truly is and how he handles his business affairs, she will look back on this and be thankful she escaped when she did – no matter how painful it is right now.
Yes, I agree with you. The way I have seen Jon behave on Devolution Power hour, it would not surprise me if this is possibly how he handles business affairs and treats others, those others who are no longer there as well. There are others on his shows he treats horribly in public as well. Just what I have observed like you.
What is Kate Awakenings regular channel on Rumble? I would like to listen if you don’t mind passing it along.
There is someone else on Badlands that I enjoy listening to from my state. She is a great person and does great shows. I hope she doesn’t lose out in all this.
I appreciate the insight….
Hi Kris,
Here’s the video from Monday night on her channel.
https://rumble.com/v53g9p8-the-kate-awakening-live-062424.html
I’m just now reading the comments under that video. Kris and I weren’t the only ones noticing how Badlands had changed in recent months.
Very interesting.
Comments are very interesting under Wednesdays Devolution and Kate Awakening. Not sure how true to facts, but if true, this was personal and business. I had wonderings a long while back that things might not be “kosher”…. NDA’s typically are to protect the person/business/organization imposing them. Not the other way around. A reason to be concerned on how they do business.
FYI… I updated this post. I’m no longer recommending anyone associated with Badlands. Very sad. They had something really great – lightning in a bottle. It’s gone.
Just had a thought when I logged into Truth Social and saw all of the retruths Entheos had done last night or overnight…
I don’t think he’s ever retruthed anyone associated with Badlands. I could be wrong and someone can feel free to show me something I missed, but I don’t think I am. If he has, it was a one-off type thing and not something he regularly points people back to which is how he typically operates.
That’s interesting.