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One of the best things to come out of election season was America’s introduction to Gov. Tim Walz and the Walz family. As heartbroken and sickened as I still am over the outcome, I am still so grateful that we got to know the governor, his wife Gwen and their children Hope and Gus. Hope, 23, has always been featured in her dad’s social media videos. If you haven’t seen the video of them at the Minnesota State Fair, here you go. It’s a delight, just like this video of them trying to keep people from texting while driving.
Hope also maintains her own social media accounts. On a recent TikTok video, Hope shared that when it comes to dating, she and her friends have developed a “litmus test” to identify any red flags. That red flag? It’s whether or not a potential love interest is a fan of Joe Rogan. This includes listening to his podcast or following him on social media platforms like Instagram. This simple standard has not failed them yet.
Hope Walz said guys who are fans of podcaster Joe Rogan are a “red flag” and should be avoided. Walz, the 23-year-old daughter of Tim Walz, the Democratic Minnesota governor and recent vice presidential candidate, issued her tip for meeting men online to almost 200,000 followers on TikTok recently.
“A litmus test for me and my friends for like years now has been if the guy we’re talking to follows Joe Rogan on Instagram, they’re a red flag and we should probably stop talking to them,” Hope Walz said. “And the times when they do follow him on Instagram and we haven’t stopped talking to them … it’s never ended well.”
The massively popular Rogan gave President-elect Donald Trump a final boost at the polls with an election-eve endorsement. He later mocked Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee who tabbed Tim Walz as her running mate, for allegedly insisting that Rogan not bring up her stance on marijuana for an interview that ultimately didn’t happen.
And Rogan is apparently a nonstarter for potential romance, according to the younger Walz, a social worker and ski instructor.
“I just want to say that I stand by that. … It’s literally never failed us and, at this point, it’s like the first thing we do when someone starts talking to a new person,” she continued. “If they follow him we’re like, yeah, this person probably isn’t a great person and probably our values don’t align so we’re gonna move on from that. And honestly it’s worked out well for all of us.”
Hope Walz didn’t offer evidence of her claims, but her personal testimonial sure sounded convincing.
“There’s been some heartbreak in there because of it, or at least some disappointment, but it truly is a litmus test and I got you, ladies,” she assured. “You should start doing it.”
“The Joe Rogan Experience” has millions of followers on Spotify ― 80% of whom are men.
I know that Joe Rogan’s podcast did not start out as being politically divisive, but it sure has ended up as a way to identify a potential douchebag or anti-science nut. If I were single, being a Republican would absolutely be my dealbreaker, but Hope and her friends are smart. The Rogan test casts a wider net because it not only identifies the likely Elon Musk fanboys, but also the apolitical ones who blindly believe that vaccines are bad and raw milk is good.
Hope’s litmus test kinda reminds me of Olivia Rodrigo’s super random first-date filter question about whether or not a guy wants to go to space. Hey, I get it. Obviously some losers may slip through the douchebag filter, but you gotta weed out the super annoying ones in any way you can. Every woman has her own set of standards and ways to figure out if she’s compatible with someone or not. I just feel bad for these women who are dealing with such a seemingly terrible dating pool right now.
“A litmus test for years now, for me & my friends when chatting to a guy is, does he follow Joe Rogan on instagram”
– Hope Walz, daughter of Tim Walz pic.twitter.com/dqMqiqd6G4
— X Analyst (@topic_flow) December 8, 2024
The Walz family are delightful. I agree with Hope’s bf standard too.
I wanted this family so badly for our nation.
I am so glad that I dont have to wade through a sea of ascendant douchebag young men in a dating nightmare during these times. People will need to develop whatever type of filter they need to keep them happy and safe.
Call me crazy, but believing your partner is a person deserving of equal rights and bodily autonomy is a bare minimum for me. Lacking that isn’t something I could overlook, and I don’t think “opposites attract” in that regard is a recipe for success.
What a delightful young lady. The distracted driving video was hilarious.
Smart girl.
Another reason to “nope” out? Men who call themselves “apolitical” or “moderate.”
“Joe makes some good points” bros.
Tate and Peterson and Shapiro and cancers of the same ilk–nonstarter.
The rogan bros are in the manosphere cesspool and they will continue to spiral downward. The pattern is already established. I say to young women, let them spiral in peace. He’s not “different from the others”. he’s being targeted and groomed by forces bigger than any good intentions he may have had. Think of it this way: he’s going to be bombarded by all kinds of toxicity–the metastatic tumors I mentioned above, gambling sites that could lead him to a raging addiction, crypto scams that are the MLMs of douchebros designed to relieve him of his money and common sense. A young guy is as much bait for the indoctrination as is a young child is bait to older sexual groomers. He’ll have no defense against it. It’s all designed to feed on his vulnerabilities and trap him in an echochamber.
Now a man who has escaped the clutches of the manosphere, survived it, and has come out the other side might be a guy worth a shot, but then you’re dealing with someone who has escaped an addiction–a former addict can be a great partner, but there’s always a risk of them falling off the wagon.
Apolitical and moderate are warning flags for me too. If I’m talking with anyone who has that, they are getting flat out asked what that means, if they voted, and if they voted for trump. I’m upfront that I’m liberal, and that it’s important to me.
I actually have a first date with a guy tomorrow and we’ve already talked about how difficult it is to find other liberals in this particular area (red county in a blue state). It’s my main filter – I don’t care so much about career, height, or even looks all that much, but if you and I don’t align politically, hope.
I have two daughters – 13 and 10. I really fear for their experiences in school and dating as the boys continue to be filled up with resentment and misogyny. The message we as a country are seeing is that it is ok to lie and cheat etc because that is rewarded. I can only hope that more positive role models emerge on podcasts etc.
There’s a book called Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates. I think parents of kids aged 10+ should read it in order to protect their kids. The boy parents need to protect against their sons getting indoctrinated into the manosphere, and the girl parents need to help their girls navigate boys who are marinating in it. Good luck!
When I was young (I’m 64), I used the Trivial Pursuit test. Before I could seriously date a guy, he had to at least come close to beating me at Trivial Pursuit. So many stupid men were thrown out merely because they didn’t know simple geography. I ended up marrying a man with a masters degree. We divorced because he said I always made him feel stupid.
This is brilliant and I wish I’d thought of it. (I’m 56)
What a bummer. I’ve also been on many dates with men who’ve said I’m too smart. LOL.
My dad is highly intelligent; but he loves to praise my mum for being brilliant. He boasts about how smart she is to other people. That’s what I want!
This is also my litmus test (along with Trump voters) and it has never steered me wrong.
I like to ask their opinions on R. Kelly, Bill Cosby, Tory Lanez.
My friends and I do this too! 🤣
Love how the HuffPo writer said Hope didn’t offer any evidence for her claims. She doesn’t have to!