--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: These guys, these rootless white males…" description: "\"“These guys, these rootless white males, had monster power,” he said. “It was the pre-reddit. It’s the same guys on Thottbot who were [later] on reddit..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joshua-green-3819_quote_these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-ha_1464242.jpg" --- # These guys, these rootless white males, had monster… ![“These guys, these rootless white males, had monster power,” he said. “It was the pre-reddit. It’s the same guys on Thottbot who were [later] on reddit” and 4chan—the message boards that became the birthplace of the alt-right.” quote by Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joshua-green-3819_quote_these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-ha_1464242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joshua-green-3819_quote_these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-ha_1464242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joshua-green-3819_quote_these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-ha_1464242.jpg) > ““These guys, these rootless white males, had monster power,” he said. “It was the pre-reddit. It’s the same guys on Thottbot who were \[later\] on reddit” and 4chan—the message boards that became the birthplace of the alt-right.”” [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early internet forums like Thottbot, Reddit, and 4chan seeded the alt‑right, showing how online communities shape politics. **In simple terms:** Forums birthed the alt‑right. Key Takeaway Recognize online influence on politics. Themes technology politics community radicalization Mood critical urgent Type journalistic educational When to use this quote - online moderation - political campaigning - media literacy workshops - policy making Key Concepts media studies digital sociology Questions to Reflect On - How can platforms prevent radicalization? - What responsibilities do users have in digital spaces? A Different Perspective Online echo chambers can amplify extremism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [4Chan Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/4chan-message-5296810/) [Alt Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alt-right/) [Guys Thottbot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guys-thottbot-5296808/) [Reddit Guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reddit-guys-5296809/) [White Males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-males-317090/) ## Related quotes > [“such as the alt-right’s mascot, Pepe the Frog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/such-as-the-alt-right-s-mascot-pepe-the-frog/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“At its essence, the alt-right is a rolling tumbleweed of wounded male id and aggression.\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/at-its-essence-the-alt-right-is-a-rolling-tumbleweed-of-wounded-male/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“You can activate that army. They come in through Gamergate or whatever and then get turned onto politics and Trump.” In this way, Breitbart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/you-can-activate-that-army-they-come-in-through-gamergate-or-whatever/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [Writing about dead white males seems to be out of favor among academics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-chernow/writing-about-dead-white-males-seems-to-be-out-of-favor-among/) [Ron Chernow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-chernow/) > [Obviously, the issue for the Left isn't aging white males; it is conservatives, whether they are young or old, white or nonwhite, male or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/obviously-the-issue-for-the-left-isn-t-aging-white-males-it-is/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [There is a privilege in American society to being male and being white, and I think it's hard for white males to understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-landgraf/there-is-a-privilege-in-american-society-to-being-male-and-being/) [John Landgraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-landgraf/) > [There are more people who are not straight, white males going to shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/there-are-more-people-who-are-not-straight-white-males-going-to-shows/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) > [If technology is designed mostly by white males, who make up roughly half our population, we're missing out on the innovation, solutions, and creativity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-bryant/if-technology-is-designed-mostly-by-white-males-who-make-up-roughly/) [Kimberly Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-bryant/) > [Without aging white males, I doubt the 'New York Times' would survive. How many young people, females, Hispanics and blacks subscribe to the 'New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/without-aging-white-males-i-doubt-the-new-york-times-would-survive/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Owning a gun in America is one way for conservative white males to demonstrate their anger at crime, liberalism, feminism, and modernity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/owning-a-gun-in-america-is-one-way-for-conservative-white-males-to/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [“This is a point with which Pritchard, at the Critical Flame, agrees, writing that "as far as mainstream literary culture is concerned, white males…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pritchard/this-is-a-point-with-which-pritchard-at-the-critical-flame-agrees/) [Daniel Pritchard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pritchard/) > [The cavemen are still in charge at the networks. They're all white males, and you can't get away from that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-chung/the-cavemen-are-still-in-charge-at-the-networks-they-re-all-white/) [Connie Chung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-chung/) > [Some libs took offense at my David Broder quip earlier. In my own defense, I was taught in college it's OK to disrespect dead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-taranto/some-libs-took-offense-at-my-david-broder-quip-earlier-in-my-own/) [James Taranto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-taranto/) > [I'm a Western chauvinist. I'm all about the culture. Now, part of that is recognizing that white males seem to be the ones who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-m-a-western-chauvinist-i-m-all-about-the-culture-now-part-of-that/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [If you are a white male, you don't deserve to live. You are a cancer, you're a disease, white males have never contributed anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-ignatiev/if-you-are-a-white-male-you-don-t-deserve-to-live-you-are-a-cancer/) [Noel Ignatiev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-ignatiev/) ## More by Joshua Green > [“This popularity extended to Trump himself, who, according to private demographic research conducted at the time, was even more popular with African American and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/this-popularity-extended-to-trump-himself-who-according-to-private/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“It fed his grandiose sense of purpose to imagine that he was amassing an army of ragged, pitchfork-wielding outsiders to storm the barricades and,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/it-fed-his-grandiose-sense-of-purpose-to-imagine-that-he-was-amassing/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“few days earlier, Trump’s team of data scientists, squirreled away in an office down in San Antonio, had delivered a report titled “Predictions: Five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/few-days-earlier-trump-s-team-of-data-scientists-squirreled-away-in/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“What he wanted the media to cover, constantly and at length, was only one thing: Donald Trump.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/what-he-wanted-the-media-to-cover-constantly-and-at-length-was-only/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“an unlikely pair of guests: Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing UK Independence Party, and Phil Robertson, the bandanna’d, ayatollah-bearded Duck Dynasty patriarch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/an-unlikely-pair-of-guests-nigel-farage-the-leader-of-the-right-wing/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“suggested to him that it was working. He was sure that Sanders’s rise was destined to end in crashing disappointment. Having thrilled to his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/suggested-to-him-that-it-was-working-he-was-sure-that-sanders-s-rise/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“He and Kushner had hit upon the plan after seeing Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks and an outspoken Clinton partisan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/he-and-kushner-had-hit-upon-the-plan-after-seeing-mark-cuban-the/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“He loved the guy.” It was clear the connection was genuine, said Roger Stone, “because Steve is a slob, and Trump hates slobs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/he-loved-the-guy-it-was-clear-the-connection-was-genuine-said-roger/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“Bannon’s a political entrepreneur and a remarkable bloke,” Farage said. “Without the supportive voice of Breitbart London, I’m not sure we would have had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/bannon-s-a-political-entrepreneur-and-a-remarkable-bloke-farage-said/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“Wherever he could, he aligned himself with politicians and causes committed to tearing down its globalist edifice: archconservative Catholics such as Burke, Nigel Farage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/wherever-he-could-he-aligned-himself-with-politicians-and-causes/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“For all his paranoid alarm, Bannon believes that the rise of nationalist movements across the world, from Europe to Japan to the United States,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/for-all-his-paranoid-alarm-bannon-believes-that-the-rise-of/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“At its essence, the alt-right is a rolling tumbleweed of wounded male id and aggression.\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/at-its-essence-the-alt-right-is-a-rolling-tumbleweed-of-wounded-male/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“We have to make America strong again and make America great again,” Trump told the CPAC crowd. “Because when it comes to immigration, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/we-have-to-make-america-strong-again-and-make-america-great-again/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“He went on to make a series of preposterous-sounding claims—almost all of which would be borne out in the end: he would win a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/he-went-on-to-make-a-series-of-preposterous-sounding-claims-almost/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [“In 1998, when Clinton first posited a “vast right-wing conspiracy” bent on ruining her and her husband, she was widely ridiculed. But she wasn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/in-1998-when-clinton-first-posited-a-vast-right-wing-conspiracy-bent/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) [Explore all 121 Joshua Green quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) ## More Alt Right quotes > [They've changed the name from white supremacy to white separatists, to white nationalists, to alt-right. It's the same thing. A rose by any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/they-ve-changed-the-name-from-white-supremacy-to-white-separatists-to/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Our definition of the alt-right is younger people who are anti-globalists, very nationalist, terribly anti-establishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-bannon/our-definition-of-the-alt-right-is-younger-people-who-are-anti/) [Steve Bannon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-bannon/) > [Somebody's going to have to come up with a definition of what the alt-right is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-stewart/somebody-s-going-to-have-to-come-up-with-a-definition-of-what-the-alt/) [Corey Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-stewart/) > [The unfortunate reality is the alt-right has captured white people's imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrisse-cullors/the-unfortunate-reality-is-the-alt-right-has-captured-white-people-s/) [Patrisse Cullors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrisse-cullors/) > [There's a guy named Richard Spencer, who is the intellectual guru of the movement, according to Breitbart and he says, basically - this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-corn/there-s-a-guy-named-richard-spencer-who-is-the-intellectual-guru-of/) [David Corn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-corn/) > [“At its essence, the alt-right is a rolling tumbleweed of wounded male id and aggression.\*”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/at-its-essence-the-alt-right-is-a-rolling-tumbleweed-of-wounded-male/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [There's no books out there articulating what the alt-right is. If they're such great philosophers, and they have such good ideas, and they're on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-cernovich/there-s-no-books-out-there-articulating-what-the-alt-right-is-if-they/) [Mike Cernovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-cernovich/) > [I think choosing Steve Bannon as a chief strategist this is a stunning, historic decision for Donald Trump in a bad way. Stephen Bannon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-corn/i-think-choosing-steve-bannon-as-a-chief-strategist-this-is-a/) [David Corn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-corn/) > [I don't think the alt-right would call me alt-right. They call me alt-lite, usually. I just consider myself a nationalist or a traditionalist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-southern/i-don-t-think-the-alt-right-would-call-me-alt-right-they-call-me-alt/) [Lauren Southern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-southern/) > [I am not Alt-Right, but I am Jewish and have publicly denounced the Alt-Right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-loomer/i-am-not-alt-right-but-i-am-jewish-and-have-publicly-denounced-the/) [Laura Loomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-loomer/) > [I've been spending a fair amount of time in the recesses of white nationalist, white supremacist social media online areas, what called itself is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hayes/i-ve-been-spending-a-fair-amount-of-time-in-the-recesses-of-white/) [Chris Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hayes/) > [Part of the coalition is intellectuals who have an idea of racial nationalism, which is very popular in right-wing populist movements in Europe. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-berlet/part-of-the-coalition-is-intellectuals-who-have-an-idea-of-racial/) [Chip Berlet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-berlet/) > [I know people have embraced Donald Trump. He may not have embraced them. But he has every - he should distance himself. This sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-brazile/i-know-people-have-embraced-donald-trump-he-may-not-have-embraced/) [Donna Brazile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-brazile/) > [It's the whole white-supremacist movement, no matter what they call themselves - be it Klan, Nazis, alt-right, skinheads - the basic ideology is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-stallworth/it-s-the-whole-white-supremacist-movement-no-matter-what-they-call/) [Ron Stallworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-stallworth/) > [The alt-right is one of these Democrat manufactured groups of people and they do it every election.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/the-alt-right-is-one-of-these-democrat-manufactured-groups-of-people/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) [Browse all 64 Alt Right quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alt-right/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“These guys, these rootless white males, had monster power,” he said. “It was the pre-reddit. It’s the same guys on Thottbot who were [later] on reddit” and 4chan—the message boards that became the birthplace of the alt-right.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joshua Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-had-monster-power-he-said-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alt Right" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-had-monster-power-he-said-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joshua-green-3819_quote_these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-ha_1464242.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joshua-green-3819_quote_these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-ha_1464242.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e7/joshua-green-3819_quote_these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-ha_1464242.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“These guys, these rootless white males, had monster power,” he said. “It was the pre-reddit. It’s the same…” — Joshua Green", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joshua Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“These guys, these rootless white males,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-had-monster-power-he-said-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/these-guys-these-rootless-white-males-had-monster-power-he-said-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```