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{{stub}}[[File:Matt Taibbi.jpg|thumb|right|Matt Taibbi]]'''Matt Taibbi''' (born March 2, 1970) is a writer and commentator whose credits include serving as the political reporter for ''journalist, [[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine s political reporter and a frequent blogger on issues ranging from politics contributor to [[Goldman SachsCommon Dreams]].<ref>Common Dreams, [httphttps://trueslantwww.commondreams.org/author/matt-taibbi Matt Taibbi], organizational website, accessed September 5, 2019.</ref> He has appeared on [[MSNBC]],<ref> Rachel Maddow and Matt Taibbi, [https://www.youtube.com/peoplewatch?v=xgR1x5Xmatg Matt Taibbi on Rachel Maddow, the real Bush legacy of failure], ''sdmikev'' YouTube Channel, January 17, 2009, accessed September 6, 2019.</matttaibbiref> [[Democracy Now!]],<ref> Democracy Now!, [https://www.democracynow.org/appearances/ "matt_taibbi Matt Taibbi"], organizational website, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> ''Fox Business''<ref> Fox Business, [https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4131137/#sp=show-clips Matt Taibbi on Wall Street], organizational website, May 5, 2011, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> ''Countdown with Keith Olberman''<ref> Keith Olberman and Matt Taibbi, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4TWVMoDBac Mainstream Media Ignores Occupy Wall Street Protests - Matt Tiabbi on Countdown with Keith Olbermann], ''Reich-Wing Watch''TrueSlantYouTube Channel, September 30, 2011, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> and '' Real Time with Bill Maher''.<ref> Real Time with Bill Maher, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIZ4aqJpSAU Real Time with Bill Maher: Overtime - March 6, 2015 (blogHBO)], ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' YouTube Channel, March 6, 2015, accessed October 2009September 6, 2019.</ref>
==Articles and resources==
===Related SourceWatch articles===
*[[The Great American Bubble Machine]]
===External resources===
===External articles===
*Matt Taibbi, "[http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/28816321/inside_the_great_american_bubble_machine Inside The Great American Bubble Machine]," ''Rolling Stone'', July 2009.
no edit summary
==Education and Career=References=Taibbi attended Concord Academy in Concord, Massachusetts, graduating 1987. In 1992 he graduated from Bard College. During college, he spent a year abroad studying at Saint Petersburg Polytechnical University in Russia.<ref> Facebook, [https://www.facebook.com/matt.taibbi Matt Taibbi], ''Matt Taibbi'' Facebook page, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref name=mtint> William Stavru, [https://web.archive.org/web/20150104114912/http://www.bard.edu/news/news.php?id=86 Interview: Matt Taibbi '92], ''The Bardian'' (web archive), November 12, 2013, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> After college, Taibbi lived and worked with his friend Mark Ames in Moscow, Russia.<ref name=mtint></ref> Starting in 1997, the pair published and edited a tabloid called ''eXile'', which sought to imitate [[Hunter S. Thompson]]’s [[Gonzo journalism]].<ref> George Gurley, [https://observer.com/2000/06/from-russia-with-lust/ From Russia with Lust], ''Observer'', June 19, 2000, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref name=mtruspast> Eliot Borenstein, [https://www.huffpost.com/entry/matt-taibbis-not-so-secret-russian-past_b_59f729e9e4b06acda25f4b8e Matt Taibbi’s Not-So-Secret Russian Past], ''HuffPost'', October 30, 2017.</ref> Taibbi also briefly attempted a professional basketball career in Mongolia before returning to the U.S. to write for ''New York Press''.<ref name=mtint></ref> ===Work at Rolling Stone===Taibbi has written for ''Rolling Stone'' since 2005.<ref> Matt Taibbi, [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/inside-the-horror-show-that-is-congress-177955/ Inside the Horror Show That Is Congress], ''Rolling Stone'', August 25, 2005, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> ====Occupy Wall Street====[[File:VampireSquid.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Molly Crabapple's Taibbi-inspired Occupy Wall Street design]]In a 2014 interview, Taibbi described how the [[2007-2008 financial crisis]] and the [[Occupy Wall Street]] movement impacted his career, saying "Before 2008, I was sort of a typical political humorist... then I got assigned to cover the financial crisis and the causes of it, and I started doing these stories, and I discovered this whole, complicated world of things I never knew about and I had to study. I was doing these pieces basically translating these very complicated and elaborate scams and trying to help broad audiences understand what had happened in 2008."<ref> Clara Jeffery, [https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/matt-taibbi-interview-commonwealth-club/ The Man Behind the Vampire Squid: An Interview with Matt Taibbi], ''Mother Jones'', May 4, 2014, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> In 2010, Taibbi called [[Goldman Sachs]], "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money."<ref> Matt Taibbi, [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/the-great-american-bubble-machine-195229/ The Great American Bubble Machine], ''Rolling Stone'', April 5, 2010, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> The "vampire squid" imagery inspired an Occupy Wall Street design by investigative journalist activist artist [[Molly Crabapple]]. and has become a common metaphor for ''Goldman Sachs''.<ref> Nomi Prins, [https://www.salon.com/2017/02/01/goldman-sachs-influence-on-americas-future_partner/ "The great vampire squid”: Goldman Sachs' influence on America's future], February 1, 2017, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Suzanne McGee, [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/20/hillary-clinton-goldman-sachs-vampire-squid-wall-street Hillary Clinton and the 'vampire squid': is Wall Street really a deadly threat?], ''Guardian'', March 20, 2016, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Jake Zamansky, [https://www.forbes.com/sites/jakezamansky/2013/08/08/the-great-vampire-squid-keeps-on-sucking/#323c19c37df8 The Great Vampire Squid Keeps On Sucking], ''Forbes'', August 8, 2013, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Kevin Roose, [[https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/the-long-life-of-the-vampire-squid-metaphor/ The Long Life of the Vampire Squid]], ''New York Times Deal Book'', December 13, 2011, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> A 2012 article described Taibbi's symbiotic relationship with Occupy Wall Street protesters, calling him one of ''Occupy'''s "highest profile allies" and saying "the activists find a mouthpiece in Taibbi, and the writer gathers more people eager to put his ideas into practice."<ref> Adam Martin, [https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/03/matt-taibbi-and-occupy-wall-street-complete-each-other/330750/ Matt Taibbi and Occupy Wall Street Complete Each Other], ''Atlantic'', March 9, 2012, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> ====''Useful Idiots'' Podcast====In August 2019, Taibbi teamed up with [[Katie Halper]] to create ''Rolling Stone'''s ''Useful Idiots'' podcast, which they described by saying, "We’ll be focusing on stories that were blacked out by national news media, while offering unsparing weekly takes on candidates, TV talking heads, campaign spokesgoons, academics, and other monsters of the realm."<ref> Matt Taibbi, [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/taibbi-useful-idiots-podcast-873547/ Welcome to ‘Useful Idiots,’ a New Rolling Stone Podcast], ''Rolling Stone'', August 20, 2019, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Matt Taibbi and Katie Halper, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5TPAv3C1e0 Announcing New Rolling Stone Podcast 'Useful Idiots' with Matt Taibbi and Katie Halper], ''Rolling Stone'' YouTube Channel, August 20, 2019, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> Their first episode featured 2020 presidential candidate [[Tulsi Gabbard]].<ref> Useful Idiots Podcast, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO1LwhCOtTA Tulsi Gabbard on Running for President and The Next MAGA (A 2020 Slogan Quiz) | Useful Idiots], ''Rolling Stone'' YouTube Channel, August 22, 2019, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Matt Taibbi, [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/podcast-tulsi-gabbard-kamala-harris-syria-iraq-870003/#! Who’s Afraid of Tulsi Gabbard?], ''Rolling Stone'', August 9, 2019, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> ==News and Controversy=====Accusations of Sexism===As the [[#MeToo]] movement gained steam in October and November 2017, Taibbi and Ames faced criticism about the sexist content of their Moscow-based tabloid ''eXile'' and related memoir entitled ''The Exile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia''.<ref name=mtruspast></ref><ref> Aimee Levitt, [https://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2017/10/27/twenty-years-ago-in-moscow-matt-taibbi-was-a-misogynist-asshole-and-possibly-worse Twenty years ago, in Moscow, Matt Taibbi was a misogynist asshole—and possibly worse], ''Chicago Reader'', October 27, 2017, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Dan Whitcomb, [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-taibbi-idUSKBN1CX0QC U.S. journalist faces sexual harassment furor over memoir], ''Reuters'', October 29, 2017, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref name=sexpigs> Michael Sainato, [https://washingtonbabylon.com/mark-ames-and-matt-taibbi-sexist-pigs-in-moscow-and-their-replies/ Mark Ames and Matt Taibbi: Sexist Pigs in Moscow, and their replies], ''Washington Babylon'', October 30, 2017, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Simon Reichley, [https://www.mhpbooks.com/matt-taibbi-has-been-embroiled-in-controversy-over-satirical-his-russian-tabloid/ Matt Taibbi has been embroiled in controversy over his satirical Russian tabloid], ''Melville House'', November 3, 2017, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> In response, Taibbi apologized multiple times,<ref> Frank Camp [https://www.dailywire.com/news/22876/author-matt-taibbi-confronted-over-lewd-remarks-frank-camp Author Matt Taibbi Confronted Over Lewd Remarks From 2000 Book And Interview], ''Daily Wire'', October 28, 2017, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref>Dan Whitcomb, [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-taibbi/facing-backlash-rolling-stone-writer-posts-second-apology-for-hurtful-book-idUSKBN1D208Q Facing backlash, Rolling Stone writer posts second apology for 'hurtful' book], ''Reuters'', November 2, 2017, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Democracy Now!, [https://www.democracynow.org/2017/11/2/headlines/questions_raised_about_matt_taibbis_2000_memoir_that_boasts_of_sexual_harassment Matt Taibbi Apologizes for 2000 Book That Boasts of Sexual Harassment, Says It was Satire Not Memoir], ''Democracy Now!'', November 2, 2019, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> but he and Ames maintained the sexual descriptions in ''The Exile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia'' were satire, despite the book's "non-fiction" disclaimer. Ames said, "The offensive material was meant to be offensive, no one needs to stand up for that specifically, especially in the current climate. It only pisses me off that we’re getting accused of actual sex harassment, rape etc based not on victims accusations, but on our own deliberately offensive satire."<ref name=sexpigs></ref> Taibbi discussed accusations of sexism and the #MeToo movement in a January 2018 ''Reason'' podcast.<referencesref> Nick Gillespie, [https://reason.com/podcast/matt-taibbi-media-police-eric-garner Matt Taibbi on Misogyny, the Left vs. Free Speech, and the Killing of Eric Garner], ''Reason'' podcast, January 11, 2018, accessed September 6, 2019. (comments begin around 51:53).</ref> In February 2018, Taibbi reported on Twitter<ref> Matt Taibbi, [https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/963869669076688899 963869669076688899], ''Twitter', February 14, 2018, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> that he had reached an "amicable settlement" with [[The Nation]], which had to correct an article which claimed he had "boasted about molesting teenagers and constantly harassing staffers".<ref>Katha Pollitt, [https://web.archive.org/web/20171102124603/https://www.thenation.com/article/are-sexual-predators-in-the-workplace-finally-facing-justice/ Are Sexual Predators in the Workplace Finally Facing Justice?], (web archive) ''Nation'', November 20-27 Issue, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Joe Simonson, [https://dailycaller.com/2018/02/15/the-nation-matt-taibbi-settlement/ Liberal Publication Forced To Correct Itself After Claiming Journo Molested Teens], ''Daily Caller'', February 15, 2018, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> ==Books==*[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32740061-i-can-t-breathe ''I Can't Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street''](2017, Spiegel & Grau) ISBN 0812988841*[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33516776-insane-clown-president ''Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus''](2017, Spiegel & Grau) ISBN 0399592466*[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17834864-the-divide ''The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap''](Illustrated by [[Molly Crabapple]])(2014, Spiegel & Grau) ISBN 081299342X*[https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7897556-griftopia ''Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America''](2010, Spiegel & Grau) ISBN 0385529953 ==Awards==*''Rolling Stone'' won the 2008 National Magazine Awards for Columns and Commentary<ref> Hearst, [http://www.hearst.com/newsroom/asme-names-winners-of-2008-national-magazine-awards-popular-mechanics-receives-ellie ASME Names Winners of 2008 National Magazine Awards; Popular Mechanics Receives Ellie], organization website, April 30, 2008, accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> for three of Taibbi's political pieces.<ref> Matt Taibbi, [https://what-is-is.blogspot.com/2007/06/taibbi-giuliani-worse-than-bush.html Taibbi: Giuliani Worse Than Bush], ''Tell It Like It Is'' blog, May 31, 2007 (inaccessible original in [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/giuliani-worse-than-bush-248458/ ''Rolling Stone'']), accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Matt Taibbi, [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/my-favorite-nut-job-246790/ My Favorite Nut Job], ''Rolling Stone'', March 25, 2011 (original published in November 29, 2007), accessed September 6, 2019.</ref><ref> Matt Taibbi, [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/election-2008-obamas-moment-168675/ Election 2008: Obama’s Moment], ''Rolling Stone'', December 27, 2007), accessed September 6, 2019.</ref> ==Contact==Website: [https://taibbi.substack.com/ taibbi.substack.com]<br>Twitter: [https://twitter.com/mtaibbi @mtaibbi]<br>Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/matt.taibbi /matt.taibbi]
*[http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/ Taibblog (True/Slant)]
*[http://www.smirkingchimp.com/author/matt_taibbi Matt Taibbi's Blog (The Smirking Chimp)]
*[http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/11135532/the_low_post_a_complete_archive The Low Post: A Complete Archive (Rolling Stone)]
*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLL0ooGQ0asg4upSXzZA1Oinn3ALqVCndA Useful Idiots Podcast]
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Taibbi Matt Taibbi on Wikipedia]
*Matt Taibbi, "[http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/10/27/goldman-lobbies-senate-says-full-transparency-sucks/ Goldman Lobbies Senate, Says Full Transparency Sucks]," Taibblog, October 27, 2009.
*Matt Taibbi, "[http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/10/21/paulson-and-goldman-met-in-secret-in-moscow/ Paulson and Goldman Met In Secret in Moscow]," Taibblog, October 21, 2009.
*Matt Taibbi, "[http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/31234647/obamas_big_sellout/print Obama's Big Sellout]," ''Rolling Stone'', December 9, 2009.
===References===<references/> [[Categorycategory:Real Economy ProjectAmerican journalists]][[category:American political writers]][[category:Journalists]][[category:Media]][[category:Newspapers]][[category:Occupy Wall Street]][[category:Podcast hosts]][[category:Russiagate skeptics]]
