Viral America

Shock Value Has Led To The Explosion of Shock Culture

Adam 22 is a podcaster you may not be aware of. He’s the creator and host of No Jumper, the hip-hop themed channel that showcases hip-hop cultural figures; everyone from rap artists to strippers to gang members turned influencers. It is known for creating controversy in not only the rap world, but the underworld of gangsters, thugs and drug dealers.

Some of the critics of No Jumper, specifically for Adam 22, is that he’s a “culture vulture”, a white man who exploits black culture for monetary gain. He makes content that celebrates the worst aspects of the “hood” and exacerbates problems that have violent repercussions in neighborhoods he doesn’t live in. The criticism is valid, but is he the source of the problem or merely an extension of an overarching societal problem that extends far beyond just hip-hop?

Adam 22, whose real name is Adam Grandmaison, is the son of a Bill Clinton associate who was convicted of voter mail fraud and later pardoned by the former president. A BMX racer who parlayed his career into a rap blog that became known as No Jumper was originally from New Hampshire and later moved to Los Angeles. He’s also a porn actor and married to a fellow porn star known as Lena The Plug. It’s safe to say that his upbringing and personal life is nowhere near that of his guests that have included the likes of YG, Lil’ Durk and the late Drakeo the Ruler.

Recently Adam 22 has gone viral for his rather odd relationship with his wife. He made a spectacle of her filming her first pornographic scene with another man since being married. He then took that controversial scene and turned it into a YouTube reality show called For The Love of Lena where ten men competed for the opportunity to film a pornographic movie with love. Adam 22 not only produced the show, but starred in it where he and Lena were the ones to decide who would win. If this sounds strange it’s because it is, but “strange” is what they’re aiming for.

This article isn’t to necessarily berate Adam 22. In my opinion, he’s not solely the problem. However, he’s a symptom of a generation that has placed value on “going viral” above moral responsibility.

I ask myself “what would possess a man to auction off his wife like he has?” and the answer is simply: a man who knows no boundaries. That’s not a problem that is exclusive to 22 as much as it’s becoming the status quo amongst the mainstream. Everyone wants to “go viral” by creating the most eye opening and shocking content possible. The end game is clout and money, money coming as a result of clout.

This is why No Jumper continues to push the envelope in their exploitation of gang culture. They’re not worried about who is affected by their content in real life, as long as it produces viral content and runs up a check.

We are raising a generations that is morally numb and lacks a conscience. The lines between morally repulsive and acceptable have not only been blurred, but completely obliterated. Nobody thinks twice anymore about their behavior. As long as it produces the content that gets clicks and views, all is fair.

The Adam 22’s, hip-hop artists and OnlyFans girls that sell sex, drugs and violence are not alone in the creation of this degenerate culture. We, the people who click on the content, have to take responsibility as well. We have to understand that we’re driving the algorithm with what we view. If we don’t like what’s being pushed to the forefront of pop culture we have to stop supporting it. Many of us are guilty of knowing the problem, understanding the problem, and yet, as soon as we open our phones we support the problem. If we want a different culture, we have to create it, one click at a time.