Book Club: Man In The Mirror

Conspirituality

The episode features a deep dive into Anand Giridharadas' new book, 'Man In The Mirror,' which examines the 2023 death of Jordan Neely on a N

Key takeaways

• Jordan Neely, a former Michael Jackson impersonator, died after being placed in a six-minute chokehold by Daniel Penny.
• The book highlights the tension between community-based care advocated by Ashwin Vasan and more radical, involuntary treatment approaches suggested by Brian Stetton.

Main topics

• Jordan Neely's death
• Daniel Penny trial

Notable quotes

The meaning of an event is not contained in the event, like DNA in cells. Meaning is made later.

Conclusion

A profound exploration of how individual tragedies serve as mirrors fo

Transcript preview

Speaker 3 (0:00) Hi, I'm Alex Goldman. You may know me as the host of Reply All, but I'm done with that. I'm doing something else now. I've started a new podcast called Hyperfixed. On every episode of Hyperfixed, listeners write in with their problems and I try to solve them. Some massive and life-altering, and some so minuscule it'll boggle your mind. No matter the problem, no matter the size, I'm here for you. That's Hyperfixed, the new podcast from Radiotopia. Find it wherever you listen to podcasts or at hyperfixedpod.com. Speaker 1 (0:35) We've got a very different kind of sponsor for this episode, The Jordan Harbinger Show, a podcast you should definitely check out since you're a fan of high quality, fascinating podcasts hosted by interesting people. The show covers a wide range of topics through weekly interviews with heavy hitting guests. And there are a ton of episodes you'll find interesting since you're a fan of this show. I'd recommend our listeners check it out. We have a fair amount of overlap. You know, Jordan recently did an episode on remote viewing and how the U.S. government spent millions of dollars on this ESP pseudoscience. You might also look up an episode called Saving Bro's Soul from Alt-Right Rabbit Hole. Anyway, you can't go wrong with adding the Jordan Harbinger show to your rotation. It's incredibly interesting. There's never a dull show. Search for the Jordan Harbinger show. That's H-A-R-B as in boy, I-N as in Nancy, G-E-R on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Speaker 1 (1:44) You remember the story of Jordan Neely's death. Trigger warning here, I'm about to describe a disturbing and tragic incident. You can skip forward about two minutes if you'd rather not have these images in your mind. This was back in May of 2023, the first of May to be precise. At around 2.23 p.m., Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with a history of drug use and mental illness, made a dramatic entry onto the F train subway car. in Manhattan. This wasn't the kind of entertaining entrance for which he had been well known within his community years ago. Neely had been a talented dancer and especially a Michael Jackson impersonator in his youth. But he wasn't dancing that day. He was ranting. Witnesses say he yelled that he was hungry and thirsty. He appeared visibly homeless. Some said his pants were soiled and his smell filled the subway car. But what was more disturbing was that Neely was screaming threats, that he would kill or hurt people, that someone was going to die, and that he was prepared to go back to jail for life. But he did not physically attack anyone or display a weapon or single out anyone on the train. Enter now Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old former Marine who was already on the train when Neely arrived. In response to what was happening, Penny took out his earbuds, came up behind Jordan Neely, and put him in a chokehold, dragging him down to the floor. Two other passengers joined in, restraining Neely as he thrashed around. Within about 30 seconds, the train arrived at the Broadway Lafayette station, and almost everyone exited the car. At this point, one passenger began filming through the window from the platform. And it is now that the video evidence in the case actually begins. Everything else is from witness testimony. What is captured is almost six more minutes of Penny maintaining the chokehold as Jordan struggles, is restrained by the other two men, and slowly loses consciousness. One person can be heard telling Penny to let him go, while another tells him if he doesn't release Neely soon, he's going to die. Still, Daniel Penny holds on. People call 911. Some were concerned for the man in the chokehold in the recordings of those calls. Speaker 2 (4:14) When he does Speaker 1 (4:15) eventually let go, the man left on the ground is motionless. Bystanders check for a pulse, while Penny retrieves the cap. That fellow found the struggle and puts it back on his head. Another man enters the car and tries to help Jordan, turning him on his side, pouring water on his head to revive him, but Penny tells him to stop and appears unconcerned or calm. The police arrive, and after that the paramedics, but they're unable to revive Jordan Neely, who's taken to a medical facility nearby and pronounced dead. Welcome to Conspirituality, where we investigate the intersections of conspiracy theories and spiritual influence to uncover cults, pseudoscience, and authoritarian extremism. I'm Julian Walker. You're listening to a Book Club episode about Anand Giridharadas' new book, Man in the Mirror, Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City. You can follow us on Instagram at conspiritualitypod and me personally there at realityandmeaning, all