A video creator for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) campaign left the team just one day after joining over a controversial video that sexualized Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Matt Orfalea joined the Sanders campaign after making a viral 2020 Sanders video titled “Rising Up.” However, his employment was short-lived, as he resigned just a day after joining the team after controversial videos from his past surfaced– specifically, a video that sexualized MLK’s “I Have a Dream Speech.”
He explained in a Medium post published Monday that the decade-old video was aimed to demonstrate “media manipulation” but also admitted that it was a “pathetic attempt at comedy.”
“When I was about 20 yrs old, I edited MLK audio, to expose how easily media can completely misrepresent reality,” he wrote in a Medium post.
“That intention has been clearly stated in the Youtube description for 10 years. It was supposed to be a ‘reminder that media on tv or the web can be edited to twist facts/reality,'” he added.
The description of the video reads:
Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man. The real, “I Have a Dream” speech is amazing. And society is undeniably better thanks to MLK and the civil rights movement. No one should be ever be judged based on their race/ethnicity. The purpose of this video is to show people that media on the web and TV can be edited to really twist facts/reality.
“There was a time when the vulgar ridiculousness of the final product made me laugh,” Orfalea continued. Looking back at it now makes me ill. I choose not to delete it only because I want to be fully transparent. I’m sincerely sorry I ever made it.”
Orfalea also faced backlash for the content of in some of his other videos, in which he used the terms “retarded” and “gay.” He apologized profusely:
Despite my thoughtless past use of the word “retarded”, I hold absolutely no prejudice toward anyone with special needs. In fact, I live happily with my adult special needs younger brother.
Likewise, many years ago in my 20’s, I referred to the cliche use of clones in youtube videos as “gay”. I am sorry to say that growing up it was a term used regularly and casually by my peers to refer to something “silly” or “lame” — not actually referring to homosexuality at all. I’ve never had any issues with anyone’s sexuality.
He added that he is “ashamed” of his “past contribution to the endless supply of dumb Youtube videos” and explained that he eventually pivoted toward more “meaningful” videos, such as the Sanders “Rising Up” video.
Orfalea ultimately said he decided to leave the Sanders campaign because he did not want a “dumb 10 year old youtube video to distract from the real issues.”
“All initial job offers are contingent on the completion of a final review of a person’s record,” Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir said of Orfalea’s departure.
“That vetting process had not yet been completed. It’s clear some of Matt’s prior social media content does not reflect the campaign’s values,” he added. “We accept his resignation.”
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