The anti-work subreddit went private today after a lousy Fox News interview between anchor Jesse Watters and one of the subreddit's moderators. Watters and other Fox News hosts have argued that the subreddit is helping to fuel the Great Resignation, in which millions of workers nationwide have left their jobs.
The interview did not give a good look at the online movement.
Ford told Watters there were some myths about the movement. We want to keep trying. We want to put in labor, but we don't want to be in a situation where we feel trapped.
Watters wonders if Ford is encouraging people to be lazy by asking why supporters of the movement don't simply quit their jobs.
Ford said that laziness is a virtue in a society where people want you to be productive 24/7. That doesn't mean you should be resting all the time or not putting effort into things that you care about.
She said that the concept of "not working" isn't really the central focus of the movement. Ford works about 20 - 25 hours a week as a dog walker. Ford told Watters that she would like to teach philosophy and critical thinking. The movement looks like a joke because the interview focuses on Ford instead of the whole thing.
Potatolantern said that people on the anti-work subreddit are "indignant" and that he was frustrated that Ford was chosen to represent the movement. A post on the sub-reddit shows Ford explaining how she was chosen to do the interview because of her previous media experience.
As Ford's interview gained traction, the anti-work subreddit went private. Many of the posts and comments on r/antiwork were locked according to user luciagrace. Users were banned for discussing the interview. The FAQ thread about the Fox News incident was deleted after it was released.
The entire segment was designed to make the anti-work movement look bad. The mission was accomplished.
