So, I’ve recently had two debates with pseudoscience charlatan grifter, Kent Hovind. And the second one was just so toxic, that I’ve decided never to debate Kent Hovind again. To give you an idea as to why, I’m posting a video compilation made by Atheist Jr. to explain the problems with debating Kent Hovind, particularly as a trans woman.
But I would like to make a statement about what happened in the debate when Kent decided to ask my boyfriend about my genitalia. This is so wrong for two separate reasons, first of all – I’ve never met Kent in person nor do we have that kind of relationship. He has no business knowing what genitalia I have. Secondly, he didn’t ask me – he asked my boyfriend. Which is very disrespectful on so many levels. First, we circle back to the first problem – Kent has no business to know this. Secondly, asking my boyfriend is just fucking weird. If my boyfriend answered that stupid, irrelevant question, I would not be thrilled with him. Also, it denies my agency. Which points to another part of the debate, Kent’s blatant transmisogyny.
You see, maybe I don’t act like how Kent thinks women should act. This might have something to do with the fact that he is on wife number four. But I’m a big believer in egalitarian relationships. I believe egalitarian relationships are much more healthy than the kind of hierarchical relationships that Kent has with his wife. As a result, I would never ask my boyfriend to ignore blatant criminality (as Kent asked of Mary Tocco and Cindi Lincoln). I would never encourage my boyfriend to commit crimes on my behalf (as Kent asked of Jo Hovind). This is unacceptable behaviour that degrades instead of edifies your partner and I would want no part of it.
For a man who has been married four times (theoretically), Kent Hovind knows about as much about love as he does about evolution. But, I think this relates to a deeper question: why did I do this? Why would I subject myself to this when I knew going in that Kent would not be honest?
Kent Hovind and the Call of the Void
Kent Hovind represents an intellectual black hole. He spouts any number of vacuous, irrelevant crap and just runs rough shod over any interlocutor with an almost impressively bad gish gallop that he’s been using for decades. Facts won’t get in the way, you won’t change him, so why would people choose to debate this carnival barking clown?
Put simply: it’s the call of the void. It’s that same instinct that might call someone to do something we know hurts us. It’s why bungee jumping and parachuting are so popular. And there is no person who resembles a void better than Kent Hovind. He is a vaccuum of ethics and knowledge by which, even the people surrounding him tend to lack either.
His Dinosaur Adventure Land is an equally interesting void. A place full of criminals and shoddy construction out in the middle of nowhere Alabama. That last part might not be entirely intentional, given the fact that he was forced off the original Dinosaur Adventure Land property by his son, Eric. Pensacola, by stark contrast, has a lot more people and a lot more ways to flee/run to the outside world. Repton, Alabama, by comparison, is much, much more isolated. It’s a veritable Jonestown.
So, needless to say, debating Kent Hovind is a stupid idea. Debating him on his own turf where he can break out the Flavor Aid and cyanide if shit doesn’t go his way is profoundly more stupid… which is probably why no one who doesn’t buy Kent’s crap has taken him up on his offer to visit DAL. But it is tempting. Even knowing the danger. Even knowing the risk. It’s the call of the void. And if nothing else, Kent Hovind represents a void.
So, why am I stopping?
Put simply, I’m just not as interesting a debate as I thought I’d be. The value of debating someone like Kent Hovind is not to get him to learn anything. That’s just not going to happen. Kent has the same bullshit script as he did before he went to prison almost two decades ago. The only value in debating Kent is to paint him in a corner, to throw him off his script and see how he reacts. Others have been more successful at this than I. As a result, I simply see no value in engaging Kent anymore.
A couple weeks ago, I had a video chat with Atheist Jr. on the topic of debating Kent Hovind. Even then, I knew that I would never get Kent to actually learn anything, that the things that can be gained from debating Kent would be to spark doubt in the minds of his followers or for purely entertainment value if you can get Kent off his script. I wanted to do both. The latter, I think I failed at. The former… I can’t say for certain. These things don’t exist in a vacuum and it could be possible that I could get someone to start thinking, but I’m not sure if it worked. Maybe one day, I might get an e-mail from someone who saw that debate and started their road to breaking free of Kent. I don’t know.
But, I made the attempt. And now, I’m going to focus on writing once again and publishing amazingly smutty fiction for you fine folks. Maybe a story about an elderly preacher in the middle of nowhere finding the young buck of his dreams?
See y’all on the trail,
Daria Bloodworth
8 replies on “Kent Hovind: A Song of Whales and Pine Trees”
So-called “Dr” Hovind is one of the most disgusting people alive on the planet. He is the walking, talking proof that there is no god, or it would be so embarassed by him, it would have zapped him with lightning a long time ago (alongside the equally repulsive Matt powell).
I’d love to have a debate with Hovind about biblical truths and proofs, but he only ever debates about the same thing as he has for decades (using the same bs answers and slides!). He thinks people are scared to debate him, but in actual fact I think people just know he won’t listen to anything he’s tld and then, after much editing to make the original questioner sound stupid by Matt Powell, he’ll use it to “bash an athiest”.
Great article, Daria. You’re absolutely right about the call of the void. A part of me has the urge to debate Kent, but for the topic to be something like “Are There Only 2 Genders?”. It’s so obvious that THIS is what Kent actually wants to talk about, not evolution or science.
Some months ago it was also being recommended that potential opponents refuse to debate Kent on his terms, his topics.
Since then, however, it appeared he upped his game and got Donny working overtime to schedule his performances; with considerable success.
After his recent debacle with Jay Bundy, and now your events, Daria, potential opponents maybe should be taking the advice more seriously.
Churches have already pretty much shunned Kent Hovind, as he will admit to, and has already.
Now it’s time for his social media adversaries to consider it; at least to the point of only trying to get Kent to debate substantive, specific issues in proper venues and formats.
Let Kent refuse to debate, instead of giving him the pleasure of announcing others that won’t debate him.
For example, Kent won’t debate me. He won’t even negotiate with me for a debate on any subject, much less my preferences for things such as “structuring” with well-defined, specific propositions.
Too many, seemingly, have wanted to debate Kent at any cost, and it shows in their “bum-of-the-week” performances next to Kent Hovind.
That is what needs to stop; seems to me.
If Kent Hovind is able to schedule another debate, let it be with me, and let the negotiations begin in order to show Kent Hovind the coward who will not come out for a “fair fight” on some substantive matters of mutual interest. I propose I can even beat Kent like a drum on his “evolution” gimmick.
If Kent won’t, in good faith, schedule a little one-on-one time with me, let others shun him until he does. Kent and I have a lot to talk about, one issue at a time, with equal time, and no profanity. See, we already agree on some of the logistical details as to how such an historic meeting should be set up.
Kent Hovind, come out, come out!
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If you want to write about a preacher in the middle of nowhere finding his young buck, stick to reality and make Powell that buck, it might help him come out the closet himself.
Actually saw the debate, what Kent did was very low class, if he did that to my girlfriend who is trans, I would be in an Alabama prison right now. In a debate you should only focus on the topic.
Yeah James but that daria, started it…
No, I didn’t.
I first debated Rocky Kent in April 2022. And that was it. No more. But after I listened to this debate between you and him and also the transphobic comments when he debated Foxx I decided and agreed to a second debate which I did in April 2023.
I had a specific plan for this debate. Anything I said in it was superfluous except for my plan. And it was my revenge and payback for what he did to you Daria
Donny the moderator and host of the channel was on his toes in that debate but I still managed to slip it in
What was the plan? I asked Rocky Kent if he identified as a man or woman? And I said a real man would never beat his wife so he must identify as a woman.