30 days ago

Would you ask a white supremacist to take down a Nazi sign?
Journalist Steffen Hou did — and he didn’t know if he’d walk away.

We’re usually cocktails and chaos, but this week we’re going somewhere darker.

Steffen Hou, the Danish filmmaker behind Face of Hate, spent seven years following Jasen Barker — a KKK member whose life was built on trauma, rage, and the search for belonging. What started as an investigation turned into one of the most dangerous and life-changing stories ever caught on film.

From walking into armed compounds to confronting Jasen about a pigpen named “Dachau” — the Nazis’ first concentration camp — Steffen takes us inside the moment that could’ve ended his career, or worse. He shares how empathy, not anger, became his greatest weapon, and what that moment taught him about hate, forgiveness, and humanity.

Grab a drink and join us as we talk about:
🍸 The childhood tragedy that fueled Jasen’s hate — and what finally broke the cycle.
🍸 The day Steffen thought he might not make it out alive.
🍸 How one impossible question changed everything.
🍸 The making of Face of Hate and how it went from rejected to millions of views.
🍸 What real journalism looks like in a world addicted to outrage.

This isn’t your usual round of laughs — it’s one of the most intense, eye-opening, and unexpectedly human conversations we’ve ever had.

💬 What would you have done in that moment? Tell us in the comments.
📅 New episodes every Monday — subscribe and drink along with us.

🎥 Watch Steffen Hou’s full documentary “Face of Hate”
👉 https://youtu.be/hgySmmUGR0k?si=CVN0D9AuCC9DWPpS

Check out Steffen Hou -
Website: https://steffenhou.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steffenhou

Big thanks to the sponsors for this episode - Ope! Brewing Co. & Grave Before Shave
Ope! Brewing Website: https://www.opebrewingco.com
Ope! Brewing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opebrewingco
Grave Before Shave Website: https://www.gravebeforeshave.com/
Grave Before Shave Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravebeforeshave

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0:00 – Cold Open
0:20 – Cocktails & Chaos with Dimples and The Beard
1:10 – Meet Steffen Hou: Journalist Behind *Face of Hate*
6:30 – The Story of Jasen Barker and the KKK
12:50 – Walking Into Hate: Steffen’s First Encounter
21:15 – Trauma, Belonging, and the Roots of Extremism
28:40 – The Dachau Pigpen Story
33:55 – The Dangerous Question
41:30 – When Hate Meets Humanity
55:00 – What Steffen Learned About Empathy and Redemption
1:12:00 – Reflections, Lessons, and Closing Cheers