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Conservative Teen Maligned on MTV’s ‘I Hate the Government’ Special: They Completely Misrepresented Me

Jan. 30, 2013 8:20am Erica Ritz

High School Tea Party Founder Caleb Yee on the Real Story Behind MTVs True Life: I Hate the Government

(Photo: MTV)

Everybody knows that reality television rarely bears any resemblance to reality, so when MTV’s “True Life” decided to profile three “right wingers” for a recent episode, many probably took it with a grain of salt. And according to one person profiled on the show who spoke exclusively with TheBlaze, skepticism may have been the best policy.

“Amelia, Caleb and Andrew are three right-wingers who despise the very thing that holds our country together, the U.S. government,” the episode’s description reads.

17-year-old Caleb Yee started the first high school Tea Party in the nation and explained over email that even the show’s title, “True Life: I Hate the Government,” is inaccurate and was changed without his consent.

“I started filming with True Life 3 years ago when I was 16. Filming lasted for about a year and a half, but the show wasn’t released until last week, which was strange since a lot of the information on it was outdated,” he began. “We filmed a lot throughout the year and a half, but like most shows, more than half of what I said was taken out. Even though it wasn’t scripted, I could easily tell that the director wanted me to go down a certain path, especially when I basically had to paraphrase some lines at some points.”

High school Tea Party founder Caleb Yee speaks at a public event. (Photo: MTV)

When asked specifically how MTV misrepresented his views or took his remarks out of context, Yee elaborated in an email:

The first major concern I had was the title of the show since it is extremely misleading. Up until it aired I had believed the show to be called “I Distrust the Government” because that was what I had been told by the producing company. However, I was not notified of this title change until I found out for myself on the MTV home page that just put out the schedule. I understand that the producing company (separate from MTV) doesn’t have much power over title shows, but I would have appreciated it if I was notified of it. I definitely do not hate the government, but instead I believe in limited government.

Secondly, I thought the introduction was very biased when the narrator said, “What would it be like if we despised the very thing that’s supposed to hold our country together?” and later claims that we distrust government so completely that we’re obsessed, making us seem like radical anarchists. I believe that the people do not exist because of the government. However, the government cannot exist if the people do not exist.

In terms of selective editing, I am not too discontent with it since most of what I said was what I truly believed in. However, there were multiple times when I talked about how both sides need to work together, cut down the debt, and limit government spending regardless of party lines. I also stressed the importance of the youth getting involved through education and information, but they only put in my criticism about the Obama administration, making me seem very partisan. [Emphasis added]

Caleb Yee and friends holding what appear to be pocket Constitutions. (Photo: MTV)

It should be noted that Yee had no interaction with the other two “right wingers” profiled– one who opens up the show calling for “revolution” and yells at strangers that those who support abortion will be prosecuted, the other struggling for respect as a female member of a Florida militia– and therefore can’t comment on whether they were inaccurately portrayed as well.

“I believe that MTV might have tried their best to make us all seem like odd radical right wingers,” Yee cautioned, “but the two characters also had the right to share their own set of beliefs and I saw nothing wrong with that.”

So what’s one of the strangest takeaways from Yee’s sudden shot to stardom? When asked if he had anything else he’d like to add, Yee noted how many racist and belittling responses he received for his work.

“I thought it was funny how the very people who called us racist, wrote racist comments themselves on the comments page online,” he said, including this comment from PopTart03: “I don’t understand why the asian kid is so right wing? They need to subtitle his scenes. His parents are probably off the boat immigrants…. I’ll never understand why people are against the side whose beliefs would most benefit them…”

“And then there was a person who called me out for being unable to vote even though the present clearly defines our future,” he concluded. “There were plenty of young people who couldn’t vote and ended up fighting in wars and fighting for our freedom.”

TheBlaze reached out to MTV, but the network declined to comment on the story at this time.

Click here to watch the entire episode of “True Life: I Hate the Government” at MTV.com.

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Comments (91)

LeadNotFollow
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 3:19pm
There may still be hope for our young people.

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Bill Wallace
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 2:17pm
Strange. 6 years ago MTV would mistrust the government. They would point out at all the policies Bush enacted.

Those same policies, Obama kept alive and well…but MTV now trusts the government?

Talk about stupid.

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- thisisfutile
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 3:41pm
  Good point! I call it “busted” but because we don’t have the mainstream media in our back pocket to announce it to the rest of the country, we’ll just have to quietly accept that we know it and millions of brain-dead libs quietly keep drinking the koolaid.
  
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- Beckaj
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 4:23pm
  Yep. I keep thinking of Hillary screaming how she was “sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow you’re not patriotic”.
  
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tothepoint
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:51pm
This manipulation and exploitation of these teens is typical of the media which lies and distorts truth in an attempt to sway public opinion against them.
We watch it over and over how the mainstream media bullies and throws its weight around to lie about those who disagree with them.
Despicable.
Believe nothing the mainstream media says.

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Amelia Foxwell
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:29pm
The producers did not misrepresent him or me or the other guy who agreed to do this show. Yes we were told the title would be different, yes they promoted it from a liberal stand pointand yes they left some things out. No matter what medium you are using you can expect te same. However, as the media goes this is by far one of the most flattering depictions of Militia members in history. MTV debunked the myth that all Militia members are middle aged redneck males, they showed someone standing in the light of day reaching out to the community to recruit. We knew the risks associated with doing this show and we are thrilled with the outcome. 783 people applying to their local Militias in the 3 days after its initial airing show we made the right decision. MTV has just become the highest Militia recruiter in recent history due to airing this show. Many from the Militia community are estatic. If people actually watch the show and believe that they made me look like a nut, that means you actually believe I am a nut, not that MTV convinced you of that.

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- brianemcfarlane
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 5:03pm
  I wouldn’t waste my time on MTV… or give them any ratings regardless of what they air. Seems you think you can speak for Caleb but he apparently did not think he could speak for you or the other person as the article stated that he did have interaction with the others? That would suggest that you wouldn’t be able to know if they misrepresented him.
  
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Joshua81
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 1:12pm
I love my country, I do hate the government, the government we have now. The tyranny that has encroached upon us. Now is the time to put a stop to it. It won’t stop on its own. We need a reawakening, a revolution. I will not be ruled.

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easye2984
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:45pm
Most people with brains don’t watch MTV anyway, so I doubt this is swaying any opinions.

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DeavonReye
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:38pm
*Thinking to self* Why havnen’t I blocked MTV on my TV. It isn’t like I ever watch anything on there. Something to do tonight.

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@leftfighter
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:37pm
TheBlaze reached out to MTV, but the network declined to comment on the story at this time.

…or ever…

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right field
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:36pm
Saul Alinsky’s 12 Rules for Radicals:
Works everytime!

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right field
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 12:30pm
(M)oronTV

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kadster01
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:45am
I remember when the “M” in MTV stood for music. I think that lasted a year or two at most. What does it stand for now?

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piper60
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:33am
This kid got a raw deal, pure and simple.

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carl1000
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:24am
MTV is part of whats wrong with our youth. F MTV.

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DebateMe
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:23am
So another left wing propoganda machine lied to these 3 young conservatives and used their own words to make them look like conservative crazies. Odd. Very odd. /sarcasm off.

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NewCreationDave
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:50am
Note to young, naive kids:

A for effort and motivation
F for not realizing you’ll never get your message through the Liberal media. Don’t waste your time or effort. You should know better, given your mature grasp of the issues.

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:48am
It is no longer “Government” when the “Central Planners” have assumed control..
When “Government” starts referring to the people as our “Collective” it’s BAD BAD!
It’s not Government – “It’s the collective, stupid”

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BlasberryStrat
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:47am
The two greatest propaganda tools ever devised: Internet Streaming & Facebook.

“Guns kill people. You can’t kill anyone with an I-Phone”. WANNA BET HONEY! Just sit by yourself and think about how many relationships, families, and children THAT YOU KNOW have been destroyed by “Facebook” arguments and bullying. THEN take that number against how many people THAT YOU KNOW have been killed or hurt by a “gun”. The answer WILL NOT surprise you!

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RRFlyer
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:46am
WAAA waaaa waaaa,

When will Conservatives learn the liberals will never treat you fairly? You go on a liberal tv program AS a Conservative and expect them to be “fair”??? Come on, it will Never happen.
Just buck it up. IT’S NOT GOING TO CHANGE! So why should this come as a surprise to anyone?

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toiletclogga
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:45am
Welcome to the world of left wing Democrat posturing. There is nothing more putrid than manipulation of a 16 year old boy’s words, and making them apprear to be something other than intended. Our country is at a crossroads, and we’re headed onto a path of destruction from within. Marginalization of those who disagree with the government by pro-government organizations such as the media and pop culture entertainment has never been more pronounced.

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BlasberryStrat
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:37am
Publicly DEMONIZE a young person – over the airwaves – and to millions of other kids. My friends, the media has hit a gold mine here. THIS IS the quickest and easiest way to CHANGE America in the direction of war…uh…I mean “utopia”.

The atheist liberals must have read the Bible. It states the way evil will take over the World will start with our children. Just how freakin EASY would it be for a power such as MTV to use this for taking over one tiny little country like America?!

“Shame the kids in to tolerance”. I’ve said before, within four years the American flag won’t be red / white stripes. It WILL be changed to “rainbow” stripes in order to represent “all the colors of the world”.

I cannot believe the uber power and money there is within the conservative / patriotic group of America, who are watching and UNDERSTANDING that America is done for, yet still sit back quietly and do exactly nothing. Why? Because they are more interested in the Global Economy factor and their companies, then to jepordize everything by standing up for what their grandfathers DIED FOR!!

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- toiletclogga
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 11:00am
  You hit the nail right on the head. Social acceptance is one of the most important things to teenagers. The villification of these three teens is tantamount to the 1600′s in which the executioner would hang a “criminal” (someone who disparaged a noble) and leave that person hanging in public for a few days to serve as a deterent for all. I’m certain that kids watching this television show would not want to be portrayed like these three teenagers regardless of how close their thoughts and opinion parallel those of the teenagers being protrayed as radicals.
  
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floridaborn
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:22am
Conservatives – stay off Media, unless you have an expert lawyer do a contract first! Also, I’m thinking if no one would go on Piers Morgan Show, he wouldn’t have anyone to abuse about gun control.

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Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:19am
This is the war on Asians.. Coming from the White House. It is no mistake they are targeting minorities who fell out of line.
Obama’s WAR ON MINORITIES!

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cemerius
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:17am
Goebbels would be PROUD on how his “machine” is working so well in the United Socialist States of America!!!

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perry1980
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:44am
M-oron
T-elevision
V-iewers

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- cemerius
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:18am
  Yeah!! I remember when the “M” stood for Music……..Reality TV destroyed the VJ stars!
  
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ChiefGeorge
Posted on January 30, 2013 at 9:44am
The Left is the new intolerant main stream. Lets admit that in many years past, the mainstream was intolerant of anything out of the norm. Dressed differently get mocked, speak differently, get made fun of, act differently get mocked. Now the Left is the new redneck! What made them believe they would somehow transcend this intolerance through what they believe was Love to be more open minded than anyone before them?

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- Ghandi was a Republican
  Posted on January 30, 2013 at 10:21am
  The left has always been intolerant. That’s correction #1. KKK, Southern law, Naacp, Farrakhan, Jackson, Sharpton, Clintons. No tolerance for anything they cannot exploit.
  
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