See, and here I am thinking ‘you’re making yourself bald, and you don’t even look that good?’

A platformer.

Same. I’d love to be a 50s style dad, minus the drinking and beatings. Problem is my S.O. would, too.

That last paragraph is a beauty! Bull’s-eye.

As a woman, I’ve sometimes thought I might have been willing to be a parent, if I could be a parent in the way a father is. Not having to obliterate yourself, your entire being, in your motherhood. Not having to be the one who always has to change diapers or go to PTA or stay home with the sick kid. Not forced to…

Would have been more relatable if he was late to work from playing video games and overdosed on cough syrup.

To me, the soul of a punk is to run counter-culture and to subvert the norm. But there comes a time when every rebel needs to stand up and directly confront their oppressor.

Except I’m Gen X and I remember all of that from the first time through myself! I would presume most of the people put off by the tone are younger than Gen X which was my point. I mean, there were definitely Boomers who were into pop-culture past their youth, but that was a minority in my experience whereas Laverne…

Oh yes, this is very irritating! I’ve lost count of the number of times I have heard people talk and speculate about populations falling/rising in various countries etc with never a mention of women & childbearing! Like where do they think all these people are coming (or not coming) from? Women’s agency as regards…

Time for some punks to grow up and change how the system works.

Article fails to mention that there are no laws in place that punish discrimination against pregnant workers. I’m so fucking sick of global demographic mysteries that have answers screaming in your face. White men shoot up schools and churches because they’re violently bigoted. Mystery solved. There aren’t enough…

IIRC non-Japanese spouses are not given much protection or status in Japan. The work culture is stupid with the long hours and low pay. Women are treated unfairly versus men. The low birth rate is all culturally fueled.

People are awful. So I’m sure they’ll find some way to shame and/or force women into marrying shitty men and popping out babies.

Yes indeed, the national policy is pretty belligerently xenophobic, yet they seem to get a pass for some reason. Hell, even the kids of mixed parentage, like Korean or Chinese, are looked down upon.

Honestly their Tokyo apartments aren’t any worse than your “affordable” New York City apartments, and there’s decent space out in the suburbs/country. Transportation is frequently packed, but that’s because it’s so darn good, you don’t really need a car to get around unless you’re really out in the sticks.
However,…

Unsaid in the article: Japan is counting on artificial intelligence to bail them out, to care for their elderly and be replacement workers. I have no sympathy for them because they could have done what Europe is doing and allow for mass immigration but they won’t, because they’re deeply racist like you implied, but I…

Gee. It’s almost as if enforcing a cultural norm of zero work-life balance makes it both harder and less appealing for people to start families.

Carrie Fisher WAS a lot- she was too much (songs by Paul Simon reference this). If you ever watch some of her interviews, she just a wee bit much. But that too much also included genuine deep kindness, and unswerving loyalty and generosity to her family and friends- even if that friend was a few hours old.

LOL, I love how you say that as though not being a famous and successful entertainer was a conscious decision that you made.

This was great and very in keeping with the spirit of both icons.