Wow. No. Treating money as a pure proxy for status/social capital is absurd.

Syncophant? Haha. Realistic about the potential short-term options that can come with major entertainment-industry status and massive social capital? Yup.

If we substitute Richardson, it would've taken place in a studio, and he'd have had his cock out... instead of texting a borderline plaintive proposition from across town. What a farcical comparison.

The "older man/younger woman pairing" is one that all (straight) guys will eventually get around to mulling over. The presence of short fiction adds not a jot of explanatory power here, alas.

The editor responding, noting (among other things) that his first three pieces as a journalist all involved female surfers; that they strive to give equal coverage to women's competitions; that they tried (and failed) to get backing to launch a women-facing surf magazine last year; and that they generally get v few…

".... fucked up ideas of power." One might argue that playing w/stormtroopers and galactic overlords might have an even stronger effect, perhaps? If one were going to be hyper-literal about things, of course.

If "this" refers to the historic examples, they do skew a little Euro-centric. (I'll leave it to you to fill in suitable analogs from pre-colonial Africa, or wherever.) If "this" refers to the syntax, my AAVE is non-existent... good catch. And if "this" refers to my fondness for the core tenets of Western…

As ever, when you get a bunch of earnest, right-thinking folks eager to ferret out Wrong Thoughts, the real victim is generally truth. Logic, common sense, and the social order are collateral damage.

Ah Texas (to Northampton?) - it all makes sense now. And re: the dates, the only thing that makes me feel like an Old is all these (presumably accurate?) tales of ostentatious rich villains flouncing around campus. Chest-thumping consumption would have called down all kinds of creative abuse back in the day. Things…

Marginally more quotable than "dumb-fuck construction workers," I suppose.

What school in the Nineties had kids touting Netjets (or whatever) as a practical option for getting home? And also had the non-boarding-school kids setting the tone for privilege? That sounds like quite an, um unique campus.

Dunno - I have an awfully hard time getting "pissed off so fucking much" at advice that's a) politely phrased; b) well intentioned; and c) not clearly wrong.

To the extent most people upset about the tweet would be upset about the segment as well, the "bits vs whole" analysis is correct but manages (possibly by intent?) to let the Outraged off the hook simply due to their limited information.

You'll note I put the word in quotes to anticipate any concerns that the builder's comments lacked sufficient ideological rigor. That said, the rousing calls at end of "Equality, not misogyny!" and "Let's create a society where the objectification of women makes way for gender-neutral interactions free from…

Even worse, humans fork over 100% of the cash... and yet are represented in many fewer films than in 1998. Let's rally to stop the oppressive animation juggernaut!

Good analysis. If they'd had the "enlightened" commentary come AFTER a Snickers snack, and gone w/some line like "Snickers: makes life better" the narrative would be internally consistent and progressive. As is, the spot is a (presumably?) well-intentioned muddle implying that reduced Snickers consumption moves…

But what's the alternative? Some explicit statement of exclusivity? That'd be obnoxious in the extreme. Paltrow's being assigned a bit of an impossible dilemma here: communicate in a tone of cheery inclusivity (and be condemned for it, as you do); or communicate much more narrowly (and be condemned for it, as…

Historically, it's depended on how you felt about the risk of some very unpleasant punishments. The authorities typically construct prosecutions for heresy such that an accusation of toxic beliefs becomes largely impossible to defend against.

That little "presumably" carries some heavy weight, doesn't it? Not least by crediting accusers of racism with unerring accuracy. Self-appointed guardians of righteousness have an appalling historical record. Assuming they'll do a better job this time around — possibly because their goals strike us as noble —…

Now you're communicating with some proficiency... sometimes it's just a matter of finding your level, eh?