David Finchers Mank, streaming on Netflix, is a movie about the movies. Its set in the 1930s, when monolithic studios had monopolised film production, distribution and exhibition. They also owned the artistes through work contracts. Mank is about ownership, too, but the studios form the backdrop. At the centre of it are two individuals a young maverick, Orson Welles, and a seasoned screenwriter, Herman Mankiewicz. It is the tussle between an auteur and an author and at stake is the writing credit for an iconic American drama, Citizen Kane (1941). But stripped to its essence, Mank is the story of a writer, a writer drowning in words, misery and alcohol; a man with a blazing wit who often burnt himself.

Mank alternates between two time periods: 1940, when a bedridden Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) recovering from a broken leg, has to finish the films screenplay in 60 days and the immediate past, chronologically sweeping the 30s, depicting the writers evolving relationships with a newspaper tycoon, William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance), and his mistress, Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried), who are about to become characters in his screenplay. If Citizen Kane were about the rise and fall of a media baron about the glitz and gloom of American success then Mank is a making of that making, a meta-narrative approach that also tells the story of Hollywood.

Fincher recreates that era with earnest simplicity, occasionally using our knowledge of the people and period to sly comedic effect. The black-and-white visuals evoke vintage Hollywood. Welles gets a dramatic entry filmed from behind with a tilted camera befitting his persona. The contrasts between him and his collaborator are stark: the wonderkid about to shake Hollywood, a washed-up veteran tired of the industry. A filmmaker given complete creative control; a writer barely in control of himself. A filmmaker who will not take no for an answer, a writer assailed by numerous questions.

The introduction to different flashback segments appearing on the screen in the format of a screenplay (Ext. Paramount Studios Day 1930), accompanied by the sound of a typewriters ding furthers the playful, meta feel. The early Hollywood portion, taking cues from its central character, is relaxed and droll. Mankiewicz knows that hes just a writer, and uses self-deprecating humour to dilute his self-loathing. There are other visual and verbal references highlighting the decade: chats about talkies, gangster flicks and zanies; deep dissolves and circular cue marks; an upbeat punctuating jazz score. Theres also self-awareness about the writing process. You cannot capture a mans life in two hours, Mankiewicz tells Welles associate a challenge unifying both Citizen Kane and Mank.

Also read: Exploring the Final Years of Orson Welles, the Errant Genius Cast Out by Hollywood

The movie becomes increasingly political, as it digs deep into the 30s the decade of the Great Depression, of social, political and economic change showing the seamy side of the film industry. The robber barons had waned by then, but Hollywood, still controlled by a few conglomerates, continued living in the Gilded Age. Louis Meyer (Arliss Howard) , the co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, a glib talker and a smooth suit, announces the slashing of workers salaries with faux empathy, calling his studio a good family. Mank registers these changes with impressive lightness, evolving into a film probing the fissures between labour and capital. That strife also marked California, Hollywoods home, where Upton Sinclair, a famous novelist and a socialist, ran for the states governor as a Democratic nominee. Hollywood fought back by backing a propaganda documentary.

It is this background that illuminates the foreground, where Mankiewicz, a sympathiser of workers rights, starts feeling isolated. The pomp of his social circle comprising studio executives, actors, business magnates pricks him. Spending time with people who lack political awareness and literary appreciation, Mankiewicz is often both the smartest and the dumbest person in the room. This circus, resembling a kings court, revolves around Hearst, giving Mankiewicz a ringside view of a world that prioritises power over people a story of capitalist American excess, of Hollywood and, ultimately, of Charles Foster Kane.

Examining avarice, vanity and artistic compromise, Mank could have been a gloomy drama. But it is surprisingly tender in several segments. Fincher occasionally liberates Mankiewicz from the tropes of a tormented writer to reveal his latent softer side. The best example of that is a scene in Hearsts estate or Xanadu, as Citizen Kane would call it where, amid a late-night party, Mankiewicz goes on a long walk with Davies. In that brief stretch, he is the best version of himself: sensitive, acerbic, funny. He bares the hypocrisy of Hollywood elites, expresses his admiration for Sinclair, and recites poetry deftly melding his lines with those of Cervantes.

As they amble outside Hearsts mansion which is so huge that it accommodates varied wildlife the scenes verbal and visual elements commingle in a quiet dance. When Mankiewicz says, Jail is not something an animal like Mayer is likely to forget, an elephant trumpets in the distance, raising its trunk, as if taking offence to that comparison. Later, as he concludes a story about Sinclairs artistic integrity, he points towards a craning giraffe, saying, Now thats sticking the old neck out.

Such linguistic finesse recurs throughout the film a style befitting the protagonist, for he was a renowned wit. Originally written by Jack Fincher the filmmakers father and later reworked by Eric Roth and David, Mank pays tribute to the screenwriter through sharp, funny lines. Mankiewicz cautions the director of a propaganda film thus: What youre making is not a newsreel: it is not news, and it is not real. To a pestering union member: What the Screen Writers Guild needs is an apostrophe. On seeing Davies on a film set, where shes standing on wood logs about to be burned at the stake: Well, whats at stake here? Moments later, when she bums a cigarette from him, something literally burns at the stake. When his nurse shares a drink with him, saying prosit, as hes working on the screenplay, it sounds like a literary command: Prose it.

Podcast | Censoring OTT Platforms Will Handicap Film Makers, Audiences: Zoya Akhtar

Oldman turns in an arresting, entertaining performance. He excels at depicting Mankiewiczs disenchantment with the world lurching from benign to fiery via a unique mlange of humour, anger and snark. Mankiewicz was a man of many moods, and Oldman sustains that intrigue. Seyfried is equally compelling. Her Davies always craves a home: a loudmouth like Mankiewicz, she feels out of place in the Hollywood parties, where painful propriety is an unspoken rule. Seyfried makes Davies vulnerable, candid and funny a stark contrast to the people she lives and works with implying that she is acting even when the cameras are not rolling.

This is Finchers most personal film. His father, Jack, had written a few screenplays, but none of them saw the screen. So, Mank is also a filial tribute: a son immortalising his father 17 years after his death. Fincher has never written his directorial projects, but here he bats for a writer, showing warm artistic empathy. Mank doesnt dispute Welles genius but spotlights a writers contribution, dimmed by the passage of time and obscured by the wattage of a filmmakers brilliance.

The movie ends with Citizen Kane winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Neither Welles nor Mankiewicz turned up for the ceremony. It then cuts to the voice of the real Welles in a radio press conference, commenting on the win and taking a dig at his co-author. Mankiewicz appears on the screen next, holding the Oscar, giving an informal acceptance speech. True to his nature, he humbles Welles through word play and humour. In Mank, the writer has the last laugh and the last word.

Link:
Mank: A Writerly Life of Words, Alcohol and Inner Conflicts in 1930s Hollywood - The Wire

Article by: Jane Adshead-Grant, ICF MCC Executive Coach and Mentor Coach, emerging faculty member with Time to Think and an ambassador of Truly Human Leadership, UK

What does it mean to be a Thinking Environment and why does it matter?

What if 2020 is the perfect vision we have been given to see the world afresh, with new eyes, open hearts, and ears to listen more deeply, free from judgement?

What if 2020 is the year we embrace change, in a way unlike what we have ever done in the past?

Nancy Kline observed: the quality of everything we do and feel as a human being depends on the quality of the independent thinking we do first. Furthermore, I notice that what and how we think determines how we show up in the way we connect with others. And, what we think impacts our lives in the way that we feel: joy or sadness, liberated or limited, hope or resignation.

What if we would, more intentionally, generate the best thinking in others and ourselves, for the good of all? What if with creativity, courage and commitment we chose to become a thinking environment for others?

A radical approach

Being a thinking environment is radical because we are inviting people to think for themselves, as themselves. In our society, from our earliest days, through our education system, we have been given information to learn and regurgitate and we have been told to conform. We are rewarded for taking in the knowledge of those more experienced around us, and then repeating it back or rewriting it.

Listening free of judgement, with empathy

To be a thinking environment for others is to master the art of listening, free of interruption, free of judgment. When we listen free of judgment, we allow the mirror neurons of empathy to do their work.

Listening to free rather than to direct the mind

To be a thinking environment for others is to free them. It is to free their mind rather than direct it. Generating the best independent thinking in others in this world is rare. It is rare because people are not used to doing it or experiencing it.

Listening to release creativity

Being a thinking environment for others enables creativity to emerge. The thinking it can ignite way outside the box never, ever ceases to amaze me. The nature of independent thinking is our capacity to tap into that innate creativity, that willingness to be a vulnerable explorer. Because when we remove the outer layers we have put on over the years, to protect ourselves and others the layers accumulated through our experiences, the environments we have lived and worked in, the people we have met we reveal the innate creativity and resourcefulness we have been granted as a human being.

Listening to deepen self-awareness

It is a privilege to hold a non-judgmental view, a positive philosophical view, that the human being in front of me, the mind in front of me, is an oasis of richness.

To witness their gifts and their talents, some of which they may not realise they have, or have not surfaced because they havent been given the opportunity to express themselves as themselves. To observe the sense of ease they experience, free from the need to be or say what they think others want them to be or say.

Listening with the promise not to interrupt

Its not just that Im not going to interrupt you. Its the fact that you know Im not going to interrupt you. That is the difference and it is significant. Because it gives you that chance to really think for yourself, not being in fear that, any minute, Im going to jump in, either to paraphrase what youve said, to seek understanding or to ask you a question that will take you away from your thoughts and feelings.

How do we help others think well for themselves?

The finest independent thinking emerges when we demonstrate a particular set of behaviours towards others. Applied individually they make a difference to the quality of thinking. Embodying them as a system has a transforming effect. Helping others to think well for themselves with rigour, courage, imagination and grace is to behave in ways that let other people know that they matter. Heres how we can do it.

Giving our attention

Giving my attention, a palpable respect for what you are saying, an interest in where you might go next, and a promise that I wont interrupt you as you share your thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

Being at ease

Being at ease ourselves as the listener, free of the internal rush that we might have or the urgency that life might impose upon us will enable others to think more clearly.

Holding equalityHolding the sense of equality that we all have equal capacity to think for ourselves, as ourselves, and that we will take equal turns to speak.

Giving encouragementGiving others courage, encouraging them to go to the edge of their thinking, perhaps where they havent thought before. We might ask: What more do you feel or think or want to say? to encourage them to think further and express more of how they feel.

Offering appreciationWhen we appreciate others for a quality we recognise in them five times more than we critique their learning needs or development areas they will think more imaginatively.

Expressing feelingsHolding a safe environment for others to express their feelings, freeing them to think more clearly. Pent up feelings, or fears of retribution for self-expression, cloud and stifle thinking.

Sharing informationHelping others think well for themselves means being willing to share information when they ask for it. The discipline here is to only offer information that comes from our own experience and feelings, free from attachment, that will assist their thinking further, rather than giving infantilising advice.

Celebrating differenceRecognising our differences and celebrating them. Each and every one of us is unique as a human being. That is the reality. And we all think better when we celebrate that difference and ensure that we bring it into our organisations, into our communities, into our projects, into our teams.

Asking incisive questionsDeveloping the capacity to ask incisive questions, those questions that bust through limiting assumptions. When we challenge a limiting assumption that is untrue, we can create a new, more liberating alternative and pose it in a question thats hypothetical, one that enables the brain to play rather than obey.

Creating a place that says you matterHelping others think well for themselves is to create a place that says You matter. It is about paying attention to the environment itself: Have I taken care of your needs? Is it free of distraction? Place also includes our own physical bodies. Are we refreshed so we can think well and contribute? And, as the listener, the quality of attention you are giving is generating a place that says you matter.

To be a thinking environment is to be a catalyst, to potentially ignite a transformation in others, to provide a space for them to be their best selves.

Why does it matter?

Transforming our perspectivesIm noticing, more than ever now, that its not the differences that generate the unrest, the disturbance, and the suffering that we see in our world today. It is the assumptions that we hold about those differences. The assumptions that we have grown up with. The assumptions we have become embroiled in from watching television or social media. And this is why independent thinking matters. Because it breaks limiting assumptions open. Because it liberates every one of us to think freely, to speak up for what we believe, what we know to be true. Each and every human being on this planet whatever colour, whatever gender, whatever age they are deserves to be treated with dignity.

Transforming our contributionsI believe that being a thinking environment is a gift, one that we can learn, we can practice, we can master. And when we do so, we are enabling somebody to be who they were meant to be. To think for themselves, as themselves. To enrich their own life, to contribute to the lives of others, and to make a difference in the world.

Transforming our strugglesThinking independently also generates a sense of hope. As I think of people Ive met, and stories of huge struggle Ive listened to, whats kept people going and got them out of struggle is their sense of hope. Taking a decision to show up as a thinking environment is to make a positive philosophical choice about people, and about the goodness in the world, and to be willing to create this environment for others. To resist the urge to interrupt. To resist the urge to fix somebody else. To resist the urge to fix the problem for somebody else. To create the opportunity for people to grow for themselves as themselves. To encourage them to navigate their way through a crisis and develop their gifts and talents as a human being. To respect and celebrate their uniqueness.

What if?What if 2020 is the perfect vision we have been given to see the world afresh, with new eyes, open hearts, and ears to listen more deeply, free from judgement? What if 2020 is the year we embrace change, in a way unlike we have ever done in the past? What if we would, more intentionally, generate the best thinking in others and ourselves, for the good of all?

As the International Coach Federation celebrates 25 years, these questions are high on our agenda. Join us in these reflections on how we as coaches and development professionals can help organisations and individuals thrive in the midst of the global challenges we all face together.

http://www.coachfederation.org/about

http://www.coachfederation.org.uk

http://www.experiencecoaching.com

Read more here:
A Thinking Environment | theHRD - The HR Director Magazine

EVENTS Virtual Author Reading: Jen Sincero Badass Habits. 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11, boulderbookstore.net. Tickets are $26-$36 on Eventbrite and include a copy of the book.

Habit busting and building goes way beyond becoming a dedicated flosser or never showing up late again our habits reveal our unmet desires, the gaps in our boundaries, our level of self-awareness, and our unconscious beliefs and fears. Badass Habits features Jen Sinceros trademark hilarious voice and offers a much-needed fresh take on the conventional wisdom and science that shape the optimism (or pessimism?) around the age-old topic of habits. The book includes enlightening interviews with people whove successfully strengthened their discipline backbones, new perspective on how to train our brains to become our best selves, and offers a simple, 21-day, step-by-step guide for ditching habits that dont serve us and developing the habits we deem most important.

The Eklund Opera Program brings the Brothers Grimm to Macky Auditorium with Engelbert Humperdincks decadent opera Hansel and Gretel. Indulge your imagination as you join two children venturing into the woods in search of something sweet to eat. With deliciously rich orchestration, simmering wit and a sumptuous witch hiding out in a candy-coated cottage, this famous fairy tale is delightful at any age.

On Dec. 11, the Firehouse Art Center hosts the fourth annual juried student show from Front Range Community Colleges Boulder County Campus in Longmont. Students experience the challenges and joys of presenting their work professionally, from documenting their pieces to professional framing. This year, as students have been unable to meet for classes on campus, the show provides what for many is the first opportunity to see their classmates recent work in person. The show is a competitive entry open to all art students from Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Summer 2020 and the current semester. Prizes are arranged in categories: 3D Design, Drawing, Photo and Painting. There will also be a Best of Show prize and a VP Purchase award, in which the college purchases work for its permanent collection.

Ring in the holidays with the spirited sounds of the brass and percussion sections of the Boulder Philharmonic. From Deck the Halls to music for Hanukkah, Gabrieli and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, this colorful and wide-ranging program is sure to leave you in the holiday spirit. This is a digital event offered to the community please give what you can to support the Boulder Phils mission and musicians.

This lecture will introduce klezmer music as a kind of Jewish dialogue, or Jewish discourse. Klezmer is Jewish instrumental music from Eastern Europe, and it comes from the same culture as the Yiddish literature of Sholem Aleichem, S. J. Abramovitsh and others. It makes sense that the music and literature of this culture would share certain features. But can we specify what those are? Or are music and literature too distinct? Professor Yonatan Malin will address these questions from cognitive, cultural and music-analytical perspectives. Musical examples will include recordings from the early 20th century to today. Register prior to the lecture.

Slow down to enjoy the winter scenery, sounds and seasonal changes with naturalist Martin Ogle. This walk is for adults and children age 8 and older. Meet at the entrance to Coal Creek just south of Ryan Elementary School where Centaur Village Drive ends at Centaur Circle. RSVP required.

For this virtual event, Opera On Tap Colorado pairs video artists with song cycles groups of songs that share a narrative theme to create something collaborative and also safe for singers and audience members. Five Opera on Tap Colorado singers Nnamdi Nwankwo, Asha Romeo, Jerome Sbulo, Luisa Marie Rodriguez and Julie Silver Campbell have recorded four song cycles of works by Richard Strauss, Ernesto Cordero, Robert Owens and Nkeiru Okoye. Four video submissions from around the country were chosen, including Cai (NYC), David Fodel (Colorado), Annanya George (Colorado) and Corwin Evans (Los Angeles).

The Kid. Through Dec. 13.

The great Charlie Chaplin wrote and directed his first feature-length film, The Kid, in 1921. He incorporates his usual slapstick comedy with an endearing story of the Little Tramps adoption of an orphaned kid of the streets, played by Jackie Coogan. As it says in an introductory title card, it is a story that brings a smile and perhaps a tear.

Mighty Like A Moose. Through Dec. 13.

Charlie Chase, one of the lesser known silent clowns, brings his whimsical touch to this short comedy. Mr. and Mrs. Moose each have physical attributes that need cosmetic attention. Once they visit the dentist and doctor, respectively, they are so wonderfully changed in appearance, they do not recognize each other and begin a madcap flirtation.

Three Summers. Through Dec. 30.

Showcasing the rare talents of Brazilian acting legend Regina Cas star of The Second Mother the latest feature from director Sandra Kogut is a brilliant comedy about gross class disparity and the infinite resourcefulness of those who can never take anything for granted.

Markie in Milwaukee. Through Jan. 1.

A 7-foot-tall fundamentalist Baptist minister, Markie Wenzel finally began living as female at age 46. It was a decision that ended her 20-year marriage, estranged her children and exiled her from the church that defined her. Filmed over a decade, Matt Kliegmans acclaimed documentary asks: When your loved ones wont accept you for who you are, how can you accept yourself?

When asylum-seeking immigrants are released from the Aurora ICE detention facility onto unfamiliar streets in Colorado, where can they go for help? Since 2012, Sarah Jackson and her team of volunteers at Casa de Paz have welcomed them into her home and helped to reunite them with their families.

This special film screening event will benefit three Gerogia-based immigrant hospitality groups El Refugio, Casa Alterna and Paz Amigos culminating in a panel discussion and Q&A including:

Anton Flores-Maisonet, founder of El Refugio and Casa Alterna

Michelle Fierro, El Refugios Post-Release Coordinator

Monica Whatley, Paz Amigos volunteer

Sarah Jackson, Casa de Pazs founder

Read more from the original source:
What to do when there's 'nothing' to do... - Boulder Weekly

By Kate Snowise5 minute Read

Working parents are living through not merely a global pandemic but a new version of the work/life balance conundrum. Parents of school-age children all over the country are trying to manage distance learning for their kids while also keeping up with work obligations and maintaining their sanity. As psychologist Heather Beckett puts it, were amid a COVID-induced work/life muddle that is unlike anything weve experienced before.

The American Psychological Association acknowledges this crisis creates extreme stress and highlights that parents are reporting significantly higher stress levels than their nonparent counterparts. Recent data suggests that Google searches have shifted away from concerns around COVID itself at the beginning of the pandemic to how we can deal with everything else that comes with it.

All working parents know this is hard, but what can we actually do to make ourselves feel better? Popular go-to stress management approaches encourage us to take up meditation, start doing more yoga, or peacefully inhale a few deep breaths to recenter ourselves. Yet when the pressure is mounting, the to-do list is never-ending, and you have a child in the background playing a recorder poorly during an online music class, being encouraged to take a deep breath or stretch it out does not feel useful. Its like telling an enraged human to calm downits unlikely to be received well. Practical approaches that make a noticeable difference are what were all craving.

During my training as a psychologist, I focused my research on stress management and well-being. I have since coached and trained thousands of individuals on how they can proactively manage the demands in their lives, and avoid falling into a pit of overwhelm and despair when the pressure comes on. Knowing the theory is great, but in reality, application matters more. During this bizarre year, Ive had to personally apply my expertise to cope with the extra stressors, as Ive navigated increasing client loads while also being the primary caregiver to 6- and 8-year-old boys.

As a working parent during COVID, these are the three areas I have focused on to help increase my self-awareness, build my resilience, and maintain my focus.

When were experiencing high pressure levels, our first go-to should always be to manage, mitigate, or reduce that pressure directly. This is referred to as problem-focused coping. These are active strategies that deal directly with the demands we face and focus on what we are actually going to do about it.

A little forethought into schedules and preparing for upcoming demands reduces the high-stress moments that can otherwise send us around the bend. Planning might look like taking a glance at your week before you launch in and mapping out where you will likely fit in key-work blocks. Or a simple stress-relieving hack is to create a weekly dinner plan, so that you arent on the back foot at the end of the day, scurrying around, trying to work out what to eat.

Planning helps you psychologically prepare for the demands youre facing and put a strategy in place to know what it will take to get it done or identify where you might need help. It keeps you on your front foot and minimizes the risk that youll end up in the stressful predicament of trying to play catch up further down the road.

Not all coping strategies are made equal. Some are adaptive, while others are maladaptive. When we cannot control the pressure were experiencing directly, we have to draw from our emotional energy stores and simply cope with it. This is called emotion-focused coping.

Self-care and social connection are positive and adaptive methods that restore our emotional energy. They fill us up and give us the energy to deal with another day. And while Im all for refilling our cups, research from early in the pandemic suggests that people are using more maladaptive coping strategies, such as numbing and avoidance, than adaptive strategies to deal with the COVID-19 pressures.

As humans, when we cant escape the pressure, we will naturally find a way to deal with it. When were feeling taxed, we often turn toward quick relievers that make us feel good in the short-term but undermine our emotional energy in the longer run. Examples of such maladaptive strategies may include drinking alcohol or abusing other substances, numbing out on social media, or overeating. They make us feel good in the moment, but ultimately harm us and erode our resilience in the longer term. Being conscious and honest about our coping habits helps us turn away from the strategies that will likely only bring us further down and towards those which are nourishing.

Mindset plays a crucial role in our ability to resist stress. How we perceive the pressure we are experiencing impacts how we cope with it. Recent research indicates that how difficult a parent perceives quarantine to be is a crucial factor that impacts both parents and childrens well-being. Simply put, if we are continually evaluating a situation as too much, or something we hate or dont want, we wont deal with it as well. Were too busy using up our emotional strength on resisting what merely is and are more likely to end up stressed and overwhelmed.

One of the greatest hacks to our perception that is also associated with our overall well-being is gratitude. While more recently, the positive psychology movement has highlighted the power of gratitude, our wisdom and spiritual traditions have always valued it. When we intentionally shift our focus to what we still have to be thankful for, we pull the energy away from all the things were not happy about or wish were different. Then we feel happier in our hearts, minds, and spirits. It shifts the lens through which we are viewing our situation and enables us to cope better.

A simple way to do this is to foster a daily practice of bringing to mind what you are grateful for. It can sound like a chore, but three minutes when you first sit at your desk and open your computer can shift your perspective for hours to come. While a quick and dirty 10 things youre grateful for list can help as an emergency perception shifter when you really need to refocus, it is even better if you make it a daily practice and weave it into your routine.

Kate Snowise (MS Psychology) is an executive coach and stress management expert, who helps leaders create balanced and fulfilling careers. To find out more, head to http://www.thrive.how.

Read the original here:
Parenting through the pandemic - Fast Company

In the winter of 2018, Gwen Kansen, a 33-year-old self-professed liberal, met a man called Elias in a bar. Within minutes, she knew he was intense. His phone screensaver was of Pepe the Frog a symbol of the alt-right movement. His style reminded her of a Confederate soldier, and he wore badges proudly proclaiming his hatred for political correctness.

It was not long before he disclosed he was a member of the Proud Boys, a far-right, male-only political organization. Still, Kansen didnt put an end to the date. They drank rum and cokes; spoke about music, books and exes; and that night, he walked her home. The two had a brief fling. Later, Kansen wrote an article about coming to terms with her so-called liberal beliefs while still choosing to entertain the affair.

The article was met with backlash. People spammed her Twitter, questioning her morals, dating standards and self awareness. How could a so-called liberal woman choose to date a member of a group known for its anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric, associations with extremist gatherings, and a white nationalist agenda? The consequences of this group are real-life harm: death threats, racial slurs, violence and even murder, and yet Kansen saw it as an opportunity to dabble in a forbidden experience.

The story might sound extreme, especially following a summer of listening and learning. Following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, many white Americans have spent the past year taking part in a social justice movement online and on the ground, combating systemic racism and opposing police brutality. Bookstores sold out of race education books, social media timelines were consumed with Black Lives Matter support, and protests drew diverse crowds.

Stop treating protests like Coachella: influencers criticized for capitalizing on movement

But then we saw the election results. Trump won the support of 74 million Americans this year including 55% of white women and 61% of white men. Even in liberal hotbeds like New York, California and Washington, Trump maintained 48%, 47%, and 36% of the white vote.

Given continued white support for a man who has refused to denounce white supremacy, lied about the severity of the coronavirus, and hasnt been shy about his sexist and misogynistic beliefs, can liberal white Americans really be doing the groundwork their social media profiles would have you believe?

I thought maybe the [Proud Boys] were four steps away from the Nazis, Kansen said by phone one Monday evening. I now realize maybe theyre one or two.

When speaking with Kansen, I was curious to know her definition of liberal. Im a Democrat. Ill be friends with anyone, like anyone from different sides of the political spectrum. I guess that makes me liberal, she said. Liberals are more open to experiences.

Maybe they are. But a woman of color would be physically threatened if their date exposed their Proud Boy membership over a few drinks. Kansen, a white woman, did not feel at risk and so it was partly her privilege not her tolerance that gave her a hall pass to entertain a member of a white supremacist group.

Although she compares them to the Nazi party, she still felt a relationship with a Proud Boy was fair game. If youre saying that Im more interested in myself than I am in having integrity towards a cause then yeah, youre right, she said. Kansens date isnt one most would consider progressive, but she liked him, and so what she saw as her liberal duties slid. Kansens ability to set aside the mans differences extreme ones that contribute to a systemic problem liberals claim to want to dismantle is not so uncommon, especially among family members and longtime friends: 35% of Biden voters in 2020 reported they have a few close friends who supported Trump.

Does this simply come down to being more accepting of others political views? A superior mastery of compartmentalization? Or does it stem from a place of selfishness, as ultimately it is not their wellbeing that will suffer?

And what should it leave us to believe about the inner workings, impact and true beliefs of self-professed liberals who behave in ways that dont align with those beliefs?

Amanda Booth first witnessed the phenomenon of labeling yourself progressive online while endorsing different values in real life when her white co-workers mentioned buying property in East Austin. The area is popularly known as a redlined neighborhood, primarily housing Austins Black and brown community. Recently, the East Side has undergone major renovations with new modern houses, trendy bars, and local coffee shops, as gentrification pushes out the original inhabitants of the area.

But when Booth, a 24-year old content designer in Austin, confronted her co-workers by explaining that Black and Hispanic people were being displaced from the area, her remarks were met with silence. Both of these guys proudly express themselves as being more on the progressive side of the Democratic party, Booth said. Mind you, both of them have houses on the East Side now.

Its not enough to believe in racial justice and that Black people deserve things. White people need to begin giving up their privilege. The least they can do is try to plug into Austins anti-displacement efforts. But I dont really see those people doing that, Booth continued.

Online, her co-workers share a lot of anti-racist rhetoric. They share videos by Black activists and quotes like Its not enough to be not racist. You have to be anti-racist. But Booth thinks people are watering anti-racism down if they are putting in very little practical effort to match their online beliefs.

Blackout Tuesday: black squares dominate social media and spark debate

There is this cognitive dissonance where they are like, Oh yeah, our city is so segregated. Our systems are built on racism and anti-Black sentiment. But then they dont give up anything, she says. They feel like realizing it, or accepting their privilege, is enough.

Very high-profile examples of police shootings coupled with the breathtaking rise in incarceration, maternal and infant mortality, and coronavirus deaths in the Black community have inspired a great awakening for people especially white people seeing it for the first time. But what if this has led to a shift in posturing, without a real shift in accountability?

People intellectually understand white privilege and can see it, but also like how it makes their life easier, explains Shannon Cavanagh, an associate professor in the department of sociology and a faculty research associate at the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Those guys who buy in East Austin because its cool and hip and cheaper than living on West 6th Street might be displacing a faceless Black family but there is a Whole Foods now and a cool bar scene, she says, adding: They wanna do the right thing but its hard financially mostly and the status quo actually works for them.

The fake indicator of progress of acknowledging privilege publicly while working against it privately has tricked many white liberals into thinking they are actively bettering conditions for people of color. Social media holds an immense influence in this way of thinking. Its simple to tweet that youre doing the work, add #BLM to your bio, attend a protest and donate to a bail fund not without posting photos and screengrabs, of course but once it comes down to the real, hard work, the momentum stops. Oftentimes, our social media presence reflects how we want to be perceived, rather than our authentic selves, or our real day-to-day experience. Being woke is on trend at the moment, and everyone is tapping in, virtually at least.

The issues that helped awaken folks to systemic racism police killings, mass incarceration, Covid deaths are fundamentally structural and require a structural response, Cavanagh explains. Racism is baked into our medical system, educational system, housing, employment sure, white people need to do more individually but our institutions are the things that really need to change.

Despite racism being a structural problem, individual actions still matter. But, Cavanagh warns, people may believe in equality while opting out of decisions that are hard for them personally. Voting can be thought of as a relatively low-cost act of solidarity and commitment to justice, unlike cutting off ties to your racist mother, she says.

The events of the last decade or so much of it illuminated and amplified by social media have made white people confront systemic racism in a new way. Or it might all be performative social media is a performance and being racially woke is a new flavor.

Whether it be cutting off relationships with people who vote to uphold white nationalist beliefs (after trying to educate them, of course) or opting for a neighborhood that wont place you as a gentrifier, there are several ways that white liberals can practice what they post. By giving up privilege, higher salaries, houses in gentrified parts of Texas, and other situations that convenience them, white liberals could prove that theyre actually doing the work, beyond lip service and black squares. Maybe thats why white people keep voting for Trump they are invested, financially but also psychologically, in keeping the society tipped in our favor, Cavanagh says.

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White clicktivism: why are some Americans woke online but not in real life? - The Guardian

Picking up from last weeks two-on-one cliffhanger, the beginning of Tuesdays The Bachelorette found Tayshia Adams in the middle of Bennett and Noahs bickering, which she dubbed teenage boy drama. Bennett brought up the fact that every time he speaks with Noah its like speaking to a 14-year-old. On the other hand, Noah didnt appreciate Bennett telling him he had a 0 percent chance of being with Tayshia in the end. The fact that I have to sit here and listen to you guys talk about this is ridiculous, Tayshia said.

When Tayshia asked about Bennetts box, his gift of remembrances to Noah, she asked if Bennett wanted to talk alone, especially since she felt he had questioned her integrity. She didnt feel he had the right to tell anyone she wouldnt end up with someone. The guys were on the show for her not him. Instead of digging a deeper hole, Bennett apologized but felt the drama being stirred was coming solely from Noah. His attempts to school Tayshia on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management fell flat, but Tayshia took his words in stride nonetheless.

While alone with Noah, Tayshia told him she was glad to be able to uncover who he was with each conversation but had grown confused about him due to the drama, in which he seems to be the common denominator. Noah pushed back, blaming Bennett for having a condescending attitude, something he felt Tayshia should be more aware of in case she ends up with him and has to deal with that crucial aspect of his behavior. I think you deserve more than that, he said. I dont think people should be talked to like theyre less.

SEE The Bachelorette episode 8 recap: Tayshias men bare all as Bennett vs. Noah reaches a tipping point

When the moment of truth arrived, Tayshia, after thoughtful explanations of the pros and cons of each particularly Bennetts worrisome condescension and Noahs uncertainty of being ready for marriage she asked Bennett to leave. Visibly surprised, Bennett apologized again, but the damage had been done. Even so, Tayshia admitted she hoped she made the right call. Not the goodbye I expected at all, she said. Sending Bennett home didnt feel right. He couldnt understand. He was trying to figure it out and it just felt so weird. It just did not feel right, especially when hes such a good person. I just hope Im making the right decision. Rejoining Noah, Tayshia reminded him that Bennetts departure wasnt his victory and stopped short of giving him the rose, choosing instead to make him wait along with the others at the rose ceremony.

At the cocktail party, Noah brought the guys up to speed on Tayshias big decisions. When Tayshia arrived, she emphasized the fact she was glad to put the drama aside and was simply excited to see everyone. As difficult as that two-on-one was, it was so important for me to address it, she said. Im happy that its done and its in the past because I really just want to focus on the relationships I have left. At the rose ceremony, she notably spared Noah and eliminated Demar, Ed and, in somewhat of a surprise, early favorite Spencer.

The next day, guest host JoJo Fletcher informed the seven remaining guys that hometown week is approaching. Zac particularly became emotional at the thought of Tayshia meeting his parents, whom he described as his heroes. With tears flowing, the sheer reality of it all hit him hard. JoJo also dropped off a date card, a one-on-one with Ben, which began as a playful treasure hunt around the resort. At dinner, Tayshia aimed to peel back the layers of Bens insistence of being perfect and guarded. Having grown up with expectations of perfection, he admitted longing for more emotionally, giving credence to his reluctance to be open and vulnerable. He also shared how important his sister is in his life, especially after she helped him during a low point when he contemplated suicide. Happy that Ben took positive steps toward progressing their relationship in what she felt was a breakthrough moment, Tayshia gave him a rose. Their evening ended with a private concert by country singer/songwriter Adam Hambrick.

The group date consisted of Zac, Brendan, Ivan, Noah, and Riley, who were each faced with taking a polygraph test. Tayshia, who noted telling the truth was important to her having been divorced, competed first and drew surprises when the polygraph caught her in a lie regarding whether or not she regretted sending anyone home. (Brendan suggested Bennett). Highlights of other tests: Brendan suggesting he wasnt ready to meet Tayshias family; Rileys real name is a mystery; Noah misses his mustache; and Zac was once a cheater, which could be a potential dealbreaker in Tayshias eyes.

SEEThe Bachelorette episode 7 recap: Tayshia bonds with Ivan over race and fires back at the guys

At the after-party, Tayshia was on the search for answers. Cheating does not sit well with me and thats nothing I will tolerate, she told Zac. Loyalty is such a big deal to me and I literally cannot invest in someone again and have that happen. I will not date a cheater. Zac admitted he cheated on his first girlfriend but he also humorously revealed it happened in the sixth grade. Zac then proceeded to tell Tayshia hes falling in love with her and she told him she felt the same. Riley particularly revealed he changed his name due to deep-rooted family issues. For me, trust is everything, she said. I cant get families involved if I dont trust the men. At the end of the night, she opted not to give a rose because she simply needed more time to determine where things stood with everyone.

When Tayshia returned to her suite, she was startlingly met at the door by Bennett. He again apologized for questioning her integrity and went further by saying he loved her and hoped perhaps he could return to the competition. She admitted she was speechless and confused about the situation and would give him an answer the next day.

Next week, the drama intensifies as back-to-back episodes Monday and Tuesday are likely to produce major bombshells and tears. Will Bennett stay? Will Noah go? And get ready for The Men to Tell All too. Buckle up!

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The Bachelorette episode 9 recap: Just when you thought he was out, one guy (tries to) pull himself back in - Gold Derby

Photo: MANDEL NGAN (Getty Images )

Breakups can be difficult, especially when one side didnt see it coming.

President Trump is really struggling with America telling him that theyve moved on. Hes still trying to make America love him again and its just not working. At some point, the president has to realize that it doesnt matter how many court cases he brings, or how many times he claims voter fraud, America has moved on. Its probably best that the president do the same.

But who are we kidding? That would imply that the president for the next month and a half has a sense of self-awareness and no one has ever said that this president is good at reading the room. So now, after all 50 states have certified the election results making Joe Biden the next president of the United States, 17 states are following Texas lead and want the Supreme Court to overturn Bidens win because they dont like it.

In what can only be considered the largest case of Let me speak to your manager in the history of America, on Wednesday, some 17 states all won by Trump have decided to join Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons bid to file a lawsuit that could effectively reverse President-elect Joe Bidens projected Electoral College victory, CNBC reports.

The 17 states are the sundown state, racist state, the state of racism, we are a racist state, Blacks arent welcomed here state, Mississippi, racism state, Alabama, hatred of coloreds state, Florida, the state of not caring for Black people, the police will beat you for no reason state, we love guns state, smuggling moonshine state, fuck your masks state, pickup trucks state, and West Virginia.

Trump has been begging for his racist coalition to form racist Voltron and go destroy some shit and racist state attorney generals finally listened. Meanwhile, Paxton, the Texas Attorney General who started all of this shit, is under indictment for state felony securities fraud charges CNBC reports.

G/O Media may get a commission

The whole thing is bullshit. Legit and utter bullshit. None of this is going anywhere but who doesnt love friends who support their exhaustive theories around breakups? Basically, these 17 states plus Texas are all of Trumps fuck love girlfriends.

Hes even having lunch, a private lunch, with several Republican state attorney generals Thursday.

According to the White House, Trump is reportedly hosting the private lunch to discuss issues important to their citizens and the country, CBS correspondent, Weijia Jiang, tweeted on Wednesday.

This is a basic bitch brunch in which everyone gathered will get drunk off mimosas made with really cheap champagne and tell the president how wrong America is for leaving him.

But, dont worry, America. Even the Supreme Court cant make us get back together with him.

President Trump has been pushing this claim on Twitter (which has basically auto-formatted all of the presidents tweets to include a this nigga is lying disclaimer) that he won Florida and Ohio, yet somehow lost the presidency which has never happened in the history of America.

His lawyer even claimed it in a Supreme Court filing on the presidents behalf.

President Trump prevailed on nearly every historical indicia of success in presidential elections. For example, he won both Florida and Ohio; no candidate in historyRepublican or Democrathas ever lost the election after winning both States, John Eastman, Trumps attorney wrote in this filing.

The Washington Post has confirmed using a secret research interframe called Google, which I believe is a French word for Encyclopedia, and found that Richard Nixon won both Ohio and Florida and lost to John F. Kennedy.

Nixon earned 219 electoral votes, including 10 from Florida and 25 from Ohio. Kennedy won 303 electoral votes and the presidency, the Post reports. Trump was a 14-year-old, somehow drawing hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from his fathers real estate business in New York.

Burnsauce, which is whitespeak for Gotcha, bitch.

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GTFOH Trump Watch: Hes Taking This Breakup Really Hard - The Root

The reboot of Saved by the Bell, released on NBCUniversals Peacock platform just in time for Thanksgiving, gave me all the feelings a reboot is supposed to (and that so few actually do): the nostalgia of revisiting an old favorite; the thrill of remixing said favorite in new and surprising ways; and the anticipation of what this hybrid voice could say and do next.

The 10-episode season is a faithful-enough rendition of the early-90s touchstone. Its still set at the fictional Bayside High School, and most of the original cast has returned as aged versions of their classic characters. Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is the governor of California; Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley Lauren) is a Bayside guidance counselor; Slater (Mario Lopez) coaches the football team. Many of the new faces also have a direct connection to the first Saved by the Bell: Both Zacks son Mac (Mitchell Hoog) and Jessies son Jamie (Belmont Cameli) attend the 2020 version of Bayside, forming a bridge between the shows two generations. But crucially, this new series isnt just a reboot of Saved by the Bell.

This retooled version was developed by Tracey Wigfield, a onetime 30 Rock producer who went on to create the delightful NBC sitcom Great News. A mother-daughter workplace comedy set at a local New Jersey news station, Great News ably channeled 30 Rocks meta satire and antic ethos. A Season 2 subplot echoed Peter Thiels legal war on Gawker, while Nicole Richies narcissistic coanchor proved a worthy successor to Jenna Maroney; Tina Fey guest-starred as a pantsuited girlboss. And yet Great News was cruelly canceled before it could fully hit its stride. Quirk is a hard sell when its not wrapped in a more palatable package, especially on broadcast TV.

Enter the Trojan horse of IP. Saved by the Bell may look and sound like, well, Saved by the Bell, but it feels and acts like an extension of the 30 RockGreat News lineage. Thats because it is. Just as Jessie and Slater create a visual link to their previous work, so does John Michael Higgins, who played a blowhard boss on Great News and now portrays Baysides ineffectual Principal Toddman. Queen bee Lexi Haddad-DeFabrizio (Josie Totah) easily assumes the mantle of resident blond egomaniac, complete with her own reality show. Most of all, the jokes are a telltale mix of dense, niche, and absurd; running through the football teams many losses, Slater lists opponents East Beverly, South Beverly, and the Beverly Johnson School for Models, which sounds not unlike the Sheinhardt Wig Company.

In other words, Saved by the Bell targets a nostalgia both broader and shorter term than a yearning for elaborate pranks and sky-high hairdos. Great News went off the air just three years ago, but the kind of show it representsan original premise, executed with verveis an endangered species. But what if the very cause of this categorys death could also be its saving grace? Depending on your level of cynicism, thats the thrilling possibility and/or acceptable compromise of Saved by the Bell. Maybe recognizable voices like Wigfields can continue to thrive in adjusted form. And just as importantly, maybe reboots like Saved by the Bell dont have to be joyless exercises in cosplaying the monocultures glory days.

Saved by the Bell arrives slightly past the peak of 90s nostalgia as epitomized by resurrected sitcoms, efforts that have been by turns successful (Fuller House), half-hearted (Murphy Brown), and troubled (Roseanne). Its also part of the larger move to diversify aging properties by changing the protagonists identity, giving a small-c conservative trend a progressive face. This approach can yield dividends, like One Day at a Time reinventing itself as a multigenerational story about a Cuban American family in L.A. It can also seem borderline ludicrous; somehow, it just made sense when the film production that shut down a major Los Angeles testing site turned out to be the gender-swapped remake of Shes All That.

Superficially, Saved by the Bell fits this model to a T. Lexi is trans; the football teams new quarterback is female; the remixed theme song is performed by Lil Yachty. Unlike so many cosmetic rebrands, Saved by the Bell has an organic explanation for demographic shifts: Due to budget shortcuts, already underfunded schools in California are closed outright, their student bodies integrated into more affluent institutions like Bayside. Our new heroine Daisy (Haskiri Velazquez), an overachieving idealist who takes charge of Baysides student government, was originally a student at Douglas. Her best friend Aisha (Alycia Pascual-Pea) is the aforementioned quarterback, while their former Douglas High classmate DeVante (Dexter Darden) signs up for the school musical.

The collision of Douglas and Bayside generates plenty of story, but also serious themes, as befits Saved by the Bells legacy as a font of Very Special Episodes. When DeVante is accused of pushing another student, his disciplinary hearing becomes a case study in racial stereotyping and a rigged legal system; when Aisha starts dating a wealthy classmate, their class disparities start to make her uncomfortable. Remarkably, Saved by the Bell becomes one of TVs better meditations on educational equity and the challenges of integration, as much a cousin of the hit podcast Nice White Parents as a descendant of its namesake.

Sometimes, the shows goofball tone can be an odd match with its hand-me-down baggage. Velazquez inherits the record-scratch-freeze-frame device once operated by Gosselaar, but the fourth-wall breaks can sometimes feel forced, breaking the fast-paced dialogues momentum. And as delightful as it is to watch Nomi Malone herself deliver 30 Rockshaped punch lines, the older generation doesnt always feel as suited to the new sensibility as younger actors who were cast with it in mind. Mostly, though, the shows silly streak helps its message-forward medicine go down. Well-meaning Bayside parents form an advocacy group whose name abbreviates to P.I.T.Y.; Lexis aforementioned reality show is a spot-on spoof of Becoming Caitlin, wrapping earnest exposition in a fitting successor to Queen of Jordan.

For reboot skeptics, the winking self-awareness also helps fight IP fatigue. Saved by the Bells premise isnt nearly as meta as a TV show about making TV like 30 Rock or Great News, but postmodern jokes are still par for the course. Sometimes they double as class commentary, like when Daisy cant believe Bayside students eat lunch every day at a full-blown restaurant. Sometimes theyre a nod to an entire genre, like the running bit when background players look increasingly older and unlikely to be in high school, just like its leads. (Velazquez is 25; Hoog is 21). Whatever the gist, these cracks assure viewers that Saved by the Bell is perfectly aware of what it is and what trends its a part of. If the writers can relax enough to laugh at the chaos of a fractured industry desperate for nostalgia grabs, so can we.

Its difficult to balance sincerity and irony as Saved by the Bell does. It may be easier to outsource its approach to reinvigorating stale IP. After all, Saved by the Bell does have a creative signature, the sort of distinctive voice Hollywood prizes in theory and steamrolls in practice through its relentless focus on brands and franchisesits just not using said signature as its initial hook, like a Taika Waititi movie smuggled inside a space opera about a thunder god. (Never mind that, when it comes to trusting auteurs, Thor: Ragnarok is the exception that proves Marvels rule.) The necessity of such a bait and switch can be depressing; is the only way to earn green-lights and eyeballs these days through a de facto sleight of hand? But if reboots are Hollywoods future, Saved by the Bell shows one promising way to adapt.

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This Is How to Make a Reboot in 2020 - The Ringer

The Bold And The Beautifuls (B&B) Liam Spencer has been written into a corner. Fans used to root for their favorite, Steffy or Hope, to win him over but these days he doesnt seem like much of prize. Could he be the worst man on daytime TV?

His most recent gaffe was jumping the gun when he thought he saw Hope kissing Thomas. However, she didnt betray him at all. What Liam saw was a deluded Thomas kissing a mannequin. But in his mind it more than justified cheating on her with Steffy.

Want B&B spoilers? Check out Bold And The Beautiful Spoilers For The Next Two Weeks (December 7 18, 2020)

Kiss or no kiss, the Steam hookup was inevitably going to happen. The moment Steffys new man Finn came into the picture, Liam realized she was slipping out of his reach. He was just waiting for Hope to screw up so he could reel Steffy in again. He cant fathom being relegated to the role of ex-husband in either womans life.

Liam lacks maturity on many levels. Not only did he leap to the wrong conclusion about Hope and Thomas, but he also made the situation a thousand times worse by his own dirty deed. Of course, this has been Liams modus operandi for years and its one of the reasons fans have dubbed him The Waffler and The Flip Flopper. Sleeping with Steffy was just the most current in a long line of spineless actions committed by this character.

Want B&B plotline predictions? Check out Bold And The Beautiful Plotline Predictions For The Next Two Weeks (December 7 18, 2020)

Hope caught him kissing Steffy when Lope was engaged in 2011. When she broke up with him, he barely waited a day before he jetted off to Aspen with Steffy and married her. Two years ago, he got Hope pregnant while still married to Steffy. And shortly after Steffy gave birth to their daughter Kelly, she discovered him making out with Hope in a dressing room at Forrester Creations.

This past January, Liam proposed to Hope but she told him she had to think about it. As she approached the cliff house to say yes to his proposal, she once again saw him kissing Steffy. In the end, his excuse was that Thomas had manipulated the situation. But couldnt he have just as easily pushed Steffy away?

Want more B&B spoilers? Check out Bold And The Beautiful Spoilers For December 2020

There have been many unfaithful and wishy-washy men on soaps over the years; however, most of them have enough self-awareness to realize they are cads. Liam pretends to be a good guy, yet he has proven time and again that he loves himself more than he loves either Hope or Steffy. But does this make him the worst man on daytime television? He sure comes close.

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Bonnie is a freelance writer who has a passion for Stephen King novels, Outlander, sci-fi movies and soap operas, especially the Bold And The Beautiful and the Young And The Restless. Her favorite pastime is getting together with a good friend and having a laugh.

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We Weigh In: Is B&B's Liam Spencer The Worst Man On Daytime TV? - Fame10

Peterson is a man of conviction in an oasis of compromise; therefore, he is perfectly poised to fill the gap in a world crying out for certainty.

Jordan Peterson is the intellectual renegade of our age. People are both mesmerized and repulsed by his ideas. He is adored by fans yet viciously mocked by critics. Interestingly, detractors and admirers alike seem to be unaware of his true appeal. However, Jordan Peterson is only popular because we are living in an intellectually banal era. Academic culture has become so emasculated that an uncontroversial thinker like Jordan Peterson is characterized as a revolutionary. Deep introspection will reveal that Peterson is not a revolutionary; instead, he is injecting common sense into public discourse. Unlike many of his colleagues in academia, Peterson has a realistic understanding of history and human nature.

Contrary to past eras, the zeitgeist of the present epoch is one of dullness. Aggression of any sort is viewed as intolerable since we must ensure that marginal groups are insulated from emotional harm. Therefore, speech is tantamount to violence because, apparently, controversial ideas can be used to justify racism and sexism. Evidently, advocates of political correctness are oblivious to the fact that we have the propensity to assess outlandish ideas for ourselves. So even if a position is invoked to enable racism, we are smart enough to refute said position. Politically correct thinkers want to minimize disruption, but Peterson is reminding them that life is inherently chaotic. As such, all ideas must contend in the marketplace of ideas, even when they offend certain segments of the population. Contempt for Jordan Peterson stems from his reassertion of values reflecting a more masculine age.

Until recently, Western culture was remarkably masculine. In academia, refusing to engage ones opponent was simply construed as weak. The late David Landes, for example, was often ridiculed for daring to imply that Western culture was superior to all others. Despite the intensity of criticisms leveled at him, Landes confronted his opponents. Interestingly, those who disagreed with his theorieslike James Blaut and Andre Gunder Frankwrote their own tomes. Today, scholars avoid debate, preferring instead to denounce their critics as problematic. Soothing the egos of ones followers on Twitter might produce a therapeutic effect, but it fails to increase the body of knowledge. Recently, for instance, two gender studies professors, Alison Howell and Melanie Richter-Montpetit, published a paper smearing securitization theory as racist. In response, Barry Buzan and Ole Wver, two important proponents of the theory, penned a rigorous response. As expected, feminists launched a petition to cancel Buzan and Wver, asserting that their response constitutes bullying. In other words, any interrogation of ideas expressed by women is an act of sexism perpetuated by the patriarchy.

Consistent with his masculine spirit, Peterson has ignored such inane shibboleths. Although among intellectuals it might be quite fashionable to deny gender differences, Jordan Peterson refuses to go along. In numerous pieces, he articulates the reality of gender differences,to the chagrin of many. Insults cannot deter him from defending the truth. The tenacity of Petersons potent masculinity is his real strength. Despite the grumblings of critics, Peterson is not pandering to right-wing extremists; they just happen to revere him because he does not waver in defending his beliefs. The masculine spirit cares about being right, and it resists the desire to be pampered.

Furthermore, in contrast to the prevailing orthodoxy, Peterson posits that equality is not a virtue. Contemporary progressives find inequality among different groups contemptible. Peterson, on the other hand, opines that, in several cases, inequality is a result of hierarchies of competence. Therefore, evidence of inequality is overwhelmingly positive because it indicates that people are rewarded for their efforts. In the long run, the productivity of the super-talented enriches society. Economist Donald J. Boudreaux citing the research of William Nordhaus masterfully illuminates this point: Only a minuscule fraction of the social returns from technological advances over the 1948-2001 period was captured by producers, indicating that most of the benefits of technological change are passed on to consumers rather than captured by producers.

Boudreaux also offers examples to bolster his argument: Specifically, producers, on average, capture a mere 2.2 percent of the total benefits of their successful introduction into markets of technological advancesA handful of these entrepreneurs, like Bezos, are famous, but the vast majority are unknown. Do you know the name of the inventor of the shipping container that dramatically reduced the cost of shipping cargo? Ill tell you: Malcom McLeanwho, when he died in 2001, was worth $330 million. McLean, therefore, likely increased humanitys collective well-being to the tune of about $15 billion, or by just about $2 for every person alive today.

Petersonin his wisdomacknowledges that most of us do not envision a society in which we were all equal, considering that this environment would be the epitome of mediocrity. If we are objective, then we have no option other than to admit that average people should be thanking the talented for providing them with a superior quality of life. Clearly, the demands of radical egalitarians can only be achieved by using the force of the state to infringe individual rights. For example, years ago, the late Walter E. Williams eloquently crafted a definition of social justice to caution progressives from making excessive requests: Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to youand why?

Moreover, Peterson never projects present political notions onto history. Over the past few months, several historical figures have been canceled due to the inconsistency of their ideas with contemporary sensibilities. The latest example of hysteria in intellectual circles is to denounce dead figures for their opinions. Such a jaundiced perspective is indeed unfortunate. History chronicles a vivid story of brutal conquests and eccentric personalities. Great men are rarely good men, as Peterson admits. So, for example, Genghis Khan was a horrible man, yet his leadership skills were formidable. Historical characters, therefore, ought to be judged based on their ability to achieve the political goals of a particular era.

Petersons realism is too bitter for the weak-willed and their fellow travelers. When genuflecting to the mob is a virtue, an iconoclast like Peterson who refuses to comprise will be deemed a revolutionary. By challenging the procrustean mentality of an unimaginative intelligentsia, Jordan Peterson displays an authentically masculine spirit, fearless in its quest for truth. Peterson is a man of conviction in an oasis of compromise; therefore, he is perfectly poised to fill the gap in a world crying out for certainty. Compared to truly controversial thinkers like Anthony Ludovici and Albert Jay Nock, Peterson is boring; however, measured by the standards of his time, he is a rebel. In short, Jordan Peterson is a masculine spirit revolting against the feminine sentimentalism of the contemporary world, and this explains his seductive appeal.

Lipton Matthews is a Jamaican writer. He has recently also contributed to Mises WireandThe Federalist. He can be reached by email at lo_matthews@yahoo.com

The rest is here:

The Real Appeal of Jordan Peterson - Merion West