My *favorite* part of this Bretbug column is when he tries to justify writing it in the midst of a pandemic.
"So why does any of this matter in this virus-bitten moment? because cancel culture threatens our collective well-being in multiple and fundamental ways..."
(1/x)
"So why does any of this matter in this virus-bitten moment? because cancel culture threatens our collective well-being in multiple and fundamental ways..."
(1/x)
And then he just rolls out all of the same complaints that he offers in literally every article he writes about people-being-mean-to-people-he-likes.
His explanation is lifted straight from his "liberal professors are canceling me and are the real nazis" piece.
(2/x)
His explanation is lifted straight from his "liberal professors are canceling me and are the real nazis" piece.
(2/x)
A *clever* writer would have juxtaposed "cancel culture" with the sudden cancelation of every aspect of public life.
An insightful thinker would have discussed, say, the tension btwn vital civic activities like actual elections and the public health risks we now face together.
An insightful thinker would have discussed, say, the tension btwn vital civic activities like actual elections and the public health risks we now face together.
One might also hope that Bret's thinking on "cancel culture" would have advanced at least a little after he was dragged by THE ENTIRE INTERNET six months ago for demanding everyone accommodate uncomfortable speech so long as it isn't aimed at him.
Nope!
Nope!
Bret Stephens fundamentally believes in the status hierarchy. That's everything to him. "Cancel culture" is anything that challenges the status and privileged position of people in Bret's social circle.
That's the point of his Woody Allen column. It's the point of ~80% of his columns.
Woody Allen should get his book published, and we should read it, because he's WOODY ALLEN and we're... not.
Woody Allen should get his book published, and we should read it, because he's WOODY ALLEN and we're... not.
Bret thinks that there is a "high society," filled with interesting thinkers like himself. His deepest motivation is defending that high society as a right and just social structure.
Once you understand that, you can basically write the script of every one of his columns.
Once you understand that, you can basically write the script of every one of his columns.
We are in the early days of a world-historic pandemic! We soon won't have enough ventilators to keep people alive! We're canceling actual elections! The stock market has lost 10,000 points! The President is still trying to win individual news cycles, routinely lying as he goes.
But a powerful filmmaker was made to feel uncomfortable (for excellent reasons!).
And that's Bret's wheelhouse.
He'll keep writing variants of that same column, because there is no cause more crucial in his mind that reminding us that our betters ought to be respected.
And that's Bret's wheelhouse.
He'll keep writing variants of that same column, because there is no cause more crucial in his mind that reminding us that our betters ought to be respected.
