Hi friends.
First things first: an update on the moths. There’s been a serious de-escalation. We are down to basically zero thwips per night.
If only the same could be true of other aggressors.
***
Now down to business. Today I want to talk about the humanity of assholes.
One asshole in particular. (Not you, this person doesn’t subscribe, and no, not you either: this person is not family).
This person enrages me (or did, before I snoozed them on every online platform). I find literally everything they contribute to the digital commons either abhorrent or whiny. My reactions are typically either: you are a heartless, self-centered, hateful human, or, find something better to worry about, you petty, negative, jerk.
If I didn't know this person in real life, and in different contexts, they would fall deep into the canceled stratum in my personal hierarchy of humans.
This person is not canceled, though, because I don’t get to cancel someone. And, more to the point, in real life, I appreciate this person. We don’t see eye to eye on most things, and we’ll never be bffs, but we have a relationship. They are not an unkind person. They are not without compassion or vulnerability. They are generous in surprising and selfless ways.
What is more rewarding than our relationship is that they give me some glimmer of hope that some of the other hate-filled meatsacks out there are likewise more complicated—tempered, even—by real life personhood.
It’s a scant hope, a hope proportionate to the relentless bludgeoning of these times.
Cancel culture and the freedom to be an asshole
[cw: obsolete content]
Speaking of who gets to speak and who gets to cancel, here are some of my favorite responses to the Harper’s letter about cancel culture.
J.K. Rowling seems intent on tweeting her disapproval of transgender people. Certainly, a closer examination of the critics of cancel culture confirms the suspicion that many of these self-appointed defenders of free speech prefer monologue over dialogue.
A deeply provincial view of free speech.
A more specific letter on justice and open debate
No, cancel culture isn’t a threat to civilization
The cowardice of open letters.
Media I’m glad I consumed
AOC. Obviously. Rebecca Traister’s takedown of the New York Times coverage of AOC. Obviously.
As long as these two young women keep speaking up, hope may not be lost. I mean, that look:
This brought my blood pressure down.
Dying laughing. Watch til the end - her final sentence is the kicker.
This feels like frivolous pseudo science clickbait but it was true for me.
I have been learning so much from Tiffany about evangelical culture. Her work on transracial adoption, racism, and more is so good.
Send this to the holdout Bernie bros in your life.
This is why digital conversation is so hard.
Just another Hamilton parody. The King George bit is the best part.
Media that gave me a tummy ache
Based on my ten years of experience in influencer marketing, I can safely tell you that *none* of my clients would accept this photo. 🙄
This latest in the daily drumbeat of fresh horrors feels especially ominous.
I don’t recommend watching the Trump / Chris Wallace interview. All my tailored algorithms made me think it was devastating for the president; after I watched it for myself, I was left with a sinking certainty that he’ll be reelected.
This kind of content ⬇️ gives me a literal tummy ache. It’s diet culture and shame masquerading as ‘education’. Can we just let a pregnant lady—or anyone— have a cookie in peace? K THX.
A+ on the vocab quiz
Initialism (n) is an abbreviation pronounced one letter at a time (ATM, DVD). An acronym is an abbreviation pronounced as a word (NASA, YOLO).