I think it’s time to end the gender-specific acting categories at the Oscars. I believe this not because of any passionate fondness for non-binary people, but rather I just think its time.
Just like how I believe young women should be required to sign up for Selective Service, I think we should give male and female actors the opportunity to go head-to-head. I’m well aware that there are A LOT of problems with this idea. The whole non-binary issue — which is what the Little Gold Men podcast focused on — is besides the point.
We need to move past having Best Actor and Best Actress nominees, etc, so the point where men and women are judged by their ability head to head as opposed to sequestered by sex. From what I tell from the Little Gold Men podcast, The Academy is very, very slow to change such things.
I wouldn’t focus on the whole non-binary issue if I was marketing this for the broader public. I have no problem with non-binary people, but if their concerns are played up in any change of the categories then a lot of mainstream people will roll their eyes at how clueless Hollywood is.
But if you just say this is a “modernization” of the Oscars, then I think a lot of people will embrace it without all the “woke” fuss.
Introduction Whenever someone tries to seriously discuss the concept of “being woke” one has to make it clear that it’s a concept largely defined by people who hate it. And, they themselves, really have no idea what it means. The definition of “woke” is, thus, one of just “vibes.”
In fact, the self-appointed definers of “woke” — mostly MAGA conservatives — want there to be no clear definition so everything and nothing can be “woke” as is necessary to “own” the libs. Much like how MAGA Republicans refuse to tell us when, in fact, America was “great,” so, too, do these self-same Republicans refuse to give us any clear definition of what “to be woke” is.
As such, we’re left rummaging through the often very dumb, very vacuous arguments made by MAGA Republicans when they want to juice the base to vote. So, with that in mind, let’s address the issue at had, “What is woke?”
Terror By Vibe It seems clear to me that the entire notion of “wokness” says more about MAGA Republican conservatives than it does the word itself. Much of the hysterical rhetoric about “wokeness” on the part of Republicans is a direct, kneejerk reaction to the combination of the browning of America and the growing economic power of women.
What’s more, if you scramble all of this in the blinder of the greater Fox News and conservative podcast echo chamber, you end up in a situation where people who should know better will tell you with a straight face that “libs” “love” abortions to the point that they’re practicing infanticide. In fact, in my discussion with my conservative relatives — who I love dearly — it definitely seems as though a lot of the outrage over “wokeness” is more anger over how modern society talks about in a very public manner things they feel should be kept private and secret.
So, these people who are so upset about abortion or the gay movement probably don’t mind that either one exists, but they ARE upset at what they perceive is the very public woke agenda on these topics. This is all an extension of how conservative Republicans want to establish an autocratic white Christian ethnostate — sometimes without even realizing that that is, in fact, what they want.
In short, they find the “woke” movement…annoying.
They just know, in general, they hate people who are “woke” — even though they really don’t know what “being woke” means. They just do a vibe check on the issues important to “woke” people and get upset that anyone would think such a thing.
In short, conservative (MAGA) Republicans find woke people really, really annoying for any number of reasons. They neither understand them nor, in some cases, even want to be in the same Union with them.
‘Go Woke, Go Broke’ One thing that any discussion of “being woke” has to mention is there is, in fact, a small but vocal portion of the liberal-progressive movement that has such a narrow minded, strict orthodox about certain issues that they drive traditional conservatives into the arms of fascists.
Take, for instance, the transgender movement.
There is a lot of talk about “protecting trans kids” within “woke” liberal-progressive circles which causes MAGA Republicans to, in turn, freak out at the idea that there are even “trans kids” to be “protected” in the first place. From what I can gather, the idea of “trans kids” is extremely muddled and misleading.
While, yes, growing number of children under 18 are identifying as “trans” the number of children actually transitioning is near zero, if not, in fact, zero. But because woke people run around screaming about how need to “protect trans kids,” MAGA bigots assume such “gender affirming care” must be happen all the time, when, in fact, it’s not.
But it suits the purposes of the all those MAGA conservative podcasts with time to fill and advertisements to sell, so they talk and talk and talk and talk about something that really doesn’t even exist — children under 18 medically changing their gender.
Those libs aren’t going to own themselves, you know.
There is a lot — A LOT — of pretty basic moralism involved in all of this, as well. It’s all vibes, in other words. As Blues grow more secular and brown, Reds grow more Christian and white (and old.) This is where the Gay Scare we’re currently experiencing is coming from. There are MAGA Republicans who feel, by definition being a member of the LGBQ+ community is a “sin” and, as such, the way a long of Gen Z seem to see being gay as aspirational fills them with horror. These MAGA Republicans just want people to be filled with the Holy Spirit and stop messing around with people of the same sex.
And, this is a very important element to all of this — the reason why Republicans hate democracy is they KNOW that they’re losing a demographic battle and, as such, they would rather turn America into an autocratic white Christian ethnostate than do some soul searching and change their policies so they can win elections fair and square.
This is a point too often missed by smug Twitter liberals who seem to feel just being a keyboard warrior online is somehow going to change anything.
There Is No Endgame I’m not going to give you an pat solutions to the battle over being “woke.” There are none. All I got is the whole battle over “being woke” is a luxury of living in a peaceful, wealthy liberal democracy. When that is no longer the case — when things grow more….existential…then, lulz, the last thing we’re going to have time or energy for is fighting over the proper use of someone’s “pronouns.”
MAGA Nazis are such fucking crybabies. They are equal to some of the more extreme elements of the Trans movement when it comes to being willing to destroy everything in the name of “vibes.” Take, for instance, their reaction to the prospective new CEO of Twitter.
MAGA has some sort of vague sense of ideological purity that if they don’t get they freak the fuck out. They also love to gaslight when it comes to the issue of “free speech.” They want the absolute right to spread hate to the point that if you even bring up the idea of some of guardrails, they freak the fuck out. They see “free speech” as nothing more than an means to and end when it comes to establishing a fascist MAGA Nazi state.
The tragedy of the commons and all that.
The whole thing is completely fucking bonkers. It proves a point I’ve been making for some time — MAGA Nazis are politically ascendant and it could be that if we have a “National Divorce,” it will be Blues, not Reds who decide to serve papers.
I will note in passing that I’m worried about the next Republican president establishing an autocratic state using hard power, at the same time my conservative relatives — who I love dearly — are freaking out about “woke” corporations ruining their lives.
I’ve gotten into something of a groove when it comes to the first stage of writing this Beta Draft. I HOPE that I can wrap up a “private” Second Draft within a week or so, which would give me a solid month to really work hard on editing and rewriting things as necessary before I began to Beta Reader process.
I fucking hate this test.
That’s the hope at least.
Once I turn the Second Draft over to Beta Readers, I’m going to begin not only think seriously about how I’m going to go about the querying process, but also think seriously about what novel I’m going to start working on next. I thought I had a really solid scifi novel concept to work on, only to discover that there’s a very popular series that uses the exact same concept.
As such, I think I may say fuck it and start to work on the second book in this projected six novel project. I need something to keep my writing momentum going, regardless.
I would also note that even though I FUCKING HATE the Bechdel Test — this novel actually passes it! I just have so many female characters in this novel that I’ve managed to come up with a conversation — or two — where two women are talking about something other than a man.
I’m sure I’ll fucking get canceled for some other fuck reason — probably for the simple fact that I’m a smelly boy frequently writing from a female POV — but whatever the fuck woke people. It’s always the most frustrating to me when people come at me from the cultural Left. I’m on your side! Maybe if you didn’t have your head up your ass with such a strict orthodoxy, we wouldn’t be facing the prospect of living in a fucking fascist state.
I’m a big fan of the New York Times Pitchbot Twitter account, so when I saw the following, I felt a bit sheepish.
He made a point of referencing his tweet above, then pointing out this real hot take, below.
I feel rather sheepish because, lulz, I’ve made a similar point on the blog of late. I usually mention this when I get annoyed not so much at the Trans movement, but the meta element of it all — they are so touchy about people conforming to their media narrative orthodoxy that they really do drive a lot of well meaning Traditionalists into the arms of fucking MAGA fascists.
I find the complaint of the otherwise stellar New York Times Pitchbot a bit murky. The issue of overzealous liberal-progressives is a real problem (at least with the Traditionalists in my life) so I don’t quite know how to address his complaint.
Another Drop of Blood lyrics by @sheltgarner please give credit if you produce or perform
you tell me your gun has only two problems rust and the liberal we’ll I think you’re a fool I sure do ’cause our children are dying
your gun is getting rusty rusty from the fresh blood of the innocent rusty blood rusty blood can you fire off another round rusty blood rusty blood or are you down for the count
another day another drop of blood the streets run red with it (or at least it seems) but tell me again, Mr. how can’t handle a little control is your weapon slippery with all that blood?
your gun is getting rusty rusty from the fresh blood of the innocent rusty blood rusty blood can you fire off another round rusty blood rusty blood or are you down for the count
(bridge) all we want is a little peace a little peace and quiet a little peace and quiet a little peace and quiet but as long as we cling to our guns we’ll get neither I’m afraid
your gun is getting rusty rusty from the fresh blood of the innocent rusty blood rusty blood can you fire off another round rusty blood rusty blood or are you down for the count
I’ve heard some chatter here and about that Phoebe Waller-Bridge might be tapped to write and direct the next James Bond movie. She already did a touch up of the No Time To Die script and she apparently really impressed the James Bond family in the process.
Given the dynamics of Hollywood, it’s at least within the realm of possibility that Waller-Bridge might not only write and direct the next James Bond, but BE James Bond. How they would pull this particular hattrick off, I don’t know, but that’s why they pay them the big bucks.
They did kill James Bond off in the last movie, so anything is possible. Even though Waller-Bridge would do a great job as James Bond, if a woman was James Bond every “anti-woke” crusader worth their talking head status on Fox News would freak the fuck out in a very, very public manner.
And, remember, there were rumors that the producers of the next Indy movie wanted to use time-travel to reboot the franchise so Waller-Bridge would be the next Indy. Apparently, at least according to the dubious YouTube movie grapevine, that idea has been shelved.
Anyway, it will be interesting how things develop going forward. Waller-Bridge definitely is a very talented woman and of all the people I could think of who might bring back the good olde days of campy James Bond updated for modern sensibilities, Waller-Bridge is definitely at the top of the list.
I’m enjoying some whiskey this quiet Sunday evening and so, lulz, I find my inebriated mind pondering the question of the ages: so, is Tay-Tay going to date Cara Delevingne now?
The thing about Tay-Tay is she is the exact center of modern white heteronormative pop culture. An entire generation of (white) (liberal) women have projected all their hopes, dreams and aspirations onto Tay-Tay to a ridiculous degree.
As such, there is a lot to unpack about what Tay-Tay might do next with her romantic life. I’m fond of Tay-Tay because from her lyrics — she’s obviously sex-positive and loves to drink — just like me! So, obviously, she’s just another human being like all of us.
So, all things equal, she should be allowed to go through a “slut era” like Emrata. But, alas, because of all those liberal white women feeling broody it may be that Tay-Tay just doesn’t feel she can go around banging a series of high profile men like Emrata.
If she did something which would be perfectly understandable, the Wall Street Journal (or The New Yorker) would be writing long tirades about how the woke cancel culture mob and feminism is turning even Tay-Tay into a slut. What does it all mean? The headlines would scream if Tay-Tay was seen conspicuously bouncing from man to man for a few months.
But, wait, it gets worse.
If Tay-Tay decide to make her long-rumored “queer” side official, the amount of verbiage written by “thinkers” in the mass media would be astonishing. It is very easy for center-Right people to assume Tay-Tay is one of them because of, well, the way she looks. This is true to the point that Tay-Tay has to go way, way, way out of her way to MAGA fascists they have it all wrong.
So, but for how MAGA fascists would freak the fuck out, I could totally see Tay-Tay dating someone like Cara Delevingne. I think it would be sweet and fun if she did, and given how many songs St. Vincent wrote about Delevingne, maybe we might get some music out of the whole thing. And, what’s more the two women are already pretty close — Delevingne was a member of Tay-Tay’s “squad” back in the day.
I still don’t know what might — or might not — have happened between Tay-Tay and Karli Koss. There was a moment there when it definitely SEEMED like they were fucking. But at the same time, whatever they were doing, they did in a way that gave them the plausible deniability of just being “good friends.”
And, remember, the idea of a same-sex relationship between two women being something to even notice is a construct of we Poors. Within the elite worlds of fashion and Hollywood to even raise an eyebrow about two women dating is considered extremely gouache and low class.
Anyway, the point is — while it would be cool and all if Tay-Tay went a little nuts and bed hopped with both men and women, I suspect that’s just not going to happen. The poor woman can’t even get married and drop a few kids without it being THE CENTER OF DEBATE on editorial pages across the world.
The thing about the forces tearing America apart at the moment is how convoluted and easily conflated all of it can be. Unlikely what was going on in the late 1850s, the centrifugal forces tearing America apart today are far more muddled.
Now, let me be clear — as long as everyone is of age and it’s consensual, I don’t care what you do with your body. What bothers me about the Trans movement is not that people are Trans, but, rather the secondary issues associated with the Leftist media narrative on the subject.
Either you embrace the most extreme possible take on the Trans movement, or you risk having your life destroyed by the “woke cancel culture mob.” I try to be as open minded and empathetic as possible on this issue, but even I find the conspicuous embrace of Trans “influencers” by beer companies….odd? Why poke the bear of all those Traditionalist beer drinkers if you don’t have to? What purpose does it serve to add another rhetorical bow in the quiver of bonkers MAGA people who want Trantionalists to embrace their fascism?
As an aside, some of the Trans “influencers” have an eerie nature to them that seems like the gender equivalent of the Uncanny Valley. Something about their appearance just seems a bit…off. This is just a few of them. I’ve seen some Trans women who are so natural looking that I wouldn’t know they weren’t born women unless you specifically told me.
Anyway. Whatever. Again, the issue isn’t Trans people, it’s the meta elements of the orthodoxy associated with the movement. I just want to live in a functioning liberal democracy and if you push conservative Traditionalists into the arms of MAGA fascists, my God have mercy on all our souls.
The issue when it comes to modern American political debate is it’s almost like we’ve given up. All the conditions are there for autocracy or civil war and it literally could break either way at this point. I say this because the two sides of Red and Blue are receding from each other at an astonishing rate.
Either we turn into a MAGA themed autocracy or we have a secession crisis in late 2024, early 2025 because one side or the other gives up and decides they can no longer being in the same nation with a political worldview that they hate.
Take, for instance, the Great Gay Scare that we are currently living through. Everything so fucking conflated. First, let me be clear — I generally support Trans rights and generally don’t care what someone does with their body as long as everyone involved is of age and it’s consensual.
And, yet, as I keep saying the Trans is doing itself no favors by being so overwrought and touchy. There are some very well-meaning, God-fearing people who believe just being gay is a “sin” and they are aghast at there are people who have to pause for 10 minutes before they can answer, “What is a woman?” These very sincere people can’t be blamed if they have begun to think that Trans people are some sort of “protected class” and the “woke” narrative about Trans people can never been questioned. Throw in the wedge issue of Trans kids and….Jesus Christ.
The issue is — if we were a functioning democracy, there would be some give and take between Red and Blue to the point that gradually there would be some consensus as to what to do with the Trans movement and then we would move on to the next pressing issue.
But because of the “Gay Scare” on the Right and the total fucking freak out about when it comes the established Trans orthodoxy on the “woke” Left the whole thing is totally fucked up. The controversy over the Trans issue is yet another corrosive element in our politics which is drive the two sides away from each other and making the United States increasingly unstable on a political basis.
I’m always wrong, and, yet just doing a back-of-the-envelope projection out to late 2024, early 2025 and definitely seem as though we’re either going to collapse into civil war or we’re going to become a MAGA-themed autocracy.
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