Category Archives: Popular Culture

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary

The Trump Takeover

139 Comments

In another thread, I learned that, apparently, I am not to criticize the God-King. Jonah is getting tired of it, too:

What I find so shocking is not so much the capitulation but the terms of the surrender. Or, rather, I should say the term — singular — of surrender, because there seems to be only one requirement expected of Republicans: Lavish praise on Donald Trump no matter what he does or says. Or at the very least, never, ever criticize him. Policy is an afterthought.

Yup. This is a cult (just as it was with Obama). Of course, I feel even more free to dispense such heresies, given that I’ve never even been a Republican. And then, this:

I’m more interested in the psychological factors animating commentators and the rank-and-file Trumpublicans of the GOP.

They also talk about wanting to get things done and the importance of fulfilling the Trump “agenda.” But they reserve their purest passion and most sustained vitriol not for people who don’t vote with Trump, but for people who do vote with Trump but who also refuse to remain silent. The same holds for Trump himself.

Why? Well, in the president’s case, the answer is obvious: his own Brobdingnagian yet astoundingly fragile ego. Because Trump cares so little about policy, he can forgive policy differences quite easily. What he can’t forgive is anyone even hinting that the emperor’s new clothes are, at best, invisible to the naked eye.

He’s a child. I’m glad she lost, I’m glad he’s stealthily rolling back regs, and I’m glad that he’s fixing the judiciary, but I weep at what someone in the same position, not so flawed, could be accomplishing.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary

The Art Of The Deal Writer

77 Comments

Trump is the same man-child he was at seven as he was at seventy:

“Along the way, he failed to develop the qualities of character that most of us do in the natural course of growing up to a greater or lesser extent – honesty, empathy, generosity, reflectiveness, the capacity to delay gratification and appreciate or subtlety and nuance, and above all a conscience, an inner sense of right and wrong,” the writer said.

This rings very true to me, based on my own external observations.

But Obama is a man-child in his own way, as well. Another similarity between the two.

Business, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary

Lisa Bloom

3 Comments

Wow. Like her mother, she really is a hypocritical piece of work:

‘You know what is truth, Lisa? I feel like people should know that you’ve been calling my literary agent and saying there’d be money for me if I got on the “Harvey’s Changed” bandwagon?’ the actor wrote.

‘You told her that I should care about HIS reputation. How HE has a family now and how HE has changed. Well, guess what? I’ve always had a family and that didn’t stop him from assaulting me.’

[Update later morning]

Hollywood’s masculinity deficit.

Business, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary, Technology and Society

Harvey Weinstein Destroyed Hollywood

7 Comments

Now what?

What does this all mean? Hollywood is worse than you thought it was, even than I thought it was. And I worked there for years, observing things close up. These people — led by Weinstein as the local Henry VIII, now decamped for Europe for an Anthony Weiner-style rehab — have solidified themselves as some of the biggest hypocritical fakes in recorded history, deceiving themselves even more, if that’s possible, than they deceive the rest of us.

Can you imagine how it’s going to be watching this year’s Oscars as they coop up awards while making political pronouncements on whatever cause strikes their superficially conventional (but personally sick) fancies, especially if those causes express veiled contempt for the morals of those clods in flyover country who are supposed to be their audience?

Speaking as a member of the Academy since the 1980s, I won’t be watching. It’s over for me, especially since Joan Rivers is no longer with us to lend a certain amused cynicism to the vulgar orgy of self-congratulation. And I suspect I won’t be alone. Hollywood has become the new NFL. People will soon be turning it off.

As he says it’s an opportunity for conservative investors. Which they’ll miss.

[Thursday-morning update]

More thoughts from Allahpundit:

Middle America has always suspected the movie industry of being a den of perverts, cutthroats, and sociopaths. Now here’s Weinstein apparently proving it’s worse than everyone thought. And as more comes out on others, it may get worse still.

Yep.

Business, Economics, History, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary, Space, Technology and Society, War Commentary

The Old Space Age Began

11 Comments

Today is the 60th anniversary of Sputnik. I have some thoughts over at The Weekly Standard. I’ll have more later today at PJMedia.

[Update a couple minutes later]

Henry Spencer reminds me that upon the successful launch, Korolev supposedly said “The road to the stars is now open.” A little premature, I think…

[Update a while later]

For a detailed history of the program, go read Asif Siddiqi over at The Space Review (it’s part one, the second part will appear next Monday).

[Update a couple minutes later, after going through the Siddiqi piece]

This is excellent. It is likely now the best available history of its development.

[Update a few minutes later]

Anatoly Zak reminds us that Sputnik wasn’t about the satellite; it was about the rocket.

[Update a while later]

More from Siddiqi on recent translations. Kind of amazing how much we still don’t know about space history six decades later.

[Update a while later]

How dreams of space-faring zombies resulted in Sputnik. Well, sort of.

[Update late morning]

Here‘s Chris Gebhart’s take.

[Afternoon update]

My (other) take is now up over at PJMedia. As usual, most comments are ignorant and/or idiotic.

[Update a week later]

Part 2 of Siddiqi’s new history is up now.

[Bumped]

Humor, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Social Commentary, Technology and Society

Hitler And Weinstein

8 Comments

As far as I can tell, Hitler hasn’t found out about Weinstein yet. Let’s try a little crowdsourcing to do the video. I’ll kick it off.

At the beginning, they’re talking about how the war against Trump is going, but they’re having problems raising enough campaign funds. Hitler tells then not to worry, Weinstein will come through after his next blockbuster film. They have to tell him that Weinstein has stepped down after being accused of sexual harassment and assault. So who does he ask to step out of the room for the rant?

In the scene where the one woman is comforting another, she can say something like “Don’t worry, there are still plenty of casting-couch scumbags in Hollywood who will give you a part. You might not even have to watch them shower or take in the @ss.”

[Wednesday-morning update]

OK, this is sort of what I had in mind, but I think there are other possible variants.