Welcome to the Weekly Sceptic, episode 71! This week:
- The Illegal Immigration Bill hits choppy waters in the House of Lords
- From Gauleiter to Gaslighter: Keir Starmer claims the Culture War is a figment of the Tory imagination
- Can Britain’s strictest headmistress teach Britain how to manage multiculturalism?
- DeSantis pulls up, leaving ‘brown’ Nikki Haley in two-horse race with Trump
- Plus Peak Woke and, for premium subscribers only, Review of Reviews
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Produced by Jason Clift
Music by Tinderella
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Why don’t we get a review of the week’s stories with Will?
Didn’t they say he was away?
The podcast directs listeners to subscribe to the premium content via basemedia.org unless is misheard? I can’t find this link which is not listed below the podcast along with the usual buymeacoffee and free speech union links? It’s probably my error but a link would be useful.
I too watched Fargo series 5, although I had more of a problem with the way Trump supporters were characterised, rather than the realism of female aggressors. Using hairspray as a flame thrower to melt the nylon balaclava I thought was plausible and a nice touch, as was pretending to play dead and smashing the intruder with her daughters’ ice skate. It is a work of fiction after all, and really how believable is the violence in James Bond, Mission Impossible, etc. I did wonder where her skills were acquired but thinking about this she is presented as someone who is very resourceful, a survivor. Her presentation as a delicate female was deliberate to heighten the drama and also because it is absurd and funny, which is a quirk of Fargo. Her character has been held captive for years in an abusive relationship, she would have had many hours living in fear of the next unprovoked attack and how to defend herself, so her reflexes are fine tuned. She has been hunted and is accustom to fighting and can take a beating. Her ex runs a far right militia so she may have picked up tactics from their training. I get that is far fetched but it is just another type of fantasy. Personally, I would have liked to see Atomic Blonde become a franchise, Kill Bill was also excellent. I get what you are saying about women fighting men. Some years ago I watch Angelina Jolie fight in a awful film called Wanted, it was ridiculous because she has no grit and even I at 5’2″ and 51kg could snap her anorexic arms.
I do enjoy the podcast and I find the feminist jibes amusing. I enjoy the ambiguity. Despite what Nick says about feminists, I think he’s fundamentally decent. However, I am disturbed that there seems to be a growing consensus that believes the rot in our culture originated when women became emancipated. I like men,I love men and I recognise that we are different in many subtle ways but similar in most. I thought I’d found my tribe as I’m certainly not woke but I feel a little alienated by the proposition that female ambition is somehow toxic. Maybe I’m reading it all wrong. I hope so.
I haven’t had much time to read over so forgive any typos or grammatical errors.
Thank you for your hard work.
You misheard, SLB, but it’s easy to mishear it, Toby should have spelt it out. It’s basedmedia with a ‘d’. Here it is:
https://basedmedia.org
That’s right: basedmedia.org. I have put a link in – if you click on “here” it will take you there.
Fair point that the violence in James Bond, Mission Impossible, etc., is no more unrealistic.
“ However, I am disturbed that there seems to be a growing consensus that believes the rot in our culture originated when women became emancipated.”
I’m a bloke but I sort of share this concern, at least up to a point. All those closest to me in my personal life are women and I don’t think any of them are responsible for the rot in our culture.
I think the position for this “growing consensus” may have a grain of truth in it – women at least in the US and UK are more likely to vote for left-wing parties. Women are basically more into “niceness” and I think we’re suffering from an excess of “niceness” which often ends up being not that nice. But these are all generalisations and I am not sure how helpful it is to focus on this. I think it’s the ideas we need to focus on, not the groups that have them.
Wasn’t too bothered about the lack of realism in Fargo as all iterations of the show have been firmly tongue in cheek anyway. But take the point more generally.
How about ‘Sterile Starmer’. Not sterile as in he can’t have children (though he may have difficulty if he can’t find out what a woman is), but ‘lacking in imagination, creativity or excitement’ (dictionary definition). Or ‘Stultifying Starmer’ (too long?).
A visual warning!!
Labour telling us that they will bring the country to its knees!