The Oscars didn’t antagonize half of America
In a plot twist, the show chose entertainment over politics
Dear Friends –
1.) News Flash: The Oscars didn’t antagonize half of America
I didn’t watch Academy Awards on Sunday, and haven’t for more than a few years. Like many, I grew tired of rich and famous being annoyingly condescending to my beliefs.
But a few days before the show, I saw a story in Deadline titled “Oscars Seeking To Eschew Politics, Partisanship In Favor Of Old-School Escapism.” It only quoted anonymous sources, but then, surprisingly, people say it actually happened.
The political jokes were few and far between. There was no conga line of women recanting harrowing red state escapes to courageously get their abortions. The acceptance speeches largely skipped the value signaling where winners proved their goodness by bashing anything remotely conservative.
(The actor in the picture above recanted how he came to America, and called his win a sign of the American Dream. How … un-Hollywood.)
It’s almost like the Oscars decided that their yearly finger-wagging at half the country might not be the best strategy for ratings and the movie industry’s success. They’ll need a sequel or two before they lure me back, but it’s an encouraging move.
2.) MSNBC editor picks up where the Oscars didn’t
“Literal propaganda.”
MSNBC editor Zeeshan Aleem couldn’t contain himself because “insidious” Top Gun was nominated for an award.
“It does not merely revive a forgotten human-centered spectacle; it also beckons for a return to accepting the American war machine as a beacon of virtue and excitement. It’s a poisonous kind of nostalgia, one that smuggles love of endless war into a celebration of live action.”
3.) Risk manager for collapsed bank spent more public time talking her sexuality than financial safety
A senior Head of Risk executive for Silicon Valley Bank organized a slew of LGBTQ programs, including a month-long Pride campaign, Lesbian Visibility Day, and Trans Awareness Week. SVB collapsed after a run on the bank last week.
While it will certainly give some a chortle, it’ll hopefully help negate what seems to be a trend: hiring people based on their activism instead of their actual competence. Hard work and competence are values held dear by most Americans, many of whom emigrated from countries with strong class systems, where being good at your job didn’t mean you could drastically improve your life.
4.) CRT bans are working
This interesting article argues that bans on teaching Critical Race Theory are working. What do you think?
5.) Congressman Eric Swalwell suggests banning Fox News for U.S. troops
Eric Swalwell says Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham are dangerous, and the US should ban them from being seen by American soldiers serving overseas.
6.) A comment about truth
We talk a lot about censorship here, and a reader sent a quote by St. Augustine that’s worth sharing.
“The truth is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself.”
There’s truth to that. Thanks, Steven.
—Ken
It’s time for an intense investigation of Swalwell’s associations with CPC agents. He doesn’t seem to be interested in doing what’s in the best interests of the American people and our government.
Agreed Yes BUT need: New Blood, Rebranding, Remarketing etc to beat Legacy fossils.