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Showing posts from December, 2017

Blaire and Milo: A Case Study in Uncertainty

CW: discussions of passing privilege, rape, sexual assault, lolcow culture, transmisogyny, transphobia, exploitation, some slurs are used in their original and unedited context to better show the kind of persons we’re dealing with The alt-right and alt-lite are really fascinating corners of the Internet. The fact that they’ve managed to gain so much traction while also being one of the most obtuse political movements out there, encompassing personalities from Richard Spencer to Gavin McInnes the Living Shitpost to Ethan and Hila Klein, is arguably the reason why I’m attracted in figuring out how the movement works and how it often views the world. Chances are: we’ve all dipped our toe into fringe elements now associated with the alt-right - I’ve been obsessed with lolcow culture ever since 2008-09, thanks to Michelle Pickens talking to me about a little known person by the name of Christine Chandler, and I’ve even interacted a few times on that side of the coin. I was involved in

The Disaster Artist and What It Means to Be Reborn

There's this scene in The Disaster Artist  where Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) and Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) stand at the exact intersection where James Dean wrecked his Porsche 550 and died at the scene. Just a few moments ago, we saw them watching through his iconic star-making performance as Jim Stark in Nicholas Ray's electrifying and oft-disturbing analysis of generational disconnect Rebel Without a Cause  - specifically his famous outburst to his parents at the police station. As Tommy screws up the line while quoting it at a pizza parlor, Greg mentions that he's always wanted to visit the exact spot where Dean died - and Tommy, always willing to start a new adventure at the drop of a pin, decides to go on an impromptu car trip. Greg protests, stating that Dean's crash site is about 200-300 miles away from San Francisco, but Tommy insists on taking the trip. The odd thing is that James Dean didn't really become a famous actor until he died. At the point of hi