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Missouri’s most pro-insurrection senator Josh Hawley delivered the keynote speech at this weekend’s National Conservatism Conference. His speech was dedicated to what he sees as “the left’s attack on men in America.” Based on a clip of his speech that’s been making the rounds on Twitter, it was exactly as inane as you’d expect.
In the clip, Hawley blames feminism for driving men “into the enclave of idleness, and pornography, and video games.”
Josh Hawley says more men today are watching porn and playing video games because their masculinity has been criticized. pic.twitter.com/R0eXdRSYNT
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 1, 2021
“After years of being told they are the problem, that their manhood is the problem,” why would men not turn to these things, Hawley asks. Well, I don’t know but maybe the party that’s built itself around ideas of “personal accountability” could start by growing a little backbone and stop blaming women’s fight for equality and basic respect for men’s interest in porn and video games.
That clip has gotten a lot of attention for being completely ridiculous. But after having found a copy of the speech in its entirety, it’s not even the worst or weirdest thing he said at this event.
Without subjecting you to too much of Hawley’s baffling pomposity (you can read the speech in full here if you so choose for some reason), it’s full of bad faith arguments, strawman fallacies, and a complete dearth of actual logic and reason.
To prove that “the left” (an undefined but apparently all-encompassing, uniformly man-hating entity) is trying to destroy masculinity and therefore America itself, Hawley takes issue with the idea that systemic oppression in any form exists. He whinges about how “the left’s” insistence that toxic masculinity is a thing that exists, men are getting married less and at older ages, and that they’re being driven from higher education and even the military.
(He specifically cites a workshop about toxic masculinity upsetting young men at West Point Academy, but given the prevalence of sexual assault at said academy, it’s hard to really care that a few men were a bit miffed.)
Hawley touches on numerous disparate issues including vaccine mandates, over-medicating children, and outsourcing labor to foreign countries, shoving all of these things and more under the umbrella of a leftist war on men.
He dips into anti-trans rhetoric, citing trans inclusion in women’s sports and gender-neutral language in conversations about reproductive health. As Hawley sees it, the left’s “assault on womanhood” is part of the larger war on gender—but really, on men. (Also, if anyone’s waging a war on women—and they are—it’s the Josh Hawleys of the world.)
Not one single sentence in Hawley’s speech comes from a place of good faith. Just one example: To illustrate how unreasonable “the left” is regarding gender, he cites a 2018 op-ed from Professor Suzanna Walters of Northeastern University in which Walters argues that it “seems logical to hate men” because of all the harm they’ve caused women.
Hawley holds this up as an example of liberal culture run amok without acknowledging that the university immediately put out a statement that Walters’ views don’t represent the institution, but that “Northeastern is committed to fostering an environment in which controversial ideas can be discussed, debated and challenged.”
So not only is this clearly just one woman’s opinion and not that of any larger group or institution, but aren’t people like Hawley and other conservatives constantly complaining about controversial ideas being silenced? The hypocrisy is astounding.
Hawley’s entire speech is comprised of fearmongering talking points that are rooted in nothing but an assumption that those listening will regurgitate those points without doing any critical thinking about whether or not they’re true.
“The Left want to define traditional masculinity as toxic,” Hawley claims. “They want to define the traditional masculine virtues—things like courage, and independence, and assertiveness—as a danger to society.”
That’s simply ridiculous. And Hawley likely knows it’s ridiculous, but he’s also managed to be successful in building a career and a reputation on this sort of fact-free scaremongering partisan war nonsense, so he will continue to act a clown for as long as he can.
(image: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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The post Josh Hawley Blames Feminism for Driving Men to “Idleness, Pornography, & Video Games” first appeared on The Mary Sue.
Missouri’s most pro-insurrection senator Josh Hawley delivered the keynote speech at this weekend’s National Conservatism Conference. His speech was dedicated to what he sees as “the left’s attack on men in America.” Based on a clip of his speech that’s been making the rounds on Twitter, it was exactly as inane as you’d expect.
In the clip, Hawley blames feminism for driving men “into the enclave of idleness, and pornography, and video games.”
Josh Hawley says more men today are watching porn and playing video games because their masculinity has been criticized. pic.twitter.com/R0eXdRSYNT
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) November 1, 2021
“After years of being told they are the problem, that their manhood is the problem,” why would men not turn to these things, Hawley asks. Well, I don’t know but maybe the party that’s built itself around ideas of “personal accountability” could start by growing a little backbone and stop blaming women’s fight for equality and basic respect for men’s interest in porn and video games.
That clip has gotten a lot of attention for being completely ridiculous. But after having found a copy of the speech in its entirety, it’s not even the worst or weirdest thing he said at this event.
Without subjecting you to too much of Hawley’s baffling pomposity (you can read the speech in full here if you so choose for some reason), it’s full of bad faith arguments, strawman fallacies, and a complete dearth of actual logic and reason.
To prove that “the left” (an undefined but apparently all-encompassing, uniformly man-hating entity) is trying to destroy masculinity and therefore America itself, Hawley takes issue with the idea that systemic oppression in any form exists. He whinges about how “the left’s” insistence that toxic masculinity is a thing that exists, men are getting married less and at older ages, and that they’re being driven from higher education and even the military.
(He specifically cites a workshop about toxic masculinity upsetting young men at West Point Academy, but given the prevalence of sexual assault at said academy, it’s hard to really care that a few men were a bit miffed.)
Hawley touches on numerous disparate issues including vaccine mandates, over-medicating children, and outsourcing labor to foreign countries, shoving all of these things and more under the umbrella of a leftist war on men.
He dips into anti-trans rhetoric, citing trans inclusion in women’s sports and gender-neutral language in conversations about reproductive health. As Hawley sees it, the left’s “assault on womanhood” is part of the larger war on gender—but really, on men. (Also, if anyone’s waging a war on women—and they are—it’s the Josh Hawleys of the world.)
Not one single sentence in Hawley’s speech comes from a place of good faith. Just one example: To illustrate how unreasonable “the left” is regarding gender, he cites a 2018 op-ed from Professor Suzanna Walters of Northeastern University in which Walters argues that it “seems logical to hate men” because of all the harm they’ve caused women.
Hawley holds this up as an example of liberal culture run amok without acknowledging that the university immediately put out a statement that Walters’ views don’t represent the institution, but that “Northeastern is committed to fostering an environment in which controversial ideas can be discussed, debated and challenged.”
So not only is this clearly just one woman’s opinion and not that of any larger group or institution, but aren’t people like Hawley and other conservatives constantly complaining about controversial ideas being silenced? The hypocrisy is astounding.
Hawley’s entire speech is comprised of fearmongering talking points that are rooted in nothing but an assumption that those listening will regurgitate those points without doing any critical thinking about whether or not they’re true.
“The Left want to define traditional masculinity as toxic,” Hawley claims. “They want to define the traditional masculine virtues—things like courage, and independence, and assertiveness—as a danger to society.”
That’s simply ridiculous. And Hawley likely knows it’s ridiculous, but he’s also managed to be successful in building a career and a reputation on this sort of fact-free scaremongering partisan war nonsense, so he will continue to act a clown for as long as he can.
(image: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
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The post Josh Hawley Blames Feminism for Driving Men to “Idleness, Pornography, & Video Games” first appeared on The Mary Sue.Today Netflix releases a new animated series, Maya and the Three. Check out the trailer and logline below:
In a fantastical world filled with magic, a Mesoamerican-inspired warrior princess embarks on an epic quest to fulfil an ancient prophecy and save humanity from the vengeful gods of the underworld.
From creator Jorge R. Gutiérrez (El Tigre, The Book of Life), Maya and the Three is a Netflix Animated Event told in nine epic chapters. Set in a fictional fantasy world, Maya and the Three is an adventure full of heart and humor, inspired by a rich, vibrant mixture of Aztec, Maya, and Inca mythology, and modern-day Caribbean culture.
The series begins with Maya (Zoe Saldaña) about to celebrate her fifteenth birthday and coronation, although she is more interested in the fighting pits. But everything changes when the gods of the underworld arrive and announce that Maya’s life is forfeit to the God of War — a price she must pay for her family’s secret past. Maya embarks on a thrilling quest to fulfil an ancient prophecy that foretells the coming of three great warriors who will help her defeat the gods and save humankind.
Zoe Saldaña (Star Trek, Guardians of the Galaxy) as Princess Maya. A warrior princess who is devoted to her family but yearns for something more. Saldaña sometimes sounds a little old to be playing a fifteen-year-old but most of the time she pulls it off. In the more serious moments, she will lose that sound of wonderment and youthfulness but overall, she does a good job in the role.
Allen Maldonado (Project Power, Heels) is Rico, the wizard who has to hustle to survive. Seems tough on the outside but has a big heart. Rico is one of the best characters in Maya and the Three, he’s well rounded and entertaining. He brings a lot of the humour to the show.
Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, In the Heights) as Chimi. She was cast out as an infant for being different and is very guarded. Beatriz brings her comedic skills in the line deliveries as well as giving Chimi real heart.
Gabriel Iglesias (The Book of Life, Mr. Iglesias) stars as Picchu and Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time, West Side Story) is Ah Puch, both also put in strong performances. The whole voice cast is great and very well cast. Other actors involved include Diego Luna (The Book of Life, Rogue One), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2, Boogie Nights), Danny Trejo (From Dusk Till Dawn, Machete) and Queen Latifah (Chicago, The Equalizer).
We are introduced to new characters in every episode, sadly some of them are only around for a couple of minutes. The voice cast is very impressive, I would have liked to see more of some of the characters.
Jorge R. Gutiérrez is the creator of Maya and the Three and is involved in every aspect, including voice acting for the role of Maya’s father, King Teca. This is a personal project for Gutiérrez, who used his wife Sandra Equihua as inspiration for the character of Maya. Equihua plays the role of Queen Teca as well as being thes creative consultant. The show consists of a mix of different cultures that don’t get the representation they deserve. Gutiérrez has mixed it all up and created a new story that fits into the tapestry of cultures well.
The animation of Maya and the Three is great, it has a really strong look. In some of the action scenes they have things coming out beyond the letterboxing, making it feel more 3D. Both the production design and the execution of the animation are excellent. As good as the story is, it’s the look of the show that really sells it.
Maya and the Three includes some heavy subject matter pretty much from the beginning, this continues throughout the run. The show is recommended for years 7 and up. It’s not an easily digestible animated series so if you’re a parent, check out the guidance online or watch it first to see if it’s something that is suitable for your kids. The pace of the show is incredibly fast so they don’t linger with anything for too long.
There are a lot of action scenes in the series, maybe too many. It can be a little chaotic but at the same time, the scenes are beautifully done. There are some quieter moments half way through the show where it feels like you actually get to know some of the characters. Prior to that, it’s a little bang bang bang with all of the fight scenes. It is tough to connect to the characters when you’re not told much about them except for they can fight.
Maya and the Three consists of 9 episodes, each about 30 minutes long. It covers a lot of ground in a short running time, at times I felt like they moved past things too quickly but a quick pace is better than dragging out the story for as long as possible. This feels like a good show for those who have a Trollhunters shaped hole in their viewing habits. Maya and the Three is beautiful to look at and has a strong collection of characters and voice actors. It is listed as a limited series so this might be all we get of Maya and the Three, if so, it is a very strong 9 episode run. It’s an impressive epic quest, one that I would highly recommend.
Maya and the Three is released on Netflix October 22nd 2021
The post New Netflix Animated Series, Maya and the Three, is a Hit appeared first on The Nerd Element.
Greetings, angels and demons—the time is nigh! After we were teased with a glimpse of Michael Sheen’s newly celestial-white locks, Amazon Prime Video’s second season of Good Omens is now officially in full swing.
In new pictures released today by Good Omens co-author and season two showrunner Neil Gaiman, we bear witness to visions of stars Michael Sheen (as the fussy angel Aziraphale) and David Tennant (as the slithery demon Crowley).
In the first shot, Sheen and Tennant are out of character and having an animated conversation on-set—the two are longtime friends and collaborators, most recently working on lockdown TV show Staged together.
You waited. And now you see @michaelsheen and David Tennant, being perfectly effable.
(On our Soho set. The bookshop is on the left. Could that be a pub on the right?)#GoodOmens Season 2 @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/LiqCGWT8Oh
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) November 2, 2021
Gaiman writes that the actors are being “perfectly effable,” a reference to Good Omens’ constant in-joke use of the word “ineffable” to describe, well, everything that cannot be explained. “Ineffable” was uttered so often in season one that the romantic ship of Aziraphale/Crowley is referred to online as “Ineffable Husbands.” (The shipping of this odd couple has been around since the book’s publication in 1990 but exploded in the wake of the show, which saw the characters written with the beats of a love story.)
Then we see our first shot of Sheen and Tennant truly back in character:
You waited. And here we see Crowley and Aziraphale, inside the bookshop talking to… well, that would be telling. Welcome to Season 2. This time it’s ineffable.#GoodOmens @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/ztm2fl9y3a
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) November 2, 2021
This is a fitting return to Aziraphale and Crowley. They’re in Aziraphale’s beloved bookshop. Aziraphale has his tartan bowtie and a dainty new teacup (replacing his iconic angel-wing mug?) and appears somewhat alarmed at what he’s hearing. Next to him, Crowley is wearing his trademark sunglasses (which hide his yellow snake eyes) and is in his customary black clothing.
Crowley’s reaction to the person (or entity) the pair are talking to is a toothy grin—or is that a menacing grimace? Either way, the picture captures both characters’ personalities pretty damn perfectly and plunges us straight back into the universe of Good Omens on television.
What makes this go-round so exciting (and for some fans, trepidatious) is that while a good deal of the plot of the first season closely hewed to the events of the book, Good Omens 2 will be exploring new ground. A few elements from a planned but unwritten sequel by the late Terry Pratchett and Gaiman made their way into the first season, and we expect many will appear in the second.
Much else remains a mystery, as Amazon’s official summary reminds:
The new season will explore storylines that go beyond the original source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale, a fussy angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley. Having been on Earth since The Beginning and with the Apocalypse thwarted, Aziraphale and Crowley are getting back to easy living amongst mortals in London’s Soho when an unexpected messenger presents a surprising mystery.
Are Aziraphale and Crowley meeting that “unexpected messenger” in this very picture?
According to Empire, the series will feature some additional familiar faces from season one:
Also back are Paul Adeyefa, Michael McKean, Gloria Obianyo, Miranda Richardson, Maggie Service, Reece Shearsmith and Nina Sosanya, though some will be in entirely new roles (the Good Omens team is playing coy on that front for now.)
And Empire quotes Gaiman discussing the new production:
“I am so happy to be back here on the streets of Soho, watching, every day, the glorious performances of Michael Sheen and David Tennant. I miss having Terry Pratchett’s genius, but it does feel like we are still all walking around inside his head,” says Gaiman. “It’s been an absolute pleasure to have the brilliant John Finnemore co-write this season’s story shenanigans with me, and to work with director and my co-showrunner Douglas Mackinnon as he steers the ship, along with our astonishing crew, who have returned to do it again.
“In this season we get to have new adventures with old friends, to solve some extremely mysterious mysteries, and we encounter some entirely new humans (living, dead, and otherwise), angels, and demons. We were lucky in the first season to have so many outstanding actors taking part, so I took pleasure in inviting people back, wherever we could, some in the roles they played originally, some in new parts written just for them.”
Our corporeal bodies are ready.
(images: Amazon Studios/Neil Gaiman on Twitter)
Here are some other things we saw today:
- Charlottesville’s mayor has had enough. (via Politico)
- David Byrne and Stephen Colbert danced together, who could ask for anything more? (image: Pajiba)
-
Our story: https://t.co/LoBdcDwAsD
— Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly) November 2, 2021
- “Nintendo hacker Gary Bowser pleads guilty” (via Eurogamer)
- Eternals director Chloé Zhao may be eyeing a Dracula movie next! (via Slashfilm)
- Shockingly, the “SQUID coin” cryptocurrency, inspired by Squid Game, wasn’t great for those playing. (via Comicbook.com)
What did you see out there today?
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The post Things We Saw Today: Our First Look at Aziraphale and Crowley Back in the Bookshop for Good Omens 2 first appeared on The Mary Sue.