Holly Lawford on trans YouTube celebrity Natalie Winn:

At one point, Wynn spends a substantial amount of time describing, and then attributing to Rowling, so-called “motte-and-bailey” rhetorical tactics. These are arguments by which a person puts forward a difficult-to-defend claim (analogized to a lightly defended low-walled medieval courtyard known as a bailey), and then retreats to a more defensible claim (the metaphorical motte, or castle) when challenged, without conceding that the latter differs from the former.

But then Wynn uses this same strategy to impugn Rowling, first arguing that saying “transwomen are men” is transphobic (the bailey), and then retreating to a far more defensible position, expressed implicitly by means of the following rhetorical question: “Is it really hysteria

But wait – an article in Prospect says Carlson is a rebel guy.

Tucker, as his enormous fan following knows him, was adored by viewers and reviled by critics for his signature incredulous stare—the slack-jawed expression he wears when he simply can’t believe what he’s being told.

That look of smirking disbelief is deliberately theatrical. But Carlson’s insistent distrust of his powerful guests acts as a solvent to authority, frequently making larger-than-life figures of the political establishment defend arguments they otherwise treat as self-evident.

Tucker’s willingness to challenge and mock ruling elites went alongside an obsessively nativist message that alienated viewers who might otherwise have embraced his populist perspective.

He didn’t challenge and mock all ruling elites though did … Read the rest

Talk about a nest of vipers. Fox has a dossier on Carlson to threaten him away from retaliation. Fox made the US a much worse place while making itself a fortune, so I hope the pair of them devour each other leaving nothing behind but the claws.

When Fox announced Carlson’s departure on Monday, the network presented the separation as amicable. But according to one former on-air Fox personality, the anchor and some of the channel’s top executives are parting ways on “the worst” and “messiest possible terms.” Indeed, in private communications released last month as part of the Dominion-Fox lawsuit, the now-fired Fox host gossiped that one such exec “hates us,” claiming she was covertly working

Is it true that Tucker Carlson is fascinating as well as repellent?

Tucker is hard to replace with just another cable-news face, Hirshman noted, because “he doesn’t just repeat things that others are saying but rather he cooks up these ridiculous issues in an ever-evolving list of grievances”.

What’s more, he’s remarkably good at capturing attention and giving his viewers the language to express their anger, racism and hate.

In that sense, Carlson is something like Donald Trump, who famously called himself a “ratings machine”. You can despise what these men are saying and still have trouble tearing your eyes from their TV presence; they possess a kind of perverse gift, like one bestowed by an evil godmother upon

The judge in Trump’s current case plaintively suggests that it’s not appropriate for Trump to try to litigate via social media. Fat lot of good that will do.

…the judge in the case, Lewis A Kaplan, rebuked Trump for an “entirely inappropriate” statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, shortly before proceedings began.

Kaplan warned the former president’s lawyers that such statements about the case could bring more legal problems upon himself.

Why “could”? Why isn’t it a legal problem now?

Trump, who has not attended so far, called the case “a made-up scam”. He also called Carroll’s lawyer “a political operative” and alluded to a DNA issue Kaplan has ruled cannot be part of the case.

“This

That’s silly.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is upset about Tucker’s firing. For some reason. pic.twitter.com/XgBhaoJfEm

— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 26, 2023

The First Amendment doesn’t forbid employers to fire employees because the employers don’t like their speech. The First Amendment doesn’t govern private employers at all.

It’s understandable that Russians would be unfamiliar with the details of free speech law.… Read the rest

The Wall Street Journal tells us

Tucker Carlson’s Vulgar, Offensive Messages About Colleagues Helped Seal His Fate at Fox News

Prime-time host called senior executive the c-word in redacted missive; network grew wary of further embarrassment from possible disclosure

Snappy headline and subhead.

Several weeks ago, as Fox News lawyers prepared for a courtroom showdown with Dominion Voting Systems, they presented Tucker Carlson with what they thought was good news: They had persuaded the court to redact from a legal filing the time he called a senior Fox News executive the c-word, according to people familiar with the matter. 

Mr. Carlson, Fox News’s most-watched prime-time host, wasn’t impressed. He told his colleagues that he wanted the world to know what

From a Fresh Air conversation via J.A. at Miscellany Room:

By the time they enter kindergarten, most American children believe that being “thin” makes them more valuable to society, writes journalist Virginia Sole-Smith. By middle school, Sole-Smith says, more than a quarter of kids in the U.S. will have been put on a diet.

Sole-Smith produces the newsletter and podcast Burnt Toast, where she explores fatphobia, diet culture, parenting and health. In her new book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture, she argues that efforts to fight childhood obesity have caused kids to absorb an onslaught of body-shaming messages.

And also, no doubt, to do a lot of bullying of kids who are fat … Read the rest

The Oxford University LGBTQ Society has a passionate Statement on Facebook denouncing the L part of itself.

Our statement on Kathleen Stock’s speaking event at the union. Watch this space for updates regarding our next steps.

Steps? Like what? Kicking her?

The Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society is dismayed and appalled that the Oxford Union decided to platform the transphobic and trans exclusionary speaker Kathleen Stock.

Stock has been campaigning against trans rights, labelling them as dangerous to women, calling for the exclusion of trans people from the LGBTQ+ movement, supporting conversion therapy, and supporting hate groups such as the LGB Alliance and Lesbian Project.

Once again, the Union is disregarding the welfare of its LGBTQ+ members under the guise of

It’s almost funny. Almost. The Oxford LGBTQ+ Society celebrates Lesbian Visibility Week with one breath and libels Kathleen Stock with a pack of lies in the next. Lesbian Visibility no not that kind!!!

Happy lesbian visibility week! Here are some of the lesbian people and lesbian stories that inspire us (1/10) pic.twitter.com/L1E4jdFiGb

— Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society (@OULGBTQ) April 24, 2023

(10/10) pic.twitter.com/R11qIP8YjA

— Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society (@OULGBTQ) April 24, 2023

Immediately below that –

Proud of our @OULGBTQ Society for being such a resilient, strong queer community, and for standing for the right of Oxford trans students to exist in peace. We will prevail.
https://t.co/RXylsau5xT

— Addi Haran (@AddiHD02) April 24, 2023

… Read the rest

This is bad and sad news. Tarek Fatah is gone.

Renowned Pakistan-born Canadian columnist and famous television personality Tarek Fatah died on Monday, April 24 at the age of 73. The author, based in Canada, died after a long-drawn battle with cancer. His daughter Natasha Fatah confirmed the news of his death in a Twitter post.

Lion of Punjab.
Son of Hindustan.
Lover of Canada.
Speaker of truth.
Fighter for justice.
Voice of the down-trodden, underdogs, and the oppressed.@TarekFatah has passed the baton on… his revolution will continue with all who knew and loved him.

Will you join us?

1949-2023 pic.twitter.com/j0wIi7cOBF

— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) April 24, 2023

NDTV goes on:

Tarek Fatah was born on November 20,

“Freda” Wallace complains that there are hundreds of hours of video of Kathleen Stock talking.

“Are you calling me a misogynist? I’m a woman!”

Stephanie Davies-Arai and Freda Wallace clash over Kathleen Stock being removed from a university's debating society due to accusations of transphobia.@cwknews | @iancollinsuk | #TalkTV pic.twitter.com/9y4fCxFoxl

— Talk (@TalkTV) April 25, 2023

“I’ve watched endless hours of Kathleen Stock on YouTube talking to other academics, there’s no shortage of Kathleen Stock talking.”

So classic. So male. A woman talking! Can you imagine?!

“There are hundreds of hours of Kathleen Stock talking, she doesn’t need -“

At that point the presenter interrupted.

Who knew there was a limit or quota? Is it smaller for women … Read the rest

Funny thing: the Oxford LTGTBTQT+T+ guy already doxxed himself. I don’t think you get to call it doxxing when you’ve taken a Twitter bow for your services to public fanaticism and censorship.

Proud of our @OULGBTQ Society for being such a resilient, strong queer community, and for standing for the right of Oxford trans students to exist in peace. We will prevail.
https://t.co/RXylsau5xT

— Addi Haran (@AddiHD02) April 24, 2023

Gotta pick one, dude. Self-promotion or complaint of doxxing; you can’t have both.… Read the rest

Outrage! No platform! How very dare?!

The Telegraph:

Oxford University students have called for the gender-critical feminist Kathleen Stock to be no-platformed in “solidarity with the trans community”.

The university’s LGBTQ+ society has urged the Oxford Union to rescind its “misguided” invitation to the academic, who is scheduled to speak about her views on gender identity theory at the end of May.

In a statement posted on social media, the LGBTQ+ society said it was “dismayed and appalled” that the historic debating society had “decided to platform the transphobic and trans exclusionary speaker Kathleen Stock”.

It accused the union of “disregarding the welfare of its LGBTQ+ members under the guise of free speech”.

So it’s bad for the … Read the rest

What’s next for Angry Cable Guy? It’s tricky finding a new home that’s angry enough for him.

Among Carlson’s most passionately pursued topics was the idea – contrary to all able evidence – that white people were being persecuted in the US.

Across his tenure at Fox News, Carlson pushed the concept of the great replacement theory – which states that a range of liberals, Democrats and Jewish people are working to replace white voters in western countries with people of color, in an effort to achieve political aims – in more than 400 of his shows, a New York Times analysis found.

Because that’s how it works, right? Either white people vote – or everyone else votes – it … Read the rest

Originally a comment by Rev David Brindley on From today they re-group.

Well, Possums

Bill Shorten, a government minister, is urging the city of Moonee Ponds (Dame Edna’s home) to erect a brass statue of the Dame.

People in Adelaide, remembering how hard Humphries worked to save Her Majesty’s Theatre from destruction are calling for it to be renamed The Barry.

And Gladioli growers are hastening to develop a new flower to be called Edna.

Meanwhile, an actual, proven friend of paedophiles, former Governor-General of Australia and former Anglican Bishop of Brisbane, has been found “fit for ministry” as long as he apologises to two sex abuse victims he failed. This is the “Bishop of Christ” who appeared on … Read the rest

Hey @TuckerCarlson, you can always question more with @RT_com

— RT (@RT_com) April 24, 2023

Adding, via Rev David Brindley; do hit play.

So many lies, so little time. In memoriam of Tucker Carlson & Fox News, 2009-2023. pic.twitter.com/7CCXFCVbRt

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 24, 2023

… Read the rest

Joan Walsh at The Nation on Tucker Carlson calling her a cunt.

…nine years ago, Carlson called me the C-word to a Salon intern, multiple times, and told the young man I needed to get “fucked.” I remember it because of the firestorm it caused in our small office.

The intern, Ethan Sherwood Strauss, remembers it too, telling Washington Post media reporter Erik Wemple that he’d called to ask Carlson to do an opinion piece about President Obama (I don’t remember that detail, and, assuming it’s true, I apologize for our news judgment), when, out of nowhere, Carlson began calling me the C-word and sharing his views on my sex life. Strauss, understandably, was shocked, and told his supervisor

Also Don Lemon, I guess to even the numbers or something.

CNN anchor Don Lemon has hit out at the network over his firing months after being accused of misogyny over remarks about top Republican Nikki Hayley.

No he didn’t “hit out at” the network. Don’t be so silly. He objected to his firing – he complained, he fumed, he griped – but he didn’t hit anything.

“I am stunned,” Mr Lemon wrote on Twitter, saying he was told by his agent he had been let go.

He wasn’t “let go”; he was fired. One minute it’s a crude exaggeration and the next it’s a crude euphemism. I do wish journalists would use real words.

Was it because … Read the rest

Melbourne International Comedy Festival has a hell of a nerve.

This is what @micomfestival did to him. pic.twitter.com/ThBXqX7o0o

— Graham Linehan (@Glinner) April 24, 2023

… Read the rest