On Friday, The Bully Pulpit podcast featured a stimulating discussion about Matt Walsh’s new movie Am I Racist? Among other things, the four hosts discuss the ethics of deception in Walsh’s film. Andrew Walker stood alone in arguing that Walsh’s use of deception in the film was not morally justified. I think Walker is spot-on about that. The truth is that—in spite of Walsh’s claims to the contrary—the film repeatedly engages its subjects through deception. Walsh defends the film in a video arguing that his methods were necessary in order to expose the DEI grift. While that claim is disputable, the more important point is the structure of his argument.…
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An Epilogue on My Column about Lying
It has been fascinating to read responses to my column in WORLD magazine about the ethics of lying. The occasion for the article was Robin DiAngelo’s claim that Matt Walsh had lied to her in order to procure her participation in Walsh’s new film Am I Racist? I was asked to write the article last week before the film released and to address the ethics of lying for an ostensibly good cause. There was an online conversation unfolding before the film released as a result of DiAngelo’s statement, and many people were arguing in response that lying and deception are justified whenever waging culture war. For my part, I never…
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The Child Will Never Be Born
My wife and I had been hearing and reading mixed reviews on the Barbie film, so last night we decided to go and check it out for ourselves. I think it’s safe to say that from the jump, the film left us pretty cold. The very first scene shows morose-looking little girls in a dark and barren landscape playing with baby dolls. The desert backdrop and the sullen expressions on the girls’ faces make it clear that playing at maternal stereotypes is oppressive and limiting for a young girl. After all, there is much more to life than the drudgery of motherhood. So the girls smash their baby dolls into…
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Top 10 YouTubes of 2022
It’s time for my annual posting of the Top 10 YouTube Videos of the Year (see last year’s list here). This ranking is totally unscientific, and there’s actually more than 10 videos this time. Only one person was polled to compile this list—yours truly. This year’s slate of videos has both humor and humanity with some other odds and ends thrown in. If you think I’ve left something out, let me know. I’ll think about adding an “Honorable Mention” category at the bottom. Enjoy! If you’re interested, here are links to lists from previous years: 2021 |2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |…
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Top Ten YouTubes of 2021
It’s time for my annual posting of the Top 10 YouTube Videos of the Year (see last year’s list here). This ranking is totally unscientific, and there’s actually more than 10 videos this time. Only one person was polled to compile this list—yours truly. This year’s slate of videos has both humor and humanity with some other odds and ends thrown in. If you think I’ve left something out, let me know. I’ll think about adding an “Honorable Mention” category at the bottom. I usually start with the humor, but don’t miss the non-humorous ones at the end. Enjoy! If you’re interested, here are links to lists from previous years:…
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Top 10 YouTubes of 2020
It’s time for my annual posting of the Top 10 YouTube Videos of the Year (see last year’s list here). This ranking is totally unscientific, and there’s actually more than 10 videos this time (13 to be exact). Only one person was polled to compile this list—yours truly. This year’s slate of videos has both humor and humanity with some other odds and ends thrown in. If you think I’ve left something out, let me know. I’ll think about adding an “Honorable Mention” category at the bottom. If you’re interested, here are links to lists from previous years: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |…
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The Best Thing on the Internet
If there’s anything better on the internet today, I don’t know what it is. These are three dancing sisters from the Netherlands. Their names are Nora, Yarah, and Rosa. Their group name is “Let it Happen.” They have been performing for years including appearances on The Ellen Show. The video above originally appeared on Instagram with the following message from Norah: Today we have the privilege to perform live during the “James Brown Birthday IG-live musical tribute” @jamesbrownfamilyfdn . Thank you @jamesbrowngirl for asking us, we feel honored to be part of this and to remember your father. ______________________________________________ Song: Get on the good foot Artist: James Brown ______________________________________________ #jamesbrown…
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Top Ten YouTubes of the 2010’s
At the end of every year, I like to post a round-up of my favorite viral videos from the year. As we close out 2019, I thought it might be fun to do a round-up of the top videos from the last decade. As usual, this ranking is totally unscientific. Only one person was polled to compile this list—yours truly. Also, there actually more than ten, but who’s counting? If you think I’ve missed one, let me know on Twitter, and I’ll consider giving it an “honorable mention.” Enjoy! If you’re interested, here are links to lists from previous years: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |…
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Top 10 YouTubes of 2018
It’s time for my annual posting of the Top 10 YouTube Videos of the Year (see last year’s list here). The videos below are actually not all YouTubes. There are some Twitter and Facebook videos in there too. Nevertheless, I’m gonna keep the title “Top 10 YouTubes” because most of them are in fact YouTubes and because I want to keep continuity with previous annual lists. This ranking is totally unscientific. Only one person was polled to compile this list—yours truly. This year’s slate of videos has both humor and humanity with some other odds and ends thrown in. If you think I’ve left something out, let me know on…
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Stan Lee wrote the stories of my youth
I just saw the news about the death of comic book mogul Stan Lee. I don’t know much about Stan Lee the man, but I do know something about the characters and worlds he created within Marvel comics. Lee’s stories and characters were a big part of my childhood. He didn’t create stereotypical superheroes. He humanized them in ways that a kid like me could relate to. The New York Times describes his work this way: Under Mr. Lee, Marvel revolutionized the comic book world by imbuing its characters with the self-doubts and neuroses of average people, as well an awareness of trends and social causes and, often, a sense of…
