I’m a subscriber and a fan and I think this was a good article, but I think it’s worth being precise about the dynamics here.
It would take genuine courage at this point for someone of good standing in institutions like the mainstream media or (really unfortunately) public health to write this sort of criticism. Jesse has to some extent a…
I’m a subscriber and a fan and I think this was a good article, but I think it’s worth being precise about the dynamics here.
It would take genuine courage at this point for someone of good standing in institutions like the mainstream media or (really unfortunately) public health to write this sort of criticism. Jesse has to some extent already become persona non grata in these circles due to his past work, so the *marginal* courage required to publish something like this *for him* is not especially high.
In fact, Jesse has admitted before that his Substack incentives (were he to let them influence him) would drive him to post more trans/culture war articles (not sure but plausible to think this would count as that category).
This isn't culture war red meat, tho. It's far too detailed and technical for that. I think of culture war stories as bringing to light the "repent motherfucka" tambourine person, tales of cancellation, etc. But this is ... Jesse delving into actual science. Something we can't readily expect from scientists, unfortunately, in areas touched by the culture wars.
Delving into science and particularly into a field in which he has a much greater understanding than the average journalist. It’s hard to think of anyone else capable of and/or willing to doing this kind of breakdown.
OK, you are right, but you’re kind of raining on my parade, it made me very excited, so ya guilty as charged, exaggerated with effusive praise, but I enjoyed the enthusiasm, it is fun to get carried away.
Excessive praise is better than excessive negativity for sure! I thought it was worth responding to because the dynamics are important if you’re trying to counter arguments that cancel culture doesn’t exist. Like “how is <X person> canceled - X has a Substack with tons of subscribers!” In this case “canceled” might mean “this person has lost access to their position in established institutions for expressing an opinion that the majority of the country agrees with”
Just here to say how much I love Jesse’s SubStack commenters. I appreciate how nuanced their perspectives are, and how gracious they are to each other’s feedback. Prime example above.
Personae non gratae pay a high price in opportunity costs.
Were Jesse not on perennial shit lists, he would likely still be writing for The Atlantic and many other big-time publications in addition to TV spots.
You always pay a continuing price for being exiled to Corsica.
Freddie deBoer (from whose comments section I found this Substack, actually) writes fairly candidly about this topic. Like it or not, when you sell your writing, you're necessarily producing something that has to turn a profit. Hey, we all gotta eat. That being said, one of the reasons I follow people like Freddie and Jesse is precisely _because_ I'm interested in heterodox writing about our sociopolitical milieu, including the gender debate. He's incentivized to write certain things because people, like me, want to read those things (although I do appreciate when my favorite writers spill their guts about stuff they're passionate about, like Freddie's antique Marxism), and that's the entire reason why Substack works really well. I would probably leave if my various authors I support started writing about, I don't know, 17th-century French castles (actually, that would be rather interesting, but not 100% of the time).
I’m a subscriber and a fan and I think this was a good article, but I think it’s worth being precise about the dynamics here.
It would take genuine courage at this point for someone of good standing in institutions like the mainstream media or (really unfortunately) public health to write this sort of criticism. Jesse has to some extent already become persona non grata in these circles due to his past work, so the *marginal* courage required to publish something like this *for him* is not especially high.
In fact, Jesse has admitted before that his Substack incentives (were he to let them influence him) would drive him to post more trans/culture war articles (not sure but plausible to think this would count as that category).
This isn't culture war red meat, tho. It's far too detailed and technical for that. I think of culture war stories as bringing to light the "repent motherfucka" tambourine person, tales of cancellation, etc. But this is ... Jesse delving into actual science. Something we can't readily expect from scientists, unfortunately, in areas touched by the culture wars.
Delving into science and particularly into a field in which he has a much greater understanding than the average journalist. It’s hard to think of anyone else capable of and/or willing to doing this kind of breakdown.
OK, you are right, but you’re kind of raining on my parade, it made me very excited, so ya guilty as charged, exaggerated with effusive praise, but I enjoyed the enthusiasm, it is fun to get carried away.
Excessive praise is better than excessive negativity for sure! I thought it was worth responding to because the dynamics are important if you’re trying to counter arguments that cancel culture doesn’t exist. Like “how is <X person> canceled - X has a Substack with tons of subscribers!” In this case “canceled” might mean “this person has lost access to their position in established institutions for expressing an opinion that the majority of the country agrees with”
Yes that’s a practical description of the phenomenon, pushed to the fringes.
Just here to say how much I love Jesse’s SubStack commenters. I appreciate how nuanced their perspectives are, and how gracious they are to each other’s feedback. Prime example above.
Personae non gratae pay a high price in opportunity costs.
Were Jesse not on perennial shit lists, he would likely still be writing for The Atlantic and many other big-time publications in addition to TV spots.
You always pay a continuing price for being exiled to Corsica.
Freddie deBoer (from whose comments section I found this Substack, actually) writes fairly candidly about this topic. Like it or not, when you sell your writing, you're necessarily producing something that has to turn a profit. Hey, we all gotta eat. That being said, one of the reasons I follow people like Freddie and Jesse is precisely _because_ I'm interested in heterodox writing about our sociopolitical milieu, including the gender debate. He's incentivized to write certain things because people, like me, want to read those things (although I do appreciate when my favorite writers spill their guts about stuff they're passionate about, like Freddie's antique Marxism), and that's the entire reason why Substack works really well. I would probably leave if my various authors I support started writing about, I don't know, 17th-century French castles (actually, that would be rather interesting, but not 100% of the time).