AnthonyB's recent activity
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Comment on US FBI readies new war on trans people in ~lgbt
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Comment on Dirtbags made comedian Stavros Halkias famous. Now he’s helping them remake their lives. in ~life
AnthonyB Link ParentI love Stavvy. I give my sister a ridiculous calendar every year for Christmas and a few years ago I gave her one of his calendars. She did not appreciate it. My grandma loved it though. Somewhere...I love Stavvy. I give my sister a ridiculous calendar every year for Christmas and a few years ago I gave her one of his calendars. She did not appreciate it. My grandma loved it though. Somewhere there's a woman in her late 80s with a 2023 Stavvy calendar stashed away.
If someone took a time machine back to 2018 and told me about everything that happened over the last seven years, the most unbelievable thing would be that two of the three Cum Town boys were featured in GQ.
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Comment on Jimmy Kimmel pulled “indefinitely” by ABC after Charlie Kirk comments in ~tv
AnthonyB Link ParentI'm with you, and I've been on the 'we're already there' train for a while, but there's something about this that feels different. The abuses of power, the corruption, the laundry list of norm...I'm with you, and I've been on the 'we're already there' train for a while, but there's something about this that feels different. The abuses of power, the corruption, the laundry list of norm violations, the targeting of marginalized people, all the ways they meet the "is this fascism/authoritarianism" checklists, etc. - those were all gigantic flashing warning signs, but they still (sadly) made sense within the broad scope of our politics and policies.
Is it really that shocking to see ICE agents smashing car windows and dragging old ladies away in cuffs? How many times have we seen cops do something like that without consequence? We're so desensitized to this type of violence that it's just what happens now when you don't follow the rules. Suspending due process rights after 20 years of dehumanizing immigrants doesn't feel all that crazy.
Was anyone really that blown away when Mahmoud Khalil was arrested after years of both parties demonizing anyone who spoke out against Israel's atrocities in Gaza? That was also a direct attack on free speech with an equally flimsy "justification," but, uh, maybe he was paid by Hamas? It may have been a bit of a leap, but the groundwork had already been laid.
This thing with Kimmel, on the other hand, crossed a boundary that many people thought was impenetrable and was over something so petty and so trivial that it feels like it's coming out of nowhere. A late night host made a comment that the president didn't like so the president got him fired. It happened it a slightly more roundabout way, but everyone can see that's what happened.
That this naked attack on free speech could happen to a person of his stature and skin tone over something so small, and without any pushback, makes it feel like anything is possible.
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Comment on Jimmy Kimmel pulled “indefinitely” by ABC after Charlie Kirk comments in ~tv
AnthonyB Link ParentJust yesterday Trump threatened to go after ABC after a reporter asked him about Bondi's recent comments about prosecuting hate speech.Just yesterday Trump threatened to go after ABC after a reporter asked him about Bondi's recent comments about prosecuting hate speech.
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Comment on Jimmy Kimmel pulled “indefinitely” by ABC after Charlie Kirk comments in ~tv
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Comment on Jimmy Kimmel pulled “indefinitely” by ABC after Charlie Kirk comments in ~tv
AnthonyB LinkKeeping this strictly focused on the entertainment aspect, you gotta feel bad for Kimmel, who campaigned for Colbert's Emmy, only to have the same thing happen a few days later.Keeping this strictly focused on the entertainment aspect, you gotta feel bad for Kimmel, who campaigned for Colbert's Emmy, only to have the same thing happen a few days later.
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Comment on What "one-hit wonder" do you think has a discography worth exploring? in ~music
AnthonyB Link ParentA few years ago, I threw on their self-titled album just for the hell of it and was pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Kitty, Boll Weevil, Naked and Famous, and Dune Buggy still get a lot of...A few years ago, I threw on their self-titled album just for the hell of it and was pleasantly surprised by how good it is. Kitty, Boll Weevil, Naked and Famous, and Dune Buggy still get a lot of plays.
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Comment on What "one-hit wonder" do you think has a discography worth exploring? in ~music
AnthonyB LinkOk, hear me out - Chumbawumba. I had no idea that the dorky tubthumpers did anything else until I heard their 60 Songs That Explain the 90s episode. Turns out they've got an extensive catalogue...Ok, hear me out - Chumbawumba.
I had no idea that the dorky tubthumpers did anything else until I heard their 60 Songs That Explain the 90s episode. Turns out they've got an extensive catalogue that is all over the place but has some other tunes that are worth a listen. I'm partial to Rappaport's Testament, which is based on a story about an Auschwitz prisoner in Primo Levi's "Moments of Reprieve." There aren't many bands out there that can strike that balance of bouncy, uplifting, depressing, and dorky.
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Comment on What are some “sore thumb” lyrics for you? in ~music
AnthonyB Link ParentGang Starr is one of my favorites but my god Guru's all over the place. From DWYCK:Listening to rap/hip-hop songs from like 1990-2014 is a minefield
Gang Starr is one of my favorites but my god Guru's all over the place. From DWYCK:
Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is
I get more props and stunts than Bruce WillisA poet like Langston Hughes and can't lose when I cruise
Out on the expressway
Leaving the Bodega I say "suave"
Premier's got more beats than barns got hayClips are inserted into my gun
So I can take the money, never have to run -
Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 2 in ~sports.american_football
AnthonyB LinkI think last year gave me a false sense of security because the Broncos always find a way to lose to the Colts in the most embarrassing fashion. The Colts are 13-6 against the Broncos since 2002...I think last year gave me a false sense of security because the Broncos always find a way to lose to the Colts in the most embarrassing fashion. The Colts are 13-6 against the Broncos since 2002 and most of those wins are from Peyton Manning putting on a clinic or Denver making terrible coaching decisions and failing to execute on routine plays. This game gave me flashbacks to 2002 and 2022.
Last week I spent way too much time breaking down Will Lutz's inability to kick from beyond 50, but with the caveat that he is automatic from inside 45. Woops.
Nix got off to a slow start last year and he hardly played in the preseason so I'm not ready to pull the alarm yet, but I think it's safe to say the preseason expectations were way too high.
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Comment on The abundance delusion (gifted link) in ~society
AnthonyB LinkGod damn. This must be how centrists feel when they read an extra smug and condescending Current Affairs piece. That was quite a journey. I have a habit of blowing right past the byline, so I made...God damn. This must be how centrists feel when they read an extra smug and condescending Current Affairs piece. That was quite a journey.
I have a habit of blowing right past the byline, so I made it about 3/4 of the way down before I had to scroll up and see who wrote it since I was running out of space for all the different parts to quote. I know The Atlantic tends to be more center-left, but the depiction of the "Luigi left" was like something you'd hear on Fox & Friends. It's as if everyone to the right of Derek Thompson has a cartoon Twitter avatar and thinks Bernie Sanders is a plant sent by the capitalist pigs to prevent the revolution (which is imminent!) from finally taking place. Who wrote this? Did Matt Yglesias get drunk and start taking heat-check threes from the logo?
I'm not familiar with Mike Solana but I guess he's another one of Peter Theil's creepy little child brides? Jfc, how many are there? Is this what the next 25 years are going be? Just a thousand Peter Their guys turning America into neo-feudal utopia for billionaires? With that in mind, this does take on a slightly different tone:
The voters who make up the backbone of the party, representing everything from government and private-sector unions to NGOs, are voting for steady work paid at a bloated premium (and in perpetuity for those lucky enough to score a pension), not to fix any of the problems their jobs ostensibly exist to solve. We have the country we have today because this is what the voters requested. This is democracy.
I can see the appeal for some people, but good lord if this ever became the standard view of the Atlantic readership, the Democratic infighting would be insurmountable.
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Comment on Weekly US politics news and updates thread - week of September 15 in ~society
AnthonyB LinkThere were a few articles from the aftermath of the Kirk shooting that I thought were worth sharing but not worthy of their own post. This one from The Nation touches on some of the responses we...There were a few articles from the aftermath of the Kirk shooting that I thought were worth sharing but not worthy of their own post.
This one from The Nation touches on some of the responses we saw in the media, including those that seemed to soften Kirk’s image, like this Ezra Klein essay.
There's also this terrifying piece from Wired that details the targeting of people who had anything other than nice things to say about Kirk. (Related video from the person whose name appears first on the website dedicated to tracking those people)
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Comment on ‘The Pitt’ wins Drama, ‘The Studio’ wins Comedy, and ‘Adolescence’ wins Limited Series at the 2025 Emmy’s in ~tv
AnthonyB Link ParentAgreed. He has so much range in that show. I was glad he won. There was a lot of competition in that category.Agreed. He has so much range in that show. I was glad he won. There was a lot of competition in that category.
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Comment on ‘The Pitt’ wins Drama, ‘The Studio’ wins Comedy, and ‘Adolescence’ wins Limited Series at the 2025 Emmy’s in ~tv
AnthonyB Link ParentTV had a bit of a lull for a few years compared to the highs of 2013-2015 but I feel like it's starting to come back. There's a lot of B+ stuff out there, but we're still missing a water cooler...TV had a bit of a lull for a few years compared to the highs of 2013-2015 but I feel like it's starting to come back. There's a lot of B+ stuff out there, but we're still missing a water cooler show. I think The Pitt has the best chance to be that show when it returns.
There are a lot of things worth watching, but of all the winners and nominees tonight, I think Adolescents is the one mandatory watch. The performances are excellent, the story is gut wrenching, and it's a British show so there isn't any filler. You can knock it out in a few hours and have plenty of time left over for therapy!
Also, if you appreciate the comedy in The Studio, you might enjoy Platonic. Like The Studio, it has a continuous plot, but it does have some of that old school TV vibe where each episode has its own thing. I wouldn't be surprised if Rose Byrne got a nomination for her role in it next year.
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Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentCBS News reported that the father called a youth pastor to calm Robinson after he confronted him and that the pastor called the Marshals. The original post for this thread quotes Trump, who gave a...CBS News reported that the father called a youth pastor to calm Robinson after he confronted him and that the pastor called the Marshals.
Robinson's father called a youth pastor who knows Tyler and is close to the family, and he and the pastor tried to calm Robinson down. The sources said the pastor, who also serves as a court security officer, called the U.S. Marshals. The Marshals detained Robinson and kept him secure, while waiting for the FBI. The FBI then took Robinson into custody.
The original post for this thread quotes Trump, who gave a similar story but with different details
Trump told the show that a minister recognized the suspect — who he did not name — from the photos released to the public, and went to his father. The father "convinced the son," Trump said, and took him to a friend who happened to be a U.S. Marshal, to turn him in.
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Comment on Charlie Kirk shooting: US President Donald Trump says suspect in custody in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentThat's exactly what happened a few weeks ago with the Sydney Sweeney jeans/genes debacleThat's exactly what happened a few weeks ago with the Sydney Sweeney jeans/genes debacle
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentThey are. I'm no expert so take this with a grain of salt, but my understanding is that Nick Fuentes referred to Trump and Kirk as 'Jewish fascists' for their support of Israel. From what I've...They are. I'm no expert so take this with a grain of salt, but my understanding is that Nick Fuentes referred to Trump and Kirk as 'Jewish fascists' for their support of Israel. From what I've seen, there was a significant rift between Fuentes and Kirk that goes back years, and the playlist in question may have been in reference to the rift. Again, I'm not sure how accurate all that is and (thankfully) there there aren't any groypers around to verify.
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentIt's still very early, but the song appears on a playlist made by and for 'groypers'. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take multiple showers and touch a whole lotta grass.It's still very early, but the song appears on a playlist made by and for 'groypers'.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take multiple showers and touch a whole lotta grass.
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentSaid the person who's never been cursed by an etsy witch.Said the person who's never been cursed by an etsy witch.
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Comment on Conservative activist Charlie Kirk shot and killed at Utah college event in ~society
AnthonyB Link ParentThat makes sense. It's interesting and a bit disconcerting that there's still a huge gap between traditional news outlets and popular online figures with massive influence, so much so that someone...If you don't engage with the "debate me, random college student, so I can prove how much smarter I am than you through selective editing" sort of media then it's easy to never see him in any more depth than a random "guy said ____" sort of quote in a larger article.
That makes sense. It's interesting and a bit disconcerting that there's still a huge gap between traditional news outlets and popular online figures with massive influence, so much so that someone like skybrian wouldn't recognize the name. Unfortunately, I don't think guys like Kirk are confined to that dark corner of the internet anymore, as evidenced by the fact that Trump was one of the first people to publicly announce his death and has since ordered all flags to fly at half staff. Though Kirk is different in that he is also an organizer outside of social media.
Before 2020, the only way I'd come across a figure like Kirk is if one of my former coworkers or highschool friends shared something on Facebook, and in those instances I'd roll my eyes and ignore it. But after a lockdown-induced rabbit hole (that can be traced back to a tildes post), I came across a few decent online/social media news sources that also cover the online right and it completely recontextualized American politics in a way that made everything make so much more sense. It's like when I watched Skibidi toilet and Huggy Wuggy on YouTube for the first time and realized what my students were actually doing on the playground. 90% of the people I know don't read the NYT, listen to NPR, or even watch CNN. Instead, they get what little news they consume from social media where guys like Kirk dominate. If you don't know who those guys are, it can be hard to understand what people are thinking. It's a blind spot that traditional news can't cover.
Ken Klippenstein is a reliable journalist who wrote for The Intercept and a few other notable publications. He's broken a handful of big stories in recent years including the Luigi manifesto and Tyler Robinson's discord logs. I don't know if he has a perfect record, but his sources are usually reliable.
Edit: got scooped, but leaving this up to back up the other comments :)