This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
Any fans of the Great British Bake Off here? I think this season has been a case study in the mechanisms by which wokeness latches on and does its best to ruin things. I'm so sick of people talking about how offensive Mexican week was. If you ask me, I really have no idea what was so offensive about it. Acknowledging that Mexican culture and food exists is not the same as being racist towards Mexicans. Also, since when are Mexicans even considered to be oppressed, and worthy of people getting outraged over? Have Mexicans historically been oppressed, especially by the British?
Following Mexican week, now, I guess the outlets all saw that claiming offense at GBBO was a great way to get more views, because every week I see at least one article about how viewers were "shocked and outaged" at the latest episode of Bake Off. Often, these are related to the fact that several contestants this season aren't native to Great Britain and are not being handled sensitively enough with regards to the recipes they do and their ability to follow the instructions in the technical challenges.
I'm a massive, massive fan of GBBO. People talking about being offended by mexican week are the literal scum of the earth - twitter wastoids with nothing to offer the world. Ignore them.
I'm offended by Carol peeling a goddamn avacado in the episode. It reminded me that the brits aren't universally superhuman queuers and cooks (since this show is just so superior to the American alternative). At the end of the day I would have crushed the shit out of that episode. My "I'm tired after work" taco is better than anything the average brit can put together.
See point 1 above for the most part. GBBO's diversity is its strength ironically. The fact that certain people struggle through technical challenges and others breeze through on a pretty even basis is what makes part of the competition interesting. Of course straight men always have a tough time making it through to the final rounds but that's OK in my book.
One of the reason I love the show so much is because the runners/hosts are still taking gambles like Mexican week. The moment the show becomes political or begins obviously folding to wokies is the day I just re-watch old episodes. There's enough fodder there for me to slowly walk through an episode or 2 per week for at least a year and then just start over.
It's heartening to know that I'm not the only person who was taken aback at that. I actually said aloud--"what is she doing to that avocado!?" I had a similar experience with the brownies they did last (?) season. I would personally be hopeless at reproducing the vast majority of the stuff they bake, I know, but that only makes it all the more amusing when they utterly botch what to me is simple American fare.
I quite enjoy GBBO, which I feel is a bit odd because I have never really enjoyed anything like it--not cooking shows (except Shokugeki no Soma), not reality shows, not game shows. I don't go in for competitions and I'm not really a foodie. If I'm watching a "TV show" at all (leisure hours are more often spent gaming), it's almost always either anime or sci-fi. But there is something inescapably wholesome about GBBO. And I know it's deliberate, because in the early episodes there was definitely some reality show style egging on from the crew. But the decision was clearly made to encourage helpfulness and cooperation and camaraderie between the contestants, and the show has been an absolute gem ever since.
Yes, but I feel like the male hosts are just annoying the contestants out of boredom these days. Mel and Sue were so warm and encouraging and Noel is weird and Matt Lucas is obnoxious. I had the realization last week that after six years of devotion I really don't care to watch week to week this year.
Actually, I have felt that losing Mel and Sue was one of the better things to happen to the show. They were just so annoying, and never ever funny despite obviously trying to be funny. Noel and Matt (and Sandy before him) are still warm and encouraging when people are down, with the bonus that they are funny sometimes! And when they aren't funny, they at least aren't annoying.
Really the only downside to the change in the people on the show was losing Mary Berry. She is a gem. Prue is nice and a good judge, but it's hard to follow that act.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link