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Culture War Roundup for the week of June 1, 2026

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I think Adum is a bit confused about the genre of this movie, they wanted to write a myth not a historical inquest. And it's hard to make the latter into a movie that's interesting, you have to be especially dry, so a lot of biographies end up falling into one of two categories: the mythology and the character assassination.

Leaving neverland was the other side of the equation, possibly even more dishonest since it's (IMO) more likely than not that the accusations are fabricated and it was done to someone that can no longer defend himself, on account of having been dead for over 10 years.

Imagine trying to portray the accusations of pedophilia in a way that doesn't make them come off as either indisputably true or slander, but rather something that's likely not true but maybe? How do you do it? Who is the point of view character? You have to put some third party character into the movie that sees the event as we, the general public, saw it. It's a different genre.

As for the child actors, is there even a problem? We all know of the cases where things go bad because they are reported on by journalists (Jake Lloyd podracing in real life amiright?) but when the child actor goes on to become an electrician who's going to inform you?

Imagine trying to portray the accusations of pedophilia in a way that doesn't make them come off as either indisputably true or slander, but rather something that's likely not true but maybe? How do you do it?

Andrew Jarecki gave it his best shot.

As for the child actors, is there even a problem? We all know of the cases where things go bad because they are reported on by journalists (Jake Lloyd podracing in real life amiright?) but when the child actor goes on to become an electrician who's going to inform you?

Couldn't one make the same argument about any kind of child labour?

Couldn't one make the same argument about any kind of child labour?

I wouldn't be entirely opposed to it. Those laws were created at a different time.

Guess we've got ourselves a modus ponens.