Author Archives: samuelthefifth

Marketing a movie in the midst of a pandemic is a tough job. Doubly so when it’s a piece of esoteric queer cinema. At least one clever person has figured out a work-around though: simply upload the whole thing to … Continue reading →

As the decade ends, I’m still pondering gender. Everything was so different in 2010. No intersectionality. No rape culture. No toxic masculinity. No incels. No need to worry that that cool thing you like is actually a vehicle for oppressing … Continue reading →

There is a particular trick of language that, once understood, you will start to see everywhere. It goes like this: “I am firm. You are obstinate. They are pigheaded.” The three statements mostly describe the same thing: strong personal conviction. But … Continue reading →

The common thread underlying all good conspiracy theories: an unreasonable assumption of general competence. Continue reading →

How to deal with ideological censorship in a community? Who gets empathy and who is humanized the most? Does contemporary rhetoric about toxicity hold up to scrutiny?

“When you keep rewarding people for becoming injured, they self-modify to become injured more easily.” Continue reading →

“I see trad people, walking around like regular people. They don’t see each other. They only see what they want to see. They don’t know they’re trad.”

What would it look like if we gave students real advice instead of platitudes? Welcome to S451 U. “The key is to recognize that everyone is constrained by their own role and position, even molded by it. When push comes … Continue reading →

In the game of fallacies, the slippery slope is considered a noob tier move. However, I think there’s some hidden nuance and wisdom in the manoeuvre, worth exploring.

There’s an odd quirk of humans, and it can take us surprisingly long to clue in. Two people can do exactly the same things side by side, for a very long time, and not realize the other’s reasons are entirely … Continue reading →