On It's Fight Time
Yeah, that's the thing. She's so eager to co-opt "feminism" that it's hard to even level any feminist criticism of her critics without feeling like you are helping her out. And the sad thing is, there are so many ways to point out that she's disastrous and vile WITHOUT being sexist, BECAUSE SHE IS, but being sort of traditionally sexist about her is a big way to tap into people's hate centers and rile people up against her, which is why left-wing folks do it and defend it, so... you know, it's just a big disappointment, all around.
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On It's Fight Time
Nooooo! I pitched an article about fighting! And then, I think, like 24 hours later, THIS HAPPENED, and she said the thing about blogging about it, and I was like, "wow. You know, I wouldn't normally, but in this case I think I actually will?"
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On It's Fight Time
That was to Giovanni. I AM ALSO A JERK. LEARN TO COMMENT, JERK!
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On It's Fight Time
IT IS A VERY COMPLICATED SUBJECT AND YOU ARE A JERK. Basically. Such are my opinions!
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On Rivers Cuomo Messes You Up Forever
Errr, I dunno? I mean, I don't see anything in the lyrics to support that level of self-awareness. It's a pretty direct statement. And, like, if you say that the goal of "No Other One" is to present him as an asshole, you have to say that the goal of "Pinkerton" is to present him as an asshole, since it shares about the same level of direct statement and non-metaness (I am making up words, OK) as the rest of the album save "Butterfly," where he finally just says, "maybe you're as real as me... maybe I need fantasy," but also calls you a bitch.
But either way, as you say, it ends up as the same pity/self-pity thing, where the goal is to present him as so terrifyingly inadept at living in the world that he needs a whole new mommy who will let him crawl up into her ladybits for comfort. So it might be kind of a moot point?
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On Rivers Cuomo Messes You Up Forever
Haha. And he was A MILLLLLIONAAAIRRRRRRRRRRE. Which, like: This wasn't Pinkerton and all the albums before (all one of the albums before!) and after were from a different, less memoiristical place; I don't think Cuomo actually went surfing because he didn't like your face, for example. Not least because it is impossible to imagine Cuomo engaging in any athletic activity. But the self-pity! THE SELF-PITY. MY GOD. "The truth is... I don't stand a chance... and you don't like me... and I'm going to go to my room... and cry... and probably eventually snap... like a dude version of Carrie... at the prom." Yikes, guy!
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On Rivers Cuomo Messes You Up Forever
I KNOW, DUDE. I had to leave out a whole bit about how Michael Cera has a band and they cover "El Scorcho" apparently and also there was a recap of the plot of "Madame Butterfly" included in the piece at some point and then some careful hedging (always cut the careful hedging! Remove all nuance!) and then lots of Rivers Cuomo Facts and and and... that was before I even showed it to anyone other than the Pinkerton fan I was showing it to in order to anticipate disagreements. This is the shortest it could be. And I am still like, "fuck me, that is a long piece," when I look at it.
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On It's Fight Time
Conceptual! I approve.
The immigrants were mostly Irish, as I understand it; in the early-to-mid 1800s, still a marginalized identity. Also, some Germans. The whole immigranty nature of NY was, then as now, a really hot-button issue, and it's speculated by some that the Christopher Columbus statue in the promenade was an assertion of "real American" (read: non-recent-immigrant) affiliation for the space, which is fun, when you consider whose kitchen formerly occupied it.
CENTRAL PARK FACTS! IN YOUR FACE!