Monday, October 21, 2019

Behind the Post: Ruth Whippman

It's once again time for "Behind the Post" where people posing as journalists or intellectuals write stupid stuff with the intentional purpose of getting click bait.  These articles are so absurd they get you angry, upset, and enraged, but instead of getting angry at the absurd stuff they write, I highlight the real journalistic value of these brown-journalism pieces - the people behind them.

Today's tabloid is a piece written by Ruth Whippman.  It's in the New York Times so you can ignore it.  And yes, it's about feminism and empowerment, blah blah blah.  Specifically, that men need to change, abandon excellent, lower standards so women can play too, the same tiring slop you've been hearing for a decade.  The article has no value (and it's behind a paywall so why bother?), but who is the person using a national platform (albeit a tabloid) to push a political agenda and raise your blood pressure?

Well Ruth Whippman is an author, journalist and film maker because they're easy careers, because of course she is.  She's not much of an author with two books, only one of which has had marginal success.  And keep in mind this is with having connections to a media platform like the NYT's and McMillan as a publisher.  Once again proving self publishing is the way to go.  She's done a Ted Talk, she wrote for some online sites, and the standard embellished resume no name authors post about themselves.  And it's so cookie cutter that if you stereotyped her as your standard female millennial writer you'd be 100% accurate.  There is nothing unique, mentionable, or interesting to say about this person.  She is completely common.

But the truth about Ruth is the truth I'm trying to point out about nearly all writers "Behind the Post" - they're nobodies.  They unaccomplished nobodies.  Like everybody else who write these insult pieces, there's no real jobs, no real degrees, no real work.  And since none of these people have ever had a toe in the real world, why would you listen to them? And not only listen, but get upset or angry about the foolishness they write? 

The truth is you, me, and most other people have real jobs, real professions and real lives we get to enjoy.  And just because the NYT's is so desperate for clicks/traffic/money they posted (yet another) feminist troll piece, doesn't mean you have to let it lessen your day, let alone raise your blood pressure.  These "Behind the Post" articles are going to be continued to be written until we're dead because about half the population have no purpose or agency aside from their politics and need an outlet to vainly prove to themselves they have value.  But it doesn't mean you have to listen to this generation of liberal arts majors and sanctimonious "holier-than-thou" know-it-all 20 somethings.

Life is just too damn short.  So enjoy the decline instead.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous9:51 AM

    'Behind the Post' is a brilliant concept, I want to see more. It's important to remember who these clickbaters are before listening/getting annoyed with their spiel.

    It was either here or at another site that people who were 'fashion critics' were exposed as some of the ugliest, worst dressers ever seen.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous9:51 AM

    'Behind the Post' is a brilliant concept, I want to see more. It's important to remember who these clickbaters are before listening/getting annoyed with their spiel.

    It was either here or at another site that people who were 'fashion critics' were exposed as some of the ugliest, worst dressers ever seen.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "... And since none of these people have ever had a toe in the real world, why would you listen to them?... "

    One must be careful, that observation could also be applied to Mark Twain. The only telling difference is that ole Mark had to do something meaningful to put food on the table since he lived before social security and food stamps.

    ReplyDelete
  4. More fodder for your gristmill...

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/12/opinion/sunday/white-supremacist-recruitment.html

    Joanna Schroeder

    A partial bio: https://www.huffpost.com/author/joanna-schroeder
    (Sorry about the source, but it appeared to be one of the more complete bios.)

    ReplyDelete
  5. At least you’re not living in a country that just put an unholy alliance of socialist criminals back in power. Canada is fuct.

    ReplyDelete