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The Present Age Weekly Recap: September 9, 2022

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TPA Weekly Recap

The Present Age Weekly Recap: September 9, 2022

Here's a jam-packed edition of the newsletter with some reading material for this weekend and beyond.

Parker Molloy
Sep 9, 2022
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The Present Age Weekly Recap: September 9, 2022

www.readtpa.com

Welcome to the weekly recap. In this post, I’ll be linking to my work from the week, sharing some stories from others I thought were interesting, and providing a few casual thoughts on [gestures at everything]. If you’d like to receive this weekly email ONLY, please go to your account page and under “Email notifications” uncheck every box except “TPA Weekly Recap.” If you don’t want to receive the weekly recap, leave all boxes except “TPA Weekly Recap” checked.


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From me this week (and last week): fascism, misinformation, post-9/11 spying, and subscriptions

Last week, I wrote about the right-wing whining about having their ideology called “semi-fascist” by Biden. One of the people who appeared on Fox News to cry about how unfair it was of Biden to say such a thing had previously argued that “barren, non-familial lifestyles” should be penalized “through taxes and disqualification from political participation,” and called on the Republican Party to “use the law to ensure blue submission. Imprison dissenters.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty fashy to me.

The Present Age
Fascists Hate When You Call Them Fascists
“What we’re seeing now is either the beginning or the death knell of extreme MAGA philosophy,” President Joe Biden told a group of Democratic supporters last week. “It’s not just Trump, it’s the entire philosophy that underpins the - I’m going to say something, it’s like semi-fascism…
Read more
7 months ago · 53 likes · 14 comments · Parker Molloy

And then on Monday, I wrote a piece about the steps you should take if you accidentally share false information. A man tweeted out a video of an audition from season 1 of American Idol, falsely claimed that the woman in the clip was Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and then refused to take it down after people pointed out that it 100% was not her. Don’t share misinfo! Even if it confirms your existing beliefs!

The Present Age
What to do When You Accidentally Share False Info Online
On Sunday, two people sent me a link to a tweet with a quick and simple question: “Is this real?” Both had encountered what was supposedly a clip of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) auditioning for American Idol in 2002 under the name Stephanie Sugarman…
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7 months ago · 41 likes · 6 comments · Parker Molloy

Then on Tuesday, CNN announced the hiring of John Miller, a former New York cop who lied under oath about NYPD’s post-9/11 surveillance of Muslims. Not sure how exactly that’s supposed to help CNN’s credibility…

The Present Age
NYC Council Member Slams CNN Hire of Muslim Surveillance Program Denier John Miller
Earlier today, CNN announced the hiring of John Miller as its Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence analyst. The company’s press release calls Miller “one of the nation’s top Intel experts” who will “add his unique perspective as a seasoned journalist and decorated law enforcement official to the network’s coverage of crime and terrorism.” Most recently…
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7 months ago · 25 likes · 3 comments · Parker Molloy

And then yesterday, I published a long piece about an idea I see posted on social media pretty frequently: “Don’t cancel your newspaper subscriptions if you don’t like what they write! They’re important! For democracy!” And while I agree that journalism is important to democracy, I disagree with the idea that people should announce that no matter how bad a paper gets, they will continue to subscribe.

The Present Age
You have no obligation to subscribe to a newspaper (but you probably should)
Last week, I was scrolling through Twitter and saw this short thread from Jeff Sharlet about the state of journalism, newspaper subscriptions, and culture: His thread, which is worth reading in full, can be read here. I took notice of Sharlet’s thread because of the ubiquity of the idea that people have a responsibility of some sort to fund The New York Times or The Washington Post…
Read more
7 months ago · 27 likes · 9 comments · Parker Molloy

Some random stuff:

The people at Substack asked me if I’d be interested in offering some recommendations for newsletters I enjoy. You can find those here:

On Substack
Reading Room: Parker Molloy’s top Substack reads
Reading Room is a series where writers share their favorite publications to read on Substack. Any Substack writer can now endorse their peers using our recommendations feature. Great writers are great readers first, as the maxim goes. In this series, we explore what Substack writers are reading by asking them for a tour of their reading list…
Read more
7 months ago · 71 likes · 18 comments

Also, look at the illustration they made for it!

Doesn’t exactly look like me, but it really nails Cassie and Tater Tot! Illustration by Nhung Lê.

Also, my wife Kayla has a bunch of new products in her Tiny Werewolves shop that you should check out!

Twitter avatar for @TinyWerewolves
Tiny Werewolves @TinyWerewolves
NEW: Paper Cut Pet Portraits 😍 These one-of-kind art pieces are perfect for memorial pieces or as gifts. Available for new customers or returning customers with our convert artwork option. tinywerewolves.com/collections/cu…
Image
Image
12:01 AM ∙ Sep 7, 2022
20Likes6Retweets

Was there anything you read this week that you enjoyed and want to recommend to others? Let me know down in the comments.

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Posts from others I want to highlight:

Willets Pen has a post this week about baseball and video games, two things I really love. If you need a bit of a break from the news this week, check that out.

Willets Pen
Into The Park
By Roger Cormier I've been checked out of reality for about a month now. There's a game called Out of the Park Baseball where you can do a lot of baseball things. One of those is playing general manager of a MLB team at any time in history. I suspect talking about my adventures is a lot like talking about a fantasy sports team, or a dream you had, in tha…
Read more
7 months ago · Willets Pen

Jordan Uhl has a post over at his I Hate It Here And Never Want To Leave (great name, btw) newsletter about people saying the quiet part out loud about why they oppose student loan forgiveness: “b-b-but if people aren’t buried in debt, how are we supposed to recruit them to the military?”

I Hate It Here And Never Want To Leave
The Military-Student-Debt Complex
A portion of monthly subscriptions goes to groups supporting our unhoused friends and neighbors. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Amid a brutal year for military recruiting, conservative war hawks are openly fretting that President Joe Biden’s announcement last week of a one-time means-tested student debt cancellation will undercut the militar…
Read more
7 months ago · 20 likes · 2 comments · Jordan Uhl

Oliver Willis has a piece about what he calls the “Liberal Pollyanna Problem.” It’s a bit of harsh (but necessary) truth about the state of U.S. politics.

Oliver Willis Explains
The Liberal Pollyanna Problem
A judge appointed by Donald Trump has decided to interfere in the ongoing federal investigation of Trump by granting his request for a “special master” to review the classified documents he stole. The ruling was greeted by a chorus of boos, from people who understand how the lega…
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7 months ago · 15 likes · Oliver Willis

Jessica Valenti’s All in Her Head newsletter tackles the “trad wife” influencer trend and the rise of a new wave of anti-feminism.

All in Her Head by Jessica Valenti
The Truth About Housewives
A TikTok romanticizing 1950s housewives went viral recently, the latest addition in a growing catalogue of online content and communities that suggest feminism actually made women’s lives worse and unhappier…
Read more
7 months ago · 148 likes · 16 comments · Jessica Valenti

Over at Lyz Lenz’s Men Yell at Me, Even Ettinger tackles the “groomer” moral panic being pushed right now on the right.

Men Yell at Me
Understanding the Groomer Moral Panic
Eve Ettinger is a writer and educator in the DC area. They are on the board of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education and co-host the Kitchen Table Cult podcast. Eve wrote for Men Yell at Me last year with an essay about class, gender, and Mare of Easttown…
Read more
7 months ago · 60 likes · 19 comments · lyz

And finally, Judd Legum breaks down what media executives mean when they talk about “objectivity.”

Popular Information
What corporate media executives mean when they talk about "objectivity"
Chris Licht, a veteran television producer, became the CEO of CNN in May. He immediately made clear that he wants the network's programming to become more "objective." But what does that mean? We got a clue on Tuesday when Licht made one of his first major hires. Licht ann…
Read more
7 months ago · 206 likes · 30 comments · Judd Legum

That’s it for this week! Hope everyone has a good weekend. I’m off to get my flu shot and COVID booster this afternoon. Here’s hoping it doesn’t knock me on my ass too hard!

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The Present Age Weekly Recap: September 9, 2022

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