Sideswipe: January 29: No sugar-coating in blackboard philosophy

No sugar-coating in blackboard philosophy.

Toxic femininity clues

The New Yorker illustrates Toxic Femininity in the Workplace with a number of compelling examples: "Jessica begins speaking, and no one speaks over her. She didn't actually have an ending to her presentation prepared, because she expected to be interrupted. She is mortified ...

"All the women who are qualified for promotions receive promotions. The company gives them all raises, runs out of money, and goes bankrupt ...

"Members of the all-female upper management of a company never think to talk about sex in the workplace. As a result, they forget that sex exists and uniformly fail to perpetuate the human race. This is a global phenomenon that accelerates the demise of our species."

Ranting against all and sundry

As you get older, what are you beginning to hate more and more?

1. How every damn thing I touch needs a log in and password.

2. Social media and the narcissistic culture that it cultivates.

3. Arguments. I used to pick fights just for the sake of it, because I wanted to vent or some teenager thing like that. Now it just seems exhausting and obnoxious how often people are at each other's throats over nothing.

4. Loud noises ... especially unnecessary ones like people with ridiculous bass in their car or those idiots that light firecrackers before and after Guy Fawkes.

5. A change in my routine. Spontaneity isn't all it's cracked up to be.

6. Driving, it used to mean freedom, now it's just stressful.

7. Wilful ignorance. (i.e. antivaxers/flat Earthers).

8. Damn kids are rebelling against us by being nice and tolerant.

9. Extreme liberals and extreme conservatives. It's hard to be moderate these days.

Screaming Reels programming a sinker

Australia's Channel 7 have bought NZ parody fishing show Screaming Reels starring Leigh Hart and Jason Hoyte, without realising it's a comedy. "For starters, they talk about snorting cocaine and using a drone to film yourself having sex, yet it's on at 10.30am on a Sunday and is classified as 'sport' and 'reality'," tweets Sydney writer Alex Lee (@alex-c-lee).