Great piece on the White Lotus, Helen! I also listened to the Mike White interview on Andrew Sullivan's podcast, and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Apparently, Mike and I had a very similar academic experience.
I went back to school in the early 90s after a few years off, to pursue my masters in sociology, and to my great surprise discovered "Critical Theory" and postmodernism, the dominating ideology of the time. Held in great regard by the department, I found it to be mostly rubbish! (To this day, I roll my eyes almost to the back of my head when I encounter the name "Foucault.")
Just as White describes, I experienced CT/postmodernism as perhaps a semi-interesting game, with its own language and particular framing of the world, but as a dominant theory it didn't seem to add much or even accurately represent the real world -- and in particular the PEOPLE in the world -- that I could see with my own eyes. I got FAR more out of novels, actual observation, and experience with folks.
I was absolutely thrilled to see you had a piece out on the BEST show on television (well, my FAVORITE one, anyway) and you never disappoint. Of course, I imagine we can cue the immediate reactions to the "W-word" (we really might want a new term at this point), but I hope most Atlantic subscribers will read the entire article; it's terrific.
"Convince me otherwise, but shouldn’t the Tory government have levelled with people that Covid was bloody expensive, and we would need higher taxes to pay off some of the money we borrowed to cover furlough, bounceback funds etc"
But that would have opened all kinds of questions about the Covid-strategy and whether it was worth it long-term. It suits all sides to pretend that lockdowns were effectively free.
Refusing to discuss raising taxes not because it might be poor economics - it might be, I've no idea - but because it's potentially unpopular just strikes me as astonishing cowardice. Surely we're a nation of people who understand that things have to be paid for at some point?
Excellent article on The White Lotus, such an interesting take on it and quite riveting about Mike White’s background. Sheds a lot of light on how and why he chose what to write about, and all those threads coming together to weave the plots. Thanks Helen.
There's a lifesize hyper-realistic waxwork of Carlo lying in a glass case in the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Panama City. A rather disturbing thing to encounter, but I was impressed by his immaculate trainers.
The best sanctification story I heard recently is that of Saint Rumbold who lived for 3 days and yet ‘after being born is said to have cried out: I am a Christian, I am a Christian, I am a Christian. He went on to further profess his faith, to request baptism, and to ask to be named "Rumwold", afterwards giving a sermon. He predicted his own death, and said where he wanted his body to be laid to rest, in Buckingham.’
The irritation I have with stigmata is when people were crucified the nails didn’t go through the palms (the wrists can’t take the weight apparently and you don’t stay held up) but they go through the wrists, so Stigmatas as they are shown today make no sense
A lot of religious art shows Jesus with nails through his palms but supported by ropes around his wrists. Bear in mind that the gospels were written while crucifixion was still being practised, so when they said his hands were pierced, they knew what they were talking about.
Never mentions nails in hands, it’s the at centuries later that gives is that impression. Same way Paul is constantly banging on about how long hair on men is a terrible thing, a guy who says he saw the risen Jesus, then centuries later the actually religious (unlike me) artists who paint Jesus totally ignore Pauls weird obsession and we all think of Jesus with long hair now, which I doubt Paul would have kept banging on about how bad that is if a hippie looking Jesus had appeared on the road to Damascus
I swear mate this was completely by chance, I’m not a psycho who has spent weeks trying to win an old internet argument but I was listening to a podcast with Bible scholar James Tabor last night and he mentioned that passage and said the palms thing is a mistranslation and the Greek word is translated more as forearm and or hand (not sure why a word exists for that but apparently it did in old Greek 😀)
I bloody read all 4 fossil crucifixions to make sure I was right and forgot about Acts!!!
Still we know it was the wrists and this is either artistic license by Luke or more likely poorly copied versions over the centuries, that’s the fascinating thing about the Bible I had never thought about until it was pointed out to me, it’s obvious when you think about it but because it was before the printing press we only have copies of copies of copies of copies and when people copy things they make mistakes, we have very little idea what the originals actually said
They're clearly influenced by artistic representations of crucifixions, even the earliest images tend to show palms not wrists, then more graphically in later oil paintings.
Which means they’re definitely fake (like I know, of course they are even if in the wrists but I’m just saying the nails went through Jesus’ wrists so any palm stigmata’s have nothing to do with Jesus, I wish our conmen would read a book or two 😀)
Being generous (Devil's advocate?) , one could argue in some cases , they could be a psychosomatic manifestation of a certain sympathetic state , identifying with suffering of an individual (assuming one accepts the Jesus historical narrative as true - which I don't)- through the proxy of a historically incorrect but culturally symbolic image.
"shouldn’t the Tory government have levelled with people that Covid was bloody expensive, and we would need higher taxes to pay off some of the money we borrowed to cover furlough, bounceback funds etc?" Amen to this! I'm baffled Sunak didn't make more of this during the election last summer, and furious at the dishonesty of Rachel Reeves going on and on about Tory dereliction of duty when they supported furlough and many in Labour wanted much more.
I'm here for childish politics. "The Tories didn't level with you about the costs of COVID. We're going to need to claw some of it back, over the next decade or so. So, in addition to income tax and NI, we'll be levying the Boris Tax"
I’m dying to read the Ed West alternate english history piece but the link returns server not found and I don’t come up with it looking at his site. Any hints?
Great piece on the White Lotus, Helen! I also listened to the Mike White interview on Andrew Sullivan's podcast, and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Apparently, Mike and I had a very similar academic experience.
I went back to school in the early 90s after a few years off, to pursue my masters in sociology, and to my great surprise discovered "Critical Theory" and postmodernism, the dominating ideology of the time. Held in great regard by the department, I found it to be mostly rubbish! (To this day, I roll my eyes almost to the back of my head when I encounter the name "Foucault.")
Just as White describes, I experienced CT/postmodernism as perhaps a semi-interesting game, with its own language and particular framing of the world, but as a dominant theory it didn't seem to add much or even accurately represent the real world -- and in particular the PEOPLE in the world -- that I could see with my own eyes. I got FAR more out of novels, actual observation, and experience with folks.
I was absolutely thrilled to see you had a piece out on the BEST show on television (well, my FAVORITE one, anyway) and you never disappoint. Of course, I imagine we can cue the immediate reactions to the "W-word" (we really might want a new term at this point), but I hope most Atlantic subscribers will read the entire article; it's terrific.
"Convince me otherwise, but shouldn’t the Tory government have levelled with people that Covid was bloody expensive, and we would need higher taxes to pay off some of the money we borrowed to cover furlough, bounceback funds etc"
But that would have opened all kinds of questions about the Covid-strategy and whether it was worth it long-term. It suits all sides to pretend that lockdowns were effectively free.
"I don't believe imposter syndrome exists" writes someone who clearly believes that men cannot possibly experience this.
Refusing to discuss raising taxes not because it might be poor economics - it might be, I've no idea - but because it's potentially unpopular just strikes me as astonishing cowardice. Surely we're a nation of people who understand that things have to be paid for at some point?
Paid for by other people....
Excellent article on The White Lotus, such an interesting take on it and quite riveting about Mike White’s background. Sheds a lot of light on how and why he chose what to write about, and all those threads coming together to weave the plots. Thanks Helen.
There's a lifesize hyper-realistic waxwork of Carlo lying in a glass case in the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Panama City. A rather disturbing thing to encounter, but I was impressed by his immaculate trainers.
The best sanctification story I heard recently is that of Saint Rumbold who lived for 3 days and yet ‘after being born is said to have cried out: I am a Christian, I am a Christian, I am a Christian. He went on to further profess his faith, to request baptism, and to ask to be named "Rumwold", afterwards giving a sermon. He predicted his own death, and said where he wanted his body to be laid to rest, in Buckingham.’
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumbold_of_Buckingham
This is excellent, thank you. I highly recommend The Greedy Peasant on Instagram for more excellent tales like this (if you don’t already follow him)
Cool will look him up. By the way, have you met @Tim Allen - another St Leonards person
Are there any plans to Livestream your book “tour”, or are you considering other dates around the country?
Typo in the Ed West link. Use this instead: https://substack.com/home/post/p-149705719
There is a saying often attributed to Dorothy Day by her followers: 'Don't call me a saint - I don't want to be dismissed that easily!'
(Forgive me if the article quotes it, I'm on the wrong side of the paywall).
'White Lotus' is surely its eponymous creator referencing the symbolism of the flower. It's clever.
The irritation I have with stigmata is when people were crucified the nails didn’t go through the palms (the wrists can’t take the weight apparently and you don’t stay held up) but they go through the wrists, so Stigmatas as they are shown today make no sense
A lot of religious art shows Jesus with nails through his palms but supported by ropes around his wrists. Bear in mind that the gospels were written while crucifixion was still being practised, so when they said his hands were pierced, they knew what they were talking about.
May I just say that I am very happy that this comment section is the place to argue about stigmata?
🤣
Well you started it!!
Never mentions nails in hands, it’s the at centuries later that gives is that impression. Same way Paul is constantly banging on about how long hair on men is a terrible thing, a guy who says he saw the risen Jesus, then centuries later the actually religious (unlike me) artists who paint Jesus totally ignore Pauls weird obsession and we all think of Jesus with long hair now, which I doubt Paul would have kept banging on about how bad that is if a hippie looking Jesus had appeared on the road to Damascus
"Put your finger here and see my hands," Jesus said to doubting Thomas.
I swear mate this was completely by chance, I’m not a psycho who has spent weeks trying to win an old internet argument but I was listening to a podcast with Bible scholar James Tabor last night and he mentioned that passage and said the palms thing is a mistranslation and the Greek word is translated more as forearm and or hand (not sure why a word exists for that but apparently it did in old Greek 😀)
I bloody read all 4 fossil crucifixions to make sure I was right and forgot about Acts!!!
Still we know it was the wrists and this is either artistic license by Luke or more likely poorly copied versions over the centuries, that’s the fascinating thing about the Bible I had never thought about until it was pointed out to me, it’s obvious when you think about it but because it was before the printing press we only have copies of copies of copies of copies and when people copy things they make mistakes, we have very little idea what the originals actually said
They're clearly influenced by artistic representations of crucifixions, even the earliest images tend to show palms not wrists, then more graphically in later oil paintings.
Which means they’re definitely fake (like I know, of course they are even if in the wrists but I’m just saying the nails went through Jesus’ wrists so any palm stigmata’s have nothing to do with Jesus, I wish our conmen would read a book or two 😀)
Being generous (Devil's advocate?) , one could argue in some cases , they could be a psychosomatic manifestation of a certain sympathetic state , identifying with suffering of an individual (assuming one accepts the Jesus historical narrative as true - which I don't)- through the proxy of a historically incorrect but culturally symbolic image.
But that still wouldn't make them supernatural.
"shouldn’t the Tory government have levelled with people that Covid was bloody expensive, and we would need higher taxes to pay off some of the money we borrowed to cover furlough, bounceback funds etc?" Amen to this! I'm baffled Sunak didn't make more of this during the election last summer, and furious at the dishonesty of Rachel Reeves going on and on about Tory dereliction of duty when they supported furlough and many in Labour wanted much more.
But for Rishi that would also have raised loads of questions:
1) Were lockdowns economically worth it?
2) Were the wider social costs worth it?
3) What does it mean for "Tory economic competence"
The argument we spent/wasted loads (depending on preference), but you would have spent/wasted more is not the strongest.
I'm here for childish politics. "The Tories didn't level with you about the costs of COVID. We're going to need to claw some of it back, over the next decade or so. So, in addition to income tax and NI, we'll be levying the Boris Tax"
I’m dying to read the Ed West alternate english history piece but the link returns server not found and I don’t come up with it looking at his site. Any hints?
I’m guessing the Feb issue but I’m not sure
Magazine time is weird