The most significant aspect of this tripe is that the cancellation was caused by a single “junior staffer.” This is significant because it shows that the “adults” supposedly in charge of anything really, fear the people they employ, the people they teach, the people they lead.
Merriam-Webster, the famous dictionary people, completely changed the definition of the word “racism” because of a complaint by a single college student. Racism used to be defined, broadly, as “an irrational fear or dislike of a particular group.” Fair play. Have a look at the new definition: unreadable woke speak.
The reality of our world is that white people have far fewer rights than COWs (citizens of Wakanda). White people are cancelled for using the n-word, Dave Chapelle uses it to great comic effect. I don’t use the n-word, think it’s chavish, uncouth, but I don’t think that it’s the worst thing ever. Want to call me a name–give it a go!
This insanity extends to American citizens. In some cases–and this is true–they have fewer rights than illegal aliens. Tell me more. Jury trials have been in the news lately as a bedrock foundation of the American system, where justice is blind. That’s the ideal anyway. But in many cases, so called “dreamers” and other illegal immigrants are not treated as though justice is blind, if they commit what some deem a “minor” infraction. In some states in some instances, the right to a jury trial exists ONLY if one faces punishment of more than 6 months in jail; if 6 months is the maximum penalty, you have to have a bench trial.
But some courts have recently held that this supposedly fundamental right does not apply to Americans but does apply to illegal immigrant invaders. Because in theory they have “more to lose,” i.e. they could be deported, they but not Americans have the right to a jury trial in ALL cases. And this utter insanity has been upheld by appellate courts.
The system, at least in America, has gone off the rails.
Peter LR
2 years ago
Why didn’t they tell the junior staffer to look for a job more suited to their fragile offensive-taking sensitivities?
Because they are afraid. There was a podcast on HONESTLY where the medical professors–teaching medical students–were absolutely afraid of doing anything that could possibly offend anyone. On this podcast was a clip of a medical lecture where the physician professor abjectly abased himself because one of his slides indicated “man” or “woman,” and since these biological facts are no longer allowed to be referenced IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, he groveled before his students.
This was so extreme that it was eye-opening, but the concept is not: those “in charge” are seriously afraid of those they supposedly lead. In no way can this be good for society, good for the future…..
Or did they secretly agree with the junior staffer’s extremist political affiliation and use him/her/they as an excuse to have done what they’d have liked to do anyway.
“The wisdom of youth.”…..no one ever said in the history of the world.
Christopher Hilton
2 years ago
Burn his books, desicrate his grave. The only correct thing to do. Such an evil man. How dare he be cleverer than you – and a great writer too.
Cancel all brilliance. You know it makes sense.
Huh? Mailer’s estate reaps now what was sown by an essay title in … 1957? That was the year of Kerouac’s On The Road. Elvis was still brand new, Chuck Berry hadn’t yet gone to jail, the Civil Rights Act was still several years off, Brown v Board of Education had been decided a couple of years earlier but was far from taking root, there were still segregated water fountains in the 1950s. Be-bop jazz was still nascent, with Miles and Coltrane playing together in what was perhaps the first great modern jazz union, while Roy Rogers had a TV show. What is this writer talking about?
“Miles and Coltrane playing together in what was perhaps the first great modern jazz union,”
Not for me, I’m afraid. That was Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie (in a radically different league from the other two).
Last edited 2 years ago by Arnold Grutt
Victoria Cooper
2 years ago
The only evil doer here is Random House. Craven and pathetic. You might as well cancel any creation of any human being in any time of history. Leave it and discuss, if you must.
They now need to stop publishing the Holy Bible, since it mentions slaves and masters.
Ethniciodo Rodenydo
2 years ago
“The phenomenon of WASP Americans turning against their own ethnic group.. Mailer became a personification of the very whiteness they railed against: a micro-aggression rooted in colonialist domination and cultural appropriation.” This is missing one very crucial point. Mailer like very many of the originators of anti-white theories and movements was one of the chosen people for whom identifying as white seems to be optional, depending on the circumstances.
Your message would have been clearer if you had capitalized “chosen people”.
Emre Emre
2 years ago
Mr Kaufmann is a relatively unique voice in being able to track down the American origins of Wokeness. It’d be interesting to see from him a discussion of the infusion of continental philosophy with the likes of Marcuse and Derrida into this mix which I suspect was key to building of some of the foundations on the fertile ground they found in America.
Incidentally, at the end of The Atlantic article, Randolph Bourne makes a call to the younger intelligentsia of America for progress. This must’ve been shortly before the Russian intelligentsia (where the word originated) gave way to the Bolshevik Revolution leading to countless dead in the gulags.
Last edited 2 years ago by Emre Emre
Sharon Overy
2 years ago
I’m not a cancellationist, but these people do sound unpleasant – self-indulgents who exoticise and fetishise people for a frisson in their lives.
I was given a copy of Mailer’s ‘The Fight’ (about the Ali vs Foreman ‘Rumble in the Jungle’) for Christmas. A great book about boxing but some of his comments about black people and culture are unpleasant and clearly racist.
Ian Stewart
2 years ago
Jeez Norman must be really upset.
Maybe Colston can console him.
Warren T
2 years ago
I actually read the entire piece by Norman Mailer, “The White N@#ro” and was flummoxed by it. He must have written that piece while under the influence of some bad mushrooms at the time.
Last edited 2 years ago by Warren T
Michael Sweeney
2 years ago
Dear Unherd,
I left The NY Times to NOT read nonsense like this. Please stick to your core of “people not herd”.
Francis MacGabhann
2 years ago
This reads like one of those cod academic papers some scientists send to the journals just for a laugh.
The most significant aspect of this tripe is that the cancellation was caused by a single “junior staffer.” This is significant because it shows that the “adults” supposedly in charge of anything really, fear the people they employ, the people they teach, the people they lead.
Merriam-Webster, the famous dictionary people, completely changed the definition of the word “racism” because of a complaint by a single college student. Racism used to be defined, broadly, as “an irrational fear or dislike of a particular group.” Fair play. Have a look at the new definition: unreadable woke speak.
The reality of our world is that white people have far fewer rights than COWs (citizens of Wakanda). White people are cancelled for using the n-word, Dave Chapelle uses it to great comic effect. I don’t use the n-word, think it’s chavish, uncouth, but I don’t think that it’s the worst thing ever. Want to call me a name–give it a go!
This insanity extends to American citizens. In some cases–and this is true–they have fewer rights than illegal aliens. Tell me more. Jury trials have been in the news lately as a bedrock foundation of the American system, where justice is blind. That’s the ideal anyway. But in many cases, so called “dreamers” and other illegal immigrants are not treated as though justice is blind, if they commit what some deem a “minor” infraction. In some states in some instances, the right to a jury trial exists ONLY if one faces punishment of more than 6 months in jail; if 6 months is the maximum penalty, you have to have a bench trial.
But some courts have recently held that this supposedly fundamental right does not apply to Americans but does apply to illegal immigrant invaders. Because in theory they have “more to lose,” i.e. they could be deported, they but not Americans have the right to a jury trial in ALL cases. And this utter insanity has been upheld by appellate courts.
The system, at least in America, has gone off the rails.
Why didn’t they tell the junior staffer to look for a job more suited to their fragile offensive-taking sensitivities?
It seems extraordinary that one junior worker can exert such an influence over management. The publishing biz is not one to invest in.
Why didn’t they tell the junior staffer to far cough?
Because they are afraid. There was a podcast on HONESTLY where the medical professors–teaching medical students–were absolutely afraid of doing anything that could possibly offend anyone. On this podcast was a clip of a medical lecture where the physician professor abjectly abased himself because one of his slides indicated “man” or “woman,” and since these biological facts are no longer allowed to be referenced IN MEDICAL SCHOOL, he groveled before his students.
This was so extreme that it was eye-opening, but the concept is not: those “in charge” are seriously afraid of those they supposedly lead. In no way can this be good for society, good for the future…..
Or did they secretly agree with the junior staffer’s extremist political affiliation and use him/her/they as an excuse to have done what they’d have liked to do anyway.
“The wisdom of youth.”…..no one ever said in the history of the world.
Burn his books, desicrate his grave. The only correct thing to do. Such an evil man. How dare he be cleverer than you – and a great writer too.
Cancel all brilliance. You know it makes sense.
The Deer Park is a truly great novel.
Huh? Mailer’s estate reaps now what was sown by an essay title in … 1957? That was the year of Kerouac’s On The Road. Elvis was still brand new, Chuck Berry hadn’t yet gone to jail, the Civil Rights Act was still several years off, Brown v Board of Education had been decided a couple of years earlier but was far from taking root, there were still segregated water fountains in the 1950s. Be-bop jazz was still nascent, with Miles and Coltrane playing together in what was perhaps the first great modern jazz union, while Roy Rogers had a TV show. What is this writer talking about?
“Miles and Coltrane playing together in what was perhaps the first great modern jazz union,”
Not for me, I’m afraid. That was Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie (in a radically different league from the other two).
The only evil doer here is Random House. Craven and pathetic. You might as well cancel any creation of any human being in any time of history. Leave it and discuss, if you must.
They now need to stop publishing the Holy Bible, since it mentions slaves and masters.
“The phenomenon of WASP Americans turning against their own ethnic group.. Mailer became a personification of the very whiteness they railed against: a micro-aggression rooted in colonialist domination and cultural appropriation.”
This is missing one very crucial point. Mailer like very many of the originators of anti-white theories and movements was one of the chosen people for whom identifying as white seems to be optional, depending on the circumstances.
Your message would have been clearer if you had capitalized “chosen people”.
Mr Kaufmann is a relatively unique voice in being able to track down the American origins of Wokeness. It’d be interesting to see from him a discussion of the infusion of continental philosophy with the likes of Marcuse and Derrida into this mix which I suspect was key to building of some of the foundations on the fertile ground they found in America.
Incidentally, at the end of The Atlantic article, Randolph Bourne makes a call to the younger intelligentsia of America for progress. This must’ve been shortly before the Russian intelligentsia (where the word originated) gave way to the Bolshevik Revolution leading to countless dead in the gulags.
I’m not a cancellationist, but these people do sound unpleasant – self-indulgents who exoticise and fetishise people for a frisson in their lives.
I was given a copy of Mailer’s ‘The Fight’ (about the Ali vs Foreman ‘Rumble in the Jungle’) for Christmas. A great book about boxing but some of his comments about black people and culture are unpleasant and clearly racist.
Jeez Norman must be really upset.
Maybe Colston can console him.
I actually read the entire piece by Norman Mailer, “The White N@#ro” and was flummoxed by it. He must have written that piece while under the influence of some bad mushrooms at the time.
Dear Unherd,
I left The NY Times to NOT read nonsense like this. Please stick to your core of “people not herd”.
This reads like one of those cod academic papers some scientists send to the journals just for a laugh.