Friday on the Dish, Andrew responded to reader dissent on Bill Clinton’s gay rights record, explored the implicit distinction between infertile straight couples and gay couples in marriage equality arguments, turned objectification back on men. In honor of Good Friday, he sent a prayer out to David Kuo and all others suffering hardships as Franz Wright provided us with some verse to contemplate and Pope Francis distinguished himself through his humility.
In political coverage, Greenwald found humor in a divorcées defense of “traditional marriage” as Rush Limbaugh threw up the white flag on marriage equality, and Al Tompkins asked for television access to SCOTUS. John McWhorter criticized “evolving” politicians, John Podheretz finally got Obama, Timothy B. Lee disputed the Mercatus Center’s definition of freedom, and the Iraq War’s cost continued to climb.
In assorted news and views, Daniel Victor debunked a Twitter #myth, Conor Friedersdorf saw more paranoia than protectiveness in Bloomberg’s surveillance, and Will Oremus weighed the ethics of genetic screening. Readers pushed back on the paucity of public defenders, debated pre-nups, and provided perspective on sexism in the tech industry. Elsewhere, they traced male-on-male adulation from Casablanca to True Romance, and shared their experiences with gay rape. George Zornick revealed the high toll at home for victims of military sexual abuse, Marines ran out of doors to kick down, and Michael Zwerin jazzed up World War 2.
Meanwhile, we squirmed at the sight of blood, Penn hospitals fired smokers, and Kleiman shifted the drug war’s focus to booze while Europeans substituted home-brewed narcotics for heroin. Spring break failed to stimulate and Aaron Carroll distanced himself from whiny doctors. Christian Wiman based his religion on shared suffering, E.B. White despaired at an early example of sponsored content, and John Vidal blamed the unseasonably cold weather on global warming. We said “buenos dias” in the VFYW, and narrated nunchuck practice in the MHB, while the easter bunny made an early appearance in the FOTD.
– D.A.
(Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
The rest of the week after the jump:
(Photo by Adam Jan/AFP/Getty Images)
Thursday on the Dish, Andrew traveled the long road from persecution to equality, highlighted key DOMA moments, and hammered the Clintons for their opportunism on marriage equality. Elsewhere, he was encouraged by the Atlantic’s movement on sponsored content.
In politics, history repeated itself with concerns about children in unconventional marriages, Tom Goldstein balanced DOMA and Prop 8, and EJ Graff prepared for the marriage equality fight to continue beyond the DOMA ruling. Maggie Gallagher waited for divine judgment as the anti-equality movement continued to fade. The Greater Israel Lobby kept the West Bank under Israeli control, marijuana reform marched on, and the War on Terror aggravated the recession while torture thwarted justice.
In miscellaneous coverage, Frum traced the origins of America’s gun culture, a reader plugged domestic uses for drones, and a dongle divided the tech community. Ronald Bailey looked ahead to smaller farms, Reuven Brenner cashed in on early graduation, and Jake Blumgart cheered on his alma mater with sweatshop-free apparel. Marriage created the commitment that strengthened relationships, a reader shared his pre-nup horror story, and we crunched the numbers on rape in the gay community.
Elsewhere, The Americans impressed, Ferris Jabr toned with the help of tunes, and readers mouthed off on our monthly subscriptions. Buzz Bissinger splurged on Gucci, Mark Dery considered the American love of the British Monarchy, and anti-Semitism lingered in Britain. Jon Hamm’s privates begged for privacy, the Economist unveiled modern attitudes toward sex in the Arab world, and TNC felt more afraid in Paris than on the streets of Baltimore. We traded german shepherds for St. Bernards in the MHB, attended a retro lesbian wedding in the FOTD, and watched a backyard blizzard in the VFYW.
(By Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images)
Wednesday on the Dish, Andrew dove into the arguments in today’s DOMA hearing, encouraged anti-equality advocates to lead by example rather than oppressing others, and applauded the influence of the younger generation on their parents. Elsewhere, he prophesied a dismal future in journalism and refused to look away from the ongoing violence in Syria, which has now spilled over into Lebanon.
In Supreme Court coverage, Jon Rauch searched for a graceful out for the justices on Prop 8, while Dale Carpenter predicted an inconclusive ruling and we peeked into the courtroom as readers looked for a comprehensive ruling. NOM blew a tone-deaf dog-whistle, Nate Cohn lowered his expectations for the South’s support of marriage equality, and a trickle of equality endorsements turned into a flood, while we wondered who would be next. SCOTUSBlog gave us the odds on DOMA, Kennedy got right to the key point, and Ari Ezra Waldman explained why the “standing” issue applies for DOMA. While Ezra Klein found plenty of children who could benefit from a stable household, Edie Windsor overcame discrimination, with or without the government’s approval, and provided us with an enthusiastic FOTD.
In assorted news, Tony Dodge argued that the Iraqi Civil War was avoidable, readers waded into the debate over graphic war imagery as we explored blood-phobia, and technology made medical cost projections impossible to trust. Gary Becker tied immigration to the birth rate below the border, the recession forced families to call hotels home, Silicon Valley struggled with sexism, and readers disputed the comparison of Weez’s hacking and entering an unlocked house.
Meanwhile, an edibles maker chimed in on mellow highs, John Jeremiah Sullivan revealed our ignorance of animal consciousness, and two British papers joined the ranks of the metered. Channing Tatum gave George Clooney the thumbs up, TV watchers exercised their control, and Game of Thrones gave us a fantastic history lesson. We traveled to the Great White North in the VFYW, bopped with a big baby in the MHB, and VFYW contestants homed in on Hastings-on-Hudson.
(Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty.)
Tuesday on the Dish, Andrew examined the differences between his appearance on Charlie Rose and the WSJ’s editorial, hoped that the benefits of marriage would soon be equal opportunity, parsed the arguments, and celebrated the early signs of a moderate outcome. Elsewhere, Douthat described a world without the Iraq war and Boris took a beating from the British press.
As the Supreme Court heard arguments in Perry v. Brown, past SCOTUS decisions bucked popular opinion, Cass Sunstein explained the benefits of a narrow ruling, and Greenwald heralded the defeat of defeatism. Josh Barro made the fiscal case for marriage equality as Frum completed his turnaround, McArdle connected marriage equality and “traditional morality,” and Allahpundit looked ahead to marriage equality’s role in the 2016 primaries. Nate Silver found hope in marriage equality’s steady polling advances, as Republicans divided along demographic lines and Christie picked the wrong side of a Jersey wedge issue. We took Twitter’s temperature on the hearing, compared Perry to Roe as readers chimed in, and applauded straight allies. Scalia and Olson exchanged questions, we reviewed “standing,” Lyle Denniston played out the possibilities in a deadlock, and Dale Carpenter read the tea leaves, as even the lawyers had trouble making predictions. After all this time, MLK Jr.’s and Hannah Arendt’s words continued to ring true, and the struggle for marriage equality was nothing new.
In assorted news and views, a reader pointed out Weez’s wrongdoing, Freddie deBoer poo-pooed the Pebble watch, smartphones proved a popular target for thieves, and robots took over the valet stand. Carl Zimmer defended “basic research,” money mattered in March Madness, and we envied the “sleepless elite” while distracting ourselves to get rid of earworms.
Meanwhile, we pondered prenuptial agreements, Elizabeth Samet questioned the belief that soldiers make the best politicians, Brits narced on their neighbors, and TNC dove into the deep end to learn french. A butterfly perched precariously in the FOTD, we stopped by Senegal in the VFYW, and peeked in on panda playtime in the MHB.
By Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Monday on the Dish, Andrew teamed up with a liberal lawyer to promote marriage equality, applauded the truth evident in Will Portman’s coming out, and called attention to the lack of data showing any harm to children of same-sex couples. Meanwhile, he cheered Rand Paul’s sanity on pot, drew parallels between conservativism and taoism, regretted the US’ choice to embrace torture in order to depose a torturer, and explained the new monthly subscription option on the Dish.
In political coverage, Obama worked his magic in Israel and struggled to reclaim his earlier levels of popularity. Ben Merriman considered conservativism in Kansas, the justice department jailed another hacker, and Julia Ioffe investigated Russia’s role in the Cyprus banking scandal. On the eve of the Prop 8 hearings, Tim Murphy set the deadline for marriage equality evolutions.
In assorted coverage, we added more details on name-changing customs at home and abroad, educational attainment was inherited, clinics offered à la carte pricing, and Rob Rhinehart gave up solids. Christian Caryl brought war imagery to the fore and Hitler convinced with his conviction. While goats thrived on global warming, Eduardo Porter worried about natural gas leakage, Tom Chatfield tried out a better keyboard, and David Zax reached the limits of his innovation.
As Passover began, Maxwell House monopolized the Haggadah, while elsewhere a reader sought a softer high, and Matt Soniak explained why toothpaste ruins orange juice. George Eliot couldn’t fool Charles Dickens, Lord Byron gave rise to vampires without writing a word, and Piers Anthony coped with his unhappy childhood. German shepherds frolicked in the MHB, and winter stuck around past its expiration date in the VFYW and the FOTD.
(“The Deposition” by Dominique Ovalle)
Last weekend on the Dish, we provided an eclectic mix of religious, books, and cultural coverage. In matters of faith, doubt, and philosophy, Thomas Merton taught us how to pray, Reinhold Niebuhr found the essence of Christianity, and Jody Bottum pondered the ways Pope Francis eludes contemporary political categories. Dominique Ovalle urged us to believe in the beautiful, Marc Hopkins investigated the ways jazz music can contribute to Christian worship, Valerie Weaver-Zercher sized up the market for Amish romance novels, and Richard L. Rubenstein remembered a guru’s advice about outgrowing religion. Andrew Ferguson argued that philosophical materialism can’t be lived, Emma Woolerton revealed why Lucretius presented his philosophy in the form of poetry, Kurt Gray explained why playing the victim is the best way for a guilty person to escape blame, and Caitlin Doughty noted the benefits of confronting one’s own death.
In literary and arts coverage, T.R. Hummer mused on a possible recording of Walt Whitman, Darryl Pinckney recalled an embarrassing encounter with James Baldwin, and Tom Jokinen asked if a certain amount of infatuation led to writing good biography. Brad Leithhauser contemplated various authors’ versions of Hell, Colin Dickey surveyed the literary career of opium addict Thomas De Quincey, David McConnell discussed his book about six notorious killings committed by straight men against gays, and Grady Hendrix fondly looked back at MAD magazine’s film satires. David Mamet ruminated on the role of the dramatist, the herbalist Olivia Laing considered the symbolism of Shakespeare’s plants, Greg Bottoms penned an open letter to photographer William Eggleston, and Tom Bissell thought about the literary potential of the video games. Read Saturday’s poem here and Sunday’s here.
In assorted news and views, Lizzie Plaugic unpacked a report on marriage among the millenials, a couple survived long-distance dating with the help of technology and the photogenic dog they shared, Eric Jett lamented missing the golden age of the booty call, and Garance Franke-Ruta offered a theory about why women have difficulty climbing the corporate ladder. Peter Foges told us all about rose champagne, Martha Harbison wondered if some beer drinkers could be addicted to hops, and Katie Arnoldi described how cartels have seized control of the human trafficking business. MHBs here and here, FOTDs here and here, VFYWs here and here, and the latest window contest here.
– M.S. & D.A.
The Dish 