February 9, 2017
“HOMER: ‘This guy’s a fruit, and a … no, wait, wait, wait: queer. Queer. Queer. That’s what you like to be called, right?’ JOHN: ‘That, or John.’” Oral history of the Simpsons’ 1997 episode where John Waters’ campy character breaks through Homer’s homophobia. / The Ringer
“Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer II,” Gustav Klimt. / Bloomberg
“The basic message politicians try to convey to illness-stricken voters is pretty obvious: ‘Your tenacity is inspiring.’ Perhaps Cruz was aiming for something like that. ‘Congratulations on dealing with MS! It’s a terrible disease and congratulations on your struggle dealing with it,’ conveys a different, more hilarious message: ‘I am quite monstrous.’” During his CNN debate with Bernie Sanders on Obamacare, Ted Cruz made it clear he’s still trying to get the hang of that empathy thing. / The New Republic
Richard Schmidt gets out in 2018. Remember him? Despite targeting African-Americans and Jews, he’s the guy who wasn’t convicted of terrorism, despite his plans, motives, and arsenal. / ProPublica
“The urge to tell their stories, to try to make sense of their paths is natural. What’s wrong is our failure to give equal time, energy, emotional and narrative consideration to the experiences of those figures who are not white and male.” Rebecca Traister on why every suspect deserves the attention given to white terrorists like Dylann Roof, Robert Dear, and James Holmes. / New York
After a 2009 report by the Department of Homeland Security identified right-wing terrorism as a growing threat, Tea Party backlash put the issue on the back burner. / HuffPost
Related: The Southern Poverty Law Center had already reported on extremists in the military. / splcenter.org
Under Obama, Homeland Security’s “Countering Violent Extremism” worked closely with community leaders and web giants to surface extremists of all stripes. Under Trump, “Countering Islamic Extremism” will “target a faith group and cast it under a net of suspicion.” / Reuters
“Tulsa has been in denial over the fact that people were cruel enough to bomb the black community from the air, in private planes, and that black people were machine-gunned down in the streets.” In 1921, white terrorists killed hundreds and burned Tulsa’s Black Wall Street to the ground. / Smithsonian
“Had he tried before he killed a bunch of worshipers, the Canadian suspect would’ve been welcomed across our borders. Rather than emboldening the case for Trump’s executive order, the Quebec City case destroyed it.” Jamil Smith on the perplexing blind spot in American terror laws. Hint: It’s not so perplexing if you consider a context of three centuries of white supremacy. / MTV
America’s biggest act of terror before 2001 was the Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168. The combined death toll in the worst attacks of the three decades prior was 14. / Wikipedia
Hawaii’s lava “fire hose” has been turned back on, just as mesmerizing as ever. / YouTube
“In a world in which being deemed a marketable demographic is real power, women and girls are finally starting to get the respect they deserve as a group whose dollars are worth taking.” After a year that saw 4% revenue growth in boy’s toys and 50% growth in girls’, Hasbro announced it will no longer report revenues by gender. / The Mary Sue