Behind the Mask

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

From time to time, I open the curtain and give this blog's readers a sample of my premium material. Today’s review originally appeared as a Patreon and SubscribeStar exclusive. If you like it, please consider subscribing. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a unique and entrancing exploration of…
March 20, 202411 Comments
The Mall

The Idea of a Mall

Yesterday a fascinating intergenerational conversation took place on X. And it put me in mind of a subject we haven't touched on in a while: The cultural impact of the mall - how it rose to dominance, and how it faded. While loving the idea of a mall is a…
March 19, 202427 Comments
Sistine Chapel Patronage

Neopatronage: Seek and You Will Find

Innovation often emerges from the collision of new ideas with established systems, leading to a disruptive reordering of the status quo. That popularly called "creative disruption," facilitated by platforms like Amazon, drove the rise of indie publishing. By democratizing access to the world's top book market, Amazon enabled indie authors…
March 18, 20246 Comments
Matt Walsh Parade

Walsh Tries to Jump the GamerGate Parade

The Grift Right's paymasters must be desperate to distract normies from some brewing enormity. Because they've got their controlled opposition mouthpieces out in force stirring up controversy. First it was Hollywood creature Ben Shapiro arguing for people to work till they drop dead. Now his Gen Y crony Matt Walsh…
March 15, 202422 Comments
Little Ben's Ponzi Scheme

Little Ben’s Ponzi Scheme

Daily Wire face man Ben Shapiro sparked controversy on Tuesday when he advocated raising the US retirement age and called retirement itself "a stupid idea," barring some kind of health issue. Here is the video wherein Shapiro made his pitch for working until death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_ookaLoajk&t=1143s When challenged on his castigation…
March 14, 20249 Comments
Family Living

Pay a Living Wage: Challenge Impossible!

A reader writes: I read your latest post on usury and Catholic Social Teaching, and ended up in an argument with someone who claimed that it is impossible for every job to pay a Living Wage, and that the Catechism's words must therefore be interpreted as "everyone must have the…
March 13, 20247 Comments
Irish Anti-Family Referendum 1

Irish Anti-Family Referendum Defeated

A referendum that would have replaced the Irish constitution's recognition of the family's basis in marriage with accretions involving other "durable relationships" suffered overwhelming defeat on Saturday. The ballot count shows that the anti-family referendum was rejected by 67.7 percent of Irish voters. The overall Referendum Returning Officer Barry Ryan…
March 12, 20248 Comments
Fist of the North Star

Fist of the North Star (1986)

Let me take you back to a time before rent-seeking cargo cultists prowled the animation industry shaking down studios. When anime was drawn on cells with rich, hand-mixed paint. Before the dead-eyed, pastel times; before Ground Zero. In those bad old analog days, if you wanted to watch anime, you…
March 11, 202412 Comments
Toriyama Goku Goodbye

Beloved Cartoonist Akira Toriyama Dead at 68

Akira Toriyama, the legendary creator of global phenomenon Dragon Ball, has passed away at age 68. Akira Toriyama suffered an acute subdural hematoma, a type of bleeding near the brain, his studio said Friday. Dragon Ball is hugely popular around the world and the comic series has also spawned cartoon…
March 8, 202420 Comments
Rooster Teeth Logo

Rooster Teeth Bites the Dust

Earlier reports of geek culture cartoon studio Rooster Teeth Productions' demise turned out to have been premature. But now, the Time-Warner subsidiary's general manager has issued a statement confirming that the animation company has indeed given up the ghost. Dear Rooster Teeth, Since our founders created and uploaded their first…
March 7, 202427 Comments