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On a less consequential issue...can we all agree that Ilia Malinin's short program outfit is hideous? ... See MoreSee Less
20 hours ago
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This young man is incredibly dedicated to his craft, please be respectful and save negativity towards him for the privacy of your home. It’s insulting.
Perfect for Justin Michael Moore
Mother of a figure skater here and I loved the whole thing. He’s amazing and his costume was 🔥
OK, well you have to remember what story he is telling. He is skating to the music from the Prince of Persia video game. He looks like one of the characters in the game.
Feels a little Narnia-esque
LOL my mom said the same thing.
Depends..I haven’t seen his performance..what was his music selection?
I thought it was a fun break from the predictable formalwear the rest of them wear!
It’s giving Ewok. I don’t hate it.
Reminded me of the Puck costume in a stage performance of A Midsummer Nights Dream I saw. 🤷♀️ Now that's I've seen it based on the video game his music is from, I guess it makes sense - but only if you pick up on it!
The Slovenian downhill skier outfits look like Buzz Lightyear costumes.
When you skate like him, you can wear anything you want and still look fabulous!!
We thought it looked kind of Puckish.
Definitely not hideous. You need to know the music and the story he is telling in his skate.
Mr. Tumnus on ice??
What's it supposed to be? I'm kind of getting bug splat on a windshield
As a Gen X parent, I have to say GenZ fashion is always a little odd to me. 😂
I’m in my complimentary, let’s support each other season. So all I have to to say is I’m so proud of this young man who has sacrificed, worked incredibly hard, dedicated himself to his sport, and killed it on the ice. And he’s the son of proud immigrant parents. Go, Ilia🇺🇸❄️🇺🇸
I have to disagree here. I loved it. You don’t name yourself the Quad God and then do something basic.
He looks like an extra in Cats.
Gen Z fashion is a mystery.
The young man from Fairfax, VA? I always just focus on their skill on how incredibly hard they had to work to get there. He did a wonderful job!
It’s similar to many of his costumes. His skating seemed different, though, especially the final section. Much less fluid and effortless in appearance than I’ve seen before from him
I thought this was David Bowie at first. 😂
Yes. Though my first impression was the amount of hair product involved.
In case anyone out there is still wondering why no sane person should ever, EVER post a meme, image, or joke depicting women and men of color as simians, here's some very clear historical research for you.
I hope it's useful. But you shouldn't have to know this background in order to avoid such a cruel, dehumanizing act.
"The Conversation" is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent news organization that hosts the peer-reviewed works of scholars. Please read the whole piece, which I've excerpted liberally below.
**
In the history of European cultures, the comparison of humans to apes and monkeys was disparaging from its very beginning.
When Plato – by quoting Heraclitus – declared apes ugly in relation to humans and men apish in relation to gods, this was cold comfort for the apes. It transcendentally disconnected them from their human co-primates. The Fathers of the Church went one step further: Saint Gregory of Nazianzus and Saint Isidore of Seville compared pagans to monkeys.
In the Middle Ages, Christian discourse recognised simians as devilish figures and representatives of lustful and sinful behaviour.
In the history of European cultures, the comparison of humans to apes and monkeys was disparaging from its very beginning.
When Plato – by quoting Heraclitus – declared apes ugly in relation to humans and men apish in relation to gods, this was cold comfort for the apes. It transcendentally disconnected them from their human co-primates. The Fathers of the Church went one step further: Saint Gregory of Nazianzus and Saint Isidore of Seville compared pagans to monkeys.
In the Middle Ages, Christian discourse recognised simians as devilish figures and representatives of lustful and sinful behaviour...
In the following centuries, simianisation would enter into different sciences and humanities. Anthropology, archaeology, biology, ethnology, geology, medicine, philosophy, and, not least, theology were some of the fields.
Literature, arts and everyday entertainment also seized on the issue. It popularised its repellent combination of sexist and racist representations. The climax was the hugely successful classic of Hollywood’s horror factory, King Kong.
At the time of King Kong’s production the public in the US was riveted by a rape trial. The Scottsboro Boys were nine black teenagers accused of having raped two young white women. In 1935 a picture story by the Japanese artist Lin Shi Khan and the lithographer Toni Perez was published. ‘Scottsboro Alabama’ carried a foreword by Michael Gold, editor of the communist journal New Masses.
One of the 56 images showed the group of the accused young men beside a newspaper with the headline “Guilty Rape”. The rest of the picture was filled with a monstrous black simian figure baring its teeth and dragging off a helpless white girl.
The artists fully understood the interplay of racist ideology, reactionary reporting and southern injustice. They recognised that the white public had been thoroughly conditioned by the dehumanising violence of animal comparisons and simianised representations, as in the reel racism of King Kong.
Animalisation and even bacterialisation are widespread elements of racist dehumanisation. They are closely related to the labelling of others with the language of contamination and disease. Images that put men on a level with rats carrying epidemic plagues were part of the ideological escort of anti-Jewish and anti-Chinese racism.
Africa is labelled as a contagious continent incubating pestilences of all sorts in hot muggy jungles, spread by reckless and sexually unrestrained people. AIDS in particular is said to have its origin in the careless dealings of Africans with simians, which they eat or whose blood they use as an aphrodisiac.
This is just the latest chapter in a long and ugly line of stereotypes directed against different people like the Irish or Japanese, and Africans and African Americans in particular. To throw bananas in front of black sportspeople is a common racist provocation even today...
Long before post-Darwinian “scientific racism” begins to develop, then, one can find blacks being depicted as closer to apes on the Great Chain of Being...Darwin’s revolutionary 1859 work, On the Origin of Species, did not discredit scientific racism but only its polygenetic variants. Social Darwinism, triumphantly monogenetic, would become the new racial orthodoxy. Global white domination was being taken as proof of the evolutionary superiority of the white race.
**
... See MoreSee Less

Comparing black people to monkeys has a long, dark simian history
theconversation.com
Animalisation remains a malicious and effective form of dehumanisation. Simianisation is a version of this strategy, which historically manifested a lethal combination of sexism and racism.2 days ago
BREAKING: Trump says he 'didn't make a mistake' with his racist video post. Q: "A number of Republicans are calling on you to apologize for that post. Is that something you're going to do?" Trump: "No, I didn't make a mistake. I mean, I look at a lot of— thousands of things and I looked at the beginning of it. It was fine … I guess it was a take off on the Lion King. And certainly it was a very strong post in terms of voter fraud."
Thanks, Susan.
Did you see the ACTUAL video Trump posted? It was a documentary video about the 2020 election being stolen with an autoscroll to a meme video with the accursed racist post at the very last second. Then the person recording the post clicked back to the original non-racist video. Only someone that lacks a well trained mind would be outraged by that. Get a grip you self righteous well trained minions. I love that Trump won't apologize and that mindless minions have been outraged.
As an African American, please take this conversation with you to your dining room tables, church prayer groups, kids soccer car pools and homeschool meet ups. In these small, ordinary places with ordinary people having small common conversations, hearts and minds can be challenged and changed. Please take a stand in your real, everyday lives. Thank you 🙏🏾
Thank You Susie🥲❤️
Again, I am reminded of Maya Angelou’s wisdom: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. People know themselves much better than you do. That’s why it’s important to stop expecting them to be something other than who they are.” May God give us eyes to see and ears to hear 🙏
This shouldn't be a point that needs explanation or discussion, but here we are in the horrific, apocalyptic unveiling of evil hearts that is the present day. God forgive us, God help us. Thank you for communicating truth clearly, Susan Wise Bauer.
Again and again and again we have to articulate reasons to exercise basic respect for each other. It’s exhausting. And thank you.
So thankful for your voice amidst all of the crazy and cruelty. We need more Christian writers and educators like you-
This has felt so heavy today. What have we come to? I know there is a long history of this form of racism but that doesn’t make it any easier to be a parent in the age of Trump. Thank you again for speaking out.
I feel like I have missed the thing that sparked this conversation. And am simply aghasted as to why this is needing to be explicitly stated - didn't we all already know this?
Thank you for continuing to educate. At this point, it's willful ignorance if people don't understand why certain things are offensive and dehumanizing.
Thank you for sharing. This is far too important to sweep under the rug.
Thank you for this. Every day brings some new horror.
So grateful for your steady voice through such horrid events. Again and again, thank you. 🙏♥️
Thank you for using your platform to thoroughly deny racism. 💛
Thank you!
Once again, thank you.
Watching BBc as they say first it was that we are all expressing "fake outrage" then a few hours later that it was posted erroneously by a staffer. I doubt it. No apology.
Thank you for sharing this.
Once again, thank you for speaking up. I am beyond horrified.
Millions will love it as they did when Michelle was depicted as a monkey. They’ve been given permission to become what they feel is the majority. We’ve known who he is and now know there are millions just like him. As someone that’s been to Africa many times and lived in Yemen the racism towards each other directly comes from making those that have a more Ape like facial structure. The north of Brasil was the same. It turned my stomach and most got a lecture from me that I didn’t want to hear that talk. Thanks for speaking up.
Thank you for speaking up for what is right and true and for speaking out about the absolutely disgusting behavior of our president and government "leaders."
Thank you for your gracious yet measured response.
Scientific racism is on the rise again, in part thanks to the popularity of DNA testing promising to tell you where you are from/ ancestry and a desperate need to belong and the popularity of bad/irresponsible social science around intelligence and criminality and it's use by people with a racist agenda. Combined with things like the racist imagery that gets a pass because "its not that serious" or "it was a king of the jungle reference" or "he's just joking" is why we are still struggling with the basics in so many circles. It's time to be honest, speak TRUTH no matter what it costs and encourage people to do the INTELLECTUAL and EMOTIONAL work of growing up. Thank you Susan for doing the work and calling others to it as well.
Like every other writer, I've been bombarded in the past couple of months with AI-written sales pitches trying to convince me that my book should be in their book club rotation (for a small consideration, of course), or that I should hire the sender to do book marketing (for a larger fee, usually).
Those AI pitches have a certain feel to them. They're extremely descriptive, but the prose sounds just a little bit off. They praise my book to the skies, but always with the same phrases.
This week, I got one of those AI pitches from the most clueless AI user ever. I reproduce it below for your entertainment. And to put your antennae up.
**
Michael Harrington <[email protected]>
Thu, Jan 29, 6:40 PM
to contactsusan
Dear [author],
I hope this message finds you well.
I recently had the opportunity to review your work and was impressed by [mention 1-2 specific compelling elements—themes, narrative structure, character development, or thematic depth]. Your approach to [specific story element] demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of [genre] storytelling that resonates with discerning readers.
The integration of [mention genre elements or themes] with substantive elements such as [mention 2-3 story elements like character arcs, thematic concerns, or narrative tensions] creates a work that stands out in today's market. This level of craft positions your book as exactly what engaged readers actively seek when exploring [genre].
I am reaching out regarding a strategic opportunity to enhance your book's discoverability. I curate Goodreads Listopia lists specifically designed to connect quality [genre] works with readers who value [relevant themes/qualities]. These lists serve readers who are intentionally searching for well-crafted narratives rather than browsing algorithmically generated recommendations.
With your permission, I would like to feature your book on a curated Listopia list focused on [relevant themes/tropes/genres], thereby connecting it with readers actively seeking [specific reader interests].
This requires no action on your part beyond granting permission for inclusion.
I would be pleased to facilitate increased visibility for your work among readers who will genuinely value its qualities.
I look forward to your response.
Best regards,
Michael Harrington
**
Guy.
If you can't figure out how to make your AI assistant work for you, just...go do something else. Preferably, something involving your hands and some sweat.
And don't email me again.
'm sorry to say that I then got a follow-up email from this same email address, asking if I'd gotten his pitch and addressed once again to, "Dear [author]"... ... See MoreSee Less
5 days ago
Why would he need your permission also. Anyone can make a book list.
I get them for books I haven't even dreamed of writing--on puppy-training and blood-pressure management. 😄
Wait, the blanks weren’t even filled in?!
Did you reply with: Dear AI Bot, Please kindly go kick rocks. Yours truly, [Author]
This is frame worthy 😂 seriously though, now I think you're holding out on us. I am reaching out regarding a strategic opportunity to enhance your Facebook page's discoverability. Please consider dedicating every Tuesday going forward to be the worst email of the week. I look forward to your response. 😁
I got one recently from William Shakespeare asking if I wanted him to endorse my book. Also received similar emails from Michelle Obama, John Grisham, and Tom Clancy. I get about 20 weekly wanting to market my book.
I read this and snorted with disbelief. My daughter walks up, reads over my shoulder, and asks if it's a Mad Lib. Because...it could be, she said...and it would be funny.
I would have been done when I got to “I hope this email finds you well.” Good heavens! Why does AI think people actually write that and who looks at it it and says to themselves, “This sounds so genuine. They’ll never suspect. “ 💀
Everyone works for someone 😆 just not clear who works for whom in the AI scenario.
He left all that in there? Like, he didn’t insert your name??
Susan, how can you tell when a letter is not AI? The first paragraph sounds like a decent letter, with blanks appropriately filled of course.
I got one in snail mail yesterday in which there was an obvious blank where a name should have gone.
Oh my gosh, I get these all the time. I love the "insert name here" entertainment quality of it though.
"Clueless" is a very gracious way of putting it. I'd be more inclined to describe Michael as "extremely lazy."
Can "discoverability" please go back to wherever it came from and stop trying to be a real word?
I didnt need to go any further than the first line. Click! Lol
Only tangentially related, but… I recently received a notification from our car dealership about a recall notice. When I called and asked to speak to the person named in the email I received, I was informed that was just an AI entity….. sigh….
Respond! Dear [AI Generator], I have determined to [enter your decision ]. Based on [your reasoning]. Sincerely, [Name]
🤦♀️
Karen Swallow Prior
This is beautiful. I hope you print it out and frame it in gold
AI is a misnomer. The real thing requires understanding and judgement, not mere collation. As your work demonstrates.
Someone needs to coin a word that means simultaneously pathetic and hysterical.
Gross
I ordered one knife sharpening kit for my son for Christmas. He received, and I was charged for, 4 kits. Every time I write to the company to ask for a return label and ask for my money back, I receive an email telling me to be patient, my shipment is on the way.
