In his latest podcast, the cult author slammed political correctness and ‘weak-ass’ social justice warriors
Back in June, LA Weekly published a 1442-word think piece on Sky Ferreira’s breasts. The article – written by the publication’s regular columnist Art Tavana – discussed the singer’s “sex appeal” and “killer tits”, and included florid comparisons to “freshly licked lollipops” and Italian sports cars. “Both Sky and Madonna have similar breasts in both cup size and ability to cause a shitstorm,” wrote Tavana. “Two knockers that altered the course of human history.”
The article prompted an almost immediate – and extreme – reaction. LA Weekly swiftly issued an apology, admitting that they “got it wrong”, and Ferreira herself shared her disdain for the piece on social media. Other publications (including this one) reported on its sexism, with some offering up lengthy opinion pieces on it. Teen Vogue dismissed it as “absurd,” Jezebel called it “boring”, and Flavorwire wrote a mocking retort; switching the role of Ferreira with John Lennon.
Not everybody shared this point of view, though. In his latest podcast episode, American Psycho author Bret Easton Ellis discussed the Internet’s instant reaction to the article, and offered up his own scathing critique. He claimed that only the “wuss generation” – made up of “little snowflake justice warriors” – would be offended by the piece.
“To pretend that looks or that hotness, whether you're a guy or a girl, shouldn't make you popular, is one of those sad politically correct stances that make you question the validity, the reality, of politically correct thinking, and a few journalistic reactions to the LA Weekly piece,” he explained. “This ode to Sky Ferreira may not have been that well written, but it is clearly written honestly by, yes, most definitely a man, who is, yes, most definitely looking at a woman he desires, and writing about that desire. What's wrong with that? Even if it overshadows what he thinks about her music, so what if he's honest about objectifying her?”
The cult author – who is known for his semi-biographical novels on extreme privilege and drug-fuelled hedonism – went on to question the Internet’s obsession with outrage. “Oh, little snowflakes, when did you all become grandmothers and society matrons, clutching your pearls in horror at someone who has an opinion about something, a way of expressing themselves that's not the mirror image of yours, you snivelling little weak-ass narcissists?” he added. “The high moral tone from social justice warriors is always out of scale with what they are indignant about. When did this hideous and probably nerve-wracking way of living begin transforming you into the authoritarian language police, with your strict set of little rules and manufactured outrage, demanding apologies from every sandwich or salad you didn't like?”
Ellis’s monologue was quickly followed by a similar sentiment from Clint Eastwood, who criticised the new “the kiss-ass generation” in an interview with Esquire yesterday (Wednesday August 3). Speaking in favour of Donald Trump without endorsing him, the director expressed his boredom at the current trend for “walking on eggshells”. “What Trump is onto is he's just saying what's on his mind,” Eastwood reasoned. “We see people accusing people of being racist and all kinds of stuff. When I grew up, those things weren't called racist.”
Read Ellis’s essay in full here, or listen to the whole podcast episode here.
(H/T The Independent)
