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Michael Cox

@mcoxinscotland.bsky.social

380 followers 260 following 110 posts

An academic, dramaturg, critic and editor who dabbles in creating. A cultural nerd and news junky. A Southern Californian expat at home in Scotland.

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Michael E. Cox is a British academic and international relations scholar. He is currently Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics (LSE) and Director of LSE IDEAS. He also teaches for the TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program, an alliance of NYU Stern and the London School of Economics and HEC School of Management. .. more

Biology 83%

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Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 1d

When I did the 'meet the parents' thing back in 2000, my soon to be wife's father told me he wanted to turn 100 (he was a youthful 74 at the time--you would have sworn he was in his early sixties at worst). Today, he’s pulled it off. The sincerest 'Happy Birthday' to my father-in-law, Jack Brownlee.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 4d

Damn!

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 5d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Michael Cox, Anna O. Law , and 40 more Anne Applebaum, Michael Cox, Anna O. Law, Kim L. Scheppele, Nandita Sharma, Robbert Sanderman, Robert Böhm, Amy Bruckman, Håvard Kauserud, Gavin A. Schmidt, Wolfgang Kiessling, Colette L. Heald, Julie L. Lockwood, Anthony Ricciardi, Euan G. Ritchie, John R. Hutchinson, Serge Guimond, Megan L. Ranney, Niels Werber, Laura Pereira, Tuomas Mattila, Paul Cassia, Leonhard Dobusch, Carlos Nunes Silva, Caroline T. Schroeder, Andrew Jacobs, Bessma Momani, Peter Jacobsen, Josef Früchtl, Susan Strasser, Urška Demšar, Vaughan S. Roberts, Fábio Angeoletto, Nikki Fairchild, Catriona Seth, Klaus Oschema, Jason Williams, Olivier Sandre, Charles T. Mathewes, Aviel Roshwald, Aidan O’Sullivan, Gareth Terry, Peter Jacobs

KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 5d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 6d

An interesting read—and much to unpack.

Exeunt Magazine @exeuntmagazine.bsky.social · 6d

Chris Goode's voice dominated the theatre blogging culture of the 2010s. @alicesaville.bsky.social reflects on how the abusive theatremaker used his writings to hide in plain sight

Alice points to the need for greater transparency in the theatre industry. In that spirit, this post is free to read

Chris Goode told the truth about who he was. How did we fail to see it?

Goode's voice dominated the theatre blogging culture of the 2010s. Alice Saville reflects on how the abusive theatremaker used his writings to hide in plain sight

exeuntmagazine.substack.com

Reposted by Michael Cox

Exeunt Magazine @exeuntmagazine.bsky.social · 6d

Chris Goode told the truth about who he was. How did we fail to see it?

Goode's voice dominated the theatre blogging culture of the 2010s. Alice Saville reflects on how the abusive theatremaker used his writings to hide in plain sight

exeuntmagazine.substack.com

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Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 6d

Indeed. Spoke with her as well, but an excellent point. And yes—you are sadly right, on all fronts. I’m an expat in Scotland and time and again have had to ‘explain’ the US time and again. I’m out of reasons and excuses.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 7d

Thank you. It’s a subject I’ve always been passionate and interested in. I was there in 95 to mark the 25th year of the shootings and spoke with parents and siblings of the four along with those who were there. Changed my life.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 7d

Forgive my ignorance: have you written or spoken about what you saw May 4th?

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Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 8d

A much appreciated birthday gift as I really want…well, need…to hear your thoughts on this.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 17d

Hope they liked it. The more I think about it, the more I think it’s the best film of the century so far.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 22d

He hasn’t brought a knife to a gunfight, he’s brought roses to an execution. Can someone please drag him off stage, please.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 23d

Sir, I have read your words for years. I admire your ability to convey truth clearly yet with wit and intelligence. I don’t want to give shallow ‘it’s meant to be’ statements because these are scary times, and this has just made them worse. Keep speaking truth however you can—your words matter.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 23d

My memory is that the first three years were rather good and then it went haywire. Starting to doubt my objectivity.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · 27d

Just because change is sometimes painful doesn’t mean the change was wrong. Really having to remind myself of that this evening.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · Sep 7

Yep. I keep politics out of my acting class by teaching Brecht every year. I’m going hard this year by actually directing a play of his. Whoops.

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · Aug 23

Food for thought.

William Bibbiani @williambibbiani.bsky.social · Aug 23

I'm making the case for why EVERYONE in this industry benefits from critics.

That, and what's at stake if we disappear - or let publications tie our hands.

If you read only one of my articles this week, or this month, please make it this one.

Available to everyone this week, not just our patrons.

Film Critics Are Wolves (and That’s a Good Thing): Critically Acclaimed Newsletter (8/23/25) | The Critically Acclaimed Network

www.patreon.com

Reposted by Michael Cox

William Bibbiani @williambibbiani.bsky.social · Aug 23

Film Critics Are Wolves (and That’s a Good Thing): Critically Acclaimed Newsletter (8/23/25) | The Critically Acclaimed Network

www.patreon.com

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Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · Aug 23

Haven’t seen or heard this clip. Love it!

Ken Plume @kenplume.bsky.social · Aug 23

This They Might Be Giants TONIGHT SHOW performance of "Birdhouse In Your Soul" from 1990 remains firmly lodged in my noggin thanks to the Tonight Show Band's full commitment and Doc Severinsen's incredible trumpeting... It took an already great song and made it transcendent.

Reposted by Michael Cox, Richard Waite

Ken Plume @kenplume.bsky.social · Aug 23

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Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · Aug 17

This really is welcome news, particularly with how new writing is being treated everywhere.

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Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · Aug 15

Surely this is why the internet exists?

Reposted by Michael Cox

Derf Backderf @derfbackderf.bsky.social · Jul 27

RIP Tom Lehrer, age 97.

Tom Lehrer - Poisoning Pigeons In The Park

YouTube video by The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel

www.youtube.com

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Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · Jul 27

The genius of Tom Lehrer. I discovered only last month he was still alive. His wit was an influence, particularly during university. RIP.

Derf Backderf @derfbackderf.bsky.social · Jul 27

RIP Tom Lehrer, age 97.

Tom Lehrer - Poisoning Pigeons In The Park

YouTube video by The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel

www.youtube.com

Michael Cox @mcoxinscotland.bsky.social · Jul 17

Truth!

Reposted by Michael Cox

Mark Ravenhill @markravenhill.bsky.social · Dec 16

A great listen. Discovered this yesterday. Gielgud never stood still as an actor - always doubting, testing, moving m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysd7...

Hamlet explained by John Gielgud - 16 May 1954

YouTube video by Roman Styran

m.youtube.com

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Reposted by Michael Cox

Exeunt Magazine @exeuntmagazine.bsky.social · Apr 1

What happens when you are a natural born people-pleaser… and also a critic?

@anyaryan.bsky.social has been called ‘heartless’ for being a theatre reviewer, and yet she hates conflict. Here, she reflects on the competing urge to be honest, and to be liked

'How could my words have made someone feel so terrible?'

The agony of bad reviews when you're a critic - and also a born people-pleaser

exeuntmagazine.substack.com

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Reposted by Michael Cox

Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · Apr 28

Newsletter: I am sick and god damn tired of everybody pretending that generative AI is the next big thing. The media is complicit in accepting fantastical nonsense - both in the numbers put out by OpenAI and the silly jobs created by Anthropic - and it has to stop.
www.wheresyoured.at/reality-check/

Reality Check

I'm sick and god-damn tired of this! I have written tens of thousands of words about this and still, to this day, people are babbling about the "AI revolution" as the sky rains blood and crevices open...

www.wheresyoured.at

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Reposted by Michael Cox

Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · May 9

(🎁) GIFT LINK to a stunning but also inarguable New York Times piece that says in no uncertain terms that America is no longer a democracy but an autocracy.

Opinion | How Will We Know When We Have Lost Our Democracy?

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Michael Cox

All Edinburgh Theatre @alledintheatre.bsky.social · Jun 25

NEWS:
You have until this SUNDAY 29 June 2025 to take part in the survey into the future of the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh.

News about East Lothian Council's infrastructure survey:
www.alledinburghtheatre.com/brunton-surv...

Take the survey here: eastlothianconsultations.co.uk/infrastructu...

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