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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis
@helenlewis.bsky.social
47K followers 1.4K following 960 posts
Staff writer, The Atlantic | Author, Difficult Women (2020) and The Genius Myth (2025) | Podcaster, Page 94 | Doom scroller, the internet | uk.bookshop.org/shop/helenlewis
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 1d
Yeah, I know, I know.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 1d
As I say in the piece, public beheadings are no longer done. Also the comedians couldn’t “say what they liked” — that was very much the point of the piece. They agreed not to mock religion or the royals.
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Reposted by Helen Lewis
tuomaspernu.bsky.social
Tuomas Pernu @tuomaspernu.bsky.social · 1d
Worth reading. And contemplating.

"This, to me, was the greatest irony of the Riyadh Comedy Festival. With its Cheesecake Factory outlets and newfound interest in comedy, Saudi Arabia is becoming more American—just as America is becoming more Saudi."
helenlewis.bsky.social Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 3d
"Sometimes you have to ask yourself: How did I get here—sitting in Saudi Arabia, listening to Louis C.K. do jokes about Barely Legal magazine?"

I went to Riyadh to see the transformation of a country with the world's biggest cultural chequebook. Gift link:

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
How Many Comedians Does It Take to Change a Country?
What it’s like to watch Louis C.K. do stand-up in Saudi Arabia
www.theatlantic.com
3 9 30
helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 2d
I mean, Jes Staley‘s friendship with Epstein was tolerated for many years until the bad publicity became overwhelming. And you know, I’m personally *proud* that the left (specifically feminism) has led on ending the culture of turning a blind eye to powerful men being sex pests 🤷‍♀️
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 2d
It wasn’t a joke, though, it was ragebait. And this post is not a sincere clarification but an invitation to your followers to tell you that you were actually right all along, and you’ve been unfairly traduced—not least by framing me as “angry” when I was very polite.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 2d
Yeah; he was outed as a sex pest by the NYT, which is leftwing — plus, very clearly the right does not cancel people for being sex pests, cf the current US president. So it was a leftwing cancellation. That doesn’t mean it was wrong, which I think people are assuming was implied.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 2d
You've lost me here, I'm afraid.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 2d
Hey, if I write something dumb feel free to call it out. All I ask is that you read the piece first!
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 2d
Yeah, I really went easy on Louis CK here. There’s no way you actually read the piece, is there? (Or, I’m guessing, any of my articles on the Epstein case.)
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Reposted by Helen Lewis
helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 3d
"Sometimes you have to ask yourself: How did I get here—sitting in Saudi Arabia, listening to Louis C.K. do jokes about Barely Legal magazine?"

I went to Riyadh to see the transformation of a country with the world's biggest cultural chequebook. Gift link:

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
How Many Comedians Does It Take to Change a Country?
What it’s like to watch Louis C.K. do stand-up in Saudi Arabia
www.theatlantic.com
34 99 340
helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 3d
I know. I can't believe Jonathan didn't want to wingman. Something about "having a job of my own, thank you"
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Reposted by Helen Lewis
adriennelaf.bsky.social
Adrienne LaFrance @adriennelaf.bsky.social · 3d
Why, yes, @helenlewis.bsky.social did go to the Riyadh Comedy Festival

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
How Many Comedians Does It Take to Change a Country?
What it’s like to watch Louis C.K. do stand-up in Saudi Arabia
www.theatlantic.com
4 14 48
helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 3d
"Sometimes you have to ask yourself: How did I get here—sitting in Saudi Arabia, listening to Louis C.K. do jokes about Barely Legal magazine?"

I went to Riyadh to see the transformation of a country with the world's biggest cultural chequebook. Gift link:

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
How Many Comedians Does It Take to Change a Country?
What it’s like to watch Louis C.K. do stand-up in Saudi Arabia
www.theatlantic.com
34 99 340
helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 17d
I deleted it because the conversation it generated was ill-informed and not productive. I stand by the sentiments completely & will happily repeat them in a better forum. This violent misogynist should never have been put in a women’s prison. All the best, Stu.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 19d
Enjoying myself imagining the thousand yard stares that all the four star generals must be greeting this with
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 19d
A more socialist/left populist approach is part of the appeal of the Greens (and Your Party, if they still exist)
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 19d
That's why it's such a good bellwether -- I was there reporting in 2015, on the basis that this was exactly the kind of seat Ed Miliband needed to win (he didn't).
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 19d
I think it might also be sympomatic of Reform's ceiling -- they clearly have enough appeal to break through and be a large/governing party, but it's easy to forget that their platform drives away significant numbers of people, too.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 19d
Well, he's only a former councillor and he's defected in the opposite direction before, so I wouldn't expect trumpets -- but I agree with your overall point, which is that the Reform threat is not the only challenge facing Tories and Labour, but the media coverage can feel that way.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 19d
I think there is quite a decent constituency for "socially liberal but not postmodernly so, didn't want Brexit, don't want fullbore socialism, want a leader who seems competent and not internet-poisoned" across a bunch of seats in England
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 19d
What is Kemi Badenoch‘s offer to Worcester to make it turn Tory again? People don’t *only* switch to Reform.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 19d
Worcester (where I grew up) is such an interesting bellwether. Had a Tory MP 2010-2024. But the council has been getting steadily Greener, and now it’s a minority Labour administration with zero Conservatives on it, and only 1 Reform.
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 20d
Yes, I think Farage going after the Channel boats is a good example of this. It's a relatively small number of people (compared with overall legal and illegal migration) but it's a vivid made-for-TV image for his message of "Britain has lost control of its borders".
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helenlewis.bsky.social
Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 20d
Whenever a politician or activist says "this is a really minor issue that's being talked up by my opponents" you should check to see if the translation actually is "my party is extremely far behind on this issue and so I'd rather not talk about it".
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Reposted by Helen Lewis
radiofreetom.bsky.social
Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 27d
Democratic Party leaders know they need to moderate on cultural issues to win back working-class voters—so why don’t they?
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
Democrats Don’t Seem Willing to Follow Their Own Advice
Party leaders know they need to moderate on cultural issues to win back working-class voters—so why don’t they?
www.theatlantic.com
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