Basically none of that sentiment is there in the Melville, right? I feel like this makes it extra funny.

I had one teacher in undergrad who was like “I’m not necessarily a big thesis guy — only write a thesis statement if you actually have something to say.” I don’t necessarily endorse that approach, but I get where he was coming from.

if only… this bookshelf… had handles… each… roughly… the size and shape… of an antler…

To be clear! His ex-girlfriend IS awful! But that’s not how we draw ethical boundaries.

Now, maybe he meant that sincerely.

But with my particular brand of internet poisoning, I can’t help but think “Hey guys, check it out! I’m doing a GamerGate, but it’s ok — my ex-girlfriend actually IS awful.”

(Of course, whether or not he’s being sincere is again a matter of intent.)

And one more thing: there’s a line where after going on and on about sex he says “actually this isn’t about sex. It’s about journalistic ethics.”

Which means it actually is fair to ask why Lizza decided to include the word “felch.” Not just by dropping a screenshot of RFK’s text, mind you! He highlights it in his own text as something gross to him, drawing a line between the good people (him and his readers) and the perverts (RFK and his ex).

It is actually coherent to say that it doesn’t matter why she was writing these stories! The man is out there infecting us with measles because of those stories, and that would be true even if her motivations were pure! But nobody is making that argument. We’re outraged because of the motivations.

I mean, why is it an ethical breach to sleep with your sources anyway? We have two facts:
1) Nuzzi was writing glowing puff pieces about RFK
2) Also, she was having an affair with him.

What connects point 1 to point 2? Who can say. The heart holds many secrets.

I could go find examples of you doing it, but that feels insulting - and I really want to avoid that, because I admire your work so much.

I don’t know how seriously to take you on this point — I agree that our motivations are ultimately unknown even to ourselves, but we also infer people’s motivations *constantly,* and make judgements on that basis *constantly.*

Sorry, are we not having a conversation about whether it was ethical for Lizza to release this? Lizza’s intent would be pretty relevant??

I think *part* of his intent was to portray both RFK and Nuzzi as disgusting perverts. (If nothing else, she’s gross for being attracted to him.) You disagree?

If we just black out the sentence that contains the word “felch,” and keep everything else, what important journalistic nuance would be lost?

If the answer is “well, actually nothing — the ethical breach is the same, and we’d still know RFK is lying,” then why do you suppose Lizza did include it?

Obviously Lizza needed to say *something* - but this detail in particular is just slut shaming. There are other words he could have quoted! He chose that one because he wanted to humiliate them and nauseate us.

“If a man will strike, strike through the mask!” 🤔

[gesturing at my hair]

1984-ass localization

what???

“Yarr, fetch me red toilet paper.”