When making old white guy comments about young PoC, brilliance in writing fiction about politics only makes Sorkin more like Stephen Miller’s make-up technician when the actual politics is now so critical.
As aspirational as West Wing and Newsroom were, scolding AOC is really not helping Sorkin’s legacy and making us start becoming less charitable about the way he repeats themes in many projects (the hostage situation arc in Studio 60 seems somehow Trumpian in its resolution).
His history of making the endless struggle with neoliberalism in corporate media and politics somehow noble despite its basic corruption becomes less relevant as we have finally left the Clinton era.
Aaron Sorkin wrote a great show that I value so much and in order for me to continue being grateful to him for that, I’m gonna need him to shut the hell up right now. https://t.co/qTF4sh7fdJ
— Progressive Dancing Queen (@ShortndPatience) January 21, 2019
When Piers Morgan gives you props, you really need to examine your ideological position in the post-Weinstein Hollywood. Otherwise you’re just a much more wealthy version of Steve Bannon, who unfortunately has had actual public policy effects.
News Flash: Aaron Sorkin knows a lot more about politics than you.
So I suggest you take his advice, young lady, & start acting like a grown-up not a juvenile smart-a**e. https://t.co/Tl6ya5TvkM— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 20, 2019
AOC’s response to Sorkin:
News Flash: Medicare for All & equal rights aren’t trends.
When people complain about low turnout in some demos, it’s not because communities are apathetic, it’s bc they don’t see you fighting for them.
If we don’t show up for people, why should you feel entitled to their vote? https://t.co/oGRsG9NZV3
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 20, 2019
Sorkin writes political porn for boomers. he uses fast talking and obvious tropes to make the viewer feel smart.
He's recycled the same 50 or so lines of dialogue into a career.
All of his characters are basically Keith Olbermann https://t.co/8vLrQD1tTP
— not enjoying the ride J (@JustinMBoudreau) January 21, 2019
- This has deeper consequences, bc as we’ve seen w/ narratives advanced by the right, they have trouble recognizing intelligence in people they disagree with.
- This is what bias looks like: for some ppl, small mistakes mean they’re not “serious,” yet others are forgiven for worse.
- If you notice, on the right they’ll flatly call people blanket terms, and even make things up. And I don’t mean trolls – I mean their biggest commentators + TV figures.
- This is different from criticizing a specific take you disagree with, or pointing out discriminatory patterns.
- Just look at the marginal tax rate discussion.
- The right’s biggest strategy against my marginal tax rate proposal isn’t to argue against it – it‘s to lie about it, and imply that it’s a tax on all income, bc that helps their characterization of me as a “crazy/dumb“ Latina woman.
- This stuff infects some Democrats, too. Because in our overall discourse, nonviolent protest somehow gets deemed as not “civil,” yet stripping women’s rights or incarcerating children on the border doesn’t receive the same characterization.
- What’s up with that?????????♀️
- Lastly, we wouldn’t need to talk about bathrooms at all if we acted like adults, washed our hands + minded our own business instead of trying to clock others.
- Going by track record, I’d feel safer in a bathroom w/ a trans woman than a powerful male executive any day of the week.
- If you’d like to use this as a good moment to support the queer community, there’s a charity twitch stream going on for @Mermaids_Gender:
This is a Creative Commons article. The original version of this article appeared here.
