I am halfway through Levi’s Unbuttoned and enjoying it immensely. I love that Jen shares so much of her life, both personal and business with us. Disclosure: her Dad and I lugged beams, bars and other gym paraphernalia around SE Pennsylvania for Parkettes. Jen inherited her Dad’s wry sense of humor and her Mom’s commitment to excellence. Jen, thanks for acknowledging that you can be yourself on what are considered right wing media and speak your truth freely. God bless you.
Thank you. I'm glad you appreciate the personal stuff. I felt it was important to include. It's not an expose on woke capitalism, or not only that. It's a memoir. And for me, I had a lot to overcome from my childhood in gymnastics to grow into using my voice. that's why it's in there. If i can do it, anyone can.
You know how, in the 1850s, people couldn't distribute abolitionist literature in the states that became the Confederacy? It feels like we are steadily moving toward that scenario. Or, we're already in that scenario.
If you only talked to people who you agree with on everything, you would never speak to another human again. If conservative media is willing to broadcast your message, that's where you go. People should be asking why the liberal media isn't interested in talking to you. You are a true hero, despite what the hypocritical left says. I used to be pretty firmly entrenched in liberal beliefs until I started advocating for open schools and no masks. I was quickly abandoned. Then, my daughter gave a school board speech that got the attention of Tucker Carlson and others. People couldn't believe I wasn't appalled that her video was making the rounds on conservative media. Not only was I NOT appalled, I was thrilled. Anyone willing to spread a message that was important to our family is our friend. I'm grateful they were willing to do so. I'll never go back to being so "loyal" to a political party, that I am unwilling to engage with people who have vastly different beliefs.
Yes it's interesting... i'm criticized for not going on these left leaning platforms. They won't have me! I'd do it in a heartbeat even if it meant arguing my position with someone who disagrees with me. The fact that they won't even consider having someone like me speaks volumes!
I have been right of center most of my life. If I only talked to people who agreed with me, I would be bored. I have friends from every side of politics, straight and gay, most religions, most races. My best friend is an atheist; I'm Catholic. It's only those who disagreed with my position on school closures and masking and lockdowns who unfriended me and called me selfish and a conspiracy theorist. I remember posting an article from The Atlantic (hardly a right-wing magazine) about how school closures were hurting kids, and the followed one middle school boy in Baltimore who had been an A student even though he was from a broken home and his mom was unreliable but he had a teacher who was incredible ... until school shut down, he couldn't get online consistently, and he ended up just not caring about school. I said no schools should be closed. Two friend -- people I actually know in person -- blocked me after saying some nasty things about me on my FB page. That was a turning point for me.
" If I only talked to people who agreed with me, I would be bored." <-- Agreed! And good grief, who wants to live in a monoculture, where everyone's a submissive robot who pretends they agree w/whatever is the popular thing.
Yes that article was actually in the new yorker. the boy was Shemar. And the writer was Alec MacGillis. A moving piece. When I read that, i thought - now people will come around. It's in the New Yorker! A left leaning publication. Nope. I was oh so wrong. It's so crazy that this was the issue that broke relationships. Why? If you can explain it, i'll be forever grateful! I'm still pondering ... will probably never truly grasp it.
Thanks for the clarification! The mood and people of the article stuck with me more than the magazine! I was stunned people called me selfish for wanting schools open. I can't explain it. I will never completely understand what happened to people. I think it was the constant push from the media that everyone was going to die, the lack of clear and true information about risks and those who did speak the truth were ignored or censored. People were terrified. Some people still are. Every time I would talk to friends they would tell me not to listen to anyone but the CDC because they have all the information. I have one good friend who disagreed with me about everything who recently has somewhat come around and said, "We just need to put it all past us and forgive everyone." I might be able to forgive him because we were able to remain friends, but I won't forgive the media, the government, the Republicans or Democrats, or public health.
Back in college a friend told me something that I never forgot. She said "Intimidation is always evil." In other words, its goal is always to achieve something evil.
On a related note, I started reading the Book of Joshua. There's a lot of "Be strong and courageous" and "Don't be dismayed" phrases. With this Logos software I have, I clicked through to learn the Hebrew meaning of "dismayed" and was floored. It means "to prostrate." As in, bowing on your belly flat out in worship (or fear) before the thing trying to intimidate you.
Here's the Hebrew term:
חָתַת châthath, khaw-thath’; a prim. root; prop. to prostrate; hence, to break down, either (lit.) by violence, or (fig.) by confusion and fear:— abolish, affright, be (make) afraid, amaze, beat down, discourage, (cause to) dismay, go down, scare, terrify.
[Source: Strong, J. (1996). The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.]
Seems half the antidote to being intimidated is realizing what's going on . . .
Great insight. Yes force and intimidation are always evil. Convince, persuade etc. Bully? You have no leg to stand on. And the name calling and demonization to silence and censor - intimidation and pure evil.
Please watch the latest Munk debate (Vimeo) with Matt Taibbi and Douglas Murray versus Malcolm Gladwell and Michelle Goldberg about trust in media. It is very relevant to what you are saying here. Matt has a podcast.
Stossel interviewed Megyn Kelly recently where she commented that her time with NBC was even more hostile than at Fox, and it was the evangelical/authoritarian left who treated her with far more disdain than the right.
I appreciate the independent outlet for your book (https://www.allseasonspress.com/store/p/levis-unbuttoned). I try not to feed the beast these days -- a small and perhaps meaningless gesture but better than the abyss of kowtowing in the opposite direction. Heard you first on Bridget Phetasy, and welcome your and others' heterodoxy.
The evisceration of informed consent + gleeful shredding of privacy norms still freak me out, and as far as I can tell remain almost entirely unchallenged. I have little patience for irrationality, and true believers devoted to the party line these days are bonkers bordering on back-away-slowly dangerous crazy. We stay busy and keep the faith. Best wishes to you and yours.
My mistake - it was your interview with the fellas on Ruthless. (I only listen to a few podcasts but still manage to get them confused.) I feel like you should have already also been on Walk-Ins and look forward to it, if it happens!
I'd love to ride on your coattails into the View to publicize the trauma that trans widows, the ex-wives of men who cross-dress! I sent out review copies to The New York Times (a reporter I saw as moderate) and did get an article in the NY Post, some reviews on goodreads. I'm taking the long view, waiting for Behind the Looking Glass, a documentary about me and 29 of the trans widow cohorts filmmaker Vaishnavi Sundar interviewed. Trailer up on her youtube channel, Lime Soda Films, gives a sense of the poignancy, the betrayal we feel especially from women. ("Didn't you know? Wouldn't you try out open marriage?") A short 2 minute version of what happens when your husband's "sexologist" writes affidavits about someone she never met to submit to court in the custody case:
I am halfway through Levi’s Unbuttoned and enjoying it immensely. I love that Jen shares so much of her life, both personal and business with us. Disclosure: her Dad and I lugged beams, bars and other gym paraphernalia around SE Pennsylvania for Parkettes. Jen inherited her Dad’s wry sense of humor and her Mom’s commitment to excellence. Jen, thanks for acknowledging that you can be yourself on what are considered right wing media and speak your truth freely. God bless you.
Thank you. I'm glad you appreciate the personal stuff. I felt it was important to include. It's not an expose on woke capitalism, or not only that. It's a memoir. And for me, I had a lot to overcome from my childhood in gymnastics to grow into using my voice. that's why it's in there. If i can do it, anyone can.
You know how, in the 1850s, people couldn't distribute abolitionist literature in the states that became the Confederacy? It feels like we are steadily moving toward that scenario. Or, we're already in that scenario.
We seem to be in the digital version of that scenario.
Hang in there Jen! We need more brave souls like yourself! There are a lot of people rooting for you! (Like me!)
If you only talked to people who you agree with on everything, you would never speak to another human again. If conservative media is willing to broadcast your message, that's where you go. People should be asking why the liberal media isn't interested in talking to you. You are a true hero, despite what the hypocritical left says. I used to be pretty firmly entrenched in liberal beliefs until I started advocating for open schools and no masks. I was quickly abandoned. Then, my daughter gave a school board speech that got the attention of Tucker Carlson and others. People couldn't believe I wasn't appalled that her video was making the rounds on conservative media. Not only was I NOT appalled, I was thrilled. Anyone willing to spread a message that was important to our family is our friend. I'm grateful they were willing to do so. I'll never go back to being so "loyal" to a political party, that I am unwilling to engage with people who have vastly different beliefs.
Yes it's interesting... i'm criticized for not going on these left leaning platforms. They won't have me! I'd do it in a heartbeat even if it meant arguing my position with someone who disagrees with me. The fact that they won't even consider having someone like me speaks volumes!
I have been right of center most of my life. If I only talked to people who agreed with me, I would be bored. I have friends from every side of politics, straight and gay, most religions, most races. My best friend is an atheist; I'm Catholic. It's only those who disagreed with my position on school closures and masking and lockdowns who unfriended me and called me selfish and a conspiracy theorist. I remember posting an article from The Atlantic (hardly a right-wing magazine) about how school closures were hurting kids, and the followed one middle school boy in Baltimore who had been an A student even though he was from a broken home and his mom was unreliable but he had a teacher who was incredible ... until school shut down, he couldn't get online consistently, and he ended up just not caring about school. I said no schools should be closed. Two friend -- people I actually know in person -- blocked me after saying some nasty things about me on my FB page. That was a turning point for me.
" If I only talked to people who agreed with me, I would be bored." <-- Agreed! And good grief, who wants to live in a monoculture, where everyone's a submissive robot who pretends they agree w/whatever is the popular thing.
Yes that article was actually in the new yorker. the boy was Shemar. And the writer was Alec MacGillis. A moving piece. When I read that, i thought - now people will come around. It's in the New Yorker! A left leaning publication. Nope. I was oh so wrong. It's so crazy that this was the issue that broke relationships. Why? If you can explain it, i'll be forever grateful! I'm still pondering ... will probably never truly grasp it.
Thanks for the clarification! The mood and people of the article stuck with me more than the magazine! I was stunned people called me selfish for wanting schools open. I can't explain it. I will never completely understand what happened to people. I think it was the constant push from the media that everyone was going to die, the lack of clear and true information about risks and those who did speak the truth were ignored or censored. People were terrified. Some people still are. Every time I would talk to friends they would tell me not to listen to anyone but the CDC because they have all the information. I have one good friend who disagreed with me about everything who recently has somewhat come around and said, "We just need to put it all past us and forgive everyone." I might be able to forgive him because we were able to remain friends, but I won't forgive the media, the government, the Republicans or Democrats, or public health.
Back in college a friend told me something that I never forgot. She said "Intimidation is always evil." In other words, its goal is always to achieve something evil.
On a related note, I started reading the Book of Joshua. There's a lot of "Be strong and courageous" and "Don't be dismayed" phrases. With this Logos software I have, I clicked through to learn the Hebrew meaning of "dismayed" and was floored. It means "to prostrate." As in, bowing on your belly flat out in worship (or fear) before the thing trying to intimidate you.
Here's the Hebrew term:
חָתַת châthath, khaw-thath’; a prim. root; prop. to prostrate; hence, to break down, either (lit.) by violence, or (fig.) by confusion and fear:— abolish, affright, be (make) afraid, amaze, beat down, discourage, (cause to) dismay, go down, scare, terrify.
[Source: Strong, J. (1996). The New Strong’s Dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.]
Seems half the antidote to being intimidated is realizing what's going on . . .
Great insight. Yes force and intimidation are always evil. Convince, persuade etc. Bully? You have no leg to stand on. And the name calling and demonization to silence and censor - intimidation and pure evil.
Please watch the latest Munk debate (Vimeo) with Matt Taibbi and Douglas Murray versus Malcolm Gladwell and Michelle Goldberg about trust in media. It is very relevant to what you are saying here. Matt has a podcast.
Stossel interviewed Megyn Kelly recently where she commented that her time with NBC was even more hostile than at Fox, and it was the evangelical/authoritarian left who treated her with far more disdain than the right.
https://reason.com/2022/11/30/im-totally-uncancelable-megyn-kelly-speaks-out-on-left-wing-and-right-wing-media-bias/
P.S. I refuse to call these folks, "liberals," they are "authoritarian leftists." That term belongs to the OG classical liberals.
Oooo, and to add (sorry for link bombing)
Matt Taibbi and Douglas Murray just recently debated against Michelle Goldberg and Malcolm Gladwell about whether to trust The Corporate Press (aka Mainstream Media) https://taibbi.substack.com/p/be-it-resolved-dont-trust-mainstream
And Kmele Foster mopped the floor on a debate about public radio: https://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/debate/is-public-radio-still-relevant/#/
oh that sounds like a good debate. i'll check it out. thank you for recommendation. i can guess what position each took without even listening!
I appreciate the independent outlet for your book (https://www.allseasonspress.com/store/p/levis-unbuttoned). I try not to feed the beast these days -- a small and perhaps meaningless gesture but better than the abyss of kowtowing in the opposite direction. Heard you first on Bridget Phetasy, and welcome your and others' heterodoxy.
The evisceration of informed consent + gleeful shredding of privacy norms still freak me out, and as far as I can tell remain almost entirely unchallenged. I have little patience for irrationality, and true believers devoted to the party line these days are bonkers bordering on back-away-slowly dangerous crazy. We stay busy and keep the faith. Best wishes to you and yours.
I've not been on Bridget Phetasy but I'm a fan! She's great!
My mistake - it was your interview with the fellas on Ruthless. (I only listen to a few podcasts but still manage to get them confused.) I feel like you should have already also been on Walk-Ins and look forward to it, if it happens!
Hearing you describe it, could there be a worse fate in life than to be stuck with liberal “friends”?
Ha. Well I miss them. Hard not to care about people you've known for 30 years...
I'd love to ride on your coattails into the View to publicize the trauma that trans widows, the ex-wives of men who cross-dress! I sent out review copies to The New York Times (a reporter I saw as moderate) and did get an article in the NY Post, some reviews on goodreads. I'm taking the long view, waiting for Behind the Looking Glass, a documentary about me and 29 of the trans widow cohorts filmmaker Vaishnavi Sundar interviewed. Trailer up on her youtube channel, Lime Soda Films, gives a sense of the poignancy, the betrayal we feel especially from women. ("Didn't you know? Wouldn't you try out open marriage?") A short 2 minute version of what happens when your husband's "sexologist" writes affidavits about someone she never met to submit to court in the custody case:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c99jaMY8rXQ
Many people are rooting for you & are in your corner...keep the faith.
Don't stop. You've taken your stand and are correct.