#NYTIMES IS FUCKING CANCELED

[drywall-muncher]

THE OPPOSITE WAS "I-KNOW"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[missbiddle]

So on multiple different “top” lists (including high profile like NYTimes), Warrior Nun has positioned 3 & 4 in top Netflix shows, top action-adventure, and top fatnasy; while not the top place it does beat Wednesday, Stranger Things, House of the Dragon, and a bunch of other highly promo’d, high profile shows.

and yet Netflix cancelled it. I don’t think the arguments of “it just wasn’t good” or “it’s not popular enough” cut it anymore to defend Netflix’s blatant lesbophobia. If the show had had promo, it would be MASSIVE. If this is the impact with literally zero $ spent on promo and it being left off release lists, no screeners sent, and no critical input, then it would be up there with high profile shows. Netflix fucked up thanks to their bigoted misogynist decisions. 

[paintedpineleaf]

fucking love it when i find new ways to bypass paywalls.

anyway before the paywall loads up on the new yorker website, right click, then click on print. it'll open up a print page where you can read the whole article for free or download it or whatever, then just click on cancel printing.

if you miss the window and the paywall loads up, reload the page and like be ready to go or whatever.

the nytimes cooking's paywall is really easy to bypass no time limit. right click-inspect, then just delete the paywall html elements and container and boom.

anyway i'm gonna go check if the print hack works for the bon appetit magazine

[ichaserabbits]

NYTimes: F.B.I. Raids Home of Eric Adams’s Fund-Raising Chief

F.B.I. Raids Home of Eric Adams’s Fund-Raising Chief https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/02/nyregion/eric-adams-brianna-suggs-fbi-raid.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7Uw.QKYQ.zauq5H-IT4RK&smid=nytcore-android-share

Fucking clown shoes ass government

[nyeongjae]

if the met gala outfits are as bad as the vmas I will become so violent

[sarasa-cat]

Konmari my phone apps:

Early today I think I finally hit my Done 5evah with the newyorktimes. 

Sure, I’ve cancelled my subscription countless times over the past 20-odd years but this time I think I am just done.

I have better sources for US and for World news. There are infinitely far better sources for cultural news and for op-ed essays. 

But most of all, I have come to find, over the past 20 years, whenever someone makes a point -- like goes out of their way -- to tell me that They Read The NYTimes (therefore, hint hint, they are trying to signal to me that they are the Right Kind(tm) of cultured and educated(tm) people), I know for a fact that they are going to say something deeply disappointingly myopically cringe-yuck paternalistically WASPy very very soon. And they never know how to respond to what I say in response.

And this just never ceases to not happen (well, within the metro NY area, people who aren’t recent transplants tend to know what the NYTimes is all about and regard it for what it is -- but in the rest of the US? omfg).

But today’s NYT just left me wondering why I waste my time with their paternalistic status quo centrism.

Also, 20+ years and running, I will still never forget how the NYT railroaded Wen Ho Lee. 

Which was one of many many many things the NYT fucked up royally.

[hxgrl]

a might get #cancelled for this but stardew valley was pretty good up to a certain point but really quickly it became boring as all fuck and only so many mods can fill that void before u realize there ain't all that much goin on? It's good but not great. I put in 80 hrs on a binge and I ain't thinking bout picking it back up nytime soon

[noheroes-allowed]

week 2

day 8: it feels good to be productive even though I really didn’t do much, had an hour phone call with my professor to go over my essay and he went into too much detail lmao and I really wanted it to end starting halfway through, watched hp 2&3 with my bro, spent two hours on refactored, am wearing a new sweater and socks I haven’t worn before and it’s nice, they’re moving forward with my background check so summer isn’t cancelled still as of now! hallelujah

day 9: jeremy released a new song, watched both hp 7’s today, watched wheel of fortune, sent refactored emails, played piano, forgot for like two minutes what day it was and thought it was wednesday, got a call from my recruiter and she told me they’re having a meeting tomorrow to decide what to do about the program eeeeeep, wore a new sweater today with my cat socks, kristina said she’d give me a list of questions but they never came so now keith is winging it tomorrow, texted keith if he was busy and if we could call later and then we did and I was less nervous this time about asking even though he never got back to me on what movie they ended up watching if they ever ended up watching which I don’t think they did and he just needed to get off the phone but it’s ok bc he was honest this time (update: he actually watched jerry maguire with his mom and that comforts me)

day 10: idk why but I can’t figure out how to make oatmeal at home? the two times I’ve done it now including today is not as good as when I made it in my apt kitchen, played piano and uke, asked my bro what day it was bc I’m starting to lose track of time :(, worked on refactored but didn’t work on my slides yet and was highly unproductive, potato salad at dinner, need to get a drug test lol, keith called me and it was work related but I like hearing his voice in any capacity, called Cat and got wrapped up in myers briggs again lmao, looked up my compatibility again and it said I’d have difficulties with jenny’s type lmao which is also jaja’s type, oh and I saw a real cat in this catastrophe! she let me pet her and everything. plus she looked like my aunt’s cat and it was very lovely after my run 

day 11: my mother woke me up this morning to drive her but it was unnecessarily early bc I didn’t even have to pick her up more than an hour later, finally left my neighborhood even though it was only for like 10 min it was still nice to fucking get out, my oatmeal this morning was actually good finally, spent like three hours curating a playlist oops, there’s like nothing in the fridge and it upsets me bc I want an actual meal but I’ve literally just been eating rice and bread for lunch this past week and it’s not working, played piano and uke, my supervisor emailed me and said they’re gonna pay for the past few days even though we haven’t been working! but I’m locked out of the time period so idk, saw the kitty again, texting :), filed my taxes which is the only thing I’ve really accomplished today but does that even count as being productive? lol I don't think so. also I haven’t done any school work in literally 16 days holy fuck I really need to get my shit together. but also I feel like I’m finally adjusting to this mess and trying to enjoy the moments I can

day 12: had a zoom meeting with my supervisor and I think I might pick up extra hours, peed in a cup, my mom finally bought groceries and there’s so much more fruit in the house and carrots! I can finally eat my hummus again, started watching the tv shows I keep up with again meaning I’m finally adjusting I think and not obsessing over the news like I did the first week, played piano, worked on refactored slides but it’s taking a lot longer than I expected bc I am procrastinating but also my kids did not do a good enough job and I have to pick up their slack, organized my google calendar so hopefully now I will finally stick to a schedule, my mom finally made a good dinner with our new groceries, got a free book yesterday bc there was a table giving them away and they were all suspense themed which isn’t typically what I read but we’ll see if I like the one I picked out, was gonna go to bed early but ended up watching harry styles tiny desk concert oops

day 13: watch svu today, practiced uke a really long time and I think I’m finally confident with two songs lmao. it’s taken me a really long time to learn them but I’m excited to try party favor next, rescheduled Iceland officially, I’m enjoying maggie rogers tunes, worked on refactored slides for fucking hours and still haven’t finished, called Cat, my mom is paranoid

day 14: I slept so fucking well this morning. it was so bizarre and I hadn’t slept this well in like more than a month and it may have been bc of a stupid reason, practiced uke, FINISHED THE FUCKING SLIDES, I sent this nytimes article to my environmental econ prof from last sem like three days ago bc it was talking about vsl and he got back to me today! cool, I think I may be going a little crazy ahahahahahha I need social interaction and segc is holding an update meeting tomorrow so I guess I’m looking forward to that, still have not worked on my essay and I probably won’t be tomorrow bc I gotta do cti work ugh. this essay just does not want to be written

[rebeccaives]

I'm getting a cramp in my hand from double-tapping all of these #womensmarch posts on Instagram. It's so beautiful. It feels like something's happening & makes me feel more hopeful that we can all stand together strong when this administration tries to pull all its fucked up shit in the coming years. #Repost @nytimes with @repostapp ・・・ Hundreds of thousands of women are marching in Washington today in a kind of counterinauguration. A range of speakers and performers cutting across generational lines rallied near the Capitol before marchers made their way toward the White House. Meanwhile, in #NewYork, Fifth Avenue became a river of pink hats today — photographed here, near @grandcentralnyc, by @nicole_craine. In downtown LA, even before the gathering crowd stretched itself out to march, it was more than a quarter mile deep on several streets. In Chicago, the size of a rally so quickly outgrew early estimates that the march that was to follow was canceled for safety. @fremson, a @nytimes staff photographer,is sharing scenes from the @womensmarch on Washington in our #InstagramStory. #NYCWomensMarch

[stopkingobama]

BAD LANGUAGE WARNING: Actual climate science sends reporters into childish rage

Photo Credit: Twitter, @Evepeyser & @Libbycwatson

On Friday, former Wall Street Journal writer Bret Stephens wrote his first column for the New York Times. And boy, did it cause a fuss.

The column, headlined “Climate of Complete Certainty,” politely pushed back on the idea that the narrative of climate change is settled science. Stephens, referencing an article penned by Times writer Andrew Revkin, noted that while the science of climate change is generally sound and scrupulous, those who claim its authority often are not.

Stephens argued that a prudent skepticism of apocalyptic global warming was in the spirit of traditional scientific inquiry.

“Claiming total certainty about the science traduces the spirit of science and creates openings for doubt whenever a climate claim proves wrong. Demanding abrupt and expensive changes in public policy raises fair questions about ideological intentions. Censoriously asserting one’s moral superiority and treating skeptics as imbeciles and deplorables wins few converts.

None of this is to deny climate change or the possible severity of its consequences. But ordinary citizens also have a right to be skeptical of an overweening scientism.”

This was too much for some, and I’m not talking about the flood of readers who canceled their subscriptions because the Times offered a nonbeliever a platform for heresy.

Staff writers for respected media organizations took to Twitter to excoriate Stephens and the Times for blasphemy.

Libby Watson, a staff writer at Gizmodo, responded to Stephens’ tweet that “After 20 months of being harangued by bullying Trump supporters, I’m reminded that the nasty left is no different. Perhaps worse.”

Here is how Watson responded:

“bret if you think that tweet was ‘nasty’ i have some news for you: you’re a shithead. a crybaby lil fuckin weenie. a massive twat too”

Her tweet was liked 2,659 times and retweeted 185 times as of Monday afternoon.

One of those who retweeted Watson was Eve Peyser, a staff writer at Vice who covers politics. She also responded to the Times’ introduction of Stephens with two words: “f*ck off.”

.@nytimes fuck off pic.twitter.com/t2HAQIeY1X

— eve peyser (@evepeyser) April 28, 2017

By Monday, many people apparently were calling on Gizmodo and Vice to fire Watson and Peyser. Several journalists questioned the venomous reactions.

Peyser seemed genuinely confused that people, particularly other media, couldn’t grasp the fact that Stephens was “a giant racist.”

Wasn’t surprised that the NYPost omitted it, but cmon @washingtonpost, it’s about more than his dumbass climate change column.

— eve peyser (@evepeyser) May 1, 2017

We’ve noted before that social justice seems to have mutated into a new form of religious fundamentalism. Advocates of this new religious school seem to have little tolerance for nonbelievers, which has resulted in a breakdown of civil discourse on college campuses.

But Peyser and Watson are no longer on a college campus. They are in the adult world representing major media companies, and this type of behavior … well, it doesn’t look good.

Both writers demonstrated poor judgment and atrocious manners. Their lack of professionalism is astounding, a fact to which they seem utterly and honestly clueless.

We live in a divisive society, but that is not an excuse to abandon civility. Quite the contrary, it demands a greater emphasis on, and attention to, respectful discourse.

What can be done?

I would not like to see two young writers fired over a few careless tweets, but Gizmodo and Vice should demand more from their writers. Watson in particular should be asked to apologize to Stephens (and if she refuses, then I believe she should be fired).

If media companies tolerate this type of hateful rhetoric from their own staff writers, they are complicit in the devolution of civility that results from it.

A sign of education and maturity is to be able to discuss ideas, even controversial ones, in a calm and respectful manner. That’s a lesson I’m afraid students today are not receiving. If this is true, our academic institutions are failing them.

—

Image Credit: Twitter | @Evepeyser & @Libbycwatson]

This post Millennial Journalists Behaving Badly was originally published on Intellectual Takeout by Jon Miltimore.

[americanlibertypac]

BAD LANGUAGE WARNING: Actual climate science sends reporters into childish rage

Photo Credit: Twitter, @Evepeyser & @Libbycwatson

On Friday, former Wall Street Journal writer Bret Stephens wrote his first column for the New York Times. And boy, did it cause a fuss.

The column, headlined “Climate of Complete Certainty,” politely pushed back on the idea that the narrative of climate change is settled science. Stephens, referencing an article penned by Times writer Andrew Revkin, noted that while the science of climate change is generally sound and scrupulous, those who claim its authority often are not.

Stephens argued that a prudent skepticism of apocalyptic global warming was in the spirit of traditional scientific inquiry.

“Claiming total certainty about the science traduces the spirit of science and creates openings for doubt whenever a climate claim proves wrong. Demanding abrupt and expensive changes in public policy raises fair questions about ideological intentions. Censoriously asserting one’s moral superiority and treating skeptics as imbeciles and deplorables wins few converts.

None of this is to deny climate change or the possible severity of its consequences. But ordinary citizens also have a right to be skeptical of an overweening scientism.”

This was too much for some, and I’m not talking about the flood of readers who canceled their subscriptions because the Times offered a nonbeliever a platform for heresy.

Staff writers for respected media organizations took to Twitter to excoriate Stephens and the Times for blasphemy.

Libby Watson, a staff writer at Gizmodo, responded to Stephens’ tweet that “After 20 months of being harangued by bullying Trump supporters, I’m reminded that the nasty left is no different. Perhaps worse.”

Here is how Watson responded:

“bret if you think that tweet was ‘nasty’ i have some news for you: you’re a shithead. a crybaby lil fuckin weenie. a massive twat too”

Her tweet was liked 2,659 times and retweeted 185 times as of Monday afternoon.

One of those who retweeted Watson was Eve Peyser, a staff writer at Vice who covers politics. She also responded to the Times’ introduction of Stephens with two words: “f*ck off.”

.@nytimes fuck off pic.twitter.com/t2HAQIeY1X

— eve peyser (@evepeyser) April 28, 2017

By Monday, many people apparently were calling on Gizmodo and Vice to fire Watson and Peyser. Several journalists questioned the venomous reactions.

Peyser seemed genuinely confused that people, particularly other media, couldn’t grasp the fact that Stephens was “a giant racist.”

Wasn’t surprised that the NYPost omitted it, but cmon @washingtonpost, it’s about more than his dumbass climate change column.

— eve peyser (@evepeyser) May 1, 2017

We’ve noted before that social justice seems to have mutated into a new form of religious fundamentalism. Advocates of this new religious school seem to have little tolerance for nonbelievers, which has resulted in a breakdown of civil discourse on college campuses.

But Peyser and Watson are no longer on a college campus. They are in the adult world representing major media companies, and this type of behavior … well, it doesn’t look good.

Both writers demonstrated poor judgment and atrocious manners. Their lack of professionalism is astounding, a fact to which they seem utterly and honestly clueless.

We live in a divisive society, but that is not an excuse to abandon civility. Quite the contrary, it demands a greater emphasis on, and attention to, respectful discourse.

What can be done?

I would not like to see two young writers fired over a few careless tweets, but Gizmodo and Vice should demand more from their writers. Watson in particular should be asked to apologize to Stephens (and if she refuses, then I believe she should be fired).

If media companies tolerate this type of hateful rhetoric from their own staff writers, they are complicit in the devolution of civility that results from it.

A sign of education and maturity is to be able to discuss ideas, even controversial ones, in a calm and respectful manner. That’s a lesson I’m afraid students today are not receiving. If this is true, our academic institutions are failing them.

—

Image Credit: Twitter | @Evepeyser & @Libbycwatson]

This post Millennial Journalists Behaving Badly was originally published on Intellectual Takeout by Jon Miltimore.

[ramrodd]

COMMENTARY:

So, agnostic, it took a climate denier to get you to realize the NYTimes has a neo-con agenda. Of course, I'm a combat crazed Vietnam vet who harbors some bad feelings about the Times, and a Nixon voter who harbors some bad feelings about both the Times and the Washington Post and a Clinton voter who harbors some bad feelings about NPR and a Clinton voter who is unhappy with James Comey, but he did the right thing,

And, as an Eisenhower Republican, my question to you is, why isn't David Brooks (not David Brock) on the list of questionable journalism at the NYTimes. Just because he is Barack Obama's favorite Fascist sociologist or do you find yourself in agreement with him? How do you feel about Frank Luntz who is Charlie Rose's favorite Fascist push-pollster, He and David Brooks (not David Broch) have been preaching from the same hymnal since they were working on the Arkansas Project selling false news about Secretary Clinton's lesbian lifestyle.

Just for the record, I'm no fan of David Broch (not David Brooks). False news is false news, I mean, I just read your article of this instant withdrawing your financial support of world class journalism because of a climate change denier. How do you think he got the cred to get an editorial pulpit at the NYTimes. P. J. O'Rourke is flogging another book as the Righteous '60s Revolutionary cum Tea Part Conservative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMKbYXtTsJU

"How the Hell did we get here".

He's part of the problem, He is the leading edge of the 60s Street Fighting Men who were scared shitless of going to Vietnam until Kent State, when they were scared to death of being a hippie and are now Trump voters because they want to be on the side with all the guns.

As a combat crazed Vietnam vet, I was not amused by P.J. O'Rourke when he was protesting me going to Vietnam and I am even less amused by P.J. O.Rourke complaining about his own handiwork after 40 years or so being told I was too stupid to avoid combat in Vietnam by him as a measure of his superior moral sensitivities as a formly anti-war draft dodger frightened by Kent State into being a Cheney Chicken Hawk who had other priorities than military service, Being in the high moral position required of "I told you so, you stupid fuck" is little comfort when we all live in a Yellow Submarine.

"YELLOW" being the operative word, as in "BACK PROBLEMS"

You dropped your subscription to the NYTimes because you are afraid of Trump and the people around him who can enforce the "badly failing" element of Trump's cattle call, I have been on a Reagan White House black list and they can make it stick, if you lack the guts to put your money where your alleged mouth puts you in terms of climate deniers and all the rest,

You are the leading edge of the Great Millenial Sell Out for Cell Phones generation but there are progressives who are "On the Bounce".

You and P.J. O'Rourke: the leading edge of the American Enlightenment, the young Jeffersonians, Like Jefferson, O'Rourke, and Bill O'Reilly, were bettter lovers than fighters. One way you can trace Ayn Rand's influence in the Conservative movement is to keep track of who thinks REASON magazine reflects a superior moral construct.

If you want to understand why Trump was able to stay close enough to Clinton to take advantage of Comey's intervention, consider the triangulation of your core of rot with your Pucker Factor and your true purpose for bragging about dumping the NYTimes and it may have a whole lot more to do with Back Problems than High Moral INDIGNATION.

This is time when we all need to hang together or we will all a hang alone.  The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom, Realizing that a clear and present danger is staring you in the face is a constructive first step, but cancelling the NYTimes may indicate you share P.J. O’Rourkes chronic BACK PROBLEMS

[viralhottopics]

While You Were Offline: Maybe Joseph Fiennes Playing Michael Jackson Wasnt the Best Idea

As if to prove that this year is going to be a fun-packed thrill ride, the second week of 2017 has brought us closer to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the CNN report from the start of this week that claimed that both President Obama and President-elect Donald Trump had been briefed by intelligence services that, not only had Russia influenced last year’s presidential election in favor of Trump, but that Russian agents also had “compromising personal and financial information” about the incoming commander in chief. That’s kind of a big deal, right? Twitter certainly thought so.

CNN: FBI investigating contacts between Trump surrogates and Russian government.

Reminder: this is fucking crazy.

— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) January 10, 2017

.@CNN bombshell on Trump's ties to Russia is extremely well sourced. Intel & elected officials want us to know. Trump shouldn't take office!

— Amy Siskind (@Amy_Siskind) January 10, 2017

Bombshell CNN report: Russia might have dirt on Trump https://t.co/nvclpGsTrB

— Vox (@voxdotcom) January 10, 2017

How are we going to have an inauguration next week? I mean, really. I need to know more about this CNN story on Trump and the Russians…

— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 10, 2017

All these tweets take on a new meaning following @CNN's report about Russia compromising Trump https://t.co/WCvSxCGCPU https://t.co/5n6UvdLOB7

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) January 10, 2017

And then, things got more dramatic when BuzzFeed published the 35-page report that the intelligence briefings had drawn from. The report, as described by the site, included “specific, unverified, and potentially unverifiable allegations” against Trump, including claims that he had been cultivated and supported by Russia for “at least 5 years” and, as the report puts it in the summary, “perverted sexual acts which have been arranged/monitored by the FSB.” Again, these are unverified claims, but guess what Twitter went to town on?

TRUMP PAID PROSTITUTES TO PISS IN A BED THE OBAMAS SLEPT IN OMFG

— aaron champeau (@AaronCampeau) January 10, 2017

Wait Trump rented out the room at the Ritz in Moscow where the Obamas stayed and had prostitutes perform golden showers to defile the bed? http://pic.twitter.com/rZnIqkFEL6

— Denver (@_JustDenver) January 10, 2017

a smart person on Twitter: Guys, focus on the important thing in this report: Trump's team committed treason me, an idiot: MORE LIKE PEE-SON

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) January 11, 2017

Meanwhile, the principals in this story denied it was true.

FAKE NEWS – A TOTAL POLITICAL WITCH HUNT!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

BREAKING: Russia has no compromising info on Trump or Clinton, report is total bluff Kremlin https://t.co/k759eRqq5h

— RT (@RT_com) January 11, 2017

I have never been to Prague in my life. #fakenews http://pic.twitter.com/CMil9Rha3D

— Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) January 11, 2017

Russia just said the unverified report paid for by political opponents is "A COMPLETE AND TOTAL FABRICATION, UTTER NONSENSE." Very unfair!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

Russia has never tried to use leverage over me. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA – NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 11, 2017

(That last tweet, by the way, was demonstrably a

Here's the note I sent to @buzzfeednews staff this evening http://pic.twitter.com/OcAloWzVzb

— Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) January 11, 2017

When Buzzfeed publishes a #FakeNews story claiming Donald Trump is into #GoldenShowers it is literally #YellowJournalism.#FakeFeed

— Stefan Molyneux (@StefanMolyneux) January 11, 2017

BuzzFeed editors are having a hard time right now http://pic.twitter.com/8F9qIlKO6K

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) January 11, 2017

No, but seriously, what Buzzfeed did tonight hurts all journalists.

— Michael B Dougherty (@michaelbd) January 11, 2017

buzzfeed saying they published that document to let the american people decide whether its true is disingenuous and dumb

— libby watson (@libbycwatson) January 11, 2017

Was the site right or wrong publishing the report? Many will argue . Meanwhile, while intelligence sources vouch for the credibility of the man who put the 35 page report together, the man himself has been forced into hiding as a result of being outed. So, you know, just another week of absolutely normal, not at all crazy, political science. You know what it’s like. The Takeaway: Well, if nothing else, this whole episode could make for some really interesting television one day.

Possible sit-com: Trump defects to Russia, has to share loft with Snowden. Sort of a 21st century Odd Couple thing.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 13, 2017

I Refer My Learned Colleagues to Exhibit A

What Happened: In related news, Donald Trump gave his first press conference in six months this week. The Internet found itself very interested in his props. Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports What Really Happened: To the surprise of many, despite the “compromising material” reports, President-elect Trump didn’t cancel his much-anticipated first press conference since July 27, 2016 this week. Held the day after the Russian report surfaced, it was billed as a chance for Trump to announce how he would handle the conflict of interest inherent in his being both president and owner of many active businesses. (Spoiler! The answer turned out to be what the head of the Office of Government Ethics would call “wholly inadequate” and “meaningless from a conflict of interest perspective,” but what does that guy know about ethics, amiright?) What the POETUS said was, of course, fully , but who had time for facts when there were props? Even before the press conference actually started, journalists present were distracted:

Several overstuffed file folders have been brought out onto a table here in trump tower. Shades of letters to Santa in the courtroom….

— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) January 11, 2017

The props plot thickens: Staffers bring out stacks of folders and place them on the long table next to Trump's podium.

— Ali Vitali (@alivitali) January 11, 2017

Here at Trump Tower, four men and a woman carry out stacks of legal-sized folders and put them on a table next to the podium.

— Tara McKelvey (@Tara_Mckelvey) January 11, 2017

The folders, it turned out, were really, really important.

Trump: These papers are just some of the many documents Ive signed turning over complete and total control to my sons" http://pic.twitter.com/CGGrNckpRU

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 11, 2017

Well, maybe.

Update: The Trump team did not allow the press to see the contents of the folders. Photo by Noah Gray/CNN http://pic.twitter.com/zKc9fv3Sba

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 11, 2017

The pages are blank. http://pic.twitter.com/agLqnBTjrg

— Mikey Neumann (@mikeyface) January 12, 2017

Soon enough, the story whether the folders were

Those folders on Trump's table are like rap video money shots. Fake. #TrumpPressConference

— Eric Guster, Esq (@EricGuster) January 11, 2017

Just like the steaks, wine, and magazine, #Trump sets up fake folders and blank papers as a props for his #TrumpPressConference. https://t.co/TyOFzAVAYM

— David Zaleski (@David_Zaleski) January 11, 2017

Folders at Trump press conference rumored to be fake. Either that or Trump team has most brilliant invisible folder-labelling system ever. http://pic.twitter.com/VRHDJ9QuFD

— RAFAEL CASAL (@RafaelCasal) January 12, 2017

Trump's folders full of nothing makes me miss Romney's binders full of women. https://t.co/TvHw9b95K4

— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) January 13, 2017

The folders were certainly unmarked, which means either the paper was blank or the Trump org has a very odd filing system https://t.co/LGM238nCvn

— David Freedlander (@freedlander) January 13, 2017

Well, OK. Maybe not all…

Donald Trump's legal team won a 'Russia Law Firm of The Year' award https://t.co/p8dZd7TFbP

— TIME (@TIME) January 11, 2017

Hey, maybe the folders were all a false flag exercise! At least this year isn’t making people into crazy paranoid wrecks just yet. The Takeaway: But who would really fall for that whole folders thing anyway?

I had grave concerns that Trump wasn't fit to lead our country… BUT THEN I SAW THOSE FILE FOLDERS AND I TURNED.

— Janie Haddad (@janiehaddad) January 13, 2017

Remote Controlled

What Happened: Of course, the Russian rumors are just scaremongering, it’s not like C-SPAN is being replaced by Russian state broadcasting or anything. Oh, wait. Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports What Really Happened: In what might be the strangest event of the week (and, really, that’s saying something), C-SPAN viewers got the rarest gift of all on Thursday: a surprise. Namely, C-SPAN getting temporarily replaced by RT, the Russian state-sponsored news network, for seemingly no reason. No, really:

Here's the moment Russia Today took over the C-SPAN1 feed. Unclear what happened. RT aired for about ten minutes before C-SPAN1 came back. http://pic.twitter.com/mhWVgCoFxF

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 12, 2017

As you might expect, the switch-up (which lasted about 10 minutes, and then switched back to C-SPAN, seemingly with no rhyme or reason) caught many off-guard.

Um… C-Span Online Broadcast Interrupted by Russian TV Feed, via @nytimes https://t.co/YRgvxldidb

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 12, 2017

What is going on, y'all? https://t.co/uyilsaNl5V

— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 12, 2017

Others, meanwhile, just jumped straight into full-scale paranoia.

So today a congressional hearing mysteriously loses power and "somehow" c-span is taken over by the Russian propaganda network? https://t.co/OGVeVb6Bis

— John Aravosis (@aravosis) January 12, 2017

Russia Today hacked C-Span. Russia Today hacked C-Span. Russia Today hacked C-Span. Russia Today hacked C-Span. This was a power flex.

— MyDearPeabody (@MyDearPeabody) January 12, 2017

Welcome to 2017, everyone. C-SPAN feed briefly replaced with Russian state mediahttps://t.co/2AA2kxkZv0

— Paul (PJ) Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) January 12, 2017

Russia hacked C-Span today for a reason: Poland. They are letting Trump know how easy it would be to broadcast videos they have.

— Helena Baptiste (@sumbodysbabygrl) January 12, 2017

But there was also the panic option, as well.

not that Russia hacked C-SPAN today or anything it's fine everythings fine America is burning but it's all fine

— Shelby (@ShelbyGish) January 12, 2017

The quickly became news story, even though C-SPAN made efforts to downplay any wrongdoing:

http://pic.twitter.com/ybUWoxNTLn

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 12, 2017

Given everything else that had been happening this week, however, not everyone was impressed by the strange happenstance:

This is a bit on the nose, reality. https://t.co/6eLUK3A73y

— Jamie McKelvie (@McKelvie) January 13, 2017

The Takeaway: If nothing else, people are talking about C-SPAN, which normally doesn’t have this kind of cultural cache.

Probably most interesting thing ever on C-SPAN.

C-SPAN feed briefly replaced with Russian state mediahttps://t.co/EcKxZ0yyZ2

— Johnny Mumbles (@mumbdaddy) January 13, 2017

Meanwhile, In The Current White House Administration

What Happened: Nevermind President Obama leaving the White House. Come January 20, he’ll be leaving Joe Biden, too. Where It Blew Up: Twitter What Really Happened: With just days to go until Barack Obama leaves office, the reality is finally setting in. In addition to his farewell address this week, the current President of the United States marked his final days in office on Thursday by honoring Vice President Joe Biden, presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and melting the Internet’s collective cold heart in the process:

President Obama gives his final Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, to Vice President Biden http://pic.twitter.com/nPuCudzjst

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 12, 2017

https://twitter.com/DavidUzumeri/status/819653647818702850

Look, it's sentimental as shit, but does anyone doubt Biden would take a bullet for Obama? Without a moments hesitation? https://t.co/pMTMUW4ORW

— John Rogers (@jonrog1) January 12, 2017

The only thing that can save the next four years is a TV show where Obama and Biden travel America and solve crimes.

— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) January 12, 2017

The video of Obama presenting Biden with his medal is really quite something http://pic.twitter.com/GIadpFuPoc

— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) January 12, 2017

if ur bff doesnt make u feel the way obama makes joe biden feel get a new one

— emily kuebler (@em99ranch) January 12, 2017

Obama: "In lieu of the White House, I hereby give you this near-meaningless honorary medal." Biden: "It's so shiny!"

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 12, 2017

Biden: wow this is like a black belt huh

Obama: no it's the presidential medal of free- ya know what, yeah joe, it's like a black belt http://pic.twitter.com/2WfFJ2Wn7c

— rudy mustang (@roostermustache) January 12, 2017

this is the most precious thing I've ever witnessed in my life https://t.co/XZujNHJbrg

— Common White Girl (@girlposts) January 13, 2017

Find someone who can look at you the same way Biden looks at Obama http://pic.twitter.com/UDZPoEXJfE

— Olivia Sui (@OliviaSui) January 13, 2017

Can't stop watching the @TitanicOnThings video of Joe Biden being presented with the Medal of Freedom from Obama too emotional

— Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) January 13, 2017

Joe Biden tearing up after Obama presents him the Medal of Freedom. I can't. My heart is exploding.

— Phoebe Tonkin (@1PhoebeJTonkin) January 13, 2017

The Takeaway: Obama wasn’t just giving Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he was giving the Internet a gift, too.

President Obama at farewell event for VP Biden: "This also gives the internet one last chance to talk about our bromance."

— Shirley Henry (@shirleyhenrydc) January 12, 2017

That Joseph-Fiennes-as-Michael-Jackson Thing Really Didn’t Go Over Well

What Happened: In unrelated news, maybe having Joseph Fiennes play Michael Jackson wasn’t the best idea. Where It Blew Up: Twitter, media reports What Really Happened: At the start of this week, the first trailer for Sky Arts’ Urban Myths series debuted online, telling possibly true stories about celebrities and famous figures as performed by today’s recognizable faces.

As should only be expected, the sight of seeing the very white Fiennes play Jackson upset a lot of people:

That looks like Lord Voldemort, NOT Michael Jackson. A mess. https://t.co/TpfBZn1dlm

— (@buIIetproofsouI) January 10, 2017

They have Joseph Fiennes playing Michael Jackson. Maybe Tom Hanks will play Berry Gordy in the next Motown movie.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 10, 2017

Me after seeing #JosephFiennes as Michael Jackson http://pic.twitter.com/t8FOdHClh7

— Tammy Tam (@nubiansweet) January 11, 2017

Even as the director of the episode defended the casting (“We were really looking for the performance that could unlock the spirit, and we really think Joe Fiennes has done that,” Ben Palmer said, if you’re curious. “Hes given a really sweet, nuanced, characterful performance”), decision didn’t over at all. Especially when Jackson’s daughter Paris got involved.

@TheMJCast i'm so incredibly offended by it, as i'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.

— Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017

Once that had happened, what followed was practically a foregone conclusion.

@SkyArts 1/4 We have taken the decision not to broadcast Elizabeth, Michael & Marlon, a 30min episode from the Sky Arts Urban Myths series.

— Sky Arts (@SkyArts) January 13, 2017

@SkyArts 2/4 This decision was taken in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jacksons immediate family.

— Sky Arts (@SkyArts) January 13, 2017

@SkyArts 3/4 We set out to take a light-hearted look at reportedly true events & never intended to cause any offence.

— Sky Arts (@SkyArts) January 13, 2017

@SkyArts 4/4 Joseph Fiennes fully supports our decision.

— Sky Arts (@SkyArts) January 13, 2017

Countdown to cries of “censorship” in three two one The Takeaway: Only during this week could the following tweet be true:

u know things are bad when the "joseph fiennes as michael jackson" story is the story thats getting buried here

— jomny sun, authoer (@jonnysun) January 11, 2017

Read more: http://ift.tt/2izeuHM

from While You Were Offline: Maybe Joseph Fiennes Playing Michael Jackson Wasnt the Best Idea