Helen Lewis

I think she captured something important that many people felt.

Otherwise, there wouldn't have been such a reaction to it.

But I became increasingly annoyed at the vibesiness of it.

outcome?

Was Senator McCarthy actually secretly a woman?

This is a really big thing that we should know.

So even the word ostracism, right?

The word ostracism comes from the ancient Greek practice of writing down people's names on a stone or pottery tablet, and then they are banished from outside the city walls.

That is done in a society in which women were explicitly second-class citizens.

You can take all the women out and people will still decide that there are sometimes ways that you settle disputes that don't involve violence.

But you're right.

Partly, yes, this is again, this is a correlation causation question, right?

Yes, obviously things like cancellations and indirect conflict have increased.

But is that just part of a wider social shift away from violence?

Someone like Steven Pinker would argue that's just true.

We live in a less violent society than our equivalent countries were in 1800 when people were dueling.

And is that about women's entry into the public square?

Maybe it is, but maybe it's also about, you know, a bunch of other things too.

Sure.

Being strong.