I’m English and I’m actually quite surprised that the gist from those I know that have seen it is, that although it is well made it’s being widely perceived as unsubtle propaganda. I do wonder also about this coming when it has after serious public unrest following the murder of two little girls by the son of a Rwandan born refugee. In that case the murderer was older and had had a very troubled history - however until after the trial the pictures appearing in every story were of him has a young angelic looking child. I wondered if this is an attempt to plant a seed in the minds that this could have happed to any teenage boy without warning and we should show some pity. It’s not the first odd coincidence this year either with the fresh revelations of the abuse of young mainly white girls by largely Pakistani origin men over that last 30 years was knocked out of the news cycle by news of a white only fans “model” having sex with hundreds of men in a day. Knowing that there was a government unit that managed the “spontaneous” reactions to terror attacks and murders the timing of this is suspicious. Although the co-writer of adolescence is a member of Hope not Hate - a left wing group with a suspicious ability to get things like fake passports (for journalistic purposes seemingly) and not suffer criminal charges and also receiving funding from USAID apparently. My goodness writing this make me feel like people must have felt under communism - I am so mistrustful of the media and the state.
I don't think everything has to be as intricately planned as all that, but I certainly understand the suspicion of anything that feels astro-turfed or is being marketed with enthusiastic state approval. There's a sense about this show of "You will be made to like this, because it's Important." Obviously, no one should feel an obligation to like something or find it Important simply because everyone else does.
The connection between violence and the migration crisis is also as you say a massive elephant in the room. Not that Jamie had to be written as a migrant, but it's disconnected from reality to suggest that a boy like Jamie has the same statistical likelihood of perpetrating violence against a woman. Misogyny comes pre-baked with imported cultures like Islam.
Very thoughtful commentary. It is not easy living in a post-moral society where all have rights but are not quite sure what they are for or what to do with them.
My wife and I just watched this series last week and I think your observations are right on the money. The show did a pretty good job showing some of the crazy pressures facing children in schools today but just kind of leaves you with a lingering nihilism about it all.
I have to say this line made me actually laugh out loud:
"I think the script actually aspires to be more nuanced than “It was Andrew Tate wot did it,” to quote one snarky reviewer. I’m glad it’s willing to suggest, among other things, that it was the wretched public ed system wot did it."
Characteristically excellent analysis Bethel 🤓. I admit, I fall into the initially hostile category with respect to this show as I saw the X/Twitter discourse and thought it was lame that the protagonist was a young white kid from a good family (important!) when that’s not the demographic group at high risk for committing these types of crimes!
Indeed, one of my ‘normie’ poker friends was raving about the series and I started objecting to the idea behind the casting and eventually said this:
“…I also think the whole unwillingness of European elites to face up to their Muslim problem (see Rotherham, Swedish gangs, French ghettos, etc.) is really alarming and annoying and it would be brave and interesting to see artists tackle this problem in a show. The closest thing we have is Houellebecq’s novel “Submission” which I really want to read!”
I also can't think of any really good adult white male characters except the father. The lawyer is nice but rather a doormat. Two other small characters are downright creepy.
Adam and Cain, Isaac and Esau, David and Absalom. The Bible (and real life) is replete with wayward sons. Integrous fathers take it hard. The self blame and the shame can’t be denied. I feel it with this dad. God bless those dad’s.
Imagine a world where someone who posts obscene content online is sued, the facts of the case are proven by two or three witnesses, and the guilty party is flogged with the number of lashes the crime deserves. Deut 25.
As GKC said... it's not that we've tried Christianity and it failed... it's that we found Christianity too hard to try and just didn't try it.
It's bizarro world that people find it somehow easier or more effective to ban mobile phones than to flog pornographers.
Flogging would be sufficient. Unfortunately, with our justice system, only the low-level pornographers would be apprehended and flogged. All the high flyers would get off scot-free.
I’m English and I’m actually quite surprised that the gist from those I know that have seen it is, that although it is well made it’s being widely perceived as unsubtle propaganda. I do wonder also about this coming when it has after serious public unrest following the murder of two little girls by the son of a Rwandan born refugee. In that case the murderer was older and had had a very troubled history - however until after the trial the pictures appearing in every story were of him has a young angelic looking child. I wondered if this is an attempt to plant a seed in the minds that this could have happed to any teenage boy without warning and we should show some pity. It’s not the first odd coincidence this year either with the fresh revelations of the abuse of young mainly white girls by largely Pakistani origin men over that last 30 years was knocked out of the news cycle by news of a white only fans “model” having sex with hundreds of men in a day. Knowing that there was a government unit that managed the “spontaneous” reactions to terror attacks and murders the timing of this is suspicious. Although the co-writer of adolescence is a member of Hope not Hate - a left wing group with a suspicious ability to get things like fake passports (for journalistic purposes seemingly) and not suffer criminal charges and also receiving funding from USAID apparently. My goodness writing this make me feel like people must have felt under communism - I am so mistrustful of the media and the state.
I don't think everything has to be as intricately planned as all that, but I certainly understand the suspicion of anything that feels astro-turfed or is being marketed with enthusiastic state approval. There's a sense about this show of "You will be made to like this, because it's Important." Obviously, no one should feel an obligation to like something or find it Important simply because everyone else does.
The connection between violence and the migration crisis is also as you say a massive elephant in the room. Not that Jamie had to be written as a migrant, but it's disconnected from reality to suggest that a boy like Jamie has the same statistical likelihood of perpetrating violence against a woman. Misogyny comes pre-baked with imported cultures like Islam.
Very thoughtful commentary. It is not easy living in a post-moral society where all have rights but are not quite sure what they are for or what to do with them.
Very true. Thanks so much for reading.
My wife and I just watched this series last week and I think your observations are right on the money. The show did a pretty good job showing some of the crazy pressures facing children in schools today but just kind of leaves you with a lingering nihilism about it all.
I have to say this line made me actually laugh out loud:
"I think the script actually aspires to be more nuanced than “It was Andrew Tate wot did it,” to quote one snarky reviewer. I’m glad it’s willing to suggest, among other things, that it was the wretched public ed system wot did it."
The cockney accent gets me every time. lol
Yeah, that's well said, a "lingering nihilism" is about right. The only bright spot was the DI taking his son out for fish and chips.
Characteristically excellent analysis Bethel 🤓. I admit, I fall into the initially hostile category with respect to this show as I saw the X/Twitter discourse and thought it was lame that the protagonist was a young white kid from a good family (important!) when that’s not the demographic group at high risk for committing these types of crimes!
Indeed, one of my ‘normie’ poker friends was raving about the series and I started objecting to the idea behind the casting and eventually said this:
“…I also think the whole unwillingness of European elites to face up to their Muslim problem (see Rotherham, Swedish gangs, French ghettos, etc.) is really alarming and annoying and it would be brave and interesting to see artists tackle this problem in a show. The closest thing we have is Houellebecq’s novel “Submission” which I really want to read!”
I also can't think of any really good adult white male characters except the father. The lawyer is nice but rather a doormat. Two other small characters are downright creepy.
Adam and Cain, Isaac and Esau, David and Absalom. The Bible (and real life) is replete with wayward sons. Integrous fathers take it hard. The self blame and the shame can’t be denied. I feel it with this dad. God bless those dad’s.
Imagine a world where someone who posts obscene content online is sued, the facts of the case are proven by two or three witnesses, and the guilty party is flogged with the number of lashes the crime deserves. Deut 25.
As GKC said... it's not that we've tried Christianity and it failed... it's that we found Christianity too hard to try and just didn't try it.
It's bizarro world that people find it somehow easier or more effective to ban mobile phones than to flog pornographers.
I have more in mind than flogging...
Flogging would be sufficient. Unfortunately, with our justice system, only the low-level pornographers would be apprehended and flogged. All the high flyers would get off scot-free.
When I'm Queen Empress things will be different.
https://open.substack.com/pub/robkhenderson/p/from-incels-to-sex-robots?r=1yh61&utm_medium=ios