The Scapegoat

[vershy versh]

Russian man 'trapped' on Chinese reality TV show finally voted out

Vladislav Ivanov, who speaks fluent Mandarin, was invited to sign on as a contestant but could not leave without breaching his contract. Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

The reality TV ordeal of a Russian who joined a Chinese boy band show by accident - and made it to the final despite urging fans to vote him off - has finally ended after nearly three months.

"Don't let him quit," one viewer commented on a video of a dejected-looking Mr Ivanov performing a Russian rap. "Sisters, vote for him! Let him 996!" another fan commented, using the Chinese slang for the gruelling work schedule that afflicts many young employees, especially in digital start-ups.

 

[Murphy]

Navalny?

(Too soon?)

 

[vershy versh]

It's nudging me closer toward reading this,

 

[vershy versh]

The sense of sticking someone in the stocks is pervasive online. I'm not even talking about "cancel culture". You go on Twitter or wherever on any given day and there'll be someone whose turn it is to have a bunch of people attack or just rip the piss out of them.

The Tony Blair tweet and picture I posted earlier's a good example. That was one of the things today, people (myself included) making fun of his hair.

 

[mixed_biscuits]

I was only just reading Zizek on Girard and scapegoats...SPOOKY

 

[vershy versh]

I was only just reading Zizek on Girard and scapegoats...SPOOKY

What was he saying?

 

[mixed_biscuits]

Can't remember but it was good.

I'll put a pic up tomorrow.

 

[Murphy]

you were balls deep in graph porn, be honest

 

[vershy versh]

Matt Hancock's seemingly being fattened up for the sacrifice, prepared for the wicker man. He's responsible, but not solely responsible.

 

[catalog]

Is this Boris being clever, leaving him in post so they have a fall guy? Or is Boris not that clever? I think it's just turned out that way.

 

[vershy versh]

The way some are discussing "The Unvaccinated" is really something. You've got people, some of them high up, talking about how life should be made unbearable for them, how they should be made to pay . . .

It's pretty clear at this point that Trump and the populists have broken a bunch of people the way many on the right were broken by the Obama years. They seem dead set on ushering in some sort of authoritarian technocracy now they've decided half the country don't know what's good for them and can't be trusted.

The future, more than ever, appears to be watching the pendulum of collective psychosis swinging perpetually back and forth.

 

[Leo]

true, but also tricky in a way. if my actions only affect me, then I have every right to do them. if my actions affect others, does the state have responsibility to make sure it's not a negative affect? if I want to drink myself to death, there's no law stopping me or ways the state can make my life unbearable. but if I drunkenly get behind the wheel of a car, doesn't the state have a responsibility to protect others from my dangerous driving?

maybe not the perfect analogy in answer to your question, but you get my point. unvaccinated people aren't just a danger to themselves.

 

[vershy versh]

Yeah, it is tricky. It's also exposing some of the people who argue healthcare's a basic human right as apparently they don't feel that right extends to those who've declined the vaccine.

 

[Mr. Tea]

Yeah, it is tricky. It's also exposing some of the people who argue healthcare's a basic human right as apparently they don't feel that right extends to those who've declined the vaccine.

OTOH, your typical hardcore antivaxxer - at least in America - thinks universal healthcare is gay atheist communism for libtards.

 

[luka]

The future, more than ever, appears to be watching the pendulum of collective psychosis swinging perpetually back and forth.

this is a good line. i know a lot of people here really, really hate version but i'd stick up for him, provisionally, to some extent, based on the odd good line like this.

 

[vershy versh]

OTOH, your typical hardcore antivaxxer - at least in America - thinks universal healthcare is gay atheist communism for libtards.

I don't think they've changed their position though. They're just pointing out the hypocrisy of the people who claim to support it then start arguing for it to be applied selectively when it suits them.

 

[Mr. Tea]

this is a good line. i know a lot of people here really, really hate version but i'd stick up for him, provisionally, to some extent, based on the odd good line like this.

Don't listen to him, @version, everyone here thinks you're great and @luka is just trying to poison your mind with his insidious paranoia to who knows what twisted personal ends!

 

[Mr. Tea]

And let me tell you, I got taken to A&E with a twisted personal end once, and it was pretty unpleasant.

 

[vershy versh]

"Don't listen to him, Versh! Think of all the agg he's caused ya!"

 

[Mr. Tea]

"Don't listen to him, Versh! Think of all the agg he's caused ya!"

"Leave it aaht! E's not worf it!"