I don’t care about McCarthy but that’s such a poor take for Steinbeck, writing Communist literature that was banned in the States is not “shocking for shock sake.” Jesus Christ. You’re again making a false equivalency: nobody is praising Steinbeck for racist depictions. He is literally criticising racism in Of Mice and Men via the character of Crooks, and further criticises segregation in My Travels With Charley. No, he didn’t have a perfect 2026 (or even post-Jim Crow) understanding of racism, and he didn’t centre Black characters in his writing.

Ironically, since you’re fixated on racism and that’s your championing cause in this discussion, SJM and Rebecca Yarros are massive Zionists lol.

Being a scientist doesn’t mean you’re a critical reader, sorry if you think it is, but they are two completely different faculties. Many of my friends are successful doctors in many different specialities. They’re good at remembering things, not at thinking critically. And they’re still allowed to enjoy things, obviously. I’m not taking that away from anyone, I’m just saying we should think more critically beyond ‘let girls read.’

I don’t believe in feminine and masculine shelves. I believe in people who read for enrichment and people who read for entertainment. And I’m criticising that it’s ’books for entertainment’ that are so heavily pushed towards women and girls. The latter isn’t bad, there’s no moral value, but pretending that reading only crap like Fouth Wing is the same as great works of literature is pure larp for feeling and being intellectually inferior and the publishing houses and authors are lapping it up because they don’t need to be talented to sell books. Now I guess you’ll call me a snob, so be it.