Jordan Peterson has again proved there is simply no easier job in the world than being a right-wing public intellectual in 2022, particularly if you ply your trade down under.
You too can write a best-selling book, gain a wide following, and have an audience with Australia’s conservative politicians. All it takes is a little life advice so common and basic that “it’s the kind of thing my grandparents used to say” is a compliment, applying the alpha-beta hierarchies among lobster society to human interaction, and from there you can pretty coast along on increasingly furious reaction to anything dimly progressive.
It doesn’t matter whether you are able to live by your own rules, or even if you have any particularly coherent answers to the questions you’re asked, just push on to the video which allows you to deadname trans people and say amazing things like “up yours, woke moralists, we’ll see who cancels who”.
So it was with his recent outburst at Qantas for the acknowledgment of country it plays on each flight.
“I could really do without the land acknowledgment propaganda delivered to me by a corporate behemoth [Qantas],” he tweeted. “I‘m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way. Stick to (1) flying and (2) making money. I don’t want or need moral lessons from you or any other corporation.”
Sterling stuff — we’re amazed he didn’t point out the absurdity and imprecise language of acknowledging “land” when planes go in the “sky”.
Just wait until he lands in Perth and customs won’t let him through on account of all the raw meat in his pockets. Perhaps Crikey will be there as we were last week when we crossed paths with Peterson at Canberra Airport after his private conversation with Scott Morrison.
Point 2 is all that Peterson is doing. He used to do psychology and then realised that it is easier to make money by vomiting out paint-by-numbers reactionary conservatism for idiots who think he is a genius for putting their prejudices more eloquently than they can manage.
Apparently you are a nailer of things. That’s beautiful.
Peterson as someone who started out offering grandfatherly, school counsellor advice about life to troubled teenagers has now jumped the shark to join the right wing cookers in the culture wars. This guy operates at two levels outraged and furious. Never seen him in a civil discourse with women.
yes he did try to give archaic advice to teenage boys, at the expense of girls and women
I’m torn between not caring what this silly man says, and finding it very funny.
So, keep doing what you do Charlie.
“(2) making money” – sick burn! – ha, ha!
Thanks for the commentary about our cultural protocols, Mr Peterson. You could do without them; we could do without you and your supercilious remarks. To me you look like someone who stands in front of your mirror every day practising your ‘gravitas’.
Warning: you just look constipated.
On the upside, beside you Schmorrison just looks more like the used-car salesman he has proved to be.
PS to Alan Joyce, the Qantas shareholders’ friend: Qantas is now a dirty word in Australia. You’ve done over your staff, destroyed any affection for the ‘national’ airline and effectively ruined Qantas’ brand.
Was that part of your grand plan?
In addition, Qantas’ excursion into insurance, luxury goods, and every other side hustle you’ve ‘diversified’ into, doesn’t appease your customers, who just want a decent airline.
Another triumph of rampant short-termist capitalism over any other consideration, such as service, fairness or respect.