Coronavirus thread

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

atlas shrugged is gay

I am on the fence about Rand. I never read AS, but I did read the Fountainhead in High School. It really really resonated with me. It is a very preachy book, and there seems to be a fucking straight up rape scene in it where Howard Roarke takes Dominique by force, but I thought the character of Ellsworth Toohey was pretty spot on. I also like Howard's courtroom performances.


While Rand is not an amazing writer, she attempts to discuss the idea of the collective vs the individual. What do we owe society, and what does it owe us? In my opinion, giving these novels to a teenager will at least get them to think. They sure as hell are not going to think about any of these questions in public school or college.

That being said, Rand basically had a cult thing going. She also edited the shit out of some of her books like we the living, which had some passages that kind of undercut her own ideas.

I thought Objectivism was pretty radical when I was in high school too. It is Baby's first conservative idea, writ large. If you came up in a 90s public school system, like me, that can seem pretty sexy.

"Not an amazing writer" is about the highest praise Rand deserves.

I stand by my 'atlas shrugged is gay' statement. Don't bother reading it.

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

at OP

OK, let's try to keep this thread on point.

Eat crow, nerd!

[heydaralon]

atlas shrugged is gay

I am on the fence about Rand. I never read AS, but I did read the Fountainhead in High School. It really really resonated with me. It is a very preachy book, and there seems to be a fucking straight up rape scene in it where Howard Roarke takes Dominique by force, but I thought the character of Ellsworth Toohey was pretty spot on. I also like Howard's courtroom performances.


While Rand is not an amazing writer, she attempts to discuss the idea of the collective vs the individual. What do we owe society, and what does it owe us? In my opinion, giving these novels to a teenager will at least get them to think. They sure as hell are not going to think about any of these questions in public school or college.

That being said, Rand basically had a cult thing going. She also edited the shit out of some of her books like we the living, which had some passages that kind of undercut her own ideas.

I thought Objectivism was pretty radical when I was in high school too. It is Baby's first conservative idea, writ large. If you came up in a 90s public school system, like me, that can seem pretty sexy.

"Not an amazing writer" is about the highest praise Rand deserves.

I stand by my 'atlas shrugged is gay' statement. Don't bother reading it.

Lmao


To be fair though, Rand experienced first hand the Russian Revolution. Her father's business was fucking taken by the state, and because of her class background (and possibly being Jewish) she got fucked around pretty hard in college. This happened to her at a very young age, and its very easy to see why she hated collectivism. She learned pretty quickly how disgusting it is.

As far as Objectivism goes, yeah I think it is silly. The idea that any human mind is run purely on reason and logic is a fairy tale, much less a society. What would a pure reason society even look like? In a way, that is actually what the Soviets tried to do. They claimed their political bullshit was actually dictated by iron laws of history and progress, and used it to justify everything they did. Ironically, Aynnie went to college there, so I'll bet in some ways she was influenced by their beliefs on this whether she wants to admit it or not.


Beware of any man who claims to be purely rational, because only a truly irrational person could actually believe that.

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

Joseph Conrad had family wealth confiscated by Marxists, and he became a good writer, with interesting things to say about the human experience... so that is no excuse for being a pedantic, preachy try-hard.

[heydaralon]

Joseph Conrad had family wealth confiscated by Marxists, and he became a good writer, with interesting things to say about the human experience... so that is no excuse for being a pedantic, preachy try-hard.

I read one article about Rand that describes how she would smoke a cigarette using a cigarette holder, and that all of her followers would also use them too. They would also try to imitate her gestures and mannerisms. I get some bad vibes from shit like that. She was a cold fish. Her vagina was made of stinky ice water most likely.


Did you ever watch Mad Men? I always thought it was cool and added to his character that they made Bertram Cooper (Don Draper's Boss and later business partner) a very hardcore Ayn Rand follower. He was an eccentric rich guy living in NY around the time she got famous, and I loved how he'd often bring her up. The show kind of implied that he knew her personally too. Cooper was one of the best characters on that show.

[TheReal_ND]

atlas shrugged is gay

I am on the fence about Rand. I never read AS, but I did read the Fountainhead in High School. It really really resonated with me. It is a very preachy book, and there seems to be a fucking straight up rape scene in it where Howard Roarke takes Dominique by force, but I thought the character of Ellsworth Toohey was pretty spot on. I also like Howard's courtroom performances.


While Rand is not an amazing writer, she attempts to discuss the idea of the collective vs the individual. What do we owe society, and what does it owe us? In my opinion, giving these novels to a teenager will at least get them to think. They sure as hell are not going to think about any of these questions in public school or college.

That being said, Rand basically had a cult thing going. She also edited the shit out of some of her books like we the living, which had some passages that kind of undercut her own ideas.

I thought Objectivism was pretty radical when I was in high school too. It is Baby's first conservative idea, writ large. If you came up in a 90s public school system, like me, that can seem pretty sexy.

"Not an amazing writer" is about the highest praise Rand deserves.

I stand by my 'atlas shrugged is gay' statement. Don't bother reading it.

FINALLY SOMEONE SAID IT

[TheReal_ND]

Joseph Conrad had family wealth confiscated by Marxists, and he became a good writer, with interesting things to say about the human experience... so that is no excuse for being a pedantic, preachy try-hard.

THANK YOU

[TheReal_ND]

I ahte woman novelists so much bros

[TheReal_ND]

StA told me something I found profound. It's been stuck in my head ever since. I had said that I don't get women and he told me that they aren't actually complex at all. The people that don't get women don't want to see the truth staring them in the face. Men are actually far more complicated than women anyway. This has stuck with me. I've been mulling it around in the back of my brain trying to understand what I was just told and it's slowly being digested. There is truth here or I wouldn't have it lodged in my head like a splinter rn.

[Hanarchy Montanarchy]

Joseph Conrad had family wealth confiscated by Marxists, and he became a good writer, with interesting things to say about the human experience... so that is no excuse for being a pedantic, preachy try-hard.

I read one article about Rand that describes how she would smoke a cigarette using a cigarette holder, and that all of her followers would also use them too. They would also try to imitate her gestures and mannerisms. I get some bad vibes from shit like that. She was a cold fish. Her vagina was made of stinky ice water most likely.


Did you ever watch Mad Men? I always thought it was cool and added to his character that they made Bertram Cooper (Don Draper's Boss and later business partner) a very hardcore Ayn Rand follower. He was an eccentric rich guy living in NY around the time she got famous, and I loved how he'd often bring her up. The show kind of implied that he knew her personally too. Cooper was one of the best characters on that show.

I probably read that same cigarette-holder story somewheres. It is one of those things that makes one want to performatively roll their eyes and and audibly say "typical" when there is nobody else in the room.

Rand, Chomsky, Ancient Alien programs on the History Chanel, and D&D novelizations are all fantastic media for tweens.

I could never get that invested in Mad Men. It seemed like an engaging and well written show.... but I could never follow it. But 'Babbitt' by Sinclair Lewis and Joseph Heller's 'Something Happened' are good novels that cover the same ideas. 'Something Happened' is particularly underrated.