After 8 nonstop years of hysterical MAGA nonsense here in the States, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to hear a lighthearted, rational and compassionate discussion of real immigration issues for just a few minutes. 🧸

This is a really nice video

That passport photo isn't acceptable though. Don't know how that got accepted,cute though it is.

So can I force Gary Linekar to adopt illegal migrants? The Browns did not apply for adoption, so someone else did this, at best on their behalf but not to our certain knowledge.

love this

This is Gold! Thanks to his Honor, the Judge for analysing Paddington's prospects as per the harsh realities of the current law!

I for real thought you got Michael Cane on your podcast for a second😂

Please note: This is not a paid episode, and I have no relationship with the makers of the upcoming Paddington film. I genuinely thought the idea of a fictional character having a passport was funny, so that's why I made this video.

Also, her mother's a writer. she has been around books and writing her whole life. let's maybe, eh, give her the benefit of the doubt until we read it?

Liberal Arts degrees teach people to critically think. Your take is shallow.

Man, somebody seems to be assuming a whole lot about the thought process of another individual. I mean in no interview I've seen or read has Knightley said that writing a book was "easy". She did say that it was personal and based on her own experience which is what the majority of writers do. I guess I'd better try to get a book published before I make my first film so nobody thinks I'm dabbling and not a "serious" writer. But I would like to know is it the fact that she wrote a book, or the fact that she found a publisher, because if her book is actually good, none of that should matter, and even if not, it still shouldn't matter because lots of bad books get published all the time -- the majority of them not written by celebrities and some by actual "writers".

I'm just gonna drop the name Charles Ashton here; the Dragon Fire trilogy and Time Ghost are both amazing stories

I am still watching but omg I cannot believe this isn't satire. my bf and I actually stopped this video multiple times already to laugh about how close this feels to an Onion News video. This is HILARIOUS. Nobody can possibly care this much or find this so important to be so livid. I was a classically trained musician and studied American contemporary literature BY FORCE- high brow media and materials were shoved down my throat at all instances and the constant stress of being FORCED to consume media simply because I understood it led me to reject all honed skill as elitist snobbery. Anything boasting intelligence is classist and not genuine to me anymore. Now I am a folk/noise artist who only works in abstract and surrealist genres. I despise things that take themselves seriously and wish someone had let me read a fucking celeb money grab instead of insisting on constantly provoking thought IN A CHILD. Children also need to relax and unwind to process information. They can't be expected to learn and progress at a constant rate. Boredom and dullness is necessary to developing a stable sense of self. Children are stupid, that is the most important thing I ever learned. I felt a lot of pressure to be intelligent as a child and that was unfair to me. Children are stupid and they deserve to be stupid and enjoy whatever they enjoy without adults hyper-criticizing and over contextualizing all of their media for them. it's literally not that serious. the insecurity behind this commentary, if genuine (I will admit I have not yet finished the video and will edit if I am wrong) screams of insecurity over the fact that privilege exists at all. which is a very basic-white-woman-only-one-degree-seperated-from-being-the-actual-patriarchy disposition to maintain. not all social advantages are societal issues and just because someone has a leg up over YOU doesn't mean anyone else SHOULD give a single fuck. that's just a fact of life. we can change systemic racism, but honey- get off the fucking internet if you want humans to stop caring about popularity. and have you ever considered that a rich white woman with little problems who has all of the time and money she could ever wish for- just genuinely wrote a book because it made her feel something? she's not "pretending" to be anything? I'm pretty sure if you write a children's book, then you are a children's book author. there is no pretending. that sounds like something that was not only a healing experience for her and her family as they navigated such a drastic change to the familial structure, but something that also enabled her children to understand their own emotions in a way she saw important to other families? I didn't know I admired this part of this celeb until you brought attention to it. that is a kind and human reaction to experiencing something you didn't know happened. You are envious and it's cringe.

sound like you’re mad at keira knightley

About this quote: "I really don't understand why they would bother paying for a big celebrity like Emma Thompson in the first place. I don't think a 3 year old cares that much when wanting you to read Christman's Tale of Peter Rabbit for the 17th time. In April." Simple: Nanny McPhee. Those books were published after Emma Thompson adapted (yes, she wrote the screenplay and not her first time either!) and played the titular character in the famous children movie. So you can say to your kid "Hey! Gess who wrote that book? Nanny McPhee!"

Okay, so you are pressed about somebody releasing a children's book and cherry-picking who you think can be a writer and what they can write. Actually you might want to change title to this.

lol any "authors" that actually ran their mouth on this? it's just sad. A professional writer is expected to outcompete dabblers and first timers. They're also expected to understand that their publisher is a business that pays them with money they (not you) have to earn, that celeb books sell even if they don't become classics -- that celeb books make the publishers the money they can gamble with & invest into no-name authors. Publishing is a business, not a participation awards organization From what I've seen of the articles, there are a whole lot of journalists that have tried their hand in publishing books to not much success... a lot of journalists that are "our of their lane" according to their own logic

I mean.... Her book might be good. Automatically being like it'll go in the mediocre celebrity book section is disingenuous.

Whatever gets the kids reading is good in my book.

oh, i clicked on this video because i was curious about the context but this video is just hateful? im a childrens book specialist at my local bookstore & this is just such a bad faith video. while there should be more accessibility for indie authors to be able to create their stories (absolutely, of course! ) saying actors (or anyone regardless of their job or educational background) cant write a childrens book is just such an odd thing to say & be upset about. there are MANY books i dont like but that doesnt mean that *my opinion* means someone else shouldn't write or pursue the career or art they want to make. this video just assumes that it knows the intent of every actors creative endeavors AND blames them for issues within the publishing industry. in this case, this whole video is basically saying keira knightlys book will be a trashy crash grab with nothing to offer, which is ironic because this video is basically a nothing burger of hateful clickbait content that doesnt even address the real issues within publishing that make is so much harder for indie authors or creatives without online platforms to be able to make the art they want to make. i hope people can think a little more about the things they say smh.

I haven't seen a single person mad that Keira Knightly wrote a children's book. Frustrated because she had an easier time getting published than someone unknown, sure. I think you need to step out of your echo chamber for a minute. You make a lot of assumptions in this video. You assume it will be bad because she is an actress. You don't know if maybe she's been writing her whole life or taking formal literature classes on the side. You also seem upset that she illustrated it herself. Why? Is this rage bait? How dare she write for children when she acts in roles as an adult! Never mind that she is a mother. Like I'm not even a Keira Knightly fan I just think you went way to hard into her...for nothing. The book isn't even out yet. What if her illustrations are beautiful? What if the story is touching? And what if it's bad? It's a picture book. Nobody will take it out of the store if they don't like it. I understand the frustration that celebrities have an easier time getting published, but so do influencer aspiring authors. Who is allowed to write a book? Who is worthy? Please, let us know.

0:16 A bit pretentious to call it a "modern classic" before its even published. But then the whole celebrity "author" fad is pretentious.

This is a bad take in my opinion.

Here's a question though, has anyone actually read Kiera Knightley's book?

As a child a had two Madonna’a books, ‘The Adventures of Abdi’ and ‘Mr Peabody's apples’, and these were maybe not my favorite books, but very close to that. I reread them several times, I just LOVED them, probably bc of amazing illustrations, especially in ‘The Adventures of Abdi’. So I don’t really see what’s the problem here. Celebrities do sometimes wright bad books, but It doesn’t necessarily mean that the book will be bad only bc it’s written by a celebrity. I mean I get that it’s not very fair towards less known authors, but still

What 'small' authors refuse to understand: the book industry is an 'industry'... Yes, to make money. For sure, they'll take that already-branded-book-by-Keira-Knightley over a small author they have to fight for to get on the shelves to sell. Of course they'll use ploys such as "inspired by Roal Dahl", etc. It's not fair, but it's logical. Who's bringing home the bacon? Also, who knows, maybe Keira Knightley has been taking drawing and writing classes for years. Actors are artists too. A good actor is an excellent storyteller, story analyzer... Seems pretty normal to me that they'd turn to writing at some point. So, get yourself a brand. Make yourself visible on tiktok, instagram. Fame is way closer these days than a few decades ago! You can do it, too! Marketing in our global world is everything. Not because it's evil, because it's the way to make yourself seen. If you have a wonderfully crafted novel but a cryptic title and cover, that's what we'll see and we won't understand right away that it's an interesting piece. Being visible, visually understandable is an art, too. All artists who want to find success need to understand this. ♥ Chin up, friends!

Are fellow authors going to start gatekeeping who may or may not write a book? It’s always been up to the consumers to determine the success or failure of a book. It’s even mentioned in this video that a number of famous people’s books have tanked in spite of the supposed draw of their name. So why begrudge KK the chance to flex her writing muscles or prove the lack thereof?

If you're going to disparage someone over some petty pretentious objection to their not being a "real" author, you might consider making an effort to spell their name correctly. The very idea that anyone should gatekeep who is allowed to write books, or assert that there is some fictitious "line" that other writers are being pushed back along, is worthy only of mockery and scorn. If a book like this encourages even one more person to read, it will be well worth it. Or perhaps you prefer to live in some delusional world where this book is somehow depriving more worthy authors of their due, since people are apparently only allowed to buy one book, and every purchase of this one means one fewer sale for all those other brilliant "actual" authors. What utter nonsense.

Consider reading Nightmare soup, Tales for the midnight hour, and Scariest stories you've ever heard.

So one actor with no background in writing is okay, but not another. Might want to put down those sour grapes.

Ellie Maureen's Forbidden is a fantastic Young Adult adventure with light fantasy elements and beautiful (not preaching) themes

Personally, I love the colors and idea of el día de los muertos, but I never grew up celebrating as I’m in the Midwest. It’s sad that Halloween is changing into a lot of trunk or treat and mall events instead of going door to door in one’s neighborhood. But, that said I didn’t trick or treat with my own kids until this year as the youngest is 4 and I felt like there’s way too many events and it dilutes the holiday as how I celebrated it. I trick or treated in the blizzard of 1991 in MN and my poor mother slowly drove the countryside so that my friend and I could get candy, still it was a surprise to wake up the next morning and not be able to open our front door because of the snow drifts. Snow day from school and a pillow case full of candy, great memory!!!

On the topic of writers having other jobs: it really is essential for writers to have experiences outside of books and writing. Without that, the material that one creates fiction from will dry up pretty quickly. As far as university literature studies, I think it’s still important for students in all disciplines to have some training in fields like literature and history, because it will make them better rounded people overall; so, I would hate to see those departments disappear because they don’t have enough students in the major. That said, I agree that students should enter those majors with caution. I studied literature and history with the intention to teach. I got high grades, and started a literature graduate program… but the market for college and university professors was so saturated that it was no longer the stable career path that I had believed it to be when I started out. I definitely think today’s students would be better off having these subjects as minors, not majors

Algunos dicen "Día de Muertos" y otros "Día de los Muertos". En Los Ángeles se usan las dos. Y como digo en el vídeo, la receta de tu abuelita es mejor que la mía. Por favor, compártela si te gusta.

Being a visually neurodiverse person (think dyslexia, but harder to catch) and an academic library worker, I had a pretty complex reaction to that article. Reading more doesn't mean you learn to read faster or more deeply. About all it's guaranteed to do is take up time. Audiobooks exist for a reason - us! I have a hard time understanding why offering audio versions of long texts isn't considered a basic, reasonable accommodation in this day and age. Of course, classic literature and other "liberal arts" standards are usually available on audiobook. The bigger issue is informational literacy. Gone are the days of "If you read it in the Sun, it is so." I was fortunate enough to write the first several essays of my young life with little to no Internet input. And yes, I did have parents and professors who made me read entire books. I even learned how to use bound academic journals. But it's a different world now. Trying to convince students to use databases (great articles, clumsy search technology) when they're used to Google (questionable articles, great search technology) isn't always easy. Seems you put in the time one way or another 🤷‍♀️

This is such an obvious long term effort to dumb down the population.

Dang! After 24 years, I really didn't expect anyone would be able to serve NEW/alternate inspiration from these films, but I am clearly wrong.. (also recently ran across the Cinema Therapy channel's videos on the heroes and antiheroes, which is also cool). This examination of the score has been awesome! Thanks!

This isn’t exactly the Rohan theme, but one of my few memories of seeing the Two Towers in theaters is VIVIDLY the moment when the riders are shown galloping towards the three hunters, with the music churning and the horns braying. I was young so I don’t remember much else, but for some reason that got burned into me. And then, of course, there’s the full triumphant rendition of the Rohan theme during the charge on the Pellenor fields

Thanks for this thoughtful breakdown, it’s been a pleasure!

I am always a bit suspicious when elites write articles for other elites based on their personal ideology and agendas- most academics live in their own worlds, a echo chamber bubble that gets you invited to the “right” parties

Well informed logical and well engaged citizens are bad for business. Schools are where people learn the skills to be workers. It's why public education was created. Not to enlighten the masses but to make little cogs that were knowledgeable enough to read directions and do what they were told. George Carlin knew his shit. What we are seeing is the result of decades of decay and apathy. And leftovers of sexim. Used to be smart women had few choices for jobs. Nurse. Teacher. Maybe children's doctor. WWII was an aberration but for the most part. Brilliant women went into teaching. This suppressed wages too because sexism. But you had generations of youth taught by high quality teachers who had nowhere else to go. And today, well. Women have way more choices. And pay matters. So a field once full of women who had nowhere else to go with their minds and who had no need to rely solely on their teaching income didn't fucking change gears. Still expects women who could go into law or medicine or engineering to accept piss poor wages. And we also have no respect for adults anymore. And I'm not a hard core conservative type. But adults and kids are not on the same level. Kids don't get to demand adults respect them like they're on equal footing. You're still earning your stripes little cub. So now there's no respect for the job but high demands. No respect for the teachers but high demands. And the kids just flat out don't care, and there are no consequences. We're gonna need to make some changes to our immigration policies in the next 10-15 years because American youth ain't gonna be good enough to take over all the high level jobs that need doing.

Where do I vote for you?

Thank God I get to study Literature at one of the best universities of Latin America for free. I don't know what else I'd do with my early twenties if it wasn't for that, as nothing else is as interesting to me in terms of education. I honestly think the current American college system is incredibly damaging to the humanities, and is discouraging to future professionals of teaching, that are needed now more than ever before imo.

I've never agreed so strongly with someone as I agreed with this! I was nodding with my whole body the whole time I watched this. Thank you for articulating exactly what is (and has long been) in my head so succinctly and yet comprehensively! (For perspective, I'm a high school English teacher.)

Frank Zappa predicted this in the 70s. The problem with kids is they don’t read.

Math classes are so expensive because numbers cost big bucks when compared with letters.

It's not a one-size-fits-all problem. For one to read, others must write and write well. Many books and movies with high ratings can still be disappointing-overwritten with little memorable content. Sometimes a whole book is written around only one chapter. AI-written articles and books often wastes the reader's time with meaningless content and word salad. Screen and phone time, even for older generations, is now essential. Tasks like paying bills or ordering food need cell phone verification. While I dislike social media, it's a necessary evil to stay connected with distant family. Growing up before the internet, I was among the last to adopt smartphones. That came about because no phone booths and needing GPS in unknown areas. At least, Kindle on phones and tablets offers some compromise for reading. It is a real challenge to live without a phone for a year or even a month in the 21st Century.

Love this video and agree with all your points! The original SW meant so much to me as a kid, and still does. The prequels slowly grew on me and I love them now too, esp. Anakin. He didn't just need a father figure, what he never recovered from was losing his mom. That left him with an incredible vacuum the emperor took advantage of.

Some people never read a book in their entire life. They can guarantee it.

College students can't read...and neither can our politicians