Lionel Shriver | On sensitivity readers

The John Bonython Lecture is the annual Gala event for the Centre for Independent Studies. Designed to advance the principles of free choice, individual liberty, defend cultural freedom and the open exchange of ideas - this year’s lecture was no different.
The arts are battered and boxed in by the proliferating dos and don’ts of political correctness, the predations of gotcha identity politics and the hypersensitivities of the #MeToo movement.
Award winning American author and opinion writer Lionel Shriver delivered this year’s lecture. She eviscerated the modern-day obsession with identity politics, political correctness and the hypersensitivities of the #MeToo movement that are threatening creativity.
Shriver’s breakout novel We Need to Talk About Kevin has sold over 1 million copies and was made into a feature film starring Tilda Swinton.
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[@murphys1999]

How am I just now discovering this lady? She is so full of common sense that is very refreshing

[@ShadowMan66]

Buy The Spectator Magazine she has a regular column in that magazine and they are full of common sense and very much anti The P.C Woke morons. She is great though isn't she? Cuts right through all the bullshit!

[@DavidKirwanirl]

The media doesn't have a habit of promoting conservative thought eh :P

[@johnsparegrave5996]

totally but you probably know her

[@hbsupreme1499]

@@DavidKirwanirl fox, turner point,

[@hooligan9794]

Yeah, I'm a huge fan of Lionel despite never having read any of her books.

[@leddywood]

Thank you for Lionel Shiver! Straight talking, genuine, clever, funny and kind. Wonderful stuff and what the world needs a lot more of please.

[@mairan1]

@Stephen Smith Like every other grown up child you are not capable of creating an argument, so you go for weak and cheap insults. "Good job" my dear champ you sure put the initial commenter on their place. :D

[@mairan1]

@Stephen Smith "Amazing" way to prove me wrong. :D Can you make full sentences or you are still at the age of one words? :D

[@mairan1]

@Stephen Smith Since when making a compliment to Lionel Shriver is political correctness? The title of the video is "I will write what I damn well please". It's like a slogan for anti-political correctness. :D Please explain the mental gymnastics you used to see political correctness anywhere in here. :D

[@mairan1]

@Stephen Smith Well at least you wrote 3 sentences this time, I will give you that. Full of bs, but still we have progress. You speak big boy now. :D

[@mairan1]

@Stephen Smith I never said I'm not my dear. All I'm saying is that you are full of bs and even a bigger one.

[@ruthkozak3721]

I'm glad I tuned in. She is fabulous and what she has to say is so important. As a writer, especially, this cancel culture crap needs to end!

[@pazuzu126]

She should write a novel about this issue, she speaks about it a lot.

[@harryrobertson3746]

The point that Shriver makes about art's purpose not being to lecture people about 'goodness', is a point that should be absorbed, rapido, by the BBC, whose whole drama output these days stinks of self-satisfied virtue-signalling. (.......plus, it's so f***ing boring).

[@misfit2022]

Yes BBC drama is but BBC Radio 4 had Geoff Norcott on Sunday so seems to be BBC drama which has been particularly afflicted

[@houseofzuma1033]

The BBC have lost their way because they do not listen to the public or the government. I am British foremost,Christian , a scientist and way down that list i am brown skinned. I only think myself lucky about the of the first 3 things.The other one is irrelevant.When asked i say i am ENGLISH maybe not in tribe, but in culture which i think is more important and direct. My skin keeps my muscles covered not much more, This Americanization of our culture has to stop and the BBC need to understand why they exist.

[@AngelineProductions]

Agreed. It makes for boring art. Interesting art has nuance and openness for interpretation.

[@iga279]

what a funny, intelligent, and pretty woman! and American to boot! Great talk!

[@johnnymarshall5828]

This lady is one of the most intelligent and brave people on the planet,she is right to not give in to these new Orwellian censorship measures which are ruining all of the arts,we re not all equal,there was only one Mozart,who, if there were one of his calibre today,would probably remain unknown,to rid your own society of the concept of meritocracy and replace it with the current p c culture is a bad mistake.i applaud her for making a stand with such erudition,decency and humour

[@DavidKirwanirl]

I love this human.

[@dead_or_alive2649]

Anytime “Cancel culture” is being discussed/debated I find myself always asking the question... Who decides?

[@estellepatella2520]

WTF is cancel culture?

[@jeantaylor6318]

R Yes me too. Totally agree!!

[@milesfurther4395]

estelle patella cancel culture is people choosing not to engage with stuff they don’t like. In other words, it’s just a fancy name for something that’s always happened. Lol authors like Gustave Flaubert, Baudelaire and Oscar Wilde were actually persecuted for violating public decency, that’s cancel culture. This is not cancel culture, it’s just rich people being crybabies.

[@milesfurther4395]

100% this woman is funded by the Koch brothers or would like to be. She’s full of shit.

[@gulfchaos1961]

@@milesfurther4395 No , you just fear her .

[@ManInTheBigHat]

"There is definitely a danger of [identity politics] being perpetuated." That's the most scary thing. A whole generation ripe for authoritarian rule.

[@lylecosmopolite]

Identity politics results not so much in authoritarian rule, but in free stuff awarded because of ineradicable biological factors.

[@jonhartley7445]

They're the same as any other generation, they get propaganda shoved down their throats like everyone else and then they accept the slow creep towards fascism, they're just ramping it up these days so it's easier to notice, especially with the internet and access to information, look how well covid19 has been used, emergency legislation as usual and I'm sure all those laws will just disappear after all of this... 😏

[@voranartsirisubsoontorn9010]

You are so so right & correct.

[@Kurtlane]

Sensitivity reader's motto: "If you read a book and you are not offended, try, try, try again."

[@waynesamad1283]

Lionel ( articulate,intelligent,succinct,funny and correct)Shriver well said.

[@3choblast3r4]

Oh wow this is 3 years ago and now it seems like sensitivity readers are not just a thing but an industry standard with writers subjecting themselves to that garbage and publishers rewriting old books along the line that those hacks set.

[@sticksman1979]

The next level to this is #OwnVoices, which is destroying imagination.

[@jezebelrebel250]

BRILLIANT

[@misfit2022]

Lionel Shriver is one of the few females in the current era I enjoy listening to. Cultural appropriation doesn’t just mean race as a comedian was banned from a club for having dreadlocks recently although he should have said Vikings had dreadlocks so put that in your pipe and smoke it :) . The excellent Sebastian Faulks had this issue when he wrote Paris Echo in 2018 yet he had a Scottish Muslim character in A week in December and no one said anything as it was written in 2009 so highlights that this snowflake thing will be just something which will be of its time and normal service will be resumed when a guy can chat to a girl in a bar and not get arrested but that time is not now. Sadly screenwriters are less concerned with character or plot. They are interested in identity politics. See a lot of US TV shows like Batwoman and Supergirl for details. They are unwatchable for anyone interested in well rounded characters and plot and same goes for current Hollywood film making. I want to read Woody Allen’s autobiography as he’s a genius see Annie Hall, Manhattan, Love and Death for details. Depends who it is because if it is Amber Heard who records herself on audio discussing beating up her ex husband and then becomes a spokesperson for Me too. Talk about Kafkaesque.

[@nishantsharma006]

such a breath of fresh air. it is rare to see this sort of openness nowadays.

[@goingclear2647]

This nonsense is not just being perpetuated but it's legislated. It's incorporated into laws. One can be arrested, fined, put in jail by the system's guard dogs-police.

[@lyndasherry7445]

Love this lady

[@hanskellerhuis5910]

The fact that her insights are lost in university is mind-boggling

[@MFYouTube683]

She’s great, I love her. Here’s a question I’d like to know the answer to: do you believe, that she would have a platform in US academia? US media and politics and the academic environment are very different.

[@johnstewart7025]

Some novels do lecture or moralize, but are still great (Dostoekvski). Most good novels are a slice of life -- how someone dealt with living.

[@richardlbowles]

I think I would, as an author, hire a sensitivity reader to help me put in as many offensive things in my novel as possible. Anything to get the sensitive snowflakes to burst a blood vessel!

[@wmarch88]

I'm writing a book with a veri high violence content and in the past I self-censored me because I thought it work but it doesn't, I prefer to offend than make a horrible book.

[@richardlbowles]

@@wmarch88 That's it, you go for it! Remember the old maxim: "Publish and be damned." Well, in truth, remarkably few people who get published are actually damned.

[@AngelineProductions]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

[@adamw116]

I actually want to see Louis C K's last movie too! I like this lady and although I haven't read any of her books I might start! If you have not seen We Need To Talk About Kevin, it's an incredible film!

[@relevantelevant8203]

I am late to this party but this lady is amazing!

[@graywalkerjoin3rdparty74]

The Egyptian Heretic King, Akhenaten, is the first known person to be canceled. As much was written in stone, this took some doing.

[@algernonstruthers3585]

took me a moment, and your statement's true, but aside, n1, rofl :)

[@lanagordon5669]

Great comment!

[@estellepatella2520]

Kevin Spacey is an excellent actor.

[@strings-n-keys]

lady boy, Lionel, is very logical

[@derekspitz9225]

@estelle patella Yes. Yes he is.

[@derekspitz9225]

@@strings-n-keys Ad hominem? Is that all you've got?

[@rovert46]

Do we need to talk about Kevin? 🙂

[@JamesScottGuitar]

Breaking out of the boxes....and there you have it. Some want more than anything to keep themselves in those boxes, and some prefer not to do that.

[@mename4359]

Since we now all get to pick a pronoun & gender that everyone must use I'm a 'Divine Ruler of the universe gender' that's for today & since we can change them anytime we choose tomorrow i will be an: 'Everyone must give me their money gender.

[@mrdouche9172]

Sensitivity Reader... sounds like a dream job

[@ggc7318]

Yes Yes Yes 🙌

[@tessmonro7102]

Surely that's what comedians do; entertain, mock and point out the absurdities in life

[@baroquefiddle4790]

Truly incredible, thank you 😊

[@libertywilly7519]

A giant of a women.

[@strings-n-keys]

a giant of a lady boy

[@GamesTribeNow]

*woman

[@Marinealver]

Well this will be the end of KZbin and the start of the book burning. Cherish your history for it is soon about to become prehistoric.

[@jeffruempel8635]

I'm not proud to be American nor am I ashamed. As she stated it is just an identity that doesn't define me as an individual. So I was surprised that she immediately contradicts herself after proclaiming that she doesn't view herself by these "boxes", yet she goes out of her way to show her disdain for having an American identity. These people who need to exalt themselves by showing disgust for being American are tiresome.

[@hbsupreme1499]

No but I define were you stand it doesnt matter what you think it what your are to the rest if society, I can identify as a cat i will not be scene that way

[@hbsupreme1499]

You got some for equating crtscizing a nation which all politcs are

[@raybrown3947]

what is going on with that flower arrangement?

[@jeantaylor6318]

American dirt has been criticised, by the sensitivity police, I think!!!

[@hbsupreme1499]

Cuz it misrepsented people coming south of the boarder, maybe stop being egotistical and lesson to people

[@chrisruss9861]

Lionel Shriver lives in a freezing house as power prices soar Presumably she could afford a hefty bill. She must like to shun comfort to keep an edge to her writing and experience the future now.

[@ijustwannaleaveacommentony6511]

she makes a lot of good points although i don't (and don't need to) agree with everything. the "new culture forum/so what you're saying is" interview very good. what she says about boxes is so right on, we nowadays have people willingly limiting themselves to the label they've chosen , willingly boxing themselves in.

[@michaeldillon3113]

I would love to see a statue of Lionel be erected at Poshbridge University . Thank goodness for this small group of people who are challenging the Woke-ocracy...No doubt I will be sent eventually to a gulag for saying this .🙂

[@robbiespence6504]

20:35 interesting comments on Woody Allen

[@kenlee5509]

* ~ Meta-Lysenkoism has meta-failed. ~ The box of destruction is called twitter. ~ The destruction of the freedom to be funny is a goal of the agents of destruction.

[@melmo5218]

GMILC. I hope that doesn't offend anyone. A nice cuddle.

[@TheBartomon]

It has occurred to me that this latest variant should be called the "Cool War" - it's not Hot, Cold or Warm - It's Cool. And "cool" is not cool. You can't win a cool war. And that's the point, ... how to lure folks into un-winnable and regressive battles. It's an energy suck. It sucks. It's wrong, but it's possible and therefor effective. It's like slow poison vs. a bullet to the head.

[@brianscoffield584]

A policy analyst for the centre for independent studies in the culture, prosperity and civil society programme!!!!!????? Try explaining that to a caveman. Is that seriously a job? The world has gone mad, surely. To be clear, I think she ran a very good interview and am a huge fan of Lionel Shriver.

[@bobbob-sv4mk]

6:44

[@TheVapaaduunari]

6:05

[@idleobserver7211]

Anyone who believes that the debt *can* be paid doesn't understand debt based currency.

[@Cotictimmy]

Re - putting the woke cancel people in a room. There's an excellent episode of 'The Shield' in which anti-hero cop Vic Mackie locks two rival drug kingpins in a freight container, telling them that when he comes back in the morning, he expects only one of them to be alive.

[@Mark-nh2hs]

There is also that well known KZbin video of the progressive Left with all the other subcategories of that movement having a debate and it just totally breakdown and goes nowhere 🤣🤣🤣🤣 everyone is offended by everyone hahahaha

[@Cotictimmy]

@@Mark-nh2hs I'm offended by your characterisation of the brave SJWs. 😉😉😉🤣

[@Mark-nh2hs]

@@Cotictimmy good I'm glad you are 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@hbsupreme1499]

You can't get made if people dont like your there not obligated to support yu

[@beatle1956]

Lionel?

[@ridetube66]

"Hard left fascists"

[@hbsupreme1499]

Doesn't exist

[@trevoratkins9965]

@@hbsupreme1499 Yes it does!

[@ntodd4110]

Wanna make a bundle on a book deal? Whine about how you're being censored.

[@hbsupreme1499]

Facts nobody is going to kill you for writing there just not wanting to deal eith you, these people want to go back in time to were they can upsolve themslves of criticism, since most people decide bot to by there book. It's not the people fault they don't want to by your work and studios drop you cuz your unprofitable. There bascilly saying it's no fair that people don't like