Culture wars
Opinion
Mother's Day
By cancelling Mother’s Day, this school is so inclusive it excludes mums
Hunter Valley Grammar School has cancelled its Mother’s Day gift stall for children in K-6 and replaced it with a “Family Gift Stall”.
- by Brad Emery
Latest
Did woke culture really kill the sitcom?
Jerry Seinfeld claims that the “extreme left” is to blame for the death of comedy on TV – but is he right?
- by Thomas Mitchell
Jerry Seinfeld blames ‘extreme left’ for ruining comedy
The 70-year-old comedian has revealed the jokes he says he couldn’t get away with on his celebrated sitcom today.
- by Thomas Mitchell
Opinion
Social media
The charts that prove social media has bigger dangers than Elon Musk’s ego
The argument about the violent terror attack video is urgent and important. But what if the greater danger is slow and insidious?
- by David Crowe
Opinion
Opinion
The best thing about the Lehrmann judgment? Its slowness in a time of dangerous speed
We have increasing difficulty in integrating disparate views, and having civil disagreements. The only antidotes are slowness, nuance, and a tolerance for complexity – all things that are increasingly rare.
- by Jacqueline Maley
Civil War is dividing audiences. But what is the chilling film trying to say?
The author of The Beach and director of Ex Machina has made a film about the collapse of democracy. It’s a harrowing vision but, he says, it needn’t come true.
- by Karl Quinn
Opinion
Opinion
This is how cancel culture ends. Thank you, JK Rowling
When the author dared police to arrest her – if they believed she’d broken new hate-speech laws – she struck a blow for freedom.
- by Parnell Palme McGuinness
Why these best-selling authors are playing a dangerous game
On their way to Australia, Ann Patchett and Lauren Groff explain why selling certain books demands grit these days.
- by Jane Sullivan
Context is everything: Revisiting Chris Lilley’s Jonah after Leniu-Mam saga
The racism case that has polarised the NRL has raised difficult questions about what’s offensive and who gets to judge it.
- by Emma Kemp
Exclusive
Discrimination
Australia’s new commissioner says ‘anti-white racism’ claims miss the point
If conversations about racism feel difficult or make you uncomfortable, Australia’s new race discrimination commissioner is not surprised.
- by Natassia Chrysanthos
Opinion
Private schools
Privileged white men are under attack again. Somebody please call Anti-Discrimination!
The King’s School headmaster is railing against ‘wokeness’. Grab a musket and ready the hounds.
- by Michelle Cazzulino