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Helen Lewis

@helenlewis.bsky.social

47K followers 1.4K following 950 posts

Staff writer, The Atlantic | Author, Difficult Women (2020) and The Genius Myth (2025) | Podcaster, Page 94 | Doom scroller, the internet | uk.bookshop.org/shop/helenlewis

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Reposted by Helen Lewis

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 8h

"Sometimes you have to ask yourself: How did I get here—sitting in Saudi Arabia, listening to Louis C.K. do jokes about Barely Legal magazine?"

I went to Riyadh to see the transformation of a country with the world's biggest cultural chequebook. Gift link:

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

How Many Comedians Does It Take to Change a Country?

What it’s like to watch Louis C.K. do stand-up in Saudi Arabia

www.theatlantic.com

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 7h

I know. I can't believe Jonathan didn't want to wingman. Something about "having a job of my own, thank you"

Reposted by Helen Lewis

Adrienne LaFrance @adriennelaf.bsky.social · 8h

Why, yes, @helenlewis.bsky.social did go to the Riyadh Comedy Festival

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

How Many Comedians Does It Take to Change a Country?

What it’s like to watch Louis C.K. do stand-up in Saudi Arabia

www.theatlantic.com

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 8h

"Sometimes you have to ask yourself: How did I get here—sitting in Saudi Arabia, listening to Louis C.K. do jokes about Barely Legal magazine?"

I went to Riyadh to see the transformation of a country with the world's biggest cultural chequebook. Gift link:

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

How Many Comedians Does It Take to Change a Country?

What it’s like to watch Louis C.K. do stand-up in Saudi Arabia

www.theatlantic.com

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 14d

I deleted it because the conversation it generated was ill-informed and not productive. I stand by the sentiments completely & will happily repeat them in a better forum. This violent misogynist should never have been put in a women’s prison. All the best, Stu.

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 16d

Enjoying myself imagining the thousand yard stares that all the four star generals must be greeting this with

Denny Carter @dennycarter.bsky.social · 16d

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 16d

A more socialist/left populist approach is part of the appeal of the Greens (and Your Party, if they still exist)

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 16d

That's why it's such a good bellwether -- I was there reporting in 2015, on the basis that this was exactly the kind of seat Ed Miliband needed to win (he didn't).

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 16d

I think it might also be sympomatic of Reform's ceiling -- they clearly have enough appeal to break through and be a large/governing party, but it's easy to forget that their platform drives away significant numbers of people, too.

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 16d

Well, he's only a former councillor and he's defected in the opposite direction before, so I wouldn't expect trumpets -- but I agree with your overall point, which is that the Reform threat is not the only challenge facing Tories and Labour, but the media coverage can feel that way.

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 16d

I think there is quite a decent constituency for "socially liberal but not postmodernly so, didn't want Brexit, don't want fullbore socialism, want a leader who seems competent and not internet-poisoned" across a bunch of seats in England

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 16d

What is Kemi Badenoch‘s offer to Worcester to make it turn Tory again? People don’t *only* switch to Reform.

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 16d

Worcester (where I grew up) is such an interesting bellwether. Had a Tory MP 2010-2024. But the council has been getting steadily Greener, and now it’s a minority Labour administration with zero Conservatives on it, and only 1 Reform.

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 16d

Former Conservative leader defects amid frustration with 'clickbait' politics

Former Conservative leader defects amid frustration with 'clickbait' politics

James Stanley, former leader of the Worcester Conservatives on the city council, has joined the Liberal Democrats

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 17d

Yes, I think Farage going after the Channel boats is a good example of this. It's a relatively small number of people (compared with overall legal and illegal migration) but it's a vivid made-for-TV image for his message of "Britain has lost control of its borders".

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 17d

Whenever a politician or activist says "this is a really minor issue that's being talked up by my opponents" you should check to see if the translation actually is "my party is extremely far behind on this issue and so I'd rather not talk about it".

Reposted by Helen Lewis

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 24d

Democratic Party leaders know they need to moderate on cultural issues to win back working-class voters—so why don’t they?
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Democrats Don’t Seem Willing to Follow Their Own Advice

Party leaders know they need to moderate on cultural issues to win back working-class voters—so why don’t they?

www.theatlantic.com

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 24d

It was an event that showed all sides of MAGA: JD Vance did Christian nationalism, Stephen Miller did apocalyptic nihilism, Erika Kirk did grief-filled faith, and Trump did his stump speech.

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 24d

Trump rehashing large parts of his stump speech was a particularly odd choice given he was following Erica Kirk, who said, with extraordinary grace, that she forgave her husband's killer:

x.com/cspan/status...

CSPAN on X: "Erika Kirk: "My husband Charlie he wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life...On the cross, our savior said, 'Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do.' That young man. I forgive him." https://t.co/jy8W7YrmVs" / X

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 24d

Now he's saying that Jimmy Kimmel had "no talent and no ratings".

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 24d

This is as rambling a Trump speech as I've ever heard: old Biden, crime-ridden Washington DC, the MAHA discovery of a cure for autism, interspersed with occasional anecdotes about Charlie Kirk. On Fox News, I just saw a shot of people sneaking out early from the seated areas to avoid the rush.

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 24d

apparently it's tylenol in pregnancy

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 25d

Hey, here‘s a gift link to the latest Atlantic article about Donald Trump’s attack on free speech. Hope you find it interesting:

www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

Pity Trump’s Defenders

Conservatives rushed to exonerate the president from the charge of censorship. He swiftly contradicted them.

www.theatlantic.com

Reposted by Helen Lewis

The Atlantic @theatlantic.com · 26d

At #TAF25, Monica Lewinsky says she’s grateful to younger generations for helping shift the perception of her story, saying they wondered: “How is it that the 24-year-old person with the least amount of power in this situation had the largest consequences for what happened?” bit.ly/3IkhDd9

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 26d

Whatever you think of Your Party, what's being discussed is the future of the left beyond Labour. And that's happening on a platform that is run by a conspiracy-addled billionaire, rather than one specifically set up to be friendly to the left.

Helen Lewis @helenlewis.bsky.social · 26d

It's not a great sign for Bluesky that all the Your Party drama is playing out on X