Actor James Woods, who mastered the art of playing slimy yet somehow charming villains and assholes before Jon Voight gave him solid competition for seven years on Showtime’s “Ray Donovan,” has been more or less blacklisted in Hollywood for his non-conforming conservative perspective and his lack of shyness about expressing them. He appears to tweet all day now, and “X” has become his podium. The exchange above doesn’t exactly qualify Woods for Ethics Hero status, but it was refreshing and deft nonetheless.

1. Speaking of the national scourge of DEI that has inflicted Claudine Gay, inept White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, incompetent DOT Secretary Pete Buttigeig, lying DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Vice-President Kamala Harris and so, so many more unqualified officials in important jobs on the nation, the New York Times readers gave the fading “Grey Lady” a jolt by reacting to “‘America Is Under Attack’: Inside the Anti-D.E.I. Crusade” by Nicholas Confessore with a mass Bronx cheer. The first five comments rated most highly:

• “The New York Times presents this piece as some kind of Pentagon Papers-esque exposé. But I guarantee you that a majority of Americans – including probably most Democrats — believe that DEI/Anti Racism went too far post George Floyd and we need to get back to aiming for a color blind society.”

• “I don’t agree on much with Elise Stefanik, but she is right about DEI. When a movement requires zealous adherence, will abide no decent, and actively persecuted dissenters, then that movement is an enemy of free speech and the active exchange of ideas, whether it comes from the right or the left.”

• “This article makes the same assumption that the DEI movement does: opposing any aspect of the DEI program is an opposition to diversity and thus is racist itself. Why cant it be okay to think that the DEI program is the wrong approach to achieving diversity?”
• “Getting rid of these DEI programs would be good for the US. We should get back to trying to be a meritocracy. Choose the best candidates, not the most diverse ones.” 
• “This article attempts to discredit the view that DEI has gone too far by linking this view to politicians most readers will find distasteful. Yet the article avoids any discussion, analysis or statistics about the underlying question. It is undeniable that higher education is staffed by teachers and administrators that are far more progressive than the U.S. as a whole, that college courses are heavily tilted toward the progressive narrative, that administrators (including ‘the college presidents’) selectively protect free speech depending on the message, and that applicants’ race has been the determining factor for many students at elite universities. Many Americans think this progressive bias is wrong. The fact some unsavory characters may agree doesn’t negate the point.”

There is hope! (Pointer: Ann Althouse)

2. As with the DEO mania, one has to wonder when the metaphorical worm will turn in the trans-males dominating women’s sports craziness. The feminists have to abandon their intersectionality fealty sooner or later, don’t they? Here is the latest assault on common sense and fairness: Hailey Davidson, 30 and just short of six feet…

… having gone through puberty as a male, aspires to be the first converted guy to earn a Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour card. Davidson just won the NXXT Women’s Classic at Mission Inn Resort and Club near Orlando, Florida, which is a step in that direction.

3. What’s going on in Oklahoma? A few days ago EA discussed the loony, unconstitutional and probably satirical bill submitted in the Sooner State legislature that would require the licensing of journalists. Now Oklahoma Representative Justin Humphrey has filed House Bill 3084, which would ban children from dressing as animals while attending Oklahoma schools. Apparently this is a “thing,” allowing young children to indulge their nascent “furry” fetishes, a matter that would seem to be easily dealt with by responsible parenting and old-fashioned dress codes. The anti-furry bill states among its provisions,

“Students who purport to be an imaginary animal or animal species, or who engage in anthropomorphic behavior commonly referred to as furries at school shall not be allowed to participate in school curriculum or activities. The parent or guardian of a student in violation of this section shall pick the student up from the school, or animal control services shall be contacted to remove the student.“

Again: law-making is an important and serious endeavor, and elected officials who choose to use the legislative process for satire need to get a job more appropriate for their proclivities.

4. No one should put up with this. Two Madonna fans, Michael Fellows and Jonathan Hadden, purchased tickets to the aging pop diva’s December 13 concert at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The ticket stated that she would take the stage at 8:45pm, but Madonna kept her fans waiting until 10:45pm, when she finally deigned to show up. Fellows and Hadden are now suing Madonna, Barclays Center and Live Nation for “unconscionable, unfair, and/or deceptive trade practices,”claiming a breach of contract. Good. I’ve been reading stories about pop stars making their audiences wait for hours since the classic rock days, and before that, stars such as Judy Garland would periodically engage in the same, unforgivable conduct. If audiences don’t walk out en masse and demand refunds, they are essentially consenting to being abused. Beyonce pulled the same stunt in Seattle last year. There have to be consequences.

5. Another more ethically questionable lawsuit is that of Nikko D’Ambrosio, 32, who has received publicity recently for suing his past dates for defamation and $75 million after they posted negative reviews of their relationships with him on a Facebook page dedicated to bad dating experiences. Now the Streisand Effect has kicked in, to his sorrow. He is accused by the IRS of filing at least two false tax returns, in which he claimed he spent an exorbitant amount in expenses and charity while earning a meager salary, according to court documents filed in May 2023. In 2020, for example, Nikko claimed he spent $158,528 in expenses throughout the year and gave another $29,775 in gifts to charity, while claiming just $4,443 in taxable income. Nobody would be publishing this as a news story if D’Ambrosio’s dubious lawsuit hadn’t already given him 15 ill-begotten minutes of fame. The tax-evasion story would seem to significantly devalue that reputation he claims his ex-dates besmirched.