controversy

Ezra Klein Hired Contrarian Gay Without Having Read His Work

Rich Juzwiak · 03/13/14 04:30PM

Brandon Ambrosino is a young gay internet person who stirs up controversy everywhere he points his spoon. He tends to take a contrarian position on things that many LGBT individuals and their allies hold self-evident. You aren't a homophobe if you are against gay marriage (we need a new word, he says). People who called out Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson for saying the same vile things about gays that people have been saying since gay become a thing are the real bigots. Sit down, Ellen Page, you aren't so brave for coming out. Being gay is a choice. Jerry Falwell, founder of Ambrosino's Liberty U alma mater, was actually a good guy.

The 100 Most Controversial Articles on Wikipedia Around the World

Max Read · 05/31/13 12:03PM

You can probably guess off the top of your head the most controversial English-language Wikipedia articles—those topics that inspire extensive re-editing and deleting. (I guarantee you can't guess the fourth-most controversial.) But what about the most controversial articles in other languages? What are Francophones and Chinese speakers arguing about Wikipedia?

Here Is a List of All the Assholes Handsome Law-Abiding Citizens Who Own Guns Some People in New York City

John Cook · 01/08/13 03:10PM

Last month, the Journal News sparked a firestorm of protest when it published a mappable database of every licensed gun owner in Westchester and Rockland counties, north of New York City. The paper obtained the data—which New York state law explicitly and unambiguously demands be made public—through open records requests. The reaction was swift and furious—gun rights and privacy advocates published the names and addresses of the paper's editors in retaliation, and the paper (ironically) hired armed guards to protect against threats.

Why Is Hitler Selling Shampoo in Turkey?

Louis Peitzman · 03/26/12 07:07PM


There's probably a logical explanation for this, right? Either way, Turkey's Jewish community is none too thrilled about seeing Adolf Hitler in a TV ad for shampoo. Biota Laboratories, the company that makes Biomen shampoo, has refused to take the commercial off the air, explaining that it's "humorous." But as we all know from watching Mad Men, sometimes the client doesn't know best.

American Indian Tribe Granted Right to Ceremonial Killing of Bald Eagle

Louis Peitzman · 03/17/12 02:13PM


The Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming is celebrating a recent federal government decision to let them capture or kill two bald eagles per year as part of a religious ceremony. The federal permit, which was granted March 9, was heavily debated, with animal rights activists questioning the necessity of killing bald eagles in the wild. In addition to being a beloved symbol of the U.S., the birds are a protected species.

Doonesbury Calls Abortion Law "Rape"

Louis Peitzman · 03/11/12 01:08PM


Political comic strip Doonesbury will debut an abortion storyline next week, with a particular focus on the Texas law requiring pregnant women to receive a transvaginal ultrasound and then wait 24 hours before having an abortion.