There's something about Brie .....

brie n., a soft, mild, creamy cheese with a hard, white skin

Brie, n., the first name of a famous American actress

I like the American actress Brie Larson (b.1989). She is (1) physically attractive, and by fault, men like women who are physically attractive; (2) she is a talented actress who an Oscar and is terrific in Captain Marvel); (3) she is as snarky as hell (snarkier than SnarkyJay!); (4) she is obviously intelligent and a deep thinker; and (5) she apparently doesn't give a fuck about what people think about her, which is problematic to say the least for a mainstream Hollywood actor, but a common feature across both sexes, especially in the post #MeToo and Woke era of the early 2000s. All in all, Brie Larson is a very interesting character. This was revealed in the brief bio by YouTube commentator The Critical Drinker, released on 2 August 2025 as part of his Crash and Burn series.

Crash and Burn: The Brie Larson Story, The Critical Drinker, 2 August 2025, YouTube, duration: 10.31 minutes.

One cannot but help think that Drinker, despite this critical assessment of Larson and her career, is also a fan, hoping that like a phoenix she will rise from the flaming detritus of her most recent fuck-ups to find a place in cinema history, where the Brie we know, love and love-to-despise fits in with fan desires and Hollywood producer needs. But, you ask, what of the failure of The Marvels, one of the worst received of all Marvel cinematic releases? Well, that failure was not the fault of any of the lead actors - it was the fault of a fucked script and bad editing. Cutting 30 minutes from the film as released turned what could have been a 2 1/2 hour epic into a cartoonish parody. Inserting a weird singing and dancing section revealed that the writers were obviously on something chemical at the time, and was total nonsense. This was a super hero film, not a Broadway musical!

Drinker's 10 minute and 31 second rant clearly outlines where Brie has pissed off the male gaze, or at least that of the male YouTube critics who cannot help their "misogynistic" rantings, and are popular for that, at least in part. The present writer is not necessarily critical of that, for it is natural to be critical and every person knows that. But misogynist?

misogynist, n., a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women.

Misogyny is not the appropriate word here, for it refers to women haters - and the Drinker and present writer are definitely NOT women haters!. There is something wrong with this definition, for the word is thrown around with abandon in 2025 and applied to any male who happens to criticise a female or any aspect of her behaviour. As such, it is totally misplaced. The criticism of The Critical Drinker are in large part legitimate and not misogynistic. Larson, as a Hollywood actor, should not have made comments which could damage the reception and profitability of the film she is paid to star in. It is part of any work contract - you do a job, and do it to the best of your ability, which includes presenting the finished product in the best light. Unfortunately, in this post-social media world, where everything one says and does is stored on the internet, activist actors are often found to have damaged their film and careers by what they say and what they have said. This is clearly seen in the recent statements by Rachel Zeglar and the negative impact they have had on the Disney 2025 release of Snow White. Zeglar's career, like that of Larson before her, has tanked as a result.

It is interesting that on the same day as the posting of The Brie Larson Story, The Critical Drinker also posted his response to the Sydney Sweeney blue jeans Nazi-Eugenics controversy. Needless to say, the thumbnail for this response features an alluring photograph of Sweeney, clad in jeans and with her voluminous breasts exposed.

Drinker's Chasers - Sydney Sweeney and the war against beauty, Critical Drinker After Hours, 2 August 2025, YouTube, duration: 16.30 minutes.

There is no doubt that social media is entertaining, and that it brings to the surface the craziest speculations and the worst of human interaction with fellow human beings. The Larson and Sweeney cases reveal the best and worst of both as it exists in 2025. One has failed in her engagement with social media, whilst the other, at that precise moment in time (i.e. July 2025) has succeeded, riding the wave of an ever changing zeitgeist in which Woke and DEI is on the wane, and the use of beautiful women in clothing advertising is one the rise, just as it had previously been a staple. The diversion of the previous fifteen years, in which diversity and body positivity had taken the lead, cancelling the use of beautiful bodies (male and female) as a means of attracting sales.

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Last updated: 2 August 2025

Michael Organ, Australia