Can The Love of Menswear Be Justified? (w/ Sam Miller McDonald)
Current Affairs3 Jan 2024

Can The Love of Menswear Be Justified? (w/ Sam Miller McDonald)

Samuel Miller McDonald is a regular contributor to Current Affairs, where he has written about such disparate subjects as collectivism, the food system, Game of Thrones, cultural atrophy, ecofascism, His Dark Materials, the term "development," the history of oil, the fiction of Kim Stanley Robinson, the future of cities, and the forests of Madagascar. In our latest issue, Sam takes on one of his most challenging subjects yet: menswear. Sam is unapologetic about enjoying clothes, and showcases outfits on his "Mr. Clothes" account. But some on the left see men who like menswear as bourgeois, indulgent, even unethical. Must socialists wear overalls and Leninesque mariner's caps to be aesthetically authentic?

Today we discuss Sam's argument, made eloquently in his print article, that clothes matter and there's nothing wrong with making yourself feel good by wearing nice clothes that you think look good. We discuss Twitter's "menswear guy," who has become infamous for savagely critiquing the attire of famous men (often right-wing men who think they look fantastic). We talk about the ethical questions that face all of us when we buy clothes: is it a luxurious indulgence to buy expensive clothes, or is it worse to purchase the cheapest clothes made under exploitative labor conditions? We talk about how, far from being the provenance of the bourgeoisie, style has often been a weapon of the marginalized to assert their dignity, from sapeurs to zoot suiters to working class mods and rockers. Nathan explains what he's trying to do by wearing the clothes he wears, and Sam offers tips for being a menswear guy while staying committed to left principles.

Avsnitt(600)

How the Cold War Changed Everything (w/ Daniel Bessner)

How the Cold War Changed Everything (w/ Daniel Bessner)

🦩 Use the code "15OFF" for a discount on Current Affairs: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership Daniel Bessner is a historian and professor at the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson Scho...

28 Feb 45min

The Left is Always Right Too Early

The Left is Always Right Too Early

🦩 Use the code "15OFF" for a discount on Current Affairs: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership  From slavery and child labor in the 19th century to the Iraq War and Gaza, the Left position has b...

25 Feb 18min

Current Affairs News Briefing ❧ February 20, 2026

Current Affairs News Briefing ❧ February 20, 2026

A convoy to Cuba, Grok doxxes a sex worker,  Mamdani cuts the library, Pakistan has really fast jets, MGP declares war on sea lions, Andrew is arrested, and bugs are more popular than Trump. 📰 SUBSCR...

21 Feb 7min

Abigail Thorn of Philosophy Tube on Parasocial Relationships

Abigail Thorn of Philosophy Tube on Parasocial Relationships

Abigail Thorn is an actor, writer, and the creator of the widely acclaimed YouTube channel Philosophy Tube, where she explores politics, culture, and philosophy through performance and storytelling. S...

6 Feb 29min

Why Conservatives Hate the Government But Love the Cops

Why Conservatives Hate the Government But Love the Cops

🦩 Use the code "15OFF" for a discount on Current Affairs: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membership The core right-wing principle is a belief in hierarchy, not the limitation of state power. 🐍 Read ...

4 Feb 8min

How the Right Abuses Tolkien

How the Right Abuses Tolkien

🦩 Use the code "15OFF" for a discount on Current Affairs: https://www.currentaffairs.org/membershipFor Peter Thiel, JD Vance, and other figures on today’s far right, the works of J.R.R. Tolkien have ...

30 Jan 28min

Current Affairs News Briefing ❧ January 28, 2026

Current Affairs News Briefing ❧ January 28, 2026

EPA to stop animal testing, Palestinians go on general strike, Ye apologizes for his Nazism again, TikTok claims apparent censorship was caused by a power outage, and the government repeals workplace ...

29 Jan 4min

Ro Khanna: “Newsom Doesn’t Want to Offend the Donor Class”

Ro Khanna: “Newsom Doesn’t Want to Offend the Donor Class”

Ro Khanna is the U.S. representative for California’s 17th Congressional district, more commonly known as “Silicon Valley.” He was a co-chair of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign in 2020, and ther...

24 Jan 40min

Populärt inom Komedi

mellan-himmel-och-jord-med-jlc
ursakta
alex-sigges-podcast
den-som-skrattar-forlorar-podcast-2
hogt-i-tak-2
filip-fredrik-svarar
gynning-berg
alla-andra-kan-ga-hem
jocke-jonna-sanningen-maste-fram
skaringer-nessvold
mardromsgasten
alla-goda-ting-ar-tre
hor-har
rss-vastgotapodden
rss-vafalls
killradet
wahlgren-wistam
flashback-forever
rss-alla-goda-ting-ar-tre
vad-blir-det-for-mord