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I'm now feeling like I might rewatch happy valley, the writing is just perfect 👌🏻

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Mar 12Liked by Sarah Ditum

I'm now feeling like I might rewatch happy valley, the writing is just perfect 👌🏻

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Yes, do it! I promise you will not be disappointed.

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Mar 12Liked by Sarah Ditum

Your discussion and analysis of Happy Valley is so good.

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Mar 13Liked by Sarah Ditum

Hugely entertaining and enlightening read, as ever! Re Happy Valley; as a retired plod, I thought some of the police stuff was well researched. The nepotism part particularly! The Peter principle is alive and well too (I may even have benefited from it myself 😵) Re the Oscars; Poor Things a worthy winner! Cracking romp and a great take of a woman escaping controlling men. Robt Downey Jnrs parallel trousers and stacked heels were ridiculous! And Cynthia Erovo’s leather dress was outfit of the night, IMHO! Off to check out Judith Butler and Hold Steady!

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Really interesting to hear an insider take on the police work in Happy Valley! My guess would have been that it's pretty authentic - but that's my perspective as a total outsider.

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Mar 13Liked by Sarah Ditum

I remember when series 3 started, reading that Sally Wainwright had a retired cop as an advisor. So, pretty authentic.

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The cop who advised her was the actual inspiration for Catherine Cawood. It makes me happy to know there really was a Catherine out there somewhere. And Sally spoke to a female detective for Scott and Bailey, so that is pretty authentic as well (as I understand it).

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Mar 13Liked by Sarah Ditum

Did you read FBD's thorough take-down of the Long Chu essay? Strange that he can be so obtuse about gender-criticality (is that the word I want?) but so clear-eyed elsewhere: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/no-we-definitely-want-to-use-medical

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I find that blind spot FASCINATING, and I do think he's so committed to a self-image as a scrapper that he's not likely to back down. This bit, for example:

"This is a question that’s so simple and profound, I’ve brought many “gender critical” types to a standstill with it: if trans children, their parents, and their doctors are not the right people to make medical decisions for those children… who is? The government? Joe Rogan? You? This is not an easy question for many critics of adolescent trans medicine to deal with, in part because they tend to be small-government types who hate the idea of being told how to raise their children. "

M8 I don't think we should sterilise children AND I support universal healthcare, you've never debated someone like me etc.

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Mar 17Liked by Sarah Ditum

“ I might run the uncut version as a bonus newsletter at some point if I decide it’s interesting enough.”

YESSSS - everyone loves a shoeing

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