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There are some interesting observations, but the author’s desire to fit his argument within his ideological framework ultimately dooms the essay.

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Doesn’t pretty much every author of an opinion on pop culture (or really anything) do this?

It's a flaw in the way people have been taught to write and analyze writing.

You don't see people using the steel man very often.

>It's a flaw in the way people have been taught to write and analyze writing.

I think it’s just human nature. I cant think of a single thing I have read where the author’s underlying biases didn’t really reveal themselves in some way.

Underlying biases are fine, even better when explicitly stated. It’s writing everything like it’s propaganda that’s an issue. Not everything needs to be an advertisement. Not everything needs to have something to argue against. When it does acknowledging that there might be another point of view, might be another set of values, or just understanding the best argument against you shows thought.

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