Landry's Pundits

Patt Morrison “Column: The dirty history of L.A.’s smog” The Los Angeles Times November 24, 2019 In Morrison’s article, “The dirty history of L.A.’s smog,” Morrison interviews Ed Avol, a professor of clinical preventive medicine at USC’s Keck Medical School, about his knowledge of the history of Los Angeles’ smog. Avol gives his perspective of growing up in Los Angeles’ smog and how it affected the lives of residents there. He explains that people in lower socioeconomic groups suffer more from the smog, living closer to freeways and farther from cleaner places of Los Angeles. This has a detrimental effect on their health, and Avol even compares the smog to having lifetime effects similar to smoking. Avol and Morrison also discuss Trump’s policy of ending auto emissions restrictions and how it would slowly cause Los Angeles to revert to the days of higher pollution. Morrison establishes credibility by using Avol’s knowledge as a professor and engineer to make the argument that ...

Patt Morrison “Column: Holly Jacobs on making ‘revenge porn’ a federal crime in the wake of the Katie Hill fiasco” The Los Angeles Times November 6, 2019 In Patt Morrison’s recent article, “Holly Jacobs on making ‘revenge porn’ a federal crime in the wake of the Katie Hill fiasco,” Morrison interviews Holly Jacobs on her opinion about the issue of nonconsensual pornography and why she believes it should be a federal crime. Recently, the US Representative for California’s 25th Congressional District, Katie Hill, resigned from her position due to the release of nude photographs of herself published on blogs without her consent. This shows Morrison’s exigence for her interview with Jacobs since a similar event happened to her in 2011. Jacobs and Morrison briefly discuss their thoughts about Hill’s experience but touch more on the criminal aspects of nonconsensual pornography. Jacobs explains that it should be treated as a felony since it ruins the victim’s life. She explains th...

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Michelle Goldberg “On Ukraine, Trump is a Con Man, but He’s Also a Mark” Corrupt forces find it easy to manipulate this president. The New York Times November 4, 2019 In one of Goldberg's recent articles, "On Ukraine, Trump is a Con Man, but He's Also a Mark," Goldberg discusses the current Ukranian relations with President Trump and addresses the confusion associated with the news. Unlike Goldberg's usual articles, she does not bash or undermine Trump. Instead, she takes a more sophisticated, factual approach. She maintains a formal tone through the piece, which causes her audience to respect her opinions after hearing all of the information. Goldberg establishes credibility by quoting Kenneth McCallion, a New York lawyer who once represented the Prime Minister of Ukraine. Therefore, he is a credible source due to how close he was to the Ukranian government and the knowledge he took from that experience. She also quotes Buzzfeed News, CNN, and the Just...

Michelle Goldberg  “In Praise of Human Scum” It’s not easy to turn your back on political comrades. The New York Times October 29, 2019 In “In Praise of Human Scum” by Michelle Goldberg, she questions the intentions of Republican supporters and encourages conservatives to end their loyalty to Trump. Goldberg conveys her message through a somewhat condescending tone. She backhandedly shows her hatred of Trump and disappointment in republicans through comments such as, “I’ve struggled to understand how people who’ve spent a lifetime chest-beating about patriotism can be so willing to burn liberal democracy to the ground to protect a man they wouldn’t trust to sell them a used car.” In this sentence, Goldberg exaggerates the ideas of Republicans and undermines President Trump. Goldberg’s use of a sarcastic anecdote provides an intriguing format for her audience to follow. Throughout her anecdote, Goldberg makes many allusions to former and current authors and politicians wi...