Many people read Quillette. It isn't a crime. Quillette has a large readership. And many things are pitched to Quillette. Things like this article. Certain things needed to be read by the audience Quillette has curated, however sadly some things are "Too polemical for us".
The conclusion one can make is that Quillette has an editorial narrative. It isn't trying to be another Gab or Twitter, it's not trying to bait or titillate (as this blog surely would), it's trying to do right by its readers and stand for "free thought" and respecting "ideas, even dangerous ones". At least, this is what can be found on Quillette's "About" page.
Quillette actually has a small staff of editors, 5 to be precise, and the editor in chief is one Claire Lehmann.
While Quillette presents itself as western civilization's last bastion of facts, once one scratches the surface the editorial narrative sounds more and more like Claire Lehmann's twitter account. Quillette is, in short, Claire's blog. Written by various contributing authors, sure, but never deviating far from Claire Lehmann's opinions. That in itself is not a big deal. Which paper does not have a narrative? Which editor does not have an opinion?
The problem is, Claire Lehmann's opinions and interests are quite narrow.
And Claire Lehmann also happens to be an unrepentant asshole.
Former employee of Ezra Levant, Caolan Robertson, noted how Ezra Levant is litigious and relies on lies during crowdfunding campaigns:
Perhaps most distastefully, Ezra Levant used a tragic accident as an opportunity to find a bad take, and then divert the outrage he expected to churn up to drive subscriptions:
The conclusion one can make is that Quillette has an editorial narrative. It isn't trying to be another Gab or Twitter, it's not trying to bait or titillate (as this blog surely would), it's trying to do right by its readers and stand for "free thought" and respecting "ideas, even dangerous ones". At least, this is what can be found on Quillette's "About" page.
Quillette actually has a small staff of editors, 5 to be precise, and the editor in chief is one Claire Lehmann.
While Quillette presents itself as western civilization's last bastion of facts, once one scratches the surface the editorial narrative sounds more and more like Claire Lehmann's twitter account. Quillette is, in short, Claire's blog. Written by various contributing authors, sure, but never deviating far from Claire Lehmann's opinions. That in itself is not a big deal. Which paper does not have a narrative? Which editor does not have an opinion?
The problem is, Claire Lehmann's opinions and interests are quite narrow.
And Claire Lehmann also happens to be an unrepentant asshole.
Claire Lehmann is nice to mean people
Many people have their favorite example of Quillette "jumping the shark". For many close readers of the magazine, it might have been several years ago. However, for those of us more accustomed to just watching Claire's twitter antics, it was December of last year:
Of all the hills to die on, insisting there's an important distinction between a "guy who shares racist views at a conference hosted by a group founded by Richard Spencer" and "white supremacist"
That is weird on its own, but it's even stranger to consider that Claire Lehmann used to work for Ezra Levant's organization, "Rebel Media"
Claire Lehmann:— uberfeminist (@uberfeminist) March 8, 2020
racist, Rebel Media grifter, or just a petulant very online meangirl?
YOU DECIDE pic.twitter.com/qx2k0kem8K
For those unaware, Ezra Levant is perhaps most famous for finally firing Faith Goldy after her white nationalism translated into open antisemitism during or shortly after the Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally. Ezra Levant also employed Laura Loomer and helped stage stunts, registering the domain name "FreeLaura.com" hours before she disrupted plays in order to start "Legal defense" crowdfunding.
Then, after having "reporter" Sheila Gunn Reid fishing around a Women's March in a Kaitlin Bennett style ended in a physical altercation with a marcher, Ezra was again on the crowd funding spree, asking his supporters for $45/hour security detail:
Perhaps most distastefully, Ezra Levant used a tragic accident as an opportunity to find a bad take, and then divert the outrage he expected to churn up to drive subscriptions:
On a lighter note, Ezra Levant did not use the winnings from a recent defamation case to help insolvent Katie Hopkins. No honor among thieves.
What does all this have to do with Claire Lehmann and Quillette?
Neither Quillette or Claire Lehmann has said a bad word about Ezra Levant or Rebel Media. Perhaps this is because Ezra Levant will sue Quillette for defamation, or maybe Ezra Levant has dirt on Claire.
When reading a magazine apparently committed to "freethought" and "dangerous ideas", isn't it of interest that an idea they are incapable of putting forward is that Ezra Levant is a dishonest actor?
What does all this have to do with Claire Lehmann and Quillette?
Neither Quillette or Claire Lehmann has said a bad word about Ezra Levant or Rebel Media. Perhaps this is because Ezra Levant will sue Quillette for defamation, or maybe Ezra Levant has dirt on Claire.
When reading a magazine apparently committed to "freethought" and "dangerous ideas", isn't it of interest that an idea they are incapable of putting forward is that Ezra Levant is a dishonest actor?
Claire Lehmann is mean to nice people
If it wasn't enough to watch Claire Lehmann accepting Rebel Media money and trying to save the reputations of everyone that attends Richard Spencer conferences, Claire Lehmann also happens to find the time to be unnecessarily mean to people for no reason while also being elitist.
After the New York Times published a rather mundane book review that cited many criticisms of Charles Murray, Claire Lehmann was upset that the critic writing the book review was the New York Times' book critic. (Claire Lehmann is only ready to hear Nobel prize winners go after Charles Murray, after all)
After Olivia Nuzzi voiced the opinion of "it's a book review, this is how book reviews work", Claire announced that Olivia Nuzzi doesn't matter because Olivia Nuzzi does not have enough degrees:
After the New York Times published a rather mundane book review that cited many criticisms of Charles Murray, Claire Lehmann was upset that the critic writing the book review was the New York Times' book critic. (Claire Lehmann is only ready to hear Nobel prize winners go after Charles Murray, after all)
After Olivia Nuzzi voiced the opinion of "it's a book review, this is how book reviews work", Claire announced that Olivia Nuzzi doesn't matter because Olivia Nuzzi does not have enough degrees:
Such dismissal of everyone without a degree is rather insulting. The icing on the cake, however, is how inconsistent it is coming the editor of Quillette.
Here are Quillette's authors of climate change articles:
Quillette employs PHP developers to comment on how bad climate change will get, and also employs 16 year olds to comment on how climate protests should be viewed.
How this can be reconciled with Claire Lehmann's disdain for anyone without relevant experience and those without degrees, one cannot clearly see.
Claire Lehmann is indifferent about actual scientists
While Claire Lehmann gasps aloud every time someone without a PhD dares to have a two sentence opinion about something Charles Murray wrote, Claire Lehmann clearly does not care about actual science. Sure, she delightfully pulls out her snark to tell Bret Weinstein that his coronavirus takes are idiotic, but beyond that it is clear that Quillette is not engaged in anything beyond pushing an anti-"social justice", pro-"whites are smart" narrative - however pointless and petulant that might be.
Quillette does not have good writers writing about climate change. Quillette does not have its good writers writing about medical science. In fact, Quillette was happy to sit idly by while Eric Weinstein published a longform podcast about how all of medical science is a sham because nobody gave his brother Bret the credit he allegedly deserved.
Nobel prize winners were insulted and slandered and mobbed, smeared on Twitter, but Claire Lehmann did not care. The only approximation of a scientist that Claire Lehmann really cares to vigorously defend is Charles Murray. And perhaps also Henry Harpending. And... Bo Winegard. Any thinking person can see the pattern in action here.
The fact is Quillette has one's back if one wants to say something that sounds like it might be racist, yet also arguably also be a clunky reference to an interesting-yet-futile-from-a-policy-perspective hypothesis within social sciences.
Keep in mind that this short article has more citations than most of Quillette's content.
But alas, it is "Too polemical for us". These dangerous ideas have to find a different publisher.