• May 27, 2012

The Atlantic Makes Us Happy On Several Levels Today

by Juli Weiner  4:01 pm May 21, 2009

Sup friends? Welcome to Thursdays, welcome to magazines, etc. Today it’s INTERN’S CHOICE, as it is your Intern Juli’s last day here at Wonkette (for the time being??)—and of course, with respect to our current understandings of the terms “Intern”, “Juli” and “Wonkette.” Cliff-hanger!

Anyway: back to the Atlantic, which is your Intern’s Choice, because they’ve published another one of their famous Let’s Do Something Zeitgeisty! Issues. And the centrifugal force powering our round table today? Happiness.

“What Makes Us Happy”: According to Liz Phair, US Poet Laureate (1993-1994), what makes you happy is “all that matters.” According to this 72 year long longitudinal study at Harvard—the Liz Phair of graduate-level psychology programs—it’s actually more about how you respond to things as opposed to the terrible, terrible things that inevitably happens to you. (Passive voice here, to make a meta-point!) Harvard selected 268 men, who matriculated during the 30s, and traced the way they responded to things—or “adapted”—during the last 72 years. So let’s skip all this and get to the Secrets To Happiness, which are (spoiler alert!) as follows: “Employing mature adaptations, education, stable marriage, not smoking, not abusing alcohol, some exercise, and healthy weight.” Which, hm, funsy. [What Makes Us Happy]

“Do CEOs Matter?”: Ah, here’s one right out of the Slate playbook. Hmm, we’re going to guess—counter-intuitively!—that no, they do not. Because you think CEOs totally do matter, right, so of course they do not. Using ultra-modern economic and sociological theory, the Atlantic takes the case of Steve Jobs as a prism through which to argue that while yes, CEOs are important in terms of shareholder confidence, they actually don’t matter all that much, in the long run. Let’s look at the evidence: even with popular CEOs, like Jack Welch, it’s not like the company didn’t come into being when Welch took over. So true! Oh and also, other stuff that the Atlantic calls “industry effects”—for instance, the, um, market’s available capital—count for more. [Do CEOs Matter?]

“American Sushi”: Oh okay, and since the Atlantic was your Intern’s choice, here is a “reader’s choice” because everyone likes to talk about capital-F Food in the context of sustainable development now, yes? That is a thing? So let’s hear all about trends in sushi: Japanese chefs in America have long tended to assume that Americans A. are not adventerous eaters and B. don’t particularly care about their health or sustainable development. But still, recently, American chefs in Japanese restaurants have started to do things like not serve certain fish because they are some of the endangered ones. Also, chefs have started offering more traditional fishes because Jesus Christ, it’s enough with the tuna. [American Sushi]

{ 44 comments }

jagorev May 21, 2009 at 4:07 pm

“Employing mature adaptations, education, stable marriage, not smoking, not abusing alcohol, some exercise, and healthy weight.”

What, no mention of the power of Christ our Lord? F*cking liberal academia is at it again.

SayItWithWookies May 21, 2009 at 4:17 pm

Is soon-to-be-former-intern Juli enacting the next phase of her nefarious plan to take over the world? The Old Prophecies have told us of this time…

turboslut May 21, 2009 at 4:17 pm

You skipped the article about the importance of ice in the now-trendy classic cocktail. Surely this wasn’t an oversight, HENNGH?

Come here a minute May 21, 2009 at 4:23 pm

What about the term “Wiener”?

tacodaemon May 21, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Brendan M. May 21, 2009 at 4:23 pm

Going out with an extremely interesting discussion of the always interesting The Atlantic? Interesting choice.

SKS gets all the attention from the lonely men-folk who read Wonkette, but, assuming no one else at Wonkette will read this, I’m going to go ahead and claim that Juli Weiner is my favorite of all time. A thirty-second Google seems to suggest that Ms. Weiner went from Teen Vogue to HuffPo to Wonkette, so it seems to be an exponentially upwards career arch, so I’m assuming she’s going to Politico or ShortsandPants. All she probably means, though, is that she is getting a promotion or something, so whatever. Good luck!

bitchincamaro May 21, 2009 at 4:23 pm

Juli: hold out for more some money; fewer free magazine subscriptions. Will miss your ridiculous rumours bits, too.

jagorev May 21, 2009 at 4:24 pm

[re=322474]turboslut[/re]: Ha, I’m surprised the Atlantic would stoop to publishing such a press-release-masquerading-as-article.

magic titty May 21, 2009 at 4:26 pm

No more intern Juli? I will have a sad, and I will have it right now.
Why does Ken Layne hate the internet?

Custerwolf May 21, 2009 at 4:28 pm

“Matriculated”? Not being academically inclined, I’m going to assume that’s some fancy term which means masturbating to pictures of old women. That’s not gonna make me happy in the least.
And suffice it to say, I’m going to skip most of the article since it’s obvious they’ve confused happiness with contentment. Contentment is for the slack-jawed cud-chewers. I believe in outrageous happiness. In fact, I think Helen Keller said it best,
“Life is a balls-to-the-walls party extravaganza
or it is nothing”

Vulpes82 May 21, 2009 at 4:29 pm

No, Juli! Don’t go! Who will gather Jim every afternoon from the gutter he passed out in the night before? Who will read magazines so we don’t have to? I haz a sad, now.

gjdodger May 21, 2009 at 4:32 pm

Is this the one that explains the Spongebob Squarepants phenomenon? I’m sure going to miss TA when my free subscription expires, although I’m sure they’ll keep dunning me to renew for years to come.

captqitn May 21, 2009 at 4:33 pm

“Mature Adaptations”? Is that when you get your wife a strap-on?

Sunfire May 21, 2009 at 4:33 pm

Goodbye Intern Juli. I’ve enjoyed your posts here. We will always have Obama’s 100th birthday to remember.

Custerwolf May 21, 2009 at 4:33 pm

That is Ed Grimley on the cover, right?

boatapple May 21, 2009 at 4:34 pm

I read “Intern’s Choice” as “Intern Choire,” because I’m going blind. Good luck, I.J.!

wx insider May 21, 2009 at 4:35 pm

Juli, you can always post on Craigs List and make some green.

Custerwolf May 21, 2009 at 4:38 pm

[re=322510]wx insider[/re]: No good. They eliminated that section due to homicidal tendencies.

Custerwolf May 21, 2009 at 4:39 pm

[re=322509]boatapple[/re]: That’s what you get for matriculating.

edgydrifter May 21, 2009 at 4:48 pm

What makes us happy? The Atlantic’s cover pic would suggest heroin makes us very happy indeed.

PerhapsSo May 21, 2009 at 4:48 pm

I’m definitely out the “stable marriage” part, and possibly “mature adaptations,” depending on what they actually mean by that.

So, quick, will someone stable please marry me so that I can be happy like those old-ass Harvard men?

Brendan M. May 21, 2009 at 4:51 pm

[re=322519]Custerwolf[/re]: Fucking College Republicans! They ruin everything, like Indian casino gambling, American politics, and Erotic Services on Craig’s List.

iwillsavethispatient May 21, 2009 at 4:53 pm

The Best of British to you Intern Juli! I hope your Wonkette time isn’t too much of a drag on your future career.

Mr Blifil May 21, 2009 at 4:54 pm

I notice the Harvard Study has little to say on the subject of group sex and bisexual swing parties. In my mind’s eye, orgiasts always have the happiest faces.

anabellum May 21, 2009 at 5:04 pm

“Employing mature adaptations, education, stable marriage, not smoking, not abusing alcohol, some exercise, and healthy weight.”

That is the most depressing list i’ve ever seen. Haven’t these people ever heard of shrooms?

Mr Blifil May 21, 2009 at 5:08 pm

[re=322568]iwillsavethispatient[/re]: Future? Career?

Serious May 21, 2009 at 5:10 pm

If you love her, set her free.

SayItWithWookies May 21, 2009 at 5:10 pm

[re=322592]anabellum[/re]: And what’s up with “stable marriage?” I prefer single and in the bedroom, living room or kitchen counter, but if those mulefuckers are happier than I am, more power to ‘em.

JMP May 21, 2009 at 5:14 pm

“Employing mature adaptations, education, stable marriage, not smoking, not abusing alcohol, some exercise, and healthy weight.”

Hm; I’ve got a good education, and my weight’s OK – well, two out of seven ain’t bad.

JMP May 21, 2009 at 5:16 pm

[re=322553]PerhapsSo[/re]: Maybe “Mature Adaptations” means the porn versions of big-name movies/shows, like Shaving Ryan’s Privates and Beverly Hills 90269?

friendlyskies May 21, 2009 at 5:25 pm

[re=322592]anabellum[/re]: Word. That list sounds a declaration of war on art, poetry, music, and the tragicomedy of epic creation. Are we really just here to mow the manicured lawns of our lovely suburban homes?

The Lucky Republican May 21, 2009 at 5:29 pm

Nooooooo!!!!!!!!! I never got to tell you how I feel about . . .

Joey Ratz May 21, 2009 at 5:39 pm

[re=322506]Custerwolf[/re]: Nope, it’s Newell, being happy.

RabidHamster May 21, 2009 at 5:41 pm

What a crock. Not a single reference to snurging in the happiness article.

wheelie May 21, 2009 at 6:34 pm

Awwww. Goodbye Juli xx

Jukesgrrl May 21, 2009 at 6:36 pm

Good-bye, Intern Juli. When you leave, don’t forget to take your $150,000 worth of free clothes from Neiman Marcus. They’re in the trash bags Jim left by the door. And whatever you do, don’t put Wonkette on your resume, or your future career will be wa-a-a-ay in the future.

Custerwolf May 21, 2009 at 6:42 pm

Here’s some hugs to go with Wheelie’s kisses, Jules…OOOOOO
Bon Voyage!!

helaste May 21, 2009 at 7:07 pm

Wait a minute! oh, “abusing” alcohol… and I can define what “abuse” means for myself, right?

WickedWitch May 21, 2009 at 9:19 pm

[re=322506]Custerwolf[/re]: WIN.

animalmagnetism May 21, 2009 at 9:52 pm

I have not forgiven The Atlantic for dropping the short fiction over a year ago. That was personal.

no_u May 22, 2009 at 1:50 am

[re=322483]Brendan M.[/re]: Juli Weiner is my favorite of all time

Seconded. Happy trails, Intern Juli!

hobospacejunkie May 22, 2009 at 4:02 am

I’ll miss your rumors, too, Juli. Good luck. Send news of your future successes so we can feel warm and fuzzy and proud.

Bruno May 22, 2009 at 7:53 am

Good luck Julie

& you’re right. Enough with the Tuna. Except the Spicy Tuna Handroll which gets a pass

sezme May 22, 2009 at 5:58 pm

Luv ya, Juli! Your writing. I’m talking about your writing. I remember when you started your internship, you were just a wee illiterate humourless waif. Now look at you! So entertaining! Come back any time.

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