Jonathan Goldsbie
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goldsbie.bsky.social
Jonathan Goldsbie
@goldsbie.bsky.social
8.7K followers 180 following 540 posts
Mastodon didn't feel right, and hanging out on Twitter felt like trying to enjoy a beach vacation in a country with an increasingly spotty rights record.
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goldsbie.bsky.social
It's not *not* Islamophobia, but there's arguably a more complex and equally troubling phenomenon at play. As the sociologist Paul Gilroy observed in a 2000 essay on the oddity of "Black Fascism":
Screenshot from a journal article: In Britain, the United States, South Africa, Bosnia, and elsewhere, politically opposed forces have learned to bury their differences in order to join in a dismal dance of absolutism. I am asking you to venture into an unstable place where white supremacists, black nationalists, Klansmen, Hindu fundamentalists, Black Muslims, neo-Nazis, Zionists, and antiSemites encounter one another as potential allies rather than as sworn foes. In the words of Primo Levi, it is "a grey zone, with ill-defined outlines which continued: both separate and join the two camps of masters and servants. It possesses an incredibly complicated internal structure, and contains within itself enough to confuse our need to judge." These enemies share a way of understanding the meaning of their own uniqueness; for them ethnicity and "race" serve as first principles of human existence. It may seem tempting to regard this shared enthusiasm for segregation as the spontaneous eruption of an elemental human antipathy toward Otherness. But arguments for racial and ethnic separation are not merely instinctive: they are the product of negotiation and compromise, three centuries of profane politics and complex history.
November 5, 2025 at 9:11 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
If I had the time and resources to go anywhere and do anything, I too would hang out at U.S. Supreme Court hearings:
Screenshot from a NYT live-blog: 53 minutes ago Aishvarya Kavi Inside the Supreme Court, the courtroom was crowded — members of President Trump’s cabinet in attendance included Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer. They were seated in the front row of the public gallery, along with Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar and Ed Markey, as well as Republican Senator Mike Lee. Also in attendance was the chairman of the House’s chief tax-writing committee and a top officer at Meta. Seated in the back of the courtroom was the comedian John Mulaney, who is apparently friends with the lawyer Neal Katyal.
November 5, 2025 at 7:39 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
(This was *my* baseball: bursts of ecstatic wonder fitfully sprinkled amidst stretches of… considerably less wonder.)
A view from a seat at the Bluma Appel theatre, with a Canadian Stage playbill for The Far Side of the Moon held up in front.
November 2, 2025 at 2:50 AM
goldsbie.bsky.social
At a press conference this afternoon, Attorney General Doug Downey said they want to move away from requiring "evergreen leases, that just go on with no end in sight":
Reporter: With respect to what we were told this morning about the government consulting on “alternative options” essentially that could allow landlords to end leases — I think this is a question best for the Attorney General? Just wondering what you are looking at there. Attorney General Doug Downey: Well, we've heard from stakeholders that these evergreen leases, that just go on with no end in sight, may not be the appropriate — other jurisdictions, when we did a scan across the country, do different things. But we weren't confident that we had the answer, and we only want to move with confidence. So we're going to go back out and talk to landlords and tenants and organizations and see if there's a better way for the people of Ontario to unlock that housing that isn't happening now. Reporter: But that's housing that people are in. They're tenants, right? It's hard to see a world in which, if you're giving landlords more power to end leases, that they're not gonna want to get in a tenant that will pay more. So is this not inevitably gonna end up with higher rents, more people getting kicked out of their rentals? Downey: We're gonna consult widely on it. What we do know is there are a lot of landlords that are not putting their units on the market. We need to get those units. I'm convinced if we get the right balance, we'll unlock tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of new units, and those will be places that people that currently don't have a place to be will be able to rent. Reporter: So, sorry, you're saying that if landlords, there are some landlords that if there are more flexible types of agreements that they would be willing to rent currently unrented spaces? Downey: I’ve been told that repeatedly, for years, that some landlords are not entering the market because they don't have confidence in it.
October 23, 2025 at 8:57 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
In particular, they want leases to no longer necessarily remain in effect indefinitely, so that landlords have more options for creating tenant turnover.

Current situation in left-hand column, proposal on the right:
Left column: Under the RTA, all tenants have "security of tenure", which means that tenants have a right to remain in their rental unit as long as they follow the lease agreement and the RTA. Landlords cannot evict tenants without a legally valid reason, and after a fixed-term lease ends, the tenancy typically continues on a month-to-month basis. Right column: The government would consult on alternative options on lease agreement expiry that could allow landlords to control who occupies their units and for how long, allowing them to adjust tenancy arrangements based on market conditions, personal needs, or business strategies. This could add flexibility for some landlords in the approach to leases, potentially unlocking additional rental unit stock.
October 23, 2025 at 6:02 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Like the end of Roger Ebert's review of Last Night:
Note: On a talk show in Toronto, I was asked to define the difference between American and Canadian films, and said I could not. Another guest was Wayne Clarkson, the former director of the Toronto Film Festival. He said he could, and cited this film. “Sandra Oh goes into a grocery story to find a bottle of wine for dinner,” he said. “The store has been looted, but she finds two bottles still on the shelf. She takes them down, evaluates them, chooses one, and puts the other one politely back on the shelf. That’s how you know it’s a Canadian film.”
October 21, 2025 at 11:36 AM
goldsbie.bsky.social
The lower third reads as though written by an innumerate Mario:
A photo of a TV showing CBC News Network. A reporter, perhaps in Washington somewhere, is looking seriously at the camera. The lower third reads: U.S. president Trump: Administration will cut drug prices by a 100% or more
September 30, 2025 at 6:54 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
I would describe the divergence from the previous guidance as: subtle.
Palestine, Palestinian — Acceptable in reference to the Palestinian Authority, as well as activities involving international organizations to which Palestine has been admitted. Otherwise, prefer specific reference to the West Bank and Gaza or the Palestinian territories.
September 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
In light of Canada's recognition, The Canadian Press has revised its guidance on the use of "Palestine":
Palestine—Canada has joined more than 145 other countries that recognize Palestine as a state. However it is not a fully independent, unified state. At the United Nations, Palestine is a “non-member observer state," giving it the right to participate in debates but not to vote. Palestine and the Palestinian state are acceptable for use in the context of the discussion around international recognition, as well as activities involving international organizations to which Palestine has been admitted, such as the Olympics. Otherwise, refer specifically to the West Bank and Gaza, or the Palestinian territories to include both.
September 23, 2025 at 9:18 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Look, it was a wild thing for a (non-tenured) professor to tweet, regardless of the context. But context does matter!

Like, this headline is almost certainly just wrong:
An excerpt from today's Toronto Sun front page. One headline reads: "PLUS: Prof who said ‘shooting is too good’ for Kirk put on leave by U of T – WARMINGTON, PAGE 4"
September 12, 2025 at 11:56 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
"Wasps Everywhere"
A photo of a TV showing CBC News Network. Natasha Fatah is anchoring. The lower third says, "Wasps Everywhere" It also says, "Wasps are highly sensitivity to alcohol in the rotting fruits of late summer"
September 7, 2025 at 7:41 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
To commemorate a legendary comedian who died of a heart attack, a burger with deep-fried bacon: www.thestar.com/entertainmen...
A screencap from the Star's TIFF live blog. This entry carries the headline "A larger-than-life burger fit for John Candy" There's a photo of a kind of monstrous burger with a giant deep-fried slab on it. The caption reads: "RUDY’s Canadian bacon burger, an homage to the late actor John Candy."
September 5, 2025 at 12:21 AM
goldsbie.bsky.social
As an efficient alternative to Yondr pouches, I'll take it:
A sign on a tiled wall that admonishes: NO CELL PHONE USAGE BEFORE OR DURING THE SHOW INSIDE THE PERFORMANCE AREA - ASK STAFF TO DIRECT YOU TO APPROVED PHONE USE AREAS The following actions on your cell phone are prohibited before or during the show: -TEXTING -TALKING ON YOUR PHONE -TAKING PHOTOS -TAKING VIDEOS -SOCIAL MEDIA OF ANY KIND NO WARNINGS NO REFUNDS YOU WILL BE EJECTED A small corner of the rear lobby area at Massey Hall that's been cordoned off with stanchions. A small sign taped to the retractable belt marks it as the "DESIGNATED PHONE USE AREA"
September 3, 2025 at 4:19 AM
goldsbie.bsky.social
For too long have Chinatown's late-night options been dominated by independent Chinese restaurants.
The west side of Spadina Avenue, looking north from just above Dundas. Covering the windows of a large storefront is a yellow vinyl sign with the McDonald's "M" logo and the words "Coming Soon."
August 30, 2025 at 10:31 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
(They also tweaked this passage, which did contain a rather unfortunate error.)
An excerpt from the article as it appeared in print: When you were grow­ing up, how did you see the occu­pa­tion change the kind of food Palestini­ans were eat­ing? People would come from the vil­lages and bring their pro­duce and sell it in the main mar­kets and this kind of dis­ap­peared after Israelis built the sup­pres­sion wall [known as the West­ern Wall]. The first line of the answer as it now appears online: People would come from the villages and bring their produce and sell it in the main markets and this kind of disappeared after Israelis built the separation wall [in the West Bank].
August 14, 2025 at 10:44 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Today's Globe includes a Q&A with a Palestinian cookbook author who's been calling "atten­tion to the dev­ast­a­tion in Gaza, par­tic­u­larly the forced star­va­tion."

Online, the mention of "forced starvation" has been removed and a correction issued: www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-an...
Excerpt from a pdf of today's print Globe: After the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas that triggered a nearly two-year siege on Gaza by Israel, Tamimi wondered whether he should change the nar­rat­ive for the book, to make it more polit­ical. He stuck with the ori­ginal plan – to fill it with dishes inspired by the pro­duce of his grand­par­ents’ West Bank garden – and has used his other plat­forms to call atten­tion to the dev­ast­a­tion in Gaza, par­tic­u­larly the forced star­va­tion. Screencap of the same passage as it appears in the online version of the story. The second sentence now reads: "He stuck with the original plan – to fill it with dishes inspired by the produce of his grandparents’ West Bank garden – and has used his other platforms to call attention to the devastation in Gaza." Screencap of text that appears at the bottom of the article online: Editor’s note: A previous version of this article included an inaccurate description of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The restriction of aid to the region and other factors have caused widespread famine.
August 14, 2025 at 10:37 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
An actual movie forthcoming from the co-director of Uncut Gems:
A screencap from a trailer, showing Timothée Chalamet with glasses and a thin moustache, in a period piece of some sort. He's talking to a man in the foreground. A title card from the trailer: Academy Award® Nominee TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET The reverse angle of the earlier shot, showing that the man Chalamet's character was talking to is played by Kevin O'Leary, in glasses and suspenders. Another title card from the trailer: KEVIN O'LEARY
August 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Possibly because they're shooting a TIFF ad in the lobby, the video screens at the Scotiabank are cycling through posters for nonexistent films, at least a couple of which are from Seinfeld:
A video screen displaying a poster for a fake movie called Chunnel, with some supposed action star looking sweaty in the foreground while a train races away from an explosion behind him. The same screen, now showing a poster for something called Dr. Danger, with a bunch of scalpels and needles and other surgical equipment encircling the title on a bright yellow background. There's also a blood spatter. The same screen with a poster for Maelstrom, which is basically the poster for The Day After Tomorrow, with the Statue of Liberty's torch poking up from an expanse of water. The same screen with a poster for Rochelle, Rochelle, which shows a woman dressed with supposed European flare, pulling up her sunglasses and clutching a cocktail, while perhaps blowing a kiss at the camera.
July 21, 2025 at 6:46 AM
goldsbie.bsky.social
It was already funny that the Lightbox was charging $38 a ticket to see Guillermo del Toro introduce screenings of Canadian horror films, but it's even funnier now that he's no longer showing up to any in person:
Screenshot of the top of a message in Gmail from TIFF, sent June 11th. Subject line: On sale: Guillermo del Toro in person! A screenshot from a TIFF email. There's a big photo of Guillermo del Toro. Below, it says: From Rabid to Skinamarink: Canadian Movie Madness CURATED BY GUILLERMO DEL TORO JUL 9-13 Guillermo del Toro attending! Join the Oscar-winning maestro of monsters for Canadian horror classics from David Cronenberg, Bruce McDonald, Vincenzo Natali, and more. A screenshot from TIFF's website showing a listing for an event described as "Guillermo del Toro on Cube." There's a red "Guest Attending" flag. An excerpt from the page for the "Guillermo del Toro on Cube" event. It says: Director Vincenzo Natali will be joined remotely by Guillermo del Toro for a moderated Q&A following the screening.
July 9, 2025 at 2:56 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Because this isn't how the Ontario Provincial Police usually frames its bulletins, I'm gonna assume the reference was deliberate:
A screenshot of an email in Gmail. The sender is OPP News Portal and the subject line reads: - UPDATE #1 - WHO KILLED JONUS PALMER? FROM: Criminal Investigation Branch DATE: July 7, 2025 - UPDATE #1 - WHO KILLED JONUS PALMER? $50,000 Reward Offered (MIDLAND, ON) - A reward is being offered in the hope of resolving the murder of Jonus Keegan PALMER that occurred four years ago.
July 8, 2025 at 10:47 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Everything about this is perfect:
A screencap from CBC News Network showing a man giving a remote interview from his house. Various instruments are visible in the background, including at least one banjo and one accordion. He wears a black and grey striped vest, a newsboy cap, and a piece of neckwear that I think is called a cravat. The text on the screen indicates that he's in Quebec City, it's 7:38 p.m. ET, and he's Bosko Baker | Busker. The lower third reads: Quebec City buskers must now sing in French at two popular tourist sites Hanomansing Tonight • Quebec City Busker Rules
June 27, 2025 at 1:49 AM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Across the street, nine police officers keep watch. Or more half-watch, the way I might let a Jimmy Kimmel monologue run in the background while I play the NYT Spelling Bee.
June 25, 2025 at 7:13 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Outside Toronto's Israeli consulate, a group of journalists launches Canadian Journalists for Justice in Palestine.
June 25, 2025 at 7:10 PM
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And now it's dead: www.ctvnews.ca/entertainmen...
A Bell spokesperson said “Bad Trips,” Sasha Leigh Henry’s limited drug-trafficking drama announced for Crave last year, will not move forward due to international financing for the project not lining up.
June 5, 2025 at 5:11 PM
goldsbie.bsky.social
Suffice to say that Toronto does not transcend Canadian stereotypes as much as we'd like to think.
A screencap from the Final Jeopardy round of Tuesday's episode of Jeopardy. The clue, in the category of "Famous Structures," is: "In April 2018 an MLB game was postponed after ice falling from this structure punctured the roof of Rogers Centre"
June 4, 2025 at 4:24 PM