Swedish literature cliques' power, women's lists of demands, and electric scooters are engaging culture writers right now. Here are some of the summer's cultural debates and biting opinions – so far.
Is Pewdiepie flirting with fascism? Oscar Westerholm vs Björn Werner.
After a strength training video inspired by the Japanese, nationalist author Yukio Mishima, film critic Oscar Westerholm accuses YouTuber Pewdiepie of flirting with fascism (GP 25/6). "Far-fetched," counters writer Björn Werner, who thinks Westerholm is crying wolf unnecessarily (9/7).
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Harmful literature cliques. Sofia Lilly Jönsson vs Gästabudet.
On June 23, music journalist Sofia Lilly Jönsson criticizes the close relationships between culture and media people in a large reportage in SvD. The next day, she delivers a broadside in Aftonbladet against the network surrounding the literature podcast Gästabudet. Informal but agenda-setting cliques are harmful to cultural life, according to Jönsson. They are characterized by cronyism and conformism.
"Stop whining about power, start talking about literature," responds critic and Gästabudet podcaster Mikaela Blomqvist in GP. In DN, Kristina Lindquist tries to develop Sofia Lilly Jönsson's reasoning.
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Women's lists of demands on men. Ann Heberlein vs journalist Elaf Ali and others.
"You girls who complain – lower your demands on men," writes author Ann Heberlein in SvD (29/6) about the behavior of heterosexual women on the "dating market". Heberlein describes women's lists of demands on the perfect partner as unrealistic. But journalist Elaf Ali sees the high demands as fully justified – if they are made by the privileged single woman who already has children and a good job.
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Linda Skugge's sex diary. Critics vs Linda Skugge.
Last autumn, one of Linda Skugge's supporters described the criticism of her sales on the site Onlyfans as a "moralistic personal vendetta" (Filter). "Unna daj" exclaimed critic Jenny Högström in GP and praised Skugge's sexual expression.
With the new diary "50. Don't leave me", the debate continues, now focusing on how Skugge writes about her Onlyfans sex. "Most tedious," thinks reviewer Gabriel Zetterström in DN.
"Best Linda Skugge, must it be so disgusting? And, yes, unsexy?" wonders DN colleague Catia Hultquist.
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The last summer anyone takes a Voi. Per Hagman vs Voi.
Summer 2024 will be the last when people can recklessly use and discard Voi's electric scooters, according to author Per Hagman's prediction in DN. Voi – a "shrill tech bro" – cannot be saved even by Frökens Snusks' summer hit about "taking a Voi to your fuckboi", according to Hagman.
