The Last Great Insult

Dork, I have come to learn, is the perfect insult for this precarious time in our culture. We are facing an onslaught of the mediocre, the relentless advance of the shameless. Reason, emotion, and in some cases the full weight of our justice system all seem to be powerless against them. Nothing we hurl at Ted Cruz or Anthony Kiedis will make them any less delighted with themselves. But if you can’t shame them, you can at least make yourself smile. You can watch one of Donald Trump Jr.’s webcam rants and say, “Go to bed, dork.” Calling someone a dork is a put-down that lifts you up. You feel good when you say it. It reconnects you to your playground self, a child filled with wonder and judgment. There are harsher insults—you know the ones—but they leave a stain on the user, whereas dork lets you get away clean.   [View in Browser]( [Esquire]( [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( [The Last Great Insult]( [The Last Great Insult]( Dork, I have come to learn, is the perfect insult for this precarious time in our culture. We are facing an onslaught of the mediocre, the relentless advance of the shameless. Reason, emotion, and in some cases the full weight of our justice system all seem to be powerless against them. Nothing we hurl at Ted Cruz or Anthony Kiedis will make them any less delighted with themselves. But if you can’t shame them, you can at least make yourself smile. You can watch one of Donald Trump Jr.’s webcam rants and say, “Go to bed, dork.” Calling someone a dork is a put-down that lifts you up. You feel good when you say it. It reconnects you to your playground self, a child filled with wonder and judgment. There are harsher insults—you know the ones—but they leave a stain on the user, whereas dork lets you get away clean. [Read More](   [The 12 Best AirTag Wallets Keep You On The Go and At Ease]( [The 12 Best AirTag Wallets Keep You On The Go and At Ease]( Because a wallet full of cash, cards, and IDs is the last thing you'd want to lose. [Read More]( [The Night Charles Barkley Threw a Man Through a Plate Glass Window]( [The Night Charles Barkley Threw a Man Through a Plate Glass Window]( The real story behind one of the most infamous moments of the NBA star's Hall-of-Fame career. [Read More](     [The House of the Dragon Season 1 Finale Sets Up a Deadly Road Ahead]( [The House of the Dragon Season 1 Finale Sets Up a Deadly Road Ahead]( When we last left King's Landing, a plot to take the Iron Throne away from its rightful heir went down overnight. Viserys died, Aegon II promptly became king, and the Hightowers thought frighteningly little about any potential consequences for their actions. Or any consequence entirely. You thought no one would notice?! This is a pretty big deal! Well, karma certainly came knocking in the season finale of House of the Dragon, promising only suffering and deafening dragon roars over Westeros from here on out. [Read More](   [Clarence Thomas Might at Least Try to Maintain a Veneer of Non-Partisanship]( [Clarence Thomas Might at Least Try to Maintain a Veneer of Non-Partisanship]( He's not one justice under that robe, just a stack of axes in want of grinding. [Read More]( [The Best Thermal Underwear Keep You Extra Toasty]( [The Best Thermal Underwear Keep You Extra Toasty]( No more icy thighs this winter. [Read More](     [The Day I Watched My Brother Drown]( [The Day I Watched My Brother Drown]( It’s still very hard for me to picture certain parts of that day. But one thing I’ll always remember is the look on their faces. Panic. It was horrifying. They were so close to me, and there was nothing I could do to help them. It would have been horrible losing just one of them, but all four—I just can’t comprehend it sometimes. [Read More](   [Win a Four-Night Stay for Two at The Buccaneer Beach & Golf Resort, St. Croix ($4,000 Value)!]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( esquire.com ©2022 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019