#michael burry

[toxic-yaoi-connoisseur]

posting this here :P

Next chapter of so what else do you know about me will be out in the weekend, hopefully😭 been busy, lots of deadlines…

This was inspired by the meme pictured below

[naneki-maid]

I met my wife on Match.com. My profile said, “I am a medical student with only one eye, an awkward social manner, and $145,000 in student loans.” She wrote back, “You’re just what I’ve been looking for.” She meant honest.

The Big Short (2015)

[hyliandude]

[pedroam-bang]

The Big Short (2015)

[thebusylilbird]

[...] If there is a point of focalization in [The Big Short], it resides in the opening scene immediately after the title sequence. The shot begins with a close-up of Michael Burry (Christian Bale), playing imaginary drums on his legs before panning up to his face. He wears headphones, listening to music. The audience later discovers that he has a propensity for heavy metal music, traditionally associated with anger and revolt. Burry is the most prominent character with whom the audience is asked to identify, with Baum perhaps coming in a close second. Burry is the first trader the film introduces, he is the first to see what no one else can, and he is the instigator for the trades that will be made by all the other characters. His social awkwardness combined with his arithmetical genius and willingness to go against the grain make him the ultimate neoliberal figure. He is a self-made man who started “with a little inheritance money” and has since, according to his business partner, “done very well” for himself. Interestingly, the character who “sees” the flaw in the financial system before anyone else is the one with a glass eye. To some degree, this is purely coincidence. The character is based on a man who really does have a glass eye, and he really was the first one to make these trades based on the trends he saw in the housing market. With that said, however, it is significant that McKay thought this detail significant enough to include in the film, so much so that he even includes an entire flashback sequence illustrating how young Burry had his glass eye knocked out during a football game. Christian Bale's voice-over describes how the character is socially awkward and prefers to do things alone. All of this characterization, although based on a real figure with these characteristics, emphasizes the fact that McKay is, if not complicit with, at least playing up the neoliberal values that identify a strong, successful, and individualistic protagonist. These characteristics continue to gain significance as the film progresses, and these attributes lead to both massive financial success and significant negative social consequences.

In her article “Rehabilitating Neoliberalism,” Julie A. Minich explains how “disability scholars and activists regard rehabilitation (the normalization of the body) and neoliberalism … with rightful suspicion” (970). She goes on to say that “critics should attend to the ways in which disability representations can rehabilitate neoliberalism” by problematizing the ways texts can “[make] its effects seem beneficial” (970). The Big Short is guilty of this in the sense that Burry's glass eye creates in him a sense of independence and the ability to operate irrespective of the negative opinion of others. Burry goes so far as to say, “I've always been more comfortable alone. I believe it may be because of my glass eye … It separates me from people” (emphasis added). Shortly thereafter, while conducting an interview with a potential new-hire, Burry apologizes for “going on and on” saying, “My wife says I need to share more” to which the interviewee responds, “That seems healthy.” Although a minor exchange, what this scene creates is a subtle but persistent tension between the quirky individualism that drives the main characters’ success (in Burry's case his exceptionality is further established by the glass eye that distinguishes him from other characters) and the “healthy” influence of family members who consistently seem more concerned with interpersonal relations than making money. This theme carries throughout, but at this point in the film, Burry is the only character who has exemplified this tension.

In line with the warning presented by Minich, the audience must be careful of perceiving Burry's disability as a “beneficial” aspect of his character, lest one fall prey to the overcommitment to individuality celebrated by neoliberalism. Fortunately, the film offers assistance with this necessity for skepticism by continually reminding the audience of the problematic elements it contains. An example of this occurs when Burry credits his disability for instilling in him a staunch individual bent while his wife encourages a more “healthy” approach of “sharing more” rather than being complicit with operating on a purely individualist level with a singular mindset toward creating profit. The scene then pivots away from the personal life of Burry to the more thematic issue of approaching generally accepted knowledge with a strong degree of skepticism. Burry asks the new hire to get him the data on all the mortgage bonds that are supposedly beyond risk of failure, and heavy metal music plays as Burry begins his rebellion against the empire of the unshakable mortgage bond market. [...]

Alexander Long, “Calling-Out the Bullshit: The Paradox of Neoliberal Critique in The Big Short” (10 april 2018)

[theartofmany]

“"I look for value wherever it can be found." - The Big Short is a 2015 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Adam McKay and written by McKay and Charles Randolph” From Youtube channel Olivier BOSSARD: The Big Short 2 - Dr Michael Burry analyzes Subprime MBSs (Feat. Margot Robbie) Love this movie because reminds me of the times I studied economics And yes, the movie uses a lot of complicated financial terms but Margot Robbie can explain them to you in a very easy way. So listen, ok? Learn and enjoy...

[masonskaya]

‘...My profile said: "I am a medical student with only one eye, an awkward social manner and 145,000 dollars in student loans". She wrote back: "You're just what I've been looking for." She meant honest.‘