It's been said a million times already but that's because it's true: there's a huge problem these days with people not understanding that depiction does not equal endorsement.

I wouldn't even say the portrayal of Reynolds Woodcock is even particularly positive, he comes off as an excruciatingly frustrating person to be around, let alone have a relationship with—like the scene where she tries to surprise him with a private dinner and he has this way overblown autistic, childish meltdown. Seems pretty obvious to me that PTA isn't trying to say this is the ideal male and I find it even harder to believe that a substantial number of young men are watching fucking Phantom Thread and trying to emulate a dandy named Woodcock.

What's more sinister though is that, when you really get into it, what these busy-body liberals who are all flustered about what's depicted in popular entertainment are really concerned about isn't that they are going to be won over by depictions of "toxic" behavior, they're concerned with what the plebeian masses are going to get out of it. Obviously, they are educated and discerning enough to understand right from wrong and reality from fantasy... but what about the uneducated masses?

Again, not an original analogy but they really are like the old ladies combing through the dictionary looking for dirty words, or listening to metal records for Satanic messages, or trying to get violent movies banned.