#michael burry

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

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. [...]