At some point last year, after the Women’s March but before the first sales of Fire and Fury, it stopped being cutting-edge and cool simply to hate our political opponents. The almost always edgy actress, comedian, and avowed liberal Sarah Silverman figured this out early, maybe even first: She found the new edge, and it was niceness.
Last January, she broke the rules of internet engagement to befriend a commenter who’d called her a c*** in response to one of her Tweets: Instead of blocking him or responding in kind, she looked through his timeline and found—amidst slurs and outbursts—a complaint about back pain. She wrote back, “I see your rage is thinly veiled pain,” and “I know this feeling.” They’ve been corresponding ever since; he says her help has changed him.
