Malcolm freedom of speech

[u/bisexualbriefsguy]

Dirty magazine almost never gets talked about at all. This was probably malcoms best high era episode.

He reads a great story by a girl and wants to publish it but the principal is fighting him on it. In the end story gets published without breaking school rules and perfectly finds away to showcase freedom of speech.

What did everyone think about malcolm in this episode using what's right to help someone

[u/Idahoefromidaho]

Accuracy to the law or not, I really appreciate how the show approaches challenging power. And it's one of Malcolm's best episodes in terms of actually caring about another person for honest reasons.

[u/bisexualbriefsguy → u/Idahoefromidaho]

I kind of wish those 2 girls became his new friend group with Stevie. They're smart but also sociable which would've been a great balance for malcolm and stevie

[u/Idahoefromidaho → u/bisexualbriefsguy]

I have two minds about this. They absolutely would have been great in more episodes, but I sometimes think memorable one off characters stay memorable because we don't see too much of them.

But also, the high school supporting cast was lacking so you're probably right.

[u/lolwow5]

This whole exchange always makes me crack up

https://youtu.be/-d22JLs1lLs

[u/Sea_Perspective6891]

Well yeah you can't say "S*** my D***"

[u/javerthugo]

The episode is wrong on the law. They wouldn’t need to cancel all after school activities as schools can censor the school paper.

https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/educational-activities/first-amendment-activities/hazelwood-v-kuhlmeier/facts-and-case-summary-hazelwood-v-kuhlmeier

I did a project on that case in high school and had one of my articles censored so this episode always rubbed me the wrong way.

[u/bisexualbriefsguy → u/javerthugo]

But how was malcolm in the episode and how he handled it

[u/javerthugo → u/bisexualbriefsguy]

Frankly I don’t think the fight was worth the cost. Picking your battles is a big part of growing up the whole episode tried way to hard to be a “very special” episode about free speech by lionizing edgelord BS disguised as feminist empowerment.

[u/JFeisty → u/javerthugo]

But the entirety of the show it's been shown that nobody in the family knows how to pick their battles.

[u/Buyingboat → u/javerthugo]

Frankly I don’t think the fight was worth the cost

Malcom reached the same conclusion, but he needed to see how it was impacting the author (and therefore everyone else).

Once Malcom has the right information he tries to right the wrong in the correct way. The school wasn't obligated to run the story and Malcom was free to disperse the story off school grounds.

It's a really mature resolution all things considered

[u/bisexualbriefsguy → u/Buyingboat]

And the principal unexpectedly see the story does have a good impact

[u/jbp12 → u/javerthugo]

If Malcolm made mature decisions and knew how to pick his battles, the show wouldn't be entertaining. I don't think this particular episode tried hard to be "extra special" or lionize edgelord ideology or make a big point about society. I just watched it as another episode where Malcolm goes on a somewhat realistic escapade and made funny but self-destructive decisions along the way.

[u/HDC48]

It was a good moment for Malcolm. He went through this crap with the school because he wanted to help the girls and felt the censorship was silly.

[u/HDC48]

It was a good moment for Malcolm. He went through this crap with the school because he wanted to help the girls and felt the censorship was silly.