My opinion of Ali was to always give him the benefit of the doubt. The sickly sweet, emasculated guy, hard done by his domineering, attention-seeking, pushy and vain wife. However, my opinion of him changed when, around the time of the Black Lives Matter protests, a subscriber criticised him about something (can't remember what exactly), he then labeled this criticism a "microaggression" against him.What we are seeing is her legendary stubbornness in display, obtusely refusing to admit to her own wrong doing. Her response to that commenter is very teenager like. Obtuse and belligerent passive aggressiveness. This is how she controls those around her. She gaslights the masses, never takes accountability, rewrites everything to favour herself and truly believes she is not culpable of any wrong doing. In her head her bullying actions were merited. Let that sink in.
I could easily blame her upbringing, after all the philistine can't even get through a meal without looking like a savage. But times are different. The availability of self-help, decorum/etiquette books, and therapists means anyone choosing to continue on a self serving path, blithely leaving very real victims in their wake is just plainly a horrible person by choice.
That is what Lydia of House Tryhard is. A materialistic, vapid, bull dozer that cares only about herself. She attracts the same energy she gives out which is why she and Carrie are thick as thieves. And why Ali has changed so much. He has pledged himself to the same energy in an effort to reap the financial rewards of their faux life of luxury because he is as deeply vain as she is.
What those close to her don't seem to realize, Ali in particular, is that Lydia will always twist things to make them look bad. Down to their clothing. Ali has never looked nor dressed worse. He may drive an Aston, but he is a laughing stock as far as "style" goes. No amount of linen, Hermés "slandals", douchy pendants or "squishing the critics" can change that.
With all that was going on in the world at that time, the fool did not understand nor educate himself, of the meaning of the term "microaggression". These days, we know sweet, kind Ali is a mere facade, a PR manoevure, a manipulation to get ahead in the Land of Influencers. Sweet poison ivy.
Looks fade but dumb is forever.