Since J.K. Rowling’s (yes, that J.K. Rowling) transphobic tweet last week, conversations on Twitter around topics of sex, gender, and trans individuals have been going on nonstop. Far too many of these conversations are transphobic and show stubborn disregard for any… Read More ›
social media
Minorities, Responsibilities, and Educating Others
Conversations on social media about privilege and oppression often have comments along the lines of “it’s not the minority individual’s job to educate others as to how they are being oppressive or blind to their privilege.” And this always strikes… Read More ›
Yes, you should have free speech on Facebook.
Please read and then share my latest publication: “Yes, you should have free speech on Facebook“ found on History News Network. Thanks! Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda
Alex Trebek. Aunt Becky. Not Your Friends.
Parasocial relationships form easily. Carefully-scripted and highly-rehearsed, people see fictional characters people on their screens from the comfort of their homes and almost naturally come to believe they really know and very much like them. People are not able to internalize that… Read More ›
Notes on: Free Speech vs Censorship, Facts vs Opinions, and Writing
Recent events, including today’s (weird, irrelevant, distraction-mechanism) announcement by Trump about colleges and “free speech zones,” warrant a few comments and reminders about free speech/censorship and about facts/options, generally. People should remember common sense and decency at every step. People… Read More ›
“Think For Yourself” – Hidden Power of Words Series, #31
According to Southern mores, “bless your heart” is typically a veiled insult, despite its sympathetic denotation. “Think for yourself” has a similar, contradictory function. Think-for-yourself phraseology appears in my inbox regularly, but only when I have publicly expressed my most… Read More ›
“Implications” and the Rhetorical Framing of Critiques – Hidden Power of Words Series, #30
Suggestions that something is classist, racist, or sexist, for example, are often met with dismissively hostile words. People say, “you’re thinking too hard,” “you’re looking to cause trouble,” “you can find [fill in the blank] anywhere if you look hard… Read More ›
Facebook, Birthdays, and Neoliberalism
Earlier this year and last year, Facebook started encouraging its users to garner charitable donations through its platform, especially for birthdays. In particular, on my birthday last month Facebook encouraged me to select a charity that friends could donate to… Read More ›