The Digital Void Podcast
85 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 months ago -The Digital Void Podcast features critical and empowering conversations about how technology, media, and creators shape our world. Hosted by Dr. Jamie Cohen and Josh Chapdelaine.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes
Why are YouTube Influencers Negging Audiences Into Taking Lifestyle Advice? w/ Steffi Cao
April 01, 2024 12:04 - 19 minutes - 27.5 MBHow do YouTube influencers neg their audiences into taking lifestyle advice? Internet culture writer Steffi Cao joins Jamie to discuss how influencers undermine audiences with video titles that are not what they seem. The two discuss authenticity on social media platforms, why clickbait titles still reign supreme, and if there’s anything positive to come of this trend. 📖 Read YouTube Influencers want to neg you into taking lifestyle advice in Fast Company About Steffi Cao Steffi Cao is a...
Why has OpenAI's Sora Scared Hollywood? w/ Reed Berkowitz
March 19, 2024 13:06 - 30 minutes - 42 MBWhat is the true potential of AI text-to-video generation? Director of Curiouser Institute and award-winning AI games designer Reed Berkowitz discusses OpenAI's Sora, an AI text-to-image model that will soon be made available to the public. As Hollywood rolls back studio investments and executives project up to 90% loss in animation jobs, how can we separate hype from reality in the space? And what are the best ways to use AI text-to-video generation today? Show notes: OpenAI's Sora Jeff...
Are Creators and Platforms Ready for the Decline of Journalism Jobs?
February 15, 2024 11:00 - 26 minutes - 36.3 MBHow will creators and tech companies grapple with the decline of journalism? On this week's episode, Jamie and Josh discuss the relationship between creators, platforms, and journalists, the ongoing shift from legacy news sources to platforms like TikTok and YouTube for news consumption, and how venture-backed outlets built on the promise of digital advertising contributed to journalism's current crisis. Additionally, they highlight what gives them hope about journalism's future – and how y...
AI Games: Hype or Hallucination? w/ Reed Berkowitz
February 08, 2024 11:00 - 44 minutes - 61.4 MBHow can we separate hype from hallucination in AI games? Award-winning games designer and Director of Curiouser Institute Reed Berkowitz discusses why it's so difficult for mid-to-large studios to create AI NPCs, the brand safety risks associated with AI in games, and why AI games might require more writers rather than fewer. 🕹️ You can play Grilling Molly Stone now. 📰 You can read AI Powered NPCs — Hype, or Hallucination and AI in Games: Complicated Characters on Medium. About Reed Berk...
The Cancelled-to-Conservative Creator Pipeline w/ Steffi Cao
January 31, 2024 11:00 - 22 minutes - 30.6 MBWhere can creators turn after they’ve been cancelled? Internet culture writer Steffi Cao discusses why cancelled creators turn to right-wing values to grow their businesses, the difficulty audiences have determining authenticity, and why it all matters – from economics to real-world action. 📖 Read Influencers are pandering to conservatives to salvage their post-cancellation careers in Fast Company. About Steffi Cao Steffi Cao is an internet culture writer, most recently reporting at Bu...
How Palantir Developed a Meme-Crazy Fanbase w/ Katie Notopoulos
January 24, 2024 11:00 - 28 minutes - 39.4 MBHow did Palantir develop a meme-obsessed fanbase of retail traders — and what does it mean? Business Insider senior correspondent Katie Notopoulos discusses the livestreaming, meme-making community behind Palantir's stock and the company's CEO Alex Karp. 📖 Read How Palantir stock developed a weird, passionate, meme-crazy fan base on Fast Company. About Katie Notopoulos Katie Notopoulos is a senior correspondent at Business Insider writing about technology and business. Based in New York,...
Visions for a Better Internet w/ Kat Tenbarge, Kelsey Russell, Steffi Cao, and Rachel E. Greenspan
January 17, 2024 11:00 - 32 minutes - 44.6 MBHow can we explore visions for a better internet as it undergoes a monumental evolution? Media literacy influencer Kelsey Russell, award-winning journalist Kat Tenbarge, digital culture journalist Steffi Cao, and moderator Rachel E. Greenspan explore the role of surveillance and the rise of panopticontent, the importance of trust and safety on healthy platforms, and why youth voices need to be included in conversations about social media platform development. This panel was recorded live fr...
Foreverism w/ Grafton Tanner
January 08, 2024 11:00 - 39 minutes - 53.8 MBHow do reboots and IP fueled universes prevent us from ever feeling nostalgia? Author of Foreverism Grafton Tanner discusses how the practice of keeping things alive prevents us from ever feeling nostalgia. 📚 You can order Foreverism by Grafton Tanner now! About Grafton Tanner: Grafton Tanner is the author of Foreverism, The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia (Repeater Books, 2021), The Circle of the Snake: Nostalgia and Utopia in the Age of Big Tech (Zer0 Books, 2020...
Everything About Social Media Is About To Change Again w/ Reed Berkowitz
September 06, 2023 10:00 - 32 minutes - 44.6 MBHow does creative misuse of social media platforms inform the future of social media at large? Director of Curiouser Institute Reed Berkowitz highlights five popular ways people are engaging, interacting, and using social platforms - ranging from Life360 to Roblox - and what it means for how we imagine and create a social media future that enhances our social capacities. 📰 You can read Everything About Social Media Is About To Change Again on Medium. About Reed Berkowitz: Reed Berkowitz ...
Extremely Online w/ Taylor Lorenz
August 28, 2023 10:00 - 30 minutes - 41.6 MBWashington Post tech columnist and author of Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet Taylor Lorenz explores the social history of the internet. How did Mommy Bloggers shape the creator economy? What is Vine's influence on today's social media ecosystem – and how can its demise be a lesson for creators and platforms? Plus, why is it important to remain optimistic about social media platforms and technology? 📚 Pre-order now: Extremely Online: The Untol...
#Humancore: Does a New Core Promote Surveillance?
August 07, 2023 10:00 - 13 minutes - 19.1 MBCores are everywhere. From the film-inspired Barbiecore to Cottagecore – but how does a new core threaten to surveil everyday people? On today’s episode, Jamie provides us with a dispatch about the differences between Cores and aesthetics, the ways Cores present themselves online and offline, and why #humancore should be viewed with a critical eye. Show Notes & Resources: Once upon a time, there was cottagecore - Rebecca Jennings Taylor Lorenz on living life extremely online - The Digi F...
Influencer Creep & The Return of Banal Vlogging
July 31, 2023 10:00 - 10 minutes - 15 MBHow did an early YouTube vlog style return to popularity after a generation of TikTok and YouTube creators including Emma Chamberlain and Charli D'amelio went mainstream? On today's episode, Jamie and Josh discuss how early YouTube creators like Tyler Oakley pivoted from creating content for family and friends to developing a public personality that came to define influencer culture at-large – and how a new generation of creators are documenting the banal and mundane in their content. Sho...
SAG-AFTRA Strike: How will AI, Algorithms, Creators, and Data Shape Hollywood's Future?
July 24, 2023 10:00 - 23 minutes - 31.7 MBHow will AI, algorithms, creators, and data transparency shape the future of Hollywood? On today's episode, Jamie and Josh dive into the key issues behind the SAG-AFTRA strike. How do major studios plan to use AI – and how can they come to an agreement with unions to ensure actors and writers are fairly compensated? How does a lack of data transparency from streamers and studios influence residual structures and the development of future projects? Why are non-union creators and influencers ...
Barbenheimer
July 17, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes - 28.3 MBHow did Barbie and Oppenheimer become a highly anticipated double feature audiences have named Barbenheimer? This week, Josh and Jamie explore the history behind one of the summer's most anticipated box office weekends. How did a falling out between Christopher Nolan and WBD lead to this weekend's double feature? How have studios done an effective job allowing audiences to be creative and have fun with the film releases – and why shouldn't studios use this weekend as a blueprint? Show No...
Threads: What Three Things Can Meta Do to Beat Twitter?
July 10, 2023 11:18 - 24 minutes - 33.8 MBMeta’s primary Twitter competitor Threads earned more than 100 million downloads in its first five days - but what are the three key components required for the platform’s long-term success? On today’s episode, Jamie and Josh discuss the factors that led to the platform’s successful launch, how trust and safety protocols gave it an edge, and if Threads will allow Meta to shake off some of its negative reputation. This episode was recorded on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Show Notes Twitter’s U...
How to be Critical of AI Hype Cycles and Extinction-Level Threats
July 06, 2023 13:14 - 27 minutes - 37.6 MBHow can we be critical of fear-based AI hype cycles? OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently made headlines when he issued a 22-word statement warning of extinction due to the threats posed by AI - but what is Altman referring to, and what did he omit from his argument? This week, Jamie and Josh offer a critical discourse about the current AI hype cycle, the push for regulation by the most influential tech companies, and how the public's cynicism about emerging technology might support regulatory ef...
How to be a Rebel in a Digital Age w/ Mitch Horowitz
June 13, 2023 11:00 - 20 minutes - 28 MBWhat does it mean to be a rebel in a digital age? PEN Award-winning author Mitch Horowitz provides us with three strategies to move forward. Recorded live at Digital Void's Meme in the Moment Festival in New York City on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. 🎟️ You can see Mitch and an incredible lineup of speakers including Shannon Liao, Allegra Frank, Douglas Rushkoff, Ena Da, and Ryan Broderick at Memes, Myths, and Magic on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at New York City's Caveat. Click here to purchas...
TikTok Can't Save Bad Cinderella: On Cringe, Fandoms, and Irony w/ CT Jones
April 18, 2023 11:00 - 30 minutes - 42.3 MBHow did one of Broadway’s newest shows become a cringeworthy TikTok trend that earned tens of millions of views? Rolling Stone internet culture reporter CT Jones discusses how Bad Cinderella became an ironic trend for audiences. How did the show’s development and debut on London’s West End hurt the Andrew Lloyd Weber production? What does cringe mean in the context of trends and why does it drive discourse? How can we differentiate between genuine enthusiasm and ironic enthusiasm from fans ...
Audience Capture w/ Matt Klein
April 10, 2023 11:00 - 33 minutes - 45.7 MBHow can creators avoid being creatively trapped by the audiences they worked to build? Where is there space for creators to take risks? Zine writer Matt Klein discusses his first-ever printed edition: Audience Capture. Klein explains the social theory behind the phenomenon, what happens to creators and audiences when audience capture is taken to its extreme, and how creators can resist becoming stuck. Klein’s insights help to empower creators and audiences to create a healthier landscape be...
The Ozempic Problem w/ Kelsey Weekman
April 04, 2023 11:00 - 31 minutes - 43.2 MBHow has a Type 2 diabetes drug become a go-to for celebrities and influencers looking to lose weight — and what are the damaging effects of its popularity? This week, we invited Buzzfeed reporter Kelsey Weekman to discusses her article, The Oscars Were a Nightmare For Fat People at Every Turn,. Weekman discusses how this year’s Academy Awards highlighted the stigmas fat people face in Hollywood and influencer culture — and why she decided to speak out. Further, Weekman explains the rise of ...
Why Do Black TikTok Creators Still Struggle to Earn Credit? w/ Moises Mendez II
March 27, 2023 10:00 - 27 minutes - 38 MBShow Summary: Why do black TikTok creators struggle to earn credit for their original work? This week, TIME staff writer Moises Mendez II explains how TikTok creator Jordyn Williams is fighting for credit after her #NoLove dance went viral. How is Williams’ struggle symptomatic of the struggles black creators encounter on the platform? Further, Mendez outlines the key struggles creators face, from monetization to harassment, and shares his vision of a better social media landscape. About ...
What Questions Should We Ask About AI? w/ Reed Berkowitz
March 20, 2023 11:00 - 55 minutes - 76.5 MBHow can we learn more about AI's design and development to better understand its emergence? Director of Curiouser Institute and AI games designer Reed Berkowitz explains what really happened when New York Times columnist Kevin Roose talked to Bing's Syndey chatbot – and how mainstream media outlets can consider different ways of discussing AI. Further, Berkowitz helps us understand the realities of AI game design and development. What role do artists play in working with developers? How do...
How does an Instagram Account’s Digital Activism Help NOLA’s Roads? w/ Alex Turvy
March 13, 2023 11:57 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MBHow does an activist Instagram account help bring attention - and change - to New Orleans’ streets? On this week’s episode, we welcome Digital Void collaborator, PhD student, and researcher Alex Turvy to discuss Look at This Fuckin’ Street: an Instagram account that highlights hazardous roads, potholes, and crumbling infrastructure to put pressure on city government to improve long-ignored conditions. This conversation was recorded on February 27, 2023 About Alex Turvy: Alex Turvy is a Ph...
Elon Musk, Twitter, and a Healthy Social Media Future w/ Bridget Todd
November 07, 2022 12:00 - 46 minutes - 64 MBHow will Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter reshape the landscape of social media? Creator and host of the award-winning podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet Bridget Todd explains where people can go to find alternatives to mainstream social media platforms, her vision for a more equitable social media future, and how Musk's Twitter purchase stands to reshape the way we communicate on the platform. How can we best align our values with our digital platforms? This conversation was record...
Why Are Civil Rights Groups Pushing Back Against Amazon's Ring Nation?
September 30, 2022 10:00 - 7 minutes - 9.87 MBOn this week's episode, Jamie takes a deep dive into why civil rights groups are pushing back against Amazon’s new television show, Ring Nation. You can read a written version of this week's episode, Why Civil Rights Groups Are Pushing Back Against Amazon's New Show, on Medium. Show notes and resources: Letter Calling on MGM to Cancel Ring Nation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rabbits w/ Terry Miles
September 23, 2022 12:38 - 51 minutes - 70.5 MBThis week, we're joined by author of Rabbits, CEO of Minnow Beats Whale, and co-creator of The Black Tapes, Terry Miles. Miles explains the origins of The Black Tapes, the playful interactivity fictional podcasts afford creators and audiences, and the worldbuilding required for people to become fully immersed in a story. How do people respond to a paranormal version of Serial? In what ways does it mirror audience's first interactions with Orson Welles' 1938 War of the Worlds radio broadcas...
Dark Brandon
September 16, 2022 15:02 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBOn this week's episode, Jamie and Josh discuss the history and context behind Dark Brandon memes. How did Joe Biden become featured in memes with laser eyes and dark aesthetics? How we can make sense of the trend's influence on culture and media narratives? What is its true influence? Show Notes and Resources: Laser Eyes Stage One Memes: lolspeak Stage Two Memes: LOLcats Stage Three Memes: Breakdown of Structure Stage Four Memes: Deep Fried Era Vince McMahon meme Galaxy Brain Meme ...
An Immersive History: AR, VR, and Zuckerberg's Hopes for Cambria
September 08, 2022 14:09 - 32 minutes - 44.3 MBWhat can the history of virtual reality development teach us about its path forward? On this week's episode, Jamie and Josh look back 30 years to the first attempt to mainstream commercial virtual reality. Why didn't haptics and headsets earn mass adoption? Further, they discuss the other uses for the metaverse and virtual reality. What do corporations stand to gain if VR goes mainstream? What are the risks associated with a centralized VR ecosystem? Show Notes and Resources: Nick Bostro...
Memes, Algospeak, and Accessibility
September 01, 2022 16:20 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBHow can memes encoded with aesthetics, nuance, and meta text become accessible to everyone? This week, Jamie and Josh discuss memes, algospeak, and access: How can meme creators and platforms utilize alt-text to help the vision impaired? Why is alt-text essential to help everyone access and understand the rapidly evolving memetic moment? Show notes & resources: Digital Dualism Jamie Cohen on CBC Spark Algospeak TikTok Moderators Are Being Trained Using Graphic Images of Child Sexual Ab...
How to Talk with an Artificial Intelligence w/ Reed Berkowitz
August 24, 2022 11:00 - 43 minutes - 60.3 MBShow Summary: How can humans determine if an Artificial Intelligence is sentient when sentience is what AI is designed to imitate? This week, we’re joined by Artificial Intelligence games designer Reed Berkowitz. Berkowitz discusses former Google Responsible AI team member Blake Lemoine’s claim that Google’s AI chatbot LaMDA is sentient. What made Lemoine believe this? How can we come to understand Lemoine’s belief? To help us, Berkowitz delivers an AI primer: From AI games to the most p...
Illusions of Control: Aesthetics, Nostalgia, and Meme Culture w/ Grafton Tanner
August 17, 2022 11:00 - 53 minutes - 72.8 MBHow can nostalgia inspire memes that motivate and mobilize communities? Last week, Jamie and Josh discussed how the term “meme culture” is in jeopardy of being co-opted by extremists. This week, they welcome back Grafton Tanner to take a deeper dive into the topic. What is vaporwave, and what characteristics of its aesthetic that afford itself to be used by these communities? How do aesthetics and fandoms intertwine? How can corporations grapple with feelings of nostalgia in intensely devo...
We Need to Talk About Meme Culture
August 10, 2022 11:00 - 45 minutes - 63.2 MBWe need to talk about meme culture. How are the aesthetics and vibes of memes turning into an action language? Jamie and Josh explore the ways memes inspire action: From #Gentleminions to extremist movements. Further, they explore how people outside of in-group communities can understand intent when nothing is explicitly being said. Is the term meme culture in jeopardy of being entirely co-opted? Show Notes & Resources: The Case for Anonymity Online - Chris Poole (TED Talk) Owling Tebo...
Digital Void Podcast Trailer
August 03, 2022 13:30 - 1 minute - 2.05 MBThe Digital Void Podcast is a weekly exploration of digital culture, media, technology, and memes, featuring critical conversations with experts at the forefront of our digital transformation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Road to Nowhere w/ Paris Marx
August 03, 2022 11:00 - 55 minutes - 75.5 MBWhy do Silicon Valley’s promises about the future of transportation never seem to work out? Paris Marx, author of The Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong About the Future of Transportation and Host of Tech Won’t Save Us dives into the reality underpinning the promises made by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs like Elon Musk. Why can’t electric vehicles address the problems created by the automobile industry? To push back against Silicon Valley’s promises, Marx helps us imagine a more...
Memes, Marvelization, and the Creative Surplus of War
March 07, 2022 15:08 - 30 minutes - 41.6 MBJamie and Josh dive into a brief history of how war and conflict play out in cyberspace, ranging from 9/11 and Syria to how Ukraine is using Twitter in its fight against Russia. We're coming to Washington DC! Join us for Our Connected Future on Wednesday, March 23, at Union Stage. Join Jamie in conversation with DC Bureau Chief Ryan Grim, a live taping of Bridget Todd's award-winning podcast There Are No Girls on the Internet featuring journalist Amanda Moore, and a panel by All Tech is Hum...
Jamie Cohen: "Should Wikipedia Classify NFTs as Art?"
March 02, 2022 13:37 - 6 minutes - 14.4 MBJamie Cohen dives into the debate Wikipedia editors are having about how artworks are categorized on the website — and what it means for NFTs. 📰 You can read Jamie's monologue, Wikipedia Doesn't Consider NFTs Art, and Crypto Investors Are Worried, on Medium Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly Weill "Off The Edge"
February 18, 2022 12:00 - 49 minutes - 114 MBDaily Beast reporter and author of Off The Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything Kelly Weill explores how we arrived at our polarized and conspiratorial moment, ranging from the origins of flat earth theory to the tragic effects of contemporary believers. 📕 Kelly's book, Off The Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture, and Why People Will Believe Anything is available now from your favorite local bookseller. Follow Kelly Weill: Twitter Credits Ho...
Jared Holt "After The Insurrection"
January 19, 2022 12:00 - 44 minutes - 61.3 MBResident Fellow at Atlantic Council's Digital Forensics Research Lab and host of SH!TPOST Jared Holt explains the ways domestic extremists adapted and evolved after the January 6 attack, shares how we can avoid being bystanders in the face of fascism, and explores the real-world effects of posting and media martyrdom. 📰 Read Holt's report: After the insurrection: How domestic extremists adapted and evolved after the January 6 US Capitol attack Follow Jared Holt: SH!TPOST | Twitter Credit...
Rick Paulas "The Palmer Hotel"
October 22, 2021 17:54 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MBAuthor of The Palmer Hotel Rick Paulas shares how his book became a meme through his reply guy tweets, how his Twitter ban created a Barbara Streisand effect for his book, and why Twitter should be entirely eradicated if humans stand a chance for a better future. Paulas will be signing copies of the Palmer Hotel at Digital Void's Meme in the Moment Festival: Make it Spoopy. Live from Caveat NYC on Wednesday, October 27, at 7:00 PM ET. 🎟 Tickets and livestream now available: https://www.cav...
Rachel E. Greenspan
October 15, 2021 15:56 - 31 minutes - 43.7 MBInsider digital culture editor and writer Rachel E. Greenspan explores her career path to the disinformation beat, how the insurrection showed us that it's too dangerous to ignore what happens online, and right-wing media's continued attacks on Taylor Lorenz and other journalists. Greenspan will be a speaker at Digital Void's Meme in the Moment Festival: Make it Spoopy. Live from Caveat NYC on Wednesday, October 27, at 7:00 PM ET. 🎟 Tickets and livestream now available: https://www.caveat....
Grafton Tanner "The Hours Have Lost Their Clock"
October 11, 2021 11:00 - 57 minutes - 79.1 MB⏳ Author of The Hours Have Lost Their Clock Grafton Tanner explains how nostalgia is the emotion of our time. Tanner explores nostalgia from its roots as an illness that was once considered a cause of death to how nostalgia is affected by climate change and species extinction. From endless sequels and franchises to early-pandemic nostalgia, Tanner provides a detailed overview of nostalgia — and shares how we can be more mindful of its existence. 📚 You can purchase The Hours Have Lost Their ...
Moises Mendez II
October 08, 2021 15:57 - 33 minutes - 45.3 MBFreelance culture writer Moises Mendez II discusses the path he took to become a journalist, controversies surrounding queerbaiting in mainstream culture, the importance of TikTok Star Tally Dilbert's influence on young Afro-Latinos, and the connection between Gabby Petito and Couch Guy. Plus, Mendez reveals his favorite meme of all-time. Mendez will be a speaker at Digital Void's Meme in the Moment Festival: Make it Spoopy. Live from Caveat NYC on Wednesday, October 27, at 7:00 PM ET. 🎟 T...
Lilly Chin "How to Survive a Public Faming"
September 27, 2021 13:02 - 31 minutes - 42.8 MB2017 College Jeopardy winner, author of How to Survive a Public Faming: “Understanding “The Spiciest Memelord” via the Temporal Dynamics of Involuntary Celebrification and graduate student at MIT Lilly Chin shares the story of how she became "The Spiciest Memelord", the structural issues and lack of institutional support associated with overnight fame, and strategies to properly respond to online harassment and trolls. Follow Digital Void Twitter: https://twitter.com/digivoidmedia YouTube...
Idil Galip "Meme Studies Research Network"
August 25, 2021 12:52 - 48 minutes - 65.9 MBFounder of the Meme Studies Research Network (MSRN) and doctoral researcher in sociology Idil Galip explains how she started an international and interdisciplinary research network for scholars who study memes to collaborate and organize. Further, she explains how Turkey’s Gezi Park Protests inspired her memetic research, explores how memes are generation artifacts, and the dangers of assuming people engage with memes in good faith. Follow Digital Void Twitter: https://twitter.com/digivo...
Chris Stokel-Walker "TikTok Boom"
August 09, 2021 02:16 - 46 minutes - 63.4 MBAuthor of TikTok Boom and journalist Chris Stokel-Walker explores the strategy behind TikTok’s explosive rise in the west, the differences between Silicon Valley and Chinese technology, and how the features of TikTok are designed to mirror people’s performances back onto themselves, allowing them to feel like they are part of a community. Follow Digital Void Twitter: https://twitter.com/digivoidmedia YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKWoac3SIfsUg6Xl0X1GS8A Facebook: https://www....
Garrison Davis "On White Boy Summer"
July 12, 2021 01:50 - 1 hour - 82.4 MBWriter for Uprising: A Guide from Portland and Bellingcat and a researcher for Behind the Bastards and Worst Year Ever, Garrison Davis explains the evolution of “White Boy Summer” from Chet Hanks music video to white supremacist meme. Davis shares the story of how “White Boy Summer” was discussed amongst 4Chan message board users and far-right Telegram channels and, ultimately, how the meme ended up becoming commodified. Further, Davis explains how the vaporwave aesthetic is used by fascis...
Emily Gillcrist "Vital Thought"
June 24, 2021 12:20 - 44 minutes - 61.8 MBPhD Candidate in Cultural Analysis & Theory, artist, educator, and founder of Vital Thought, Emily Gillcrist, shows us how the 2008 recession led to universities devaluing the humanities — and how Vital Thought is working to make the critical humanities accessible to everyone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Media Martyrs Pt. 2 "The Reactionaries"
June 07, 2021 18:38 - 52 minutes - 71.8 MBIn the second of a special three-part series, Jamie and Josh explore how the rise of citizen journalism combined with toxic troll culture gave rise to reaction reactionaries: The people who profit most from reacting to other people’s reactions. Rooted in digital technology’s infrastructure and libertarian ideology, they explore how identity, language, and irony were leveraged to create an army of culture warriors. From Chan culture to John Perry Barlow's Declaration of the Independence of Cyb...
Paris Marx "Tech Won't Save Us"
April 19, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutes - 66.1 MBHost of the Tech Won't Save Us Podcast and writer Paris Marx joins us to critically examine Silicon Valley’s approach to the gig economy and labor, what California’s Prop 22 could mean for the future of work, the outsourced, exploited, and hidden labor behind new robots and surveillance technologies, and approaches to worker solidarity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Media Martyrs Pt. 1 "The Grifters"
April 12, 2021 14:17 - 43 minutes - 60.2 MBIn the first of a special three-part series, Jamie and Josh explore how "mainstream media" became a pejorative term through the convergence of the narrative structure of reality television, early-YouTube web series, Gamergate, professional wrestling, and the false victimhood narratives created by influencers with millions of followers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.