Great points Neil. It’s that kind of association that allows bad ideas to gestate - consider how over 30 years bad education policy was placed into every American primary school so that hundreds of thousands of kids didn’t learn how to read. George Bush recognised this during his tenure and tried to address it but because his political leanings met consistent backlash and so nothing was done. We should always be prepared to listen and be ready to accept good ideas even from people we might not like. The alternative is (in this instance) children being failed year after year.
As a side note I find it *interesting* that you find Buzzcut inclusive. I find it very singular and narrow in its politics and views. Superficially inclusive perhaps and I think the organisers probably want to be inclusive (?) (maybe?) ....
You got to it in the end - social media, that and the 24x7 news monster - Ye and such folks and their platforming is mainly a problem because, even if they could speak reasonably for 1 hour, the one sentence they said which was unreasonable would be endlessly repeated on social media / news and thus would dominate above all the reasonable chat. Hence everyone has to be ideologically pure. You'll have read it anyway but Jon Ronson's "So You've Been Publicly Shamed" covers this issue really well.
Ronson's book is great. I was thinking the other day about how much the world has changed since Justine Sacco. Yes, the news cycle is key. The narrative is key.
In what ways do you think it has changed? Maybe more platforms now for those who would have been piled on back then perhaps, as well as the clear reality that cancelling is a temporary state.
Possibly now there is now a community of people who would have defended her. Also, a greater awareness that nihilistic comedy can be avoided rather than be outraged by.
Great points Neil. It’s that kind of association that allows bad ideas to gestate - consider how over 30 years bad education policy was placed into every American primary school so that hundreds of thousands of kids didn’t learn how to read. George Bush recognised this during his tenure and tried to address it but because his political leanings met consistent backlash and so nothing was done. We should always be prepared to listen and be ready to accept good ideas even from people we might not like. The alternative is (in this instance) children being failed year after year.
As a side note I find it *interesting* that you find Buzzcut inclusive. I find it very singular and narrow in its politics and views. Superficially inclusive perhaps and I think the organisers probably want to be inclusive (?) (maybe?) ....
Definitely a lot of focus on making sure that there is BSL and access. Not sure what it is like as a performer!
You got to it in the end - social media, that and the 24x7 news monster - Ye and such folks and their platforming is mainly a problem because, even if they could speak reasonably for 1 hour, the one sentence they said which was unreasonable would be endlessly repeated on social media / news and thus would dominate above all the reasonable chat. Hence everyone has to be ideologically pure. You'll have read it anyway but Jon Ronson's "So You've Been Publicly Shamed" covers this issue really well.
Ronson's book is great. I was thinking the other day about how much the world has changed since Justine Sacco. Yes, the news cycle is key. The narrative is key.
In what ways do you think it has changed? Maybe more platforms now for those who would have been piled on back then perhaps, as well as the clear reality that cancelling is a temporary state.
Possibly now there is now a community of people who would have defended her. Also, a greater awareness that nihilistic comedy can be avoided rather than be outraged by.
I hope that's true yes. Though, being on mastodon and not twitter, I am less aware of pile-ons which I am very happy about!