mic

Not another weak celebrity apology: This hollow public ritual desperately needs an overhaul

Feb 3, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, Gender and Sexism, mic, Race and Racism, Scandals

Published: Salon (February 3, 2016) When Shia LaBeouf was caught plagiarizing another artist, he launched a performance art piece called #IAmSorry as a statement on the ritual of celebrity apologies. Although his particular offense had nothing to do with bigotry, he could have just as easily been ridiculing the familiar formula that seems to have emerged when celebrities are caught in scandals...

The real power behind the rise of tech in the Iowa caucus

Feb 1, 2016 | Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Internet Culture, mic, Science and Technology

Published: The Daily Dot (February 1, 2016) Regardless of which candidates triumph in the Iowa caucuses today, there is one winner whose victory no one will be able to dispute—digital technology. To understand how the Internet has fundamentally transformed the Iowa caucuses, it is first necessary to explain the mechanics that determine how this unique political ritual functions. Although...

The Fundamental Difference Between Sanders and Trump

Jan 31, 2016 | Conservativism, Democrats, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Republicans

Published: Alternet (January 31, 2016), Salon (January 31, 2016), The Good Men Project (January 21, 2016) As the 2016 presidential election gathers steam, it’s tempting to compare the Bernie Sanders surge among Democrats with the Donald Trump phenomenon among Republicans. After all, both candidates are marshalling support from the ideological grassroots in their respective parties (the left in...

Enough about Hillary Clinton’s damn emails!

Jan 30, 2016 | Elections - Presidential (2016), mic, Scandals

Published: The Good Men Project (January 30, 2016) 815 words into the Associated Press's recent 949 word piece on Hillary Clinton's email scandal, one will find a passage that should appear at the very beginning: The FBI also is looking into Clinton's email setup, but has said nothing about the nature of its probe. Independent experts says it's unlikely Clinton will be charged with wrongdoing,...

Marvel’s Trump agenda: Maybe it’s no accident that fans have to push for equality and diversity at every turn

Jan 29, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, Gender and Sexism, mic, Race and Racism

Published: Salon (January 29, 2016) How should progressives respond to the recent news that Marvel Comics CEO Ike Perlmutter donated over $1 million to a Donald Trump event intended to draw viewers away from the Republican presidential debate? As a start, they should remember these words of wisdom from one of Marvel’s most iconic superhero franchises: “With great power comes great...

“Star Wars” fans, unite: The only way to fight #WheresRey trends is to stop buying the toys

Jan 25, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, Gender and Sexism, mic

Published: Salon (January 25, 2016) After it became apparent that the character of Rey had been excluded from game sets for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” critics quickly accused Lucasfilm – which was purchased by Disney in 2012 – of making sexist assumptions when developing its product line. Although Hasbro denied these claims in a statement to Entertainment Weekly about their “Star Wars...

Amy Schumer and the rise of Internet vigilance

Jan 23, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, Internet Culture, mic

Published: The Daily Dot (January 23, 2016) If there is any silver lining to the Amy Schumer plagiarism scandal, it is that it establishes one of the ways in which the Internet can be an unequivocal force for good. Thanks to social media and online activism, the days in which the powerful can rip off the powerless with impunity are long gone. Just to recap: Three female comedians have accused...

Bloomberg is Not the Answer in 2016

Jan 22, 2016 | Elections - Presidential (2016), mic

Published: Salon (January 22, 2016), The Good Men Project (January 16, 2016) Apparently former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is thinking of running for president as a third-party candidate. The New York Times reports that Bloomberg commissioned a private poll to see how he would fare if the Democrats nominate Hillary Clinton and the Republicans nominate Donald Trump, which seems likely...

Technology should help, not hurt the workforce

Jan 21, 2016 | Class Issues, Economic Policy, mic, Science and Technology

Published: The Daily Dot (January 21, 2016) Calling the recent boom in digital technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology the “fourth industrial revolution,” the World Economic Forum, determined that by 2020—just a few years from now—as many as 7.1 million jobs may be lost in the world’s richest countries through redundancy and automation. In particular, the forum, which is...

Right Wing Terrorism and the Obama Brand

Jan 19, 2016 | Conservativism, Extremism, mic, Political Ideologies, Terrorism

Published: The Good Men Project (January 19, 2016) Since the start of his presidency, conservatives have been quick to lambast Barack Obama for not being tough on Islamic terrorists. Unfortunately for both them and the rest of America, a spoiled rancher and his political cohorts have now provided them with one of their ultimate moral tests – namely, whether their staunch anti-terrorist posturing...

« Older Entries

Next Entries »