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...
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, 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...
My Unpronounceable Hungarian Last Name
Jan 15, 2016 | Autobiographical, Race and Racism
Published: The Good Men Project (January 14, 2016) Let me tell you something about my last name. Even though it’s spelled “Rozsa,” it is pronounced ‘Roja.’ Being Hungarian, the ‘zs’ is pronounced in the same way that one would articulate an ‘s’ in ‘pleasure’ or...
Kim Davis, Donald Trump, and the Maddening Paradox of Ignoring the Obnoxious
Jan 15, 2016 | Conservativism, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Gay Rights and Other LGBTQIA Issues, Media Issues, Political Ideologies, Race and Racism
Published: The Good Men Project (January 12, 2016) The Internet is understandably indignant that Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, has been invited to appear at President Obama's State of the...
One year after the Charlie Hebdo attack, we are still #JeSuisCharlie
Jan 6, 2016 | Civil Liberties, Race and Racism, Terrorism
Published: The Daily Dot (January 6, 2016) January 7th marks the first anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo shootings in Paris that left 12 dead and 11 wounded. As we reflect on the greater meaning of the tragedy that occurred that day, a series of complex lessons present...
The Comedy in White Supremacy
Jan 2, 2016 | Internet Culture, Race and Racism, Satirical Essays
Published: The Good Men Project (January 2, 2016) It's one thing to explain why modern white supremacists are funny (something I've already done several times), but it's quite another to actually illustrate how this can be the case. Fortunately, a good friend of mine...
5 reasons why 2015 was the year of the social justice warrior
Dec 31, 2015 | Elections - Presidential (2016), Gay Rights and Other LGBTQIA Issues, Gender and Sexism, Race and Racism
Published: Salon (December 31, 2015), The Daily Dot (December 26, 2015) Although the term “social justice warrior” was constructed as an insult against progressive activists, the year 2015 has amply demonstrated why liberals should embrace the term. Social justice...
Why do Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas?
Dec 24, 2015 | Holiday Season, Jewish Experiences, Race and Racism, Religion and Religious Issues, Satirical Essays
Published: The Good Men Project (December 24, 2015) Much to my horror, I discovered earlier today that my favorite local Chinese restaurant isn't open on Christmas Eve. This may not seem like a big deal - heck, you could even say that I'm a bit of a scrooge for...
Democratic candidates blast Trump’s Muslim ban at debate
Dec 20, 2015 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Immigration, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Religion and Religious Issues
Published: MSNBC (December 20, 2015) Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley were unified on one topic during the last Democratic presidential debate of the year Saturday night: The toxicity of Donald Trump’s proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the...
Why We Should Laugh at Trump’s Nazis
Dec 15, 2015 | Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Republicans
Published: The Good Men Project (December 15, 2015) During a Donald Trump rally in Las Vegas earlier today, a Trump supporter shouted "Sieg heil!" as a black protester was physically ejected from a room where the candidate was speaking. Unsurprisingly, this incident...