Democracy

Comradeship in Crisis: Climate Change vs. the Posthuman Threat

October 24, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Could the posthuman—rather than climate catastrophe—be the unifying force that calls us to arms?

Humanity vs. Technology (in 5 minutes)

July 31, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Dr. Leigh M. Johnson summarizes the challenges technology poses to humanity (and the humanities) in 5-minute PowerPoint.

BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep2: “White Christmas” with Chris Gilliard

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

In Episode 2 of BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, I am joined by Dr. Chris Gilliard to discuss the first Black Mirror holiday special, first aired in 2014, “White Christmas.” Again, I strongly recommend that you watch (or re-watch) the episode before listening to this podcase episode. Even though Chris and I spend waaayyyy more time talking about…

BLACK MIRROR REFLECTIONS, Ep 15: “Hated in the Nation” with Ammon Allred

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

For Episode 15, I am re-joined by Dr. Ammon Allred to talk about social media cesspools, climate change, the unwritten rules of hashtags, so-called “cancel culture,” the Capitol insurrection, and “Hated in the Nation” (Season 3, Episode 6 of Black Mirror), which originally premiered in 2016. (Of course, we also talk about Derrida.) Listen/Download BLACK MIRROR…

Feminism and the F-bomb

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

I’ve observed a deeply problematic trend on social media of late, one that has been amplified amidst Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee and the several concurrent allegations of sexual assault leveled against Kavanaugh that have been made public in the past several days. Many people—who are (rightfully) outraged by…

On Snitches: Silence and Secrecy in the Information Age

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Recently, I took part in an excellent interdisciplinary symposium (hosted by Ted George and Kristi Sweet of the Texas A&M Philosophy Department) focused on “Hermeneutics, the Humanities, and the Future of Interpretation.” All of the presentations were great, but the one that has stuck in my craw, and which I suspect I will not be able to pry loose for quite some…

Why They Run

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

There’s an old dad-joke that goes something like this: A bear jumps out of the woods, in a rage, and starts chasing two hikers. They both start running for their lives, but then one of them stops to put on his running shoes. “What are you doing?!,” the other hiker exclaims, “You can’t outrun a…

Datapocalypse Now?

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Facebook and its enigmatic custodian Mark Zuckerberg suffered their biggest hit to date this week when it was revealed that Cambridge Analytica— which self-describes as a political and commercial service that “uses data to change audience behavior”– pulled the personal data from 50 million Facebook users, without their permission, and used it to advance Donald Trump’s…

The Fine Line Between Proselytizing and Parody: On “Roseanne”

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Two decades after its season “finale” in 1997, Roseanne made its triumphant return to prime-time television this past Tuesday night. More than 18 million people tuned in (including President Trump) and, if the hot takes are to believed, most people loved it (including President Trump). Critics have attributed the largely positive reception of Roseanne to its sympathetic…

Why We Need YOUR Help to #SaveTheInternet

June 9, 2024 Leigh M. Johnson 0 Comments

Did the image above give you a little bit of a dystopic shiver? It should. This Thursday, December 14, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai plans to roll back the Obama-era Title II regulations governing net neutrality. We can’t let that happen. You’ve no doubt heard the words “net neutrality” a lot in recent months (including on…

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