In this episode, we chat with Ethan Zuckerman— a Public Policy, Communication and Information professor at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst— about his views on the present political climate and major movements occurring in reaction to the Trump administration. From the anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis to memes on the internet to the Boston Massacre, we discuss the various forms of resistance the public can perform in the face of adversity. Zuckerman also delves into the historization of mass movements and how their retellings, or lack thereof, can shape how we perform and learn about resistance. We end by circling back to a discussion of memes and AI as they influence how America views current events. Zuckerman leaves us wondering what America looks like and how the celebrations will roll out as we hit its 250th birthday in 2026. In particular, we explore what monuments and memorials might look like if they emerged bottom-up from the people rather than top-down from government institutions.
Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper:
Academic/Educational readings and resources:
- How Right Wing Influencers Used AI Slop to Turn Renee Good Into a Meme
- Gramsci’s Nightmare: AI, Platform Power and the Automation of Cultural Hegemony
- Mistrust Why Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform Them
- Digital Cosmopolitans Why We Think the Internet Connects Us, Why It Doesn’t, and How to Rewire It
- 1984
Historical Events or Celebrations:
- America’s 250th bicentennial
- Boston Tea Party
- Boston Massacre
- 1992 Los Angeles riots/ Rodney King Riots
- Watergate
- Lincoln Brigades
- Kent State shootings
People & Places:
- Alex Pretti
- Renee Good
- Rodney King
- George Floyd
- Eric Garner
- Elon Musk
- Alexander Hamilton
- Antonio Gramsci
- Jill Lapore – These Truths
- Heather Cox Richardson
- Stone Mountain
- National Memorial for Peace and Justice
- Harold Innis: Marble vs. Papyrus
- James Mitchner on Kent State
Media:
- The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail
- 1776
- Hamilton
- Mary Tyler Moore Anti-ICE statue [Link]
- JD Vance Couch Meme [News Link]
- US Tries to Take Greenland [News link]
- White House posts digitally altered image of woman arrested after ICE protest [News link]
- Grok “Woke Bias” [News link]
- Trump White House “Walk of Fame” Plaques [News link]
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