Michael Miller- Platforms of Control: Social Media and the Limits of Theroretical Pluralism
Listen now
Description
Barry and Mike discuss the main ideas in Michael Miller's article. They specifically hone in on three of his main arguments: 1. That as it is often utilized on social media, (T)heory functions more as a means of accruing social capital than as a foundation for debate 2. That what he calls "weak theory" becomes anti-intellectual" in its attempt to create moral superiority 3. About the public value of "progressive punitivism" as a means of achieving a moral high ground. In addition to playing with the way that these ideas work on social media, Barry and Mike look at how these ideas work in our analog existences as well.
More Episodes
In this episode, Barry and Mike finish their discussion of Chayka on Han and Benjamin’s essay, “The Storyteller.”  In teasing out Han and Benjamin’s ideas about the distinction between narration and information, they land on the problem posed by the contemporary digital campfire. 
Published 06/14/24
Published 06/14/24
In this episode, Barry and Mike focus exclusively on the distinction between the storyteller and the novelist as explained in Walter Benjamin’s 1936 essay, “The Storyteller.” 
Published 05/31/24