It's Not You, It's The Media

Suchitra, Bhakti, and Madhuri ask what happens when the media tries to be woke. Turns out, it all becomes very cringe. The episode unpacks performative wokeness in mainstream media, and exposes how the term woke – rooted in Black resistance – has been stripped of its radical origins and become a marketing tool. The word woke originates in abolitionist and Black liberation movements but today it has become adopted, diluted, and misused in mainstream culture. The media uses woke language and terms for signaling progressiveness while avoiding substantive engagement with systemic injustices. The hosts explore how the media co-opts wokeness by using tactics like breadcrumbing – a strategy where media outlets offer sporadic, surface-level content on social justice issues to maintain credibility without making meaningful change – and cherry-picking, wherein palatable elements of activism are co-opted while deeper critiques of oppressive systems are ignored.They offer sharp critiques of cultural moments which are etched in virtue-signaling and performative politics, while examining how wokeness has been reduced to a spectacle. They also analyze the ways in which the media has mishandled significant movements like #MeToo and Black Lives Matter. The episode also explores the concept of cancel culture, exposing how its effects disproportionately target marginalized voices – such as Palestinian authors – while powerful figures often face minimal consequences and return to the spotlight unscathed. The hosts argue that this selective accountability reflects the media’s complicity in upholding existing power structures, even as it masquerades as progressive. This episode argues that wokeness is a form of gaslighting when wielded by the media. By projecting an image of moral clarity and progressive values, the media deflects criticism and perpetuates the very systems of oppression it claims to challenge. Keywords: Wokeness, woke media, gaslighting, pop culture, appropriation, co-option, BLM, MeToo, systemic oppression, selective outrage, activism, cherry-picking, breadcrumbing, capitalism, commodification, progressiveness, tokenism, representation, stereotypesKey Takeaways: The term woke is historically rooted in values of resistance, abolition, and Black activism. Since then, it has evolved and appropriated by mainstream culture and reduced to a tool for advancing capitalist forces, evident from woke bumper stickers, tote bags, clothes, and meme culture which takes no critical stance or accountability.Examples of wokeness are etched in virtue signalling and performative politics. Some examples are, Nancy Pelosi appropriating Colin Kaepernick’s take the knee protest against the NFL, or Beyonce co-opting the message of Black Panthers in Super Bowl 2016.Breadcrumbing is a technique used by the liberal media to maintain credibility by sporadically engaging and publishing progressive content without advocating for systemic change. Similarly, cherry-picking is another technique used to highlight aspects of activism which appear essential while ignoring the foundational issues of capitalism and imperialism. The media overall prioritizes aesthetics, visible from the reception of movies like Barbie and Oppenheimer, all the while superficially representing and covering important campaigns such as the BLM protests, MeToo, and anti-racism protests.The media practices cancel culture and are only selectively accountable. They dilute the disproportionate impact of cancel culture on marginalized communities.

Suchitra, Bhakti, and Madhuri examine a year of prize scandals, immoral literary institutions and inappropriate red carpet galas. They ask why the genocide in Gaza has not been a red line for many prestigious literary institutions who have insisted on going about business as usual. They look at how literary institutions, prize committees, cultural events and writers themselves are complicit in perpetuating imperialist power structures and silencing dissenting voices. They highlight the ways in which these institutions, through both overt actions and subtle inactions, reveal their allegiance to oppressive systems. They break down the controversies that have rocked prominent literary organizations and awards in North America, such as PEN America, Giller Prize, and the Dan David Prize amongst others, further exposing their failure to take a firm stand on Palestine. The hosts also address the broader critique of performative activism in the literary world.The episode interrogates the role and responsibilities of a writer, publishers and institutions during an ongoing genocide, and emphasizes an urgent reimagining for the way that literary and cultural institutions and ecosystems should function. It urges the literary industry to push forward the cultural boycott of Israel, and actively participate in creating ethical, radical spaces for resistance and solidarity. Keywords: Palestine, Gaza, literary awards, PEN America, Guernica, Giller Prize, Dan David Prize, JCB Prize, PACBI, cultural boycott, Palestinian literature, literary institutions, genocide, resistance, solidarity, zionist apologiaKey Takeaways: The ongoing genocide in Gaza perpetuated by Israel has exposed and unmasked the literary world as they were faced with controversies over their stance on the genocide. Many writers and organizations have called on for the boycott of institutions who continue to not address the genocide on Gaza and maintain their close ties with Israel.The Giller Prize and PEN America, in particular, have recently faced serious backlash for their financial sponsorships and allegiance to institutionalised oppressive systems. The impact of cultural production and its political implications by literary organizations on state violence is sanitized by manufacturing harmful narratives of tip-toeing around neutrality and zionist apologia. The role of a writer comes into question during an ongoing genocide and genocide must be a red line in cultural and literary production. There is a moral imperative to engage in ethical publishing and reject affiliations with systems abetting oppression and violence.Literary organizations must understand the significance of the cultural boycott of Israel and the necessity of signing on to PACBI. References:Gaza! Gaza! Gaza! https://arablit.org/tag/gaza-gaza-gaza/ Read Palestine Week 2024 https://arablit.org/2024/11/29/join-read-palestine-week-2024/ Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) call for boycott https://bdsmovement.net/pacbi/pacbi-call Publishers for Palestine https://publishersforpalestine.org/ Writers Against the War on...

Suchitra, Bhakti, and Madhuri embark on a detailed breakdown of Islamophobia, dissecting its historical roots, modern manifestations, and the critical role the media plays in perpetuating anti-Muslim sentiment. They examine how Islamophobia has evolved from colonial narratives into a sophisticated mechanism of systemic hatred, embedded in global power structures. The episode traces the etymology and history of the term “Islamophobia,” highlighting how it fails to capture the full extent of the deliberate dehumanization faced by Muslims worldwide. The hosts delve into the media’s complicity in spreading stereotypes, from conflating Muslim identities with terrorism to sensationalized portrayals of Muslim women as both oppressed and in need of saving. The discussion also emphasizes the intersectionality of Islamophobia, illustrating how it overlaps with racism, sexism, casteism, and imperialism to create a multi-layered system of discrimination. The hosts describe the ways in which Islamophobia is normalized in diverse contexts – from the United States’ post-9/11 policies to France’s secularism debates and India’s Hindu nationalist agenda.Keywords: Islamophobia, media, terrorism, pop culture, politics, education, activism, Muslim communities, representation, stereotypesKey Takeaways: Islamophobia has been prevalent for centuries, especially intensified by recent events in Palestine. The definition of Islamophobia is often misunderstood, leading to a lack of awareness about its manifestations. What is Islamophobia? What is its definition, the etymology, and its historical and cultural evolution?The term “Islamophobia” can seem too mild and does not capture its pernicious and violent effects. Media plays a significant role in shaping negative perceptions of Muslims and Islam, and structures its narratives around the term “phobia” and the deliberate, systemic hatred it represents.Terrorism is often misrepresented in the media, focusing on non-state actors while ignoring state-sponsored violence. Doing so, it conflates the identity of terrorism with the identity of Islam. Pop culture contributes to the normalization of Islamophobic narratives through films and television, such as the TV show Homeland and movies like Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Media and political discourse often uses the narrative of saving Muslim women to justify military interventions.Islamophobia is not just a Western issue; it has global implications, affecting Muslim communities worldwide. Local political narratives feed into the global depiction of Islam and anti-Muslim hate.Education about Islamophobia and “unlearning” these coded messages is crucial, however, the effort required starts from the personal and familial levels.Activism and organizing against Islamophobia are essential for creating change.Hosted by: Suchitra Vijayan, Bhakti Shringarpure, and Madhuri SastryA podcast by The Polis Project https://www.thepolisproject.com/References:Do Muslim Women Need Saving? by Lila Abu-Lughod https://ideas.time.com/2013/11/01/do-muslim-women-need-saving/ On Edward Said’s Orientalism