I must say I don’t feel the least bit gruesome for the subtle satisfaction I feel in acknowledging — dare I say, low key celebrating? — someone’s demise. But I don’t. I suppose it helps that Aunt Jemima isn’t actually a person. She’s a construct. An antiquated, racist construct that has now officially been rebranded. Out with …
What’s the Difference Between White Liberal Rhetoric and True Advocacy?
One of my oldest friends has a service job, work truck, hard hat, uniform, the whole bit. He often has to visit people at their home to do prep work before they start major projects that require digging and potentially hitting power, gas, and cable lines. He’s told me stories about white women watching him …
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Facebook Is Being Irresponsible with Its Stance on Political Advertising
I usually shy away from blogging about politics – it’s too inflammatory, even for me LOL – but hear me out here because I’m not advocating for Democrat or Republican. Nor am I pushing for a particular candidate in the upcoming presidential election. My gripe this fine Friday is with Facebook’s decision to not fact …
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To Like or Not to Like, the Eternal Social Media Question
You may have heard that Instagram is experimenting with its functionality. In July the popular social media platform began eliminating likes from posts in seven countries – the U.S. was not one of them – "claiming the feature will help to reduce its associated impacts on mental health and societal pressure." The experiment hasn’t been running for long. Digital …
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If Cookies Don’t Bring Cash, What Are They Doing with Our Data?
So, according to the Wall Street Journal, all of the cookies that companies drop all over your computer – the ones that track your every online move and then report it to whichever advertiser ponies up the coins for your data – aren’t actually bringing in all that much revenue. The WSJ piece references a study …
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Media Influence Is so Bad, Apple Wants to Teach Critical Thinking
Some days I feel like a spectator in this really weird game of media bumper cars. As a career journalist, I have inside knowledge of how the media works. The good, the bad, and we all know things can get very ugly. But lately things seem especially wretched. Huge companies that have a huge impact …
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50 Cent: Making Waves, Making Change and Burning Gucci
So, by now you’ve probably heard about Gucci and the case of the blackface sweater. The luxury brand has been taking a lot of heat, as I think it should. It’s paltry in the extreme that a storied fashion house like this would be so insensitive to a key segment of its customer base. Their …
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Colin Kaepernick and Nike Want You to Believe in Something
Earlier this week former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick tweeted a black and white pic of his face along with the words, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.” I was so happy when I realized it was Nike's 30th anniversary campaign announcement. We’re talking immediate ear-to-ear grin. It was like, yes! …
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Snapchat, Rihanna Does Not Accept Your Apology
So, Rihanna let Snapchat have it this week for running an ad that she says is insensitive toward domestic violence. Of course, the social media platform quickly apologized, but Riri was not having it. I don’t blame her. Using her image and name in a game of Would You Rather where the choices are slap …
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