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REASON 86: BARACK OBAMA IS PERHAPS THE GREATEST PRESIDENT OF MODERN TIMES AT COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH FOREIGN POPULATIONS. HE HAS ALSO CHANGED THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATES WITH ITS OWN CITIZENS ABOUT THE OUTSIDE WORLD.
I am excited for four more years of an Obama presidency for many reasons, but the one I am going to write about is selfish: I want four more sweet years of Canadians liking Americans. The Republicans will try to convince America that President Obama being a good communicator is somehow a bad thing. Often times politicians act as if the only use of public speaking is trying to get elected. In fact, this kind of personal charisma is perhaps the most direct way a president can pursue America’s interests abroad. Being able to communicate in a compelling way, and engaging other countries as partners and adults, is in America’s best interest.
There was a great example of this over the summer when Mitt Romney visited London for the Olympic games. In attempting to pander to a U.S. audience and show how “presidential” he was, he ended up convincing our greatest ally that he’s prone to terrible gaffes that could jeopardize relationships with our allies—delicate relationships where a few misplaced words can do great harm.
The most compelling recent example of President Obama’s abilities as a communicator came in his recent address to the United Nations. This speech was broadcast all over Canada and the world, and it detailed America’s vision for human rights, democratic change in the Middle East, and its priority to change the global status of women.
I felt so proud—as an American citizen living in a socially progressive country like Canada—that our president understands that there are global moral imperatives that unite us all.—
Montreal, Quebec, Canada(via 90days90reasons.com)
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No, you're not entitled to your opinion
[…] I say something like this: “I’m sure you’ve heard the expression ‘everyone is entitled to their opinion.’ Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself, maybe to head off an argument or bring one to a close. Well, as soon as you walk into this room, it’s no longer true. You are not entitled to your opinion. You are only entitled to what you can argue for.”
A bit harsh? Perhaps, but philosophy teachers owe it to our students to teach them how to construct and defend an argument – and to recognize when a belief has become indefensible.
I love this article on so many levels.
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The best response we've heard to Daniel Tosh's 'misquoted' rape jokes - 2012-Jul-12 - CultureMap Austin
Editor’s note: By now, you’ve probably heard about the terrible (because it’s all too common) incident that happened recently at the Hollywood Laugh Factory between comedian Daniel Tosh and a female audience member who was vocal about her displeasure with Tosh defending rape jokes in his stand-up act.
Tosh, who is known for his over-the-line comedy, both live and on-air, apologized over Twitter to the offended individual, providing some legitimacy to the claim that he went way over the line in this instance.
The he-said/she-said details of this particular instance, however, are far less important than the emerging discussion by comedians, feminists and media experts who have either expressed their support of Tosh or stand-up in general or commented upon the persistence of “off-limits” joke territories.
Lovers of the art form generally seem to agree that comedy is one of the few sacred spaces where commentary can be made on difficult, taboo topics in order to invite dialog. But most would also agree it takes a keenly honed sense of awareness and subtlety to execute these types of jokes successfully.
Of all the blog posts and news articles written about this recent flare-up of the age old comedy question so far, it’s been Austin area comedian Curtis Luciani who offered up the most deceptively eloquent statement on the larger matter that we’ve seen yet. As a member of sketch comedy groups Your Terrific Neighbors and The Hustle Show, he’s no stranger to flirting with that razon-thin line between hysterical and ostracizing. But he’s also, clearly, a really smart dude who gets the meaning and use of satire.
Published with his permission, here’s his response in its full, unapologetic glory (be advised: it contains dirty language) as it appeared on Facebook Wednesday.
BOOM. You’ve been served by rhetoric.
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When Digital Shaming Goes Too Far: Lessons From the Seattle Tip Stiffer - Media - GOOD
A VERY important read.
I’m guilty of saying stupid/inconsiderate/ignorant/et al. comments like everyone else, but nothing is makes me more sad than seeing such a comment (or a bajillion) on the internet. Let my homeboy Mark Twain keep it real:
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
Word. The only thing that makes me cry more is Ryan Gosling’s stellar performance in The Notebook. That man took Nicholas Sparks’ insipidities and polished them ‘til they shone like gold.
Will I ever stop posting Ryan Gosling-related things? One day.
Today is not that day.
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High ResolutionOH MAI GOD. I CANNOT GET ENOUGH.
(Source: feministryangosling)
Favorite Things
Twenty-something.
Atlanta.
Hedonist.
The views expressed here are my own and do not represent the views of my employers. No one should be held responsible for my stupid thoughts.
