Monogamy isn't "natural," says this feminist philosopher
As discussed on this week's episode of Magical Overthinkers!
Writing Prompt:
One genre of fiction that I can’t get enough of is the campus novel: The Secret History, Vladimir, Bunny… it’s a world I find ceaselessly alluring.
Write the beginning paragraph of a short story or essay inspired by a school campus experience of yours. Pay special attention to paining a portrait of the setting—what does the academic environment look like? What are students and teachers wearing? What does the place smell like?
Offocial overthinker merch has launched!
My OGs will know I have dabbled in teeeeeeny tiny merch drops at various points in the past, but never anything like this!! At long last, a true collection is here. Get yourself a magical overthinker tee, sweatshirt, cap, poster, journal, stickers, whatever ya like!!!!! Just for you email subscribers, I’ve got a one-time 10% promo code: OVERTHINKER10
Also, Wordslut sweatshirts are coming!
I got to write an essay for The Guardian about thought-terminating clichés.
I have been seeing more thought-stopping stock phrases in social media discourse than I have in a long time. So it was a real honor and privilege to be able to write this piece about what shape they take and how we can fight senseless fire with sensible fire. Here’s the first couple paragraphs of the piece, and you can read the full thing below!
Since the moment I learned about the concept of the “thought-terminating cliche” I’ve been seeing them everywhere I look: in televised political debates, in flouncily stencilled motivational posters, in the hashtag wisdom that clogs my social media feeds. Coined in 1961 by psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton, the phrase describes a catchy platitude aimed at shutting down or bypassing independent thinking and questioning. I first heard about the tactic while researching a book about the language of cult leaders, but these sayings also pervade our everyday conversations: expressions such as “It is what it is”, “Boys will be boys”, “Everything happens for a reason” and “Don’t overthink it” are familiar examples.
From populist politicians to holistic wellness influencers, anyone interested in power is able to weaponise thought-terminating cliches to dismiss followers’ dissent or rationalise flawed arguments. In his book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, Lifton wrote that these semantic stop signs compress “the most far-reaching and complex of human problems … into brief, highly selective, definitive-sounding phrases, easily memorized and easily expressed. They become the start and finish of any ideological analysis.”
Such zingy stock phrases are enjoying something of a golden age in the digital era, propagated by way of aesthetically pleasing quotegrams and viral social media posts. During Covid lockdowns, dogmatic maxims such as “Reality is subjective”, “Don’t let yourself be ruled by fear” and “Truth is a construct” exploded among online conspiracy theorists.
Thought-terminating cliches exist, of course, in every language. In China, some government officials are known to exploit the phrase “Mei banfa”, meaning “No solution”, or “There’s nothing to be done” to justify inaction. The saying “Shouganai”, a linguistic shrug of resignation similar to “It is what it is”, is similarly weaponised in Japan. The Polish idiom “Co wolno wojewodzie, to nie tobie, smrodzie” roughly means “People in positions of power can get away with anything” (hence, don’t bother putting up a fight). According to Walter Scheirer, author of A History of Fake Things on the Internet, thought-terminating cliches commonly carry a defeatist flavour. It’s hard work, involving psychological friction, to figure out the best way to think about complex subjects such as climate policy or geopolitics. Any licence to give up the struggle is going to be appealing.
The second episode of Magical Overthinkers, titled '“Overthinking About Monogamy,” drops tomorrow.
But paid subscribers can listen to the whole thing now behind the paywall below! I am terribly proud of this episode, featuring feminist philosopher Dr. Ellie Anderson. I learned A TON from our conversation and I hope you enjoy it, too.
This week on Sounds Like A Cult…
I am downright GIDDY to share two iconic voices on this week’s episode of Sounds Like A Cult—not only the iconic Culture Study auteure Anne Helen Petersen, but also SLACs very own intern (actually recently promoted to coordinator 😎), Reese Oliver!!! Speaking of new voices, team SLAC has been cooking up additional cult leaders to add to the hosting rotation later this year, and I am v excited not to have to continue talking all by herself 😂 Anyway, onto introducing the “cult” of tradwives. Short for “traditional wife,” this disturbing cultural craze marries idealizations of biblical womanhood with romantic social media aesthetics to create a freaky wave of politically regressive influencers, who’ve rejected feminism in favor of oppression… but make it “cute?” In between churning their own butter and brushing their naturally birthed kids’ hair, tradwives evangelize a host of ideologies so racist and sexist, at first it seems like a bit… and then it’s not. SCARY!!!! Join Reese, Anne, and I down the rabbit hole, as we attempt to puzzle out this confounding modern-day “cult.” The episode drops first thing tomorrow!
BOOK: The Resilience Myth
I just got my hands on this brand new nonficiton book from the BRILLIANT Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her, and I just know it’s going to blow my mind and heal my soul in about 492 ways.
SONG: Bruises Off the Peach
A sad-girl summer song to kick off the warm-weather season. Ugh, I just love pretty, vibey tunes like this.
SHORT READ: What Is Anne Hathaway Trying to Tell Us?
I admit it, I was once a total Hatha-hater. And this cutting piece by this week’s SLAC guest, celebrity culture scholar Anne Helen Petersen, finally helped me understand why (it’s because I, too, am an earnest millennial theatre kid. Once again, we hate what we are lol).
UNNECESSARY PURCHASE: DÔEN Kenley Fair Isle Knitted Vest
A bougie sweater vest to go with this week’s campus novel prompt. Y’all know how much I love to cosplay professor. Can’t do it without the proper uniform!
Upgrade your subscription to listen to the new Magical Overthinkers podcast episode below—a day early and add free.