A podcast about rhetoric and current events hosted by M. Elizabeth Thorpe, PhD. In this podcast we explore the way big ideas from the world of rhetoric apply to every day life. We focus on major events that are shaping the world today and consider how those things that sometimes seem like they belong in the ivory tower can actually help us make sense of the life we are living. This isn’t a podcast for the experts. This is a podcast for the intellectually curious.
Episodes
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
Wednesday Jul 29, 2020
In this episode we analyze Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's recent speech in response to Rep. Yoho's vulgar attack against her. We explore the history of the feminist movement and what it means to be in community. Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
In this episode we give an overview of free speech and its history in the United States and discuss just how free our speech really is. We explore the difference between government and communal responsibilities in monitoring speech and what that means for "cancel culture." Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
Wednesday Jul 15, 2020
In this episode we explore the propagandistic nature of education. If education is propaganda, then the Right's problem with higher learning isn't that it indoctrinates students, but that it DOESN'T indoctrinate them. We discuss what an education is for and the legal and historical role of education in America. Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
Wednesday Jul 08, 2020
In this very personal episode we discuss what it means for us to be patriotic in the 21st century and whether we can love a very flawed and problematic country. Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
In this episode we further explore "law & order" rhetoric. We discuss the history and impact of the Southern Strategy and how that relates to the electoral college. Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
In this episode we discuss Trump's June 20th rally and analyze his speech in terms of his lack of argument and tendency to simply list claims. We look at two sections of his speech that were extended narratives and argue they were defenses of his masculinity. Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Sunday Jun 21, 2020
Sunday Jun 21, 2020
In this episode we look at the recent Supreme Court decision concerning gay and transgender rights (Bostock v. Clayton County). We discuss the importance of textualism, a legal interpretation theory, in understanding this case. Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
In this episode we explore the controversy surrounding Confederate statues and memorials. We do so by interrogating the concepts of public memory and history as a rhetorical construct. What history is being memorialized by these statues, parks, and forts and what does that say about us? What are we trying to remember? Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
Thursday Jun 11, 2020
In this episode we discuss the similarities between Trump and Nixon, focusing on their authoritarian tendencies. We specifically look at the concept of "the Great Silent Majority" and explain how that is used to silence dissent. Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.
Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
Wednesday Jun 03, 2020
In this episode we explore the implications of "law and order" rhetoric. We discuss MLK, Jr. and his complicated legacy and the rhetoric of riots. We discuss #BlackLivesMatter and the situation in Minneapolis and all across the U.S. Learn more about Kairoticast at https://kairoticast.com. Music in this episode is "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3742-fearless-first licensed under CC-BY.