Episode Details

Is that blank page paralyzing your activism?

Is your irony a mask for your complicity? We’re using William James and David Foster Wallace to interrogate the “sneer trap” of modern irony. From Marvin Gaye’s soulful protests to BTS’s radical solidarity after the Sewol Ferry tragedy, we consider how “New Sincerity” and “Guerilla Texts” can unsettle the status quo and physically alter the world.

Episode 6.35 –

Writing Back: Guerilla Texts, BTS, and Gaye

Readings & Resources:

• Gaye, Marvin. “What’s Going On.” What’s Going On, 1971.
• BTS. “Spring Day.” You Never Walk Alone, 2017. YouTube, https://youtu.be/xEeFrLSkMm8.
• James, William. “Is Life Worth Living?” The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy, 1897.
• Wallace, David Foster. “E Unibus Pluram: Television and U.S. Fiction.” Review of Contemporary Fiction, 1993.
• Hesse, Hermann. Demian, 1919.

Some Key Terms from this episode:

• Precursive Faith: The pragmatic belief that the very act of speaking out helps create the reality of that change
• New Sincerity: A subversive posture of absolute, vulnerable earnestness that rejects the irony weaponized by our modern media economy. 
• Guerilla Text: An improvisational, unsanctioned piece of public writing that operates outside the status quo

Listener’s Guide Reflection Questions

1. The Nature of the Blank Page: When you think about speaking out against injustice, does the desire for a “guarantee of success” act as a barrier to your first step or as a tool for planning?
2. The Armor of Irony: Thinking about your most recent social media posts or public opinions, how often have you used irony as a kind of armor?
3. The Process of Sincerity: How does the chance of being labeled “cringe” for an honest belief influence the way you choose to share your thoughts in public spaces?
4. The Texture of Solidarity: If Le Guin’s “walking away” is re-storied as a group action rather than a lonely departure, how does that shift the perceived cost of leaving?
5. The Logic of Occupation: When you use the “Emperor’s tools”—like social media platforms—to voice a protest, are you participating in the system or engaging in a “tactical occupation” of the space?

Complete Resources: 

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