A few years back I wrote a short piece on karma for the late, great, independent weekly The Alibi. There is a dark, cruel aspect to it: Everything bad that happens to you is your own fault... If you're beaten, robbed, raped, get hit by a bus or get cancer it's because...
Media Literacy
Squaring the Strange # 148 – Steak-Umms and the 2001 Monkey Man Panic!
For this episode we are joined by a surprise guest, the critical thinker behind the Steak-Umms popular brand voice (aka Nathan Allebach), who talks to us about targeting misinformation as a PR strategy, managing viral posts, and the brand's recent dustup with Neil...
The Monkey Man Panic: 20 Years Later
Twenty years ago last month the capital of India was gripped in a panic. Early reports claimed that some mysterious monkey-like creature attacked many residents in New Delhi, leaving fear, scars, and ultimately even dead bodies in its wake. The Monkey Man, as it came...
‘Wonder Woman’ and the Alamo Theater Publicity Stunts
Four years ago this week, 'Wonder Woman' was released and became a blockbuster hit. As part of a publicity stunt, the Alamo theater chain announced that it would hold "Women-only Wonder Woman screenings," as it did with "Clowns-only 'It' screenings." It was a hoax and...
Diversity in Devastation: Media Myths and Mass Shooter Demographics
Mass shootings are, sadly, in the news again. Across the country violence is up overall in recent months, and gun-related homicides are on the rise. From Boston to Chicago to New Orleans, as covid restrictions relax shootings increase. The...
Squaring the Strange #145: Bottomless Pits and Spooky Geology with Sharon Hill
In a recent episode of Squaring the Strange we have everything: Lil Nas X's Satanic Shoes, a sketchy alkaline water CEO, and geologist Sharon Hill educating us about spooky geology like bottomless pits, the mysterious "Mel's Hole," quicksand, and hollow earth...
Roots Of—And Responses To—COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy
My new blog examines some myths about, and ways to address, covid vaccine hesitancy. From concerns about efficacy to the "Dirty Dozen" social media anti-vaxxers, the first step is understanding the problem; the second step is knowing your audience. As the...
Audio Pareidolia And The Chauvin Trial
During the recent trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, an interesting—and easily overlooked—aspect related to psychology and critical thinking arose. As MSN reported, “Derek Chauvin defense attorney Eric Nelson on...
Quoted in ‘Rolling Stone’ about Viral TikTok Abduction Rumors
I'm quoted in a recent Rolling Stone article about abduction rumors going viral on TikTok. It's an interesting social media twist on an old urban legend... you can read it HERE. You can also check out the Squaring the Strange shows we did on faked...
Monster Freed After Lawyer Offers Ridiculous Defense!’: Post Hoc Fallacies In Legal Outcomes
With the recent trials of Derek Chauvin and others, I'm seeing a common fallacy: Seemingly outrageous legal defenses are held up as evidence of how horrible American social values are. But the outrage is evidence of nothing more than a misunderstanding of the justice...