Steph Brown
@stephbrown.bsky.social
Assistant Prof of Com and Media Studies @ Washington College | current Delawarean | I do work on gender, space, media, and belonging and also comedy studies | she/her
Reposted by Steph Brown
Join @scmspedagogy.bsky.social on September 18 @ 1pm ET for our "Pedagogies of Care" virtual roundtable! Sign up via original post. ❤️
September 16, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Join @scmspedagogy.bsky.social on September 18 @ 1pm ET for our "Pedagogies of Care" virtual roundtable! Sign up via original post. ❤️
I fell into a doomsday prepper rabbit hole a few years ago on TikTok and panicked about living in an apartment and not a rural, self sustaining homestead…..so this hits real close to home
"It was in this miasma of paranoia, anticipation, and horror that a self-preservation instinct began to take over, one grounded deeply in my ability to purchase comfort and safety." defector.com/how-do-i-avo...
How Do I Avoid Becoming A Doomsday Prepper? | Defector
I knew I had gone too far when the question of whether we should buy a gun crossed my mind. This came at the apex of a weeklong anxiety spiral triggered by a New York Times feature about the…
defector.com
September 13, 2026 at 11:33 PM
I fell into a doomsday prepper rabbit hole a few years ago on TikTok and panicked about living in an apartment and not a rural, self sustaining homestead…..so this hits real close to home
gonna make a poster of this for my office
werner herzog on AI filmmaking (from here www.indiewire.com/features/int...)
![Q: A couple years ago at IDFA, I saw this movie "About a Hero," which is this partly Al-generated hybrid documentary that tries to recreate the atmosphere of your films.
A: The intention of this young filmmaker was never to remake any [of my films], but making something in the spirit. And I immediately said, "You will fail. It is such a stupid idea. It's phenomenally, abysmally stupid. I will not take part in it." He wanted me to explain things and have my voice in it.
I said, "You are alone. There's such a thing as free speech, which I respect. So go ahead and fail." And it is a failure, period.
It's so standardized that Al can step in because there's not real storytelling. It's mimicry of something that has happened before. And I welcome Al to replace all the idiots who are into nothing but repeating, repeating, repeating until it's ad nauseam.
When it's ad nauseam, please, please, please let Al step in and do the job.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:v5vphilwcf6nunioeyrpxw6g/bafkreibeadpx66jtqlttglhgbgkew6g65haxqngz5yt6p3ybwyi5zney54)
September 8, 2026 at 9:15 PM
gonna make a poster of this for my office
I have an extremely rough and 4,000 words too long draft of an article I’ve been working on forever, that has felt so much harder to write than usual.
But at least I’m starting to believe in a reality in which I finish it.
But at least I’m starting to believe in a reality in which I finish it.
September 7, 2026 at 7:21 PM
I have an extremely rough and 4,000 words too long draft of an article I’ve been working on forever, that has felt so much harder to write than usual.
But at least I’m starting to believe in a reality in which I finish it.
But at least I’m starting to believe in a reality in which I finish it.
It took me a bit to warm up to Adults its first season, but I’m loving the second, and trying to space the episodes out. I agree with Vulture that I’m begging networks to bring back longer seasons for sitcoms. We need more time to hang out!
Adults Has Outgrown Its Awkward Phase
In its assured second season, the FX comedy graduates from imitating a great hangout sitcom to actually being one.
www.vulture.com
September 4, 2026 at 6:16 PM
It took me a bit to warm up to Adults its first season, but I’m loving the second, and trying to space the episodes out. I agree with Vulture that I’m begging networks to bring back longer seasons for sitcoms. We need more time to hang out!
I’m helping @scmspedagogy.bsky.social crowd source some tips for grad students (and beyond) who struggle start writing a teaching statement. I’d love anyone’s thoughts, especially about biggest mistakes you see.
September 4, 2026 at 2:20 PM
I’m helping @scmspedagogy.bsky.social crowd source some tips for grad students (and beyond) who struggle start writing a teaching statement. I’d love anyone’s thoughts, especially about biggest mistakes you see.
Reposted by Steph Brown
Dolly's gender performativity: "And her flamboyant style has turned all the devalued symbols of womanliness to her own ends."
Back in 1987, Steinem wrote about Dolly. Seems appropriate to share today.
Dolly Parton’s Unique Feminist Power, as Told by Gloria Steinem (January 1987)
Woman of the Year Dolly Parton’s Unique Feminist Power, as Told by Gloria Steinem (From the January 1987 issue of Ms. Magazine)
msmagazine.com
September 3, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Dolly's gender performativity: "And her flamboyant style has turned all the devalued symbols of womanliness to her own ends."
The @scmspedagogy.bsky.social
is excited to bring back our virtual roundtable in conjunction with the JCMS Teaching Media dossiers! Our first one of the fall will be feature contributors to the recent issue on "Pedagogies of Care" on September 18 @ 1pm ET / 10am PT. Sign up below!
is excited to bring back our virtual roundtable in conjunction with the JCMS Teaching Media dossiers! Our first one of the fall will be feature contributors to the recent issue on "Pedagogies of Care" on September 18 @ 1pm ET / 10am PT. Sign up below!
"Pedagogies of Care" Virtual Roundtable Registration
Please join the SCMS Critical Media Pedagogies SIG for a virtual roundtable on "Pedagogies of Care" on September 18 @ 1pm ET / 10am PT. This event brings together contributors to the JCMS Teaching Med...
docs.google.com
September 2, 2026 at 4:07 PM
The @scmspedagogy.bsky.social
is excited to bring back our virtual roundtable in conjunction with the JCMS Teaching Media dossiers! Our first one of the fall will be feature contributors to the recent issue on "Pedagogies of Care" on September 18 @ 1pm ET / 10am PT. Sign up below!
is excited to bring back our virtual roundtable in conjunction with the JCMS Teaching Media dossiers! Our first one of the fall will be feature contributors to the recent issue on "Pedagogies of Care" on September 18 @ 1pm ET / 10am PT. Sign up below!
I’m an elder millennial AND I have at least a passing familiarity with most of these folks. And I’m a big fan of a few (Anania, in particular, is great).
Funny that a list full of lots of young(ish) people and people of color inspires such vitriol in the replies!
Funny that a list full of lots of young(ish) people and people of color inspires such vitriol in the replies!
it’s that time of year again, Rolling Stone released their list of the top 25 content creators, which is actually a test of how old and out of touch you are… the lower your score, the more out of touch
i’ve heard of 11 out of 25
i’ve heard of 11 out of 25
25 Most Influential Creators of 2026
From breakout comedians and beauty experts to fashion newcomers and political stars, here are some of the biggest voices shaping the internet in 2026.
www.rollingstone.com
August 31, 2026 at 7:23 PM
I’m an elder millennial AND I have at least a passing familiarity with most of these folks. And I’m a big fan of a few (Anania, in particular, is great).
Funny that a list full of lots of young(ish) people and people of color inspires such vitriol in the replies!
Funny that a list full of lots of young(ish) people and people of color inspires such vitriol in the replies!
You also get to pick a cute little avatar that bops around the map! And it works with Apple Car Play!
"MapQuest’s app surges to No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario" techcrunch.com/2026/08/31/m...
MapQuest's app surges to No. 1 in Navigation after refusing to rename Lake Ontario | TechCrunch
MapQuest is getting an unexpected boost from its decision to defy President Trump’s renaming of Lake Ontario.
techcrunch.com
August 31, 2026 at 6:50 PM
You also get to pick a cute little avatar that bops around the map! And it works with Apple Car Play!
Every podcast ad I’ve heard this week is for AI and/or weight loss. Every search I’ve tried to do for images or video is full of AI nonsense. I guess this era’s upside is that it’s going to quickly wean me off the internet.
August 31, 2026 at 3:09 PM
Every podcast ad I’ve heard this week is for AI and/or weight loss. Every search I’ve tried to do for images or video is full of AI nonsense. I guess this era’s upside is that it’s going to quickly wean me off the internet.
Fat jokes about bad people just further associate body size with morality, which hurts all fat people! Who are not more likely to be evil than thin people! And in fact, are more likely to be marginalized in other ways! Why is it so hard to just make jokes about the bad things bad people do?
August 30, 2026 at 7:21 PM
Fat jokes about bad people just further associate body size with morality, which hurts all fat people! Who are not more likely to be evil than thin people! And in fact, are more likely to be marginalized in other ways! Why is it so hard to just make jokes about the bad things bad people do?
Reposted by Steph Brown
Every hour there's a story of like a Norwegian death metal guy saying hey I never met Dolly Parton but she sent me a handwritten note saying she loved our song Corpse in the Copse and to keep speaking our truth
August 26, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Every hour there's a story of like a Norwegian death metal guy saying hey I never met Dolly Parton but she sent me a handwritten note saying she loved our song Corpse in the Copse and to keep speaking our truth
Great encapsulation of POV + storytelling perspective 🎦
August 24, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Great encapsulation of POV + storytelling perspective 🎦
Just did a talk on feminist comedy research at the Lady Laughs Comedy Festival. I think all comedy festivals should start booking academic lectures / we should all start pitching ourselves to them more. Film fests are already good at this.
August 23, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Just did a talk on feminist comedy research at the Lady Laughs Comedy Festival. I think all comedy festivals should start booking academic lectures / we should all start pitching ourselves to them more. Film fests are already good at this.
We need to bring back low concept TV. Low stakes family drama, friends on couches in apartments, workplace banter. I can’t subsist on crimes, superheroes, first responders, and increasingly esoteric spin-offs of The Big Bang Theory.
August 21, 2026 at 5:13 PM
We need to bring back low concept TV. Low stakes family drama, friends on couches in apartments, workplace banter. I can’t subsist on crimes, superheroes, first responders, and increasingly esoteric spin-offs of The Big Bang Theory.
You would think Amazon would want to take advantage of those of us who just saw The Rivals of Amziah King and wanted to check out Patterson’s first film The Vast of Night, but they took it down and it doesn’t seem to have ever been released on DVD. I really hate the streaming era.
August 16, 2026 at 12:51 PM
You would think Amazon would want to take advantage of those of us who just saw The Rivals of Amziah King and wanted to check out Patterson’s first film The Vast of Night, but they took it down and it doesn’t seem to have ever been released on DVD. I really hate the streaming era.
If ya need a slice of something nice today, highly recommend this week’s Hyperfixed. It’s a reminder of the unique role serialized audio plays in people’s lives. Also a good entry point to get into the pod.
open.spotify.com/episode/1sZZ...
open.spotify.com/episode/1sZZ...
ReTell All
Hyperfixed · Episode
open.spotify.com
August 14, 2026 at 1:38 PM
If ya need a slice of something nice today, highly recommend this week’s Hyperfixed. It’s a reminder of the unique role serialized audio plays in people’s lives. Also a good entry point to get into the pod.
open.spotify.com/episode/1sZZ...
open.spotify.com/episode/1sZZ...
I am so very much a secondary source person (I spent last night reading reddit takes about Dropout TV to observe patterns) and I’ve never seen it articulated this way. Great article!
defector.com/humanists-ha...
defector.com/humanists-ha...
Humanists Have Done Nothing Wrong | Defector
For many years, I’ve held a pet theory that cultural consumers can be grouped into two broad categories: Primary Source People and Secondary Source People. The former are the book lovers, cinephiles, ...
defector.com
August 13, 2026 at 7:07 PM
I am so very much a secondary source person (I spent last night reading reddit takes about Dropout TV to observe patterns) and I’ve never seen it articulated this way. Great article!
defector.com/humanists-ha...
defector.com/humanists-ha...
Reposted by Steph Brown
Ended up venting my frustration in a blog post that updates an article I wrote a decade ago about fat jokes in sitcoms in the absence of fat characters.
August 3, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Ended up venting my frustration in a blog post that updates an article I wrote a decade ago about fat jokes in sitcoms in the absence of fat characters.
Ended up venting my frustration in a blog post that updates an article I wrote a decade ago about fat jokes in sitcoms in the absence of fat characters.
August 3, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Ended up venting my frustration in a blog post that updates an article I wrote a decade ago about fat jokes in sitcoms in the absence of fat characters.
Reposted by Steph Brown
We're in the 2nd year of a horrible crime and yet no one will stop "Project Runway" for putting the eliminations at the beginning of an episode. People need to pay.
August 1, 2026 at 8:17 PM
We're in the 2nd year of a horrible crime and yet no one will stop "Project Runway" for putting the eliminations at the beginning of an episode. People need to pay.
Mean film reviews are fun when most of the rest of the reviews are glowing! Gives us some fun discourse.
With the collapse of film criticism and the rise of access entertainment journalism where everyone is nice all the time—I say we need *more* overtly critical reviews to keep us on our toes.
With the collapse of film criticism and the rise of access entertainment journalism where everyone is nice all the time—I say we need *more* overtly critical reviews to keep us on our toes.
July 29, 2026 at 12:47 PM
Mean film reviews are fun when most of the rest of the reviews are glowing! Gives us some fun discourse.
With the collapse of film criticism and the rise of access entertainment journalism where everyone is nice all the time—I say we need *more* overtly critical reviews to keep us on our toes.
With the collapse of film criticism and the rise of access entertainment journalism where everyone is nice all the time—I say we need *more* overtly critical reviews to keep us on our toes.
Reposted by Steph Brown
Omg. Omg omg omg.
Emily Wilson (as in, the famed translator of Homer) just published her take on Nolan's Odyssey in @lrb.co.uk... and it is SWEET, JUICY HATERADE:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Emily Wilson (as in, the famed translator of Homer) just published her take on Nolan's Odyssey in @lrb.co.uk... and it is SWEET, JUICY HATERADE:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
July 27, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Omg. Omg omg omg.
Emily Wilson (as in, the famed translator of Homer) just published her take on Nolan's Odyssey in @lrb.co.uk... and it is SWEET, JUICY HATERADE:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Emily Wilson (as in, the famed translator of Homer) just published her take on Nolan's Odyssey in @lrb.co.uk... and it is SWEET, JUICY HATERADE:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...