the Discourse on whether it is better to mourn Brianna Ghey with #SayHerName or #HerNameIsBrianna was an unproductive failure.
The level of attention was *wildly* out of proportion with [1] the small but real level of harm and [2] the ability to fix that harm.
A thread: 1/🧵
The level of attention was *wildly* out of proportion with [1] the small but real level of harm and [2] the ability to fix that harm.
A thread: 1/🧵
Level of attention: Absurdly high. 2/🧵
I estimate that prominent tweets on the Discourse have now gotten about ~50 million views in total (!!)
For example, the 4 threads (9 tweets) below have gotten >19 million views:
I estimate that prominent tweets on the Discourse have now gotten about ~50 million views in total (!!)
For example, the 4 threads (9 tweets) below have gotten >19 million views:
Attention has an opportunity cost. The most attention-grabbing, viral posts on this discourse are just low-substance drama. 3/🧵
They don't funnel Random Twitter Discourse attention back into understanding Black, trans, or other oppressions -- or promoting concrete solutions.
They don't funnel Random Twitter Discourse attention back into understanding Black, trans, or other oppressions -- or promoting concrete solutions.
Level of harm: Real but low. 4/🧵
No group can ever own a phrase, but messaging matters
Read Bea's short thread, which I summarize as "specific slogans empower specific causes, retaining a slogan for a specific cause helps retain its rhetorical power":
No group can ever own a phrase, but messaging matters
Read Bea's short thread, which I summarize as "specific slogans empower specific causes, retaining a slogan for a specific cause helps retain its rhetorical power":
https://twitter.com/BastetsPassion/status/1626382557796524033
Bea is right that reusing a slogan that popularized cause X (highlight police violence against Black people) to popularize cause Y (highlight bullying / interpersonal violence against trans people) slightly dilutes the future power of the slogan to popularize either cause 5/🧵
But that harm is finite and relatively small. It does *not* merit a left-spanning, bridge-burning, all-consuming Discourse. 6/🧵
Over the past 7 days, usage of "say her name" barely increased above background noise. It's a popular phrase which can't be diluted much:
Over the past 7 days, usage of "say her name" barely increased above background noise. It's a popular phrase which can't be diluted much:
Level of mitigation: Very low. 7/🧵
There is no coordinating body, no slogan workshop, no unifying figure or media that can guide The Left toward The Best Slogan. (Contrast Fox News or Donald Trump.)
Our slogans are undirected, mostly randomly generated from popular anger.
There is no coordinating body, no slogan workshop, no unifying figure or media that can guide The Left toward The Best Slogan. (Contrast Fox News or Donald Trump.)
Our slogans are undirected, mostly randomly generated from popular anger.
You can see that in the failure of the discourse to achieve its goal: Switch the hashtag. 8/🧵
Despite 50 million views (!!) on posts which I estimate were roughly 2/3 pro-switching
People have continued to post SayHerName (left) about 2x more than HerNameIsBrianna (right):
Despite 50 million views (!!) on posts which I estimate were roughly 2/3 pro-switching
People have continued to post SayHerName (left) about 2x more than HerNameIsBrianna (right):
So much wailing and gnashing of teeth for... nothing. 9/🧵
What can we learn from this?
- It's mostly not feasible to stop a popular moment's slogan
- Trying to do so in public via negative appeals ("don't say X, say Y") causes immense infighting
- People love meaningless drama
What can we learn from this?
- It's mostly not feasible to stop a popular moment's slogan
- Trying to do so in public via negative appeals ("don't say X, say Y") causes immense infighting
- People love meaningless drama
What should we do instead? 10/🧵
- Boost the slogan you prefer
- Use DMs and positive appeals: "Glad you're promoting X, I think Y is an even stronger slogan")
- Focus on substance over rhetoric (if you engage with The Discourse, use that attention to refocus on substance)
- Boost the slogan you prefer
- Use DMs and positive appeals: "Glad you're promoting X, I think Y is an even stronger slogan")
- Focus on substance over rhetoric (if you engage with The Discourse, use that attention to refocus on substance)
So, with all that said: 11/🧵
Her name is Brianna. She was murdered. She deserved a world that accepted her.
We can build one. Hate will lose. Progress is coming.
Her name is Brianna. She was murdered. She deserved a world that accepted her.
We can build one. Hate will lose. Progress is coming.
Defend queer rights. Fight for a better world. Join the DSA: act.dsausa.org/donate/members…
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