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Written for #NJRR Live
Welcome to #NJRR Live!
It is 8:00 PM EST on Wednesday night and that means it is time for #NJRR Live! This week, we are joined by a variety of knowledgeable guests. But first, we are going to acknowledge the COVID relief bill being passed in the Senate. Pathetically, absolutely no Republicans voted for it. While we waited for months as politicians squabbled over unemployment checks, the Biden administration made some insidious moves, such as bombing Syria.
The Democrats are now in power and they are mismanaging things so poorly that they are falling out of favor. Brian will not be surprised if a Republican is elected in 2024, perhaps even someone worse than Donald Trump.
Horror Movie Spotlight: The Platform
We now take a break from real-life dread and bring show writer Leah Giannantonio and Editorial Board member Marilyn in to review a horror movie called The Platform. The Platform was a Spanish movie released in early 2020. In the film, a man volunteers to go to a prison program.
The prison is a type of pit/hole with many cells at different levels. Every day, a platform with food on it is lowered through the prison, stopping for a few minutes at each level so the people in the cells can eat from it. However, the pit goes down so far that the platform always runs out of food before those in the lower cells can eat. Some people even end up eating their cellmates out of necessity.
Blatant Metaphor
Overall, as you can likely tell from the synopsis, The Platform is a metaphor for capitalism. After all, it is extremely common for horror movies to carry social messages. The main character enters into the hole willingly in exchange for a college degree. The lady who interviewed him for the program ultimately joins him in the pit, showing that even some of those involved in the system do not understand the extent of its cruelness.
The film is deliciously gory, shares Marilyn, and it captures the moment of the pandemic so well. People’s needs are not being met. In the movie, there would have been enough food on the platform for every person in the prison if everyone had only taken what they needed. No explanation should be required as to how this relates to our real-world situation — it is our real-world situation. Necessity and scarcity are problems that are created by capitalism.
Whether you’re listening, watching, or reading: check out our Editorial Board! Also, follow @RevRadNat on social media to keep up with our updates. There’s always new stuff happening in the activist world, so don’t miss out!
#NJRR Live Welcomes Teka
We are honored to welcome Teka to the show tonight! Teka works for the Public Intellectuals newsletter as a writer and journalist and you can find her on Twitter. Brian dives into the discussion by asking Teka about the connection between writing and racism. Teka responds that it’s largely about how narratives are shaped.
For example, a lot of people still think that the worst thing about slavery in the US was whipping, when in reality, there was so much more: murder, rape, and other brutal displays. Slaves were tortured, bred, and separated from their families. It doesn’t even stop there. But we rarely if ever hear about this, and never in schools. Why?
The Power of Narratives
Writing shapes narratives. Media, narratives, and propaganda, all of which heavily involve words and writing, have the power to control a society. Teka points out that there is a lot of sexism and racism in the journalism industry. It is one of the least diverse fields, even when it comes to the left.
It all ties back to power. Those who want to control the public narrative do not want it to be dictated by minorities. They are afraid that we will divert the narrative from their control. Teka remembers being shut out of media by white leftist men on multiple occasions. She now has her own blog as well as her own Facebook forum.
Messaging
People underestimate the value of messaging. As a result, there is not much respect for journalists in the professional world. Journalists struggle to get the resources they need to cover stories. Independent leftist media networks are scarce. Brian anticipates that social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter might start censoring activist networks. Teka agrees and says that we need to build our own networks in advance.
In her work, Teka writes about policy, issues, and the history of this country. She tries to make a difference and impact people with her writing rather than preaching to the choir by repeating rhetoric. Algorithms on the internet tend to reward you for talking about trivial things, says Teka. Regardless, she always puts forward her best effort to remain objective.
She doesn’t write “as a Black woman” unless she indicates so in her pieces. This has caused some problems for her in the journalistic world as many of those who have hired her as a writer had the expectation that she would approach her pieces from the specific perspective of a Black woman.
Until Next Week
Teka is on Twitter and Facebook. Public Intellectuals is also on Facebook. If you enjoyed tonight’s movie segment on The Platform, there will be more like it coming. Also, if you have an idea for a segment, join our Editorial Board to make it heard! The segment we did tonight was originally Board member Marilyn’s idea.
Next week on #NJRR Live, we are going to be discussing the power of digital media in activism! Don’t miss it! Until then, stay safe and stay informed.
-Leah Giannantonio, for the Revolution Radio Network