Bringing the Snark after Winning Elections
The internet was built on snark, particularly the blogging careers of many of our panelists. Mocking conservatives was a political and survival strategy during the Bush years, but now we've got a Democratic majority and President, and the dominant political voice on the internet. How has cracking jokes changed in the Obama era? Do you keep your sights trained on the right, or do you use humor to keep the Democrats in line? How do you keep up the funny when the economy is in tatters?
Marcotte rose to prominence in 2004 and 2005 as the first feminist blogger to gain traction and traffic in the larger political blogosphere. She continues to blog tirelessly at Pandagon, Slate’s Double X, and RH Reality Check. Marcotte has authored two books: It’s A Jungle Out There: The Feminist Survival Guide to Politically Inhospitable Environments and Get Opinionated: A Progressive’s Guide to Finding Your Voice (and Taking a Little Action).
Marcotte has published on her unapologetically pro-choice, pro-science, progressive feminist ideas in Slate, Salon, the American Prospect, and the Guardian UK. She also podcasts on sexual health and reproductive rights weekly for RH Reality Check, the most popular reproductive rights publication online. She’s appeared on MSNBC with Rachel Maddow, the BBC, and frequently on political radio talk shows across the nation.
Sady Doyle is a blogger. She blogs on the Internet! Here are some parts of the Internet where she has blogged: Feministe, Salon's Broadsheet, Bitch, The Atlantic, and The Awl. She also has her very own blog, which is Tiger Beatdown. Visit Tiger Beatdown on the Internet, some time! Or don't. But come to the panel that she is on anyway. She will appreciate that very much.
Born in the wagon of a travelin' show, my momma used to dance for the money they'd throw. Poppa'd do whatever he could: Preach a little gospel, sell a couple bottles of Dr. Good. Gypsies, tramps, and thieves -- we'd hear it from the people of the town; they'd call us gypsies, tramps and thieves. But every night all the men would come around and lay their money down.
Damon Poeter is a gentleman farmer and author of several monographs on topics of interest to members of local temperance societies and the Greater Sonoma Anti-Mechanisms League. If he were stranded on a desert island and could have just one record, it would be the long-distance swimming record. Mr. Poeter resides on his ancestral estate, Valhalla.
Jesse Taylor founded Pandagon.net in 2002, and his only regret is not using it as a platform to piss off more of the right people.
Former Online Communications Director for Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, Jesse has done something that few have done in the world of liberal blogging: turned it into a steady, low-paying government job for 18 months. Suck on that, everyone who's more famous than him.
He is about to start his third year at the University of Michigan Law School, which has honed his argumentation skills to a fine point.
For instance, should you eat those fries? Maybe. Maybe not. Do whatever you want.
