"If you don't like the media, become the media." ?? We Create Podcasts for Diverse People ?? JOIN US for The Intersection!
Dr. Shannon Wong Lerner, Ph.D.
Founder of Dr. Shannon Wong Lerner. Ph.D. in Communications. Organizational Communication. Consulting, Training, & Speaking. Public Speaking/Interview Coach. DEI&A Approach.?? DM me for a free discovery call??????????
In just a few days before this monumental election, airing Halloween morning 10 AM, Special Guest, Content Producer @CATPOWERMAN5000 Meme Dealer, Gentry McShane, joins The Intersection Podcast
SEE our YouTube Page to WATCH https://youtu.be/NNYuvEfZQRg
The Intersection: Diverse Folx Converse, EPISODE 3–Politics of Filth: Memes, Britney, Divine and Election 2020
"It's about creating your own little world." Gentry McShane
"Memes are the people's media." Gentry McShane
Jello Biafra said, "If you don't like the media, become the media."
I sat down with Gentry McShane last week for our pre-podcast chat to talk about the Big Issues! Memes, Censorship, Lenny Bruce, Election 2020, & How to Form Community with an Online Presence
WE TALKED ABOUT:
HIS 30,000 FOLLOWERS on IG who follow his memes. And the stir they cause.
ELECTION 2020 and the ways in which memes attempt to offset being inundated by the media. And polarized views. To instead, challenge you to think for yourself. And to be critical of any one-sided political ideology.
April 1964, Lenny Bruce, radical comedian being arrested at Cafe Au Go Go, Greenwich Village nightclub on obscenity charges
We continued TO TALK ABOUT:
?SOME HISTORY OF ANTI-CENSORSHIP from the 1920s-1960s in the U.S. for comics, writers, and producers such as Lenny Bruce, Henry Miller, Charles Bukowski, Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone), and Hunter S. Thompson. And the ways in which, as white, heterosexual men, for the most part, from affluent backgrounds, they were able to push the envelope with cultural content. At times, not unlike today. But it happens in different ways. That certain truths were being suppressed. Ignored. And masked as something else. In many ways, their stories, comedy routines, TV shows attempted to take these masks off to show society's grave denial of: Injustices. Biases. Class struggles. Taboo topics. The ways in which people were suffering. Lack of human rights. And lack of equity.
AND HOW COMMUNITY can be created outside of an echo chamber. That is, that Gentry's memes. And the delight. But also the upset they sometimes cause. Gets people talking. It makes us ACTIVE. When otherwise we might just veg out on the new season of a Netflix show like GLOW. Instead, we are compelled to SPEAK UP. We want to voice WHY this meme bothers us. Or WHY it opens up something for us. CATPOWERMAN5000 doesn't mind being THAT GUY. The guy who we love to love for his art. And his wit. But also at times. Might trigger something in us. That makes us want to exercise our civic duty. To participate in politics. And to get involved.
EVERY DAY, CATPOWERMAN5000's MEMES–some of which can be seen above–ARE razor-sharp. Hilarious...LOL moments, for me, for sure. At times, grotesque. I want to turn away. But I can't. I must look. Sometimes, I feel gutted. I feel bad for laughing so hard at the dankest of memes. I'm in a whale's belly after being consumed whole. And I'm loving the ride. Other times, I float to the surface. And I am uplifted by an emo self-care meme directed at the pandemic and mental health. Or a silly meme featuring a Sesame Street character.
All I know is that I'm always drawn back. Even if I'm falling asleep after a 12-hour day. I'm still on my phone. Checking Instagram. Looking at @CATPOWERMAN5000's AKA Gentry McShane's 10-meme runs. Always with a pop icon in the finale. Oftentimes a Diva. Which is my weakness. Many times it's Britney. Or a gay icon, like Divine (pictured above with John Waters).
Politics of Filth: Memes, Britney, Divine and Election 2020 with Special Guest Gentry McShane
Join us for the 3rd Episode of The Intersection: Diverse Folx Converse, October 31st, 2020, Halloween morning 10AM as a YouTube Premiere. JOIN our Facebook Page to Stay Tuned.
See Our YouTube Channel For This Episode and Previous Episodes of The Intersection: Diverse Folx Converse Podcast.
Dr. Shannon Wong Lerner, Communication Coach & Consultant, Cultural & Digital Storyteller launches her new program next week: SPEAK YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS to improve your communication skills in just 3-months. Including Brand Storytelling and Thought Leadership Training. And creating your own blogs, vlogs, and podcasts.
MY BIO:
As a gay API coach & consultant and cultural & digital storyteller, I meet you from your unique starting place.
To better support you as women, BIPOC, WOC, non-native speakers, nontraditional learners, creatives, allies, & LGBTQIA+ talent. Inclusive of genderqueer, non-binary, & trans individuals.
I use a whole-person, holistic method that considers
WHO you are
WHERE you come from
HOW you identify
and HOW you sound as a communicator.
So you don't sound like a version of someone else. But you sound like a better version of yourself.
I value life-work balance to support clients to work toward their authenticity, improved health, and well-being alongside their goals.
My love of culture, creativity, and social issues has led me to embrace my cultural & digital storyteller self ??????? with my programs and podcasts. All featuring cutting-edge diverse professionals, intellectuals, activists, and artists. To help others become thought leaders — I enjoy hosting the tutorials and podcasts:
Queer Home Meditation
eFEMeral: Voice Matters
The Intersection: Diverse Folx Converse