Word Bomb

Word Bomb

By TVOSociety & Culture
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Word Bomb episodes

  • Latinx: Solving for x in a binary world

    In this episode of Word Bomb, Pippa and Karina examine the myriad of modern ways to self-identify as Latin American. Joined by a Chicanx psycholinguist and a Venezuelanx performer, they dig into divisive debates and far-reaching colonial history to see why the gender-neutral term “Latinx”—and its many variations—is on the rise.

    You can follow Megan’s academic and activist work on her website and follow her on Twitter @megandfigueroa. NB: She’s compiled a great database of marginalized scholars in the field of linguistics/language.

    Augusto is a Venezuelan-born, Dora Award-winning performer, writer, and educator based in Toronto. Check out his website and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @augustobitter.

    For further reading, we recommend checking out David Bowles’ excellent and informative blog post on the history of “Latinx”; he has a book on the topic forthcoming from Oxford University Press in 2021. Also consider picking up Ed Morales’ book Latinx: The New Force in American Politics and Culture.

    Thanks for listening!

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min
  • Season three is coming soon
    In 2020, language has been moving faster than ever, and Word Bomb is here to help. Hosts Pippa Johnstone and Karina Palmitesta return for a third season to unpack one explosive word per week, talk to experts and dive deep into lived experiences to share stories the dictionary doesn't tell you. This season, look out for conversations on the US election, cancel culture, the Black Lives Matter movement, Silicon Valley, and more.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 min
  • Ep. 9 - 'Toronto': Live at Hot Docs

    Tkaronto, York, Toronto the Good, T-Dot, Hogtown, the 6ix... Canada's largest city has gone by many names over the years and Pippa and Karina explore the myths and origin stories behind all of them. This season finale was recorded at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto in front of a live audience as part of the annual Hot Docs Podcast Festival.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    12 min
  • Ep. 8 - 'White': The Great YT North
    Are Canadians too polite to talk about race? When it comes to whiteness in Canada, it's a conversation worth having. Pippa and Karina explore the surprising origins of the words "white" and "Caucasian," talk about what it really means to be white in Canada past and present, and speak to the woman behind Toronto's first white privilege conference.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  • Ep. 7 - 'Drag': From drag balls to RuPaul
    Serving realness, throwing shade, reading - RuPaul's Drag Race put drag slang on the map, for better and for worse. Pippa and Karina talk to a drag performer and an anthropology scholar about the aftershocks of appropriated language and the real definitions behind the lingo that's exploded into common usage.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min
  • Ep. 6 - 'Troll': From the internet to IRL
    Being a butt on the internet just isn't what it used to be. From the early '90s to the age of Trump and troll farms, there's a lot to unpack about what we mean when we call someone a troll. Pippa and Karina talk trolling online and in real life with an information and media studies scholar and a vigilante Toronto blogger.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min
  • Ep. 5 - 'Meme': Weird episode, but OK
    LOLcats and starter packs. Evil Kermit and Pepe the Frog. One does not simply record a podcast episode on memes, but they can't stop all of us, let alone 30-50 feral hogs. In this mini-episode, Pippa and Karina talk memes past, present, and future to expand your brain. You love to see it.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    14 min
  • Ep. 4 - 'Anthropocene': Naming the climate crisis
    As the Earth responds ever more rapidly to human activity, a controversial group of scientists is proposing that we've entered a new epoch: the age of the Anthropocene. Pippa and Karina sit down with earth scientists and a documentary filmmaker to talk about how the crisis is packaged and why word choice is so important to the future of the climate.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
  • Ep. 3 - 'Crazy': How to De-craze Our Conversations
    Dude, that's craaazy. In this mini episode, Pippa and Karina discuss one of the most-used adjectives in their vocabulary, what they mean when they use the word "crazy," and the subtle ways that ableist language can creep into casual conversation.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    17 min
  • Ep. 2 - 'Addict': On drug use and language usage
    With an opioid epidemic sweeping North America, there has never been a more urgent time to question how we talk about people who use drugs. Pippa and Karina dive into diagnostic manuals to track the history of how doctors have written about addiction, and talk to a methadone user and a self-professed addict on how labels can both help and hurt.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    26 min

About Word Bomb

From the publisher's feed

Language moves fast and Word Bomb is here to help. Unpacking one explosive word per week, hosts Pippa Johnstone and Karina Palmitesta talk to experts and dive deep into lived experiences to share…

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