From Nerd to Tech Bro to Trumper: Geek Masculinity, the Cult(ure) of Silicon Valley, and the Far Right

Dr. Adrienne Massarani, Associate Professor School of Communication American University

Thursday, April 4, 2024 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM EDT
Merten Hall, 1203

In this talk, drawn from my forthcoming book Gaming Democracy: How Silicon Valley Leveled Up the Far Right (MIT Press), I discuss the ways geek masculinity and the politics of platforms like Reddit have created a fertile ground for the ascendence of Trumpism. Specifically, I trace the connections between tech entrepreneurs, the “Intellectual Dark Web” (a collection of podcasters, pundits, and provocateurs who dismiss identity politics and champion free speech absolutism), and gamers to explore the ways that games, tech, and social media have become intertwined with far-right politics. I argue that the ultimate goal of these groups is to metagame democracy and undermine our faith in democratic institutions by gaming free speech.

Dr. Adrienne L. Massanari is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at American University. Prior to joining AU she was Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and affiliate faculty in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her research interests include digital culture, online communities, platform politics, game studies, pop culture, and gender and race online.

 

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