Get you a husband who can see the light in your eye and hear the trill in your voice when you're in love (with the most perfect raccoon baby) and knows when to get you a shirt. @americanstudier.bsky.social knows me so good.

Happy belated birthday 🥳 We really enjoyed your analysis.

Dr. Vaughn Joy@gvaughnjoy.bsky.social · 2d ago

I did work on my birthday, which means I wrote an absolutely unhinged review of Beauty and the Beast (1991) that actually comes to a solid argument about how widespread the fuckery of toxic masculinity is in society. (Fair warning: the title absolutely does not match the tone of this review.)

I've spent my career writing about all of our history, our worst & our best, & especially the battle between that exclusionary/white supremacist definition of America & a more inclusive vision. We can't look away from the worst. But we can never accept the exclusionary vision as defining us either.

We the People

"We the People." The Constitution begins with those deceptively simple words, but how do Americans define that "We"? In We the People, Ben R…

bloomsbury.com

If & when you see someone making bigoted arguments about Muslim Americans running for office, feel free to tell them that there is literally nothing more fundamentally un-American than such sentiments. My thread: 🗃️ @hcrichardson.bsky.social

Ben Railton@americanstudier.bsky.social · yesterday

Obviously this is a blatant, bigoted dog-whistle for Islamophobes & xenophobes & white supremacists. But it’s also quite literally the opposite of what the Framers intended, brought into the Constitution, & argued for as our founding ideals. A quick thread: 🗃️

No. Also, fuck no. Finally, keep “moral imperative” out of your lips.

Val Kilmer's Iconic "Bingo!" from Real Genius

Alt: Val Kilmer's Iconic "Bingo!" from Real Genius

static.klipy.com

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 2d ago

“Teaching educators about AI is a ‘moral imperative’, said Randi Weingarten, the AFT president.” “And without outside funding, it was a choice between taking big tech’s money or doing nothing, she said.”

We must "[advocate] for diversity without tokenism... If we let only our opponents tell the story, then it becomes a parable about the hazards of striving for progress and equality, rather than about the institutions that reduced equality to a mere PR exercise."

The takedown of Jason Arday has overjoyed the right, and must be a wake-up call for the left | Jason Okundaye

The Cambridge academic has rightly now resigned. But that won’t end the targeting of senior black figures or the lazy way institutions promote faux equality, says Guardian columnist Jason Okundaye

theguardian.com

I did work on my birthday, which means I wrote an absolutely unhinged review of Beauty and the Beast (1991) that actually comes to a solid argument about how widespread the fuckery of toxic masculinity is in society. (Fair warning: the title absolutely does not match the tone of this review.)

The Social Costs of Toxic Masculinity – Black and White and Read All Over

A Marxist Approach to Beauty and the Beast (1991)

blackwhiteandread.com

Thanks to our Constitution, Vance is free to express his bigotry & hate. But here amidst our ongoing 250th, it’s worth being clear that in so doing he reveals himself to be opposed to the Constitution & American ideals--& to fight for the inclusive America that, at their & our best, defines us.

In this @satevepost.bsky.social Considering History column (one focused on the still-timely question of impeachment...), I made the case that the most radical part of the Constitution is the “no religious test” clause in Article VI: www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2019/10/cons...

Considering History: Impeachment and the Radicalism of the American Constitution | The Saturday Evening Post

The founding fathers argued about keeping an impeachment clause in the Constitution. Ultimately, they decided it was necessary.

saturdayeveningpost.com

Obviously this is a blatant, bigoted dog-whistle for Islamophobes & xenophobes & white supremacists. But it’s also quite literally the opposite of what the Framers intended, brought into the Constitution, & argued for as our founding ideals. A quick thread: 🗃️

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 2d ago

JD Vance: "We don't want the next administration, whoever -- god forbid you're gonna have President El-Sayed in three years ... "

YES TO ALL OF THIS

Dr. Vaughn Joy@gvaughnjoy.bsky.social · 2d ago

I did work on my birthday, which means I wrote an absolutely unhinged review of Beauty and the Beast (1991) that actually comes to a solid argument about how widespread the fuckery of toxic masculinity is in society. (Fair warning: the title absolutely does not match the tone of this review.)

This month on the Substack: August marks 30 years since President Clinton signed the bill to "end welfare as we know it." Did it actually accomplish what he set out to do? And how did welfare get such a bad rap to begin with? Read, subscribe, and share today.

I'm not giving Mrs. Potts trauma because the Beast is a bad employer and the Enchantress has a fucked up transformation policy.

Dr. Vaughn Joy@gvaughnjoy.bsky.social · 2d ago

I did work on my birthday, which means I wrote an absolutely unhinged review of Beauty and the Beast (1991) that actually comes to a solid argument about how widespread the fuckery of toxic masculinity is in society. (Fair warning: the title absolutely does not match the tone of this review.)

I'm not giving Mrs. Potts trauma because the Beast is a bad employer and the Enchantress has a fucked up transformation policy.

Dr. Vaughn Joy@gvaughnjoy.bsky.social · 2d ago

I did work on my birthday, which means I wrote an absolutely unhinged review of Beauty and the Beast (1991) that actually comes to a solid argument about how widespread the fuckery of toxic masculinity is in society. (Fair warning: the title absolutely does not match the tone of this review.)

Review Roulette on Vaughn's birthday goes to 11. Don't take my word for it. Read this & thank me when you're done laughing, loving, & learning.

Dr. Vaughn Joy@gvaughnjoy.bsky.social · 2d ago

I did work on my birthday, which means I wrote an absolutely unhinged review of Beauty and the Beast (1991) that actually comes to a solid argument about how widespread the fuckery of toxic masculinity is in society. (Fair warning: the title absolutely does not match the tone of this review.)

I did work on my birthday, which means I wrote an absolutely unhinged review of Beauty and the Beast (1991) that actually comes to a solid argument about how widespread the fuckery of toxic masculinity is in society. (Fair warning: the title absolutely does not match the tone of this review.)

The Social Costs of Toxic Masculinity – Black and White and Read All Over

A Marxist Approach to Beauty and the Beast (1991)

blackwhiteandread.com

It's my birthday, so naturally we went up to Salem for some public history fun/research (I get to teach a class on witches and witch-hunts in world cultures and history this fall!) The last room of the @salemwitchmuseum.bsky.social is on modern perceptions of witches and witch-hunts, and ends here:

Today is the birthday of my favorite person, @gvaughnjoy.bsky.social! If you didn't get her anything yet, may I suggest subscribing (for free) to one or more of the newsletters on the amazing website she created for us? Thanks, & many happy returns! 🗃️ blackwhiteandread.com/newsletter/

Subscribe

Subscribe to our newsletters for a weekly round up of the site's new content, Vaughn's Review Roulette, or Ben's #ScholarSunday or daily AmericanStudier blog.

blackwhiteandread.com

Instead of a cake for my birthday tomorrow, I made an abomination. Chocolate chip cardamom sourdough bread with a ribbon of cracked black pepper dark chocolate ganache

The GREATEST. The lines: They prosecuted some poor sucker in These United States/ For teaching that man descended from the apes Are followed by Springsteen's irrefutable evidence for evolution: the venn diagram of wild apes and horny men is a perfect circle History, culture, & refutes creationism

Ben Railton@americanstudier.bsky.social · 4d ago

& this one on one of the greatest AmericanStudies songs ever recorded (@gvaughnjoy.bsky.social would say *the* greatest): americanstudier.blogspot.com/2025/03/marc...

Happy John Scopes Day! memorydaycalendar.blogspot.com/p/august-nom...

As you look toward fall class, do two things for space and grace; . First, add two flex days to you syllabus. You can move the into place when you're sick when everyone needs a metal health day, when a concept needs a little more time. it takes pressure off when the unexpected happens (more)

Please hate gen AI even harder. You can do it. I believe in you. Do it for the planet. Hate the lazy, slop producing, environment killing, water draining, participation trophy seeking, poser creating, loser machine. Do it for humanity.

This was my argument about what Disney capitalized on in the 50s/60s. In a time steeped in atomic threats and suspicion and fear and constant uncertainty, Disney gave people a specific villain who would be vanquished by the end so good could triumph because he knew people needed a pure escape.

Erin Biba@erinbiba.bsky.social · 4d ago

These days I google the end of every single movie before I watch it to see if it’s sad because I just can’t handle that shit anymore. Happy endings only the real world is sad enough.

Declining literacy and critical thinking are "a public health crisis of intellectual health, and most governments don’t seem minded to do anything about it." I really love this idea of a couch-to-5k for reading and I hope it gains traction

Could a couch-to-5k for books get you back into reading?

With smartphones stealing our attention, we’re picking up fewer books than ever. A novelist shares her eight-week scheme to get you back into the habit

theguardian.com

August is here, & with it my 287th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, please share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ + blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...

#ScholarSunday Thread 287 (8/2/26) – Black and White and Read All Over

August is here, & with it my 287th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, please share as widely ...

blackwhiteandread.com

yes, actually I do think AI-use/adoption is a fundamental declaration of what you value and what you don't and its really silly to believe that such declarations won't be noticed by those around you

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · last wk.

“…the same mechanisms that drive people to grow wary of — and hostile toward — friends, co-workers and family members with different political beliefs are beginning to shape attitudes toward AI.”

"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually." -- James Baldwin, born #OTD 1924

Starting with today's post, featuring 34 favorite posts from the blog's first year, 2010-11. From my debut November 2010 post on the Wilmington Massacre & the Marrow of Tradition to a bracing July 2011 post on a white supremacist massacre in Norway, here's a snapshot of year one on AmericanStudier!

August 1, 2026: Birthday Bests: 2010-2011 – Black and White and Read All Over

[On August 15th, this AmericanStudier celebrates his 49th birthday. So as I do each year, here’s a series sharing some of my favorite posts from each year on the blog, leading up to a new post with 49...

blackwhiteandread.com

I'm going to teach this fall 🥹 after 2 years, I finally have a job and get to teach again 🥹 I'll be adjuncting at two schools on two totally different courses, and I cannot wait 😭