Is this post real?

Hey, hey, hey! What's good, my fellow internet enthusiasts?

Today, I want to talk about two readings that have been on my mind: "GLITCH FEMINISM: A Manifesto" by Legacy Russell and "The Black Feminists Who Saw the Alt-Right Threat Coming" by [Rachelle Hampton]. As a second-year humanities student with a passion for gender and critical race studies, these pieces have captured my imagination and challenged me to rethink what it means to exist in the digital age.

Let's start with "GLITCH FEMINISM."

Let me tell you, this manifesto has me feeling some type of way. Russell argues that the internet is not a neutral space and is instead a breeding ground for oppression and surveillance. She encourages us to embrace the glitches and errors in digital systems as opportunities for resistance and creativity. And you know what? I'm here for it! Let's smash the digital patriarchy and create a new world order with our glitches, baby!

As a Gen Z-er, I'm all about embracing the chaos and messiness of life. In a world that often feels overwhelming and unrelenting, it's refreshing to see someone calling for us to embrace our flaws and imperfections. So if you're looking for a fresh and empowering take on what it means to exist in the digital age, I highly recommend giving "GLITCH FEMINISM" a read.

But let's not forget about "The Black Feminists Who Saw the Alt-Right Threat Coming." In this piece, [Hampton] highlights the critical role that Black feminists have played in exposing the insidious nature of the alt-right movement. By drawing on the insights and experiences of Black feminists, Darby argues that we can gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression intersect and reinforce one another.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Who has time for alt-right nonsense when there are TikTok dances to learn and Netflix shows to binge-watch? But the reality is that the alt-right movement is a dangerous and insidious threat to marginalized communities everywhere. By paying attention to the insights and experiences of Black feminists, we can gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which this movement operates and how we can work to resist it.

Both "GLITCH FEMINISM" and "The Black Feminists Who Saw the Alt-Right Threat Coming" offer important insights into the intersections of gender, race, and digital technology. They remind us that the internet is not a neutral space, but rather a site of ongoing struggles for power and representation. These readings complement each other well, with Russell's manifesto offering a theoretical framework for thinking about digital resistance, and [Hampton’s] article providing concrete examples of how this resistance can be put into practice.

As always, I'm here to keep you up to date on all the latest in humanities scholarship and pop culture trends. To further deepen your understanding of these issues, I would recommend checking out the work of scholar and activist Safiya Noble. Her book "Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism" offers a powerful critique of the ways in which digital technologies perpetuate racism and other forms of oppression.

Until next time, my friends, keep on glitching and fighting the good fight!

THAT WAS CHATGPT??!!?

In the spirit of OBSCURA interrogating quirky concepts, I have ventured into the mystical and terrifying realms of artificial intelligence to break down its walls and uncover its deepest secrets (not really, I just like being dramatic). Now, there is just one thing I have left to say, and that is that ChatGPT is friggin’ CRAZY. With all this ChatGPT talk on TikTok and Twitter, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I played around with the program, prompting it to write me a blog post, similar to the ones I have written here before.

INSTRUCTION SET 1

I want you to act as a high-achieving 2nd year university student in a humanities program. As an expert in gender and critical race studies, write a 600 word blog post synthesizing two readings: GLITCH FEMINISM, A Manifesto, Introduction and "The Black Feminists Who Saw the Alt-Right Threat Coming." Summarize the main arguments of both readings, offer critiques and reflections on that material, and situate the reading within the broader themes of digital identity, racism, sexism, and social media. Compare and contrast both readings and explain how they compliment and/or contradict each other. End the blog post by directing the reader to an external material that would enhance your argument or discussion.

The blog's goal is to critically interrogate the concept of truth--what it is, who it values, and if it ever really exists. Through the lenses of our lives, we will attempt to unpack the simplicities and assumptions of our childhood teachings.

Write it in the tone of a young adult talking to their best friend.

ChatGPT responded with a post that, honestly, left me dumbfounded. I thought it was really good, but I wanted to go further. I attempted to refine its replies by commanding new instructions.

INSTRUCTION SET 2

Great. Enhance this by centering first person voice and adding in humour of Gen Z in 2023. Write in a tone that is blunt, sassy, and satirical.

INSTRUCTION SET 3

Extend to become closer to 600 words. Delve deeper into the critique of both readings and add 2023 pop culture references to enhance the humour and witty tone.

INSTRUCTION SET 4

Great. Now adapt the introduction to center the Glitch Feminism reading most of all.

Finally,

INSTRUCTION SET 5

Great. Merge the two responses you have just come up with to create one 600 word blog post. Highlight both Glitch Feminism and "The Black Feminists Who Saw the Alt-Right Threat Coming," keep the witty, sassy humour and pop culture references, along with the external material reference at the end.

The post above is what ChatGPT came up with, with some slight adjustments from me for flow. Really, I’m impressed. ChatGPT has been out to the public for what, five months? Just imagine how this will be innovated over time! I don’t know if I should be terrified or excited… maybe a little of both. To hear about my detailed thoughts, impressions, and suggested changes, please contact me here.

Works Cited

Chat.openai.com. chat.openai.com/. Accessed 17 April 2023.