Swoti

So...we need to talk about privilege, both as a concept and as a rhetorical tool. Privilege is a framing device that's been embraced by liberals to surface the various advantages and disadvantages bestowed upon individuals because of their identities. Unlike some folks on the right, Joe and Brie can agree that privilege exists. (Also, news flash: The Earth is round.) But has the term privilege outlasted its strategic utility? Rather than revealing various power structures and relationships, is the word now only used to shut down conversations with those on the right? Are there better alternatives that we might use? And, practically speaking, are there ways that we can highlight the privilege of others without putting them on the defensive? We also talk about Spotify's "Hateful Conduct" policy and the company's decision to pull R. Kelly from its playlists. Even though this policy was recently reversed, it's worth re-examining, particularly in light of recent events involving the erasure of men like Bill Cosby