A Modest Proposal for Babycakes

How would you solve world hunger? Jonathan Swift’s 1729 essay “A Modest Proposal” has an answer, but it might not be one you’d expect. In what is one of the most renowned and outrageous works of satire in the English-speaking world, Swift modestly proposes that for Irish babies to be “beneficial to the publick,” 20% … Continue reading A Modest Proposal for Babycakes

“Blackfish” and the Politics of American Consumerism

When the documentary “Blackfish” came out in 2013, SeaWorld was a well-known and beloved attraction visited by thousands of families each year. Kids eagerly begged their parents to take them to see the iconic orca show starring Shamu at one of SeaWorld’s 11 different locations. But during the year that the film aired, the stock … Continue reading “Blackfish” and the Politics of American Consumerism