144: The Magic Spells of Wellness (w/Colleen Derkatch)

"Cleansing is no longer an option, it's a necessity.”

From wellness influencers obsessed about the meat-body, to Christofascists obsessed about the body politic, rhetoric bombards us from all sides.

Professor of Rhetoric Colleen Derkatch joins Julian to discuss the techniques of the meaning miasma. Her focus is on wellness rhetoric specifically, and how it points to incipient illness, encourages recreational diagnostics, and describes daily routines as liturgies that grant membership in divine communities.

Also we can't avoid talking about Russell Brand on Bill Maher. Sorry. 

Show Notes

Meet Colleen Derkatch

Gish Gallop: When People Try to Win Debates by Using Overwhelming Nonsense

Pharma Wants In - Rina Raphael